Rentgrata’s Post

It’s fun t-shirt (and socks) Friday, holiday style! National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time. While the comedy and story line might be over the top at times, it’s all about the messy, meaningful moments that define the holidays. Clark Griswold’s relentless pursuit of the “perfect” Christmas has themes we can all relate to: Generosity: Giving time, effort, and love—even when it’s not perfect. Kindness: Meeting people where they are, quirks and all. Thankfulness: Finding gratitude in the imperfections. Family: Loving the chaos because it’s what makes life real. The magic of the holidays isn’t in perfection. It’s showing up for the people we love, embracing the laughs, the frustrations, and everything in between. What’s your favorite holiday movie?

In the US, Thanksgiving is no ordinary holiday. It's a shared feast, and everyone celebrates it, regardless of religion, race, or ancestry. To me, Thanksgiving is steeped in memories. I have wonderful memories of joy and chaos at this gathering, and this is in spite of the fact that I have only one photo taken at a Thanksgiving dinner. A study done of smartphone use during family vacations showed how recording moments through a device made personal memories vague—the smartphone got in the way.  Excessive use of smartphones can lead to memory impairment because people are not experiencing the event first-hand, but rather through the lens of their phone. So this Thanksgiving, enjoy the feast, gather everyone together and take a photo--it will record who was there, what was served, where it took place. And then put your smartphone away. Resist the urge to check the news, social media, texts, and your email. Without your phone to distract you, your memories will be much richer than anything you might acquire by reading news or checking social media. Those will become permanent memories that you'll be able to return to. Happy Thanksgiving! You can read more about how devices interfere with our memories in my latest Substack. https://lnkd.in/gNE7UhVb #smartphone #attention #wellbeing #connections #tech

Here are 5 ways you can STILL get the word out about your Christmas Eve services digitally.

🤝 Streamline your holiday party planning with AI—with just the right prompt and let it handle the rest! 🎉 #ProductivityHacks Today's prompt is: "You are a holiday planning expert specializing in creating festive experiences. Your task is to assist in planning a themed holiday party. Please consider the following: 1. Theme Selection: Suggest creative and engaging themes tailored to [insert holiday, e.g., Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving]. 2. Decorations: Provide a list of decoration ideas, including colors, materials, and specific items that match the selected theme. 3. Activities and Games: Recommend a variety of activities and games suitable for [insert age group, e.g., kids, teens, adults] that align with the theme. 4. Menu Planning: Suggest food and drink options, including themed recipes or treats. 5. DIY Ideas: Include at least three DIY decoration or craft ideas to engage guests in the holiday spirit. 6. Budget Considerations: Offer options for low, medium, and high-budget planning. Please include step-by-step instructions or tips for execution where applicable." Check out our free downloadable guide and prompt samples here: https://lnkd.in/gxvNX566

So, there has been a lot of talk about Nostalgia, and I am talking about it too. Read my take here! Also, check out the rest of my blog if you enjoy slice-of-life blog posts!

Our new Joy report unpacks the emotion of joy and the various associations consumers have in their minds. We can overlay different categories onto our Joy Wheel to see how different types of joy are delivered. Home & Garden is highly associated with joy in the minds of consumers (3rd in our list behind Travel and TV streaming). Think B&Q, Homebase or Screwfix and the great adult pastime of pottering around in the garden or making improvements to your living space. What was really fascinating here was just how highly this category scored on two types of joy: Serenity (think: calmness, contentment, meaning) and Freedom (think: liberation, adventure, spontaneity). Being in our own space and improving it really does deliver these feelings. As a brand operating in the Home & Garden space, this offers up some interesting areas of thought. How much are we representing these joy associations in our comms? Can we own these category associations or should we look to stand out by building other joy associations? Are we focusing on the ‘wrong’ types of joy when we talk about our brand? Viewed through this lens, what associations are our competitors playing to? Is there an opportunity to combine different joy types (Serene Freedom?) to provide new meaning to consumers? All this and more in our new Joy report. Drop me a DM if you’d like to learn more. #MRX #BrandStrategy #MarketResearch #Joy #Marketing

🎄 I’ll Have You Home by the Holidays 🎄 Imagine this: By December, you’re sitting in your new home with a cozy fire burning (unlikely, but hey we can dream), Christmas lights twinkling, and your tree perfectly decorated, ready to celebrate the holidays in style. But to make that vision a reality, we need to start now. 🕰️ Whether you’re buying, selling, or both, the process takes time—but when we act quickly, there’s still plenty of time to get you to the closing table by December. That means a fresh start in your new home, with plenty of room for family gatherings, holiday traditions, and maybe even a little mistletoe magic. Here’s what we’ll do: ✨ We’ll review your options and make a game plan. I’ll connect you with my go-to lenders that can work quickly to make this a reality! ✨ Find the right home and/or get yours market-ready ASAP. ✨ Navigate inspections, appraisals, and paperwork like pros. ✨ And in December—voilà! 🎁 Your new space will be holiday-ready. 🌟 P.S. You also won’t have a payment until 2025! 🌟 Let’s make it happen together so you can be celebrating this Christmas at home watching Christmas movies!🏡 🎄🎅🏻 I’ve attached a handy guide that shows which movies are streaming according to platform. Drop a 🎅 if you’re ready to talk about making this your reality before the year ends! 🎄When do you decorate for the holidays? Today? Yesterday? After Thanksgiving? Call or text me anytime! 📱 832-792-7529 #pangsellshomes #texasrealtor #htx #makingbigmovestogether #buyingthesuburbs #sellingthesuburbs #houstontx #cypresstx

🎉 It’s that time of year! Are you focused on holiday prep, cozy home updates, or something totally different? Let us know by commenting with an emoji! ⬇️ 🍗 for Holiday Prep 🛋️ for Cozy Home Updates ✨ for Something Else Entirely! We’d love to see what you’re planning to make this season special! #HolidaySeason #HomeUpdates #GetCozy

Can you believe it? The countdown is officially on! In less than one week, Lutely goes live! So, mark your calendars for Friday September 27th. It's the perfect time to clear the clutter, pack away that old summer gear, and embrace all the cozy fall vibes with some fresh new finds. There’s something undeniably magical about the change of seasons, isn’t there? It’s more than just leaves falling or pulling out our favorite sweaters - it’s a reminder that we, too, have the power to change, to refresh, and to renew. There’s so much power in change, and sometimes, it’s in these subtle seasonal shifts that we feel it most. It's an invitation to step into the best version of ourselves, to let go of what no longer serves us, and to embrace what we deserve. At Lutely, we believe in giving you the power to discover exactly what you actually want. Think of us as your personal shopping concierge, powered by a community of savvy shoppers like you who know exactly what’s worth sharing - tried, tested, and true. Lately, we’ve all been bombarded with brands, trends, and influencers telling us what we should love. But here’s the thing: you have the power to choose. This is your space to save, share, and discover the things you truly love - powered by real recommendations from your friends, your family, your inner circle. Everything you deserve, all in one place. So while you're packing away the old and making room for the new, why not start thinking about your very first Lutely share? We can’t wait to see what you bring to the table. Stay tuned. It's going to be fun. With excitement - absolutely, The Lutely Team 🧡 P.S. Get your friends ready to sign up! You’ll love sharing your fave things with your crew in no time… www.lutely.app

🌼🍀 Wishing you all a marvelous March! 🌸 What's your favorite thing about this vibrant month? So many reasons to love it: March Madness excitement, the festive celebrations of St. Patty's Day, perhaps it's your birthday month, or the anticipation of longer days as we spring forward into daylight saving time. And let's not forget about welcoming the first day of spring with open arms! 🌷💫 Share your favorites in the comments below! #MarchMadness #StPatricksDay #SpringForward #FirstDayofSpring 🌼🍀