This Is Our Holiday Card This Year

Hey there and Merry Christmas!

Anyone wondering why they didn’t get a Christmas card from us this year? I mean, that is sort of my thing, right? Well, don’t worry, you’re not alone; no one did. In fact, this is the first time in 20 years that I didn’t send out cards – at all!

Instead, you’re getting this lovely photo from us!

I know, I know, but let me tell you why…

We tried something new this year; we only did holiday things that brought us joy. The holidays are normally jam packed with “things” I insist on getting done every year. Seriously, I have a HUGE list, but it’s been forever since I’ve felt true holiday joy.

It was time for a change.

Jay stresses out about putting the lights on the house every year because he only has one day off a week and it literally takes him ALL day to do. So, I told him not to. I said, find something else that makes you happy and do that instead.

Same went for the gifts. We went simple; a few thoughtful gifts per person and no extra fluff. I had all my shopping and wrapping done in just a few hours, which brought me tons of joy!

I bet you can see where this is going. Yep, our holiday card photo was always a stressful thing for us, Mad in particular, and often ended in tears. So, this year, I decided that while I still wanted a photo of some sort, it didn’t have to be a big production and I didn’t have to spend hours designing a card (my OCD takes over and it gets out of hand, haha). I took the girls to the back of our neighborhood and snapped a few pictures and that was it. There were no tears involved!

I will have you know, though, I did continue to do all of the holiday baking that I always do because, you guessed it…that brings me TONS OF JOY! I spent hours and hours baking over 30 dozen cookies!

So, while it was strange and very different not to do a lot of the things that we’ve always done over the holiday season, it was also incredible. The days didn’t fly by quite as quickly, our focus was more on the season instead of a checklist of things to get done, and best of all, we had more time for things we actually wanted to do. #winning

Would I do it again, you ask? Absolutely…and I encourage you to try it too.

So, dear family and friends, we may not have made it to your mailbox this year, but we still found a way to  send you lots of love and warm wishes this holiday season!

May your home be filled with joy, your heart with love, and your life with laughter! Happiest holidays from all of us! ❤️