Tag: News

• The inaugural Stissing House x Substack Pie Fest took place in November.
• There were 33 pies entered for 14 judges — including Martha Stewart — to choose from.
• According to James Beard award-nominated chef Clare de Boer, judges were between two pies.

I've been living in the US for 15 years, and there's one thing I really look forward to during the holidays: pies.

I'm always looking forward to having my favorites (apple pie is at the top of the list) and trying new ones brought by friends and family.

Now I have a new one to add to that list: the salted maple bourbon pie that Martha Stewart chose as the 2025 winner for the Stissing House x Substack Pie Fest.

The instructions are intimidating, but it sounds delicious

Nikki Freihofer describes her now-famous pie as "a pancake breakfast that grew up."

As someone who barely knows how to bake, I find the instructions a bit more intimidating than making pancakes.

The ingredients include a solid dose of high-quality bourbon, such as Bulleit, to impart a distinctive boozy flavor. (When she announced the winner, Stewart joked that she could've used more booze, but it sounds like plenty to me!)

The crust is pretty classic, though it has some spoonfuls of vodka in it, and it's all topped off with a vanilla mascarpone whip.

If you opt to make the whole pie from scratch, it requires starting with the crust the night before, as freezing overnight is recommended. And once all the steps are complete, it's recommended that the pie rest for four to six hours before concluding the process with a generous sprinkle of flaky Maldon sea salt.

Freihofer also described her pie as "the kind of thing people take one bite of and immediately start plotting their second," and I'm already planning to give it a try.

Take a look at the recipe, which Substack shared after the event.

• Cheez-It released a Build It Yourself Holiday House Kit for festive snack lovers.
• The kit includes cheese-flavored cookies, Cheez-Its, frosting, and candy decorations.
• Building the Cheez-It house is fun and quirky, offering a unique twist on holiday traditions.

It's the holiday season, which means it's the kick-off to building the traditional gingerbread houses for many families. I used to do this all the time as a kid growing up in the Midwest — it was just a normal part of the season.

I haven't really kept up the tradition as an adult, though. This year, I decided to give it another go for the first time in ages, but while I'm still making a holiday house out of food, it's not going to be made of gingerbread.

Enter Cheez-It's new Cheez-It Build It Yourself Holiday House Kit. Yep, you read that right. It's a holiday kit to make a house made of Cheez-Its. When a friend posted this on his Facebook page, I felt compelled to try it.

I had no idea what was in store at the time.

The kit was harder to find than I expected

I ordered one from Walmart online. It was supposed to cost under $16 for a single pack before shipping, but by the time I checked out, it came to about $35 — Walmart resellers had already snatched them up and driven the price up. About a week later, the kit finally arrived.

When I opened the box, I found two snack-sized packets of Cheez-Its, a bag of frosting, some candy bits in the shapes of holiday items (a gingerbread-looking person, a round dot, and candy canes), and a sealed platform with some orange cookie house parts.

There were a total of five separate types of pieces inside. It was unclear if the white bag of frosting contained sugar or white cheddar cheese.

Building the house was easy

I recruited a friend to join in on the fun, and the first thing we did was flip the kit over to see if there were any instructions. There was a QR code that linked to a short video, so we watched that before getting started. It walked us through the assembly and showed a few examples from other people's kits — most of them looked like more traditional cookie houses. With some guidance and a bit of inspiration, we were finally ready for the real fun to begin.

I opened the platform that came with the orange cookies. The box said they were cheese-flavored, and while I wasn't ready to taste anything yet, I was curious — so I gave one of the house pieces a sniff. I can confirm it smelled exactly like cheese and cookies. A faint mix of cheddar and sugar cookie sweetness.

The kit instructed me to massage the frosting packet before opening it, so I did. And once I squeezed some out, I realized it was just like the frosting in a regular holiday house kit — more like cake icing than anything resembling cheese.

The kit instructed us to use the frosting to put the orange cookie house together first. This was done by taking the frosting and connecting the house pieces together. There was a piece of the house that needed to be broken off to help the roof be put in place. That piece was used to make a chimney. I had to hold the roof together for a few minutes before the rest of the house could be created.

After the house was put together, it was just a matter of adding the finishing touches with the decorations. This meant using the frosting to put Cheez-Its and the other candy bits onto the house.

We had leftovers after building the house

We started getting the hang of things at this point, and there seemed to be a lot more Cheez-Its than we needed. We could have probably used more candy bits.

The finished house only used one pack of Cheez-Its. I had plenty of leftover frosting afterward, which I put on some Cheez-Its to taste. While the frosting (which was akin to cake-type frosting on a pastry strudel) was sweet, it didn't taste incredibly weird paired with the Cheez-Its. It wasn't the worst, but it wasn't the best, unlike the apple pie-flavored mac and cheese from Kraft I tried earlier this month, which was delicious.

Even though the whole thing felt a little ridiculous, I didn't think it was the worst project I'd ever worked on. It still had most of the usual elements you'd find in a typical holiday house kit. It was basically the same process — just with Cheez-Its added into the decorating mix.

When you really think about it, Cheez-Its — strange as they may sound (and look) — aren't all that outlandish. I've made gingerbread houses with pretzels before, and when you compare the salty crunch of the pretzels to the sweetness of the gingerbread, it's not much different.

In the end, it was a fun activity to get my friends and me started on the festive season together.

• WARN-related layoff filings have risen to their highest levels in nearly a decade, Goldman found.
• Outplacement firm data showed corporate layoff announcements peaking outside a recession.
• Goldman said it has not concluded that AI is driving a significant share of recent job cuts.

Goldman Sachs researchers are warning that the US labor market may be starting to soften as private-sector data show a growing wave of layoffs across several industries, the Wall Street bank said in a new report.

The firm said state filings related to planned mass layoffs have surged to their highest level since 2016, excluding the pandemic spike — the sharpest increase Goldman has tracked in nearly a decade.

Layoff announcements compiled by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a firm that tracks corporate job cuts, had by October climbed to a level previously unseen outside of a recession, the report noted, citing cuts in sectors like tech, industrial goods, and food and beverage as factors that drove the increase.

Goldman's economists said the combination of rising layoff signals is concerning — representing "growing signs of weakness" — because workers are increasingly struggling to secure new employment, making rebounding after losing a paycheck especially difficult.

Even some of corporate America's biggest names haven't evaded the job market's cooling. Amazon, for example, announced plans this fall to eliminate about 14,000 corporate jobs as it seeks to streamline and embrace AI.

"A sustained increase in layoffs would be particularly concerning because the hiring rate for workers is low and it is harder than usual for the unemployed to find jobs," economists Manuel Abecasis and Pierfrancesco Mei wrote.

Decade-high layoff signals

The state filings Goldman cited — known as Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, notices — are required by companies with more than 100 employees in advance of instituting layoffs. They're a helpful indicator of employer behavior, signaling when cuts may be around the corner.

On top of the rise in WARN notices, the bank found that the leadership of more publicly traded companies had begun openly discussing potential layoffs on recent earnings calls with shareholders. Taken together with the Challenger outplacement data, the picture strongly suggests more companies are considering trims and efficiencies in the coming months.

Still, the bank said weekly jobless claims remain low, which means government reports might not yet reflect the full extent of deterioration in the labor market. A recent Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report for September surpassed economists' expectations.

But Goldman noted that claims tend to lag private layoff trackers by about two months, which could hint at a potential uptick in federal data about job losses as winter continues.

And although concerns have grown about whether artificial intelligence is pushing companies to reduce headcount, Goldman said current evidence does not show that AI is meaningfully driving the latest layoffs.

"While AI may be increasingly considered in workforce decisions," the Goldman researchers wrote, "clear evidence of layoffs directly motivated by AI remains limited."

• The Wang Fuk Court fire has killed at least 75 people, with another 76 missing, Hong Kong officials said.
• The fire is under control, Hong Kong's chief executive John Lee Ka-chiu said.
• Three executives of the construction firm that built the tower have been arrested.

The deadly fire that ripped through the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po district has claimed the lives of dozens, displaced hundreds, and led to the arrests of three local executives.

At least 75 people have died from the fire, which began Wednesday afternoon, local time, and eventually tore through seven of the complex's eight towers. Roughly 4,600 people live in the complex, and nearly 300 are still missing, and 76 are injured, Hong Kong leaders have said.

Among the injured, 11 are firefighters, and Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region John Lee Ka-chiu said at least one firefighter has died as a result of the blaze.

The devastating fire, which is now under control, according to Hong Kong authorities, is one of the deadliest in recent memory and has already surpassed the death toll from London's 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people.

Hong Kong authorities have said materials on the outside of the building did not meet fire safety standards, and three executives from the construction firm that built the towers have been arrested for manslaughter.

"We have reason to believe that those in charge of the construction company were grossly negligent," said Eileen Chung, a senior superintendent of police, during a press conference.

Parts of the building were under renovation, with bamboo scaffolding and a flammable safety net on the outside of the towers.

The aftermath of the fire is being felt locally and internationally. K-pop awards show, Mnet Asian Music Awards, being held in a Hong Kong stadium on Friday night, canceled its red carpet but still plans to proceed with the event. Pope Leo sent a telegram to the bishop in Hong Kong expressing his sympathies for the victims.

For those affected, the government has established an assistance fund where each household receives roughly $1,300, which is less than the average monthly rent in the Tai Po region.

• Many parents I kknow resist letting their kids quit activities, thinking it reflects poorly on them.
• I want my kids to quit activities and friendships that no longer suit them.
• I think allowing kids to quit builds confidence, maturity, and helps them evaluate their own needs.

Not a week goes by that I don't hear a parent saying their child is miserable in an extracurricular activity, an advanced placement class, or even a friendship. That parent often then remarks that they won't allow their child to quit. It seems that parents have inherited and sustained the idea that letting a child quit is a moral failure and reflects poorly on the parent with a resounding, "I'm not raising a quitter!"

I am taking the opposite approach with my own four kids, two of whom are teens and two are tweens. I believe there are perfectly acceptable reasons to quit — the main of which is that quitting can be a healthy habit. After all, as an adult, I have no problem quitting a job, a relationship, a volunteer position, or even holiday plans if they no longer serve me and my family.

Ultimately, I ask, why should I have a different standard for my children than I have for myself? If the goal of parenting is to raise well-adjusted, well-functioning adults, why not let them quit?

I let my kids quit sports

Last year, one of my teens was enrolled in an elite, short-term sports program. We were convinced that the tough love she was getting on the court would help her have more grit and build skills.

Our child, who thrives with calm coaching and more private criticism, was miserable with the coaching style of this team. She asked to quit, and we readily agreed because she was reporting to us that she wanted to completely give up her beloved sport. The mental anguish wasn't worth the "elite" program.

I'm happy to report that quitting worked. She's still in her sport, just not at an unhealthy capacity.

I let my kids quit relationships

Many family-to-family relationships develop because parents want to spend time with other kids' parents, but the kids? Sometimes they grow apart or never even liked each other at all. I try not to force my kids to stay in these uncomfortable situations.

Quitting a relationship can be a quiet fade; it doesn't have to be loud and dramatic. We want our kids to evaluate relationships and understand what is and isn't healthy. The same goes for dating relationships. It's OK to break up with someone who simply isn't a match, rather than wasting time and energy.

I have shared with my kids how I felt two of my own friends stopped supporting me when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and how it was better for me to let them go than to implore them to hang in there with me. I hope they'll do the same if faced with a similar situation.

I let my kids quit classes

Once kids reach high school, they have more freedom to change their schedules, even a few weeks into a class. One of my daughters quit a science class because there was far too much math, a subject she struggles with, than she expected there would be. Just because a kid is qualified to take an advanced placement or dual-credit class does not mean the prestige is worth the sacrifices they may have to endure.

As a college teacher, I have seen far too many students hit burnout from taking too many classes or enrolling in classes that are over their heads, resulting in plummeting grades and deteriorating mental health. I want my high schoolers to learn to bail now, when necessary, rather than suffer in silence.

There's also the benefit of them carefully looking at all the pros and cons, weighing their options, and making a decision that works for them. This builds confidence and is empowering, propelling them into greater maturity.

I let my kids call in

We are fortunate to live in a state that offers students excused mental health days. If my kiddo is feeling overwhelmed, they are allowed to use the days they need, without a penalty from me or the school. Though this technically isn't quitting, I do think it's a short-term "quit" for a day to recharge and evaluate what they need moving forward.

In my opinion, perfect attendance awards are inherently ableist. I don't want my kids to be rewarded for being pushed to (or over) their breaking point. Instead, my children are learning to gauge how their bodies and brains are feeling, attuning to their intuition, and yielding to the warning signs that they need to take a pause.

• Eric Zander-Hussey is a 66-year-old living in Palmetto, Florida, who has been a clown since 1988.
• He and his wife, Kolinda, have worked together as clowns since 2011. They were married in 2013.
• The pair have just retired, but said they will always be clowns.

This story is based on a conversation with Eric Zander-Hussey, also known as EZ. It has been edited for length and clarity.

In 2010, Kolinda and I met at a clown convention, where we were introduced to each other while wearing full clown makeup.

I had been a clown since 1988, when I enrolled at clown college. Upon graduation, I was hired to perform with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and then went on to perform at Circus Circus in Las Vegas and as the clown for McDonald's corporation in North Carolina.

Kolinda, or Kozy as I call her, was working in her field as an early childhood education teacher, but discovered (after being informally asked by the school she worked for to be an elf at Christmas and later a clown) she loved being a clown. She became her hometown clown, entertaining at daycares, parties, and festivals in her spare time, eventually signing up for a clown training course. It became the start of her successful clown career.

A year after we met at the clown convention, Kozy and I started dating and got married in 2013.

We had to combine our clown gear

When we moved in together, all our clown gear combined. I remember we had 17 rubber ducks, 18 dove pans, all kinds of magic tricks, exploding props, noses, makeup, and eight pairs of clown shoes, all scattered everywhere throughout our home. We had to reduce and recycle, but we still have 17 bins of clown gear.

We were a perfect match, both born to be clowns, to make people happy. Both of us understood the industry and lived by the adage "get back to work," a common slogan in the clowning world.

Kozy moved to North Carolina with me, taking on the role of assistant, while I clowned in at schools and events. But her role was anything but secondary — she made the show, adding herself into the act as a primary clown. At 50, she learned to walk on stilts. She's that kind of person, determined.

Once our kids were gone, we started touring together

Once our children had graduated from high school, we began touring together, often on the road for up to 40 weeks every year, performing in different circuses throughout the US, as well as shows in Europe and Asia. We became the heart of whatever show we were in. It was an exciting time for us; we completely embraced it, spending all day, every day together.

I'd like to say that this huge amount of time spent together has made our relationship stronger, but that wouldn't be entirely accurate.

What's made our relationship strong is that we both have the heart of a clown. A heart that is always giving and trying to make others feel better, happy, and cared for. When two people come together, both with this type of heart, it creates a strong relationship — one where both want the best for the other person. It works the same when clowns come together with their audience, too.

Our retirement plan is to be Santa and Mrs. Claus

When the pandemic hit in 2020, we started considering the future. We couldn't perform in the circus the way we preferred — up close and personal with the audience, making connections with people.

Once we got back on the road after restrictions had lifted, we both felt it was time to plant ourselves somewhere, rather than always travelling. We wanted to have neighbors, attend a bridge club, eat dinner before 11 p.m., and do things that normal people do on a day-to-day basis when they aren't on the road all the time.

Also, I'd grown a long beard so that I could be Santa, with Kozy as Mrs. Claus, over each Christmas period — it had become our retirement plan, and had changed my whole clown look.

We both knew it was time to retire, to slow down.

At the beginning of November, we performed our last touring show as clowns, in our 6th year with Loomis Brothers Circus. There were plenty of tears, with heartfelt, final goodbyes from everyone we had worked alongside.

We're looking forward to what's ahead for us — teaching opportunities, small gigs, and festive seasons as Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

And at the grocery store or walking down the street — we're clowns, even when wearing "normal clothes," always looking to light up the day of every person we encounter.

Although we've officially retired, we both still have that clown heart. A clown isn't only a clown when wearing shoes and a big nose — you're always a clown.

• Apple will be the world's top smartphone manufacturer in 2025, according to Counterpoint Research.
• The success of Apple's latest iPhone unseats Samsung's production levels, the firm's report found.
• Apple has not been the world's top smartphone maker since 2011, Counterpoint says.

The iPhone may feel ubiquitous, but Apple has consistently lagged behind rival Samsung in terms of global smartphone market share.

Tim Cook's newest iteration, though, is breaking through — and returning Apple to the top of the industry.

A new report from Counterpoint Research projects that Apple will be the leading smartphone producer in 2025, marking the first time since 2011 that it has held that title.

Shipments of iPhones in 2025 are expected to be 10% higher than they were in 2024, Counterpoint senior analyst Yang Wang wrote on LinkedIn about the report, thanks to "strong momentum for the iPhone 17 series." That's more than double the growth Samsung is expected to book this year.

"We are tracking double-digit growth for both China and US in October," he wrote about new iPhone shipments.

Apple's latest model has received such a positive reception that Cook is anticipating that the final quarter of 2025 will be the best in the company's history, driven by a strong holiday sales season for the iPhone 17. Apple is expected to sell 243 million phones in 2025, which is 3.3% more than Samsung's expected sales of 235 million.

The expectation is that there will be plenty of new iPhones under Christmas trees next month, but company projections may not account for poor consumer sentiment and jitters about the economy's health, which might drive gift-givers to shop more frugally this December.

Consumer confidence has hit its lowest point since April, when President Donald Trump's tariffs took effect and sent stocks plummeting, according to a survey released by The Conference Board on Tuesday. A Reviews.org survey also found that smartphone users are going longer in between upgrades — 29 months instead of 22 months — than they were nine years ago.

Still, the iPhone 17 has been able to power through these headwinds, as the new model outsold the iPhone 16 in the first 10 days of availability by 14%, according to Counterpoint.

Another drag on Apple's sales and stock price has been the trade war between the US and China, a massive market that is also a critical part of Apple's supply chain.

The softening of rhetoric from Trump — he wrote on Truth Social earlier this week that the US "relationship with China is very strong" after a call with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping — and the success of the iPhone 17 has company executives and third-party researchers excited for the company's Chinese outlook. At market close on Wednesday, Apple's stock was up slightly, trading at $277.55.

In September, when Apple's latest iPhone was released, the two different iterations of the iPhone 17 were the best-selling models in China, according to Counterpoint. Apple's new offering was also the top seller in the US, Germany, and the UK.

The "tailwinds" at Apple's back have Counterpoint projecting a multi-year run at the top of the smartphone manufacturer leaderboard. Wang, the senior analyst, wrote that Apple "is likely to hold onto the lead until the end of the decade."

• Michael Burry of "The Big Short" fame posted four stock picks on Wednesday.
• The investor and writer touted Lululemon, Molina Healthcare, Shift4 Payments, and Fannie Mae.
• Burry recently shut his hedge fund to outside money, shifting his focus to publishing a Substack.

Michael Burry has broken free from the shackles of financial regulation — and he's making the most of his newfound liberty by sharing his favorite stocks.

The prescient investor of "The Big Short" fame closed his hedge fund to outside cash this month, saying he felt "muzzled" by SEC rules and wanted to speak freely via his new Substack, fittingly titled "Cassandra Unchained."

"You know I own and like LULU, MOH, FOUR," Burry wrote in a Wednesday post. "Also FNMA, but as a pink sheet stock, it was never disclosed. These are all 3-5 year holds minimum. I will write each of these up as well as others in future posts. The 2-12B market cap range is the most fertile area as I see it today."

Burry also said it's a "great time of year to find great companies being sold down too far as a result of window dressing and tax-loss harvesting." He explained that "many managers do not like to show they have owned big losers at the end of the year," but that doesn't bother him.

The four tickers posted by Burry refer to Lululemon Athletica, Molina Healthcare, Shift4 Payments, and the Federal National Mortgage Association, also known as "Fannie Mae."

Lululemon is an athletic-apparel retailer known for its premium yoga pants. Molina provides affordable health insurance and healthcare services, primarily to low-income and senior Americans. Shift4 Payments is a fintech that provides payment processing and various commercial tools to the likes of hotels, restaurants, stadiums, and online retailers.

Fannie Mae is a government-sponsored enterprise that supports the US housing market by guaranteeing over $4 trillion worth of mortgages against credit losses, making it easier and cheaper for Americans to buy homes.

The first three have popped up in Scion Asset Management's portfolio updates over the past 12 months or so, while Fannie Mae shares trade on over-the-counter markets, so Burry's firm didn't have to disclose them in its 13F filings.

Burry is a bargain hunter

Burry is famous for successfully shorting the mid-2000s housing bubble and frequently predicting crashes and recessions. He's a deep-value investor who specializes in spotting bargains, especially smaller, beaten-down stocks. Year to date, Lululemon shares have tanked 52%, Molina shares have tumbled 49%, and Shift4 Payments shares have plunged 32%.

Those declines reflect their prices after they rallied with the broader market over the past five trading days, gaining between 5% and 10% each. All three have market values under $25 billion, and Lululemon and Molina shares trade at under 15 times their projected earnings per share this financial year.

In contrast, Fannie Mae shares have roughly tripled this year, fueled by speculation that the Trump administration will privatize Fannie Mae and corporate sibling Freddie Mac, ending the federal conservatorship imposed on them after the financial crisis and paving the way to a main-market listing.

In an X post last week, Burry signaled he owned Molina stock and was also betting against AI darling Palantir using bearish put options, even after CEO Alex Karp berated him for doing so.

"Long MOH stock and Long PLTR puts, like peanut butter and bananas," Burry wrote. He said earlier this week that he's short Nvidia as well.

Palantir shares have soared about 26-fold since the start of 2023, valuing the AI firm at nearly $400 billion, or about 90 times its projected revenue this year.

In another Wednesday post on X, Burry revealed that Keith Gill, the retail trader known as "Roaring Kitty" who helped turn GameStop into a meme stock in January 2021, had emailed Burry way back in August 2019 to thank him for pushing for changes at the ailing video-game retailer. The message shows Gill and Burry both saw potential in GameStop long before it became a retail darling.

• Jennifer Cody Kemp left her home in Florida to become a digital nomad in southern Spain.
• The marketing specialist was motivated by adventure and the lower cost of living in Europe.
• She found it difficult to transition from "running on a hamster wheel" to a slower pace of life.

This story is based on a conversation with marketing specialist Jennifer Cody Kemp, 53, a mother of one, who lives in Alicante, Spain. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My mind was racing wildly as I waited at the Cairo airport for my flight back to the US in October 2024.

I'd spent nearly two weeks on a girls' trip to Egypt: the thought of returning to everyday life and my corporate job in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, filled me with dread.

I wondered if I should make a permanent move abroad

A voice in my head said, "You don't have to stay on the hamster wheel and deserve to be happy." My thoughts went back and forth. My cost of living was getting ridiculous in the US, and the more money I made, the more money I needed.

I'd traveled all over the world and particularly enjoyed visiting Europe, where things were cheaper, more fun, and less demanding. What if I made a permanent move to one of my favorite countries, Spain?

First, I booked an appointment with my financial advisor to review the numbers. He said I'd set myself up well for the change, and there was absolutely no reason for me to put it off.

He understood when I said I didn't want to work another 15 years and miss out on the things I wanted to do right now. My father died at just 67 in 2020. I'd already lost a couple of friends who were my age, too.

Next, I sought advice from the online agency Move Overseas Now to secure a digital nomad visa in Spain.

I decided to live in Alicante on the Costa Blanca

I quit my job, which I'd held for 28 years, in April of this year, put my 2,600-square-foot, four-bedroom house on the market, and flew to Europe the following month. My son, Mark, 24, joined me for a long vacation.

I decided to settle in the city of Alicante, on the Costa Blanca, in southern Spain, because of its great climate and the nearby beaches and mountains.

My first step was to rent a 1,300-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment in the city center. It costs the equivalent of $925 a month, compared to my mortgage in Florida, which was $1,600.

I was glad to no longer pay my annual $7,300 housing tax, nor my $450-a-month health insurance, co-pays, and referral fees. Spain has a universal healthcare system.

A glass of wine costs the equivalent of $3.50

Giving up my car saved me $450 a month in motor vehicle insurance. People walk everywhere in Alicante. And it's a 12-minute bus ride from my home to the beach.

You can enjoy a glass of wine here for the equivalent of $3.50, and groceries are significantly less expensive. For example, I recently bought two dozen eggs for $2.50, compared to the $12 I spent in the US.

My income — generated from my work with individual clients, including a publishing company — goes a lot further. I can eat out when I like, which is a great opportunity to meet new people.

I'm single and use dating apps, but I much prefer to start a conversation with someone in a restaurant or bar instead. It comes more easily in Spain.

You need to be patient in Spain

Still, it hasn't all been plain sailing. The biggest challenge was adjusting to the so-called "tranquilo" lifestyle, which is designed to promote relaxation and calmness.

The culture I experienced in the US was immediate gratification. If I wanted something, I could order it on Amazon. The item could be there the same day, or at least two days later. Here, you've got to learn patience and wait.

Many stores in Florida are open 24 hours a day. The Spanish siesta usually lasts two or three hours. There'll be a sign on the door saying, "We'll be back at 5 p.m."

Most supermarkets are closed on Wednesdays, so it's best to do your shopping by Tuesday night.

It can also be frustrating to find the products that you want. But it pays to have a sense of humor about it. I don't drink regular coffee — I only drink mushroom coffee — and had used up the 90-day supply I'd bought from home.

I visited various stores to see if anyone stocked it. I joked that my day couldn't get started without a mushroom coffee. Nobody knew what I was even talking about.

As the months have passed, I'm learning to take a deep breath and slow myself down, just as the locals do. It's good for your soul, and I've never felt happier.

• We asked millionaires, founders, and CEOs what they want for the holidays.
• Answers included backcountry ski setup and cheese of the month club.
• Time with family was also high on their lists.

What do high-powered CEOs and millionaires have on their holiday wish lists? Like all of us, they want more quality time with family. They're also asking for sports equipment, monthly subscriptions, and tech-empowered better sleep.

Here's what 10 millionaires and CEOs are wishing for this year.

A Lego set (and a diamond bracelet).

Lauren Levy, cofounder of clothing brand Magnetic Me, is hoping for an activity that the whole family can enjoy.

"My family is both huge Lego and art lovers, so this Lego Van Gogh Sunflowers Set is a gift that we can work on together and then enjoy long after," she said.

Levy is also hoping for a higher-end gift for herself: "I am drooling over this 20-carat diamond emerald tennis bracelet from Tamar Eagle Jewels," she says. "It was love at first sight, and I think I was a very good girl this year!"

A backcountry ski setup and new snowboard gear.

Makena Finger Zannini, founder and CEO of The Boutique COO, started getting into skiing at the behest of her husband. This year, she hopes for a set of backcountry skis so she can truly excel in the sport.

"Last year I rented, and the skis were way too big for me, so I fell a bunch," Finger Zannini says. She's wishing for this Salomon ski set, in the Cosmic Sky color scheme.

Finger Zannini isn't the only one hoping to up her winter recreation game. Aaron Nosbisch, CEO of BRĒZ, wants new snowboard gear from 686. Building a company "takes a lot out of you," he says, "and making space for real play has become essential for staying balanced."

Cheese and cookies.

Brett Heyman, founder of Flower by Edie Parker, is hoping for a monthly gift to bring some brightness even after the holidays end.

"Winter is long, and by the end of January I'm less motivated to leave the house for fun," she says. "I'm a big 'of the month club' fan. Be it fruit, wine, or my personal favorite, cheese. I was given Murray's monthly cheese club many years ago by somebody who clearly knew and loved me. If my husband is reading this, I would be thrilled to receive this again."

Shari Raymond, founder of Milton and Goose, wants to open a shipment of Jacques Torres Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies.

"I've both given and received them in the past, and they're always a delight," she says. "When in doubt, a sweet treat is the perfect gift because you can share them with family and friends, or save them all for yourself — who could blame you?"

A fancy toilet.

Richard Lambert, who made his millions writing résumés on Fiverr, wants more time with his wife and daughter.

"Ordinary moments now will turn out to be everything," he says.

As for a gift that can be wrapped? "I've always been curious about those high-tech Japanese toilets," Lambert says.

Wide-toe-box shoes.

Sara Schiller, cofounder of Sloomoo Institute, started long-distance running as a form of self-care. This year, she's completed four marathons.

"This holiday season, I am hoping to get a pair of Altra Escalante sneakers to wear for the London Marathon this spring," she says. "Running aside — these zero-drop, wide-toe box sneakers have changed my day-to-day look. I took the 30-day challenge of wearing them every day and never looked back. Now I just need more colors!"

A game of Monopoly.

Kim Perell, an entrepreneur and mom of two sets of twins, wants to spend the holiday season "doing the simple things that don't cost much but mean the most." That includes a beach walk, a cozy movie night, and "a competitive game of Monopoly," she said.

Better sleep, supported by tech.

Darren Litt, CEO of Hiya, wants to start the new year with better sleep, supported by technology. He's asking for a pod from Eight Sleep, a smart system that optimizes temperature, sleep position, and other metrics.

"It fits perfectly with how I think about health, which is easy daily habits supported by great tech," he said.

Do-nothing days.

Chef and cookbook author Stacey Little hopes to spend a few days at home with his wife and son, with "no appointments, no projects, and no travel."

"It is easy for this whole season to go by in a blur," he says. "A few protected days at home where we can make simple meals, eat leftovers for supper, and linger around the table without rushing anywhere feels like the best gift I could ask for. For me, that unhurried time with my family is worth more than anything wrapped up in a box."