On The Radar: December 2024
#01 of On The Radar: ins and outs for 2025, under $100 gift guide + two writing prompts
Hi, oversharers (yes, I’ve given you a nickname and I hope you love it). Since this newsletter was born, I’ve struggled with how to format it for the past year. I don’t want writing every month to feel like a chore. I want it to feel like a place where you can get to know me on a level you don’t see day-to-day on socials. I want it to be the perfect mixture of fun and light but important and worth your time. So, in the new year, I’ll be incorporating a few new segments and I’d love to get your thoughts on them. But before we do that, I want to introduce you to one that I think you’ll love: the monthly report.
Writer friends—keep scrolling for TWO writing prompts at the end!
HOW CUTE RIGHT?!?! The point of these “reports” is to be fun, informative, and personal. It won’t always have these topics but I think two that are here to stay are: what I’m consuming and #whatstrending. Before author life, I was a social media manager for six years on some pretty fun brands (Campbell Snacks which consisted of Goldfish, Kettle Brand, Milano Cookies, Cape Cod Chips, Snyder’s of Hanover and Pop Secret, then switched gears to retail marketing where I worked for Vestique, and most recently Bojangles, a fast food company with the best honey mustard you’ll ever have (no competition). I figured it could be beneficial to include some of what I’m seeing on social for any aspiring marketers, authors, or creators that might be reading.
PS: The report is interactive! Everything is linked—products, recipes, posts, articles—that’ll give you more insight. The link that says “click here” will bring you there.
Now, let’s dive into what’s important.
WHAT I’M CONSUMING: HOLIDAY EDITION
READS: In my house, Thanksgiving doesn’t exist. So obviously I’ve been consuming a lot of Christmas content. Last year I read One Day in December by Josie Silver which I highly recommend—it’s not particularly a holiday book but it transports you to winter in London which I think is even better. I haven't picked up a book since October when I read The Wedding People by Alison Espach because I received my deadline for the next round of edits on book two. Once December 18th is here and I hit send on that email, I’ll be cracking open another Josie Silver novel, A Winter in New York, which I feel I’ll love even more. Another recent release that’s on my December TBR is the spicy novella Dashing All The Way by Chelsea Curto. As she said on her Instagram, it’s more heat than plot but I think that’s what I need right now as I gear up to finish this round of edits 😉 (I don’t particularly love writing spice, but I’m trying!!!)
SCREENS: Being on deadline means most nights the only screen I’m looking at is a Word doc but somehow I’ve managed to watch a few things. I put off part two of the new Emily in Paris season because I thought it’d be more fitting to watch this time of year and I was right. I love the fact that it’s set in Europe and Lily Collins is one of my favorite actors but this show just isn’t doing it for me anymore. Will I continue to watch it though? Of course. Other honorable mentions on my screen this month: The Holiday, Four Christmases, The Merry Gentlemen (SO cringe), and Lindsay Lohan’s latest release Our Little Secret which I enjoyed! It was a bit predictable but I went in with zero expectations and thought the storyline was super cute.
EATS: Tonight is my first holiday party of the year (yay!) with some of my college friends. Usually, my go-to is these delicious Chocolate Cake Cookies (yes made from a box mix, super easy but always a hit), but this year I’m cranking it up a notch. I’m making Cranberry Brie Bites and Apple Crumble. Wish me luck!!
#WHATSTRENDING
Vlogmas is a tradition started by YouTubers that has recently spilled over into TikTok and Instagram content where creators post every day in December leading up to Christmas.
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Reading Recaps for 2024: a lot of book clubs and influencers will start sharing their best and worst reads of 2024. If you’re into #Bookstagram, #BookTok, or #BookTube, this is your sign to get ahead of it!
“And with that…” end-of-year recaps are big on both TikTok and Instagram. It’s a way for users to show off a montage of their year. The voice behind this sound, Sam Levitt, is a TV/Radio Sportscaster who has been going viral for this trend since 2021. Whether your video gets engagement or not, I still think it’s a cute piece of content for your time capsule.
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Other trends I love right now are… Brands have been putting their own spin on Spotify Wrapped—some of my favorites are Later Media, Yahoo, Atria Books, and mine (obviously). 12 Days of Giveaways is a really fun way for influencers to give back to the community that got them where they are today. Jenna Palek and Krista Horton are both doing 25-day-long campaigns, while The Home Edit is doing 12. Either way, I love the sense of giving back! Last but not least, my personal favorite is any type of content about dating this time of year—no label no gift, cuffing season, rules for being single during the holidays and surviving NYE alone.
MY UNDER $100 GIFT GUIDE
Owala Free Sip: $28
Icon Juice Glasses: $32 (for 2)
Papier Planner: $36
Skims PJ Set: $80
WRITING PROMPTS
Another new segment I want to include in these are writing prompts! For accountability purposes, if you want to share them with me you can send them to contact@alissaderogatis.com. If I choose to do a prompt, I’ll share mine with you guys as well.
Prompt 1: Write a meet-cute about two people who fall in love over winter break in an awkward setting.
Prompt 2: Imagine you were spending the holidays alone. What would you do? How would you feel?
FEEDBACK IS WELCOMED + ENCOURAGED!
If you love these reports (or hate them) let me know in the comments! Tell me what you found most useful or just overall enjoyed! What would you like to see incorporated in future reports? I’m just trying to find the best way to connect with y’all on this platform and want to make every post worth your while. As always, thanks for being here. I love you more than I love wine, which is a lot.
xo Alissa
PS: My debut novel, Call It What You Want, is available to order here. I appreciate your time and support more than you know! ILYSM <3
so cute, love this.
I love this so muchhhhh! Alsoooo CIWYW is THE BESTTT book everrrrr I eat sleep and breath ittt 😭🩷