Free Spirit

So here we are 12 days before Christmas, not a creature was stirring not even a Free Spirit was in the house :) 

Okay maybe one Free Spirit was in the house but that's about it.  It's hard to believe it's that time of year again, the holidays upon us, the New Year around the the corner...my birthday (today)...whoohoo...I mean ohhhh noooo...a ripe old  young age of 42!!  I get stressed out thinking about making everything perfect for the holidays and juggling it all to make it happen.  It doesn't normally happen perfectly. I mean one day I'll become all Marth Stewart like and have place cards at the table for all of my guests instead of a buffet line of pot luck dishes.  I'll decorate to the nines instead of running out at the last minute hoping I can still find a package of holiday napkins that match.   I'll put up the advent calender I've been meaning to make for years and sing Christmas carols over a cup of HOME MADE hot chocolate with my boys. (oops, I think we've gone way past that stage already while I was getting my act together).   My bad.  I'll get the tree up AND put all the boxes and tubs away that held the holiday goods away in a reasonable amount of time (this year the tree got put up early...yay me....but the tubs are still waiting to go back in the shed...booo me!).   When you walk in to my house you'll smell fresh baked cookies and a waivering mist of holiday scented candles in the air, well maybe the day before the day before Christmas you'll smell that  but I want you to smell it every day because that's what a good house wife mother head of household does.   On the day of Chrismas, we'll all get up early and have a brunch that makes the chefs  Carolina Hotel jealous  and open gifts while sipping on coffee, laughing and smiling and enjoying the day...oh wait, I think we could possibly do that one.  

Sigh...we put a lot of pressure on ourselves around the holidays that may or may not be realistic expectations based on our own situations. I know I  sometimes get down on myself for not doing it all.  I need to remember (and so do you) it's not about doing it all or doing what so and so is doing...it's  about family, friends, enjoying time together whether or not everything is perfect and Martha like.   Everything else is bonus points :)

Enjoy your holidays in whatever way you celebrate.

Spend today reflecting on the New Year to come. Get out your journals and put down your dreams. Your goals. What are you striving for? What are you going to start doing this year? What are you going to STOP doing this year?  What is it that you will continue to do?   Having it down on paper makes reality possible in so many ways.  When you have direction and vision, it makes the stressful times (like now) a little less stressful and more acheivable.  Don't know why, it just does.  

What ever you do and whatever direction you go in...don't forget to just plain old....

With or without the place cards on the table...you are loved :)