How I Survived Christmas

My apologies to Christmas, but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s like running a half marathon instead of a full - all the fun, half the stress. Like running a half marathon though, it’s half the gratification. Christmas makes you put in all the work, and sometimes when you prepare as you should and all the elements are with you, you get to the finish line feeling really, really good. This Christmas gave me that all-smiles, I-can-stop-now, boy-this-has-been-a-lot-of-fun feeling.

Past Decembers have had some really dark spots for my family. Some events were depressing beyond words. The bright lights and merriment barely made a dent. This year, I found my way through the fog. Here are some things that helped:
1. Gift Ideas List.
Early in the year and every time I heard someone mention something they would like or need, I added it to my Gifts-to-Be list under their name on my iPhone. Or I added things I just know they like in general. When gift-buying time came, it made it much easier. Yes, it may be the thought the counts, but you’ve got to put some effort into the thought.

2. Baking.
When I still had too much to do or sad memories began to creep in, I baked. And I remembered how much I like doing it. There is something immensely satisfying about creating something from nothing in just an hour or two. Spreading a little confectionery cheer is also very smile inducing. Seven kinds of cookies and two pans of gingerbread put me right in the spirit. I also worked the baking right into stocking stuffers so everyone got a colorful one-of-a-kind gingerbread cookie. My inspiration was Starbucks' cute polar bear cut-out. I went with mittens and Christmas cows. It was so much fun.

3. Putting up the Tree.
This seems like a no-brainer, but some years the weeks were just flying by, it became mid-December and “What’s the point?” won out over other thoughts. This year I had to get it up before my cookie party so the house would be all festive. Being a designer, I pride myself on never missing a deadline; it works for more than just projects.

4. Inviting People Over.
Inviting people over made me put up all my lovely decorations (mostly made by my mom), forced me to keep the house spic-n-span and somehow made this month feel less rushed as I baked with friends, had dinner and watched movies with others and enjoyed a whole weekend with my parents and mother-in-law in which we enjoyed a walk in the park to feed chickadees by hand and a TubaChristmas concert that was a couple of the most enjoyable hours of the month.

If you were ever a Girl Scout like me, you learned the secret to life at an early age: Be Prepared. Or at least give it your best effort.