Now that Christmas is over, I would like to share a few things I have learned from my first Christmas as a full-time working mom.

1. Start Christmas shopping in February. Scratch that, January.

2. You are NOT Martha Stewart. Don’t volunteer to bring anything other than the pre-made potato salad, or a cheese plate from the grocery store.

3. Even thought it pains me to say this, online shopping is your BFF.

4. Buy all things wrapping related from Home Goods/ Marshall’s/ TJ Maxx. They have super cute stuff, for about half the price of other stores.

5. Don’t wait for the stocking stuffers to go on sale, just buy the damn things.

6. Those cute baking, Pinterest-esque pictures .. Yeah, not gonna happen.

7.Drink Plenty of H2O and stock up on your vitamins. Holiday sickness is real people, and it does not give an f about your plans.

8. You’ll be spending so much time trying to find the perfect gifts for everyone else, that you’ll forget to pick yourself up anything new and cute. So, keep that Christmas sweater from last year on repeat girl.

9.  Your house is going to be in a constant state of disarray, so get used to it.

10. Your toddler is going to care more about playing with wrapping paper, than they will care about playing with the $100 dollar gift that dear old St. Nick brought.

Oh, and those perfect family photos.. Yeah, not a thing.

I hope you and your family had a very merry Christmas! See you all in a new year!

Xoxo Brit