Plane movies, a bathroom essential, and Dolly for President
Links we sent our friends #81
Happy (almost) New Year’s! Aliza and I both spent Christmas in California — I road-tripped up the coast with my mom and fiancé Sam, stopping in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo (where I went to college), and Carmel (a beautiful half-hippie, half-bougie town perched on the coast).
I love a hotel Christmas. It’s so romantic, plus you don’t have to worry about cooking, cleaning, or entertaining.
Meanwhile, Aliza hung out in sunny LA with her husband Sam and son Jude, where they watched the sunrise, caught up with old friends, and met Mickey Mouse.
Aja’s Links:
Ever wondered how airplane movies are chosen?
Speaking of plane movies, Sam and I watched Didi on our flight over. It’s about a thirteen-year-old Asian-American boy in 2008 trying to figure out who he is. I thought it was incredible — funny, authentic, and nostalgic.
This smells SO good and legitimately makes me look forward to getting into bed.
One of our Platonic Love beats has become “cool stuff Dolly Parton’s doing.” If your kid was born in 2020 or 2021, you can sign them up for a free Pre-K Imagination Season Pass, which means they can visit Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country free of charge through the end of 2025. (Aliza: Dolly for President.)
I started Nutrafol a few months ago (see: turning 30, a picture of the back of my head at an unfortunate angle, a comment from my hair stylist)... and I’m seeing the difference. I used to lose a decent amount of hair every time I showered, and now I barely lose any — and my hair’s growing more quickly, too. I actually forgot to pack the pills for this trip and got a little panicked, if that tells you anything. I wish I wasn’t saying this! It’s expensive and the pills taste bad!!
Aliza’s Links:
Seeing a lot of ads in Los Angeles for this new TV thriller.
New year, new tote? (I’m struggling to pick a color because they’re all so fun.) (Aja: Ooh. I vote gold.)
How to entertain young children (without screen time) from
.I’ve been burnt out on my usual podcast rotation, so I was excited when this list of 2024’s best podcasts hit my inbox — Empire City, about the secret history of New York City police force, and Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative, on the documentary industrial complex, both sound incredible.
Why did it take me more than a decade of adulthood to realize I should have one of these in every bathroom? (Aja: LOL I immediately bought one.)
Question we asked our friends:
What’s the last thing you watched in the air? Do you have any favorite plane movies or genres? (Sam says he’s seen Crazy Rich Asians at least 10 times; I (Aja) weirdly like watching thriller/horror, because it’s the only time I can stomach it.)
In case you missed it:
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The last thing I watched on the airplane was The Holiday — on the screen of the person sitting diagonally in front of me.
I have a knack for picking airplane movies that make me cry. Sometimes full out weep, no shame. This past flight (two weeks ago as I returned home for the holidays), I watched Inside Out 2 and Muppets Christmas Carol. And yes I cried at both 😂😭