Tis the season for Dressember!

Every year as the holidays approach I try to figure out how I can create more space and time because invariably time is very limited. There are gift exchanges, work Christmas parties, Christmas concerts, Christmas lists and a million other very FUN activities I really want to do. Personally I feel like even if I started scheduling and planning for Christmas in the summer I still wouldn’t be able to get it all done. Yesterday I found myself so stressed over the freaking Christmas picture! I don’t want to edit it or try to pick through a million different kinds of Christmas cards. I just want it done. I want my letters stamped and addressed already. Tis the season to be jolly and I am apparently already a grump.

My whole over-achiever self has made the holidays very exciting but not quite so calm. All is calm and bright isn’t exactly something that happens to real life people like me. So in order to figure out a way to create a little more space I decided to do the impossible: 

Be done with Christmas shopping by December 1^st. (not including Scotty #bestilllast)

I love Christmas shopping. I love how the malls bustle with anticipation. I love hot chocolate and the massive Christmas tree up in the center of it all, with Santa’s house a few feet away. But let’s be real, San Diego starts to get a little crazy around ANY MALL come November so I decided in order to reduce stress I would get all my Christmas shopping done by December 1^st. Scott and I achieved my glorious goal this week and we officially have my family and his family all taken care of. That would be approxiamtely 17 people. So this December I’m spending my “extra” time by hopefully BEING calm and somewhat bright by advocating for #dressember. Basically I am wearing a dress every day in December to help raise money for women who have been exploited for their femininity. The money goes towards A21 and International Justice Mission that works to end trafficking and slavery globally. They are both amazing organizations and I am so excited to be part of. I am joining up with an amazing team of gals who are all so passionate about justice and pursing the inherent dignity of females. Our funding page is here is you are interested in our progress or want to support us.

This month I’m hoping to have conversations about justices and equality and what does it really mean to me to be a feminist. I want to talk about Christmas and Jesus. I want to talk about light and love winning. 

“The people walking in darkness, have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned.”

I adore those words in Isaiah. Light has come for all of us. We are all in. There’s enough room at the table. And there’s enough light to push back the darkness.

AND hopefully I'm also adding to the "calm" by only having a few options to wear each morning as I don't have a ton of dresses. (as most of you know, I LIVE in yoga pants or leggings). If you catch me at the mall shopping for a dress well...then...I guess I've been caught. Please just give me a hug. I'll feel sheepish enough as it is. 

Namaste.