Holidays

Just about every birthday from age 5-30 was included, with mostly every other year of their twenties. The idea was that my daughters would read the letters on that particular birthday. So, on their 10th birthday, they would read the letter for that year (one letter from one person for each of my daughters per birthday).

Anyone else burned out over the usual suggestions for New Year’s mom resolutions?  Every year it seems we all aim for the same things… finally lose that baby weight, purge/simplify, be more “present,” stop judging others, and the list goes on! 

Unfortunately, we all live in the real world (and not in a Hallmark Channel movie) where sometimes kids get sick, roads get slick, and moms get stressed. Big time. The best way I’ve found to keep pre-Christmas anxiety in check is to avoid these four ways we moms tend to ruin the holidays:

My goal is always to see the holiday season as a magical time – to see the holidays through a child’s eyes. And perhaps one of the greatest and most magical parts of the holiday season is that of the Christmas tree.

The annual Red Kettle Campaign goes a long way toward making sure families in need can still have a merry Christmas, says Robert J. Mueller, the Salvation Army’s greater Green Bay area coordinator. “As less fortunate families struggle to keep food on the table and roofs over their heads, we believe coming alongside these families during this time of year will matter.”

What if your child couldn’t eat candy? That would take away a HUGE chunk of Halloween. This was the problem Becky Basalone, a mom in Tennessee, faced in 2012. At a local Trunk-or-Treat event sponsored by her local food allergy group FACET, she offered non-food treats out of her car’s trunk.

It’s Grandparents' Day, the time of year when we are thankful for the extra people in our lives or our kids’ lives.   My parents are absolutely amazing grandparents, and I don’t know what we’d do without them.