Feel like retreating into a Hallmark movie? A recent report ranked the “coziest” Christmas getaways in the U.S., and the No. 1 pick is hardly a surprise. North Pole, Alaska — a small, charming city with year-round holiday decor — took first, followed by Park City, Utah, and Denver, Colorado. See which other spots made the list.
Must Reads
Not your average interior design advice: Put something weird in every room
A Painting in Motion: England’s First Luxury Sleeper Train Boasts a Nature-Themed Interior
Courtesy of Belmond
A new luxury sleeper train by Belmond is headed to England next summer, the first for the country where rail travel originated. Called the Britannic Explorer, it will depart from London on a trio of picturesque routes — though passengers may find that their interior surroundings rival the beauty outside their windows. Three of the train’s 18 cabins are grand suites that carry a price tag of around $17,700 a person. They’re designed to reflect the beauty of “an English country garden,” per the website, and include private butler service, in-room dining, and marble furnishings. Lower-cost accommodations, at about $7,300, have been decorated to embody Britain’s azure coastline and rolling green hills. The botanically themed restaurant cars are inspired by potting sheds and wildflower meadows, and will feature farm-to-table fine dining, with menus curated by renowned chef Simon Rogan. Altogether, the train has the effect of a “moving painting,” Ottavia Palomba, global head of brand communications at Belmond, told CNN. Also on board is a wellness suite, where passengers can enjoy spa treatments during their three-night journeys, and an expert-led yoga class that early risers can attend. Off-train excursions include private wine tastings, wild swimming, and art exhibitions. Check out more enchanting photos of the Britannic Explorer.
Together With Bombas
What’s Better Than a Gift That Gives Back?
You can give the gift of comfort this holiday season with Bombas. From festive gift boxes to cozy socking stuffers, the brand makes it easy to shop for everyone on your list. And from now through Thursday, Bombas is offering 20% off everything on the site — including socks, slippers, T-shirts, underwear, and more. Best of all, Bombas is a gift that gives back. For every item purchased, the company donates an item of clothing to someone in need. The Bombas 100% Happiness Guarantee also ensures that any refunds, replacements, or exchanges are as hassle-free as can be.
Inspired by Sea Creatures, Scientists Find a New Way to Deliver Drugs Without Needles
Allexxandar / iStock / Getty Images Plus
A new needle-free device is in the works to deliver medicine, and we have the sea (and scientists) to thank. Taking a cue from the way cephalopods like squids and octopuses propel themselves through the ocean and shoot ink clouds to distract predators, researchers at MIT developed an ingestible capsule that releases “a burst of drugs” into the GI tract. They mimicked the animals’ jetting action by using compressed carbon dioxide or springs to generate the force necessary to push liquid drugs out of the capsule. Aside from soothing those with trypanophobia (an intense fear of needles), the novel approach could reduce the possibility of tissue damage and lead to more targeted delivery for injected medicines like insulin and vaccines. “In contrast to a small needle, which needs to have intimate contact with the tissue, our experiments indicated that a jet may be able to deliver most of the dose from a distance or at a slight angle,” Graham Arrick, the co-author of a study on the system, said in a statement. Omid Veiseh, a professor of bioengineering at Rice University who was not involved in the research, added: “This technology is a significant leap forward in oral drug delivery.”
Humanity
San Diego and Tijuana Youth Symphonies Merge for a Barrier-Breaking Performance
Wirestock/ iStock
Earlier this month, an amphitheater in Southern California hosted young musicians from two countries with one common goal: to connect their communities through music. “You may not understand each other [or] speak the same language, but you know the same notes — you can play the same,” Sophia Getman, one of the performers, told CBS News. The ensemble was made up of 85 musicians from San Diego’s Youth Symphony and the Sinfónica Juvenil de Tijuana in Mexico — with some performers from the latter waiting hours to cross the border to rehearse. The two groups came together to create a composition called “Ilimitados,” or limitless. A fitting name, as Anthony Kim, concertmaster for the San Diego symphony, said, “Limitless is symbolic of hope, of opportunities.” Sharing space on one stage is no small thing, according to conductor Sameer Patel: “Music is about the greatest expression of our common humanity, and I think when we have a piece of music like this and opportunities to come together that showcases our common humanity, that you know, you can see that there’s little that actually separates us.” Listen to them play.
In Other News
New Zealand is the first country to share its “nearly comprehensive” fossil database with the public (read more)
Albert Einstein’s famous theory of relativity passed its most rigorous challenge to date (read more)
“Neighbors are helping neighbors.” Oregonians are collecting pine cones to help revive fire-singed forests (read more)
Little free wedding? One couple will win an opportunity to wed at the Arlington Public Library — for free (read more)
Giraffes are a step closer to getting protections under the Endangered Species Act after years of advocacy (read more)
Something We Love
OneSkin Limited Edition Holiday Bundle ’Tis the season for healthier skin, on the go. We’ve long been fans of OneSkin’s peptide products, and now you can celebrate the holidays with the brand’s limited edition bundle. It includes travel sizes of all the bestsellers (OS-01 FACE, OS-01 EYE, and OS-01 BODY) elegantly packaged in an exclusive leatherette bag. And it’s a steal: The bundle is valued at $149, but you can get it for only $99 — plus an extra 15% off with code NICE.*
*Indicates a Nice News brand partnership or affiliate
Inspiring Story
Notes of connection
Mementos often provide a bridge to connect with lost loved ones. That’s especially true for Jula, who turned to her father’s extensive collection of vinyl records after he died. Earlier this year, she started sharing her reactions to his albums via Instagram and found both a booming online community and a deeper understanding of her dad. She said each record is “something he held before, and my ears are going to the same sonic spaces as he did.”
Photo of the Day
Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images
Week 12 of the NFL season kicked off with a bang on Thursday night, with a snowy matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns in Ohio. At least one player was pretty happy about the conditions — before going on to best the Steelers 24-19, Browns quarterback Jameis Winston called it “true football weather” and “magical.” Based on this photo, we’d have to agree! See more from the wintry game, including pics of the players making snow angels on the field.
Needed: Unrivaled Nutrition for Fertility, Pregnancy, and Postpartum
The journey of starting a family is a big step, and it unfortunately can be a challenging one for many — statistics show that around 1 in 6 individuals struggle with fertility. Needed, with its unrivaled line of fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum supplements, is here to support people through the process. From now through Dec. 8, new and existing customers get an extra 25% off their first subscription order with code BESTDEAL, automatically applied at checkout.
