The Daily Valet. - 11/4/19, Monday

✔️ The Original Way to "Treat Yourself"

Monday, November 4th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

It’s getting dark at 5:30 ... seasonal affective disorder for everyone!

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

The Advent of the Advent Calendars

Have you noticed the uptick in specialty Christmas calendars?

I think one of the reasons so many people love the holidays is that the festivities last a whole season—not just a day or long weekend. And this monthlong lead-up has to have something to do with the tradition of the advent calendar. Of course, you don't need one to know that Christmas is coming, but opening a little numbered door to pop out a prize or candy is an idea that everyone—religious or not—can get behind.

The practice fell out of favor in the early aughts but has returned in a big way. Of course, there are the classic chocolate varieties, but in 2019, you can seemingly get any style of advent calendar you want. From Lego’s Winter City calendar and Aldi’s beer or wine calendars, to more luxurious takes like Molton Brown’s grooming calendar and Diptyque’s candle calendar. That last one, I’m hoping to get, because I’ve been very good this year.

Advent means “coming” in Latin (I looked it up) and these calendars commemorate the four Sundays and weeks leading to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Maybe it’s supposed to teach you patience or something, but all I remember about advent calendars was the struggle of being a young boy fighting the natural urge to rip open every day at once to unearth every piece of chocolate that was supposed to last the better part of a month. To have an advent calendar is a study in delayed gratification.

But it does bring up a nice thought: Something like an advent calendar reminds you each day to slow down and be grateful for the little things. And that’s a good thing to keep in mind during a season that is notoriously filled with stress, pressure and over-scheduled social engagements. The other upside? Waking up each morning to a new grooming product gift or closing out every night with a glass of wine—this is an indulgent way to make the most of December. And a lot more fun than that creepy Elf on the Shelf. Let’s ditch that guy ASAP.

↦ FYI: The tradition dates back to the mid-19th century, when German Protestants made chalk marks on doors or lit candles to count the days leading up to Christmas.

Airbnb Is Shutting Down Party Houses

A deadly shooting gets the company to change its lackadaisical policy

After a Halloween shooting at a rented Northern California house left five people dead, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said in a tweet over the weekend that the company is doubling down on "efforts to combat unauthorized parties and get rid of abusive host and guest conduct, including conduct that leads to the terrible events we saw in Orinda.”

The party—which had over 100 attendees in a home meant for only 13—was rented though Airbnb by a tenant who had lied to the homeowner, saying her asthmatic family needed a getaway from wildfire smoke, according to authorities. The city, located just outside of San Francisco, had received a handful of complaints from neighbors and the police were already in route by the time the tragedy occurred.

Airbnb has become notorious for its lackadaisical policies, which has led to issues for countless customers, including fraudulent listings and scams that put travelers in compromising positions. Let's hope this pushes the company to be a little more responsible.

I, myself, am not a fan of Airbnb. But it has nothing to do with official policies or morals. I actually wrote about it earlier this year in what was dubbed "a completely personal, semi-rational and not-at-all ethical ode to the hotel stay."

I love the smell of endorsements in the morning. Look closely, and you might pick up on something cool that's coming very soon.

The Border Wall Is Being Sawed Though

Where there’s a will there’s a way

Smugglers in Mexico have sawed through numerous sections of the wall on the US-Mexico border, creating gaps big enough for people and drugs to pass through, reports the Washington Post.

The gangs apparently used a cordless reciprocating saw, which you can pick up at any hardware store for about $100. Once fitted with specialized blades, the saws can cut through the steel-and-concrete bollards of the barrier in just a couple of minutes, according to border agents. Smuggling crews have also created makeshift ladders to overcome the wall, administration officials confirmed.

Even President Trump, who spent years insisting the new border wall would be impenetrable, conceded that any wall can be cut through but insisted the damage could be "easily fixed," reports Politico.

"We have a very powerful wall. But no matter how powerful, you can cut through anything, in all fairness," Trump told reporters at the White House. "One of the reasons we did it the way we did it, it's very easily fixed. You put the chunk back in.”

A Dietician Weighs in on Hard Seltzer

Put the can down until you read this

We made it through the "summer of spiked seltzer," where thirsty calorie counters raged so hard that it actually led to a nationwide shortage of White Claw. When we first wrote about about them, we said LaCroix's boozy cousins were taking off because they "make for a refreshing and low-guilt reward." But is that really the case?

Dietician Kajsa Ernestam spoke to My Beer Buzz and gave her professional analysis on the calories of the popular drink compared to that of beer, wine and liquor (hint: they actually aren't that much less per serving), as well as some of the pros and cons of the beverage. The biggest con? Because so many people tend to think seltzer is healthier than it really is, they usually over-consume.

↦ The Hard Truth: What you need to know about drinking spiked seltzers.

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

All the beautiful sweaters in “The Lighthouse”

Why we’re always hungry

Timothée Chalamet opens Kid Cudi’s show with a poem

How the Ace Changed the Way We Travel

Lessons in succeeding like an outsider

Even if you've never stayed at an Ace hotel, you're probably familiar with the vibe. It's relaxed, social and intrinsically cool. The kind of hotel lobby where you actually want to hang out and people watch. The brand is celebrating their 20th anniversary, so we figured it was a great time to catch up and learn about how they made their accommodations so desirable.

Of course, to understand all that Ace does right, we have to go back to the pre-Ace era when most hotels were doing things wrong. Without Yelp or TripAdvisor, it must've been tough to find a new hotel worth trying. So most travelers stuck to the old reliable mainstays. Bland corporate hotel chains promised accommodations and safety—a sterile room with no surprises and no social aspect. The landscape was primed for a disruptor. But how do you break the mold with an outsider spirit while still being approachable?

Our own Cody Gault spoke with Ace's chief brand officer in order to distill their formula and learn about the benefits of zigging when everyone else zags.

↦ Read: Two decades in, the Ace is still reinventing the hotel formula.

What We’re Buying

Everlane Grade-A Cashmere Crew Neck Sweater

Everlane produces some of the best affordable cashmere sweaters on the market while being radically transparent about everything. For instance, you can see the high-tech factory in China where they knit their sweaters. And the cashmere? It's from inner Mongolia, where the fibers are the longest and finest. This results in knitwear that is soft, durable and rarely pills. And from now until noon tomorrow, Everlane is offering nine of its most popular cashmere styles for just $100 a piece.

↦ Get It $130 / $100 by Everlane