Are you relishing in the season or are you overwhelmed by the busyness? I find myself swept in the tide of the latter, but I’m making an attempt to enjoy each day as it comes. Isn’t it funny, though, how we can set ourselves up for failure by expecting perfection? There’s so much pressure, I think, in making memories, especially at big events such as holidays or birthdays.

Take my little advent calendar, for example. I keep thinking, “Oh, how marvelous it will be when we participate in whatever day’s awesome activity together! The memories! He’ll remember it foreverrrrrrr.”

Well, let me just say that I hope he doesn’t remember a couple of them forever because they’ve been complete & utter motherhood failures on my part. Day no. 10 for example. We planned on baking cookies and decorating our IKEA gingerbread house but as it turned out that day, we spent the entire day at my sister’s house helping her stage it as they were listing it on the market w/ Simon this week. Jude had no nap and passed out in the car the second we left at 6:30pm. So when we got home, I thought I’d just put him to bed and call it a day. UM, NO. Cue the sleepyhead epic meltdown as he realized where we were headed halfway up the stairs (TO BED!). Me, not wanting to break a promise, said rather shortly, “Fine. Which one do you want to do? Gingerbread house or cookies?” He woefully muttered through the tears, “Gingerbwead house.”

So I got out all the trimmings and set them up on the island in the kitchen. I was exhausted but had to make cookies later that night anyway for a cookie swap I was participating in the next day. As I turned around, I saw Jude dump out half the container of sprinkles all over the floor. Then as we tried to put together the gingerbread house, it kept breaking & crumbling. It was the biggest disaster.

Just as I tried to attach the roof, one of the two pieces slid off the top and right onto the floor (frosting side down OF. COURSE.) and promptly crumbled into 1000 pieces. Jude’s sobbing, I’m nearly sobbing, then I yelled for him to go upstairs and get ready for bed. MOTHER OF THE YEAR RIGHT HERE.

AND. AND! As he’s sobbing heading upstairs while I’m cleaning up the frosting lard mess up off the floor, I hear a huge thump and wailing. HE FELL DOWN THE STAIRS. I flipped out and ran to him and made sure he was ok (which he was). It was not the proudest moment of my life, that’s to say the least. It was an early bedtime for both of us.

Oh, and the gingerbread house? More like a gingerbread shanty. Or lean-to. Take your pick.  See how I tried to strengthen it with ‘Nilla Wafers? Yeah, not so much.

Well, live and learn, no?  This week has been a flurry of work activity as I pressed through to meet my Etsy shop deadlines, which was insane. People were buying like crazy, and that is awesome, but I’m not gonna lie – it brings its own fair share of stress, too.

Have you met TomSam? That’s our Elf. He’s a busy little booger. One of my favorite things this year is seeing all my friends on Facebook as they show the creative ways they’re using their Elf on the Shelf.  This was TomSam the other day – he got really busy wrapping presents & tying bows on all the packages.

Tangent:  Do you like Brussels Sprouts? I think they’re my most favorite vegetable of all time. I simply adore them.

I can’t get enough of this kid. I hope he knows how much I adore him. I just want to bottle his sweetness up. Today he told me, “Mom, we’re gonna have to move the TV out of the fireplace so Santa can get down the chimney. Oh, and I don’t want him to see all the presents that are already under the tree.” Hahaha

Did I tell you that I got bangs? Yup. Lovin’ ’em, too!

Speaking of beauty issues, I love how red lipstick dresses up even the most basic look. It really is the perfect accessory.

Wow, ok – completely random post, but sometimes those are the most fun. Certainly the most authentic, huh?

Gearing up for Alt Summit – only 35 more days, y’all!