Ah, yes, Christmas time. The joyous holiday that is all hyped up into two quick days, while filling our hearts with warmth, bringing us crazy anxiety and short tempers. One must prepare for the holiday season for a prolonged amount time before it and if you’re organized enough, your holiday preparation goes smoothly. But for the other 95 percent of us, we endure many stages of the holiday season which present themselves in the same light each year. Here are just a few:

1. Who's on your list?

As time winds down to December 25^th, we think of our friends, our family and co-workers of whom we wish to grace with a gift. Your mind spirals down many ladders of faces you have met in your life to determine the gift getters and the not getters on your list.

2. The actual gift getting.

Now that you have determined whom you plan to buy for, it is what you will purchase that takes time. You must come up with a creative and thoughtful gift for each individual and with that, budget how much you will spend on each person. You must also determine where you will get these gifts and if they will even arrive on time because if you’re anything like me, you’ve had these gifts in mind for the past month, but just got around to actually ordering them and are now spending $20 extra on expedited shipping. *A lot of artistic thinking and math equations going on in your head so have Advil near by.*

3.The planning of your holiday festivities.

But where will you go to celebrate these family and friend filled times? Will it be your spouse’s side of the family or yours? How long will you be staying, what will be served for dinner, how will this large group of family be entertained for hours upon hours, and will crazy Aunt Muriel be invited? It is all to be determined just a few days short before Christmas.

4. Christmas! Finally!

All your high stress moments and hours of wrapping has finally paid off. You are finally relaxed and are surrounded by those you love (even Aunt Muriel) and better yet, you get a whole break from the intensity of the holiday season until next year. So eat all the seasonal cookies you can, all the monkey bread your tummy can fit, and all the hugs your body can endure because you won't have another moment like this for another 12 months.

5.The realization that you are broke.

Although it's not a pleasant thought that you must now return to work after you enjoyed the holiday with family, you definitely need the money. All those gifts really added up, plus the wrapping paper, the travel expenses, and food. It was tough work and making up the money in the office will be even tougher, but you wouldn't exchange those two days for the world.