Less Is More

Less is more.

I'm not doing it this year. I spent hours searching etsy for the perfect Christmas decorations. That's hours of my life gone. Precious moments that could have been memories, and instead, I sat on my butt drooling over other women's craftiness. If I had my way, my son would have a tree in his room, my daughter would have a pink one in hers, and we'd have a few more scattered around the house. I'm quite OK with a home that looks like it threw up Christmas... in a Williamsburgy kind of way... But all of that costs money, and so this year, those things will have to wait. I've decided that that's not what Christmas is all about, and after wasting gobs of money on fresh greens that I hung way too early that are now driving me crazy by shedding over my entire house- Seriously- how do those pine needles make it to my master bath?... I've come to the conclusion that my family isn't going to have a better holiday if there are ten trees compared to one. And sometimes... Less is more.

Don't think for a second that I don't LOVE my house, because I do. But now that I'm in a house that I want to call home, I know that it's just that... a house. A house is a house and at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is how you make it a home. And don't think that a day doesn't go by that it doesn't cross my mind to pack up and head thirty minutes to Winchester or over the mountain- or down to the Carolina's. It does. I mean with the difference in mortgage we could go back to the days of a huge monthly vacay and not have to wear layers to keep the dreaded propane man from filling our money-eating tank. Heck, I wouldn't even have a house to clean because I could afford cleaners. Yes, sometimes, Less is more.

I'm not going to pig out this month. I know that my mouth will be watering over every sugar cookie, piece of fudge, and Danish wedding cookie that I lay my eyes on, but I also know that it will make me feel bad and regret the whole day if I indulge like in year's past. Bring on the celery stick (and maybe fill in with cream cheese... Shhhh)... because sometimes, Less is more.

This year, I'm not going to stress and I'm going to try my best to remember the reason for the season. My children clearly don't need to sit on five different Santa's (or Ho Ho's as we call him) laps, and if I don't participate in every gift exchange we're invited to, we'll be OK. I'm not going to worry about family pictures or having the perfect coordinating Christmas pajamas for the kids to wear as they open up their morning presents. And if she's lucky, I might not even stick a bow in my daughter’s hair the moment she rolls out of bed so it looks perfect. I was so excited to get our "Elf on the Shelf" (which my children lovingly named "Nickey Toothy"- don't be jealous, I mean doesn't everyone need a Nickey Toothy?), but I'm not having him deliver presents and goodies each morning as I had planned. And the kids don't miss it at all... because the little magical, devilish elf makes their morning all by himself... proving that Less is more.

I know that less is more. Especially today. I have a little spring in my step and a grin as I write this:

Previous weight: 170.4
Today: 168.3

OK, OK, I know it's not much, and it's probably only one loaded baked potato away from what I was... but I'll take it. The scale finally budged. And guess what bitches, I did the happy dance... because Less is more. :)