Christmas Cozy

This Christmas, I'm all about taking the simple route and keeping focused on family, friends, and the religious side of Christmas.  But the "keeping focused part" really is work!  There are things distracting me from all sides and trying to tell me that I need to do X:

The email comes from the room mom for the kids' classes with the teachers favorites, and immediately I feel my stress level rise a little as I start to add trips to 4 different stores/restaurants to my list until I step back and remind myself that even though a gift card to their favorite restaurant would probably be more fun, they will also appreciate the Target card and I can get 4 in one stop (and I'm driving right by Target several times in the next week.)

Party invites start rolling in and I'm trying to figure out how to get kids to 2 different places at once, but stop!  We can say no to some that just really don't fit in and the kids will be fine.  There's plenty of party and festive-ness going on, even just in our own home.

My Pinterest craft list beckons to me, "Do this fun decoration now, it will only take an hour."   When shopping, I get ideas of more gifts, even though I'm just about done with the shopping I'd planned.  That one hard-to-shop-for person still alludes me, and I panic a little as the clock ticks. 

But each day, I'm trying to take a few minutes.  To sit by the glowing tree.  To read a book with my kids.  To do a small act of service for someone else.  To look at the lights that are popping up around our neighborhood as I drive home from errands.  To read my scriptures and reflect on the life and teaching of my Savior.  And each day, I feel a little of the Christmas calm that can make this time of year so beautiful.