Truths: Santa Claus is Coming to Town…

So, I decided to play Santa yesterday and wrap all the presents I have bought already. Which, is about 85% of them. That, alone, is a miracle. I mean its only December 11th!

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I prefer on-line shopping. Amazon.com and I are like shopping buddies. Quite frankly, if they don’t have it at Amazon – I can hardly believe anyone needs it!

This isn’t a commercial for Amazon – and I don’t own any stock in the company – but they sure make shopping easy. I pick out my things – hit “okay,” and I am done. It is almost like I am getting them for FREE! (My husband would adamantly disagree!)

But, really, any on-line shopping when you live in the Midwest is the way to go. It was a blizzard here Wednesday and 4 degrees above 0 yesterday – so I spent my time shopping on-line.

Now I admit that it doesn’t seem like I am being productive… I mean in an hour I can have shopped for a ton of people… and yet, feel lazy. But, if I had dragged my butt out to the mall and shopped for 8 hours, I still might not have gotten 8 people’s gifts. On-line shopping is the way to go.

Some people complain about the shipping costs but two things: one, many of the sites offer free shipping (a plug for Amazon...again) and realistically, I believe that my time is money and driving around town costs gas. I think it is a wash.

Anyway, so most of my gifts are bought – which is a miracle – but the truly unbelievable thing is that I wrapped them all yesterday… to Christmas music!

I went down to my “wrapping room.” Yes, I really do have a “wrapping room!” I love wrapping presents for any occasion(except Christmas) and ask anybody I know… I keep every box, every ribbon, every gift bag, silk flowers, etc… all for when I will need them to wrap a special present. It is probably one of the few things about me that is Martha Stewart!

So, I am downstairs getting together all of my Christmas wrapping supplies and I am playing Christmas music! I am happy and content and actually enjoying what is usually a hurried task a day before Christmas!

I found myself singing along(something I could only do alone..ask my friend Kelly about how badly I sing!) and taking my time with each gift… and I even was fricking smiling! A red ribbon for that one, some tulle for that one… Each bow was tied perfect, each gift individually placed under the tree. Unlike other years where I bring them all up to the tree and nearly toss them in one giant throw!

Quite frankly, I don’t even know who I was yesterday! It was like I was in the “twilight zone” all afternoon long!

I actually found happiness in something I usually find frenzied and chaotic. I don’t know what is different about this year…what has inspired me to find peace in the holidays and to find time to sit back and take it all in. But, I love it.

This week has been busy: the decorating of the house, the making of the eventful Christmas card and the buying and wrapping of presents but I never felt overwhelmed, instead, I felt bliss.

I say all of this to rub it in… because I know most of you are running around like chickens with your heads cut off… fighting long lines at the mall, screaming at your kids to smile and on the verge of pulling the ladder out from underneath your husband with the hope of a large insurance policy!

I am gloating that I am enjoying this Christmas… but not only am I writing this to make you feel envious…I just wanted to say that if I can get here – anyone can… So, after you spend all your time fighting the Christmas spirit – take a deep breath and try to let it in. It really is quite amazing.