So with the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, the getting the perfect gift for everyone, it is easy to lose sight of who you are and how much you matter to other people.  What about you, what can you do for yourself and for others while your at it, this Christmas season.

Be present in your life, sounds easy right?  Actually not so much, between kids, and errands and chores and cleaning, and laundry, and the list goes on and on and on. By the end of the day when it is all said and done, who wants to think about buying gifts, wrapping presents, getting it all done in time. Okay so truth be told I love this, I love the hustle and bustle, the running out the last minute to get a few last things and stocking stuffers, or the ingredients for the bake from scratch cookies I just thought of on Christmas Eve at 7 pm.  I love it all the Christmas rush, but my wish is always to have this Norman Rockwell like Christmas, you know the kind I am thinking of , the decorations, the pies right out of Martha Stewarts Magazine, the logs on the fire, the warm apple cider, the scent of pine and cinnamon in the air and the Carpenters Christmas album playing in the backround. The living room bustling with family, telling stories of Christmases past.  But fast forward to reality, none of that ever happens no matter how hard I try.  First of all my family that is present on Christmas consists of my mom, dad, husband and 2 kids, so our gatherings are not very big.  Anyway back to the tinsel and the holiday guffaw.  I realize that it is too much to expect to have a Holiday that is like those you see in the movies, so instead I throw in the towel and try to have a Christmas my kids will remember, I try to create traditions that they will remember when they are 30 and want to do with their kids. So this holiday season, I will try to go that extra mile to do things that are fun and festive well because I love it. Tis the season to be merry.
So I am going off topic, back to the being present in your own life, well that is the million dollar question right? How do you do that? I am here doesn’t that make me present? I am trying to be more present in my life this year,I am trying to acknowledge each moment, to appreciate all the things my son says that crack me up, to take in all the laughs and smiles my daughter gives, to smile and laugh at all my husband’s corny jokes.  I guess I am trying to live in this moment instead of looking ahead to the next 100 moments. So I hope I leave you with sugar plums dancing in your head or just a thought or two of enjoying this very moment and how to be your own present at Christmas by being present.

Traditions, I am all about them, especially at Christmas time.I love Christmas, the music, the egg nog, the presents, the decorations, the wrapping paper, the chill in the air, all of it, I love it all.  I am a crafter, so I like making the ornaments and the paper chains and all kinds of decorations.  I love a real tree, with green, red and white deocorations. I want to make traditions with my children, things that we will do every year, that they will get excited for as the season arrives each year.

After we got married and had children my husband and I started the tradition of going out to dinner on Christmas Eve, it is so much fun and Danny loves it, now we can’t wait until we can have that tradition with both of our children.

On Christmas morning I like to make Breakfast, which usually consists of monkey bread.  It is so yummy and I try to make it every year.

Everyyear we treck up to what I like to refer to as God’s Country to help my inlaws cut down their Christmas tree.  We take the long drive up the taconic usually the Saturday after Thanksgiving in search of the perfect, huggable tree. (my husband is in charge of the hug test and the cutting)  As you drive up to the the Christmas tree farm you can see trees and trees in rows and rows cascading down the hills as far as the eye can see.  It is quite a breathtaking sight.

So I am all about making memories this year, memories I will cherish and my children will cherish for years to come.

It is the simple things we remember most in life, the walks in the park, the cutting of the christmas tree, the shopping, the lunch dates with family and friends.  I want to start living my life in search of these moments, I want to make these memorable moment in my life a reality.

So I will look foward to this Holiday Season with much joy in my heart, so thankful that my baby girl has been given a second chance at life and will be there to experience all of these wonderful moments and together we will make the most wonderful memories.

As the weather is getting cooler here in New York, I can’t help but start to feel wonderful, Fall has always felt like my “New Year” my time for renewal, time to make changes, time to enjoy.  Maybe it is because I am a teacher and in Septmeber I would always begin a new year, a new class, new supplies, a fresh new start.

So as the weather starts to feel like fall I become totally submerged in it, I want to indulge in all things that speak fall to me. I love all things pumpkin, coffee, pancakes, muffins, pie, if it’s made of pumpkin I will try it.

So as we enter fall my baby girl is about to have a renewal of her own so to speak.  She will receive her surgery sometime in October or November.  I am dreading it and looking to get it over with at the same time, sort of like pulling off a band-aid, you know it is going to hurt like hell but it has to be done.  During this time of  pumpkins and cool crisp breezes I have a heavy feeling in my heart, knowing that my baby will be going through so much.  But I will still try and make traditions for her and my son, although this year we couldn’t go apple picking like we used to I know that next year we will be there and she will be a healthy and happy little girl and I can’t wait for all our the adventures we are going to have.  But for now we can make our own fun at home with her and my son.