It’s December! In light of how this year has been super weird/hard/intense I decided to get MYSELF an advent calendar this season to create a little bit of joy in the days leading up to what will be a very different Christmas.

It is a tad overpriced and non-essential? Definitely. But do I need to intentionally carve out some bright spots in this pandemic-soaked holiday season?

So, I will just slather my body in French lotions squeezed from tiny bottles for the next 23 days and I don’t need your approval to do so.

I have also ordered Christmas dinner from a local restaurant. Our holiday plans have had to change significantly this year due to the pandemic so we won’t be sharing it with my mom, dad and brother, or any other extended family. So, to just fully embrace the change and go with the flow, I have decided that I am not going to spend the whole day in the kitchen cooking for just our immediate family. I want to be able to be present and also to be able to just put my feet up and take a break instead of scurrying around, prepping a huge meal.

IT IS WHAT IT IS.

We have entered the time of year when it’s pitch-black at 4: 37 pm. This FOR SURE does wonders for the collective mental health of the nation, especially while we are waist high in a global pandemic. I basically feel ready to go to bed at 6:45 pm each night but instead need to be a grown-up and help kids with their homework as the night falls and all I’m saying is that it’s no wonder I feel like crying all the time.

Licorice helps, though. I am an old lady who has developed a palate for a refined Australian black licorice. I don’t even know what’s happening anymore.

These are weird/hard days. I am with you. Have you tried imported licorice? Highly recommend.