gatherings
getting (it done)
TOGETHER
To carve out quality time in the midst of the holiday bustle, food editor Emily Teel hosts a low-key weeknight of gift wrapping with friends and a hands-off dinner.
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very December feels as though it goes more quickly than the last. With holiday preparations, family events, and end-ofyear work responsibilities, the month seems to be booked up before it has begun, and the festive season flies by with scarcely a moment to enjoy it. Several years ago, I thought I surely couldn’t be the only one who longs not for more parties but for more togetherness.
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| December 2021
I sent a group text to friends: “Monday night. I have to wrap presents. Bring yours over, and we can wrap them together. I’ll feed you.” I scattered tubes of wrapping paper around the living room, put scissors and tape on the coffee table, and stacked bowls next to the stove. For dinner I kept things equally simple, both for my own benefit and for friends hungry for a nourishing alternative to holiday overindulgence.
MAKING MERRY Pulling off the holidays doesn’t have to feel like a part-time job. It’s more fun to tackle the to-do list with friends.
BY E M I LY T E E L P H OTO S JA S O N D O N N E L LY I L LU S T R AT I O N S J E N N Y K R O I K
