The Link Up: The Best Family Non-Holiday “Togetherness” Movie, Mal’s Dream $24 Holiday Dress, And A Cause We Are More Than Happy To Support

Happy Sunday everyone! As you can see above we are now in full Christmas mode (well at least the Henderson home is:)). But we also hope that your Thanksgivings were full of love and good food. We know it’s just the craziest marketing time of year but hopefully between our gift guides and Black Friday post you feel well-equipped if you are participating. So with that said, here are more links. Ha.

This week’s house tour is the kind of home that will make your heart sing and cause lots of envy. The home of Rixo co-founder Orlagh McCloskey (a fashion brand) not only created a lot of the art in their home due to massive frustration with the cost of large-scale art but also had a very talented carpenter as a partner and interior designer twin sister. What a team! The home, while a new build, is full of 70s Matisse-inspired design and lots of cool vintage. Go read all about it here!

From Emily: Y’ALL, I’m coming in HOT with this year’s best family non-holiday togetherness movie (already), It’s called Leo, by Adam Sandler (and others). It is LAUGH OUT LOUD funny, has sweet music, and is so relatable for both the kids, us parents of elementary school kids, and the grandparents. The messaging is so good for all of us. It’s about a classroom lizard who is approaching old age and perhaps the end of his life after being a school pet for 75 years. He’s seen it all, has tons of advice to give, and it’s just a real hero’s journey that is so feel-good for the whole family. I swear Adam Sandler had many school teachers consult on this one – it’s safe for everyone and we are definitely planning on watching it again (and we are also very excited for The Family Switch BTW but as of publishing time it’s not out yet).

From Caitlin: Oooooh baby – I’ve been buttering all of you up with posts for the last 4.5 years and I’m finally here to request a favor!!! My dear friend (and ice skating teammate!) Gillian is the founding director of Resilience Rising, a nonprofit organization that provides support to survivors of sexual trafficking and commercial exploitation through residential treatment and community-based mentoring. Gillian is exactly the type of woman who you’d want running an organization like this: she’s warm, brilliant, dedicated, and seemingly unflappable. I really look up to her (on and off the ice!) and her work is SO important, especially as her team establishes their new home base in Southern California. If you’re on the hunt for an easy way to do some good this holiday season, might I suggest buying a (tax-deductible!) gift from a current resident’s wishlist? Lots of items are on sale now, the average price point is between $7 and $30, and you’d truly be lifting the spirits of the women and infants in Resilience Rising’s care. I’ve never put out a call like this on the blog, but it’d mean the world to me if you’d consider adding something small to your next Amazon haul this winter:) THANK YOU!!!

Also from Caitlin: Struggling to find a good under-$20 white elephant gift that folks will actually want to steal? I GOT YOU. Enter this disco ball bottle opener – it was a total hit with my friend group. Did I mention it comes in pink, too?

From Gretch: One thing I’ve learned from working at the Henderson’s is that ice matters. I’ve been spoiled with their incredible pebble ice machine. It’s simply the best–always ready, always crunchy, perfectly pebbly, and secretly tucked away. Comparatively, my at-home ice situation is less than ideal. For years I’ve been stuck to the tray, filling it to just the right amount, precariously stacking them in my already cramped freezer, waiting HOURS to quench my thirst, usually forgetting to stay on top of production all together. But I finally figured it out! While my apartment doesn’t lend itself to built-in appliances, I realized that a countertop ice machine could work just as well. And I’m happy to report, that I absolutely love mine. Ice is ready in about 7 minutes, stays frozen in its bucket, and replenishes on its own! And while it’s not that perfect pebble ice, it is ice. It’s WAY quicker than an ice cube tray and plenty crunchy. It holds me over just fine until the start of the work week when I can go back to the best. If you’re in the market but maybe looking for a more elevated model, I also had my eye on this one and this one, but couldn’t justify the price at the time. But maybe on Cyber Monday…

From Mallory: A HOT Black Friday deal coming at ya – I convinced myself to buy this dress when I was pulling together my list of flowy, comfy dresses that are perfect for for fall/Thanksgiving and it’s better than I ever could have imagined. It’s SO soft and comfy, and I wasn’t sure if it had pockets or not but GUESS WHAT IT DOES. But the best part? It’s literally 60% off and is only $24 currently!! I love the way it looks with a black sweater over it and high boots if ya can see the vision. Snag it while it’s on such a hot sale!!

From Jess: I can’t remember if it was last year or the year before but I came across a product called Fresh Peaches through the Add to Cart podcast. It’s a gel that makes toilet paper a wet wipe. Y’all it’s INCREDIBLE. It doesn’t weaken the toilet paper, works like a charm, and is WAY better for the environment. There isn’t anyone on your list who won’t use and love this product (even if it’s not till they actually need to use it). These little to-go-sized ones might be the gift my friends didn’t know they needed this year. But you can get a full bottle and a to-go bottle at Target too! Practical, useful, and funny:)

Also From Jess: So remember those Everlane jeans I was raving about last week??? Well, they are currently 50% off!! Now, that’s the kind of Black Friday Sale I am into. The only catch is that what’s on sale is final sale. However, I found them to be very true to size and the reviews reflect that too. As an almost 5’4″ person I got the 26.5 inseam length which puts them perfectly at my ankle but they have two different length sizes if you are taller or like your jeans longer! I also got my original pair and my new pair in the Vintage Mid Blue wash because I think it’s perfect and looks better in person than on the website:) Just an FYI!

From Arlyn: I’m not a big believer in buying my clothes on Amazon. Everything is always two sizes too small and I haven’t had a ton of luck finding brands that make quality items (except leggings and things of that nature). But I saw someone share this great cardigan and it was just what I was looking for for something more dressed up. The knit is thick and sturdy and the gold buttons are so pretty. Also RUN, it’s on sale for about $18 right now. 

Thanks for reading and see y’all tomorrow. xx

Opening Image Credits: Design and Styled by Emily Henderson | Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: The OFFICIAL First Farmhouse Christmas! (+ A Great Ribbon Hack And My Dream Color Palette)