It’s Christmas Eve, and as we approach Christmas Day, take time to think about  your family.

I’m sure many of you will miss some family members this year, and some will have simple, small family gatherings.

So, no matter where you are, and how big the gathering, hug everyone, eat the dressing that Aunt Susie makes even if it’s awful, thank Aunt Jane for the tube socks although you have 50 pair and never wear them. 

In any event, remember just how fortunate you are to have those around you who love you, care for you, are willing to shop for you, and want your day to be special.

And think about how lucky you are not to be a member of this family…

…or this one…

…or this one…

…or this one…

…Merry Christmas…and give everyone in the room a hug today and tell them you love them, even if you have to stretch the definition of the word!

…is one of my favorite sad Christmas songs. 

 
It depends where you call home I guess, but I’ll be home for Christmas this year.  Literally, my home.

 
In 33 Christmases I can recall maybe five Christmases when I’ve actually been at my home on Christmas day. 

 
We usually go away.

 
This year, it’s different.

 
My two children are grown, one working and one in college and working, so things are a little dicier when it comes to ‘gettogethers’.

As much as I’d love to see my brothers and sisters and Mother and Daddy,  I’m glad at least that we’ll all be together.   At least for Christmas Day.

 
It will be a different kind of Christmas.

 
We’re all adults.  The childhood joy of waking up on Christmas morning isn’t there, and the exhausted joy of a Dad watching his kids open presents isn’t as acute.  We can all buy pretty much what we need, so the gifts, as much as I like getting them and giving them (in that order), aren’t all that important.

 
It’s the time together.

 
It’s priceless!

 
Merry Christmas from UP @rednecklatte.com

…I know, that’s a shocker coming from me, but it ’s true.

I’m talking about Christmas here.

When the kids were little, I always noticed a sense of overwhelming from them about an hour after all the gift giving and opening was done.

After 20 years, I finally figured it out.

It was too much.

When it comes to Christmas, as much as I hate it, I tend to over do it.

A tad.

Now, I’m sure all my friends at Macy’s, Wal-Mart, Target, Perry Ellis, The Gap, and Old Navy would tend to disagree, but you can over do at Christmas time.

It’s easy to get there.  Ah, just one more thing for Jane, and then you have to even it up for Dick.  And then there’s poor Spot!

It tends to….I don’t know…

…explode.

A child’s Christmas list may kill a tree with paper, but in reality, they want less materially and more emotionally.

Make Christmas special, but make it realistic.

I’m not saying go cold turkey this year, but pare it down a little each year. 

Know when to say enough.

A great dinner, cookies, candies, a few presents, and you really can have a Norman Rockwell Christmas.

After all, why shell out all that cash when most of the time they’re gonna’ wind up playing with the box?

Merry Christmas!

At school last week while several of us were having our morning gossip griping “coffee”, a friend of mine, who shall remain nameless…(Starts with a D and ends with an ebbie)…told us all she was spending Christmas in Cancun.

We were instantly jealous annoyed pissed intrigued.

Then, she had the nerve to say, “I’ve not done a thing to get ready!”

Again…instantly jealous annoyed pissed intrigued.

But, alas, I thought, don’t be hatin’, take the high road, be a friend…make her a to do list.

So…here goes…21 things you must do before going to Mexico!

1. New flip flops
2. New sun glasses
3. Stop paper
4. Stop mail
5. Tell kids the trip is their Christmas gift
6. Tell kids to buck up and get over it
7. Buy new bathing suit
8. Schedule Bikini wax, we don’t want things looking like a scene from “Sex In The City” ya’ know.
9. Schedule Manicure
10. Schedule Pedicure
11. Buy purse with built in Margarita Flask
12. Learn to say “I’ll have another Margarita” in Spanish (Un otro Margarita, Por Favor.)
13. Buy Traveler’s cheques
14. Make seperate flight reservations for the kids
15. Make seperate room reservations for the kids in another hotel
16. Board dog, kill cat
17. Buy sun block
18. Make sure she packs ALL her husbands “pills”
19. Buy new thong – for her
20. Buy new thong – for him
21. Make sure husband manscapes

Looks like she’s gonna be tired when she gets there.  Hope she has a good time anyway.

Merry Christmas!