Decorating

I’m not sure how it is at your house, but here at our house we are decorated and ready for Christmas. The tree is up and every nook and cranny is stuffed with holiday décor. Personally I enjoy feeling Christmas all around me and I can go a little nutty trying to make sure everything looks just so.

This year will be our second Christmas since Mark rebuilt our fireplace mantel. I drove my family nuts on Saturday trying to remember how my mantel looked last year because I remembered I loved it. One of my daughter’s finally said “Mom, instead of worrying about last year, why don’t you just do something nice this year and move on?” Agh, out of the mouths of babes! I was eventually able to stop being fixated, but it took some convincing.

I like getting my house all holiday fancy and I try not to do the same thing to many years in a row. I like variety…it is the spice of life you know? I started pulling out my outside decorations and they just looked so tired and worn that I asked my husband to join me in locating a new fresh look.  I am always worried about the random car driving by judging my holiday décor. I worry about comments like…”What were they thinking?” or, “That light combination does not work at all.” or “Wow, what’s with that?” I realize I have a problem, so don’t feel bad for thinking it. When it comes to Christmas lights I am a complete S N O B and I know it! I have to admit I have trained my children to be the same way. Since they were babies we have driven around on Christmas Eve night looking at lights in other neighborhoods and commenting on what we like and don’t like. I know it is very inappropriate and also very judgie, which I am usually against, but somehow I am fine with picking apart someone else’s holiday décor. I have issues, I know that, but let’s not focus on it okay? It is one night a year and it’s not like I leave a note with suggestions on how to make their display better that would be rude!

I have told my family I am not going to do any baking this year and I was rewarded with pouty faces. The issue is not so much time as it is that I CANNOT control myself and eat more than I need too. I eat the dough, I eat the cookies frozen and I eat them fresh from the oven and then I spend the rest of the holiday feeling like a giant uncontrollable pig! So because of my problem, I make everyone suffer. I suspect you may be learning way to much about me today so to help you see that I have a softer less judging side, you should know odds are good I will cave and bake some cookies, caramel popcorn, and maybe some chocolate pretzels…I always do…it’s the whole no will power thing and mothers guilt thing combined.

Whatever your holiday plans are at your house, I hope that you are happy, decorated just how you like it and if you put lights outside you don’t mind if we drive by and see what we think. I promise we won’t be mean, just a little overly critical.