Check...Check...Check...

I am finally feeling like my list of Christmas "to-dos" is almost finished. I sent out my Christmas cards today. Later than I had meant to, but sent nonetheless. I am a little ashamed to admit that I used free, non-holiday return address labels. I completely forgot to order some and it was time to send out the cards or people might not get them before Christmas (although we did have some friends who sent out New Year's cards one year). I didn't have time to order them so Brad suggested we use all the free ones we get from all over. Mainly ACU and March of Dimes. So we did. Please do not think less of us. I'm truly embarrassed. It just looks so "un-Christmasy"...like I didn't have my act together (which I didn't). Brad, bless his soul, doesn't think another thing about it, and is just glad to have that stuff out of the drawers of our computer cabinet. It's just one of the many shortcuts I took this year. I ordered things online. I used pre-made stick on bows on my presents. I haven't made any chocolate covered pretzels. I signed Eli up to bring pretzels to his KU Christmas party instead of homemade Santa cookies. I sent store bought snacks to school last week (Eli picked out white powdered doughnuts and loved them) instead of making something very cute and "Christmasy." Sigh. I'd like to say it has made my holiday season a little slower, a little more enjoyable, that I've actually appreciated these shortcuts, but, in reality, I feel like I've just taken shortcuts. Maybe that's the reason I haven't felt very festive this year. Shortcuts just don't mean Christmas to me. Apparently, I have to get it all done the "right" way and kill myself or it just doesn't seem like Christmas. I think there may be something incredibly wrong with me.