Holiday Prep after Procrastination

With less than a week until Christmas, I’m feeling the pressure of preparing for the holiday.  Some years, I’m very good about preparing and I actually begin shopping late in the summer and through much of fall.  I just pay more attention to cool or unique gift ideas and if I see something a family member might like, I buy it and set it aside as a gift.  But then there are years like this year…when the whole idea of buying gifts is just not my first thought, or second or anywhere near a high priority.

So I’ll admit I’m just a tad behind.

Okay, I won’t lie…I’m very much behind.

We finally got our tree up last weekend, about a week later than usual.  But at least we do have a tree.  I enjoy the tradition we have as a family when we go to the local tree farm so that we can pick the perfect tree.  Of course, we all tend to pick different trees but eventually we all find one we can agree on.  We do this every year, rain, snow, sleet or shine. 

Since I’m behind on shopping, I’m going to have to scramble to finish by this weekend and I’ll probably want to tear my hair out as I fight traffic on the roads and too many bodies in the stores.  It’s my own fault…I procrastinated and because I’ve done this before, I know what to expect.

I know what I’m up against so I’m glad I made the decision to take today and the next few days off from work.  I just need time to breathe; to catch up.  I need to get away from the routine of work so I can commit to days not scheduled around a clock.  And, as it turns out, I needed the time to rest.  I caught a nasty cold and it is kicking my butt.

Because I’m not feeling well, shopping will have to wait as I take today to rest.  I enjoy being home and I especially love having all day to write.  It’s also a good day to stay in as I watch the winds whip through the trees near our house.  It is an amazingly blustery day! 

During my long weekend, I expect to finish Christmas shopping, as well as get a lot of writing done and in order to stay true to tradition, I will be baking.  This is one part of the holiday I enjoy…making Christmas cookies with my boys.  They tire of it sooner than I do but until that point, it is a fun tradition I will always enjoy. 

There tends to be a lot of stress when it comes to this time of year as everyone searches for just the right gift.  The rest of the year is stressful enough so I like to focus on what really brings me joy.  It’s not all about the perfect gift or who gets what from whom…it’s about the time spent with family as we make memories together.  It is the season of giving but should not be in the spirit of what will I receive in return.  It’s about tradition or even making new traditions but should not add to the level of stress we are already under from the day-to-day grind. 

Pushing the stress aside allows for an enjoyable holiday and that’s the best gift I can give to myself and to those around me.  I hope you are also able to enjoy this last week before Christmas with less stress and more enjoyable memories.