Like so many other moms I scroll through the gorgeous curated photos on Instagram and Pinterest and I begin daydreaming of perfect holiday moments with my family. Only my version doesn't always turn out quite as pretty- ha!

Recently, I meticulously planned out our 2017 Christmas tree lot visit. The holidays are always a big deal in our house. We kicked it off with a visit from Elfie (our mischievous Elf on the Shelf), the kids had coordinating outfits, we pulled out our Santa hats, I even bought an outfit for the dog (don't judge). Yet, despite my well made plans life got in the way.

The vet called and reminded us of an appointment that we had forgotten about for our pup, we left the house without a snack for your youngest and had to return home to get one, when we arrived to the tree lot we were greeted with a large "No Dogs Allowed" sign, and to top it off my camera microphone went out so all of the footage we came home with was ruined.

So, I thought! I started putting together a video and quickly realized it really isn't about perfection. It is about the experience and finding joy amidst the chaos because we only get our kids for 18 Christmas' before they are grown and often times the moments that seem stressful at the time are actually the ones that become our fondest memories.