When Staples Become Paperclips (not what you think)

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Tara Darazio

In one of my strange 3 am wake up sessions, I wrote this blog in my head while trying to get back to sleep. I was thinking about a show I watched earlier and one of the characters saying that a certain person had been a “staple” in their lives, and I came up with this crazy office supply analogy of how people and things can go from staples to paperclips.
Let me try to explain this…

When you think of a staple, you think of a couple of facts. 1. They hold things together, or fasten something in place. 2. They are strong and very reliable. They do their job 99% of the time. 3. They are usually permanent, and it takes a great effort to remove them, barely ever escaping without leaving a tear in the paper.

“Staples” in our lives can consist of many things. Friends, family, an addiction (good or bad), the list goes on and on. For sake of the blog, let’s stick with people. Just like staples, these folks hold things together, they are supportive of us, strong, reliable. You know you can call them in the middle of the night, and they will do their job of piecing you back together. And hopefully, they are permanent. If they do exit our lives for whatever reason, it will leave a scar. Just like the tear in the paper, this tear will be in our hearts.

These “staples” – well sometimes they become “paperclips.” Now what do we think about when we think of those little buggers. 1. They are flimsy and bend easily. 2. They get caught on things, papers get separated. 3. They are not reliable and we use them with caution, knowing full-well that they fail at their job, most of the time.

When people enter into the paperclip realm, it means we have lost the “connection.” The fastening together. They become distant, unreliable. They often don’t help us keep it together, maybe not even knowing what is happening in our lives. And we don’t feel the safety and support from them that we need. But a good thing about paperclips, they come off easily. Our papers (our hearts) are rarely torn when these are removed. You know why? Because they probably weren’t the right fit in the first place.

As years go by and people change, you will figure out who your staples are. And as for your paperclips, eventually, you will separate, but you will be okay. Pay attention to those staples and appreciate the reliable people in your life. We meet everyone for a reason. So whether they are there for one moment, or there for them all, it was meant to happen that way.

To all my staples: I love you all so much. 🙂 You know who you are.

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“Inside” the inside joke

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Tara Darazio

We all have them. We all love/hate them. We love them if we a part of them, we hate them if we’re not.

You know how it goes. You’re with an old friend, and the memories start flying and the jokes start coming. You can actually see the annoyed faces of the “outsiders” who weren’t there. Rolling their eyes as you lay on the floor with laughter. “You HAD to be there,” barely escaping your lips as you hiccup in hysterics.

Why do we love these little inside jokes so much? Because we are human, and we want to feel special, and when we have something like this with someone, or a group of people, we feel accepted, important, and like we fit in.

Inside jokes usually stem from some of the best times/events of our lives, as well. I know I can call my girl Vicky and say “I’m sad because I’m flying,” and she will burst out into laughter. No one else would understand. And that’s just fine by us. If you know what this sentence means, please comment. I would love to know how many of you know what that’s from…

If I’m with my best friends and we’ve all just grabbed a drink and I look around making sure no one takes a sip, they all know why. We’ve been doing a certain toast for the past 12 years, and it’s bad luck if we don’t say it before that first drink. And after the toast, we even say the people’s names that aren’t there, paying homage to all our gals, near and far. If you know me, you know this toast. And you know that Bon Jovi is part of the context. Rock on. (This toast gets more eye rolls than anything.)

Inside jokes never die. They can take you out of an awkward situation, like seeing someone from high school you haven’t seen in years, and you can’t think of much to say. Just start off “remember when…” and you’ll be laughing in no time.

Memories and bonding are two amazingly important elements for most people. We all want to have a bank in our heads, to which we can withdraw or deposit memories. And we want access to them anytime. We also want to be able to relive them, and share them with the people who mean the most.

And bonding, well how good does it feel when you meet a new person and you instantly click? There’s really nothing better. Except the best feeling in the world, which is being in good company. Being with the people you’ve known for what seems like a lifetime, the ones that have your back, love you for you, would do anything for you, support you…and they are the ones to which the inside joke bank is overflowing.

Inside jokes make life a little easier. They take us back. They connect us. They make us smile. So call or text someone today with something only they would understand. It will brighten their day, and you’ll remember how lucky you are to have such awesome people with which to share this journey of life.

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From 1 to 7… my journey thus far

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Tara Darazio

Three years ago, terrified, I left my corporate good-paying job to stay home with my then 4 month old son (who was in need of lots of care after his premature birth) and I had ONE client. My former employees were amazing and gave me the opportunity to continue my marketing and social media job from home, something I am still doing to this day.

Today, I was making an Excel sheet for taxes and I realized that my little one client business has grown to seven. I work for folks in three different states, handle everything from ghostwriting, resume writing, and web content, to social media, video editing, and email campaigns, and my life has gone from busy to BUSY.

My son still has therapy twice a week (OT and Speech) and is doing AWESOME. He inspires me everyday. And my husband, there aren’t even words for him. He is always sacrificing his relaxation time to make dinner, give the baby a bath, throw in laundry, whatever he can do to help out.

I’ve realized over these last three years, that weekends no longer exist. I never have a day off, and if I take one off, I’ll pay for it later. And that conference calls at 9 pm or editing at midnight should be expected and embraced.

Sometimes I love the quiet hours of the night, when my boys are asleep, and the only sound is the click-clack of my keys going a mile a minute.

Sure, some days I want to run away. I can’t imagine writing one more thing, or posting any more content, or being creative. But I am truly blessed to live this life, to do exactly what I have wanted to do my whole life, and to be with my son all day, every day.

I do go into the office once a week on Mondays at my old full-time position, and those days are great, too. I miss my little one, miss my morning coffee and breakfast, miss the laptop on my lap sitting on the comfy couch, but it also gives me time to get away. To focus. To appreciate.

This life isn’t easy, it’s different. It’s stressful and lonely at times, but it’s mine.

Thank you to everyone I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, and to all my future clients. I hope someday to grow that seven to many, many more. Thank you to my family and friends for your continued support. I know my purpose on this Earth.
To love and to write.

To add some lightheartedness to this blog, the entire time I was typing this, my son was grabbing my arm, throwing milk at me, making me turn 15 different songs on the radio, and now he’s pulling me to get up and dance. 

SUCH IS LIFE!

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How Lighting A Match Inspired My Blog Today

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Tara Darazio

Sometimes the fact that I write for a living, and spend so much time making sure I’m creative for everyone else’s posts, that I can’t seem to get into the groove of my own.

I literally started three different blogs today and just kept staring at the blinking cursor a few sentences in. I wasn’t feeling any of them.

I figured I would just start typing, as I often do, and see what happens…

5 minutes go by

I love the smell of matches. I was just looking at the candle I had burning earlier, and was thinking back to the smell when I first lit it. I usually just buy long lighters for my candles, but after venturing into an aisle I’m rarely in at Walmart, I found a box of matches and realized that for 97 cents, it was almost criminal not to buy them.

My son thinks they are amazing, too. One minute it’s a piece of wood, the next, a giant flame. He likes to blow them out, asking for “mo, mo,” which means more in toddler language, amused by such a simple concept.

A match is the quintessential definition of simple. It serves one purpose, it never fails (unless the box side gets gritty), and its shelf life is eternity. They never go bad, you never have to clean them or update them. They are just there, ready to go, whenever you are.

If you’re like me, you probably have an old matchbox from some random restaurant or wedding long ago in your purse. I don’t smoke, and can’t think of a time I would need a match out in the world, but I guess if I get lost in the wilderness, I’m set.

You know what’s going to happen every time you light a match, which can’t be said for every other appliance, vehicle, computer, phone, etc. you use every day. My Bluetooth in my car connected me to Verizon support for no reason the other day; my laptop decided I needed to update my browser before I could log in to anything this morning; my phone kept freezing when ads came up during my “I’m bored, I’ll waste some time on Flappy Bird,” moment; and my toaster decided that the “bagel” setting meant “burn” today.

But my trusty match will never give me grief. Finding the simple things that work in your life, is key. If a cup of tea and a candle make your night, then make those things happen.

This might not be the most prolific blog I’ve ever done. It’s really quite simple. But just like a match serves its purpose, if you needed five minutes of distraction, to clear your head or refresh, and my blog did that for you, then it’s done its job. Simply.

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
-Confucius

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LungLeavin’ Day

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Tara Darazio

As a blogger, I appreciate and cherish every view, comment, and share of my stories, so when I was approached by Cameron Von St. James to share his wife’s story, and the day they created, I was honored.

Cameron wrote:

“Eight years ago, my wife Heather was diagnosed with mesothelioma; a rare cancer that kills most people within 2 years of diagnosis.  She had just given birth to our daughter Lily, and was only given 15 months to live.  After a life saving surgery that included the removal of her left lung, LungLeavin’ Day was born.  On February 2nd, we celebrated 8 years of Heather being cancer free.”

“The purpose of LungLeavin’ Day is to encourage others to face their fears!  Each year, we gather around a fire in our backyard with our friends and family, write our biggest fears on a plate and smash them into the fire.  We celebrate for those who are no longer with us, for those who continue to fight, for those who are currently going through a tough time in their life, and most importantly, we celebrate life!”

I love this story and the whole idea behind the event. We should all learn to face our fears, and even better if we can do it in such a fun and supportive way. Life is too short to worry about anything but being happy and spending time with our loved ones. I’m overjoyed for Heather, Cameron, and their daughter Lily. I’m sending them lots of love and support. Thank you for letting me be a part of your awesome story!

Click here to read more about LungLeavin’ Day. And here to read Cameron’s blog.

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“Let’s Get Together Sometime” – and what happens after

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Tara Darazio

I’ve been thinking about this for a while and had to blog about it. Why the hell, when we become “adults,” does time seem to fly? And as that time flies, we realize we haven’t spent enough moments with some of our favorite people, because we just couldn’t fit it in.

It’s always embarrassing to run into an old friend or colleague and quickly realize it’s been (insert time length here) that you’ve seen them. Especially when it’s years. YEARS?! How could years go by, and you never found the time to get together.

You hug, you chat, you laugh, you remember immediately why you love/not so much love this person and then… there’s the obligatory, usually open-ended, “let’s get together sometime.”

One reason we say this is just as a cop-out. A way to end the conversation, a way to get away, yada, yada, see you later. We know we have no intention, and doubt they do either, of actually getting in touch.

 

On the other hand, even if both parties really do mean it, and they genuinely would like to catch up, it still usually falls by the wayside until the next chance meeting.

Why? Because no one takes the lead. No one actually checks their schedule to see if they can make something work. No one sends a text, an email, a Facebook message, a Tweet… Lord knows we have ways of getting in touch. Why is this? Is it because we aren’t sure if the other person really meant it? Is it because we really are super busy? I don’t think anyone is THAT busy. There’s always time if you make it.

I know I myself am a culprit of this. I guess life is already so full of to do’s and you can barely find time to get together with family and close friends, that adding more people in, almost becomes a chore. Sometimes I just want to relax, sit on my couch, watch a movie. But you know what, when you DO make the effort, when you DO make the plan, it’s always awesome, and you wonder how the heck you went this long without seeing that person, because they really do make life a little sweeter.

I recently spent a few hours at a kid’s birthday party with two of my best friends I used to work with in my late teenage years, and we had a blast catching up. We made temporary plans for the summer when we are all in town again, and made the overall plan to definitely do better when it comes to updating one another. At least a monthly email, or a text to say hello. I will be doing this and I know they will, too. Because we made a plan. That’s all it takes. A little effort goes a long way.

We come across so many people in our lives, some that are amazing friends to us, even if the relationship is short-lived due to circumstance, but reconnecting with those people is very worth it. And if you really are the true friends you thought you were, time apart will mean nothing. You’ll pick up right where you left off.

So the next time you see someone, don’t just say you want to get together, make a plan. Do it right there and then. Family, friends, and moments make for a fantastic life. Now get to living one! You can binge watch Dexter on your DVR anytime. (thanks Meesh for that ending comment.)

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My Two-Cents on Scents

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Tara Darazio

My son is doing a therapeutic listening program as part of his occupational therapy (more info on that in another blog) and it’s got me obsessed with brain stuff. Science- and how sounds and smells are so directly related to our brains. I’ve had enough about music lately, so turning to smell.

These are the top 10 scents that most strongly elicit emotions for me. Tell me yours…

1. The smell of Starbucks and how it kinda sticks to your clothes after you leave. I love this. Even when my husband runs into the gas station to grab me a coffee, that smell comes with him. I would wear coffee perfume if it was acceptable. It inspires me. Love, love, love.

2. The smell of a really good candle. I have written entire blogs about candles. I just find them to be so comforting and peaceful. I used one this year called Apple Pumpkin that rocks, and my sister just got me an awesome Mason Jar candle that’s called Apple Pie Cinnamon Vanilla. I want to eat it. I seriously might eat it.

3. The smell of Abercrombie. I don’t even shop there, but you always know when you’re near one in the mall. It’s an intense smell of cologne. It reminds me of my club days and what the guys seemed to be wearing back then. It always brings a smile to my face, a little nostalgia of days gone by.

4. The smell of my mom’s perfume. It doesn’t matter what kind she’s wearing, just any scent she wears smells good. She is one of those people with the right pheromones or whatever it is. Scents just work for her. I love giving her a hug and then later in the day still smelling her lovely scent on my clothes. Makes me feel like she’s always close.

5. The smell of my son’s skin. Babies always smell great, and my toddler still has that baby skin smell. I don’t know if it’s baby wash or lotion, or just him, but I love that smell. It’s innocence and purity.

6. The smell of my husband’s body wash. I swear they make the best stuff for guys. I can lather up a storm and I still don’t think girl’s scents are as powerful as a mans.

7. Many food scents elicit emotion for me, but the best would be breakfast cooking (especially bacon), puts me in an instant good mood. Instant. I just feel like when I eat a big, hearty breakfast I’m ready for anything that comes my way that day.

8. The smell of rain. Any kind of rain, any season, just rain in general. I like dark, rainy days, best for writing. And the smell, I don’t know, it’s fresh, clean, like anything is possible. Now going out in the rain, not so much. I’m the dork that brings an umbrella, and uses it, for a slight drizzle.

9. The smell of fires. Bonfires, campfires. Again, a scent that sticks to you. You can’t get fire smell out of your hair for two days I swear. But I don’t mind it. I’m the farthest thing from an outdoorsy type, but I do enjoy a good campfire. S’mores, Mountain Pies. I mean, c’mon.

10. The smell of Fall. One day in September it just starts to smell like the season. I can’t pinpoint it, it’s almost a feeling, or the wind, or leaves. I met my husband in the Fall 8.5 years ago, and every year I’m reminded of that time of our lives when that smell hits my nose.

Some close contenders that didn’t make the list: Gasoline (I know, weird); Fresh-cut grass; Potato Patch at Kennywood.

So that’s my two-cents on scents. What smells affect your mood?

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My Complex Relationship With My iPhone

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Tara Darazio

I love my phone! I hate my phone!

I often say these same sentences many, many times in a day, and I think you can all agree. I have a love/hate relationship with this little monster and I thought I’d take you through my thoughts over the last couple of days.

I LOVE MY PHONE!
I just got an email alerting me of an awesome sale at Old Navy. I got a shirt for my son for $2! Are you kidding me? Never would have known about that sale without that email.

I HATE MY PHONE!
I’m trying to enjoy dinner with my family and I made the mistake of checking my emails. I just got three that were work-related. Now I’m scarfing down my burger because I can’t relax when I know things need done.

I LOVE MY PHONE!
Just had a text party with my bff. It was just back and forth ridiculousness, complete with photos. Love staying connected and acting goofy, even if it can’t always be in the physical sense.

I HATE MY PHONE!
Some weird number called and upon Googling it, I can’t find out who it is. I hate this! Who was it? Wrong number? Telemarketer? Ellen DeGeneres? Should have just answered.

I LOVE MY PHONE!
Just took the cutest pics of my son and sent them via email and text in seconds. No plugging in cords and uploading. Easy and fast.

I HATE MY PHONE!
Unrecognized number came up, but thought it was the doctors confirming an appointment since it was a 412 number. Fail. Just spent 15 minutes on the phone with a rep from a magazine trying to get me to buy an ad.

I LOVE MY PHONE!
Left the doctors, had never been to this office before, and made a wrong turn. Pulled over in a parking lot, put on my Google Maps and within seconds, I was back on track.

I HATE MY PHONE!
I just went on Twitter and saw something about a show I still had on the DVR. Damn! If you don’t watch things live, you have a slim chance of not hearing about it within 24 hours. Geez, give me a minute!

I LOVE MY PHONE!
Just compared our weather to Atlantic City, checked my blog stats, put a few appointments in the calendar, and told a couple of people Happy Birthday on Facebook, all while sitting on my couch watching the show I should have watched live.

I HATE MY PHONE!
I keep putting my pass code in wrong because I’m doing it too fast and now I’m locked out. Why is a minute SOOOOOO  long?

I LOVE MY PHONE!
Hopped in the car, put on the Bluetooth and streamed *N Sync Christmas album from iTunes, then answered a call from my mom while driving, never taking my hands off the wheel.

I HATE MY PHONE!
My wireless Internet isn’t working and I’m so overdue for a phone, I’m still rocking 3G. Internet is going slower than the last day of work before Christmas vacation.

As much as I love technology and I try to embrace it, part of me will always hate it. I hate being ON all the time. And it’s a lie when people say, “Oh just turn your phone off.”

Are you kidding me? And have a heart attack? We all know we can’t function without our phones. We feel lost, naked.

Who checks their phones at least once during a movie in the theater to make sure nothings going on. Who wakes up in the middle of the night and scrolls through Facebook or checks emails to make sure they didn’t miss anything. I know I do.

When our phone is off, or breaks, we feel like we have to find another way to tell people how to contact us, via email or Facebook, because we are that afraid of them not being able to get a hold of us.

In the old times, people waited weeks for a letter. There was no instant updating. Dinner time was dinner time. Family time was family time. You would get the news when it got to you, and if you didn’t get it, it didn’t really matter. Life was so much simpler.

I got a Christmas letter from a dear friends’ wife this year, and it was my favorite card. With these picture cards, which I myself send, we don’t even write a message anymore. I wish I would have taken the time to let everyone know how much I appreciate them in my life.

Tonight, hot cocoa with whipped cream, and a Christmas movie with my boys. I’m leaving the iPhone off…at least off to the side, for tonight. 🙂

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Why I Wouldn’t Survive A Zombie Apocalypse

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Tara Darazio

I’m not calm under pressure.

Having said that, I’m an excellent multi-tasker. I work from home, manage six freelance clients, take care of all the housework and errands, and raise my two and a half year old. I’m fine in stressful situations, but when it comes down to those panic-ridden, crazy situations, apparently, I’m pretty useless.

My husband first noticed this about me when we used to live in an apartment when we were in the process of finding a new home. I was cooking on the electric stove, and some grease got under my pan and flames started shooting out of the burner. I literally flipped out and was running around the house ready to grab photo albums and valuables and run out of the place. My husband, chuckling, oddly calm, grabbed a towel and swatted out the flames and turned off the burner. I felt like an idiot.

Why can’t my brain function during these times?

This is not a good trait, and one I’m working on, but a funny thing happened the other night, and it inspired this blog, and again, goes to show that my imagination must be pretty powerful to concoct some of the thoughts in my head.

I must tell  you first about something in our house called a whole house fan. It’s on the ceiling of our hallway and it’s been on exactly once since we’ve lived here, when our real estate agent told us what is was. It basically sucks all the hot air out of your house in minutes. But it’s scary because carbon monoxide can leak out so you have to run it with windows open, and all these other rules, so we just leave it alone. I don’t even realize it’s there.

Well, the other night, my husband and I were having some stupid argument. The ones where you’re going to laugh five minutes later and it’s no big deal. He went back to the computer room to work on something, and I was out in the living room. He had left his jersey on the couch, so I got up and threw it down the hallway, towards the room, as a joke, and more-so a white flag to end the disagreement.

I went back to the couch and about 10 seconds later, I heard the loudest, most disturbing noise I’ve ever heard. I can only relate it to those sirens in the movies with the zombies or aliens, that low-pitched ominous sound. Also along with this sound, came a feeling like the whole house was shaking. I started screaming!! I ran into the hallway and all I could see was debris falling from the ceiling. These were my instant thoughts: 1. The house is caving in, we’re all going to die. 2. My husband is a super powered wizard and I finally made him mad enough that he evoked his powers of destruction on me. 3. Aliens/Zombies are attacking.

I’m dead serious. ALL of those things passed through my mind. I also couldn’t scream and when I tried to yell for my husband, my mouth froze on the left-hand side. I got like a 10 second episode of Bell’s Palsy and I could not talk right. I was crying hysterically, tears running down my face, screaming, running to find my son, and was shaking.

While I was doing all that jazz, my husband calmly walked out of the computer room, “assessed the situation” (If you’re a Sunny in Philly fan you’ll get that), realized that when I threw the jersey, I knocked the whole house fan dial to on and quickly shut if off. The debris that had come down was from when they put on our roof last year, it was shingles and dirt mainly.

He was laughing at me, my son wasn’t even upset, and I had to spend the next 15 minutes trying to calm myself down. I literally laugh out loud thinking about it now, but I was terrified.

I gotta work on this, guys. I thought your body and mind went into survival mode when this kind of stuff happened.

I can safely say, if there ever is a zombie apocalypse, and you see me coming towards you, you should run. I’m probably the first one they targeted and with my apparent lack of movement when I’m scared, I’m as good as dead. Sorry, undead.

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Christmas Phrases We Say All Year

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Tara Darazio

My husband IS Clark W. Griswold. He loves Christmas, and of course, so do I, but he’s such a fun-spirited kid this time of year, he makes everyone around him love the season, and him, that much more. I wrote a blog last year about our Christmas list of movies. We have around 25 MUST-SEE films on the list, and we spend most December evenings and weekends, doing just that.

Image from http://www.magiclanternfilmsociety.org

I realized that we quote Christmas movies ALL year.

It’s just a part of our everyday. So, I thought I’d share the ones we say the most, and see if anyone else does things like this, or are we just Christmas crazies?

And we don’t just say these, we do the impressions, too.

 

From A Christmas Story:
“Hey, Kid.” Randy says this after a kid pushes him into the snow, and he can’t get up because he has that classic red snowsuit on. We use this in everyday language, just as a term of endearment.

From Christmas Vacation:
“Shittin’ Bricks, Shittin’ Rocks.” In the movie, Ruby Sue tells Clark that her brother is “shitting bricks,” and he tells her she shouldn’t use that word, and she replies, ‘Sorry, shitting rocks.” Best line ever if you ask me. But we just combine the two together. We use this if we are nervous about something, like say fantasy football. “All my players are on bye this week, I’m shitting’ bricks, shittin’ rocks.”

“I don’t know about you Clark, but this is gooooood.” Cousin Eddie says this about the green jello during dinner. We use it when we are eating something good, too. Why not?

From Love Actually *My favorite movie of all time, besides Serendipity
“Just in cases” Aurelia says this to Jamie at the end, when he realizes she learned English. We use it the same way we would if we were saying just in case. More fun to add the s, though.

“Every day. Every night.” Sarah is visiting her brother who is ill and in a home, and she asks him if he’s been watching TV, to which he replies the top quote. We say it when we are talking about something we do all the time, or if we are bored.

From The Santa Clause
“Thanks, thanks a lot.” Charlie says this to Elf Bernard when he gives him the snow globe. The way he says it is so over-dramatic and hilarious, that we say it when we are being sarcastic about something. Here’s a clip so you get the idea. Watch at :30.

From It’s A Wonderful Life
“You want the moon?” George says this to Mary on their walk home from the party, and we just like to impersonate Jimmy Stewart, so we say it when it comes to mind.

From Prancer
“You want to eat like an animal, take your food out to the barn.” The Dad says this to his son, and we use it in the same way. If my husband is chewing loudly or annoying me, I pull this one out. Clip below. Watch at 10:07.

From Rudolph
“Independent.” The little elf wants to leave the elf world and become a dentist, and he explains this to Rudolph, who agrees, and stutters out “independent.” We love the way he says it, and we say it randomly sometimes for no reason at all. Watch clip at :25.

We bust out songs from both Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas, as well as Muppet Christmas Carol. “When there ain’t no hole in the wash tub” and “The Love is Gone,” respectively.

We even reference parts of Christmas movies in everyday situations. Like if I’m being cheap, Justin calls me Ginny Grainger, the mom in One Magic Christmas who buys her kids two toys and hates the holiday at the start of the film.

We just LOVE this time of year. 🙂  I’m sure there are many more Christmas-related blogs to come. ‘Tis the season!

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