Christmas is one of my very favorite holidays, and while Christmas is only one day, the festivities start weeks ahead of time. The magic of the holiday season is hard to match; it’s always so exciting to me.
One of my favorite ways to get in the Christmas spirit is baking, baking, and more baking! A tradition I always look forward to is making different Christmas cookies with my grandboys. We have so much fun together, plus we get the added bonus of having our favorite cookies to snack on and share with their mommies and daddies. Those boys are always so proud of those cookies, and I’m proud of them for being so good at sharing.
I’m realizing as I get older that those grandboys are really what makes Christmas so special for me these days. In fact, shopping for those sweet children is so much fun because that leads to my favorite part of Christmas: seeing them open their stockings on Christmas Day. Those smiles make every penny spent and every ounce of stress I felt totally and completely worth it. I’d do it a hundred times over for those smiles and hugs.
In fact, I’d much rather give gifts than receive them. I’ve already been more blessed than I ever could have dreamed, but I will say there is one Christmas gift that I’d never give up. That would be my husband, Michael. A lot of y’all probably recall that he proposed to me one Christmas morning in the cutest way. He gave me a graduated box set, and each box contained my favorite candy and a single word until it read, “Paula, I love you. Will you be my wife?” There were a lot of happy tears that Christmas morning!
I know the holiday season can be a little stressful for some with all the shopping, cooking, and calendar full of holiday gatherings. My advice to you would be to slip in a nap whenever you can find the time. When you’re well rested, you’ll be amazed at everything you can accomplish. And if you’re cookin’ for a big gathering, take a page out of my book and prepare as much as possible ahead of time.
Christmas will be here and gone before we know it, so enjoy it. Once Christmas is here, all the stress disappears as we spend time with our family and friends. I love havin’ all my loved ones gather at my house for our traditional Christmas dinner, starring my Foolproof Standing Rib Roast.
It’s a wonderful time of year, y’all. Don’t waste it feelin’ stressed and overworked. At the end of the day, Christmas is wonderful because of those precious memories you make with your loved ones. Find time for lots of hugs, kisses, and smiles, and your Christmas season will be one for the ages!
Wishing y’all a merry Christmas with a whole bunch of love!
xoxo
Paula
