Smacksy Sunday Links

Holiday Lights at Descanso Gardens

What we really want.

Daily habits to change your life forever.

Setting financial goals.

Interstitial ritual.

Decluttering Christmas decorations.

Get rid of your sentimental junk.

The surrealist magical mystery of Leonora Carrington.

And hamsters.

Happy Sunday.

12th Annual Bob's 99 Cent Store Holiday Shopping Trip (*Spoilers for immediate family)

We're twelve years in with this shopping extravaganza. Since Bob was three. Bob is now fifteen-years-old. Is it still happening? You bet.

Bajan (Jeff's Mom): Faux shearling infinity scarf  "For a cozy neck"

Pops - Wood-Look Travel Water Bottle "Since Pops likes hiking and climbing those stairs at the park. He loves those stairs. I went with him once. It was not love for me."

Jen - USB Plug-In Personal Fan "I know she's at her computer a lot. So for when she's doing that. In the summer."

Me - Scented Christmas Candle With a Drawing of a Red Station Wagon With a Tree Tied on Top "Look, Bob. This red station wagon reminds me of our old car." "Oh, yeah. Me too. Mom can you look away and go to the next aisle please? And whatever you do, don't look back."

Mr. Rosenberg - Can of Spicy Peanuts "Dad loves nuts and spicy things. This says it's really spicy. Betcha dad won't even think it's spicy. A thing has to be REALLY spicy for him to start sweating on his head."

MeeMee (My Mom) - 5" Ceramic Santa Gnome "She needs more decorations for sure."

Aunt Jill - Large Sparkly Unicorn Ornament "Does she like horses? This one's kind of weird, but I like it."

Wishing you a holiday filled with gnomes and unicorns. Merry Christmas. 

Smacksy Sunday Links

A four-minute Ted Lasso animated holiday short.

Writers pay tribute to bell hooks.

Is it always going to be like this now?

How to (politely) deal with unwanted gifts.

Why therapists are worried about mental health right now.

About Wu Wei.

Making the holidays meaningful.

Things you definitely won't need this year.

Do less, a short guide.

After 110 years, an overdue book is returned to a library in Idaho.

Poem a day.

And baby reindeer.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

 

The books.

12 Ways to beat the winter blues.

How immigrant parents say I love you.

Home Alone fans are still casing the iconic house.

The perfect long weekend itinerary in Rome.

Who owns a recipe?

The secret lives of cowboy poets.

A pantry clean-out.

And a favorite - penguin babies.

Happy Sunday.

Sunday Links

 

Grace, courtesy and soccer.

Things you can get rid of without ever missing.

It bears repeating this year, clutter-free gift ideas.

How Memphis created the nation's most innovative public library.

Let's dance.

Redemption for Doctor Watson.

Plants and flowers with a gorgeous glow.

And this wildlife photography.

Happy Sunday, 

Smacksy Sunday Links

Naps

 

The park bench is an endangered species.

You have enough.

Holiday stress relief.

Native Land digital map.

A mobil bike library.

Foredge paintings.

Julia Child's love of Goldfish Crackers.

The best street photography of 2021.

And a basket of puppies.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

How to talk to kids about Thanksgiving.

Practicing with zero.

What's Stanley Tucci doing for Thanksgiving?

Mademoiselle Magic Stuffing.

The tribe that inspired Frida Kahlo.

Stunning time lapse of fog rolling into Oakland.

And Copper the deer.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

 

Riding to the dog park.

An autumn of serenity.

Food rules from the planet's longest living people.

Dispel nervous energy.

Tips to help you read more.

Can minimalism make you happier?

Kitchen cleaning.

Rail trips.

She's a 19th century mystic painter.

And photographing animals.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Wishes to honor Diwali, this festival of lights. 

The pandemic is still doing this.

What you need to know about Daylight Savings Time.

The holiday windows at the Macy's of Moscow.

Reading nooks.

Reading around New York.

California fall color.

And a reindeer cyclone.

Happy Sunday,

Smacksy Sunday Links

A dragon and a monkey.

Magical and macabre spell ingredients to throw in your cauldron this Halloween.

The importance of finding beauty in ordinary things.

Author-approved journals.

Figs.

An interview with author Jocelyn Nicole Johnson.

The bohemian moments of Józef Mehoffer.

Icebergs are swimming sculptures.

And baby hippos swimming.

Happy Halloween Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Grandma Sophie and me. 1965

About fears real and imagined.

Fika.

Love in the time of Corona.

Declutter for the holidays.

A journal prompt for every emotion you might be feeling right now.

How the ballpoint pen killed cursive.

These 5 star hotels around the world cost less than $40 per night.

Miniature dioramas.

And Hazel the donkey.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Living in alignment.

Joan Didion on writing.

Celebrate indigenous storytelling with new books by native writers.

Why saying you want change is not enough.

Explore these creepy European castles this Halloween.

How to declutter your digital life.

Why does the air smell so good after it's been raining.

The book shortage of 2021.

Wes Anderson designed a train carriage.

And baby owls sleeping face-down.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Stillness and curiosity.

7 Women talk about how race affects their friendship.

I miss a feeling I'll never get back.

Betty Reid Soskin turns 100.

Finding flow.

Simple ways to be less bothered and more delighted.

The nation's largest public library system is eliminating late fees forever.

Remarkable trees throughout the world.

These bouquets.

And this perfect autumn dog.

Happy Sunday. 

Smacksy Sunday Links

The world prefers a calm life to an exciting life.

Is minimalism ramping up again?

This begins with an epigraph.

31 Days of Halloween activities.

The miniature Café de Flore within Café de Flore.

This pencil shop in Tehran.

An idyllic garden in the Hampshire Downs.

Lovely travel illustrations.

And a polar bear cub.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Birthday balloons still going strong.

The difference between hope and optimism.

The delusion of borders.

Nora Ephron's three rules for middle-aged happiness.

How to feel more spaciousness in your day.

Who we follow.

You can't change your life until you change your life.

You can spend the night at Julia Child's charming French cottage.

More charming French cottages in the heart of Paris.

The long list nominees for this year's National Book Awards.

And a dog and his ducklings.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

 

Sunrise

How are you feeling during this uncertain time?

Live your dash with no regrets.

People's heartbeats synchronize when they are captivated by the same story.

He had a mild breakthrough case.

Choosing rest.

Effortless things clutter-free people do every day.

Making the perfect bed.

These aerial drone photos.

And a dog who loves butterflies.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Photo of Levi by Mr. Rosenberg

How to cope with intense emotions amid the 20th anniversary of 9/11. 

Unexpected benefits of volunteering.

Notes of encouragement as you simplify your life.

On reading slumps.

The man who biked from India to Sweden for love.

Southern gas station food.

New York's forgotten outpost of European aristocracy.

Time traveling Paris movies.

And mesmerizing owl moments.

Happy Sunday.

Sunday Links

Grounding yourself when life is chaotic.

She was a black librarian who equaled America's most powerful man. I love her. 

In praise of snail mail.

Simple steps to get started with eco-minimalism.

An Afghan feast.

Heavy rain sounds for sleeping.

And the comedy wildlife photography contest finalists.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

An Afghan author on losing her homeland - twice.

A foundational list.

Cool bookstores and libraries you can spend the night in.

Tango on the Seine.

Elegant storm photos.

The 1920s Morris Mermaids.

And sheep art.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Who are we without certainty?

About time perception.

The Taliban's return is catastrophic for women.

Ways to donate to Haitian earthquake relief. 

The value of doing a little.

Improve your life with subtraction.

This sweet little house.

Inside sky lagoon.

Beautiful plant-based recipes.

And this generous golden retriever.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

What does it mean to hold space for someone?

What lies near the heart of fairy stories.

The healing power of play.

The lovely Dutch secret of voorpret.

I have everything I need.

Simple life on a tiny Scottish island.

There's no real reason to eat three meals a day.

A definitive guide to de-cluttering.

Floating origami.

And a violinist serenades rescued horses.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

 

Tiny love stories.

I no longer want to shop.

Photos from the summer Olympics.

Ignorance and the curious idiot.

Sculptures that make novel use of books.

And llamas.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

 

Compare less - appreciate more.

Simone Biles on why mental health matters more than medals.

Thinking Mode vs Doing Mode.

To declutter faster identify what you need.

Swapping out the bedroom TV for a reading nook.

Ways to break up with breaking news.

What we're never spending money on again.

Secret benefits of an afternoon nap.

These firebows.

And a Bernese Mountain Dog and his new friend.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

A life of meaning without buying.

How tv adaptations are changing fiction.

The New Yorker's go-to for spices and so much more.

An artist cleverly transforms landmarks using paper cutouts.

Walk 100 feet above the redwoods.

Miniature garden tour of St. Paul.

A rare quadruple microburst.

And a puppy and a rooster.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

This incredible neuroscience development.

The current and the wind.

Maybe photos are getting in the way of our memories.

Live a more truthful and aligned life.

A vacation ritual.

The world's best new public libraries.

Unexpected ways decluttering can help you take care of your mental health.

Empty Italian castles for sale.

And the viral nightmare chihuahua finds redemption.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

How to compliment someone without mentioning their looks.

Go Zaila!

Why do we buy what we buy?

Strategies to complain less.

I love a good pantry tour.

Simple ways to beat the summer heat.

Chocolate.

Manhattan's long lost era of loft jazz.

And baby raccoons and their dog mom.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Photo of Levi by Mr. Rosenberg

A better way to look at trees.

The practice of truly enjoying time off.

The me that could be.

8 Little notes for more peace and less stress.

The ten most beautiful sights of Lake Como.

What I'm reading right now.

Lovely little poems.

And Egbert the octopus.

Happy 4th of July Sunday. 

Smacksy Sunday Links

What good are forgotten memories?

Three things to buy to be happier.

There is no right way to meditate.

How ten book covers evolved.

Rap's first recorded artists.

The master and his muse who outdid the Mona Lisa.

The best US national parks for stargazing.

And a baby bat yawning.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Poetry can change your life.

About Juneteenth.

22 People on when they feel most themselves.

The resilience of Amy Tan.

Ways to shine like the sun this summer solstice.

How TV shows use books like props.

A Sunday reset.

She was the hostess of Greenwich Village a hundred years ago.

And a baby sugar glider.

Happy Father's Day Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

My summer of no new stuff.

Broken Heart Syndrome is real.

Simone Biles is mesmerizing in slow motion.

How to develop a stretch mindset.

Prom is back.

The "other" lost generation of African Americans in Paris.

I'm ready to live in this Fire Island cottage.

And so many ducklings.

Sunday Links.

Smacksy Sunday Links

 

Bob and Mr. Rosenberg

Secrets to a fairly fulfilled life.

On plans, potential, and success.

Important things you miss when you are busy doing it all.

18 Pieces of three-word advice for the high school graduate.

Benefits of a daily reading practice.

Everything tastes better when you eat it over the sink.

The original flapper who got the world dancing again.

The power of a different perspective.

These hotels.

And labradoodle puppies in the pool.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Ears

What happens when Americans can finally exhale.

Let's talk about hard things.

You might feel the urge to overspend right now.

When decluttering your stuff never let go of these five things

Grounding rituals.

Lovely quotes from Eric Carle.

These paintings.

The super flower blood moon eclipse.

And baby groundhogs eating apples.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Seriously. I can't even with these two.

Favorable conditions never come.

The high bar of expectations.

Being Korean and American in a Dutch town.

She lives at the last stop to the North Pole.

Jane Austen's favorite recipes.

Great podcasts for book lovers.

And baby bunnies and a golden retriever.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Photo by Mr. Rosenberg

A once in a lifetime chance to start over.

Talking sustainability with Alice Waters.

What's normal in some countries but weird in others.

A well lived life of purpose.

Choosing a brighter outlook.

Books by Asian American authors you need to read.

Experts share the best cleaning secrets they learned from their moms.

And a black bear in the bath.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

The hidden language of Mother's Day flowers.

On living fully.

12 Moms on their secret strengths.

A big empty mansion.

Just make something.

And this polar bear.

Happy Mother's Day Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

How to help India.

I'm not languishing, I'm dormant.

Things to add to your summer bucket list.

Finding a book when you've forgotten its title.

The ghost of Modigliani's muse.

This tiny, edible garden.

And half a billion butterflies.

Happy Sunday. 

Smacksy Sunday Links

It's called languishing.

Guilt-free introverting.

In the Visible - Stories form the AAPI community.

The two types of post-pandemic socializers.

Why walking is the most underrated form of exercise.

Supporting your wellbeing.

I love her.

Bridget Jones's Diary 20 years later.

Beautiful scenes from this spring's dangerous frost in Tuscany.

The greatest open air (and floating) show on earth.

And a panda eating a carrot.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Will we go back to living the way we did before?

Subtract.

The internet will never forget.

Coffee naps.

Stress-cleaning for introverts.

Getting the keys to a home in the English countryside.

How to create a cozy reading nook.

Antique intaglio seals.

And a Beluga whale playing catch.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Anticipating a good time is half the fun.

Never let go of these five things.

Thank God for Dan Levy.

12 of the best books by writers of the Asian diaspora. 

This Billy Collins poem.

A nerdy history of the ampersand.

I"m obsessed with kitchen cabinet organization.

The best airbnbs in the UK and Ireland.

All the clichés of Paris tourism in one delightful 1950s cartoon. 

And a back-scratching bear.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

We want our friends back, but which ones?

Not wanting something is as good as having it.

An interview with Great British Baking Show's Nadiya Hussain.

How women invented book clubs.

On Chandler Bing's job.

Building the perfect squirrel-proof bird feeder.

And bunnies.

Happy Easter Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Tiny things to do for yourself today.

The guilt of not working more when we're done for the day.

An interview with Beverly Cleary.

An easy houseplant care trick.

Twyla Tharp never stops.

This garden.

The Italian grandmothers making the world's rarest pasta.

And a piglet and her dog.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Bob Rosenberg Photo

How to support the Asian-American community during this surge in hate crimes.

Covid kitchen.

Boredom can lead to your most brilliant ideas.

Consider your legacy.

Why collaboration is better than comparison.

46 refreshing things to do on a Sunday night.

The not so straight forward story of women and trousers.

And these bear cubs.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

 

I'm not ready for isolation to end.

Surrender is a form of resilience.

About Daylight Saving Time.

Stop procrastinating.

Spring cleaning.

These UK travel photos.

This octopus and other underwater folks.

And a calf and her collie. 

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

 

How to practice.

Anne Lamott reflects on the popularity of her spiritual books.

Why your brain feels broken.

Big meal.

How to be hopeful even when it's hard.

Run your own vintage bistro in the South of France this summer.

Starlings form murmuration in the shape of a bird.

These two.

And the bunnies that helped people survive 2020.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Befriending my former selves.

Joyfear.

How much money is enough?

100 (short) rules for a better life.

The rise of emotional spending.

Problems solved by owning less stuff.

A friendship that began with a message in a bottle.

We are saying it with flowers.

An American impressionist in Paris.

And whales and orcas together.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

How to help people in Texas.

If winter feels extra hard this year you're not alone.

A quite possibly wonderful summer.

Tiny love stories.

I'm a short afternoon walk.

In praise of mediocre books. 

The talking Victorian bouquet. 

And the wild horses of Corolla.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

How did the heart become the symbol of love?

Finding ourselves within ourselves.

Less is more.

Fear is a virus.

Learn to play the fool.

Staying close with friends during the pandemic.

The world needs more love letters.

The King Cake tradition.

New York is the best city to cry in.

Yardi Gras in New Orleans.

And a hound comforting a kitten.

Happy Valentine's Day Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

 

When the cherries run out.

Women making black history right now.

When I thought I had a year to live, I asked for soup.

Hitting your pandemic wall?

Three practices to celebrate your day.

Stop apologizing for these things.

How to create an Introvert Zone in your home.

Reasons you feel tired all the time.

Last night's Northern Lights.

This beautiful photography.

And a squirrel and his cat.

Happy Sunday.

Smacksy Sunday Links

When you walk past the treats jar, this immediately happens.

We're not the only animals who feel grief and spirituality. 

How to relax.

Writing a rule of life.

The joys of being an absolute beginner for life.

Trees can reduce the risk of depression.

Literary paper dolls: Rebecca.

A tiny free art gallery.

This dog and duck playing together.

Happy Sunday. 

Smacksy Sunday Links

Amanda Gorman's books are topping best-seller lists and they haven't even been released yet. Small wonder.

Stateless.

All epistolary novels are mysteries.

33 Writers on why they write.

Loving the new NYT column The Hunt.

A curious journey through the story of the passport.

And these penguins.

Happy Sunday.