Staying Apart, Together: It's been a long year, this week

Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY
·4 min read
I am approximately as tired as this dog after this week.
I am approximately as tired as this dog after this week.

Editor's Note: This is a preview of USA TODAY's newsletter Staying Apart, Together, a guide to help us all cope with a world changed by coronavirus. If you would like it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Saturdays, subscribe here.

How is everyone doing?

We all knew it would take a long time to count the high volume of mail-in ballots in the 2020 election, but that doesn't mean that waiting for the results has been easy this week.

A winner has been called (barring legal challenges), but of course no outcome could have made politics less stressful, instantly end the pandemic or solve all of our problems. I want to reiterate my advice from Tuesday – be patient, take care of your mental health and take breaks from the news. It's good advice whether or not there is an election happening.

Today's favorite things

Not even 2020 can stop Oprah from finding her favorite things.

The annual list returns for 2020, putting a spotlight on Black-owned businesses. "Black-owned" and "Black-led" business tags include items ranging from lipstick and blankets to dolls and foods. The list will be featured in the December issue of O, The Oprah Magazine (on newsstands Nov. 17) and at OprahMag.com.

You might not get a car, but Oprah Winfrey gives her top gift picks for 2020 with her annual favorite things list.
You might not get a car, but Oprah Winfrey gives her top gift picks for 2020 with her annual favorite things list.

"This year the elves and I have worked overtime in search of fantastic treats for everyone," Winfrey writes. "And because Black lives – and Black businesses – matter, most of the items are from Black-owned or -led companies."

Here are some of the must-have items USA TODAY Editor Anika Reed highlighted as her favorite faves:

  • Telfar medium shopping bag: Dubbed the "Bushwick Birkin" because of its accessible luxury and "It bag" status in New York, these bags have been carried by U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, "Real Housewives of New York" star Sonja Morgan and Solange Knowles. $202

  • Yedi air fryer: Cooking at home has become more of a necessity for many families during the pandemic. This air fryer promises to do it all and make the process a little easier, from frying chicken in a healthier way to baking a cake. $150

  • 54 Thrones African Beauty Butter Collection gift set: With all the extra-thorough hand washing happening this year, these moisturizing hand and body creams can help keep your hands soft and hydrated. The beauty butters, formulated with two types of shea butter, come in a variety of scents and are great for lovers of lotions and potions. $80

Telfar medium shopping bag
Telfar medium shopping bag

See the full list here.

Today's reads

  • Are you ready for the new viral food craze? Hot cocoa bombs (which you can get at Costco!) are, ahem, exploding all over the internet.

  • The NBA will be back before the end of 2020.

  • My smart, video game savvy coworkers Brett Molina and Mike Snider reviewed the new XBox consoles, if you're thinking of getting one for a family member this holiday season (or for yourself).

  • Starbucks red cups returned yesterday! Here's how to get a free reusable one.

  • Film critic Brian Truitt reviews David Fincher's new film "Mank." "You don't have be a Turner Classic Movies devotee to appreciate what Fincher pulls off here, though by using old-school scrolling credits and typed-out scene settings, the filmmaker pretty much proclaims to hardcore cinephiles that this movie will be your jam. "

Starbucks' holiday drinks and red cups are back to get you in the holiday spirit.
Starbucks' holiday drinks and red cups are back to get you in the holiday spirit.

Today's TV recommendation

May I suggest that we all start the holiday season early this year? Hallmark and Lifetime have already started airing and streaming holiday movies.

I've watched one this week, Netflix's "Holidate," and it genuinely lifted my spirits. Emma Roberts stars as a single woman who strikes up a deal with a handsome stranger (Luke Bracey) to be each others' "holidate," a friendly plus-one for family gatherings and holiday parties without any romantic pressure. Of course, this is a holiday movie, and romance ensues. It was sweet, and most of it took place not at Christmas (they need holidates for St. Patrick's Day parties and Easter egg hunts, too). I highly recommend for a sweet, romantic treat.

If TV holiday movies are part of your yearly celebration, here is our calendar of the major ones coming to Hallmark, Lifetime and Netflix, for happy endings for all.

Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey play a couple of singles who enjoy each other's company every holiday in the romantic comedy "Holidate."
Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey play a couple of singles who enjoy each other's company every holiday in the romantic comedy "Holidate."

Today's pets

Let's do a dog and a cat today. We deserve it after getting through this week.

Sherlock the cat needs to get back to work solving crime.
Sherlock the cat needs to get back to work solving crime.

"This is my munchkin Sherlock who likes to join me when I'm doing homework," says Kaitlyn Nichols from Tallahassee, Florida. "I have a box in my closet he loves to sit in. He occasionally enjoys joining me in my Zoom classes as well."

Reggie is almost too tired to pose for a photo. But he's still cute.
Reggie is almost too tired to pose for a photo. But he's still cute.

"This is my little Reggie who never leaves my side and is an absolute joy!

says human Brenda Korinek. "He instinctively knows when I’m not feeling well and soothes me with cuddles and kisses. What more could I ask for?"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: It's been a long year, this week