I have a love/hate relationship with the holidays. I love baking Christmas cookies and spending time with family, but there is so much pressure for everything to be perfect. If you don’t have a ten foot tree decorated with home made ornaments that would make Martha Stewart weep with joy, then you’re a slacker.

If you don’t stand in line outside of Best Buy at four in the morning on Black Friday to  purchase the new limited edition video game that your nephews would kill for, you’re not into the holiday spirit. If you don’t have a life sized manger, a six foot tall inflatable santa, and enough Christmas lights to make the Vegas Strip seem dim, then you must not love the holidays.

All of this pressure to have the perfect holiday extravaganza stresses me out. It sucks the joy from the season. This year, I vow to take a step back from all the Christmas hype and keep perspective. Here is my plan.

1. Buy a small, pre-lit tree and a box of multicolored, unbreakable ornaments to decorate with. Yes, I have a huge tree buried somewhere in the depths of the basement and two boxes of beautiful, delicate glass ornaments. The idea of assembling the tree and hanging the ornaments and hoping the dogs don’t bump into the tree and break the ornaments gives me hives.

2. Drink wine.

3. Decorate the house with snowmen that I can leave out all winter rather than Christmas themed items I have to put away in January.

4. Eat chocolate.

5. Acknowledge the fact that everything will not be perfect. Enjoy my slightly crazy family. Eat in moderation so I don’t have to buy new pants after Christmas.

That’s my plan for a happy holiday season, what’s yours?