Gifts for Screen/Life Balance

And also: a daily delight (feat. Dick van Dyke)

Hi, all.

I’m not sure how the holiday season has been treating you so far, but around here, it’s left my head spinning: it was warm, unseasonably so, all the way till last week—making it feel more like early fall than almost winter. This left me quite surprised when a week or so ago, it suddenly got cold. What’s more, the fact that Thanksgiving was so late this year meant that I was totally unprepared when, a mere three days later, it was December. (Really, someone should warn us.)

Since then, I feel like I’ve been caught in a whirlwind, as I’m sure many of you have, too. So I’ll keep today’s newsletter brief. I have an announcement and a daily delight to share. Announcement first:

I have launched a Screen/Life Balance store!

I’ve long thought it would be fun to have a shop on my website with goods related to screen/life balance, and I’m happy to announce that it’s finally up and running. If you’re looking for a holiday gift (for someone else or yourself!), I hope you’ll check it out — I’ll post photos of what I’ve created below (they range from G-rated to slightly NSFW).

I think I’ve successfully created a code to give you free shipping for items over $50 (enter FREESHIP50 at checkout)—and this is very much an experiment, so if there’s a product you want but that’s not in the shop, just write a note to hello@screenlifebalance.com and I’ll try to make it happen.

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I know those last ones are kind of rude. But they do make me laugh.

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And now, my daily delight:

This video of a 98-year-old Dick van Dyke dancing to Coldplay

I’m a long-time fan of Dick van Dyke. This started in my own childhood, when I loved him in Mary Poppins, and continues today, because my 9-year-old daughter also loves him in Mary Poppins. (As a result, we have watched a lot of Mary Poppins). He’s just so playful and joyful—and is an embodiment of the type of “alive-ness” that I myself aspire to. So I was delighted when, as I was typing this post, my husband showed me this video. It’s an early 99th birthday tribute to him, somehow structured as a Coldplay video (directed by Spike Jonze & Mary Wigmore), and it is absolutely lovely. The man can still dance (barefoot, no less). Enjoy—though, warning, if you’re like me, you may end up teary.

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Speaking of delights, I’ve personally been coping with holiday stress and overwhelm by really upping my practice of noticing small everyday delights in the physical world around me—whether it’s my daughter’s laughter, the city skyline on a cold night, or even just the sight of a particularly elegant tree. It’s been very grounding and provides me with a moment of calm and appreciation amidst the chaos—I encourage you to try it!

I mean, look at those branches.

To scrolling less, living more, and continuing to dance for as long as possible —

Catherine

PS: If you run into any issues with the store, please let me know at hello@screenlifebalance.com — this is an experiment!

PPS: Did anyone use those Thanksgiving conversation prompts? If so, how did it go?!

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