This is the Kos newsletter: warm email notes from a friend. Finding the simple joy in parenthood, bodies, spirituality, creativity, and beauty. Sound like your jam? Subscribe below for weekly notes.
Hello friends,
How are you? How’s life? What is time? Apologies for disappearing the entirety of November. No idea how that happened. For my American friends, hope you had a good Thanksgiving. I spent a few delightful days with my sister and her family. We cooked together for 6 hours and the result was 5 stars, mostly because of her Parker house rolls and gorgeous tablescape.
I’m so excited for Christmas this year. It’s never the same as an adult but I still feel relieved when an ounce of childlike holiday wonder hits me. Like, Okay, she’s still in there. There are a few gifts that feel perfect and this year I’m going to make Swedish pancakes and cardamom buns.
Yesterday I asked my kids to make Christmas lists. Or write letters to Santa. And Mom and Dad. The resulting lists included “Nurf guns”, covid tests(?!), old bunk bed, shopping sprees, remote control cars (always), and cookies. So we’re on our own this year. Lucky for them, hunting and gathering presents is my love language. All to say I’m on cloud nine.
But as far as presents for people outside of my own family, I’m leaning towards cards/letters this year. It just feels like everybody has everything they need/Life’s too short/etc. Every year I tell myself I’ll write something for everyone but it’s never happened. I’m lucky if I write one thing. But this year…it’s the hope.
Thinking of our friends directly and indirectly affected by the Israel and Hamas war. Nightmare for so many people.
Reading/Listening/Watching
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano is my favorite book of the year
Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar
63 Objects Taken From My Son’s Mouth
Related, Lenka Clayton, the artist of the above book has the best newsletter.
Barbara Kingsolver discussing her childhood and living in Appalachia today (I've been waiting for this one!! and she’s a Meryl Streep doppelganger)
Ghost Story - a spooky true crime series by Wondery. British accents, spooky Victorian mansions, and a grandmother murdered.
Golden Bachelor; Bachelor in Paradise
JoJo Siwa carrying Tom Sandavol!!!!! Fox’s Special Forces on Hulu is surprisingly riveting.
Wheel of Time Season 2 (content warning for violence and war)
Muppet Christmas Carol
What are you watching/reading/listening to?
Holiday Gift Guides
Would you like these??? If Kos subscribers are wantin’, I’ll pull them together. But just want to feel it out bc there are already so many out there. I’d prob do one for what I want for myself (ahem), one for hard-to-buy-for men, and unique kids gifts. Please leave a comment and let me know!
Like the Kos newsletter? Consider supporting my Patreon. I’ll give monthly shout-outs to all my new supporters. You can also join the Little Things Podcast Facebook group and @Toasty_kos Instagram. Thx for your support, always. xo Kos
I LOVED Hello Beautiful too.
Yea please!!