As we spend time ticking off items on the Christmas countdown, it's important to keep a sense of the spitrit of Christmas.  In all the hustle and bustle, tasks and bills, it can be hard to keep the spirit and focus on people not things, on experiences not tasks.

It's OK to take a night or two "off" to watch a Christmas movie, read a book, play a game, sit in front of a fire drinking hot cocoa or mulled wine, take a walk and look at the Christmas lights.  That's one of the reasons that I plan.  If I do a little bit at a time, it gives me the freedom to step away periodically and embrace the spirit of the season.