The day after Thanksgiving is when I like to put up our Christmas tree. It’s just the way I prefer things and more so since we’ve started hosting Thanksgiving. Solely focusing on preparation for Thanksgiving is time consuming and I’ve found that lately, I’m not much of a multitasker.

I’ve also discovered that it takes me longer to get everything decorated. Gone are the days when I could spend the entire day decorating my home and front porch. Nowadays, I’m lucky if I can stand on my feet for more than ten minutes before my Fibromyalgia pain intensifies or my CFS triggers.

It’s the Monday after Thanksgiving and this is the state of my living room:

Nowhere close to being done, unfortunately.

This was my third year trying to convince my husband to get a smaller tree since the construction and decorating of our 12-ft tree takes time and I have to conserve my energy throughout the day. And, as you can see, this is the third year that he insisted that our gigantic tree is fine. In his words, “We can get a smaller one when we’re too old to climb ladders.”

Mind you, he said this while shakily standing on the ladder next to the tree, after complaining that his body hurt, lol.

But, I’ll submit to his logic since he’s the one who puts the tree together and doesn’t seem to have any complaints.

In the meantime, I’ll try to convince my kids to put their ornaments on the tree…

…so we can put the ribbons on and be done with it. And my husband can put away all of the containers because he dislikes the disorder currently in the living room.

In the meantime, I’ll concentrate on other areas.

Not quite up to Pinterest-worthy, but I’ll work on it.

I know you don’t need piles of presents or glittering decorations to feel the true meaning of Christmas. The heart of the season lives in the quiet moments—sharing warmth with the people you love and finding gratitude in simple joys. Christmas isn’t measured by what’s under the tree, but by the love, generosity, and connection we choose to give.

So this year, I’m just going to take my time and do what I can, when I can. Hopefully it’ll be before Christmas Day, lol.

Merry Christmas!