I think I get into this pothole every year.

The beginning of December looms large in my head and I bah-humbug all the work that is before me, for Christmas hangs like a cloud over my sunny days.

This is the make or break time for me where I decide to dig in or plan a trip somewhere far away from obligations and responsibilities. It turns out that every year I dig in because I have never missed a Christmas on record and the only year I didn’t put up a tree I was immeasurably sad.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the holidays!

The smells, traditions, lights, cozy feelings and family all feed my soul and make me very happy.

I think it’s the preparation that gets to me and the digging decorations out of hiding that I enjoy the least. Last night I joined some friends at a local greenhouse to make Christmas pots which at first seemed like something I did not want to do; until I got there.

The greenhouse was laid out with boughs and branches and decorations of every description and the smell was incredibly intoxicating and SO Christmassy!

I felt so inspired from the second I set foot in that space because everything was so available. It is the same way I feel decorating for the holidays, once the decorations are set up and pseudo-organized, I can relax and enjoy the process.

Would I have shopped for decorations, chopped down pine boughs and filled pots full of dirt to create my own living arrangement? Not in a million years, I’m not the crafty type and crafty type stores exhaust me.

Also, me going to hunt for branches and boughs would not happen. When we hunt for our Christmas tree, I sit in the vehicle with hot chocolate and my hubby runs around with a chain saw trying to figure out which tree I am pointing at when I’m yelling ‘that one’!

I truly appreciated the effort taken by the greenhouse owner to lay out everything so clearly which made the experience that much more enjoyable – there were even snacks and spray glitter, so you KNOW I had a wonderful time.

I think if we took the parts of Christmas that we don’t enjoy prepping for and traded with someone for a task that we do enjoy, things would run very smoothly.

I used to get my sister to bake my cookies for me and I would help her decorate her tree in return. It was delightful having some of my mom’s old recipes made for me – my sister is a master in the kitchen and making 10 dozen cookies is nothing for her – it would send me into hiding for weeks.

I have literally lied to get out of cookie exchanges which everyone thinks is a good idea, but I put them in the same category as having my fillings removed or something equally pleasant.

It’s the first of December so it’s time to dive in!

Last night put me on the path to Christmas which tells me how easily swayed I am – one whiff of sweet pine and I’m off to the races with decorating and making the season bright.

I’m still going to make my husband drag all the decorations into the house but I will engage after that ridiculous task is completed.

Kim Wyse is a Central Alberta freelance designer. Find her on facebook at ‘Kim Wyse Associate Royal Lepage Tamarack Trail Realty’.