Forgive us for stating the obvious but: It’s Monday, and you’re not quite ready to start the work week. That’s why we’re bringing you the Birchbox Short List, a spirited guide to the best celeb gossip, videos, beauty news, and more. Think of it as your second cup of Joe—we promise we’ll leave you feeling ready to conquer the day (and week) ahead. Here, our picks for the week of December 23.
A Cocktail a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
A new study out of Oregon shows that drinking a moderate amount of alcohol daily may actually boost your immune system—just the evidence I need to justify my love of mulled wine. Party animals take note: The health benefits were not shown for heavy drinkers.
No More Weddings?
This week the Huffington Post ran a piece by writer Valerie Alexander, asking for people to shift their focus from weddings to marriages. Her piece has sparked heated debates online and off about the state of the bridal industry, and whether the money spent on nuptials could be better spent.
Rollin’ With the Homies
We love New York Magazine’s recent Micro Oral History series, especially their recent entry on the Clueless party scene. Read it to get the gritty details behind “suck and blow,” the infamous clog scene, and Coolio’s recollection of the film’s premiere.
Watch the Talk
While we’re still sifting through the greatness that is the new Beyonce album, we think it’s important to highlight one of the album’s very special guests—novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie—whose TED Talk is excerpted in the album’s track, “Flawless.” Watch her speech to learn why Bey included it on her album-cum-manifesto.
This is the End (of 2013)
It’s that time of year again, when every media outlet publishes its annual “Best of” lists. This week, Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires of the City won major praise from Spin and Pitchfork. What album did you listen to the most this year?
Spring Training
Have you ever found yourself running to a playlist and falling out of synch with the changing tempo of each song? A new app called Spring hopes to keep up with you using its technology combining GSP and streaming music. To break it down: The app takes note of your pace via your body movements, and then DJs a playlist to keep you on track. Want to speed up? The music will speed up with you. The future is now!
Lisa Frank’s Wild World
This week’s #longread comes in the form of a look into the world of Lisa Frank, she of ‘90s rainbow-hued school supplies fame. It’s a truly mystifying tale of the rise and fall of of a multi-million dollar company, and the eccentric artist behind it. You’ll never look at those dancing technicolor dolphins the same!
Happy Holidays
And, because it’s almost Christmas, we’d like you to take a cue from our staffer Bene, who recently expressed her love of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Revisit the unforgettable version of “Christmas Time is Here,” and enjoy your holiday break!