I know it is only August and Christmas seems very far off, but based on how I celebrated last year's Christmas timeline, this year it is going to come even quicker.

Let me explain. First off, I LOVE Christmas. It is absolutely my most favorite holiday. It was always a big deal in my family growing up, for both my mom and dad, and their parents as well. So there is a lot of nostalgic baggage that comes with the yule tide festivities. I have always tried to not build up Christmas too much in my mind, in terms of expectations. I knew I would never be able to recapture that childhood magic no matter how Martha Stewart I got, so I really tried just to not stress out too much and the days and weeks prior to Christmas unfold organically.