Loving My Actual Christmas: An Experiment in Relishing the Season, (Paperback)

The past few years I have wanted to make some shifts in our Christmas season, but didn't really know how. (Plus, even with all of my best intentions, Christmas would seem to "sneak" up on me and I would enter the season, and remain, in a constant state of busy. Not a good feeling.) I wanted to shift toward more minimal expectations (re: gifts, schedules, activities, memories, etc) and create more opportunities for quality family time. I also want to end the season feeling content and happy, not spent (literally and figuratively). This book provides a realistic glimpse at a real mom, with a real family, with a real life, facing real ups and downs during the holiday season. As I read, I feel like I'm having a conversation with a friend who gets it! Alexandra Kuykendall shares her goal from the very beginning and with each chapter provides her readers with a focus and a plan. Her focus remains constant throughout each chapter, even through day-to-day life ups and downs. She makes this experiment do-able, which is just what I needed in order to #lovemyactualchristmas.

I loved this--just what I needed looking forward to this Christmas season. I WANT every year for Christmas to be special, meaningful, focused on the right things, joyful, hopeful, and important. But by the time everything piles on, it just becomes a season to survive. Therefore, I loved Kuykendall's practical and inspiring guide to clarifying Christmas expectations and having expectant hope, focusing on LOVE (tangibly, like Christ did), choosing joy even in the first-world guilt and whiplash, and accessing peace. I am recommending this to my whole MOPS group and anyone who want help to slow down and make this Christmas different. But I would definitely recommend reading it BEFORE the Christmas season begins. Some of this requires thinking ahead and having conversations about budget and expectations before you are already in the thick of it. --I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes--