Packing and published

WHO can believe that Christmas is Friday?? The time is flying which is made all the weirder by the excessively unseasonable warmth we've enjoyed since one fleeting cold spell in November. I mean, we played tennis today in a single layer!

We head to my parents' home in Louisiana tomorrow where forecasts show mid-70s all next week. As such, I'm packing light, and that, friends, is pretty nice. We decided to gift Oliver one of his presents early because it (a stuffed Great White shark) took up an entire suitcase by itself. I so wanted to surprise him in LA, but sometimes, practicality trumps even the mightiest Christmas spirit. 

Observe.

I'm still laughing.

Last Friday, I was so pleased to have an essay on what the magic of Christmas means to me published. Please check it out. I really do love this time of year.