Keeping up with "The Jones"

As christmas nears I am feeling really stressed. For those of you that have already gotten your shopping done and mailed your Christmas cards...Well that's just great!

But for me, I have not gotten anything done. Every year I want to one-up myself on gifts and do better than I did last year. Being self-employed we don't get Christmas Bonus' or anything cool like that. We pay the bills and then whatever's left...we do christmas.

Ayla is at such a fun age this year being 2.5 she really understand Christmas and is totally into it. We just want to go all out for her and each other. My husband Larry always says "he doesn't want anything or that he would rather be able to give us (my daughter and I) a great Christmas than get a bunch of things himself." Isn't that what all guys are supposed to say? But they can't really mean that. I am feeling guilty this year because I really want to get him somethings that he doesn't expect...But since I don't work..he knows how much money I use because he gives it to me...So it's hard to pull a fast one over on him.

I would really like to be the perfect stepford wife and have the perfect home, christmas cards mailed with smiling faces, have all the best gifts bought for every member of our family, bake fresh cookies, and be a size 6 all at the same time. But Ive come to the realization that I cant!

So I hope all of you ladies out there realize that we can only do what we can do.. If the moneys not there we can't go into debt trying not to hurt anyones feelings. The power bill is more important than our image.

We can't all keep up with what everyone else is able to do. But we can help someone in need and take care of our families as best we can...and happy with that!

I hope you all enjoy doing what you can and be okay with what you can't!
Love,