It's All Over

I've gotta say, I'm always a little disappointed when Christmas is over. The stores go back to normal and the stress is over until I get my credit card bill. But "the holidays" and all the negativity that comes with them never really bothered me. I love shopping for other people and decorating and wrapping and baking.

The week after Christmas is really say for me. My house always looks so bare after the tree comes down. Work is a happier place when there are snowflakes hanging from the ceiling.

The thing that I hate most about the after-Christmas season is that people get mean again. For a short time during the holidays people remember what it means to love others. People are generous and kind. Someone in line a head of you pays for your coffee. You actually give your change to the guy standing outside Target. We adopt needy families, soldiers, and dogs from shelters. We shovel our neighbor's snow and tell everyone we encounter to have a Merry Christmas.

As soon as it's over it's as if we forget that we're all still the same people we were last week. We go back to our routines and get caught up in ourselves. The man outside Target is still hungry and the family you adopted still needs help.

So here's my challenge to you. Keep it going. Let the person with less items at the register go ahead of you. Smile and mean it when you say "have a nice day" to EVERYONE. Send a random gift to someone who could use a pick-me-up. Get a Starbucks card for Christmas? Buy that person behind you their coffee. Do it all year. Christmas is over but kindness doesn't have to be.

Triple Grande Carmel Brulee Latte, Please

I actually went to the mall on the Saturday before Christmas. I actually don't mind the crowds and lines as long as everybody is reasonably patient and normal. I'm a busy procrastinator too and I completely understand that there are a million people doing their last minute shopping. That's why I'm there too. Maybe you just need two more things or some stocking stuffers. Maybe you just started and you're doing a mad dash for everything in 48 hours. Whatever the case may be, if you're going to be a lazy procrastinator you have to at least be understanding.

Understand that parking will be difficult. Do not cut people off and steal their spot, they've been circling just as long as you have.

Understand that the lines will be long. You have to wait your turn.

Understand that this late in the game the store may be out of the size you need, it's not the sales associate's fault. She is making $8/hr and still smiling at you. Give her a break.

Understand that the stores will be a mess and you may not be able to find exactly what you're looking for. Do the best you can or move on. Do not stand there and complain about it. It will not make the item you want magically appear.

There is no point in being rude and obnoxious. Everyone is in a hurry, everyone has 8 other store to go to, everyone is just as stressed out as you are. take a deep breath and get over it.

If you just relax a little the Saturday before Christmas really isn't that bad. Just don't try to go to Starbucks. Those people are out of control.

It's More Than Garbage

It's Christmas time and that means a lot of things. It means things that matter, like the birth of Christ, and even more that don't matter like ridiculous traffic. Something that shouldn't matter, and for the majority of normal people doesn't, is wrapping presents.

We go searching for the perfect gift for everyone on our list and then buy garbage to put it in. I'm not kidding. When you purchase a roll of wrapping paper you are literally paying for garbage. The receiver will rip it off, crumble it up, and throw it away. This frustrates Brian and he would just as well put gifts in a brown lunch bag.

For me, though, I love wrapping presents. People hate it and see it as an overwhelming task that haunts them until it's completed. To them I say don't buy so many presents. Or take the slacker's way out and get gift bags. Please at least use coordinating tissue paper. Me? I think of it like dressing up the gift for a special occasion.

Gifts are great but it's all about presentation. The person you're giving it to knows you didn't just run into Target 10 minutes before the party and grab the first thing you saw under $20, even if you did. It shows them you put time and thought into doing something just for them. If you do it right they will say "it's so pretty I don't want to open it!" Mission accomplished. At this point they honestly value the THOUGHT and NOT what's inside. Now your Target Dollar Spot grab bag of novelty post-it notes and travel sized hand lotion is the best gift at the party.

If my mother taught me anything it's how to wrap a present.

Oh, Cookie Day!

It happens once a year in houses all over the country. Sisters, grandmothers, aunts and friends gather together at the crack of dawn with age old recipes and a pot of coffee brewing. Armed with butter and parchment paper we retreat to the kitchen. No one will escape without a thorough coating of flour on their pants and in their hair.

It's cookie day!!

This year my best friend came down from Los Angeles to have cookie day at my house. We used some of her favorite family recipes and some I gathered together, 7 total kinds of treats. She brought her pup, Charlie, and we put on the Christmas music and got to work.

We only really took one break for lunch. Brian ordered pizza for dinner and we took bites in between rolling dough and taking sheets out of the oven. Ten hours later we had 34 dozen cookies and 2 trays of bark, and we only sacrificed three broken cookies. She says we're rock stars. She's right.

Some of the fruits of our labor. Photo courtesy of Allison Walentowicz

Best Tree Ever

My Christmas tree, as well as the rest of the decorations, has always been themed. I work hard to make my tree look like it belongs in a Macy's New York store front window. I actually have two sets of decorations that I alternate between each year. I also have a box labeled "Christmas, Miscellaneous." This contains all the ornaments that have been given to me over the years, the ones from my childhood, ones that my girlfriends have made me for our annual ornament exchanges, the ones we've gotten on vacation, etc. They are in this box because they don't match my aforementioned themes. They have also never been on my tree.

This year I decided to forget the theme. I wanted Caleb to be a part of this tradition, maybe start some new ones. I got out ALL the Christmas boxes and picked through each one for my favorites. I opened the miscellaneous box first. Between Caleb's excitement and reminiscing over each special ornament it was the most fun I have ever had decorating for Christmas.

Nothing matches. There is no order or organized pattern. The people at Macy's would laugh at me. But my tree and my home are full of precious memories and it's beautiful.

Game On, Santa!

Christmas is in full swing at our house. I got the tree up and the house all decorated and stockings hung on the fireplace. It's wonderful and makes me so happy. Brian, on the other hand, couldn't care less but lovingly puts up with me and all my holiday madness.

I had to move an arm chair to make room for the tree so there was a big void in the front room while I cleaned. Caleb went down for a nap and when he woke up the space was filled with a 7 1/2 foot tree glowing with lights. He stood in awe in front of it and under his tiny little toddler breath whispered a drawn out "wow!" He was beyond excited to help me decorate it. I gave him ornaments I knew he couldn't break and let him put them where ever he wanted. He's a good little helper.

We listened to a Christmas station on Pandora and sang and danced and smelled the cinnamon candle I was burning. Now to finish the shopping and get everything wrapped!!