12/15/25 - Billions, Holiday Letters, and You Might Be Showering Wrong
- bribriny
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Monday 12/15/25
Celebrate:
Cat Herders' Day
International Tea Day
National Cupcake Day
National Gingerbread Latte Day
National Lemon Cupcake Day (have to be by themselves?)
National Wear Your Pearls Day
Hanukkah started last night!
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Weekend Box Office
1.Zootopia 2 $26.3M
2. Five Nights at Freddy’s $19.5M
3. Wicked: For Good $8.55M
4. Dhurandhar $3.5M (Bollywood)
5. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t $2.38M
Ella McCay was 6th with only $2.1 Million.
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The Bill of Rights (1791) The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on this day. (oh...so they are still around?? I know some people who should read them!)
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No winner again in the Powerball Jackpot, now $1.10 Billion with a $503.4 Million.
Tonight is the next drawing!!!
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Today is widely considered the start of "Shipping Panic Week." Most major carriers (FedEx, UPS) cite this as the final week for standard ground shipping to guarantee delivery by Christmas Eve. Retailers are reporting that 40% of shoppers haven't started their holiday buying yet.
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Genologyexplained.com has a list of Christmas traditions that once defined the American holiday season (60s & 70s)—and then disappeared completely.
Homemade Paper Chain Decorations
Every classroom and home in the 1960s featured miles of construction paper chains.
Kids spent hours cutting strips, forming loops, and gluing them together. A package of colored construction paper costs about what $5 would run you today.
Schools made chain-making into competitions. Which class could create the longest?
Families assigned chain duty to children, keeping them occupied during winter break.
The chains used specific color patterns—red, green, white, repeat. Some ambitious families made chains from magazine pages or wrapping paper.
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A new 2025 consumer survey found that 1 in 3 people plan to "regift" an item this year to save money. The most common regifted items are candles, specialty food baskets, and small kitchen appliances. 15% of people admit they have accidentally regifted an item back to the person who originally gave it to them. (awkward)
Better Homes and Gardens has some regifting etiquette.
Be Sure It Makes Sense
Presentation Is Everything - check it for personalized notes!!! Don't regift when they know it's a regift!
Think of It As a 'Renewed' Gift - you don't have to tell them it's a regift.
Don’t Regift within the Same Group
Even - Be Honest if questioned if you regifted a gift. Let them know it did go to a good home.
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A homeowner in New Jersey has gone viral for a "Grinch-themed" trap. He rigged a fake package with a high-decibel personal alarm and a GoPro. When the package is lifted, it plays the "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" song at 120 decibels, causing thieves to drop the loot and run.
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Holiday Letters. Do you like them or not? There's a new twist that is making them less popular (if that's possible)
A new study shows that "AI Fatigue" is hitting the holiday season. 60% of people say they are annoyed by receiving "obviously AI-written" holiday cards or family newsletters, claiming it feels "less personal" than a generic store-bought card.
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You may be seeing elaborate shower cleansing routines on social media: daily exfoliation, double cleansing, antibacterial soap, loads of scented body scrubs and shower oils.
“I’m kind of appalled by the shower routines,” said Dr. Olga Bunimovich, a practicing dermatologist and assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh.
The multistep processes that have inspired people to spend endless amounts of time sudsing up can harm your skin — and the environment. Dermatologists say it’s all mostly unnecessary.
A daily shower with lukewarm water and a fragrance-free hypoallergenic cleanser — followed by hydrating lotion or oil afterward — will do the trick.
Don’t plan to stay in the shower too long or turn the water temperature too high — it can strip your skin of the natural oils it needs to maintain its barrier, leaving it vulnerable to dryness and irritation.
Oils can be beneficial for your skin once you’re damp and out of the shower, Negbenebor said. But it’s important to remember that oil isn’t a moisturizer, but a sealant. The water hydrates your skin, but the oil will lock in that moisture.
Showers account for nearly 17% of Americans’ indoor water use, the Environmental Protection Agency says.
Read the full article from The AP here.
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Today’s Useless Fact of the Day - In 1843, the first Christmas card was created and sent by Sir Henry Cole, an English politician. The three-paneled card was embossed with the message "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You."
More than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent out each year in the United States alone.
The first Christmas postage stamp was released in 1962.
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