Last Call: It's A Wonderful Life, Kosher Wine, And Julia Child Sucks At Making A Yule Log

All right, apparently I was jumping the gun yesterday by letting my too-young kids watch The Magicians. Good to know! Last night my daughter and I went to see a movie at the Music Box, Chicago's awesome vintage theater, that no one should have a problem with, no matter what age: It's A Wonderful Life. She's taking an interest in black-and-white movies, and I'm trying to encourage that as much as possible. I told her that I used to stay up every Christmas Eve and watch this movie on the public TV station when I was about her age, and I am so gratified to know that she loves it as well. But it had been a few years since I had seen it, so this rewatch really affected me, watching George Bailey struggle to understand how much his life has meant to those around him. It was especially heartbreaking to view on a day that a Congress full of Mr. Potters passed a bill that will do the opposite of taking care of the less-fortunate instead of rich people. So It's A Wonderful Life was an excellent reminder of just how important that is (not that you necessarily need one, but still): If you haven't seen it in awhile, I highly recommend a rewatch this holiday season. [Gwen Ihnat]

I naively agreed to bring the kosher wine to a Hanukkah party I'm attending this year, not realizing that finding a non-manischewitz kosher wine in Missoula, Montana is a tall order. After several wine shop visits, I finally landed on a 2016 Recanati cab sauv, which is certified kosher and comes from Israel. I paid $20 for it, so here's hoping it's tasty. Anyone have a favorite kosher vino I could request the shop stock next year? [Kate Bernot]

The inimitable Julia Child shows that she, too, can suck at decorating a Christmas yule log—just like everybody else. [Kevin Pang]

What are you watching, reading, sharing today? What are you making for dinner tonight? Let's hear it!