Thanksgiving has come and gone. And, let’s admit it, for most of us, Thanksgiving is one of the easier winter holidays. For those that celebrate Christmas, it can be one of the most stressful times of the year. Buying presents, decorating, traveling, and pleasing family and friends can all be extremely stressing. Coming out of the pandemic, dealing with inflation, mass layoffs, and fear of a future recession make this year particularly maddening. 

But…… guess what? The chaos that is December 2022 makes it the perfect time to create your own Bucket or F*ck It List. All the “traditions” that have been forced upon us in prior years can be forgotten and replaced with something new or (gasp!) nothing at all. 
Maybe it’s time to re-watch A Bad Mom’s Christmas and take Christmas back for yourself. SGM recommends creating your own December Bucket or F*ckt It List, excessive booze is recommended, but not required.

Bucket List:

Try out Betty Crocker Christmas cookie recipes from the ‘50s

My family, like most, has their favorite holiday traditions and cookies are no exception. However, flipping through my Betty Crocker cookbook from who knows when (there may have been dinosaurs still), I found some fantastic-looking, super old-fashioned cookie recipes that I’ll try just for kicks this year. I think I’ll start with Berlinerkranzer cookies (traditional wreath-shaped cookies from Norway) and make my way to Jubilee Jumbles and Peppernuts.

Reread Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

Applying for a seasonal job at UPS for the brown uniforms and ultimately ending up as an elf at Macy’s Herald Square to newspaper headlines like “HOLIDAY HIJINKS END IN HOMICIDE,” this book will get you in the proper snarky holiday mood.

Try Snow-Shoeing

There is no particular reason I want to try snow-shoeing. Maybe it’s because I can try it right outside my front door. Maybe it’s because I saw a really cute snow outfit when I was pursuing Cyber Monday deals. Maybe it’s Maybelline. We’ll never know.

F*ck It List:

Matching Pajamas

While Jennifer Collidge’s Old Navy holiday commercial makes a very strong case for matching pajamas, I still can’t do it. Maybe it is my deep-seated dislike for anything that matches, but red and green pajamas are not going to bring me to the dark side. Sorry Jen.

Christmas Cards for All

It’s time to cut the cord. Does your dentist from 1994 care what you did in 2022? Highly unlikely. Save some of your ever-diminishing mental capacity,(and postage) and just say “no.”

Cookie Exchanges

I will attend. I will bring cookies. I still don’t want anyone else’s cookies. They will end up in the trash and it would be best to just give them to a child with no taste buds. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

One Last Note:

New Years’ Eve also falls in December, but how about getting through Christmas first? I do have one thing on my bucket list for NYE, which is to watch New Year’s Eve. It’s cheesy and I love it. Stop Judging.