11/15/25 - Advent Calendars, Board Game Cafes, and Neo-Medievalism

Saturday 11/15/25

Sunday 11/16/25

Celebrate:

American Enterprise Day

America Recycles Day

Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day

Day of the Imprisoned Writer

I Love to Write Day

Little Red Wagon Day

National Bundt Day

National Philanthropy Day

National Raisin Bran Cereal Day

National Spicy Hermit Cookie Day

Pack Your Mom's Lunch Day

Steve Irwin Day - Crickey!!

Sunday

Have a Party With Your Bear Day

International Check Your Wipers Day

International Day for Tolerance

National Button Day

National Fast Food Day

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Do you often find yourself wondering what food to cook, how to cook it, and even that dreaded question—how much of it?

Never fear with the Food Horoscope from earlier this week.

Taurus - stop at the bakery and buy a bunch of chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting smiley faces.

Gemini - Today your head will feel like it's filled with late-night TV static, all fuzzy and incoherent. Eat a Salmon Rice Bowl for lunch.

Leo - Listen to your friends' reviews of restaurants -  You could find out the hard way that there's really no such thing as gourmet mac and cheese.

Sagittarius - Reward yourself with a moderately priced treat today.

Aquarius - You may feel tired and run down today. Uh oh, you could be catching one of those late-season colds. Chicken soup and Orange Juice, even a hot toddy.

Scorpio (wow is this me with junk food!)

Your self-control may get quite a workout today. The temptation to snack on garbage will be everywhere, so keep a grip on yourself. Channel that energy into exercise during lunch. Follow that up with a high-protein meal, such as garlic chicken stir-fry over brown rice, and those temptations won't be able to touch you.

See the full list here.

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Advent calendars started as a 19th-century German invention designed to mark the days until Christmas, sometimes by lighting candles.

Good Housekeeping has an article about Advent Calendars of today and how for some Gen Z and Millennials, they are a form of self-care.

The ones today are not just chocolate!! 

There are ones with everything from beauty products to pop-culture collectibles to drams of whiskey. High-end, luxury brands like Dior, Tiffany & Co, La Mer, Chanel, Astrid & Miyu, and Villeroy & Boch have all jumped on the trend at one time or another, offering up sets that cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

A trend-forecasting company says, "Advent calendars are kind of like this built-in excuse to give yourself something small and fun every day.”

Covid really kicked them into gear as everyone looked for a quick treat.

Someone said, With my family, we created a nightly ritual around coming together and opening up our (many) calendars together, comparing what we got each day. I must admit, it was a bright spot during a dark, cold month that often goes by in a blur.

It also feeds into the blind box trend. Unboxing videos on TikTok are huge.

From toys, to collectibles, food, favorite TV shows, and even ones for pets, get yours and have fun next month!!! Maybe it's a Thanksgiving present..wait...no...that's not an idea for a thing!!!!!

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I talked about "Medievalcore" or "Castlecore" in fashion and home decor. Harkening back to the Middle Ages, and it goes even farther than just clothes.

The trend is called "Neo-medievalism."

"Neo-medievalism is the embrace of all things medieval in the face of growing rejection of modern tech-centric culture."

A demand for straightforward living grows because people want escape from the technology-dominated lifestyle. The overwhelming power of technology causes people to choose offline activities that remind them of calmer periods from the past. 

It's interesting to dive into this and find that politics and the state of the world is leading to this trend.

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Yesterday I mentioned the trend for a Third Space. Not home, not the office, but somewhere where you can make real human connections.

Enter..The Board Game Cafe.

offer a warm and inviting atmosphere for those who want to learn how to play games, get lost in role play during a night of Dungeons and Dragons, or simply destroy a loved one over Scrabble and coffee.

One cafe has approximately 530 board games on the shelf and for $10 you can reserve a table for the day and play as many as you want!

They even at times, cater to the younger kids.

Some even let you rent a game..kind of like a library.

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