A 4-Day Work Week? Sign Me Up.

I just read the thought-provoking article, "5 Reasons It’s Time for a 4-Day Work Week," and I must admit, I'm convinced. The piece's main stance is that a shorter work week will make people a) happier and b) more productive. The idea is simple: By compacting the hours we have to get work done, we'll waste less time and be more efficient. And imagine having a FULL three days to reset, relax, explore, and live. A few US company have already employed the tactic and report "increases [in] both output and morale." There's also the interesting point that one less day of running electricity in millions of office spaces and one less day of gridlocked commuting would positively impact the environment.

When I got my first full-time job in NYC, it was the middle of winter. As I accustomed myself to a 45-hour work week, not only was I dead tired by the time I headed home, but the lack of sunlight and freezing weather didn't leave much desire to go to the gym, much less socialize. Happy hours? Forget about it (both figuratively and literally ha). I began to realize that the only time I felt like I was doing something with my life was on Saturdays and Sundays. Friday nights didn't even count, because I would go straight home and fall into bed. I promise I'm not as lame as this is sounding! (Just kidding I totally am.)

Needless to say, summer in NYC is a whole other planet. Getting out of work when there's still sunlight left makes it feel like a crime to head home. I've shifted my routine so that gym time comes at 6am (groan) and the infectious joy of summer nights has made me start making plans after work. Revolutionary! Now I'm getting drinks with friends on Monday night, watching a movie with the roomie Tuesday night, heading to a rooftop party Wednesday night, hosting a dinner party Thursday night, and--lo and behold!- going out on Friday nights. Weekends are no longer my only window to fraternize, so I can take things outside the city. This past weekend I rented a car with some buddies and headed upstate to Dia Beacon and Storm King (instas below). Usually I would suffer insane FoMo leaving NYC for so long- but I knew that whatever was going on in the big apple could happen again tomorrow or the next weekend, and life as we know it would continue.

Now as much as that sort of digressed into an argument against the before-mentioned case, my point is that even if you are living your work week to the fullest, it's still exhausting. Having three days to catch up on rest, visit family, or just learn to exist in a new city would raise one's level of living dramatically. Several other highly-productive countries already have the Mon-Thu rule, so let's say we give it a shot, eh?

Things I could do more of with more time: art appreciating.

Gift Guide Part V: For Your Boyfriend Who Home Brews IPA, Participates in Movember Year-Round And Makes A Living By Selling High Quality Firewood

1. Redbeard Brew Bars Hard Cider Soup $25 A delicious mix of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg that you can steal in the shower.
2. Hickoree's Almond Stripes Bow Tie $85 For when he feels like channeling his inner Zoe Deschanel and being *quirky*.
3. Urban Outfitters Lana Del Rey "Paradise" LP $14 So you can listen to Lana together and cry beautiful tears and try and convince him once again to get a motorcycle so that the two of you can Ride.
4. Santa Maria Novella Tobacco Toscano Cologne $135 Notes of Vanilla and Amber. But, like, in a manly way.
5. Son of a Sailor Echo Flash Drive $34 To up his tech style.
6. Aesop Sonority Gift Kit $110 More man-grooming gifts because they won't buy it for themselves.
7. Invisiplug Wood Grain Power Strips $16 The only kind of power strips he'll use. Ugh, so difficult.
8. Amazon "The Curious Bartender: The Artistry and Alchemy of Creating the Perfect Cocktail" by Tristan Stephenson. No need to hit up the bars when he can make you whatever you want at home!
9. Peachy Apricot Ron Swanson Keychain $8 Because a man needs an image of his idol nearby at all times.
10. Izola Ford Balsam Pillow $32 Words to live by.
11. Etsy Jon Snow iPhone Case $10 One can never have enough Jon Snow. Or Game of Thrones. But mostly just Jon Snow.
12. Best Made Audubon Field Guide Series $60 To help him navigate the great outdoors.
13. Oh Dawn Skateboard $100 The most efficient way to get to work.
14. Blackbird Tees Tea Towel Set $35 So that there's no confusion about housework being a team effort.
15. A cozy for his mason jar coffee mug which I will have knitted myself so sorry not for sale.
16. The Cutlery Commission Silver Plated Spoon $16 To inflate his ego even more.
17. Hermès Playing Cards $98 Can't get more bourgeois than this.

Gift Guide Part IV: For Your Friends Who Are So Wide Ranging And Diverse, You Don't Really Know How To Sum Them Up In A Few Phrases.

1. Tattly One Year Subscription $60 Because these are the best temporary tattoos ever and to receive 8 of them in the mail every month would be like Christmas once a month.
2. Anthropologie Tiled Fado Guitar $3,600. If there was ever a Tiled Fado Guitar to spend $3,600 on, this would be it.
3. Topman White Canvas Backpack $100 For your stylin' guy friends. Or for your stylin' girlfriends. This is pretty unisex, I think. I'd wear it.
4. Duncan Shotten Rainbow Pencils $Kickstarter For your artsy friends. Because then at the end of a long drawing session you can have little rainbows spread all around and it will bring joy and happiness.
5. Mudpuppy Ceramic Skull Planter $42 I would tell you who I'd give this to, but then I'd have to kill you. #secrets
6. Free People Galloon Lace Halter Bra $38 For your friends that don't wear real bras.
7. Darling Magazine Subscription $20 The most perfect magazine for the most perfect friends.
8. West Elm Square Lacquer Tray $24 Can't go wrong with gold monogrammed things amiright?
9. Tina Zellmer Asia Map This beautiful map for your Southeast Asia-wanderlusting friends.
10. Marc by Marc Jacobs Eye Stud Earrings $48 Precious and (again) *designer*.
11. J. Crew Back Up Battery for iPhone $40 Because New York City drains iPhone batteries like it's its job.
12. Dwell Studio Draper Stripe Major Throw $198 For your friends who have long commutes and an obssesion with stripes.
13. Rothshank Wheel Thrown Beyonce Mug $39 No explanation needed for this one. But bonus points if you accompany it with her new visual album (duh).
14. Natural Quilts $50. These hand block printed and natural dyed quilts will brighten up any room.
15. Diptyque Orange Chai Candle $32 Because orange is a happy color and chais are yummy.
16. Wolfum Floral Pop Teepee $325 Who wouldn't want this in their apartment??

Gift Guide Part III: For Your Sisters Who Write Novels in Spanish Villas, Skis Black Diamonds Like a Pro and Weekend In Bali

1. Anthropologie Florabunda Sleeping Bag  $188 Because if you're going to camp in the Colorado mountains you might as well camp in style. 

2. Anna Rabinowicz Agate Coasters $64 Making guests use coasters = official adult status.

3. Crosley Portable USB Turntable $160 So that they can try and be as cool as me (I have this one in orange.)

4. Fort Standard Bottle Opener $80 Saw this at the Of a Kind fair in Brooklyn last weekend. They are SO chic but just a little too pricey.  I was was dying to get one for the oldest sister even though there's currently an alcohol ban in Little India due to rioting #singaporeproblems. 

5. ASOS Foil Print Knit Beanie $10 I think this would genuinely make me leave my apartment in a snow storm just to be seen in it. And when you don't have an option because you have to go to class (sucks to suck) it'll ease the blow.

6. Ariella Elovic Illustration Pet Portraits $30 My roomate is the MOST talented- get one of these incredible personalized pet portraits (and the wrapping isn't bad either)! I think our dog Prada would like it. If she had emotions.

7. Angel Face Botanicals Flower Power Healing Salts $24 One of those gifts that would never be used because it's too beautiful to actually put in your bath. 

8. Marc Jacobs Nail Glaze in Snap Orange $18 It might not be fresh of the runway, but it's a small price to pay for a *designer* gift.

9. Aha Life Naked Sports Bra $40 THIS BRA LETS YOU TAN WHILE YOU EXERCISE. Vitamin D intake and calories burned? Yes please! (But don't forget the spf obvs.)

10. Sahalie McKenzie Fluff Knee Socks $21 More socks. A luxurious wool, cashmere and angora blend. mmmmmm.

11. Kate Spade Saturday The Small Weekender Bag in Cross Dots $160 The perfect feminine bag for those weekend getaways to the beach that they seem to take every weekend.  

12. Frank & Eileen Polka Dot Corduroy Bary Shirt $198 For that J.Crew lovin' tomboy in them.

13. Love Mae Reusable Deer Wall Decals $75 For when the little one goes off to college next year! Gotta snazz up the dorm room. 

14. Seventh Tree Soaps Owl Shaped Soap $13 Soaps in the shape of their favorite animals. Another product that you wouldn't actually ever use. 

15. Penguin Hard Cover Classics $20 Because when books are that pretty, you don't want to put them down. 

 xx

Gift Guide Part II: For Your Father Who Tuned Into ALL Of Your College Radio Shows No Matter What, Buys CDs From Local Musicians In Every Country He Travels To, And Somehow Knows Everything About Everything.

1. Random House "Rise and Fall of Apartheid" by Okwui Enwezor and Rory Bester $75 Just seems like one of those poignant and thought-provoking gifts in lieu of recent events (RIP).

2. Jonathan Adler Brass Devil Pencil Sharpener $95 It's gold and would look lovely on his desk.

3. Are Naturals Fresh Organic Bay Leaf Wreaths with Rosemary $40 Hang it up on the kitchen door for the holidays and continue to use it in your cooking for the rest of the year!

4. Blue Tree 14kt Gold-Plated Slinky $150 For that inner child.

5. J. Crew Marled Socks $17 Isn't it funny how when you're young socks are the worst gift ever and now they are literally the best?

6. This is Ground Cord Tacos $25 for five These leather pouches will stop all his chords from getting tangled. Also they're called tacos. ha ha.

7. Jawbone Mini Jambox $180 Upgrade his old Jambox to these brighter and shinier ones.

8. Mike's Hot Honey $10 Chili-infused honey made in Brooklyn. So whenever he eats it he'll think of his daughter and start crying.

9. We See Beauty Aphrodite of Milos Candle $190 Because why not.

10. MistoBox Case Coffee Roasters- Decaf Marvailla $16 "Fig, Raisin, Comforting" from Guatamala. For the man who only ever drinks decaf, which I will never understand.

11. Boutiques de Musées Leonardo Da Vinci Luggage Label $10 He'll look sophisticated and intellectual as he travels the world.

12. Fantastic Man Magazine $33 for two The older brother to The Gentlewoman (see Gift Guide Part I).

13. Two Tickets to the Monty Python 2014 Reunion Tour $300 Because this man taught you the importance of British comedy. 

14. Lone Flag Bradley Mountain Traveler's Mug $20 For when he visits me in Brooklyn. To fit in with the locals. And be hip.

15. Alexander Wang Black Croc Embossed Coaster Set $55 Feel swanky with designers' more cost-effective luxury items. 

And today is a SPECIAL Gift Guide post because it's also my father's Birthday! So gotta double up on the presents. Happy birthday to the best father I've ever had!! 

Gift Guide Part I: For Your Omniscient Mother Who Is Queen Of Style, Keeps You Up-to-Date On Exhibits At The Met and Daydreams With You About Moving To India

1. Terrain Block-Printed Tablecloth $348 Because you can never go wrong with block printing.

2. Free People Sleeve Shelter Armwarmer $98 Free People is perfect for that bohemian winter look.

3. The Riads of Marrakech by Elan Fleisher $43 Always a good idea to read up on cities before you go there (and we will go there).

4. Knuckle Case The Original $125 Perfect for a woman whose number one accessories are her phone cases.

5. Anthropologie Maharaja Men Pillow $78 One can never have too many pillows, amiright?

6. Ruan Hoffman Plates These aren't actually for sale but he's a phenomenal artist and one can dream.

7. Della Vintage Coral iPad Case $39 A beautiful print handmade in Hohoe, Ghana.

8. Of a Kind Brass Rivet Bangle $119 Of a Kind is a wonderful website- check it out. Expect a post about them soon. 

9. Blade's Natural Beauty Mountain Woman Tea $15 Notes of lemon balm, oats, nettle, damiana, chamomile and peppermint? Sold.

10. Heidi Klein Coconut Beach Candle $36 Because if you can't actually be at the beach, the next best thing would be smelling it, right? But the romanticized version of a beach. Not like dead fish and seaweed. That would be gross. 

11. The Gentlewoman $15 One of my favorite publications. Perfect for the most gentle woman in your life. Which would be your mother. 

12. Tom Ford Sahara Noir $150 Because Tom Ford is her favorite perfumer and because I can then steal it because he is now also mine.

13. Krochet Kids Intl. the Dixon Coinpurse $16 A company that empowers Ugandans to rise above poverty through the production of their hand-knit products. A gift that gives! Double karma!

14. Barneys Fornasetti Silenzio Candle $165 Because candles are perfect and so are sassy victorian women. 

Next Up: Daddy-o!

Postscript: Check out Gift Guides Part I, II, III, IV, V and VI from last year on my old blog Glitterature. 

Sit Back, Relax and Listen Up

I don't know if it's the cold (first day of snow in NYC!! 11/12/13 must be a sign for something right??) or the alarming amount of tea I'm consuming or the layers of sweaters I'm wearing, but something has me in the mood for Cabin Music. That's a term I just coined to reference music that is super cozy and makes you want to sit on a fur rug in front of a fire in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere and drink a glass of red wine. Preferably next to a loved one, otherwise this is a depressing scenario. If you've ever watched Alias (me) it would be that music they played every time Jennifer Garner got really sad and essentially re-enacted the scene I just described above minus the loved one plus annoyingly pathetic tears (love ya Syd!). So yes, it'ts a bitter sweet sadness/happiness (I tried to combine those two words but they just end up still being the same word) but there's something about it that makes me feel like I'm doing winter right.

Side note: I was in a boutique in Brooklyn last weekend that sold "Cabin Spray".  I want to buy a cabin so that I can buy this product. Then Ron Swanson and I will have a good laugh and dig into our freshly hunted venison.

Want a taste of what I'm talking about? Go to Pandora and play any of the following channels: Angus and Julia Stone, Great Lake Swimmers, Ray LaMontagne, Avett Brothers etc. etc. Nine times out of ten Mumford counts. OR *shameless plug* my boy Matt G. has a good amount of CM on his KWUR show every Tuesday at 7:00pm EST (kwur.com- check it out)

It usually involves some ethereal harmonization, several acoustic string instruments and a deep, baritone manly-man voice paired with a delicate, sickly-sweet female one. Yes, it's sappy, but it's the perfect soundtrack to listen to as frost consumes us. I really wanted to do a GoT reference but I think I've over used the phrase :( 

My Top Five Cabin Songs of the Moment (best when taken with a mug of Sleepy Time Tea):

BONUS TRACK;
Got it from this Sony commercial ha


Into the woods? Yay or nay?