The holidays used to feel magical—catalogs, Santa letters, decorations, excitement. Now as a millennial mom, the season feels less like joy and more like survival. Bills, inflation, and pressure to create “holiday magic” on a stretched budget have replaced the wonder I once knew. Here’s my honest take on why the holidays just don’t hit the same anymore.

Becoming a mother changed my entire relationship with time. What once felt abstract now feels painfully real as I watch my daughter grow a little more each day. This post explores the impossible math of motherhood, the expectations placed on women, and why protecting my time has become an act of survival and love.

Motherhood has a way of pulling you in every direction at once partner, parent, friend, worker, caregiver, and somewhere in the shuffle, your own needs get pushed to the bottom of the list. In this post, I share what I’ve learned about finding balance, setting boundaries, and protecting my energy so I can show up not just for everyone else, but for myself too.