I had all but made up my mind to stay put for the holidays and forego the hustle and bustle of holiday travel. As much as I love traveling with my kids and spending Thanksgiving and Christmas in either New York or South Carolina, Baltimore has a lot to offer too! Okay, okay, I’ll be honest here. Truth be told, November through January is an impressively expensive time for my household. As transplants, we have to do what many other young families do if they want to spend the holidays with their extended loved ones: travel by plane or drive for hours.

After the travel expense of Thanksgiving comes the travel expense and gifts of Christmas, quickly followed by the fun of New Year’s, and then, in my house, the onslaught of triple January birthdays. My husband’s and sons’ birthdays start within a couple of days of the New Year and are wrapped up within 9 days! Fun, fun, fun. I don’t even get a pay period in between them for a breather. Talk about having to manage your money.

As enjoyable as this time of the year should be for me, it is always a time of high stress because mommy (wife/daughter/sister/auntie/friend) wants to make everyone happy. Ultimately, something or someone has to be sacrificed.

Who would have thought that the supermarket would be the place to challenge that resolve? Well, my latest shopping trip to Whole Foods did just that. The cinnamon pine cones, the star-shaped hanging Christmas lights, the pre-assembled gingerbread houses, the Tofurkey and packaged stuffings, the decadent holiday-inspired bakery treats and everything in between have put me in a bit of a mental quandary. Do I stay home for the holidays or do I go?

 

I’m pretty good about making up my mind and keeping it made up. However, in this instance, when I consider the joy of the season, when family makes an extra effort and sacrifice to be together, my mind gets made up for me. The season is sweet and our time together is so short, that a few weeks of nitrate-free turkey franks and beans at the end of it all, may just be worth it. A little extra planning, budgeting, and sacrifice can make it possible and put a smile on everyone’s face…including mine. Darn you Whole Foods! Thanks a lot. 😉