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thespoonplayer · 5 years

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(DJ) Spoon’s Review of 2018

This year I haven’t listened to much music at all, at least not in comparison to previous years and I certainly haven’t been to many gigs. I’m sure this won’t last but this year I’ve been busier at work so less likely to plug in, I’ve stuck to the radio in the car just to keep up with how messy Brexit really is (ooer a bit of politics) and my runs have been 100% fueled by podcasts so music has just taken a backseat. However, I couldn’t let the year go past without some kind of list...so here is a pot pourri of my favourite discoveries of 2018.

1. Podcasts

Seeing as these have been so important this year I’ll start here...and cheat slightly by bigging up some oldies, but good enough to bang on about again.

Old favourites : Running Commentary (Comedians Paul Tonkinson and Rob Deering take you on their runs and chat sometimes about running, but always about life, kids, comedy and anything that pops into their heads), Adam Buxton (always entertaining ramble chat from Dr Buckles whoever is on, I’ve learnt stuff and I’ve laughed a lot), My Dad Wrote a Porno (Sheer filth as ever but genuinely caused me to LOL during my runs, wondering if people can hear that I’m listening to chat about vaginal lids).

New entries : Off Menu (Ed Gamble and James Acaster opened their genie run fantasy restaurant a month ago and it has quickly become one of my favourite podcasts ever. Eclectic guests pick their fantasy 3 course meals, simple premise and it works. The Scroobius Pip episode was a perfect clash of two excellent pods), Blank (another late entry into 2018 from Jim Daly and Giles Paley-Phillips ostensibly about blank moments in life but just rammed with infotaining chat from ‘non standard’ guests including a jaw dropping episode with Michael Rosen and fun with Gary Lineker and Susie Dent), Poddin’ on the Ritz (sadly now finished with maybe its only series) this pod recorded backstage at Young Frankenstein by Hadley Fraser and the sublime Ross Noble made me laugh more than any other in 2018, it might be about musicals but their search for Kenneth Branagh’s snowglobes and Lesley Joseph adoration was a joy.

2. Board games

They say a family that plays together, stays together. Well we are together more than you can imagine. We’ve played over 220 games this year! Here are our favourite new games into our collection:

The game of the year is Azul, a seemingly simple tile grab and place game, building up a mosaic prettier than anyone else, is full of strategy and a little (but not too much) shafting of others. If you really want to shaft your fellow players though then pick up Unstable Unicorns, a card game where you aim to grow your stable of unicorns, whilst stopping others filling theirs. SO many different cards, tactics and ways to mess it up, you will swear at some point. Discovered in the excellent new board game cafe The Dice Box in Leamington, we bought Meeple Circus before we left, it’s that much fun. Rehearse and perform the best tiny wooden meeple circus performance, accompanied by a bespoke playlist. Stack the acrobats, balance the lions and raise the bar. Another board game cafe, Chance & Counters in Bristol introduced us to the frantic game of Klask, a cross between air hockey, pool and table football. Slide the magnets around to flick a ball into your opponents hole, avoid the magnetic biscuits and don’t KLASK! When is a game not a game? another game of the year has been played a lot in our house, and it’s The Mind. 100 cards numbered 1-100, no words between players and a tense task to lay cards in ascending order. Simple? yes? possible? nope! but it’s sure to cause fun and arguments. The final two of MY favourite sadly aren’t quite as loved by my family, but I’ll get them there. Sagrada is a similar game to Azul with you attempting to build a beautiful stained glass window with coloured dice. More variations and thinking needed than Azul which adds to the challenge. And finally and lovely chess like 2 player game which transports you to the sun dappled Greek island of Santorini. Take the powers of a god and build the traditional blue domed white houses of the island whilst trying to stop your opponent climbing onto a roof. A lot of ‘aha, you’ve stopped me’ moments.

3. TV

It’s been a long old year at work, and in the world of parenting so we’ve found ourselves flopped on the settee many evenings just soaking up great drama, comedy and chilling ;o)

We are very late to the party with Suits but that means we have 8 series to wade through! Really neat writing, bants and relationships between characters, a ‘don’t worry they will always win’ calmness about it and you get to see the Queen in her knickers...ish. Another Netflix treat this year was Magic for Humans with Justin Willman, a hugely likeable and funny magician pulling off tricks that constantly make me smirk with a huge dollop of WTF? amazing. A huge recommendation. A late entry to my TV highlights of 2018 is from the warped warped mind of Charlie Brooker...of course with Bandersnatch. An interactive choose your own adventure TV ‘event’ (I know) that had us hooked for the full 90 minutes (only if you want to see how much bloodshed you can invoke!). Completely on the other end of the spectrum was the sublime and minimalistic Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. I don’t like fishing and why would I find two old mates just teasing each other for half an hour entertaining? No idea but it was beautiful. Like Radio 4, comforting and perfect. Then a few suspenseful dramas that got us on the edge of the settee, Killing Eve (quirky AF), Bodyguard (did they really kill Keely Hawes that early?) and Informer (bleak bleak bleak) and sweaty bullocks in ‘should be in the next section really’ Bird Box (made Informer seem like a giggle fest).

4. Films

Really haven’t been to the cinema much in the last 12 months and only once to see a ‘grown up’ film I think but kid’s films are SO good at the moment that’s ok. A few stand out films for me were:

Ralph Breaks the Internet, much better than the first one, lots of #lolz internet jokes and more than a little heart. Wrap me up in a duvet and give me a hot cocoa and Paddington 2 any day, tears at the end. A little more sighing but just as much emotion in Christopher Robin, not sure why Eeyore had an American accent but the characters were spot on and nicely faithful to the original concepts. The one time I did venture out for an adult (it’s a 12 so almost ;o) and saw Ready Player One I was delighted, yeah it might not be a) as good as or b) anything like the book but a visual treat and an enjoyable romp.

5. Books

I read A LOT, until my Kindle donks me on the head in bed anyway...literally a tiny selection of books that have kept me awake.

The Secret Lives of Colour - Kassia St Clair. They say never judge a book by its cover. Well that didn’t work...I bought this purely because it is a beautiful package, the hardback a lot more pleasing imho. Simply 2 coloured pages about how each colour was discovered, invented and introduced throughout history. I never really gave it a thought that colours were...made. Weird and fascinating.

This Is Going to Hurt - Adam Kay. A hilarious ‘secret’ diary of a junior doctor that horrifies at the same time. I think we all knew it was a hard life but bloody hell, if you didn’t love the NHS before you will after this. A thoroughly enjoyable and insightful story of Adam’s journey through medicine. And that ending...wooof.

Moose Allain - I Wonder What I’m Thinking About. I love Moose, I love his colour-me-advent calendars, I love his tweet threads that show the best in Twitter, I love his cartoons and this book is all of those wrapped up in one. And a certain Mr Spoon is to thank for the publication, find me in the back of Unbound funders! An inspiring book for anyone who loves art, creativity and childish humour.

Factfulness : Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World - Hans Rosling. A brilliantly clever and educational book about why the world is NOT as shit as it might seem some times. It’s all backed up by real data and lovely lovely graphs!

Lee Child and Ian Rankin. A highlight of the year is the next Reacher and Rebus novels and these two didn’t disappoint. Rebus’ latest adventure Past Tense, is a self-contained story that could introduce anyone to the man machine that is Jack Reacher. Rebus however is back, retired but won’t lie down, in In A House of Lies, an old case comes back to haunt him and will this finally be his downfall? I doubt it!

6. Music

As mentioned, I haven’t ‘been into music’ as much in 2018 for various reasons but I’ve still enjoyed some great new discoveries:

Barns Courtney - The Attractions of Youth, discovered via the use of Glitter and Gold for the theme tune of Netflix’s Safe. An album of ‘cheesy, commercially viable blues and folk rock’ apparently. I just liked the visceral nature of some of the tracks and it always fired me up at work on slow days.

Isaac Gracie - Isaac Gracie, a rare listened to recommendation from my wife. Isaac is everything I claim to like, fragile thin sensitive boys with acoustic guitars....and I do very much with this. Painful screeched out tales of heartbreak. Sublime.

R.E.M. - Live at the BBC, 104 rare and live tracks from arguably one of the best bands ever. Some of the tracks I haven’t heard since my bootleg cassette buying days at Sheffield Uni, when the world was in black and white. Not all tracks are of the greatest audio quality but bliss for a fanboy like me.

Creep Show - Mr Dynamite, a spin off project for Mr John Grant and even from the eclectic crooner this is an odd one. Glitchy electronica with vocoders all over the place. Weird and very Marmite.

Public Service Broadcasting - Every Valley and everything else. The latest offering from the other PSB was a trip through the miner’s crisis and Thatcher years. Bleak? yup but fascinating snippets of well, public service broadcasting and guest stars including the obligatory Welsh rockers the Manics. This album is perfect by itself but it ‘forced’ me to go back and really discover all the PSB albums. The Live at Brixton release is a huge recommendation, I wish I was there.

Rex Orange County - Apricot Princess, maybe I just added this in to seem cool as Rex, aka Alexander O’Conner, was ‘one to watch in 2018′ from the BBC. A multi-instrumentalist that dabbles with hippity hop, R&B and piano pop. The first track alone contains about three musical styles if you wait.

7. Food & Drink

I run, because I really like food. And thankfully I’ve run a lot in 2018 so I got to enjoy a lot.

I was introduced to the weird fermented tea monstrosity that is kombucha by my sister-in-law. Vinegar tasting drink that may or may not help your gut that grows in your living room. WTAF? However, health benefits aside the LA Brewery Strawberry and Black Pepper drink is something, alongside my pilgrimage to Leon, worth going to London for. I’ve heard it’s also for sale in Solihull but I don’t often travel that far beyond my class ;o) I’d say, try it...but I suspect 9/10 people with hate the flavour.

I suspect 10/10 people that try the Aldi Black Forest Mince Pies would love them, but you won’t get a chance as I’ve bought them ALL. Aldi are a bugger for getting you hooked then never restocking. I only managed 10 boxes in 2018 and we’ve rationed well so have 12 left to get us through the bleak January weather. Cherries, Dark Chocolate, Chocolate pastry and a smidge of mincemeat. Perfect!

There are many ingredient delivery services available and I’ve only tried Gousto but I don’t know why you’d go anywhere else. 33 recipes tried and 32 of them I’d have again, with the one not so good one was still far better than anything I’d cook by myself. So easy, so tasty and if you want to try it I can give you a big discount that will help us buy another box, a tad expensive without a discount but worth a treat every so often.

Genuinely I traveled to London just to visit Max’s Sandwich Shop...kinda. It was certainly the deciding factor in a day out at the Summer Exhibition (see below). I downloaded the Kindle version of this book when it was promoted in an email, I bought some Scampi Fries and made a Fish Finger sandwich, I crumbled up some Ginger Nuts into a Mascarpone and Jam sandwich and I made a Fried Egg, Shoestring Fried and Gammon sandwich then I NEEDED to go and see how it’s really done. Amazing over the top sandwiches in a rough little hipster cafe in Stroud Green (no me neither and it’s a long walk from the tube!). So good I had to a) buy the hard copy of the book and b) carry half the sandwich home as even I couldn’t manage it all...not with deep fried macaroni balls filling me up ;o)

8. Places

A family that plays together, stays together as a great man once said. And we don’t just play inside, we love adventures so adventures we had.

I’d never been to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, as it’s in that there London which often seems hundreds of miles away...but I’m so glad that I visited this year. A trip with a good friend with neither of us knowing quite what to expect. We saw, and laughed, and marveled at, paintings, sculptures, videos, photos, models, and weirdness by Banksy next to Joe Lycett next to Grayson Perry next to Harry Hill, next to me mate Lorsen Camps from Coventry. The SA allows ANYONE to submit artwork for consideration and anyone can be accepted. I think this has to become a yearly visit, awesome.

My parents have been wanting to take our kids, and their big kid, to The Forbidden Corner in North Yorkshire for a few years now...and I’m so happy we finally got round to going. Started as a folly to entertain his children this huge labyrinthine site is crammed with strange sculptures, mazes, tricks and squirting fountains. Many hours were spent squeezing through holes, getting lost and getting wet. Beautifully eccentric.

A family holiday to Brittany meant we could visit the loopy city (it’s their phrase!) of Nantes and more importantly Les Machines d’Ile. Ostensibly the workshop of a group of engineers and artists that make huge animatronic machines and animals...that you can ride on! Needs to be seen to be believed, the Elephant brings out the big kid in everyone...and we can’t wait to go back in a few years when they’ve built a huge forest over the river with ride on caterpillars and dragonfly. Incredible. The city itself is dotted with crazy art and interactive pieces encouraging play, I know a city closer to home that should be the UK Loopy City of Culture!

Luckily Tilly is a Harry Potter obsessive AND it was her birthday last year so it gave us the excuse we didn’t need to visit the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour. Wow, just wow. The incredible detail in everything made for the film, the engineering, the amount of artists involved and the presentation of the exhibition blew us away. I’ve enjoyed everything in this list but this maybe was the most magical in the best way.

Many many amazing experiences warrant a mention, but I just don’t have enough words, include Talking Birds - Walk with Me, Print Manufactory Darkroom Workshop, Ludic Rooms Random String Festival, Go Karting with Tilly, some dancing balloons in Broadgate, Godiva Festival with Tony Christie et al, Bristol Gromit trail, Disc Golfing with my girls, Edinburgh Fringe with Dick and Dom and with another wonderful dick from Coventry starring in Bon Jovi musical We’ve Got Each Other, Pandas! at Edinburgh Zoo, Matilda the Musical with Tilly at last, running the Coventry Mile with the girls’ school, Dippy the Dinosaur in Brum, Wicksteed Park (amazing family fun theme park like what they used to be), Cycling on Stratford Greenway in the sun, Autotesting at MotoFest, Bourton-on-the-Water (it’s just a shame 3 million other people know about this gorgeous village), Giant Pac Man in the city centre, Pork Pie making with a good friend, CET several times, Novelty Automation in London and being on The One Show, a couple of Hope & Social gigs and much much much more fun with my wonderful fam and friends. Roll on 2019!

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indigo-streaks-in-her-hair · 7 years

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and your shaky hands [ eh x r ]

fandom : Dear Evan Hansen by : Summer pairing : Evan Hansen x Reader summary : You find origami to be a great coping mechanism regarding your unstable hands. Spending the day with Evan, you think he could give it a try. word count: 3,333 warnings: Cussing?? idk a / n : Originally titled “origami” but i found another imagine with the same title and didn’t want to copy or whatever. This is (probably) the first imagine I write for this blog!! Yay, okay I hope this is a good way to start this off, and if you do read this, bless your souls and I love you. Any sort of support is sincerely respected: liking, commenting, reblogging, following, anything! Constructive criticism is always appreciated :) Thanks, and enjoy! Much love. -S

Shaky hands were always an issue with you.

Like that time you were four and you heard the ice cream truck coming down your street.

You grabbed your mother by the arm and begged her to let you buy something. She reluctantly allowed you to and walked out to the sidewalk. You saw the truck making its way slower and slower towards you and began bouncing with excitement. The truck came to a full stop, the driver giving you an award-winning smile. You pointed out what you had been craving the most and your mom handed him the money. He lowered the sweet to your small self, and without a single hesitation, you snatched it out of his hands.

Taking a large bite you could feel your whole body tingling with joy and excitement. Unfortunately a painful pulsing made its way around your head and you felt your treat wobble violently in your unsteady hands.

Long story short, you dropped your ice cream.

Now it seems like a stupid thing to cry over but back then it was an overwhelming amount of trauma for a four year old.

There was also that time in second grade when you wanted to make a bracelet for that cute boy Evan Hansen.

It was art class and you had a light blue (Evan’s favorite color) piece of yarn and a styrofoam bowl of plastic beads of various shades in front of you. And you were absolutely determined to finish this bracelet before the class was over.

It was going well, you had about 2/3 of the yarn threaded with beads and a nice color pattern going on as well. It wasn’t until you decided to glance over at Evan sitting at another table by himself that things went entirely wrong. String in one hand, bead in the other, you couldn’t help but blush and smile at how cute he was. Heat made its way over your cheeks and suddenly you were paranoid over what he might think of the bracelet.

What if he doesn’t like the color pattern you chose? What if he thinks jewelry is too “girly”? What if he thinks you’re super weird to just randomly give him a gift like that?

Of course your hands shook again. Noticing the obvious spasms, you desperately made an attempt to conceal it. Ignorant little you didn’t see that pulling your hands under the table would cause you to drop the beads that were so carefully threaded on your yarn. Tears welled up in your eyes once more as the loud clatter of plastic hitting the hard tiles resonated in the small room. Several other kids looked at you, including Evan.

Embarrassing and traumatizing.

And there was also that time in eight grade when you had to present a partnered speech in front of the entire class for some school project.

Over the years, you and Evan had grown closer due to when you mustered up the courage to sit with him at lunch the years prior. From there, you two became an inseparable pair. Obviously you’d choose your best friend to be your partner in this project. You both had a mutual hatred of public speaking so you two completely understood each other. The actual project was easy, and completed just a few days later. The presentation however, not so easy.

The teacher had called yours and Evan’s names so you both made your way to the front of the room. He was looking down at the note cards in his hands and twiddling his thumbs. You gently placed your hand on his arm for some sort of reassurance. That, however, was debatably a regretful decision. The moment you made contact with him, you felt your hands tingle and something red creeping up the back of your neck.

Growing anxious of the familiar feeling, your hands shook uncontrollably. Your teacher pressed a button on the stopwatch to time your speech and uttering the first sentence with a stutter, the note cards slipped out of your unstable hands. In a painfully slowed down perspective of time, you could examine every humiliating moment occurring in front of you. The stifles of laughters, the flying scattered note cards, the rapidly growing numbers of the stopwatch, the teacher’s seething judgement, and worst of all, Evan’s overwhelming concern.

You made a mad dash to the bathroom, not even asking to be excused.

Since then you’ve decided to take matters into your own hands (ironically).

You looked up several ways you could find any control over your alienated hands. You tried several tactics, such as yoga and meditation. You even made up a few of your own ways. For example, your hands shook when you were nervous and when you’re nervous your body starts to speed up and sweat, so what better way to stop a sweat than to cool down? You held ice in your hands until they stung. It didn’t work.

There was, however, one thing that helped you gain control over your hands at least in the slightest. Origami. Origami required precise folding, otherwise it just became more difficult throughout the steps. Not only was it a practice for your hands, but it was also a calming thing to do, since it didn’t require so much hard effort and took your attention only to gliding over the thin paper. You picked up on it almost immediately, and folded up the widest variety of paper models. Birds, flowers, cats, unicorns, and everything in between, you grew to love the folding art. The one piece you made the most were the infamous paper cranes.

Paper cranes littered your desk, hung from your ceiling fan, and even decorated your school locker. And yes, the younger you had tried to fold a thousand paper cranes before but gave up not more than a couple hundred.

Now you were trying to incorporate origami into Evan’s shaky hand problem.

You were laying in bed when your phone buzzed with a text notification from none other than Evan Hansen himself. You immediately answered it.

From: Evan💙 (Attachment: 1 Image) I just got my cast off.

The picture was extremely revealing and scandalous. Evan’s bare arm. Judging from the bedsheets in the background, he was already at home.

To: Evan 💙 we gotta go celebrate!! i’m taking you out to ice cream right now.

And just like that, you grabbed your keys and rushed out the door. When you received another text, you were already on the road. Within a few minutes, you were parked in Evan’s driveway. Picking up your phone, you read what Evan had texted you.

From: Evan 💙 You don’t have to!!

Giggling, you replied.

To: Evan 💙 too late. look out your window.

Stepping out of your car, you looked up at the window to Evan’s room. Sure enough, he was there, waving at you shyly. You shot him a smile and an enthusiastic wave and he made his way to the front door. Meeting him at the doorframe, you embraced him graciously. Pulling back you, held his left arm, and examined it gently.

“Find what you’re looking for?” Evan joked.

“Yeah, I was totally looking for a badly tanned arm,” you placed your thumb over the paled line created from his cast.

Evan let out a slight chuckle.

“More importantly,” you added, “you’re all healed! Praise the lord! Kumbaya and all that! Mwah!” You placed a loud, exaggerated kiss on his arm. Evan’s ears darkened red.

You dragged him to your car, very excited for ice cream. The car ride consisted of you asking what “grand and daring plans” Evan had, now that his arm was free. And when he said he had none, you made a very extravagant list.

At A La Mode, after buying your treats, you talked and joked until something caught your attention. Evan had a splotch of ice cream on his cheek. While Evan was describing an event that happened when he worked as an apprentice park ranger, you picked up your napkin, leaned in, and wiped it gently across his cheek. Evan stopped mid sentence, freezing almost immediately at your touch.

You let your palm linger on his soft skin. His heavy breathing was apparent against your hand. You almost swore his cheeks flushed a shade of pink. Not wanting to make eye contact, you trailed your eyes down to his chest and quickly pulled your head back when you noticed Evan’s ice cream dripping down his arm and onto his shirt. He noticed it too.

He made a slight panicked noise and fumbled with his napkin, trying to clean up the mess that was up and down his arm. He lifted his cone to lick the side which only caused some more of the melted ice cream to fall on his pants. You could hear him let out a frustrated groan as you grabbed him some more napkins, and giggled.

“Here,” you started, “let’s crash at my place and I’ll find you some of my clothes to change into. Then later we can watch a movie or whatever.”

You brushed the napkins roughly against the stain on Evan’s shirt. He tensed up at the sudden chill against his chest.

“Do you,” he started, and you paused to make eye contact with him, “I mean- well, it-it’s just that, do you have clothes that would fit? F-Fit me? Or wouldn’t that be like, ya know, weird or-or something for me to wear your, uh, clothes?”

“Evan, if you haven’t realized, my entire closet consists of huge sweatshirts and sweatpants ten times my size,” you exaggerated, shaking your head with a smile, “I think we’ll find something,” you added with a wink.

After discarding all the dirty napkins, you and Evan drove to your home. Stepping into your house, you steered directly to your room, while Evan waited nervously on your living room couch. You came back with your biggest blue sweatshirt and grey sweatpants.

“You know where the bathroom is,” you said, handing him the clothes.

He bit his lower lip, nodding and headed off to go change. You went to the kitchen to prepare some movie snacks. You slapped your palm against your forehead, frustrated. Why did you suggest to take him to your house? It would’ve been perfectly fine if you’d just took him home, but no. Apparently you felt the need to make him feel even more awkward and embarrassed by making him wear your clothes. Who does that?

Meanwhile Evan was staring at himself in the mirror. The sweatpants you gave him fit well around his legs. The sweatshirt was the slightest bit baggy around his torso, but fit loosely, and the blue shade complemented his skin tone well. Evan felt his face heating up realizing that your bare body had probably touched these clothes before his, and turned an even darker shade of red knowing how weird and perverted that sounded. A knock on the bathroom door nearly scared the shit out of him.

“Hey Ev,” your muffled, gentle voice was heard on the other side of the door, “I made us some popcorn, so I’ll be up in my room when you’re ready for a movie.”

“Oh! A-Actually I was just getting out!” Evan quickly turned the cold water faucet and briskly splashed his face. He turned off the tap. Wiping the water off with the towel by him, he grabbed his dirty laundry and stepped out of the bathroom.

You scanned him up and down, a smile forming its way onto your face. He looked like a cuddly teddy bear.

“You,” you poked his cheek, “are absolutely adorable. I think you wear my clothes better than I do.”

Red-faced, and a little surprised by the compliment, he let out a breathy chuckle. You took his clothes from him.

“I’m going to put this in the washer, and I’ll meet you back in my room,” you told him, already walking away.

When you arrived to your room, Evan already made himself comfortable, taking generous handfuls of the popcorn, and already pulled up Netflix on your laptop.

“Slow down there,” you laid yourself beside him, “at this rate we’ll be out of popcorn before the movie starts.” You nudged him in the side.

“Sorry,” he pulled his hand back from the bowl, with a sheepish smile on his face.

You scoffed, “Ohmygod, I’m joking!” you exclaimed, letting out a silent laugh.

“Oh, r-right,” he mumbled, as you leaned against him.

“So what kind of a movie are you thinking?”

The movie was playing, but you paid little to no mind of it. You were thinking about bigger things. And these “bigger things” were confessing to your childhood crush.

It hadn’t occurred to you until you were snuggling into Evan’s side, breathing in the mix of Evan’s scent in your clothes did you realize how desperate you were to break into something more than just two friends watching a movie. You leaned towards the idea of telling him now.

You two were extremely good friends now, it’d make no sense to just throw that away because you felt like there was a possibility there could be more. Also, Evan had been growing much more loving and affectionate to you, and that reassured you there was a great possibility he might like you back.

Not more than 20 minutes in, the popcorn bowl was empty, other than a few unpopped kernels. You sat up slightly and, hitting pause, you placed the empty bowl in Evan’s lap.

“Get us a refill, why don’t you?” you asked with pleading eyes.

“Why can’t you?” he gave you a small shove with his shoulder.

“Hey, you were the one who ate it all!”

“…No argument there.”

You chuckled and thanked him with a kiss against his cheek, which made him heat up for the millionth time that day. He knew you liked to be affectionate (not that he minded) but you always got him flustered over small things. He kicked his legs over the side of your bed and stood up with the mostly empty bowl. It didn’t take more than a single step for the bowl to slip out of his wobbling hands and scatter popcorn kernels over the floor.

“Damn it,” he muttered, immediately getting on his knees to clean up his mess. You had gotten up too, and turned the lights on. You kneeled down next to him.

“You okay Evan?” you asked, picking up a kernel by the leg of your desk.

“Yeah, I guess-,” he dropped the kernels back into the bowl, “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t, I mean” He fumbled with his words for a little.

With a heavy sigh, he stood up and spoke again, “I guess I just need to get a better control over my hands”

He placed the bowl on your desk.

“Hey!” an idea came to your mind, “You know what I used to do when I had a really bad issue with shaky hands?”

“Origami,” he replied almost instantly.

You furrowed your eyebrows, standing up again, “How’d you know?”

He picked up one of the several paper cranes from your desk and displayed it to you, “This?”

You rolled your eyes, “Well have you tried it?”

“No, not really,” he admitted, putting the crane back on your desk.

“Well… here,” you searched over the top of your desk for some pre-cut into square paper and handed it to him. You both sat down on your bed.

“Take this corner and fold it diagonally, then do the same with the other corner,” you explained, pointing in indication.

He made a careful fold. Putting your hand on top of his, you pressed your thumb and forefinger together against the paper, and slid it across to make a sharper crease. You could feel his fingers trembling under yours. You took your hand off of his own to let him relax. Instead of guiding him physically, you decided to grab another piece of paper to use as a visual demonstration.

Throughout the process, Evan was starting to get the hang of things and didn’t seem as hesitant with every fold. There was one moment where he was worried about his hands growing sweaty and making his fingers stick to the paper, but you reassured him there was nothing to worry over. There was a step he didn’t understand clearly, in which he asked you to guide him. He then used that excuse many more times for you to hold his hand longer.

The end result wasn’t as cleanly folded as the one you had been working on but it held a similar shape, and didn’t have a single tear. You were proud of Evan and he gave you a lopsided smile. You grabbed a pen and placed your initials on your crane. Then Evan stretched out his hand, asking for the pen. He copied your actions and wrote “E. H.” on his crane. He looked at your crane again. It looked much nicer than his own.

“Can I… Can I keep this?” he picked up your crane.

You smiled wide, feeling the familiar warmth overcome the tops of your cheeks.

“Of course,” you started with a genuine smile, then with a mischievous smirk, added, “if you get us a refill of popcorn.”

He let out a groan as he stood up and left with the bowl.

You were feeling creative today and scrambled about your desk. You desperately searched for a blue thread, yarn, ribbon- anything. Successfully finding a small ball of yarn, you cut off a lengthy piece with a pair of scissors. Picking up a safety pin, you pierced a hole in the top of the crane, miraculously not stabbing your finger in the process. Threading the yarn through the hole, you heard the beeping of the microwave, indicating that Evan would be back soon. You panicked.

Evan walked back into your room with a hot bowl of fresh popcorn.

“Sorry if I burned it a li- Hey, are you alright?” Evan set the popcorn on your bed.

“Just peachy,” you regretted saying that. Who says that? (a/n: i do lol) “Your, um, your crane,”

“Oh, yeah,” he turned to you with a wide smile. He looked so beautiful sitting there. In your soft, plush clothes, with his wide, joyful eyes, and his bottom lip poking out slightly as he smiled. You opened up your closed fist to reveal his present.

“Second grade me wanted to relive the past,” you began, averting your eyes from him, in any attempt not to shrivel up in embarrassment.

He placed his hands on top of yours to admire your makeshift bracelet.

You used your unoccupied hand to scratch the back of your neck, “I, uh, wanted to make you a bracelet to tell you I had a crush on you back then. I mean, I guess, I still do like you now, too.”

Your confidence was severely melting. You felt like someone was rubbing hot stones over your face as you took each ends of the yarn to tie it around Evan’s out stretched arm. He held it up, turned it one side, then the other.

“It’s, I- um,” he stuttered, “I didn’t, I- uh, didn’t really prepare a speech or anything but,” he cautiously opened up his arms to welcome a hug.

You gladly accepted, diving quickly into his embrace. You let your arms find their way around his waist and hold him tightly. His arms snaked around your sides, fitting around your body snugly. Your nose fit itself over his shoulder. He felt plush in your grasp, like a stuffed animal or a cloud. You felt comfort in his warmth.

“I like it. I like it a lot, actually, and you! I lik- uh, l-love you?” he shut himself up as soon as he registered what he just said.

You pressed a kiss up against his neck.

“I love you, too. And your shaky hands.”

#evan hansen x reader #evan hansen imagine #dear evan hansen x reader #dear evan hansen imagine #deh #dear evan hansen #evan hansen #deh imagine #deh fic #connor murphy #jared kleinman #zoe murphy #deh x reader #indigo imagines #by summer

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forsetti · 7 years

Text

On Syria

I wrote the following in September of 2013 about Syria. In light of the recent Tomahawk missile strike against a conveniently vacated air base by the current administration, I thought it was relevant to drag out of mothballs and repost. At the end, I've added a few additional thoughts in light of what has changed with regard to Syria since late 2013. The politics, second guessing, finger pointing and knee jerking going on about the situation in Syria doesn’t surprise me. It amuses me. It angers me. It does not surprise me. The large faction on the right that loves nothing more than flexing America’s military muscle, especially in the Middle East against them “terrorist Muslims”, are having to confront their hatred of anything and everything President Obama says and does. So when he suggests a possible military strike against a Middle East dictator, their simple, black and white (no gray matter) brains get overheated. “Must kill terrorists.” “Must not agree with President.” When you add the rightwing talking points of the President being a secret Muslim and Communist who hates America into the mix of their fragile, fact devoid minds, it sets off a reaction the effects crew of “Scanners” would envy. So you have a large group of people who want nothing more than to bomb the cheesy five-clock-shadow mustache off Assad suddenly wearing tie-dye, wearing hemp necklaces with peace symbols and smelling of patchouli. That is how powerful their hatred of the President is. The other major faction on the right is those who are so ingrained and whose self-worth is so intricately tied to military power that they are willing to swallow the bitter pill of supporting the President if he decides to strike Syria. But their hatred of him is still lingering around their murderous heads like bottle flies on a corpse. They don’t want him to authorize a surgical strike, they want him to fully engage the Syrian Army. They don’t want him to go to Congress for authorization, they want him to go “Cowboy” (also known as “going Full Bush”), and attack Assad with all we’ve got and invade Syria like we did Iraq (because that experiment turned out so peachy for us and the Iraqis why not have an encore). This part of Wingnutopia will support an attack on Syria but only if it is “balls to the wall”, “Shock and Awe”, “Our dicks are bigger than yours”. They also don’t want any responsibility for the costs, lives lost, damage done, any possible negative consequences. They want all of those to be completely on the President. This is why they are whining like a hipster who didn’t get the right chai latte about President Obama going to Congress for approval. They love killing people but don’t want any blood on their hands or dead Americans on their conscious.

Then there are those on the left-the war protesting, PETA member, vegans who “want everyone to just get along through hot yoga, Zumba or sharing a loaf of gluten-free homemade bread.” Any bombing, for any reason, is 100% wrong, 100% of the time. Sure they are upset at Assad for killing tens of thousands of civilians and using chemical weapons but that can all be cured with some scented candles, warm oils and hot stones to free up his fifth chakra. President Obama’s decisions are completely wrong because he hasn’t considering sending Assad a spa package, fruit basket and a “Just concerned” card with a cute, furry kitten on the front. These people are easy to identify because they are the first ones tossing around lines like, “You can’t solve killing through killing”, “The President needs to give back his Noble Peace Prize” and “Violence only leads to more violence”. Like their counterparts on the right, they live in a completely black and white gated world where nuance and complexity are not allowed in.

There is the “butt hurt Left”, those who voted for President Obama but are disappointed that he hasn’t lived up to their idealistic standards. “He hasn’t closed Guantanamo like he promised” (never mind it was one of his first orders of business after taking office but has to have Congressional approval and there were too many Dems who pussed out and voted with Republicans). “He didn’t push for single-payer health care.” (Forget that it would never have passed and even the watered down version we got with ACA passed by the narrowest of margins). There is an almost endless list of these types of complaints which can all be summed up as “He promised us unicorns that piss rainbows and fart glitter.” That there isn’t rainbow pissing, glitter farting unicorns in everybody’s backyard just shows he has betrayed the people who elected him. “He said he would get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan!” He is and quicker than was originally planned. He didn’t say he wouldn’t ever engage the military. He has never said that America won’t get involved around the globe. He has said that when we do it needs to be for the right reasons and approached differently than in the past because the old paradigm is broken. If these people paid as much attention to the President’s speeches since he decided to run back in 2008 that they do to picking nits, they would quickly see he is exactly who he has claimed to be. I defy any of them to go read his Noble Peace Prize speech and tell me he isn’t doing exactly what he said-“To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism - it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason.” Go read his campaign speeches from 2008 and 2012 and you will see someone who knows not only history and his place in it but someone who knows the pragmatic limitations of both. There are the those who don’t want to do anything about Syria because they “don’t feel any sympathy or responsibility” for what is happening there. “Assad is killing rebels, some who are thugs, terrorists, and criminals. Why should I care?” A side argument to this is-“Yes Assad has killed 100,000 of his own people but if we get involved he will just kill more.” The bottom line to both these and other related arguments is “I am not affected by what is going on so who cares?” I can hear the hackles getting up on those who have taken these positions-“I do too care! In fact, I don’t want more bad things to happen, that shows how much I care.” Ummmmm….No. That shows you don’t want to do anything and I fail to see how sitting idly by is going to help in any way. I’ve seen this scenario played out before in Bosnia where we sat idly by as the Muslim Bosniak population was systematically killed by Bosnian Serbs under Slobodan Milošević. We finally did get involved and the ethnic cleansing stopped but only after months and months of hand-wringing, moralizing, debating, whining and responsibility shirking. It is great we were able to help end the genocide but how many Muslim Serbs died while we were playing “It’s on your shoulders hot potato”? Tens of thousands for sure. For what purpose? To make us feel better about ourselves and to spread out the possible responsibility as wide and far as possible so if things went bad, everybody’s asses were covered.

A lot of the same people saying we have no business in Syria and don’t feel any moral responsibility for what is happening are some of the same people who spent years complaining about the U.S.’s lack of helping the genocide in Rwanda. I’ve even heard a number of these people say, “We didn’t do anything in Rwanda, so getting involved in Syria would be wrong/hypocritical.” This is a horrible argument. First, the administrations during the Rwandan crisis were different so their aims, policies, and views cannot be compared to present leadership. Second, what kind of moral position is “We didn’t do anything before so we can’t now”? That we didn’t intervene in Rwanda was a great moral failing, replaying that movie is not going to somehow redeem us or reset our ethical tally. It is going to be just another black mark. If you are unhappy about our moral failings of the past, then it seems that the best course of action is to learn from our mistakes, not repeat them. As wrong as it was to do nothing about Rwanda, the Congo, Sudan… the reality of the situation is Syria does have geopolitical importance and those countries didn’t. Ethically this means nothing but it is a variable that can’t be ignored. You don’t have to like this, you can complain that it isn’t fair and wrong but that doesn’t change reality. You can bitch that the Middle East is all about oil and you’ll get no argument from me. You can gnash your teeth about “blood for oil”, we shouldn’t be reliant on unstable countries and government, etc. and I’ll defend your positions and lead your marches. But there is an abyss between “what should be” and “what is” and if you constantly live on the “should be” side without understanding and taking into consideration the “what is” side, you are nothing more than a modern Don Quixote.

What I don’t hear in the media, in Congress, at the bar, on Facebook…is an honest discussion about the issues involved concerning Syria. Everything I hear is politically and emotionally based. I understand these tatics but find them both incredibly useless for an honest discussion and any possible solution. What I hear is-“I’ve heard this story before. Why should I believe the government especially when it comes to getting involved in another Middle East country?” I understand why people ask this question. The sad reality is the Bush administration’s foreign policy, especially with regard to Iraq, will have deep consequences for decades to come. Because they intentionally lied about Iraq having WMDs and their imminent threat because they used the war to funnel money to top Republican donors and to the company previously led by the vice president, it not only cost us billions of dollars, 4000+ lives, it cost us credibility internationally and more importantly, at home. Now if situations arise where a possible military action is involved, especially in the Middle East, the automatic response it is “fabricated”, “a ploy by the military complex”, “an intentional diversion to take the focus off of other problems”, etc. That Bush & Co. did this should go down as one of the greatest travesties in American history. It does not, however, have anything to do with future administrations unless it is inhabited by many of the people who fucked things up the first time. Syria is not Iraq. Doctors Without Borders was one of the first organizations to report the use of chemical weapons. A couple of different countries have independently verified that Sarin was used and responsible for the deaths of at least 1400 Syrians (it should also be noted that this was not the first time chemical weapons were used but it was the most lethal).

Who used the chemical weapons? I think this is a legitimate question. Did the rebels or an outside force who wants the Assad regime to fall use them in order to get the U.S. and the international community involved in the fight? Possible. Unlikely but possible. Sarin and other chemical weapons like anthrax have specific chemical signatures. If the Sarin used in Syria would have come from Iran or elsewhere, it would have a different signature makeup. So far, all the evidence is that the chemicals used came from the Syrian stockpile. Is it possible an anti-Assad faction inside the Syrian Army got ahold of some weapons and either used them or gave them to someone who would in order to help facilitate Assad’s fall? Possible. Of course, this would mean that Assad doesn’t have control over his chemical weapons stockpile which might be a greater concern than a single use. This would mean that such weapons could end up in the hands of terrorist groups and dictators whose ideology is both fanatical and self-destructive. Whether or not Assad’s army used chemical weapons or allowed them to be stolen, it is a major problem that needs to be addressed.

Why don’t we let the international community deal with the situation? That would mean the U.N. Certainly that would be preferable but the reality of the situation makes it impossible. The only way for the U.N. to step in and impose sanctions on Assad it would need the approval of the Security Council. Unfortunately, there are five members of that council that has veto power over any resolution-U.S., France, U.K, China, and Russia. In order to impose sanctions on Syria, none of these countries can object. China might be persuaded to back sanctions. Russia will never, repeat NEVER, allow any sanctions against Syria. Syria is the only ally/asset Russia has in the Middle East and they are not going to do anything that would jeopardize this. Syria has the only Russian naval base in the Mediterranean Sea. Syria is a huge arms customer of Russian weapons. I cannot imagine what Assad would have to do for Russia to be willing to give up this asset. This automatically makes any international sanctions and coalition from the U.N. not an option. For everyone putting your eggs in that basket, stop because that basket is as real as the Easter Bunny’s.

That pretty much reduces the options down quite a bit. Doing nothing is an option. I’m not certain what anyone expects to happen other than Assad killing more of his people and millions of more Syrian refugees. That is exactly what will happen if nothing is done. Does that mean we have to do something? No, but it means that if/when this does happen part of the culpability is on our shoulders. If this is what does happen, I am certain ten years from now I’ll be listening to people whine about Obama’s and America’s moral failing in Syria.

But some of the rebels are members of terrorist groups like Al Qaeda. Why would we want to help them? We don’t. We want to help the average Syrian. If doing so also helps groups/people we don’t like, that is an unfortunate consequence but shouldn’t prevent us from doing what is right for the right reasons.

If Assad is overthrown then Syria could fall into a horrible civil war that could kill thousands of more people than if we do nothing. Perhaps. That is always a risk when a dictator is toppled. There really is nothing you can do outside of complete intervention, occupation, and nation-building that will take this possibility off the table. Not certain the alternative-prop up dictators-is a justifiable position, especially long-term.

Obama is asking Congress to get us into another war in the Middle East. This claim really offends the linguist in me. A military strike is not a war. A limited surgical strike is not going to war. To conflate these is done to rile people up because most people don’t want to go to war but it is completely dishonest. The President is not asking Congress to authorize war with Syria. He is asking them to authorize limited military actions in response to Assad using chemical weapons. If you can’t grasp the differences between these, you have no business discussing this issue.

Having a pretty decent knowledge of the area, the histories of the countries and people involved, the verified facts (as of right now) I don’t know what the right action is with regard to Syria. Part of me knows that no matter what we do/don’t do, the Syrian people are screwed. Assad isn’t going to step down and even if he wanted to I don’t think Russia would let him unless they could guarantee a greater or equal ally taking his place. The stronger the opposition becomes the more Assad will feel threatened and will use even harsher means to deal with them. If we don’t do something to help Assad’s fall, the Syrians who have been displaced, who have fled their homes, who have watched their family and loved ones killed will, rightly or wrongly, hold us responsible which just turns another generation of children from a Middle East country against us which will make for larger problems down the road. I know that there are a lot of armchair moralists and foreign policy “experts” who either use the situation for political purposes (I am sure the Syrian people appreciate your superficial interest in their plight in order to score political points or raise money) and/or who simplify the issues into a bumper sticker talking point. I know that we should not allow anyone to use chemical weapons without responding. I know that any response should be very limited but very specific to avoid as much collateral damage as possible. I know the people wanting full engagement are bloodthirsty, dangerous idiots that have no business on any Foreign Policy committee. I know the people screaming “no more war” can’t grasp complexities and are historically naïve. I know that we’ve been on the wrong side of regimes, dictators, and foreign policy for decades and the consequences won’t be undone in an administration or two. I know change has to start before it can ever get better (if you don’t understand the seismic shift in policy by the President putting the decision in the hands of Congress, you are part of the problem). I know that no matter what we do/don’t do, it will be criticized. I know that I wouldn’t want the responsibility of any of this resting on my decision. I know the children of Syria deserve our very best discussions and decisions.

* 2013 Postscript-U.N. Secretary Samantha Powers’ case for action points out some of the issues I’ve addressed, especially securing the chemical weapons stockpiles. We need to impress on Assad either A)He cannot use them; And/or B)He needs to secure them so they don’t get into the wrong hands. The 1400+ deaths are a drop in the bucket compared to what these weapons can do. *2017 Postscript-Since originally posting this article, the U.S. and Russia negotiated removing the bulk of chemical weapons from Syria which was no small feat. Assad is a typical dictator who has no problem killing thousands of his fellow citizens in order to retain power. The recent deaths in Syria due to chemical weapons are certainly horrible, tragic, and unfortunate but they are a drop in the bucket of what would have been taking place the past few years had President Obama and Putin not worked together to get Assad to hand over tons of their chemical weapons supply. Even if Syria handed over every chemical weapon they had stockpiled in 2014, there was nothing preventing them from making more which they certainly did. Since 2013, a few major changes have taken place in Syria. First, Russia became an hands-on actor which was expected. Russia is never, ever going to give up their military port on the Mediterranean Sea without a serious fight. They need Assad or at least someone as loyal to the Kremlin as Assad in charge of Syria. Any U.S. involvement in Syria will be seen and treated as a threat by Russia. Second, I have no theoretical problem with Trump sending missiles into Syria. The problem I have is he has intentionally targeted Syrian refugees as a group he doesn't give a flying fuck about. You can't claim to bomb a country for humanitarian reasons while at the same time deny the people who need the humanitarian aid the most a way to escape the carnage Syria, Russia, and now the U.S. are inflicting on them. Third, because there is no back door path to actually help Syrians who are caught in the middle of Assad, Russia, ISIS, and Syrian rebels, the only conclusion anyone with an iota of sense or honesty could come to is the Tomahawk strike by Trump was nothing more than the typical conservative president dick waving as a show of “strength” and “power.” Ultimately, nothing the U.S. does will make a damn bit of difference in Syria because the internal and external forces involved won't allow them to do anything that could really help. In the meantime, the citizens of Syria will continue to suffer and die because they are caught in the middle of arrogant, power hungry, dick waving actions between Assad, Putin, and now Trump.

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additionallysad · 5 years

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Holiday Gift Guides for Everyone On Your List (With Stuff under $20 – And Even $5!) https://ift.tt/2PrVYOI

As is the tradition, I’m a little late with this. Ha! But here it is! (I’m also late with my actual gift buying, so I better get cracking). We like to put all of our gift guides in one place, so below you’ll find the one we made for grown-ups, another one for kids, and (my personal favorite) one full of stuff that’s under $15.

Gifts For Grown-Ups

Here’s what we’re loving, either firsthand stuff we bought for ourselves and have really enjoyed – or things we’re getting for friends & family (or hoping to find under the tree).

1 / Adulting Award Ribbons (4/$25): It would be so much fun to have an “award ceremony” at a family gathering, complete with victory laps & acceptance speeches.

2 / Black Robe with Pockets ($78-98): I bought this robe to wear around the house & I’m OBSESSED. So soft, there’s a tie inside so it doesn’t flap open, and IT HAS POCKETS! I’m living my best life.

3 / Personalized Address Stamper ($28): Always love a personalized gift that makes things easier for people. No more writing out return addresses & they’ll think of you every time they use it.

4 / Customized Road Trip Ornament ($25): Another sweet personalized ornament that you can give to someone who went on an epic trip (also works for someone who moved).

5 / Zodiac Sign Constellation Necklace ($28+): I can’t get over how dainty and pretty these are. All you need to know is someone’s birthday and it feels totally unusual and sweet.

6 / Ugg Slippers ($63-104): I bought these & can’t get over how much I love them. Incredibly soft & well made – plus you can buy $15 inserts to keep them fluffy forever (I’ve heard from people who’ve had ’em 8 years!).

7 / Cheeky Mug ($18): A hilarious mug filled with candy, hot cocoa mix, or an adult beverage is always fun. Plus pants are super overrated.

8 / Cozy Plaid Pillow Covers ($20 w/ code CHEER): Love that these are colorful & interesting enough not to feel basic, but they’d work with practically any sofa, armchair, or bed.

9 / Faux Leather Tote with Matching Pouch ($49): I’m so into this cool metallic finish & that it’s two bags in one. Also comes in black, cognac, and a cool blue-gray.

10 / Men’s Puffer Vest ($30): John loves this vest he got for himself this year and we even found a matching long-sleeve jacket ($14 today!) for our son. Fun fact: when they wear ’em together my heart explodes.

11 / Wood Apple Watch Charging Stand ($42): When I asked John what he thought I should add to this gift guide, this is the first thing he sent me. Think it’s a hint?

12 / Dainty Name Ring ($22 – 30% off today): Yet another totally personalized gift idea, and it comes in rose gold, white gold, sterling silver, etc.

13 / Personalized Leather Keychain ($19): These stamped leather keychains come in tons of colors, and you can put someone’s nickname or even a place on it (like “Pink House” or “Smith Manor”)

14 / Bucket Tool Organizer ($29): Such a great gift for anyone with a home, pretty much. Suddenly you can carry 20 tools that would take 10 trips.

15 / Wubby Fleece Pullover ($50 – 35% off today): I don’t think I need to explain why this cozy fleece pullover would be everyone’s favorite, but I’ll just say this: it’s like wearing a cloud (with pockets!).

16 / Faux Leather Circle Clutch ($28): This is one of those items in your closet that pulls together tons of outfits and looks pricier than it is. That wood ring! Real leather! I’m smitten.

17 / Pocket Bluetooth Speaker ($20): I’d love a bluetooth speaker like this on the bathroom sink for blasting hiphop while I shower (comes in blue & gray).

18 / Coffee Table Dominoes Game ($21 – 40% off w/ code CHEER): These are so beautiful and actually functional! I’d put ’em in a pretty wood bowl on the coffee table for impromptu games.

Gifts For Kids

Once again we put things we actually own and love in here, along with stuff we’re buying our kids this year, or considering for other little cousins & friends.

1 / Sailing Ship Kit ($42): Words can’t express how much fun this would be to hang in kid’s room – and it’s an actual kite, so it can come down and fly.

2 / Personalized Crayon Set ($13): It’s so much fun to open a box and see your name in crayons – especially if you have a name that isn’t always found on those premade signs and keychains!

3 / Coloring Book Dress ($38): Who doesn’t want to color all over a coloring book dress and make it completely your own?! LOVE this!

4 / Instant Camera ($56): Such a fun way to get kids into photography, and see the world through their eyes!

5 / DIY Ukelele Kit ($39): Our daughter’s actually learning the ukelele in school (no more recorder concerts! They switched!!!). She’d LOVE THIS.

6 / Classic Lego Set ($28): Our kids have only ever had John’s hand-me-down Lego blocks from his childhood, so we love that they now sell these huge basic block sets (without the price markup for licensed characters!)

7 / Ada Twist, Scientist ($15): We’ve already got Iggy Peck, Architect in our library and it’s GREAT. Next I want this one.

8 / My Crazy Inventions Sketchbook ($14): We bought this book and our daughter filled it up with the coolest sketches & inventions – so great for imaginations & I’m keeping it forever.

9 / Wreck This Journal ($12): We recently found a YouTuber who documented her entries in this interactive (and destructive!) journal. It’s full of fun prompts and such a cool concept.

10 / Wooden Cash Register ($31): Pretend play is big at our house, so a cash register is one of those things that would get so much use. Love that it’s wood and has a scanner & a credit card you can slide.

11 / Unicorn Robe ($30): My robe lovin’ self has rubbed off on our daughter and she’s asked for a robe for herself! I LOVE IT.

12 / Dragon Slippers ($21): Not to be outdone in coziness, our son has dinosaur slippers that he wears nonstop. So as weird as it sounds, fun plush slippers can make a great gift!

13 / Felt Donut Play Food ($9): So cute and under $10! Everyone loves a donut… and you’d be amazed how many of these their stuffed animals will “eat” ;)

14 / Bear Body Pillow ($15): A big cuddly pillow that doubles as an animal friend is always a good idea.

15 / Unstable Unicorns Game ($20): This game says 14+ on box, but reviewers say 8 year olds enjoy it, so we think it’s a great option for our Exploding Kittens-loving 3rd grader.

16 / Metro Wooden Blocks ($90 now – it used to be $150!): Ok, this is just about the coolest block set I’ve ever seen! And I love that it’s 40% off right now.

17 / Custom Kid’s Letter Jacket ($26): How cute is this custom kids letter jacket?! Ours love anything with their names on them – and a jacket is so useful along with being fun.

18 / Girls’ Charm Bracelet Set ($5): Nostalgia forever!!! Our daughter has and loves her charm bracelet. And at $5 this one isn’t too precious.

Gifts Under $15

Here’s my favorite list to make each year, just because I’m always amazed at how many budget-friendly things are out there that’ll make so many people smile BIG.

1 / Hex Tile Monogram Mug ($10): These are basically the beach house master bathroom in mug form! Fill ’em with candy or cocoa mix & marshmallows and they’re great gifts!

2 / Lumps of Coal Dog Treats ($5.50): Can’t forget our favorite four-leggers and these dog treats shaped like lumps of coal made me snicker.

3 / Gold Palm Picture Frame ($10.49): Giving someone you love a personal photo (of their kids, you guys together, etc) in a lovely frame is always a hit. I’m also loving this scalloped bone frame ($10.49).

4 / Plaid Frame Ornaments ($3.99!!!): Such a great grandparent gift with a photo of you or your kids or even some art they’ve drawn. We give them to both of our parents every year.

5 / Mini Kitchen Tool Ornaments ($12.99): So cute for the chef or the baker in your life! The little wisk kills me.

6 / Triple Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix ($9): These make such great neighbor gifts. Just wrap a ribbon around the lid and you’re done!

7 / Beard Oil ($14.99): John’s a die-hard beard oil enthusiast. So if you know and love someone with a beard, give ’em some and watch their face light up with joy.

8 / Pink Resin Hoop Earrings ($12.99): I love the cool shape of these & they come in other colors (also love the white & the tortoise ones!)

9 / Question-A-Day Five Year Journal ($11.55): If you wish you journaled more, this makes it easy and shows you how much can change over 5 years. It’s lots of fun to go back and read it.

10 / Faux Leather Crossbody Bag ($12 – down from $25): I have a camel colored crossbody bag this size and it’s still going strong! Goes with everything and I love the little latch hardware on this one.

11 / Faux Fur Pom Pom Beanie ($9 down from $22): I love a little knitted winter hat with a pompom (surprise I have one just like this in black).

12 / Sprinkle Ice Cream Cups (4 for $4.97!!!!): I love gifts that you pair with something fun – so these cups all nested with a little container of sprinkles inside would be so sweet. And you can’t beat the price!

13 / Rainbow Catnip Seed Bombs ($14.95): I love the idea of planting these outside (or inside in a pot) to show your cat a good time. They also sell sets to grow wildflowers or herbs which also make good gifts.

14 / Nesting Heart Tray Trio (3 for $4.99!!!): Such a sweet gift for someone to put near the kitchen or bathroom sink for their rings. They also work for tea bags if you serve tea a lot.

15 / What Do You Meme? Expansion Packs ($12.99): We have and love the original game ($29.99), so we’ve been considering adding packs like this Housewives themed one ($12.99) or this Mean Girls version ($12.99).

16 / Plaid Pet Leash ($10.49): Another gift for a four legged friend in your life, and I love the design of this one. Fancy pup.

17 / Slim Wallet ($12.99): John bought this a few months ago and LOVES it. Keeps his pockets from getting too bulky, and it’s incredibly well reviewed.

18 / Ugg Sheepskin Shoe Inserts ($14.95): I mentioned these when I linked to my Ugg slippers, but even if you don’t have them… YOU CAN PUT THESE IN ANY SHOES TO MAKE ‘EM COZY! Rain boots. Flat old slippers. Winter boots. Etc. It’s a lifehack for real.

19 / Pocket Notebook (2 for $10): I love pretty little notebooks! Always useful for keeping in your purse or the car or by the bed.

20 / Gold Turtle Paperclip Holder ($14.99): So I have this thing with animal desk accessories…

21 / Tortoise Hoop Earrings ($12.99): I ADORE these so much I’m about to put them in my cart so they don’t sell out. Treat yo self!

And since there are some pretty great sales going on right now, here’s what I’ve found so far:

Pottery Barn – 25% off sitewide & free shipping – use the code JINGLE here

Crate & Barrel – Up to 70% off here

West Elm – 20% off furniture, 25% off rugs, and 20-50% off bedding, see it all here

CB2 – Up to 40% off furniture and holiday decor here

Target – Today only, 30% off home here

Urban Outfitters – Up to 50% off gift items here

Anthropologie – Up to 50% off ready-to-ship furniture here

Overstock – Up to 70% off & free shipping here

Rejuvenation – 20% off your order & free shipping here

World Market – Save an extra 30% with code REWARDFORYOU here

Serena & Lily – Up to 30% off here

Old Navy – Gifts from $4 and up to 60% the entire store here

Banana Republic – 40% off your purchase here

Gap – 40% off your purchase with the code WINTERFUN here

J Crew – 50% off your entire purchase with code MONDAY here

Psst – To see last year’s lists, a lot of which is still linked and for sale, click here

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The post Holiday Gift Guides for Everyone On Your List (With Stuff under $20 – And Even $5!) appeared first on Young House Love.

#additionally sad home renovations

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vincentbnaughton · 5 years

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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST (WITH STUFF UNDER $20 – AND EVEN $5!)