The Creative Nest

Alright, winter. We need to talk. Somewhere between the first cold snap and the heat being cranked up to “surface of the sun,” my skin decided absolutely to lose its mind. One day I’m fine. The next day my forehead is flaky, my cheeks feel personally attacked, and my face is like, “Who are you and why are you touching me?” Welcome to winter skin scaries. You know the feeling. Your skin isn’t dry-dry… it’s confused . Tight but oily. Itchy but sensitive. Flaky but also somehow breaking out? PICK A STRUGGLE. Winter air is basically a thief. It steals moisture outside, then indoor heating finishes the job like a villain in the third act. Suddenly your usual skincare routine—the one that worked just fine in fall—has betrayed you. Cleanser? Too harsh. Moisturizer? Not enough. That one product you’ve used for years? Straight to jail. And let’s talk about the emotional damage. Nothing humbles you faster than leaning into a mirror and discovering your forehead looks like it’s molting. I di...

Every night, I have a plan. A solid, responsible, adult plan. I’m going to wrap things up, turn everything off, and head to bed at a reasonable hour like someone who has their life together. And then… night me shows up. Night me is reckless. Night me lies. Night me says things like, “Just one more minute.” For some people, the bedtime trap is scrolling. For others, it’s one more episode that somehow turns into three. But for me? It’s online jigsaw puzzles. I tell myself I’ll just place a few pieces. Just enough to unwind. Something calm. Something harmless. And suddenly I’m deeply invested in finishing a virtual sky or locating the exact shade of blue that absolutely must go right there . At that point, quitting feels wrong. Unfinished. Emotionally irresponsible. Because now I’m not just relaxing—I’m committed . There’s something about puzzles that flips a switch in my brain. It’s quiet. Focused. No noise, no stress, just me and a screen full of tiny pieces mocking me until I ...

 Listen. We need to talk. We, the loyal Amazon Prime people, are going through something right now. And yes, we understand weather exists. We know snow happens. We grasp the concept of freezing temperatures and unsafe roads. We are not monsters. But also… we pay for two-day delivery . Somewhere along the way, “Arriving in 2 days” quietly turned into “Arriving whenever the weather, the universe, and the delivery gods feel like it.” And suddenly we’re staring at tracking updates that say things like Delayed due to weather conditions while the package is three states away, just vibing. Now let me be clear: I do not want anyone driving in unsafe conditions. I don’t want delivery drivers risking life and limb for my paper towels. Safety first. Always. However. It is still deeply confusing when you order something on Monday and Amazon says, Great choice! You’ll get this Saturday. Sir. That is not two days. That is a long weekend commitment . The emotional rollercoaster is real. ...