Sunrise Clocks and Feminist Horror

It’s finally November, and as I sit here writing this the first snow of winter is falling outside. It feels so calm and peaceful after the wonderful but hectic September and October autumn season. The snow is a reminder to settle in and rest for a couple more weeks before the busy holiday season begins. The snow is also an excuse to watch Nosferatu (2024) again which I am also doing right now 😆

In addition to watching Nosferatu, I also rewatched Frankenstein now that it’s on Netflix. My running document of notes is getting longer and I hope to share my analysis on the costume design soon!

In addition to movies, I also watched an excellent video essay by Princess Weekes called “Black Christmas & Feminist Horror.” I adore her channel and have been watching her for years. Her topics and thoughts are so thought provoking and her videos always leave me with a lot to chew on. This video was especially good as it dives in to Black Christmas and its place in horror and feminism, and how it succeeds where its remakes don’t. It’s an excellent analysis, I highly suggest you give it a watch (and watch her other videos too!)

Now that winter is basically here, my two annual winter challenges are also here: 1) my skin is incredibly dry and 2) it’s so challenging to wake up in the morning when it’s dark all the time.

If you have these same struggles, I want to share 2 products with you that I love that really helped me out in both these areas.

Last autumn we visited Salem for the first time and stayed at the Salem Waterfront Hotel. We had such a lovely stay there, and the rooms were stocked with Molton Brown’s Reviving Rosemary Lotion. I loved the smell so much that I ordered my own full size bottle when we returned home. It smells so fresh and calming and keeps my skin soft, and it’s also really special having this scent memory that reminds me of Salem every time I use it. I highly recommend this particular lotion because the smell is so relaxing and unique, and it also feels really luxurious.

Now, I know that sunrise clocks may seem overhyped, but I have had my Hatch alarm clock for over a year now and it has been a complete game changer for my seasonal depression. Having a bright light to wake me up has made it easier to get out of bed and having that dose of light first thing in the morning has helped immensely with the lack of sunlight this time of year. One thing I really love about the Hatch that I wasn’t expecting is that is also helps me fall asleep a lot faster with its Unwind routines, and the Rise routines give me a strong start to my day.

While I adore mine and can’t sleep without it now, I can’t fully endorse the price. The $170 base price tag plus the (optional) $50/year subscription for the full collection of sounds and lights is extremely steep. If you want a Hatch, I absolutely would say do not buy this full price, wait for a sale and use gift cards to buy it at discount (like I did). If you feel like a sunrise clock will be useful but aren’t sure if it will work for you, maybe try a cheaper alternative that doesn’t have all the other features, and if you like it then consider upgrading to a Hatch down the road.

I got mine down to about $100 and I do pay for the subscription because I utilize the nighttime and morning routines and that price has been completely worth it for me. But everyone is different for sure!

This Nosferatu Halloween costume is so brilliant and creative, I can’t overstate how completely obsessed I am with it.

After the exciting and encouraging election results this past Tuesday, I wanted to share more good news happening recently because we all deserve the hopecore.