artistmotherteacher.com » I promise not to choke Santa this year http://artistmotherteacher.com Sometimes I have no idea what I'm doing Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:04:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 If I show up to the big family party in my pajamas I may have taken the policy a bit too seriously http://artistmotherteacher.com/index.php/2009/11/if-i-show-up-to-the-big-family-party-in-my-pajamas-i-may-have-taken-the-policy-a-bit-too-seriously/ http://artistmotherteacher.com/index.php/2009/11/if-i-show-up-to-the-big-family-party-in-my-pajamas-i-may-have-taken-the-policy-a-bit-too-seriously/#comments Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:59:24 +0000 Holly {Artist Mother Teacher} http://artistmotherteacher.com/?p=1861 I decided on Wednesday afternoon that I am not going to let the holidays stress me out this year. Starting with the Thanksgiving dinner I was hosting the next day. If my grandmother showed up too early that would be okay. If my in-laws showed up late, well that would be okay too. We would eat when everything was ready regardless of how on schedule that was to my original plan. I would just let the day unfold naturally. I planned on being totally zen about the situation. As opposed to the quasi-bitchy-and-can’t-relax state I’m usually in when I host a family gathering.

And guess what? Thanksgiving was awesome. My father-in-law even sent me a text later that night to tell me that they had a great time and to complement me on my table decorations. So I’m continuing with that policy for the rest of the year.

Christmas shopping this year isn’t going to piss me off and make me stabby. Instead, I’m doing as much as I can online and won’t freak out if they are out of stock. No, really. I’ve already encountered just that very thing. Of course, that may be easy for me this year since G-tot doesn’t just have to have some hot off the production line toy and nobody has any specific desires for gifts. In fact, I started shopping on Friday leisurely looking at the online Black Friday deals and ordering a handful of gifts as well as a couple of things for me. The stuff for me was just a Twilight special edition DVD for a ridiculously low $8.99 and some undies so I’m not breaking the “don’t buy anything for yourself until after Christmas” rule that was set by my mom years ago. Good rule, just really hard to do sometimes. But anyway, the shopping. Easy-peasey. Not at all stressful. Free shipping. And I practically spent less at each place on all the items combined then I would have if I had to pay full price for just one of those items. Which much more simply stated = good deals.

Why did I not do this before?

This afternoon we started putting up the Christmas tree but even that is happening at a low-key sort of pace. The tree is up and the lights are on but that is it so far. G-tot can’t keep his hands off the lights so that should make for an interesting month. Tomorrow we will probably put on the ornaments and get out the rest of the decorations. And if tomorrow turns into Tuesday or Friday, that’s okay.

Because this year I’m not going to stress out. Instead I’m going to really embrace the holiday spirit and what it might look like through the eyes of a toddler. I’m going to bask in the beauty of fresh fallen snow. I’m going to suck up the elixir of G-tot’s reaction when he sees presents under the tree Christmas morning. I’m going to enjoy all the wonderful little moments that only happen this time of year instead of being bogged down with hostility towards the consumeristic side that inevitably comes with the season.

How about you?

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