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.

Yesterday, I almost didn’t go into the office — not because I was lazy, but because I couldn’t afford lunch. It’s a feeling too many of us know: doing our best while trying to survive a system that keeps asking for more. This isn’t a pity post — it’s a truth-telling one, about gratitude, guilt, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going.

There’s no letter, no perfect moment, no magical sign that tells you when to have a baby. For years, I thought there would be. Now I know that parenthood doesn’t wait for perfect timing — it waits for love, grit, and a willingness to grow alongside your child.

The playbook for motherhood is outdated. From unaffordable childcare to climate anxiety, women today face real challenges that make parenting harder than ever.