Holiyay!

Does anyone else feel like his right now? 

I think the best thing I ever did several years ago was let go of the expectations I had of myself during the holidays. The expectation I had to send out the perfect Christmas card, bake the best treats for the neighbors,  and keep it slim and glamorous every single day. 

The truth is for four years in a row I took treats to my neighbors and none of them even came out to say hello. In fact, one of my neighbors refused the delicious mini cheesecake tarts I had made because she was lactose intolerant. Huh?! I stood at her doorstep pulling my offering of neighborliness back thinking just take the stupid cheesecakes and throw them away instead of making us both feel dumb. However, I took them back home where they were happily gobbled by my children. Those were in the baking days. The presents were purchased in September and wrapped a few days after the tree was up days. Now days.........

Now I read this and my heart is literally jumping up and down screaming, YES! So MANY YESSES! Throw in single Mom........all I am asking is that you add all the single Mom's and Dad's you know in your prayers. 

This year we don't even get out of school until December 21st. How is any teacher supposed to get anything done for Christmas? The silver lining is Christmas will be here and then I will have a long glorious break not worrying about all of the stuff I "should" be doing for Christmas. 

Plug for teachers everywhere....I saw this post on Facebook someone was selling cleaning supplies and old Bath and Body Works stuff and V05 hair shampoo with the title..... GREAT FOR TEACHERS. No. No, your old crap you are trying to hustle is NOT great for teachers. Please do not buy some expired toiletries for your child's teacher or i.e. ME. It will go into the white elephant gift exchange my family has the Sunday before Christmas. Here is the truth...I am going to make it so easy on you right now. All any teacher wants is a gift card so she can purchase the supplies she needs for classroom art at your local Wal-Mart, Target, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc. I mean $5 to one of those places is so appreciated. I literally JUST spent $25 of my own money so my class could make parents an ornament parent gift AND that was so cheap because I already had some of the supplies on hand. I personally always by a gift card for my children's teacher to some new fun restaurant OR something I know they actually want. If you are tight on money this year....have your child write us a note, tell us we are the best teacher they have ever had and how much they love coming to school. That makes us all really happy OR you know a new pencil sharpener from Costco the iPoint ones. Those are the best and about $25 each and I burn through at least TWO of those a year and pay for them out of my pocket. You could ask your child's teacher what she needs and when she tells you buy the thing she asks for. If she asks for Ticonderoga pencils....don't buy the crummy cheap #2 yellow pencils because THOSE are what break her $25 pencil sharpener for some reason. WE AREN'T BEING HIGH MAINTENANCE with that pencil request or any other brand name request. I promise. 

So this year I am not......

• baking for the neighbors...sorry. I will give some Bath and Body hand soap to the ones I like. 
• Sending out Christmas cards...sorry...I never got it together enough to have a cute family picture this year...the outfits and scheduling it seemed so daunting and the totally DUMB thing about this is my children's Bonus Mom is literally this fantastic photographer and she was going to take my photos for FREE. BUT I just could not get it together it has been SO busy. 
• going overboard on presents
• worrying that the only present I have under my tree is wrapped only because they offered free wrapping at the store that day. 
• Fretting about the fact that I wanted to buy a new artificial tree but couldn't swing it financially this year.
• Fretting that the whole mid section of lights on my tree are out
• Fretting about the fact that my once little white Christmas tree is now brown from all of the dust of living in the desert. 
• Worrying about the fact that I am not thin OR glamorous right now. I am on the survival mode fast track, and that is OK. 
• I am not buying any extra presents that I wish I could buy for my bosses and all of the secretaries and our grade level aide..this one is actually eating me up inside quite a bit but it is just not in the budget. 

This year I am.....

• Spending time with my children reading stories about the Savior
• We attended our ward Christmas party which was lovely and so uplifting
• Listening to Christmas music
• The Elf on the Shelf did not come out at my house but IS out at school 
• baking sugar cookies and icing them with my kiddos next weekend...it isn't the myriad of treats but sugar cookies are a family favorite
• Enjoying the Christmas lights going up around the neighborhood
• playing my violin in an Orchestra which is something just for me and I really love it, sometimes the commitment feels difficult but it also feels really good to use and share my little rusty talent
• Happy

I may not be a glam as I'd like to be but yesterday I attended a primal yoga class. It was SO FUN and I am sore today! After the class in my greasy three day old hair and sweaty yoga pants I walked with my friends to a restaurant across the way. I was buying some chips and guac for my lunch when the lady asked me if I had worked out at yoga and I said yes with a smile. She then gave me a discount on my food. I turned around and told my friends that they got a discount for going to the yoga class and to tell her. I sat down and a little bit later my friends came over and told me only I got the discount because she thought I had WORKED at the studio as an instructor. It was the best moment of my life being confused for a yoga instructor. Merry Christmas to me. 

I am trying to simplify. I am trying to squelch the twitch in my eye that has been here for two weeks or the chest pains caused by 15 hour days of trying to be the best teacher I can be and also the best Mom I can be. I am trying to keep up on laundry I am currently in the middle of ten loads that need to be done. I am trying to keep a clean house, take care of sick children, work, attend school functions without losing my mind. I am trying to remember why we celebrate this special time of year by sharing my testimony in my calling and doing it the best I can. I am trying to serve others in the small ways I can this year by giving of my time, of myself. I know that isn't much but it is all I have. 

The holidays are upon us....did I tell you I am a yoga instructor?!? 

XOXO-The Sunny D