Somewhere Between Festive and Exhausted
And the "subtle" difference between them
Four days until Christmas. I’m reorganizing the entire cabin at midnight.
The ornaments have been in a bowl next to the tree since last Sunday.
Hudson asked if that’s where they live now. “Maybe they will.”
Picture this… It’s 2 am this morning:
Spent two hours researching “Creative gift wrapping ideas.”
Pinned 47 ideas.
Watched 11 tutorials.
Then realized it’s December 21st and threw everything in the gift bags I’ve been saving.
My husband said they looked fancy. They did.
What nobody admits about December
We’re performing for a memory we think we’re supposed to create.
My mom told me once, “Some years Christmas is magic, some years it’s cheese and crackers at 1 am. Both count.”
We all want effortless perfection. A home that looks like Ralph himself designed it, with full-time staff to run it. Instead, we’re zip-tying garland at 11 pm, googling, “how to make grocery store flowers look expensive.”
The answer: Cut them short. Add one unexpected green. Use a vessel that’s too small.
Sometimes the best memories cost $12 at H-E-B.
Sometimes magic is just twinkle lights and being together
Sometimes, good enough really is perfect.
What’s actually working:
The vessel switch: Everything looks better in the wrong container.
The two-hour truth: Everything takes two hours. Stop pretending otherwise!
Swedish Fridays: “Fredagsmys” (Friday cozy). Every Friday through March. Lights dimmed, candles lit, snacks out, no plans.
One pot all day: Soup, chili, whatever. The house smells intentional. You’re on the couch.
Scissors in a bowl: with tape. One location.
Blue painter’s tape: Labels everything. Peels clean.
Where I’m at right now
Researching oversized blue lamps. Tree still undecorated. Just arranged the coffee table for an hour instead of dealing with the actual chaos.
Hudson: “Why?”
Me: “One perfect corner makes the whole house feel intentional.”
Hudson: “Or you could just clean.”
He’s not wrong.
Send this to: The friend who screenshots everything but never looks at screenshots again. (We both know who.)
P.S. Today's list has those Swedish dish brushes everyone’s secretly searching for at 1 am.
I’m dropping the white-elephant gifts that get stolen. Plus, the raspberry snowball cookies I made at midnight that Hudson declared “breakfast cookies” (recipe included).
Also sharing: where to get the saddle leather room spray that makes your house smell incredible!
Continue for the drop →