What to Wear for the Holidays

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Guest Post by Kari Patterson

One fabulous holiday outfit is really all you need.

That is, that one thing that always looks right. That always makes you feel like a million bucks, that makes you stand a little taller, walk a little surer, the one that gives you the confidence to enter a room and handle whatever it brings.

Because what we wear really does matter, doesn’t it?  And sometimes something that seemed like a good idea at the time can later make us want to burn all the holiday photos of that year: The year we wore more ornaments than the Christmas tree.  The truth is, we don’t want to look like Christmas trees, but we do want to wear something festive, something that feels good, looks good, and reminds us that this is a time to celebrate.

And, of course, because we’re frugal enthusiasts, it needs to be inexpensive.

I know just the thing. (And it’s free!)

It’s the one thing I wear every year. Every time I slip it on things begin to happen. My kids are happy and behave better. My husband can’t take his eyes off me, insisting that I’m gorgeous. Strangers smile at me, men and women alike. The cashier at the grocery store greets me cheerfully. I half expect the neighborhood cats and dogs to start following me down the street.

You know what it is, right? A smile.

It won’t cost you a dime, and it always fits. It’ll never go out of style or gather moths over time. You don’t even have to take it to the dry cleaner. And yet, it’s hands-down the most attractive thing we can wear.

Yet it’s during the hectic holiday season that it’s often the first thing to go. The crowds, lines, expectations, and stress can sometime leave us desperate for some real holiday cheer.

We know joy came to the world, but then where the heck did it go?

It’s closer than we think. In fact, by changing our faces we actually change our hearts. The same way that a fabulous outfit can transform the way you feel, slipping on a smile can actually change the way you feel.

Don’t buy it? Try it. Joy might come to your world.

Kari Patterson is a pastor’s wife, ministry mommy, writer, runner, blogger, reader, and frugal living enthusiast. She enjoys green tea, line-dried laundry, and Alexander McCall Smith novels. Her musings can be found at KariPatterson.com.

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