Wednesday, December 30, 2009

A letter to myself- Open mid-November, 2010

Dear Emily 2010,

Every year you say that this year will be the "perfect" Christmas: clever, handmade gifts for all, delicious cookies, gorgeous tree, prefectly-wrapped presents under that tree. Every year something trips it up. There will very likely be a trip to the emergency room, a car accident, 10 days of snow or anything else that might make the holidays less than you are hoping for.

This is ok.

You will still have a wonderful holiday with people you love.

Try to remember this as you are frantically preparing this year's festivities. Some tips I wish I would've stuck to:

  • Handmade gifts are done by the 15th or you put them down 'til next year.
  • Sugar cookies are a pain to make with kids- make sure you have help!
  • Remember to take pictures. You have none from 2009.
  • Really, you don't have to try to make gifts for the neighbors. It will just stress you out.
  • If you take the trouble to prepare Christmas cards- SEND THEM OUT.
  • Just. Relax.
Sincerely,
Emily 2009 (your older, wiser self)

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Love it! Always such great intentions, right? :)

I'm the same way with scrapbooking/photo albums... I need to get real. They're NOT going to happen.

Good luck next year! :)

Brooke said...

Oops... Apparently I was signed in as my husband, sorry. :) Rick is actually Brooke.

Carla said...

Amen! I still have half of my cards without stamps on my table. As well as hand made gifts unfinished from LAST Christmas in my sewing box. Someday! Oooh-love the china find from the the other day.

Emily said...

Carla- Let's make a pact to get them out the door!!! I will if you will... :)

Brooke- I still need to work on the baby book. For Atticus. Who is four.

Carla said...

Done! Finally remembered stamps at Costco and got them out the door (Merry Christmas greeting and all). Now those sewing projects...

Debbie said...

I, too, have scrapbooking to do for first haircuts, birthday parties, etc. and Drew is almost 5.

I just read about a place where you can write an email and have it delivered to yourself at a point of time in the future. It is

http://futureme.org/what.php

Emily said...

Debbie- I am so doing this!!! Thanks!