Your coworkers. The mail carrier. Your child’s teachers. Neighbors.
This list could easily be a mile long, it’s the one that names everyone who deserves a little something special this holiday season. And nothing says thank you for being amazing more than a homemade gift, bonus points if that gift is edible. Here are twelve recipes sure to put a smile on each and every one of those faces.
Click on each image to go to the recipe. All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.
What happens when an artist buys out all of the A4 paper in a defunct stationery store? Temporary Tapestry is what. Thomas Voorn then took photos of the paper arranged in interesting ways (actually just thrown out randomly), turning them into patterns allowing you to create your own wallpaper. This particular wallpaper comes in single sheets that when arranged turns into a kaleidoscopic pattern, there are nine patterns to choose from.
Have you picked up your calendar and planner for 2017 or are you in denial that it’s December like me? Okay, that’s not entirely true, I did pick up my planner last week because it’s tough to look ahead when you have nothing to look ahead at. I’m having a tough time narrowing down calendars though, it seems like there are just too many good designs to choose from. Here are 54 calendars and 24 planners for you to peruse while making those big plans for 2017!
Artist Loris Cecchini’s ongoing series of relief sculptures, entitled Extruding Bodies, create impressions on gallery walls. The polyester resin Cecchini uses is designed to lie flat against a surface, with the result resembling a vibrating pool of water or household objects attempting to push through from the next room.
Dede Cheriel’s work explores our attempts to connect to the world. Her influences come from East Indian temple imagery, punk rock, and the Pacific Northwest, with the resulting imagery showing how these efforts are both compassionate and uncomfortable. Dede’s shop has several pieces up for grabs if you love her work like I do.
I’m so stressed. It’s something we hear someone say or think to ourselves at least once a day. Stress is one of those facts of life that can seem inescapable at times, especially during the holidays. December has been a hot point for me since at least college, when I associated it with finals and traveling. Today the sources are more along the lines of budgeting for holiday gifts and the uptick in Q4 blogging, but it’s there nonetheless, from mid-November through the New Year I just can’t seem to shake it.
This go ’round I’m partnering with Rescue to try and help ease stressful moments. Developed by a doctor nearly 80 years ago, the Rescue brand aims to help you keep calm, cool, and collected when you’re feeling anything but. I’ve been reaching for three of their products throughout the day for the past month – black currant Rescue pastilles at my desk, Rescue Remedy spray when I’m on the go (I keep it in my purse), and Rescue vitamins by my bedside before bed. Each provides gentle, non-habit-forming stress relief just when I need it. Their lines even includes products for children and pets, so there’s literally something for everyone when they need to calm down.
Let’s talk about some other ways to step out of the red zone when you feel stress and anxiety make themselves known. Along with Rescue products, my go-tos are pictured through the post – lighting a relaxing candle, making a cup of tea, or taking a moment to pick up some flowers.
Eat well. Your immune system becomes compromised when you’re stressed, making it harder to recover if you come down with something. Reach for dark greens, herbal teas, and proteins.
Go outside. Sit on the porch or go for a hike, just get some fresh air. Be present and try and let go of whatever is getting under your skin, even if it’s only for a five minute walk around the neighborhood.
Learn to say no. Whether it’s to a project or a night out, know your limits and respect them. Mental health is just as important as physical and you need to know those limits.
Try meditation. I’m loving the Headspace app for short ten minute stints. Focusing on little other than breathing does wonders for centering yourself before getting back at it.
Talk it out. Reach out to that friend or family member who inevitably makes you laugh or reminds you how good you have it. In this digital age we sometimes take human contact and its effects for granted.
List what you’re thankful for. Don’t let negative, stressful feelings get the better of you. Instead take a moment to think of what you’re grateful for, what makes you smile, and what brings you joy. Make it in your head or jot things down to hang up as a reminder when you most need it.
Get moving. In whatever way you feel most comfortable – if you have dogs take them for a walk, if you belong to a gym make it part of your routine, if you like to run chart out a course. By increasing your heart rate you’re like to eliminate built up anxieties in the process.
Stay hydrated. Take a five minute break in between tasks to drink a glass of water. Even better, keep a carafe on your desk so you don’t have an excuse not to. Infuse it with fruits or herbs if plain H2O just isn’t your thing or as more of an incentive to drink more.
Go to sleep. It’s what our bodies require to recover from a multitude of things, including stress. Make sure you’re getting the appropriate amount of hours every night, and if you can swing add in a thirty minute power nap a few afternoons a week.
Put it in perspective. Chances are whatever is stressing you out isn’t the end of the world. Make plans to volunteer at a food bank or animal shelter, make a donation to a charity you believe in, or just realize how lucky you are to have humankind’s basic needs available to you.
This post sponsored by Rescue, find out where to pick up your own stress relief here. All words and opinions are my own, as always. Thank you for supporting the brand that help Design Crush create fresh content!
