10 Fun Ideas for Grown-Up Family Time During the Holidays

What is Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Garner's new movie?

Mrs. Claus is a new movie coming from Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine production company. Jennifer Garner is also serving as a producer, as well as the movie's star! According to Deadline sources, the movie is being written by Scrambled's Leah McKendrick.

We don't have official plot details yet, but considering the movie called Mrs. Claus, I'd love to see a film about our leading lady taking over for Santa on Christmas Eve. (TBH, it would probably be a little more organized). After hundreds of years with Santa getting all the credit, I think it's more than fair for Mrs. Claus to get her share in the action — and I know if Reese Witherspoon is involved, it's going to be a story full of heart, confidence, and light.

When is Mrs. Claus coming out?

We don't have an official release date for the new movie yet. I'm guessing we'll see it next holiday season! Anywhere after September 1 is a great holiday movie release window because as soon as it starts getting chilly, I am ready for hot cocoa, cozy sweaters, and all the Christmas cookies I can eat ;).

Who else is in the Mrs. Claus cast?

There isn't an official cast list yet, which means the studio is probably still holding auditions. I'd love to see anyone from Millie Bobby Brown to Madelyn Cline to Lily Collins and Ashley Park. If you ask me, these Netflix darlings would bring enough Christmas cheer to brighten up the whole movie!

Have Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Garner worked together before?

Yes, Jennifer Garner is currently starring in Hello Sunshine's The Last Thing He Told Me. They also love posting about each other on Instagram! Even though the two friends haven't been onscreen together, I'm hoping we could see them star in a project together soon.

What other Christmas movies can I see Jennifer Garner in?

Jennifer Garner stars in Family Switch, which you can watch on Netflix now. The movie also stars Ed Helms, Emma Myers, and Brady Noon, and you can watch our interviews with Emma and Jen and Brady on YouTube!

When is Lunar New Year in 2024?

The Lunar New Year in 2024 falls on Saturday, February 10.

Is Lunar New Year the same as Chinese New Year?

Lunar New Year is sometimes referred to as Chinese New Year because it follows a calendar that was developed in China. Different Asian cultures hold true to differing traditions behind the holiday, so depending on where you live, you may celebrate the new year on different dates with different traditions.

What does Lunar New Year celebrate?

Lunar New Year celebrates a new year that's full of prosperity and good fortune. This is also an important time for Asian communities to remember and honor their ancestors.

How do you celebrate Lunar New Year?

Communities that recognize Lunar New Year often celebrate with many flowers, vibrant parades, firework shows, cooking traditional meals, decorating their homes, and gifting.

What does AAPI stand for?

AAPI stands for Asian American Pacific Islander.​

AAPI Brands To Support This Lunar New Year

Fly by Jing x Our Place Hot Wok Set

This durable wok made by Fly By Jing + Our Place is pre-seasoned, ready to cook your favorite wok recipes with ease. It can handle temps up to 600°F, but still is lightweight enough to move from place to place in your kitchen. This set comes complete with a spatula, steamer basket, and chopsticks. Make sure to pick up some Sichuan Chili Crisp too!

Jing founded Fly by Jing, one of our fave AAPI food brands, with traditional hole-in-the-wall restaurants as inspiration. The brand offers authentic Chinese tastes through their range of spices, sauces, and cooking accessories.

Find Fly by Jing on Instagram

Umamicart Snack Subscription Box

Andrea Xu founded Umamicart, an online grocery collection full of diverse and unique Asian American food, because of a love of delicious and unconventional food combos. She wants to showcase traditional foods and newer brands to bring you and your loved ones together at the table. This snack subscription brings forth the coolest Asian bites around.

Find Umamicart on Instagram

Red Lantern Earrings from ChaoticNeutralNY on Etsy

Red and gold are both considered lucky colors going into the New Year, and these lantern earrings are a beautiful way to wear them. Beyond the meaningful colors, lanterns during the festival are generally considered a way to let go of your past self and enter into the new year.

Prisca Choe, whose love language is gift giving, started making acrylic art and jewelry for herself and friends when the pandemic began. Her friends encouraged her to start Chaotic Neutral NY as a space for motifs of her Korean heritage and her Chinatown community to come together.

Find ChaoticNeutralNY on Instagram

Mount Lai Jade Facial Spa Set for Lunar New Year

Jade is known as the stone of eternal youth and is often a part of the New Year because of it signifies hope, new beginnings, and good health. The gua sha ritual is part of wholistic ancient Chinese healing and promotes blood flow, reduces inflammation, and helps you release facial tension.

Stephanie Zheng founded Mount Lai with a modern approach to ancient Chinese traditions, inspired by her grandmother, who has been jade rolling and practicing gua sha for more than 50 years. Zheng hopes to pass on the wisdom and ritual found in these products, hoping they'll provide others with the same self-care they've given her.

Find Mount Lai on Instagram

Chunky Things Baby Dumpling Red Envelope

This handmade envelope is the perfect way to gift your loved ones if you celebrate the Lunar New Year. The shop celebrates numerous AAPI artists to follow year-round. Stop to browse in-person at Chunky Things in Chinatown, Los Angeles!

Find Chunky Things on Instagram

Ferme à Papier Lunar New Year Dragon Card

This set of eight cards has a colorful display of tigers that's perfect for the Lunar New Year. Not only are they gorgeous to look at, but they're also eco-friendly, using 100% recycled *and* chlorine-free paper. That sounds like another reason to celebrate.

Cal Seto founded Ferme à Papier after a visit to Paris inspired her to celebrate the small joys in life. Seto wants to focus on culturally relevant themes that support AAPI and Asian heritage, especially in the wake of hate crimes.

Find Ferme à Papier on Instagram

Ming Yu Wang Zhu Necklace

This stunning neckpiece made by Ming Yu Wang with jade beads and freshwater pearls recalls themes in ancient Chinese art including dragons, thus commemorating the Year of the Dragon in 2024. It symbolizes wisdom, spiritual energy, and power, which you will certainly feel once you put this necklace on.

Find Ming Yu Wang on Instagram

Sanzo Flavored Sparkling Water

This sparkling water's flavors are inspired by authentic cultural tastes in an aim to bring more Asian culture to the American sparkling water landscape. A sip of Sanzo brings you real fruit flavor with no added sugars! Enjoy it alone or with a delicious mocktail to have a super unique drink experience.

Find Sanzo on Instagram

Wing On Wo & Co Lunar New Year Woodblock Prints

Founded in 1890, Wing On Wo & Co has been run for five generations, making it the oldest continuously operating store in New York City's Chinatown. With their porcelain wares and cultural goods, they hope to reinterpret tradition through an Asian American point of view, and give new life to cultural craft.

Find Wing On Wo & Co on Instagram

EDEN + ELIE Striped Medallion Drop Earrings

EDEN + ELIE is a design-centered APPI brand that brings careful, handmade jewelry to buyers. The company empowers makers of all backgrounds and aims to bring Singapore's past to the present.

Find EDEN + ELIE on Instagram

Emilie Heathe The Classics Collection

Celebrate the New Year with a nail color collection that's both lucky and bold. Not only is a bright red timely but these non-toxic picks are made with Bamboo Extract, oils, and Vitamins that will make you feel as good as you look.

After discovering a love for the escape that art and beauty provided her, Emily H. Rudman trained as a makeup artist and got an MBA from Columbia University. She founded Emilie Heathe using ingredients, like anti-inflammatory bamboo and antioxidant-rich rice, that brought her back to her heritage.

Find Emilie Heathe on Instagram

Strange Bird My Happy Place Candle

This bubble tea-scented candle will become your #1 player in your weekly self care routines. Designed to bring you back to cherished childhood memories and indulge in personal freedom, this long-burning candle is definitely a wonderful way to support an AAPI brand and unwind.

Strange Bird aims to help women make self care easier and an often-practiced ritual. Founder Tina Chow Rudolf wanted to ensure that people like her and her family were represented in those rituals too, as well as the overall market.

Find Strange Bird on Instagram

Pearl River Mart Togetherness Tray Candy Holder

Trays like this can be traced back more than 1,000 years and during the celebration, they're chock full of candies, seeds, and dried fruit in the hope that the new year will be sweet. Not only do they symbolize sweetness, but putting them all together represents luck and togetherness.

Find Pearl River Mart on Instagram

Pink Moon Head to Toe Gua Sha Set

Chunks Juno Claw

Wear these lucky colors in a fashion-forward way, everyday. Not only are these chunky, retro clips stylish, but they're also nickel-free and will make you look towards summer.

Chunks was founded by Tiffany Ju after she realized there were no cute *and* high-quality hair clips. Inspired by Ju's love for color and culture, Chunks is on a mission to support eco-responsible manufacturing and emphasize how products are made instead of where they're made.

Find Chunks on Instagram

Yina Lunar New Year Set

Inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, founders of Yina, Angela Gray and Dr. Ervina Wu, set out to provide self care that intertwines modern wellness rituals with traditional wisdom.

Find Yina on Instagram

Here's How Often You Should Cut Your Hair, According To Professionals

I’ll admit it — it had been eight months since my last haircut. My hair had lost its shape, my layers were nowhere to be found, and my ends were begging for mercy. Life got busy over the last few months and I was neglecting my haircare like never before.

My hairdresser could immediately see that I was beyond due for a cut and said I needed to get more taken off than I was hoping. I was definitely disappointed — I'd been working on growing out my hair for a while now, and it just felt like my hard work had completely gone to waste. He explained that getting consistent haircuts is the key to growing out healthy and strong hair, rather than letting it grow and grow until it eventually breaks. So let's dig into the top three things you can do to avoid this scenario!

1. Just Get The Dang Haircut

Also avoiding a haircut like I was? You might want to schedule one at your nearest salon. Like my stylist said, when you wait too long between trims like I did, you risk your hair becoming heavy, dull, and lifeless. When the hair is dry or even dead, it’s nearly impossible for it to hold a curl or style, essentially collapsing on you and taking on more and more heat damage all the while. I know the pain of spending time on a blowout only for it to fall minutes later — it’s the worst.

According to Jack, getting a haircut every 10-12 weeks is the best time frame or your ends will pay the price. Between blow-drying, curling, straightening, sun, and weather, our ends get dry and start to break without the proper care. Getting consistent haircuts allows hair to bounce back, shine, and perform the way we want in a healthy way.

2. Leave-In Conditioners Are Your Friend

His top piece of advice to keep your hair looking and feeling hydrated between trims? Invest in conditioning treatments. Jack swears by the Olaplex conditioning system, specifically the No 3 Hair Perfector. Made with patented OLAPLEX Bond Building Technology™, this conditioning treatment repairs and prevents damage in as little as three minutes. No 3 promises to reduce breakage and visibly strengthen hair, so it’s the perfect assistance to keep ends fresh between cuts. Another conditioning treatments I’ve used and loved for years is the Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask, which is designed to restore moisture, elasticity, and shine to dry hair.

3. Switch Up Your Shampoos

Switching shampoos frequently is a pretty hot tip that I honestly hadn't thought of. Our hair gets used to the same products and grows tired of them, resulting in lackluster locks. Jack’s advice is to switch brands after finishing every bottle of shampoo to bring life back to your hair. Have two brands that you’re loyal to? Even switching back and forth between them after every bottle should make a big difference in your hair. I’m a huge fan of the R+Co Dallas Biotin Thickening Shampoo, which makes my hair look thick and full, as well as the Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo, which is so hydrating and gives so much shine.

In the end, navigating your back-and-forth relationship with haircuts often feels like a rollercoaster ride between wanting that fresh look and cringing at the receipt. Luckily, by using conditioning treatments and switching up your products,, you can keep your locks healthy, shiny, and full of life between trims. But take a newly learned lesson out of my book: don't let your ends pay the price for procrastination and just book the haircut.