5 Ways to Stay Cozy on Brisk Fall Days

Charles Chocolates Winter Fleur de Sel Collection

We partnered with Charles Chocolates, the award-winning artisanal chocolate brand, to create a gift guide filled with unique and just-a-little-bit bougie finds, because everyone deserves to treat themselves once in a while, holiday season or not! From a plushy robe and scented candles to a box of the most creative handmade chocolates, including a chocolate box you can actually eat, these picks are perfect for everyone on your list — and maybe even a little treat for yourself.

The Coffee Lover

Charles Chocolates Winter Collection Edible Chocolate Box

These coffee-lover gifts, including a colorful French Press and adorbs mug, are sure to perk up your day — and theirs! Pair your morning cup with a delicious piece of handmade chocolate for the ultimate sensory experience. You can literally eat the box in this Winter Collection from Charles Chocolates filled with Fleur de Sel Caramels, Peanut Butterflies and Milk Chocolate Caramels. SO good!

The Cozy Homebody

Charles Chocolates Holiday Collection

For the pal who loves to stay in and get cozy, here’s a cute kettle for steeping her favorite tea, some cozy wears, and Charles Chocolates Holiday Collection with flavors like Pecan Fleur de Sel Caramel, Cinnamon Spice Truffle, Orange Zest Truffle, and Maple Truffle. Charles Chocolates are all natural so it’s real chocolate vs. a sugary (read: cheap) substitute. The flavors are so unique and fun to taste-test. It’s the perfect gift for when you’re feeling indoorsy!

Featured:

• Charles Chocolates Holiday Collection
• Willow Kitchen Digital Gooseneck Kettle
• Brooklinen Super-Plush Robe
• Free People Ruffle Sock Pack
• Slip Contour Sleep Mask
• Olive Candle

Your Holiday Crush

Charles Chocolates Peppermint Bark

Sneak a fancy chocolate bar, like Charles Chocolates Peppermint Bark Bar, made with homemade peppermint candy, in your S.O.’s stocking, plus some essentials for the camper, music lover, and beanie wearer!

Featured:

• Charles Chocolates Peppermint Bark
• Wren Off-Road Camp Mug
• Marine Layer Corbet Quilted Full Zip Hoodie
• Carhartt Beanie Hat
• Hunter Neoprene Toiletry Bag
• Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker

The Sweet Tooth

Charles Chocolates Bittersweet Chocolate Santa

Sweet tooth be gone with Charles Chocolates Bittersweet Chocolate Santa Clause. This thing is not small, weighing in at 3 lbs. of deliciously rich chocolate. Adults will actually enjoy this vintage-style Santa as much as kids! Pair with a bottle of wine dressed in an adorable bow, a cake stand candle (so cute!), darling dessert plates, and/or a baking lover’s cookbook! Toss some mint chocolate almonds in stockings too!

Featured:

• Charles Chocolates Bittersweet Chocolate Santa
• PB Stewart Plaid Wine Collar
• Charles Chocolates Mint Chocolate Almonds
• Peachymart Cute French Style Dessert Plates
• Mini Cake Stand Woody Winter Woods & Vanilla Glass Candle
• Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets from Around the World

Your Jewish Bestie

Charles Chocolates Hanukkah Collection Edible Chocolate Box

There’s a lot of talk about Christmas this time of year, but not all of our friends celebrate. And this year, Hanukkah starts on Christmas day so we can celebrate together! Gift your bestie who celebrates the Festival of Lights with this Hanukkah Collection Edible Chocolate Box filled with flavors like Fleur de Sel Caramel, Passion Fruit Heart, Espresso Caramel, and Meyer Lemon Yankee. They might also enjoy a new cookbook celebrating their heritage, cozy slippers, jewelry, and an artful wine decanter for the holidays. Candle-lighting matches are a perfect stocking stuffer or White Elephant gift too!

Featured:

• Charles Chocolates Hanukkah Collection Edible Chocolate Box
• MOMA Bilboquet Wine Carafe & Decanter
• The Jewish Holiday Table Cookbook
• Tenn Prairie Striker Match Holder
• Rhinestone Bow Earrings
• Maeve Faux-Fur Open-Toe Bow Slippers

City Lips Plumping Lip Gloss

This festive Holly-colored lip gloss gives you an instant plumping look while it also moisturizes, and it comes in a slew of gorgeous colors. Plus, the lip gloss keeps plumping over time! City Beauty products are Leaping Bunny-certified (AKA cruelty-free), and made without irritants or harsh chemicals. Win-win.

Steve Madden Goldie Fragrance

Feminine and sweet, this fragrance is a mix of fruit and floral scents like pear, jasmine, gardenia, and sandalwood. It's a lovely reminder of summer mid-winter and perfect way to feel officially dressed up.

Dieux’s Baptism Gel Cleanser

Reset your winter skincare routine with this gentle cleanser that moisturizes, protects, and deep cleans. It has a rich, creamy foam that actually removes makeup and sunscreen so you feel so very refreshed!

Sweet Relief Overnight Barrier Balm

Your bedtime routine just got better with this moisturizing mask and balm. It features nutrient-dense seed butters and antioxidant-rich apricot kernel oil to protect your skin barrier so you wake up all glowy and pretty.

City Lips Night Oil

City Beauty's City Lips Night Oil is another essential for your bedtime routine. You can feel the deep hydration that helps your lips look naturally radiant and it works to add volume while you sleep. Sweet!

LOOPS Clean Slate Detoxifying Mask

Spend your Friday night in with this 10-minute detox mask that feels so refreshing and really soothes your skin. It has a mix of mineral-rich volcanic ash to help remove dirt, while aloe vera and bamboo water add all the vitamins, electrolytes, and nutrients your skin craves. Try it a few times a week for fresh-looking skin!

Glossier You Fragrance Discovery Kit

Traveling for the holidays? Pick up this limited edition travel spray trio of Glossier You (our fave), a creamy, clean scent; Doux, a woody blend; and Rêve, a lush, dreamy fragrance. Bon voyage!

Wild Refillable Deodorant

These planet-friendly refillable deodorants come in fun seasonal cases and scents, like this Fresh Cotton & Sea Salt, inspired by freshly washed linen drying by the seaside. And they actually work!

Davines OI Hair Oil

Before you head out to the holiday party, run this multipurpose hair oil through your 'do. It detangles, reduces frizz, and leaves all hair types so soft and shiny.

City Beauty Lid Lifting Treatment

This lid-lifting cream makes you look awake even when you've been tossing and turning all night. It lifts and firms the appearance of saggy eyelids and feels like an instant lift!

Liquid Panacea Centella & Kombucha Firming Recovery Booster

Skin looking a bit dull and tired, or red and dehydrated? Try this firming serum with anti-inflammatory kombucha. If you suffer from really dry winter skin, THE MOST Hyaluronic Super Nutrient Hydration Serum is your winter superpower with hyaluronic acid, kombucha and organic safflower oil to relieve stressed and dehydrated skin.

Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Balm

Upgrade your mani and give dry, cracked cuticles a little love this season with this lemony butter made with beeswax, shea butter, avocado oil and lemon! You can also use it on feet, elbows or knees.

Rinna Beauty The Perfect Party Eye Kit

Party season has begun so you can go all out on the eyes with this shimmering eye shadow and complementary mascara and lip makeup.

Ogee Complexion Perfecting Tinted Serum

This tinted moisturizer is organic and cruelty-free and glides on smooth. It's the perfect blend of plumping gooseberry fruit, refining daisy flower, and brightening vitamin C Concentrate to give your winter complexion a healthy boost!

OSEA Undaria Algae Body Oil

This seaweed-infused body oil is a staff favorite (I keep it on my desk) because it never feels greasy but instantly makes your skin look soft and nourished. It also smells amazing.

Tarte Shape Tape Concealer

This award-winning concealer is super light and gives you that no-makeup makeup look. It helps soften dark circles and keeps your skin hydrated and glowy. It's also vegan and cruelty free.

Yaman Medi Lift 3D Microfiller Micro-Tip Patches

Need a little skin boost for the holidays? Fit in a micro-beauty-moment with an at-home facial using these beauty patches that hydrate and help firm up skin with collagen.

Mutha Body Butter

This whipped butter made with shea, cocoa, and mango butters smells citrusy and hydrates skin for up to 48 hours. It's great for after the shower and helps improve the look of stretch marks. Indulge and treat yourself!

1. Actually Use Your Planner In 2025

We're not buying pretty planners just so they can collect dust on our desks or coffee tables anymore. Corry Frazier and Melissa Pepin want you to get serious because they feel "it starts with planning." They don't mean the kind you eventually flake on either.

"Effective planning is key to maintaining balance and reducing burnout. Whether you're mapping out tasks, meetings, or events, dedicated time for preparation ensures focus and reduces stress," they say. In other words, "the more intentional you are in planning, the more productive you'll be," according to them.

Ever since I've been blocking out my tasks by hour in planner, I've been able to get more done without feeling overwhelmed by splitting my time between writing and being in mommy mode. Frazier and Pepin suggest that you "set weekly planning sessions" that consist of "30-60 minutes each weekend to map out your upcoming week."

This eventually "reduces decision fatigue, fosters a sense of control, and helps you start Monday with clarity and purpose," they add. Yes, this is a sign that you'll be breaking up with the dreaded 'Sunday scaries' if you follow their advice. "You'll feel proactive and grounded rather than reacting to the week as it unfolds," they agree.

2. Embrace A "Fake Commute" When Working From Home

One of Kayla Baum's tips is to switch up your routine if you're a remote worker. Rolling out of the bed at the last minute before logging on for work sounds appealing until you realize you're uninspired by your days. But, what is a "fake commute?"

"It mimics the structure of a traditional commute to establish a boundary between work and personal life. This could mean taking a walk around the block, doing a 10-minute guided meditation, or even just changing clothes at the end of the day," Baum mentions.

Based on her experience, she's found that "it works because it provides a psychological buffer, helping to separate work and home life." She feels it's "crucial for positive mental health and boosting productivity at work (and at home)."

You can also create a separate work space that's not in your bedroom to get work done! That's helped me tremendously so I'm not sleeping and working in the same area.

3. Focus On High-Impact Tasks

Similar to planning your work days as best as you can, Frazier and Pepin want you to "prioritize the tasks that align with your goals." To minimize distractions, they want you to ask yourself:

• What is the most effective use of my time right now?

4. Stop Making Daily Decisions Hard

Tasks like your morning routine or figuring out what you'll eat don't have to take up a chunk of your time anymore. "Use productivity hacks, such as pre-planning meals or laying out weekly outfits," suggest Frazier and Pepin. They feel that "small routines like this eliminate unnecessary choices" to "make mornings smoother."

According to them, it's "especially helpful for families juggling multiple schedules." I couldn't agree more because I've spent so many frazzled mornings trying to make decisions about what myself and my toddler would wear or eat instead of planning them. With the help of my fiancé, we've cut so much time in half by being prepared ahead of time instead of 'winging it' before work.

5. Understand What Your Boundaries Are And Set Them

Worried that you'll be considered 'mean' if you tell your manager or coworkers what your boundaries are at work? Depending on your environment, it's 100% understandable. However, you're human and there's no reason you should be over-performing to your detriment. Frazier and Pepin say, "Set boundaries and communicate clearly. Adopt Brené Brown's mantra: 'To be clear is to be kind.'"

They encourage you to not only "be upfront about your schedule to manage others' expectations," but it's also so you can "avoid over-commitment." Say it with me: I will not make false promises just to appease others. Why?

Frazier and Pepin say, "Don't be afraid to say no to side projects or anything that doesn't align with your goals."

6. Ignore Emails Sent After Your Work Hours

I've been guilty of sending an email after work to acknowledge that I saw something, but I never expect other people to feel obligated to respond until the next business day. On the flip side, I've felt pressured to answer something that feels timely and I've gone to sleep thinking about the sender's potential follow-up email.

"Just because a coworker chooses to work late at night doesn't mean you must answer. One helpful trick is to include your working days and hours in your signature, explaining that responses may be delayed outside of those times," Frazier and Pepin say. They even have a prompt you can use if you're not sure what to type:

• "My working hours are [Your Working Hours, e.g., 9 AM - 4 PM ET]. Please note that these may differ from your local time zone. I appreciate your understanding and will respond to emails during my working hours."

I can't wait to start utilizing this...for research purposes only 👀.

7. Please, log off from work when it's time.

Unless you're scheduled to work late, take the time to log off from work and not think about it until the next day. Baum says, "Commit to fully logging off once the workday ends—no 'quick email replies' or sneaking in work over the weekend." I'm eyeing you Ms. "I just need to send a quick email" while you're on vacation or spending time with your significant other.

Baum says creating this separation works because "fully disconnecting allows your mind to reset and recharge" which ends up "making you more efficient, creative, and focused during actual work hours." According to her, you'll eventually "improve personal well-being" and "enhance long-term work performance."

As soon as my work day is over, I make a beeline for the shower so I can decompress. After that, I take my time with my skincare routine and keep my phone out of reach so I'm not tempted to look at anything work-related. I'm not always successful, but I've noticed a difference in my mood since making this shift.

8. Speak Up When You're Feeling Overwhelmed

And if you're 100% drained because you've been trying to tackle work tasks during and after hours, Frazier and Pepin want you to speak up. "If you're feeling overwhelmed with your workload, approach your manager with honesty and a focus on solutions," they suggest. Here's another prompt of theirs you can use:

• "I've been noticing that my workload has extended beyond regular hours, and maintaining balance is becoming challenging. Could we discuss prioritizing tasks or adjusting expectations to ensure I can deliver quality work without compromising my well-being?"