It’s the time of year when people firm up their plans for Thanksgiving and all the rest of the big end-of-year holidays. Maybe some of you are getting bombarded with guilt-inducing texts about where you’re going — or not going. Today’s Diana Park piece goes out to you: “For years I’d pack all of my kids up in the car (honestly, with very little help from my now ex-husband) and make sure we had everything we needed to make our rounds. It’s a lot to get three little kids out of the house when it’s freezing cold. The kids were tired from being dragged from house to house and wanted to be at home.”

Not anymore! She’s explaining why — and offering some support if you’re in a similar situation.

Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor

“It’s the meal on everyone’s mind: soup,” writes Emily Weaver. “With the holidays right around the corner, cultivating peace is at the forefront of agendas, and a key component of that is returning to your favorite comfort food recipes. For many of us, especially during the colder months, that’s soup.” And as our resident TJ’s expert, she’s got some great suggestions for you.