"Slop" is the word of the year and everyone's ordering mozz sticks

It’s now easier than ever to do literally whatever you can dream of with Disney characters (I’m scared), I spent a glorious weekend in Chicago with a captive audience celebrating my beautiful friend’s wedding, and I have a bunch of actually useful, non-sock-or-candle gift ideas, in case you’re late on your shopping.

The word of the year is “slop”

Last week we had color of the year (regrettably, it was white), and this week, we’re dropping Merriam-Webster’s word of the year, which is “slop,” as in, “that presentation my boss made was complete AI slop, and now I have to start it from scratch.” The editors of the list apparently also considered “six seven,” which I guess counts as one word, and which TBH I still absolutely do not understand, and if anyone can explain it to me, please do so by responding to this email.

And in more AI news…

OpenAI (the people behind ChatGPT) have somehow gotten their hands on Disney’s IP, which means you can now insert an image of “Mickey Mouse writing a strongly-worded email” or “Belle quiet-quitting” into your work presentations, should you please. Disney CEO Bob Iger says that this is a play to allow Disney fans to “thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach” of Disney storytelling. If I know human beings at all, there is absolutely no way these images will be thoughtful or responsible. But I digress!

The people are long mozz sticks

Everyone loves mozz sticks. But apparently they’re a recession indicator: according to economists, an increase in appetizer sales (especially inexpensive and filling options like mozzarella sticks and cheese curds) is often linked with a decrease in overall restaurant spending. And appetizer sales are up 33% compared to last year.

If you had to guess what my weekend included, I bet you’d get at least one of these details (giving you a second to guess…) ok, here goes: I traveled to a wedding (duh), where I was the maid of honor, aka the all-weekend stand-up comedienne (double duh), and I wore a feather dress (duhhhh!!). How did you do? Do you know me yet? So much fun celebrating my friend and her now-husband!

Something I’m endlessly surprised by is how many combos of sleeves/colors/fabrics exist in this world. Sleeveless with a turtleneck? It exists! It’s weirdly perfect for a cold-weather-office-going gal! You can sweat through a stressful meeting (no prob), then still feel cozy and cute en route to happy hour drinks with some friends. What are they going to make next? Pants with cut-out knees?? (I sound like my dad). Linked a couple of options at a variety of price points.

So we’re halfway through December and you haven’t started shopping. No worries! Instead of dashing out for an emergency candle, try one of these very easy gift formulas, which will actually deliver something thoughtful and useful (no hate to candles, which I actually really love).

The upgraded errand gift: Think about something they already do weekly, then make it better. Like a car service credit for the friend who Ubers everywhere, A ClassPass credit with a note like “use this when work melts your brain”, or a local wash-and-fold laundry credit for anyone with a hard job and no time.

The luxury experience gift: Nothing is more meaningful than a gift that saves time or energy. For a frequent traveler, a one-time lounge pass (they might not splurge on this for themselves) or a one-time house cleaning booked for January are both super thoughtful (and very easy for you).

The useful upgrade gift: Buy the premium version of something they already use every day so it feels indulgent without being random. Like a genuinely good phone charging dock that lives on their desk, a MagSafe battery pack that actually lasts a full day, or a high-quality insulated water bottle they can throw in a work bag without leaking. These are the kinds of things people use constantly but rarely replace for themselves, which is why they make such good gifts.

Thanks for reading!