Peer Pressure List, Vol. 3

• Danny Kaye: To prepare for our upcoming Christmas vacation, we've been alternating holiday movies with Vegas movies. So far this week, we've covered Diamonds Are Forever, White Christmas, Viva Las Vegas, and The Muppet Christmas Carol. It was while watching White Christmas that I remembered how much I adore Danny Kaye. The ultimate triple threat, with impeccable comedic instincts thrown into the mix, he has always been one of my favorites. I had to watch The Court Jester right away to get my fix. You should, too.


• Lush Ocean Salt: The Best Friend got me this incredible scrub for my birthday, and I've gotten into the habit of washing my face with it every morning in the shower (because it's never too early for vodka). I didn't bring it to Cali with me, and I got three pimples on my chin during the week I was there. Coincidence? I don't think so.


• The Smart Set: I just discovered this online magazine, and I'm becoming addicted pretty quickly. It features lots of the travel writing I love so well, but they're also writing about ideas and personal stories and just about anything you can think of. And the writing is all really really good. Here's one of my favorite articles so far.


• My beautiful bedding: I got this bedding out of storage a few weeks ago, and slept on it for the first time in well over a year. I'm especially loving it this week since I've been spending so much time in bed.


• Metropolitan Opera HD Broadcasts: I haven't taken advantage of these as much as I should, mostly because by Saturday I'm usually all opera'd out, but I managed to see the latest, Robert Lepage's fascinating production of La Damnation de Faust, twice: once in a packed house, squinting because of a weak projector, and once in an audience of four with clear picture and painfully loud volume. So maybe the kinks haven't all quite been worked out, but it's still a great way to see these productions (and eat popcorn while doing so!). Oh, and if you want to see my name scroll by in the credits, you can do that on March 21 at 1pm EST. I'm just saying.