It’s beginning to look a lot like like… well, you know the rest. With both Thanksgivings behind us, it’s to fully engulf ourselves in eggnog and gingerbread houses. And mixed media art projects too, I suppose. Let’s get started with the November speedlink.

Addressing a topic that hits really close to home, Matt Richard of Dashing Dad talks about what he learned after one year as a stay-at-home dad. Even now, some four years later, I struggle with fully embracing my SAHD life identity, but I also feel like the conversation is slowly moving in the right direction. Dads are parents too and that’s better for everyone.

Are you looking for something to do this holiday season, but don’t want to spend a lot of money doing it? Rebecca Bollwitt of Miss 604 has compiled together a list of free Christmas activities around Metro Vancouver. These include the Santa Claus Parade this Sunday, menorah lighting at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and the Port Moody Christmas Craft Fair. We missed out on the Lights at Lafarge in Coquitlam last year, so we’re trying to check it out this time around.

Mindfulness author Josh Misner offers some incredible insights regarding facing his blind spot. You see, there’s what you know about yourself (and what other people know about you); what you know about yourself (and other people don’t know); what other people know about you (but you don’t know about yourself); and what neither you nor other people know about you. It pays to talk openly and honestly about such things.

I’ve written a bit about parenting guilt before. Katharine Chung discusses her experience with working mom guilt and how she didn’t really believe in it. But then things changed and her kiddo started asking for Daddy instead of Mommy for things. Thankfully, she’s come up with a few ways to handle the situation.

You may or may not have a shot at breaking the world record for longest fingernails, but if Codi Lynn of Creative Wife and Joyful Worker has anything to say about it, you might have a chance at getting in the Guinness World Records for something. I remember being fascinated with these books every year as a child, and now they’ve got a whole “Do Try This at Home” challenge for you to try with your kids too. It’s part of their “Maker” movement.

One of the most impressive everyday feats is enduring hours upon hours within the cramped confines of an airplane cabin. Narmeen Fazwani has collected ten tips for surviving a long-haul flight. For example, she recommends staying hydrated, but avoiding caffeine. I probably could have used a few of these tips for our trip to Australia. Including layovers, it was almost 24 hours in each direction!

When it comes to car advice, you can’t do much better than asking Eric Novak, who you may know better as Enviro Dad. In a special post he wrote for Trader Carology Insights, he talks about buying and selling a used electric car. What do you need to keep in mind when considering something like a second-hand Nissan Leaf? How can you wrap your head around battery degradation?

And finally, I’m going to leave you with the official teaser trailer for The Lion King. This is the live action remake with Donald Glover as Simba, Beyonce as Nala, John Oliver as Zazu, and Seth Rogen as Pumbaa. And James Earl Jones is back as Mufasa! Say it again! Mufasa! *chills*