James Vaughan via Compfight 

Would I kid you?

There is just one teeny thing you need to do and once you’ve mastered it, your holiday will be perfect!

(drum roll please)

Let go of perfection.

No problem, right?  Easy as pie – here’s how:

Try to take “should” out of your vocabulary unless absolutely necessary. 

For example;

“We should make sure our 2 year old doesn’t eat 12 Holiday cookies right before bedtime,” makes perfect sense.  After all, staying up all night chasing your toddler around the plastic reindeer on the front lawn is no fun – and may deter Santa from dropping by.

However, “I should give every teacher a personal hand-made gift because that’s what the other moms do,” sets you on a path to up-all-night frustration, followed by arriving at school in your pajamas and deliriously passing out gifts before you nod off mid-conversation with the Principal.

Consider all plans to be flexible.

Dinner for 12 that turns out to be dinner for 20 – no problem! Pizza anyone?

Your son’s plane is delayed and he doesn’t arrive until the day AFTER Christmas.  Sounds like a great opportunity to celebrate Christmas, TWICE.

Celebrate everything.

When you come downstairs in the morning and find that the tree has toppled over.

Spend at least an hour taking pictures of each other next to, on top of and under the tree, before fixing.

When you can’t find the traditional Family Christmas Ornament that was only recently entrusted to you after having been in the family for 87 years.

Realize that the reason you cannot find it is because you have placed it in a “very safe place,” and pour yourself another glass of eggnog.

If someone gets pneumonia on Christmas Day.

Just be sure to open the gifts before you take them to urgent care.  Priorities people!

Consider the holidays an adventure when..

… the local English specialty store runs out of your mother’s favorite plum pudding,

… you run out of wrapping paper on Christmas eve

… your sweet, sensitive and rotund Aunt Elsie runs out of the house crying because your 4 year old tells her he loves her “fat and all!”

Consider this holiday the year of Imperfection, and enjoy!

Breathing easy in L.A.,

Jamee