COZY WINTER COMFORT
CFG’S FAVORITE THINGS
Ah, winter. The holidays are over and while the spring market is approaching the spring weather is taking its time. The best way to deal with the chill is to hunker down and get cozy. This week we’re sharing a few of our current favorites ways to make the midwinter less bleak.
CINDY FROID| REALTOR® PRINCIPAL
CINDY’S RECOMMENDATIONS:
Local author and Carleton Professor Scott Carpenter released his memoir, Paris Lost and Found: A Memoir of Love, last fall. It recounts his experiences in Paris, where he led many Carlten off-campus study programs and lived. The city, while familiar, takes on a different tone as he navigates his wife’s dementia. Carpenter shares their final trip to Paris, blending love with sadness. As he confronts the loss of her memory, the city echoes his struggles, dealing with a global pandemic. His memoir offers a personal yet relatable story of love, loss, and humor in a renowned city. You might laugh, you may cry and maybe feel the comfort of reading another’s journey, perhaps similar to yours.
Staying true to the local theme, A Complete Unknown explores the journey of a 19-year-old Bob Dylan as he navigates the New York music scene in pursuit of his folk singing aspirations. As he rises to fame, he builds strong relationships while realizing his unhappiness with the folk movement, leading to his fateful decision to go electric. This film boasts an excellent performance from Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet as Dylan and, most importantly, features an incredible soundtrack.
The Diplomat blends international intregue and marital drama. Created by Debora Cahn, known for The West Wing and Homeland, it follows Kate Wyler, an experienced Foreign Service officer, and her husband Hal, a former ambassador himself. After a crisis from an explosion on a British aircraft carrier, Kate is sent to London, where the president and chief of staff want her as the new ambassador. It's a classic tale of marital tug-of-war. Grab the popcorn!
ryan pertile | REALTOR®
ryan’s recommendations:
You simply cannot have cozy winter comfort without family, a fire and some hot chocolate. This winter comfort must not leave once the holiday decor is gone. We live in Minnesota. We are in it for the winter long haul. And if winter is getting a bit too long, add a little something extra to yours.
Hopefully, everyone has gotten past their seasonal Vikings sadness, which happens every year “unexpectedly”. As for myself, I am a Packers fan. Now before you get upset, just know that we are all in this together. If we don’t move on, how can we expect to be emotionally strong next season? There’s always next year, but for now, we’re almost to the Super Bowl! This year’s Super Bowl is set to be played in New Orleans, with a rematch between the Chiefs and Eagles. Snacks, excellent commercials and the American tradition of football. Plus if the Chiefs take the win, it will be the first time in history a team has three back to back Super Bowl wins! Comforting, right?!
On a chilly winter night, Billy Bob Thornton may not be the first name you think of, but he should be. Billy Bob plays crisis executive Tommy Norris in the new series Landman, created by Taylor Sheridan of Yellowstone fame. This new series, based on the podcast Boomtown, focuses on West Texas and the lives of “roughnecks and wildcat billionaires”. I reckon this will be an exciting journey.
sarah maus | DIRECTOR OF SALES AND
NEW DEVELOPMENT
sarah’s recommendations:
Jury Duty is a documentary-style comedy series, think The Office but if Jim was a real person and the rest of the cast, including Dwight were paid actors following a script. Jury Duty follows the workings of an American jury trial through the eyes of Ronald Gladden, a juror who is unaware the entire case is fake. Everyone except him is an actor, and everything that happens is carefully planned. A reality show mixed with improv.
There is something about a puzzle that feels right. They are a “choose your own adventure” based on how long you want to stare at all those pieces. Woodland Pass 500 Piece Puzzle, by artist Ryan Johnson, depicts a serene forest setting with lush evergreens and native animals. A peaceful gathering of deer near a flowing creek in the woods once completed.
I love to settle in and listen to an audio book and my current favorite is Small Things Like These. I do love a book but sometimes my eyes are tired and need a little rest, plus sometimes hearing another voice tell a story feels nostalgic. Small Things like These is based in 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man, faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery that forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.
allyson batis | DIRECTOR OF CLIENT EXPERIENCES
Allyson's recommendations:
The Fraud is Zadie Smith’s first historical novel, she transports the reader to a Victorian England transfixed by the real-life trial of the Tichborne Claimant, in which a cockney butcher, recently returned from Australia, lays claim to the Tichborne baronetcy, with his former slave Andrew Bogle as the star witness. Watching the proceedings, and with her own story to tell, is Eliza Touchet – cousin, housekeeper and perhaps more to failing novelist William Harrison Ainsworth.
Looking for the perfect board game for game nights? Wavelength is a party game where two teams compete to read each other’s minds. This interesting and psychic game is sure to add fun to your game nights. The Wavelength party game is a thrilling experience of talking and thinking and high-fiving that anyone can play—but it also has some of that deep word game sorcery, where your decisions feel tense and meaningful. This telepathic party game combines deduction, strategy, and social dynamics, making it an engaging experience for friends and family.
The podcast Song Exploder is twenty to thirty minutes of listening to musicians breaking apart one of their songs and how it was written, and it's a great mental escape. Yola is a singer/songwriter and actress. She released her solo debut album in 2019, which was nominated for 4 Grammys, including Best New Artist and Best Americana Album, and Rolling Stone named it one of the best country albums of the year. She’s from Bristol in the UK, and starting back in the early 2000s, she was a vocalist recording tracks for DJs and electronic music producers. And so, in January 2025, Yola put out an EP called My Way. And as you’ll hear her explain in the first episode, a lot of her new music is motivated by wanting to assert her identity beyond the Americana and country music boundaries.
nikki klocker | DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
nikki’s recommendations:
Perfecting my Kimchi has been making me feel all the warm fuzzies! It has been my winter project and my goal was to get enough courage to have my boyfriend’s Korean mother try it. She loved it and my heart exploded. So now I am working on raising the heat, she has a crazy high tolerance for heat! The key is still making sure others can eat it too. My recent favorite recipe comes from my favorite recipe TikTok’r, Alissa Nguyen. I like my kimchi to be crisp, heavy on the garlic, scallion and the chunky part of the cabbage. So this “quick” recipe always hits the spot. Quick on kimchi time, not necessarily quick. I recently added a mega kimchi bowl to my kitchen and that is a game changer! (pictured above is my latest batch prior to combing the paste and cabbage)
Crocheting but make it, like, really cute. The Woobles are some of the most adorable crochet kits. They come with all of the accouterments, interactive video tutorials and they are constantly coming out with new themes. Snuggle into your heated blanket and crochet your heart away!
One of the hardest things to achieve when the temps drop is getting all your winter gear and venturing out. But trust me when I say, a hot yoga class is going to warm you to your core. Most studios have plenty of options based on your personal needs, classes for all levels and moods. My favorite class to take in the winter is an end of day Candlelight Hot Yoga at CorePower. It is the perfect way to wrap a loving blanket around your hard working brain. I have been a member for years and love the flexibility of multiple studios around Minneapolis and the US. If you cannot venture out they also offer online classes that you can choose from and create your own candlelight class at home.