This year it seems that we need some holiday cheer fiercely! We need to get our trees up, do our shopping, add our lights and sparkly garlands, start baking goodies and try to find something to make us smile amid all the sh*t the year has brought us. A lot of us have lost loved ones, spent holidays, and birthdays at home without those we wish we could be with. We've lost jobs, lost friends, and watched the country fall apart during a record-breaking election! It has been hard but not all is lost.
My family has been lucky. We budget very well, are up to date on our bills, did not suffer any job loss in our home, and have been able to breeze through distance learning like we were meant to do it. Honestly, I owe most of our luck to the fact that my significant other already worked from home, I was already a stay at home mom, and I had supplies on hand for schooling at home because my kids love to learn and love to craft. For us the sadness this year came from missing birthday parties, not being able to visit family or friends, not being able to be outdoors in public places, the annual activities around the holidays that happen in our area, and for the kids, actually being in their classrooms with their teachers and friends.
That's why this holiday season we are doing our best to make it as most like our traditional along with some new traditions thrown in. We have already started trickling the decorations out so we can see what we need, what might not have made it to this season, and what we have new to put out. Over the next couple of weeks we will be decorating, doing fun Christmas crafts and activities, getting visits from our elf Marshmallow, and baking all the fun goodies that bring us those feelings of nostalgia that we long for so much this year especially.
My favorite memories of growing up with my Ma for Christmas meant making all kinds of cookies and cakes and treats and making gift boxes for friends and family members. We would decorate her tailoring shop, our house, and even our rooms sometimes. The best day was always Christmas Eve because that meant all the family was stopping by and we were opening all kinds of gifts we all had to pass out. We would cook up some kind of pasta dish we didn't have much like lasagna with sausage and meatballs or stuffed shells. There would be treats and punch and so much laughter and love and gift-giving! In my opinion, it was even better than Christmas morning (until I had kids). I miss it some days but now that I am a mom I am able to do some of those traditions by using my Ma's recipes, decorating, and making it all special and love-filled.
As this month goes on I will try to update here with some fun family holiday ideas, recipes, and gift ideas.
Hope you all have a safe and happy holiday. Please wear your masks when outside the home, do not travel if you don't have to, wash your hands and stay socially distant so maybe next year we can all be together again! 
