normally my tree is swirled with ribbon and proportionately spaced with blue and white lights. i only allow the silver and blue ornaments to hang. the angel is lit and secured and a white tree skirt adorns the bottom. this year i let the kids decorate it entirely. and i couldn't love it any more than i do.  the lights at the bottom don't work. the blue lights were literally thrown onto the tree. one ribbon, 20 feet too short, is looped over 1/3 of the greenery. the ornaments are clustered by size of child and the ones that don't match my theme even came out of the box.  our native angel sits crookedly as G flipped out while putting it up.

and my kids totally own their tree.

i remember running to the tree each morning and plugging the lights in.  i love watching as E runs to the tree as i did and periodically checks on it throughout the day, moving ornaments until they are just so for her.  i love the collection of random gifts and pictures the kids have colored and put under the plastic boughs.

i love that this year we jumped out of the rat race. granted, the economy def helped us jump out. but truly, most of the gifts we're giving are handmade and inexpensive.  the cards will be electronic. the treats made with our own hands. the activities include copious amounts of snowflake making, playing outside in the snow, singing carols, attending parties and laughing our hearts out, serving where we can, and literally watching the tree with cocoa in hand.  i've also been purging, cleaning room by room and getting rid of the excess, making space in my home and heart for a brand new year, a brand new decade.  my heart is happy as i've left the stress and worries over "perfect" gifts behind. and peace resides.

what can you do today to de~stress your life and your holiday routine?

and just for kicks i'm including the kids rendition of Angels We Have Heard on High, which G sings "our house is a good house too" instead of "en excelsis dio"