There were years where I was so stressed about Christmas in my twenties that I couldn’t enjoy the season. All I felt was that pressure to buy the right presents, do all the Christmas stuff for the kids, and hope I could pull it off. Buying photo Christmas cards of the kids were worrisome from getting a great picture to how much the cards cost and then the stamps on top of it.  Add cookie ingredients and buying containers for them. I could never think of cheap and clever gifts. Pinterest wasn’t around back then. I had to space out my buying of all that with other people’s presents. Then scramble as we ran to the toy store in hopes they had what was on the kids’ lists. I was a secret Scrooge.

We looked all fancy for Christmas Eve Mass and always managed to pull it off and even though my gray hairs multiplied, my kids always had a great Christmas. I also would get annoyed if they added to their list at the last minute or how the day after Christmas, they were always crabby. I think everyone experiences that letdown, but last year welcomed our fifth child that day so it became a magical day.

I had already changed the whole tone of Christmas as I changed my mindset in life. I stopped focusing on the problem. I stopped worrying if my husband and I could get each other gifts and the fact that some people celebrated in a more posh or epic way. I made it fun. I made it all about the Spirit of Christmas. Regardless of your religion, it’s about family, goodwill towards others, and our blessings. It is a holy time and it feels like it.

This year I’m also lining up interviews as I get ready to release my first non-fiction book, Sexpot With Stretch Marks, on January 8th, four days after we celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary and my Mom turns 70 on December 30th.   I’m so blessed.  2015 feels like it will be amazing.  Once I could afford the stuff, I had already realized it wasn’t about the stuff.

We are going to start our cookie baking this weekend and I vow like every year not to go overboard.   We’ll make our gingerbread houses. We will watch ELF and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation like we do every year.  We’ll marvel at the lights and try to find the over-the-top decorations.  We stretch it out.  We are so glad to have Elf on the Shelf here most days as we get to experience the fun through the kids’ eyes.  They light up as they find Ernie our elf.  We also got ugly Christmas sweaters for the kids and my hubby, with me wearing a gaudy sparkly Christmas dress.  It is really about enjoying every holiday to the fullest with what you have.  Maybe one year when the kids are older, we’ll do a tropical vacay for the holidays.  Who knows?  I’m so happy we took them to the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show.  Even if it’s a free play you can go to, doing those things teach kids to find happiness in the Spirit of Christmas.  I love nowadays I can get caught up in it and I can shop online at the same time.  I’m like the Holiday happy girl now.  I even made Christmas raps the last two years.  Wonder if I should make one this year?  Stay tuned…

Blessings to all this holiday season whatever you celebrate.