Joy to YOUR World!

One of the twins - Baby B on her first Christmas December 2009



Christmas will be here in 29 days!  I'm sure you have a list as long as Santa's with things to do, purchase, make and clean!  What are some of the things that you do for YOU during the Holiday Season?  Things that help you take a break from the "Christmas Crazies", things that help you enjoy the holiday a little more?  I like to listen to Holiday Music and drink Peppermint Mochas!

This year I am cutting back and delegating, I'm also saying NO, but nicely!  "I'm sorry, I cannot attend that Holiday Party and I'm sorry, I just can't volunteer in the classroom that day, but I was there at Halloween and will be there for the next one."  With four kids and three classrooms, plus activities we have a lot going on and it all seems to triple during the holiday times.  Letting go is very, very hard. But 30 years for now will it matter that in 2012 I was the mom that dropped off the cupcakes and sent the Santa plates in the backpack?  I don't think so!  (Well, I hope not!)

Some of the dishes that I normally make for Christmas Eve, I am now going to make for Christmas Day.  Hopefully this will help with the "too much food" that my family falls victim to each and every year and will make things a little easier for me in the kitchen.  I am also going to cutback on the amount of Christmas Cookies I make.  I am a decent cook, but not a very good baker.  This year, I am going to embrace my limitations and only make the cookies that my family members will eat. (Some years we had some cookies that they wouldn't even give to their dogs - and it wasn't because they contained chocolate!).  I am very good at making Italian Christmas Cookies.  That is something that the kids and I like to do each year.  So we will make those.  I am also very good at making candy and holiday treats (of the non-baking variety) like peppermint bark and chocolate covered pretzels.  We will stick to those!   My husband is picking up more of the "Santa" duties than normal.  I sent him an email with a list of specifics for each kids, quizzed him about a million times and am going to try to let it go.  So what if we missed out on that free shipping at American Girl Store, so what if one of the gifts the twins are getting for Christmas will completely ruin the idea I had for their birthday (it is in January!), so what if the kids cry on Christmas morning because one kid has more presents than another.  Easier said than done, that's what!

I've been spending a little more time than normal at Starbucks.  But that 10 minutes with a Tall Skinny No/Whip Peppermint Mocha is worth every penny!

Thanks for stopping by!  Please share some of your tips for conquring your holiday to do lists!