The hostess with the mostess

I am a little giddy at the moment. Christmas is 10 days away and even though there is much to do, so much yet to do, I am still giddy.

Extenuating circumstances have led us to be hosting our first ever major holiday in our home. We decided yesterday that we will be hosting Christmas Eve this year for my in-laws. I am sure some would be freaking out or be super stressed out in my shoes right now but I'm not. I am excited. I have never had the chance to do a major holiday for family in the four years we've been married and living in our house. Some years it seems I'm decorating for just Nate and I - which I don't mind and do it because I love it, but I'm thrilled that others will be able to enjoy my happy Christmas environment this year.

It helps that the meal will be a group effort, so I don't have to do too much cooking, and the things I am making are some of my favorites to do. I will have to do some pretty major cleaning, but it is a good thing because it's forcing me to do stuff that would otherwise take a backseat in this crazy time of year. And of course, it doesn't hurt that we have a fully stocked bar at the ready and our favorite Christmas wine already chilling in our wine cooler.

The only downer is we don't have a fireplace like my in-laws do and I will miss that a little - we hang our stockings by it and sit by the fire after we eat dinner and also watch the yule log on channel 45 too, which we always laugh about because it's so silly when we have a real fire. Well, this year, channel 45 will have to be enough. And I might hang the stockings on the entertainment center so they will look like they are hanging by the fire!

So I feel like a big old nerd, or maybe like Donna Reed or something as suggested by my sister-in-law, but I am just so excited. Now I need to get busy getting all that "Stuff" that needs to get done, finished!