Episode #128: Christmas Traditions—Sharing Nostalgia

Elsie: You’re listening to the A Beautiful Mess podcast. This week, we’re talking about our favorite Christmas traditions – past, present, and new ones that we’d like to start for the future. We’re also sharing some storage tips and stories about how we cried in the car. Always crying in the car lately.

Emma: It’s the best place to cry. You’re alone. No one’s really watching you, maybe a little bit, whatever, but there you go. 

Elsie: Yeah. I cried in the car yesterday before I went into Trader Joe’s. That is my most recent time, yesterday. What about you?

Emma: What were you crying about?

Elsie: I’m just really overwhelmed and struggling this month, just generally. I’ve just kind of been on the edge of my own spectrum of being okay for a while. I am trying to scoot back towards the good side. That’s just how I’ve been the past month or two months. Yeah. What about you?

Emma: Yeah, similar. I sometimes cry I go on walks a lot. Since the time change, which is now been a little bit, I’ve switched to walking during the day to get a little bit of sunshine because I consider walking not only fitness but kind of basically my mental health thing for myself.  I do this thing that I call, I think of it as my gratitude practice but I’m basically, talk to myself out loud while I walk a lot. So I’m sure neighbors and friends see me and they’re kind of like, well, there she is talking to herself again, but I do, I don’t care. I’ll just like talk through things I’m thinking on. I’ll talk through things I’m grateful for. Sometimes I cry a little bit on my walk because I’m sometimes overwhelmed or thinking about something that’s really hard. Sometimes I cry because I’m like, truly at this place in my life where I’m really happy. I love being a mom and it’s overwhelming and kind of heartbreaking, little pieces of it as he grows out of his first outfits and I cleaned them all out to donate or give to friends. It’s just a lot. It’s a whole series of letting go in a way, I guess. Not that I’m an expert, I’m still new to this. But anyway, it’s a lot of emotions at times. I cry a lot on walks. So if you see me out in my neighborhood, and I’m talking to myself and crying, don’t worry, that’s normal. That’s just what I do.

Elsie: I would argue that it’s healthy. So for me, crying is the best way for me to release things I need to release, and feels really good. Sometimes I cry just over dumb TV shows not even meaningful or special, the same episode of The Office that I’ve seen 1000 times like, I still cry hard over the same ones. So it’s almost like it’s always there for you when you need it. 

Emma: Yeah, that’s true. 

Elsie: Yeah. Okay, so I had this idea I want to bring up about a kindness challenge. So being an influencer during the holidays is so strange. Every year I’m reminded of this, and every year, I want to say something like this, but a lot of times I get in my own head and think that it’s gonna make me sound like I’m defending myself or that I’m insecure, or that I can’t handle any criticism or things like that. It’s like that’s not the point but that’s the kind of thing that makes me not say something like this. This is why I think I really want to share, I think that it started about five years ago is that I started to really be conscious and notice that around the holidays, every single year, people get really mean. The mean comments get much more personal and kind of like soul-crushing. Every year I’m prepared for it. I remember that it’s gonna happen and it starts happening and every year I’m like, but why? As influencers, I can only speak for me, but I think on some level, I’m speaking for all of us, like, we’re people. We’re people who are busy during the holidays. For most influencers, it’s our busy season. It’s a time of year when we’re trying to work really hard and wrap things up so that we can have a few weeks off with our family. Maybe for some people not even that much. Anyway, the comments get really, really, really weird this time of year. I know that it’s just because people are feeling more dramatic emotions and for a lot of people more pain during this time of year. Then for other people, it’s like maybe you’re just not handling your own stresses in a productive way or whatever. I want to propose a kindness challenge and it’s not just to benefit me. I promise I’m okay and it’s happened so many years in a row now that we really are fine. But just to benefit everyone on the whole internet, I think that we should all take a couple of months off during the holiday season from sending mean or confrontational comments. The reason why is because this year is already so hard. Most of us are like, oh, I need to do this, I need to send my cards, I need to buy this present for this person and we’re all just struggling this time of year. For me, it’s like trying to be an awesome mom and I don’t have any regrets when I’m older, and my kids moved out. On my god, I’m starting to cry.

Emma: Most recent time you’ve cried, right now.

Elsie: Anyway, I just think that if you have something mean to say, save it for after Christmas, that’s the challenge. That’s all it is. Hopefully, by the time that amount of time has gone by you’ll realize that the thing didn’t need to be said anyway, and it’s just in the cmental trashcan. I think that that would be a really beautiful thing. Even if just our podcast group does it, I think it would make a difference. It’s easy to look at other people and think of them, on the internet, think of them as a little bit less human than you. I know that people think that we deserve it because you know, whatever. 

Emma: I don’t know why they think we deserve but yes, I know what you mean.

Elsie: Nobody really deserves to have one of their precious holiday season days brought down by something that just didn’t need to be said.

Emma: It’s true. Here’s a fun thing to try, if you’ve never done it before, it’s something I’ve employed in my own life. Whenever you’re feeling like you need to say something to someone like, it’s a criticism, or maybe it’s something mean because criticisms are kind of different I think, but type it into your notes app. 

Elsie: Let’s say it’s a gray area where you’re like, I’m not sure if this is a criticism, or I just hate this person. That’s how a lot of it feels like it’s not necessarily productive or meant to be productive. 

Emma: Well, I would just say, type the thing that you want to say into your notes app and save it, and read it the next day and see if you still feel the same. If you do, maybe you should send it. But I also think for me, a lot of times what I kind of realize, because a lot of times I’ll do this with emails, start an email and then I’m like I don’t know if I’ll send this we’ll see. It’s more like I needed to process through something for myself usually is what it is. It actually didn’t have much to do with the person it kind of had to do with me and something I was going through that day, or some issue that I’m working through myself. That’s not the case for everyone. But I’ve just noticed this in my own life, that sometimes it’s really more about me and I don’t need to send that to somebody in order to process through the thing that I’m needing to process through. It’s not necessary. So I could just type it into my notes app or type it into the draft in my email, and complete what I need to. Then on the flip side, I also think since you’re talking about a kindness challenge, I thought it’s interesting, you might throw it out there too, write people nice comments. Like, it’s fun.

Elsie: That is the second part of the challenge that I left out. It just feels so good to leave a bunch of nice comments in a row. It puts me in a better mood, and obviously, it’s gonna affect other people as well.

Emma: For people who make their living online, influencers or otherwise, it makes a big difference whenever you engage with their content so leaving a comment or whatever. Then obviously also, if you’re able to support your friends who own businesses like I was thinking about this the other day. We talk a lot about Ramit because we are huge fangirls, and he talks about having a rich life. I realized that a part of my rich life, at least right now, is I get to buy things that my friends make and sell. I buy things from my friends. This week, two friends were making different handmade projects and I bought things from them and I didn’t even think about it. I just bought the things that I wanted that I thought they made that were awesome. I was like I am so grateful that my budget can include just buying things from friends right now. I love that about my life. I’m so proud that I’ve made enough money in my life that that’s where I’m at. If I see something that my friend makes, that’s awesome, I don’t have to think about my budget, I can just buy it from them and support them. It’s a great feeling and I was like that’s part of my rich life. It just kind of dawned on me this week. So anyway, I think that’s part of it too is like if you’re able to support people who are making handmade gifts this season or like things like that, another great thing to do.

Elsie: Yeah, I think all of us can think of something that’s unique to our situation where we’re able to give more, money for sure in our situation. When I was 25, it would be very different. Just think about what you have to give right now and just like f*cking give it. It’s a beautiful challenge and it makes me feel hope. Just to be totally clear like we’re not at all destroyed by the mean comments this time of year. It’s just more sad that it happens every year and that it’s like a part of the holidays. I know that new influencers starting off, I know that it affects them a lot more because we were in that position once. I remember one time, years back before I had kids, that I had one that really ruined my night on Christmas Eve. I do kind of think about that every year. It could have just been a yeah, put it in the Notes app and delete it the next day because you realize that it’s nothing. Anyway, if you’re doing the challenge or taking the challenge, maybe leave us a little like, which emoji should we do? Let’s have a little signal for it on Instagram so we can all know that we’re trying harder to be kind together. 

Emma: Is the Christmas tree too much, like too obvious, is that too on the nose? That’s what I send so much this time of your Christmas tree.

Elsie: How about three Christmas trees in a row and then we’ll know that it means you’re trying to be kind and we are too. It makes me feel really encouraged. So let’s talk about holiday traditions. This is our holiday episode. Even though every episode is the holiday episode on this podcast, this is our official holiday episode so big difference.

Emma: Yes, so we’re going to talk about decor. We’re going to talk about things we’re making. We’re going to talk about food things, we’re backing. Let’s get into it. Let’s do decor first.

Elsie: The thing I’m the most proud of that I love so much, as far as all my decor inside my house, is my food-themed Christmas tree. We do the vintage-inspired glass ornaments but they’re all food. I’ve been collecting them for years. Last year I made it an official like its own tree and my kids loved it. Then all my friends started getting me them as gifts and I realized this is a thing now. So yeah, this year Target made an oat milk carton glass ornament. I’ll link it in the show notes as long as it’s still up there. I’ll link actually a guide have different food ornaments. That is my thing. I don’t know, it’s kind of just fun now with my family that we have themed trees because part of my rich life is having multiple Christmas trees. What’s your decor thing?

Emma: I also have multiple Christmas trees. So I have a pink tree up in my living room and I posted a reel about it on A Beautiful Mess, I think last week, so you can see it there. I’ve had the tree for a little bit, but I decorate it a little differently this year. Anyway, I love it. I just love the glow of a Christmas tree in your living room in the evenings because it gets dark so early now. So that and then in my office, I have a gold Christmas tree and Elsie can see it behind me. It’s very important for me to be festive on Zoom calls because that’s a big part of my work week. So I like to have a skeleton up for Halloween and I like to have my Christmas tree up for Christmas, which for me is two months long. Right now, she’s up and I love her. Then my other thing, that I’m really proud of but it’s like a small thing, is I still am going strong with my holiday mug collection. I added another mug this year. A lot of my mugs are thrifted and then I have also been adding ones that are from small sellers. Those are kind of like what I’m always aiming for. Sometimes people give them to me as gifts and things like that too so they come from all over. 

Elsie: Everyone knows you love your Christmas mug collection

Emma: I do is getting, it’s getting so big.

Elsie: It’s a cemented part of your personality now,

Emma: Someday I feel like I’m going to have so many that I’ll just use them once for two months because I’ll have that many, you know what I mean? 

Elsie: One for each day. 

Emma: Yeah, exactly. 

Elsie: That’s funny. 

Emma: That’s not what I’m aiming for but I can see it in my future.

Elsie: Yeah, slippery slope.

Emma: It really is. Whenever I’m at thrift stores and I see holiday mugs, I’m very picky now.

Elsie: I only have two Santa mugs, the white Santa and the brown Santa. I think that I’m just gonna leave it at that. Maybe I’ll get one every few years, but I see how many you have and it scares me.

Emma: I’m into it. I’m all in, all in. I gotta say I think Oscar is kind of into them. I think it’s just the fact that they’re mostly red so it’s a very vibrant color.

Elsie: Do you think in a future home you would ever have a display case or a part of your kitchen devoted to it or anything like that?

Emma: Yes. In my current kitchen I put up two floating shelves that are above where the hidden trash is, and most of the year they have handmade mugs. But for Halloween and Christmas, they have the holiday mug collections so it’s kind of a display. But yeah, I’m very into it.

Elsie: I love that. I think that it’s so cute. Having collections is really meaningful. I want to have more collections myself and especially holiday stuff.

Emma: I have had friends give me mugs for both collections for Halloween or Christmas. Even last year, a podcast listener sent me a mug for Halloween. 

Elsie: That’s so cool. 

Emma: When I pull them, you know, just the ones that are gifts and I’m not trying to tell everyone to send me more. That’s not what I’m saying, but I’m just saying that when I pull them out, and I remember who gave it to me, it is kind of special. It’s like, oh yeah, this one was from Jacki. This one was from Elise. This one’s from a podcast listener. It’s kind of sweet. 

Elsie: I do kind of feel the need to get one for you all the time but I think I’m scared that you’ll already have it.

Emma: Yeah, I might. It’s got to be a real banger because it’s quite a collection.

Elsie: Okay, well, you’re definitely gonna have to put a picture of your mug collection in the show notes today at abeautifulmess.com/podcast is where we keep our show notes each week.

Emma: So let’s talk about things we’re making, crafting, otherwise, whatever.

Elsie: So our snowflake marathon is definitely on. It’s been on for a while. My six year old is very into her scissor skills and she loves making snowflakes. She’s actually really good at making snowflakes like I was telling Emma her snowflakes are above the level of Emma’s.

Emma: They are. Elsie is correct. She’s not even just trolling me. It’s true. Nova is very good at snowflakes, pro-level 100.

Elsie: Yeah, I think it’s because last year we did like the three whole weeks. I did save a large number of them, which is really hard to do because you have to be very careful taking the tape off. But I saved a lot of them so that I could do our windows faster this year, just because it was a lot of work getting that many snowflakes for that many windows. Like I’ve said before the back of our house is pretty much all windows and sliding doors. I really enjoy doing that. It just feels very festive and magical. I don’t mind the paper all over the floor all the time, that’s fine. It’s totally worth it. If you have kids, I definitely recommend the snowflake marathon but honestly, I enjoy doing it by myself too. Glass of wine and a stack of paper.

Emma: Yeah, I love a project that just keeps your hands busy while you’re watching a movie. I feel like that’s 50% of my crafts is really just kind of just busy work type things, but it’s like making something and it’s fun. I like making stuff. One thing I’m making that was on my holiday bucket list is Oscar and I made little ornaments for his grandmas.

Elsie: Cute. 

Emma: They were just these little wooden ornaments that I bought off, I think, Amazon. I can’t remember it could have been from a craft store because I bought a big bag of them two years ago and I save it. I just pull them out because we’ll do this every year for a while. It’s one of those ones, there’s different shapes. There’s a tree. There’s a stocking. There’s different shapes. It has a little hole in the middle where you put a photo so it’s like a recent photo so as he grows. Then this year we just did little painted fingerprints. They kind of look like polka dots but it’s his fingerprints, not that you can necessarily even see that his prints because I had to help him and be very careful because he loves to put his hands in his mouth. So gotta make sure that the paint doesn’t go in the mouth.

Elsie: I love making ornaments with our kids. We’re trying to do more handmade gifts this year, especially for the family. I think that that’s a really, really good idea. I love that. Mom hack what Emma said about saving the extra supplies, just get one little tub or one little Tupperware, one little box, whatever, for your closet that is Christmas crafting and then one that’s Halloween crafting. You can use it over and over every year because I end up buying rubber stamps and just things that are specific to the season. I think keeping them all in one place is essential because then you’ll use it. You’ll actually get use out of it year after year. 

Emma:  It can be hard to buy just one or two unless you’re shopping in person, which if you are great. I don’t mind buying a bag of like 10 and knowing I’m going to use this for the next five years. it’s no big deal. It just sits in the closet and little tub. No problem. 

Elsie: No, I agree. I think it’s great. It’s like a collection. We’ve done that with our birdhouses because we do the little holiday villages. A lot of years they get half done or we just don’t have time. Like this past year, we just didn’t end up doing it and it’s just put it in the closet for next year. No big deal. 

Emma: No Problem. Okay, let’s talk about baking. What are you baking? To me, this is probably the biggest part. People might think it’s decor but no, it’s baking. I love holiday baking so much.

Elsie: I love it too. So now I do it is 50/50. 50% of it is like my me time. I like to do my cookies, my perfect way when my kids are napping. There are certain things, they’re like the beautiful way. Then 50% of it is like kids going crazy. If you’re a mom, you get the giant jar of all the mixed-up sprinkles and that’s 50% of it. I think both are so important, especially for a creative person. It’s good to have a few crafts for yourself that aren’t just kids projects where you’re managing kids the whole time. What I did last year is I just made a giant list of cookie recipes. Also, I did cupcakes. The cupcake with the ice cream cone flipped upside down and then you ice it and it’s a tree, did that. I love the baking marathon. So I suggest it, just buy the supplies all in one go and put five or more recipes on there and just make one every day or two for your week leading up to Christmas. I think it feels so magical. What are you making? 

Emma: I’m doing, this is a recipe that I shared last year, but it’s on our blog, it’s called Aunt Judy sugar cookies. They’re classic Christmas cookies with royal icing. Doing that with friends, decorating with friends because I love to do it like just us at home but I think it’s really fun to kind of make the frosting, make the cookies, and then have friends frost with you and watch a movie and stuff. Then I’m also doing cake pops, making cake pops, and making them holidayish. Then I also obviously made my Oreo truffles because that’s a must for Christmas. 

Elsie: The classic recipe. Those truffles are so good. 

Emma: They’re so good. They’re very addictive. They just sit in our refrigerator, covered and you could just eat one if you have a lot of willpower, but two or three is more where I’m at.

Elsie: That’s so cute. I’m gonna link this in the show notes but Emma got me this adorable book that is a Christmas cookie Advent. I think I mentioned it in a previous episode but it is really cute and it has a ton of recipes. I know it’s a little late for it this year but if it’s still up for sale, I’ll put it down because it’s a good one. I’m using a lot of those recipes this year.

Emma: Yeah, I’m excited to know what turns out to be your favorite and stuff from this year..

Elsie: I’ll tell you my favorite and my least favorite from last year. Actually, okay, I will say two favorites. The Oreo truffles, yes, they are so good. It was really fun for my kids. But my favorite is always the sugar cookies because I can spend a whole week on them. It’s just like they take so much time and I really like that type of meticulous craft type project. Okay, but my least favorite is last year I did cornflake wreaths, and they were so hard to do. I think that the hot burning marshmallow sugar is actually my nightmare. I did not enjoy those. They were tasty when they were done but they did not look like wreaths and they were really hard to do.

Emma: That’s so sad because those are so cute. For whatever reason, I think of them as a very like Midwest Christmas thing.

Elsie: They’re old-timey. They’re like a very 80s recipe, don’t you think?

Emma: Yeah, it makes me think of a church potluck or something.

Elsie: Casseroles on casseroles? 

Emma: Indeed. Okay, well, I’m excited to know what will be the favorites this year but that’s funny. Things with hot melted marshmallow cream and you have to shape it like popcorn balls, it’s kind of tricky. Rice Krispies Treats, no problem because you just put it in the pan. Whenever you have to shape it into something like a wreath or like a ball, then yeah, it can be, if it’s too hot, it’s no good. If you wait too long, then it doesn’t shape as well so there’s like the sweet spot with it.

Elsie: I burned myself and they just weren’t like the perfect shade of green that I wanted either. They kind of just looked terrible. I was so sad. I think I’m almost done with my holiday bucket list. We started early this year because I was just amped. Favorite memory so far is that this is the first year that my kids were interested in the movie Elf with Will Ferrell. I love that movie. It’s definitely in my top three. It’s just so good and so fun and adorable and for whatever reason, they just caught on to it this year. Last year even they just were not interested at all. I think it’s because little kids get it in their head that they don’t want any shows with people. If it’s not a cartoon, then it’s a grownup show, which is obviously not true but when you’re three.

Emma: Yeah, hard to convince a three year old. I swear this was made for you and they are like no.

Elsie: Name a better movie than Elf. 

Emma: Elf is Excellent. It’s up there. For sure.

Elsie: It’s so wonderful. Do you have any more memories or any more things you want to do this year with baby Oscar?

Emma: So I’m still kind of deciding. I told mom, I was like I don’t know if we’re even gonna buy him any presents because he doesn’t know. I was like, maybe I’ll just wrap up some of the things he already has around the house. Then I was kind of like, actually I’m not sure I’m going to wrap it because lately he’s very into eating paper and that’s no good. So it’s like, I don’t know if he could even really unwrap it. It’s funny but I’m not sure we’re really gonna do like, a lot of gifts. I don’t know. I feel like that’s like one of the things you think Christmas is all about, but like, not really to me. It’s a piece of it but like, it’s so much more. It’s more about the decor and the movies and spending time doing little things. 

Elsie: Yeah, I agree. 

Emma: Yeah, going on walks in his little San outfit and all of that. What’s more, I don’t know, what’s special about it to me. Luckily, it’s not a one day thing. It’s a whole season of it. 

Elsie: Yes. Yes. Enjoy it every day. So special and take lots of pictures. 

Emma: Yes. 

Elsie: Well, okay, we have a listener question.

Voicemail: Hi, Elsie, and Emma. This is Lacey. I live in Kansas City, Missouri and I love your podcast. I listened to it every week. My question is about organization and storage because I love to shop and I love to decorate. I have a very small old farmhouse that does not have closet space, or really any storage space. I have two little girls. I would love to hear your advice on how to store things, organize things when you have a lot of kids, toys, clothes, and just a lot of other stuff that kind of gets piled up. Thank you so much for listening to my question and I hope to hear your answer.

Emma: Yeah, I have two little things that I don’t know might be helpful might not disregard if not helpful, but they’re pretty small. These are two things that I did in my home. In Oscar’s closet, he has a very small little closet but he’s a small little guy so not a big deal. I have one of those historical homes like my home is over 100 years old, so the closets are very small. There’s actually a decent amount of storage because we have a basement that’s somewhat unfinished. So there’s a lot of storage as far as getting things down there but that’s not a place to store your everyday clothes. So anyway, similar situation. In his closet, I bought this, I think I just bought it at Walmart, I bought this hanging, it’s kind of like a made of fabric, cubby holes. That’s where I put so many of his little onesies and shirts and sweatpants, and things like that. It’s almost like I added a drawer to the room, like a dresser drawer, but it’s not. It’s just hanging in his closet and it’s just made of fabric. It was super cheap. I don’t even remember how much it was. It’s been really really helpful and you could even add little labels to it but I kind of know up top is the size he’s in right now. Then as you go down it’s like the next size is up so as he grows out of stuff I just move it up. That’s like all I do with it and it’s really been helpful. Then this was another thing I bought at Walmart.

Elsie: Emma loves Walmart.

Emma: I do. My town is like we have one target but we have like 12 Walmart so I’m kind of a Walmart person. Anyway, so one area that sometimes doesn’t get utilized is the back of doors. This could be the back of the closet door but for me, it’s more like just doors around the house that always stay open. Their doors that don’t really close much but behind the door that’s the spot where you can add some storage. I bought those like, it hangs on the back of your door and you could put shoes in it or other things. I put on the back of mine in my closet, all my beanies and fabric hats and pantyhose and things like that. It helped so much because it was just all this oose stuff and especially the beanie hats. I wear hats all winter long. I was just kind of like not seeing all the colors I had to decide what would go with my outfit for the day.

Elsie: I need to do that because mine are in a basket and then I always pick one from the top.

Emma: Exactly. Yep, that’s what I was doing. I was like I’m not seeing the ones on the bottom. I almost was like did I lose so my hat so now they’re all hanging in these little plastic pockets. It’s just hanging on the back of my door. You never even see ]unless you shut the door, but I just pull the door slightly shut whenever I’m picking out a hat, and then I just leave it open because it’s pretty much always opened otherwise. It’s just like a little spot that doesn’t really take up much space. I didn’t have to buy any furniture, but it really helped out. So those are two little tips.

Elsie: That’s a great tip. My tip is in a very different direction from yours. Mine is more like a heart-to-heart. It’s a perspective. Okay, our home is big and I have a lot of storage. I feel like I have kind of like unlimited storage more than I need is what I mean by that, not unlimited, but like I can always fit more than I need, in my bathroom, in my kitchen. 

Emma: Brag a little. I’m just kidding.

Elsie: Okay, here’s where the perspective comes in, is that I think for a lot of people, you spend your whole life thinking if I just had more storage. It actually did not fix my organization problems. I want to share what does work because having unlimited storage, it’s good for a little while. I think that there’s a perfect sweet spot and then after that, it’s like you get a diminishing return because you’re not forced to clear out and detox enough to where things are just piling up. Since I have two little kids, like kids clothing is a big struggle for us because our kids’ sizes are, they’re not close enough to the same size that they can wear the same clothes. They can wear each other’s clothes, but we can’t just buy them one size. We thought about it, trust me. It just doesn’t work. They definitely have different jeans sizes. They’re definitely different heights but then there’s lots of things that they can share and it’s just very confusing. It’s very hard for us to tell who’s clothes are who’s when we’re doing the laundry, which causes a lot of problems because then you end up with their pajamas and there’s swimsuits and everything’s all mixed up. My whole point is that no matter how much storage you have in your life, the only thing that really helps is to clean out every season and always be getting rid of the stuff that you’re not using. For me, I’m thinking about the kids’ clothes, but also in our kitchen and other places, if you’re hanging on to stuff that you’re not using then you’re not seeing the stuff that you want. You want that instant access./ You want to know where it is. You want to be able to find it, things like that. I would encourage every season or maybe twice a year really cleaning out the house and letting things go. For me, in our big house now I feel like it could be a trap. If I let three or four years go by, think about how much harder it’s gonna be than if I do it still two or four times a year. I think that getting rid of stuff is the answer. It feels so good getting rid of stuff too, even though it’s really sad with kids’ stuff, but it’s also essential.

Emma: Yeah, it is a little sad at moments, but I totally agree. I love a good purge. I just feel lighter whenever I’m like, I make a big pile of stuff and I’m like, you know, I haven’t used this in a long time, I’m going to donate it. If something really nice, I just text my friends. So many of my friends get little things for me. It makes me feel so happy. It’s like, oh, it’s gonna go somewhere and someone else was going to use it. Wonderful. Now it’s not in my house anymore. This is great. It’s such a great thing. I love getting rid of stuff.

Elsie: I think you’re really good about it. 

Emma: Thanks. 

Elsie: And I’m trying. Okay, thank you so much for listening. We’ll be back next week with our best of 2021 episode, which is our last episode of the year. We appreciate you all so much and I hope you’re having a wonderful magical holiday season.