And, just like that – we’re right in the thick of the holiday season. I swear just a few weeks ago I was writing about how it was finally fall, and now I’m baking sugar cookies, stressing about last minute holiday gifts, and getting Christmas carols stuck in my head – and believe me, they all are. Please send help…

And while the holidays are definitely the most magical time of the year, I find myself getting more and more overwhelmed as we inch closer to Christmas. I tend to be a procrastinator by nature, so while everyone else spend cyber week getting ready for the holidays, I was more concerned about finding a coat that wouldn’t make me totally freeze my butt off this year. And while I’m finally warm, my holiday gift list is still growing by the day. Clearly, I’m a little a lot overwhelmed, so much so that I’m too nervous for the holidays to officially look forward to them. And whenever I get a little wrapped up in my to-do list, I try to take a few moments as often as I can to clear my head and focus on something to keep me cool, calm and collected {or as much as I can be!}

Coffee shops have always been my favorite place to get away for a few hours to unwind, and I’ve been trying to relax throughout the season by diving into a new book. When I was in college I majored in English, but since graduating I haven’t had the opportunity to read these days {who knew being an adult would be so crazy busy?!} I don’t often have lots of time to read, so toting a book from home to work, to coffee shop, to train station, back to home tends to be a little heavy – especially with my camera and work laptop in tow. Luckily for me, I had the chance to test out the new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite and it’s become my new go-to when I need a few moments to de-stress.There are so many features I absolutely love about it, but the fact that it’s so lightweight and portable really take the cake. I’m always on the go, and my work bag has become my all purpose purse – taking me from morning ’till night, no matter where the day takes me. The fact that I can leave my Amazon Kindle Paperwhite in my purse without having to worry about breaking my back gives me so much more time to read than I thought I had. Whether it’s 10 minutes before a client meeting, waiting around for an appointment, or sitting on the El to and from work – I’ve found that I’ve been able to finish books quicker than if I was attempting to tote around my favorite 250 page novel. And believe me, there’s nothing more satisfying than finishing an epic novel, especially when you’re a little stressed out. And now that I’m writing this post, I’m thinking maybe I should let the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite solve all my holiday problems and just buy it for everyone in my family, right? Family who happens to read my blog, please act surprised around Christmas time 😉 And if you’re not part of my immediate family and you’re still on the hunt for the perfect gift for the book lover in your life, I’d highly recommend giving the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite a go! I know I’ll be toting around this guy for many years to come. A big thanks to Amazon for sponsoring this post! As always, all opinions are my own and I only share products that I truly love. Thanks so much for supporting the brands and businesses that keep Charmingly Styled up and running!