What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

I have a little problem.

I like watching baking and craft shows.

That isn’t the problem.

The problem is that I watch someone create something beautiful and think, “Well, that doesn’t look too hard.”

This has occasionally been a mistake. 😂

But it has also led to some of my favorite Christmas memories.

It Looked Easier on TV

There is something about Christmas that makes me want to try things.

A beautiful dessert. A new decoration. A craft idea. Something I saw online that looked absolutely adorable.

And somewhere between seeing the finished product and gathering everything I need, I become completely convinced that I can make it too.

Sometimes I can.

Sometimes my version and the version that inspired me are more like distant cousins.

And that’s okay.

I’ve learned that Christmas doesn’t have to look perfect to be wonderful.

I Love the Trying Part

For me, a lot of the fun is figuring things out.

I like learning. I like creating. And once I decide I’m going to try something, there’s a pretty good chance I’m going to keep working at it until I figure it out.

That might mean changing the recipe.

Starting over.

Adding something that wasn’t in the instructions.

Or deciding that whatever I just made was obviously supposed to look like that. 😉

Some of the best memories happen when things don’t go according to plan.

Christmas Isn't a Competition

It’s easy to look at beautiful Christmas pictures and think our homes, cookies, decorations, parties, and traditions are supposed to look a certain way.

I don’t think they are.

The people we love aren't going to remember whether every cookie was decorated perfectly.

They'll remember making them with us.

Children probably won't remember whether every decoration matched.

They'll remember being allowed to help.

And sometimes the lopsided cookie, crooked ornament, or slightly questionable craft becomes the thing everybody laughs about for years.

That's Christmas too.

Find Something That Makes You Smile

So if you see something this Christmas that inspires you, try it.

Bake something.

Make something.

Decorate something.

Start a new tradition.

And if it turns out beautifully, enjoy it.

If it turns out looking absolutely nothing like the picture...

take a picture anyway. 😂

Because sometimes the best Christmas memories aren't the ones we planned.

They're the ones that happened while we were busy trying.

Mrs. Misty Claus ❤️🎄