I’m feeling a little like the peony petals that have fallen to the table.

Everyone is saying much the same; this time of year is full of commitments and yet we’re all running on empty. A supermoon hasn’t helped matters and the mercury retrograde situation (that’s supposedly hanging around till the 23rd) isn’t instilling much Christmas cheer.

Alas, with small children and a few carols, it’s a matter of mustering energy and pushing myself through. Much like I did at 4:30pm this afternoon when I knew it was time to start the dinner, bath, bed, dishes, lunch prep routine. It’s a long haul at the moment.

That said, I’m slowly but surely getting prepped for Christmas – a miracle of sorts! There’s no advent calendar this year but the stockings are out, the lights are up and we’ve got plans to buy a tree this weekend. I won’t be creating homemade gifts or sweltering in the kitchen in an attempt to bake but I have stocked the pantry, organised the teacher’s gifts and I’ve even bought myself a new Christmas dress!

There’s so many expectations on us at this time of year, isn’t there? Much of the work of Christmas falls on our shoulders and we’re expected to attend social gatherings, ready our kids for concerts and prepare the Christmas meal in amongst the daily routine of home, school, work and relationships. If that’s not enough, social media can easily have us feeling guilty for the lack of handmade ornaments we’ve created.

We all might want a simple Christmas but I think it’s important to remember that simple doesn’t mean eucalyptus wreaths and handmade jars of pickles. Simple could be using up all the gift wrap and ribbon you’ve collected over the year or choosing to stay in an have movie night instead of attending another gathering.

This is the best time of year to go easy on ourselves, don’t you think?