Stuff, Things, etc.: Friday Recommendations, 12/12

1. We made this cocktail last week. Whiskey sours/amaretto sours/midori sours...always favorites of mine! This is like a holiday version and once you buy the ingredients, I've learned, you can just make it all season long.

2. Columbia coat. I asked on Instagram last week if anyone had a coat recommendation. We're going back to the east coast for a few weeks and I always forget how cold it is there and we'll be spending some time outdoors. I wanted to find a truly warm coat because my Eddie Bauer down coat isn't as warm as it used to be...you see, my shoulders and ribs expanded with pregnancy and did not go back to where they started, so I can't layer under this coat the way I used to :/ The tricky part is I had gift cards for Bass Pro so I wanted to get something there...we've had these gift cards for awhile. I didn't want to order online because you never know what you're getting until you really try it on. I had seen some I liked through Land's End and REI but I really didn't want to play mail tag, sending back and forth.

This is what I got at 40% off (in store) because they keep a low stock there. I got black because that was the one they had. I really like the camel color, though, too. It's very heavy and has that reflective insulation. We'll see!

3. Christmas books. I'm noticing such a difference now that I'm paying attention to children's books/picture books (let's call them "living books"). These all have narratives and lessons that stay with you and are perfect for December.

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree // The Legend of Old Befana // 'Twas the Evening of Christmas // The Legend of St. Nicholas

4. Oxyclean bathroom cleaner. I saw a reel of a mom using this to find hidden grime in her kids' bathroom. While I can get on board with the non-toxic trend to an extent, I was completely out of bathroom cleaner last week. I grabbed this at Walmart and I love it. I can, like, feel the chemicals working and sometimes that's just the kind of mood you're in, you know? I always have a bottle of Oxyclean spray in the laundry room for stains anyway.