Santa, Sugar Cookies & Sanity

It’s been a while since I’ve written — and if you’re a parent, you already know why.

It’s that season.

The one where kids are passing around every germ known to mankind.
Where you’re on day 657 of the year trying to come up with supper.
Where you’re checking and rechecking your gift list to make sure you didn’t forget someone (and definitely didn’t buy two gifts for the same person… again). Even though we definitely have a plan in place for that, go back and read that post if you haven’t!
And where every single school day seems to require something extra — a theme, a treat, a costume — on top of the usual backpack-and-coat routine.

Which brings me to…

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Kids Dress-Up Days (A Small Rant)

We get it. Dress-up days are fun.

But do we really need to go out and buy what is basically a costume a month after Halloween… for a child to wear one time?

The answer is no.

Our school — and most around us — does dress-up days for the entire month of December. Which tells me one of three things:

• They don’t like parents
• They don’t believe the economy is rough
• Or they aren’t worried at all about kids being left out or picked on for not participating 20 days in a row

(Rant over.)

In our house, this becomes a teaching moment.

We look at the week ahead:

• If there are some hard no’s — meaning we know there is nothing we already own that fits the theme — he wears his favorite shirt and we move on.
• If there’s a day he truly, really wants to participate in, we’ll try to make it happen with what we already have.

But we go in knowing this:
👉 I am not — and will not — be buying anything new for December dress-up days.

And guess what? He’s still happy. He’s still included. And he’s learning that it’s okay not to do everything.

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Family Pajamas: Cute ≠ Necessary

Let’s talk family pajamas.

Are they cute? Absolutely.
Do I smile every time I see them pop up on Instagram? Yes.
Are they a need? No.

Is it worth breaking the bank so your family of five — plus the dog — can all wear $30 matching pajamas for approximately 16 total hours?

Also no.

If you already have them and love them — great.
If they’re in the budget and bring you joy — do it.

But if buying matching pajamas adds stress, guilt, or debt? Skip them. Christmas still comes either way.

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Stop Letting Influencers Influence You

This one might ruffle a few feathers — and that’s okay.

You do not need to buy a gift for every single person you’ve ever met or who provides a service for you throughout the year.

Read that again.

Do you want to leave a hot cocoa bomb in your mailbox for your mail carrier? Sure.
If you’re rural and still bake something, that’s probably acceptable (and appreciated).

But let’s stop pretending we need to buy, wrap, and deliver gifts for:

• Hair dressers
• Babysitters
• Daycare providers
• Teachers
• Church staff
• Paras, principals, and bus drivers
• Nail techs
• Neighbors
• Mail carriers
• Every delivery service that stops by your house in December

Some of those may be non-negotiable for you — and that’s fine. For us, yes, our son’s teacher gets a small gift.

But while we’re here — let’s talk about Elf on the Shelf. Which we do not, will not, participate in, and I’m very much happy about that. Yes, you can call me Mrs. Grinch.

Do it if you want to.
Don’t do it if you don’t.

If you want to chuck him across the room at midnight so you remember to move him in the morning — or if you’re the parent who plans the most elaborate scenes known to mankind — you do you. (I do enjoy seeing them- on social, happening in someone else’s house)

But do. not. feel. obligated.
Not because of influencers.
Not because “everyone else is doing it.”
Not because social media makes it look like a requirement.

Your kids don’t need an elf to have a magical Christmas. They need you — present, rested, and not resenting a tiny man.

At the end of the day?

👉 Stop trying to be an influencer.

Most people don’t want more stuff. They want to feel appreciated. A card, a thank you, a kind word goes further than something bought (or staged) out of obligation.

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A Few Things That Actually Help

1. Lower the Bar

Not everything needs to be magical. Frozen pizza counts. Store-bought cookies are still cookies. Rest is productive.

2. One Calendar, One List

One place for schedules. One place for gifts. One place for your sanity.

3. Set Boundaries Early

Budgets, expectations, and “no’s” work best when they’re decided before the chaos hits.

4. Choose Meaning Over More

A few traditions done well beat a calendar packed to the brim every time.

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A Gentle Reminder

Sanity in December doesn’t come from doing everything.
It comes from choosing what matters — and letting the rest go.

Some days will feel magical. Others will feel loud, messy, and exhausting. Both count.

Here’s to Santa, sugar cookies, and doing the best we can — without the pressure to perform. ❤️

Samantha 🌻
Simply Real. Simply Me.