Instagram lies.

Well, at least I’m sure it does at some point over Christmas.

When I see people posting pictures of how wonderful setting up the tree is and how magical the decorating was (okay, okay, I’ve done this…I’m guilty), it reminds me how often that process has not been an Instagrammable moment for me over the years.

I would routinely be WAY overambitious in thinking I could accomplish both the outdoor decorating and putting up the tree in about 35 minutes flat, only to be incredibly frustrated when the process took far longer than the twelve days of Christmas themselves.

You know, the realization that the lights that worked last year when you put them away, mysteriously broke in July and didn’t bother to tell anyone? Or the tree topper that toppled you over the chair you were standing on? That’s what I’m talking about.

It was in those moments that my Christmas spirit would evaporate.

Got moments like that in your family?

We all know that Christmas creates incredible pressure, and your family ends up caving under the weigh of expectation.

How do you fix that?

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