It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Or, you know, Wednesday. Wednesday with snow and wind. Hooray?

We went Christmas shopping this past weekend. Oh my. Can I just say that I would never (Read: NEVER) stand in a huge line with no end in sight just to get my little paws on a mechanical hamster. Seriously? Unless that thing is going to make my breakfast, I'm not wasting my time.

And, in the midst of all that craziness, we found an entire shelf full of the original Tickle Me Elmo. My kingdom for a time machine. Now THAT would lead to some Christmas cheer.

I'm probably about half way done with the gift shopping. This year I've kind of just let go of my neurotic gift buying tendencies. It makes for a much more pleasant experience. No anxious worry about whether or not someone is going to spit in my face and tell me what's what just because I got the wrong flavor of lip gloss. No! Now it's replaced with the thought "Who wouldn't want a full sized plastic unicorn? Let's get 5."

In all reality though, we've toned it down this Christmas due to that ol' recession there. Lots of time spent watching the sales and hunting for bargains. And I'm sure that's probably true of most folks out there.

I do recognize that we are very blessed. We are able to buy gifts for our near and dears. Not everyone can do that. But, in a way, this cost effective mindfulness has actually given me pause and caused me to think about the purpose of the holiday. Isn't Christmas really about family and love? Sharing a good meal with those who know you best?

I find that my favorite part of the Christmas holiday is when I get a chance to sit down with my family and just relax. Talk about nothing in particular, maybe watch a movie, and continue trying to eat most of the northern hemisphere. (Sidenote: Two years ago, my sister and I spent weeks discussing what would be the main dish of our Christmas feast. WEEKS. Let alone discussing the side dishes. But, we ended up deciding on prime rib, so it was totally worth it...right?)

So, this year, maybe don't worry about gifts so much. Just eat a cookie, joke with your family and friends, and maybe take a nap. That, my friends, is true happiness.

Just don't make me watch that stupid Christmas movie with the fat kid again. I CANNOT TAKE IT.