Merry SO-HO-HO-HO-Ber! Sober Curators – they’re just like you! They love holiday songs and holiday movies, celebrating unique traditions, and practicing gratitude. As we close out another year sober, we want to extend our love and appreciation to our readers, fans, sober supporters, and internet stalkers. Thank you for continuing to support our sober efforts. We appreciate it when you read, watch, listen, and share the sober content we create and curate. Cheers to another year around the sun that was less-pandemic-ie! Watch out, 2023; we’re comin’ for you!
Sober Curator Fun Fact: There is a combined 100+ years of recovery in this group of Sober Curators that participated in this post. All collaborations in our community are optional; this does not reflect the total accumulated years of recovery with all of our sober curators. Why do we point this out? Because recovery IS possible, and sobriety is NOT boring!
Alysse Bryson, Sober Curator – Seattle, WA
Favorite Holiday Song: “It’s Christmas Time” by Macklemore
Favorite Holiday Movie: “Home Alone”
Favorite Holiday Tradition: Playing games with my family.
I’m grateful for: All of the Sober Curators that create and curate and recovery content to our sober archives. For our readers that support and recognize our efforts. And for our friends and families, that love us no matter what.
Sober Date: 05.01.2006 FIND ME ON IG: @alysseinthecity
News to share: I’m working on a new project called Intentional Sidekick. Looking for more intention in your life for 2023? Ask me about it!
Amy Liz Harrison, Sober Curator – Bellevue, WA
Favorite Holiday Song: My LEAST favorite Christmas Song is “Marshmallow World” by Dean Martin. It’s slow and blah and borderline depressing. Hard pass. But the song I love? “Last Christmas” by WHAM (Because I’m obsessed with ALL things 80s ALL the time!)
Favorite Holiday Movie: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”
Favorite Holiday Tradition: Being with the entire family squad on Christmas morning…then blissfully spending the whole day in pajamas and hoodies playing board games and doing jigsaw puzzles while snacking on leftover Christmas cookies.
I’m grateful for: Another year of spending the holidays Happy, Joyous and Free because of recovery.
Sober Date: 04.23.2011 FIND ME ON IG: @amylizharrison
News to share: Keep an eye out for my new line of children’s books coming soon to a bookshelf near you!
Analisa Six, Sober Curator – Yucca Valley, CA
Favorite Holiday Song: “Merry Christmas I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight” by The Ramones
Favorite Holiday Movie: “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
Favorite Holiday Tradition: Stockings, Cinnamon Rolls, and Christmas Enchiladas
I’m grateful for: My marriage
Sober Date: 12.29.2015 FIND ME ON IG: @ladyofleosure
News to share: Have a holly jolly holiday!
Ashley Sunderland, Sober Curator – Minneapolis, MN
Favorite Holiday Song: “Please Come Home for Christmas” by the Eagles
Favorite Holiday Movie: “Prancer”
Favorite Holiday Tradition: Decorating the Christmas tree with my mother’s excessive collection of gaudy Christopher Radko ornaments.
I’m grateful for: The opportunity to be a part of The Sober Curator, which has been instrumental in the creation of my new & purposeful life in recovery. Experiencing the promises of Alcoholics Anonymous materialize in my life and in the lives of others.
Sober Date: 01.28.2019 FIND ME ON IG: @recoverygirlmn
News to share: I applied to start Graduate School in 2023 to pursue a Master of Arts in Art Therapy & Clinical Mental Health Counseling!
Justin Lamb, Sober Curator – Detroit, MI
Favorite Holiday Song: “Please Come Home for Christmas” by the Eagles
Favorite Holiday Movie: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”
Favorite Holiday Tradition: Cookie making day with my wife.
I’m grateful for: Starting grad school and being caught off guard by all the praise from my professors.
Sober Date: 06.24.2019 FIND ME ON IG: @justinlambmusic, @beersand90s, and @friendrequestpod
News to share: I got a 4.0 my first semester of grad school and I’m one step closer to helping people as a licensed therapist!
Lane Kennedy, Sober Curator – San Francisco, CA
Favorite Holiday Song: “Santa Baby”
Favorite Holiday Movie: “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”
Favorite Holiday Tradition: Winning the best stocking stuffers competition.
I’m grateful for: Having a solid year of recovery, and being in the trenches with others, supporting their journey to a better life. Also super grateful for my family and our collective growth. So much to be grateful for, all the amazing people who have shown up and loved me without an agenda.
Sober Date: 12.31.1996 FIND ME ON IG: @lane_kennedy_
News to share: Make sure to stay up to date with all of the latest over at the Now What Society!
Lisa Colgin, Sober Curator – Dallas, TX
Favorite Holiday Song: “Drummer Boy” by Justin Bieber & “Joy to the World”
Favorite Holiday Movie: “The Nativity Story”
Favorite Holiday Tradition: Christmas Eve Dinner with my crazy, Italian Catholic Family followed by Midnight Mass.
I’m grateful for: Friends, Family, Faith, Travel and Sobriety.
Sober Date: 05.26.2014 FIND ME ON IG: @soberinbigd
News to share: I am grateful to have experience some amazing travel this year including Joshua Tree, the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Oktoberfest in Munich, Budapest, Prague, Bratislava, my 33rd and 34th state New Hampshire and Vermont, Roots N Blues Fest in Columbia Mo, and the Audacy Fest in Ft Lauderdale. I look forward to many new adventures in 2023!
Megan Swan, Sober Curator – Chiapas, Mexico
Favorite Holiday Song: “Silent Night”, although Sia’s and Boney M’s Christmas albums are also essential listening.
Favorite Holiday Movie: “Love Actually”
Favorite Holiday Tradition: Making a fresh wreath with the kids.
I’m grateful for: My health and mental clarity.
Sober Date: 03.18.2018 FIND ME ON IG: @meganswanwellness
News to share: Everything gets better when you start taking better care of yourself.
Megan Wright, Sober Curator – Washington State
Favorite Holiday Song: “Dominick the Donkey”
Favorite Holiday Movie: “White Christmas”
Favorite Holiday Tradition: Christmas Eve at our family’s friends’ house – a tradition since the day I was born.
I’m grateful for: My loving family, which now includes a husband! My incredible professional role and the team with whom I am honored to work.
Sober Date: 04.29.2009 FIND ME ON IG: @megan_wwltdsft
News to share: I can say with gratitude that I have spent 2022 doing things for the first time – and I look forward to many more “first times” in 2023!
Sarah Alaimo, Sober Curator – Bellevue, WA
Favorite Holiday Song: I know I’ll catch some flack for this – but I always get excited to belt out Mariah Carey’s ‘All I want for Christmas Is You’ alone in my car.
Favorite Holiday Movie: The Holiday! My sister and I have had a tradition for years to watch this together to kick off the holiday season!
Favorite Holiday Tradition: I’ll say this is the most unique. This comes from my father’s side of the family. We wrap our stocking stuffers in foil. I honestly am not sure why. I used to make fun shapes to throw off the gift receiver as they opened up their gift.
I’m grateful for: My boys! John (hubs), Jack (babe), Baron (pup) I’m out numbered!
Sober Date: 08.23.2015 FIND ME ON IG: @sarahdianealaimo
News to share: I ♥️ed joining this motley crew of curators this past year! We are NOT a glum lot!!
Tamar Medford, Sober Curator – Vancouver, BC
Favorite Holiday Song: “All I Want for Christmas Is You”
Favorite Holiday Movie: “The Holiday”
Favorite Holiday Tradition: Exchanging chocolate letters (Dutch Tradition) with family.
I’m grateful for: I am super grateful for my sobriety and the family and friends that walked beside me as I came to terms with my sexuality. I am also grateful for my girlfriend and her three girls for welcoming me into their family with open arms.
Sober Date: 06.17.2012 FIND ME ON IG: @tamar_medford
News to share: Make sure to stay up to date with all of the latest over at the Now What Society!
SPEAK OUT! SPEAK LOUD! at The Sober Curator is a celebration of authentic voices in recovery—echoing Madonna’s call to “Express yourself!” Here, readers and contributors take the spotlight, sharing transformative sobriety journeys, creative talents, and new avenues of self-expression discovered along the way. Through videos, poems, art, essays, opinion pieces, and music, we break the silence that often surrounds addiction, replacing it with connection, hope, and inspiration.
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Disclaimer: All opinions expressed in the Speak Out! Speak Loud! Section are solely the opinions of the contributing author of each individual published article and do not reflect the views of The Sober Curator, their respective affiliates, or the companies with which The Sober Curator is affiliated.
The Speak Out! Speak Loud! posts are based upon information the contributing author considers reliable. Still, neither The Sober Curator nor its affiliates, nor the companies with which such participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such.
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