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Let your Expectations of this Upcoming Season Be the Unexpected

How was your Thanksgiving? I hope it was memorable. Ours was one of the best ever. We all loaded up and headed to Baltimore because the NFL decided the Ravens would play on Thanksgiving night. Now, I was perfectly happy about this scheduling as not only did I not have to cook, I didn't even have to drive around and pick up food. It was just perfect. I told SJ, "You can either have a game dog or chicken tenders, and if you are really good, I'll throw in a funnel cake." Can it get any better than that?

The Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers and at one o'clock in the morning, we were happily sitting around Michael's kitchen table munching on odds and ends that were in the fridge. I thought to myself, we didn't stress for days chopping and dicing and running to the grocery store three different times because we forgot the pecans or ran out of brown sugar. No, we ate hot dogs, with a happy heart, and simply enjoyed getting to spend quality time together as a family.

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My two young nephews assembled Michael's Christmas tree as Sean sat at the table with us reading the instructions! SJ proclaimed they were making kids a lot smarter these days. Why am I sharing this "Waltons" moment with you? It is because as you kick off the start of this month long marathon better known as the Holiday Season and you begin the to-do list of the decorating of the tree, shopping, wrapping, baking, cooking, attending school Christmas programs and cleaning for the Holiday parties, remember to keep the "merry" in the season. Pace yourself just as any good runner would do in a marathon.

Over the next couple of weeks we are going to talk about the things we can do to keep the season merry and bright. Remember there is no perfect Holiday season.

"We all have a fantasy of a scene from a  Norman Rockwell poster, but from the experience my family just had with Thanksgiving, I suggest you forget the fantasy and enjoy the warm fuzzy moments that truly make this season meaningful."


It has been a brutal year. This country has suffered through fires, floods, tornadoes of epic proportion, earthquakes and a horrific economy. There are many who will need assistance due to circumstances beyond their control. My wish for you as you start the marathon scurrying around like a little elf is to take time to call that far away friend, go Christmas caroling, send a letter to a distant relative, or give of your time and money to a charitable organization. Let your expectations of this upcoming season be the unexpected. Perfect doesn't make it good. Erase the notion that it has to be a certain way because that is how we have always done it. This could be the year to change things up; I can tell you we did the fruit basket turn over for Thanksgiving and made memories that will last a lifetime.

So.....on your mark, get set and .......GO! Let the season begin and don't stress over ideas...this blonde haired Christmas Fairy has some grand ones that are coming your way. We are just getting cranked up!          

Photo credit by: hushed_lavinia

Don't forget to  follow me on Twitter @LeighAnneTuohy and play #TuohyTrivia on Tuesdays for a chance to win a $25 donation to the charity of your choice for answering the question correctly. Learn more about my family's charity at The Making It Happen Foundation.

Miss one of my previous posts? You can view them all HERE

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