Well, hi, last month of 2025!
Speaking of which, I cannot believe I’m in the last 2 months and some change of this pregnancy. It’s flown. Or that this entire year of learning & transitions is nearing completion.
Not that the lessons and transitions ever stop, ha.
→ New to this series? Catch up on the last edition of The Lifestyle Edit here.
We may now be in December, but I’m here, with your better-late-than-never 3rd installment of what’s happening lately in life & work.
I also had every intention of making this a full-on gift guide, but after seeing the insane number of gift guides floating around out there, I think we’re all…good? Yeah?
Consumerism is at its PEAK this time of year, and I know the overwhelm it can bring, whether you’re chipping away at your list for loved ones or trying to make smart (and discounted) business investments.
I will, however, be sharing some of my favorites as well as a few Christmas wish list items of my own. Ya know, just in case you’re curious or do want the inspo. :)
Water à la this water bottle - Honestly, I now understand the term “emotional support water bottle”. A few of you shared some great recs in the comments of last months Edit as well. But this one spoke to me and I love the glass (not stainless steel) aspect as well as their new leak-proof flip cap, the original carry cap, and the straw cap. I keep alternating them based on what I’m doing that day or whichever is clean.
It’s smaller than most jugs but I’ve actually liked not lugging around something quite so large and heavy.
I also got the car accessory so it would fit in my drink holder. Very extra, very happy with this purchase.
Friendsgiving Salad - One of my contributions to the Thanksgiving feast this year was a ‘friendsgiving salad’ I saw a photo of on Pinterest. I just reverse engineered it based on how it looked and it turned out great.
I’m dropping the simple ‘recipe’ for you below because it’s so delicious and even easier to make. Definitely planning to re-make it for an upcoming girl’s night gift exchange!
The above cocktail with my Thanksgiving plate is just non-alc bubbles (mentioned in this Lifestyle Edit) with a cranberry orange ice cube my aunt made! Great combo. 👌🏼
Heaven Mayhem earrings (1, 2, 3, 4) The last ones are still on sale! - The Black Friday deals were too good, so I picked up a few pairs for myself (and a couple people on my gift list). I plan to wear + style them all, all season long!
I feel like I always expect the BF/Cyber deals to last all month long (a girl can dream!) but then when they go away, I’m like, oh wow…they were SUUURIOUS!!
I started renting from Nuuly last month! As I was looking at the upcoming events, holidays, and things on the calendar, I felt like it would be quite spendy and even wasteful to buy a bunch of bump-friendly pieces, I may or may not even want to re-wear next year. I love finding something cute that I maybe wouldn’t usually buy, wearing it, and then knowing I get to send it back (rather than it just sitting in my closet). I’ve done RTR before but decided to mix it up and have lucked out with all my items so far.
→ Try Nuuly for yourself here. (You’ll save $30 off your first month of rentals.)
These espresso brown slingbacks - Because who isn’t loving all the brown? I must have thin or slippery heels or something because as much as I love the style, slingbacks rarely stay on for me. SO - I tried these shoe fillers on amazon and voila, the shoes now fit better and the strap stays up! (Other good brown pump options here and here.)
This laptop case - Ugh, it’s no longer on sale (although a couple colors/sizes may be) and my color is sold out but these popular cases really are the easiest way to feel a little more chic throughout your workday — whether you’re working from home, the office, or posted up in a coffee shop.
These UGG micro slippers - I mean, do I need another pair of Uggs/house shoes? Debatable. But these called to me! Fingers crossed I’ll find them under the tree. (Hi, Connor!)
Another one of these Aureum belts - The quality is great, the price point is justifiable when they’re on sale, and they make such an impact when trying to put together a good outfit. Their 40% off sale ends today (12/3) and sizes are going quick!
Cozy wrap pajamas - First of all, is it just me or has pajama pricing gotten sky high? My skin is so sensitive to fabrics while pregnant, so I’ve really wanted some über soft ones from the popular brands (Lake, Eberjey, Cozy Earth, Negative, Pact, Skims, etc.) but I get sticker shock every time I see almost $200+ for a set. I know the quality is great and the cost-per-wear would likely make it make sense - especially for the postpartum season - but I added this one to my Christmas list rather than directly to cart. 🤪 I was going to do a Christmas style but figured the neutral would get me more wear and I could go less expensive for holiday-themed.
Have I mentioned I overthink everything?
My Netflix time has gone way down (thankfully) — but I’ve been busy working on work-things and building out a registry for baby no. 2’s sprinkle/shower, shopping Christmas gifts, working on the nursery design, etc.
Sooo my streaming has gone down but my screentime certainly hasn’t. 😮💨
Christmas movies will be in full effect this month though!
This Substack article on friendship - I even texted it to my family. It’s quite the ride of a read — weird, wonderful, quirky, truthful, and incredibly creative.
I really need to put down the screens and read a book this month. (It just feels like I’m literally always reading as a copywriter.) Hit me with your recs in the comments? I admittedly tend to prefer non-fiction, but hey, ‘tis the season — gimme some fiction picks, too!
The resilience of toddlers - This isn’t entirely a celebration, but we did just experience our first urgent care visit with our toddler daughter for a head laceration. I am, however, thankful, that her injury wasn’t worse, she didn’t have a concussion, and she couldn’t have handled the whole situation better. I’ll spare you (and her) the photo share but it was a pretty gnarly cut on the back of her scalp that the doctor glued back together and used Pendry’s hair to pull/twist over it to close the wound. Pretty wild technique!
Launching Trust Yourself, duh! This has been the fulfilling, creative project I didn’t know I needed. I’ve fully realized how much work goes into podcasting — from the set-up/equipment to the concepting and messaging to the episode scripting, guest outreach and correspondence, recording time, editing time, the list goes on. But as I’ve shared, I felt strongly enough about it to make it happen despite any perceived constraints on my time.
Early Christmas shopping - Connor and I knocked out a ton of gift buying over the Black Friday craze this year and it feels so good to be pretty much done with our list at this point. Usually I’m just getting started and so bummed I missed out on all the savings! I also finished putting together baby #2’s registry, nursery design, and furniture orders. PHEW - I’m never buying anything ever again!! 🫠
Asking a friend … is it too much to say Trust Yourself? Catch up on the latest episodes of the podcast below:
Ep 2: Mallory Riley on Building a $100M Brand Without Losing Herself
Ep 3: Drops this Tuesday 12/9!
This Rhythm + Jazz Christmas playlist curated by my super creative friend Grace of Marrow Design. Listening to as I write this post, actually.
This Dreaming of Wine Christmas playlist curated by former CU team member, Hayley. It’s a few years old now, but a classic! It’s practically become tradition around here.
Client projects - I’m in the middle of some big, inspiring messaging + web copy projects in industries I work within less often, which just means there’s a bit more research and brand discovery involved. I need to optimize my work hours as much as possible because I feel February’s mat leave fast approaching and am determined to knock these outta the park.
Getting the CU services + website updated before I step away for a bit of a maternity leave this February. Nothing crazy in terms of changes, but more so just further condensing, simplifying, evolving, merging … the things that keep your brand feeling aligned and accurate, rather than slowly slipping from your intended vision and later requiring a massive overhaul. 🙃
I’ll be opening up a client waitlist for Spring 2026 done-for-you copy projects soon - so keep an eye out and keep me in mind as you plan out your year!
Thanks for reading! What spoke to you? What are you loving or eyeing lately?
Catch ya in the next edit!
Kaitlyn Parker is an East Coast–based copywriter and lifestyle writer. She’s the founder of Copy Uncorked® and the host of the Trust Yourself Podcast™. Equal parts strategist and storyteller, she helps brands clarify their message while also writing about life, motherhood, and building a multi-faceted creative business. Connect via Instagram, shop her picks, or inquire here.
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