The December Dish

The Christmas season is officially here, and November is merely a memory. If you feel like you're running behind on just about everything, take comfort in the fact that you're definitely not alone. I've got my wrapping in great shape, and I've somehow been keeping up with the mounds and mounds of laundry, but that's when my success stops.

We all have our individual red flags that signal things are going a little off the rails. A sure sign for me is when I forget to take some of my supplements, even though they are carefully organized by day. I haven't cleaned my makeup brushes in over two weeks—yikes! Yours truly got to Trader Joe's on Monday to buy our annual Advent calendars a few days after they had sold out of them. I have still been in the middle of drying my hair the past few days when my girls have arrived home from school. I forgot to put a school snack in their bookbags last night. And Gwen just asked this morning, "I wonder when our elf will arrive?"

Our Christmas cards are not yet ordered. I am trying to get the whole fam on board with one of two design options I spent way too long creating yesterday. (Note to self: Take more pictures of the four of us together throughout the year.) I've been dealing with medical billing errors, which is always way more time consuming, confusing and frustrating than I think it will be. Our hamster cage needs to be cleaned stat, and the girls' sports schedules keep adding things last minute.

At moments, such things can zap away just about anybody's holiday merriment, especially those of us who are Type A, but I have come to realize or be reminded of three things that always help me see the light, and maybe they can help you:

1. Things change, and that's OK. Look, I LOVE traditions. And I'm super nostalgic, as are my girls, but if all the cookies don't get made or the light displays aren't as big as in the past, Christmas still comes, and it's still absolutely incredible. The time spent together celebrating the real reason for the season is everything.
2. All those little moments count big time ...  I like to think our girls have core memories of breaking open the big Costco bag of Skinny Pop or Buddha Bowl popcorn and watching all the cheesy holiday movies on Netflix we can swing. I hope they remember singing along during the lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas tree (and wiping away my tears when Andrea Bocelli sings). I also hope they vividly recall driving home VERY slowly from Home Depot with our tree practically falling off of our car.
3. Life is short. We're never promised tomorrow. All the little stresses are signs of life being lived, air being breathed. And that is a big, big blessing.

ALSO HELPFUL:

Like the experts suggest, I believe making time for exercise is incredibly important, even if the workouts are shorter or less intense than usual. To my fellow Elder Millenials, or Xenniels, a little '90s hip hop ride with Tupac and Puffy can put a stop to stress stat.

I love a good book, but I live for shows like "White Lotus," "Emily in Paris," and "Dead to Me." I say watch whatever makes you feel good.

Write even simple things on your to-do list. You'll be amazed at how much you really accomplish in a day. Also, realize that a lot of times our to-do's involve other people, and we can't always make others stick to our deadlines. Feel good about what you have done to make things happen, even if you can't check the item off the list just yet.

Focus on the giving, which can be done even when money is tight.

And, if, like me, you get down when the holiday is over, look forward to the exciting things to come. A new year often brings innovation. One exciting thing coming soon: Function Health. I really like the sound of functional medicine that's more affordable.

Plus, when new things come, older things go on SALE!

May you all find time to really embrace the best of the season. Happy, Happy Holidays! I'm off to wash my makeup brushes!

-Natalie