Christmas is my favorite time of year. It has so much magic, a peaceful glow of love surrounds it. The joy and memories it brings to my family is everlasting. With that being said please don’t think my home looks like it came out of a HGTV Christmas Special! I have never been an overall “Martha Stewart” type of person. In that I mean, I can cook with the best of them but when it comes to crafts, decorating and gift wrapping I fall short. So I play to my strengths, shopping and cooking.

Shopping online at night gives me some sanity. I am not fighting people in the stores, driving around for hours on end. Instead I am in my jammies, with my wine and my laptop. I enjoy this part, I really do. I have a lot of fun at night hunting the internet for the perfect gift. I can think about every person individually and put some thought into their interests, hobbies and needs. I think about the past year and maybe something I noticed they could use or would really enjoy. Shopping online gives me the added joy of those packages arriving too!

My second super power, I mean strength, is cooking. I find cooking very therapeutic, especially chopping. Put some music on, pour some wine (that keeps popping up a lot) and get out your favorite apron. For me cooking is just another way for me to show love. It brings me great joy to cook for my family and friends, and I like to think they know that.

I am not any different from anyone else during the holidays, stressed!  As a mom I guess I feel I have a sole responsibility for everyone’s happiness at Christmas. That pressure can be overwhelming at times. Knowing that there are a few things that I get to do that bring me peace and still slay the holidays is how I self-care. Oh wine helps too!