Every day in December feels like a different Golden Girl character.

Sophia — Days when you’re cranky and obsessed with the past.
Blanche — Days when you’re overly confident. “Hell yeah, I can do all this! Of course I can! Look at me!”
Dorothy — Days when you’re pragmatic and busy, with little time for frivolous things.
Rose — Days when you see the world as a candy-coated wizard school with free puppies.

The key to a successful holiday is to have more Rose Days than Sophia, Blanche and Dorothy Days.

Sophia Days don’t help anyone. It’s okay to think of Christmases past, but when you start comparing rose-tinted memories with the current state of affairs, you’ll find yourself upset that this holiday season doesn’t feel as good. But every December more or less feels the same — we simply remember the good stuff. Trying to relive the past sometimes means missing out on crazy, cool new stuff happening RIGHT NOW!

Blanche Days aren’t terrible, but too much confidence can easily set yourself up for disappointment. For instance, you might start the day thinking: I can do all of my holiday shopping in one store, I’ll be home by noon to decorate the tree, write my Christmas cards at 1, and then at 1:30 I’ll learn how to cook and by 2 I’ll start making Creme Brulee from scratch! Easy! And then it’ll be 8 p.m. and you’re still at the mall with sore feet and gallons of frustration filling your brain.

And perhaps too many of us fill December with Dorothy Days, as we rush and work and stress and wear amazing, long blouses that catch a winter’s breeze like a flag in a hurricane.

So, how do you transform the other days into Rose Days? Allow it to happen, and if it doesn’t happen…force it. December is when it’s okay to be silly and dumb. I hereby give thee permission. Giggle at a duck, talk to a Christmas tree, dance with a door — it’s okay.

Christmas magic doesn’t just happen. Rose Days aren’t always a given. Often, you have to give it a little push. And if you find yourself feeling those other types of days sneaking into your brain…giggle at more ducks.

That’s why I open a silly toy calendar every year. Some days I don’t feel like doing it, but I force it. And every time, I’m glad I did. (Today isn’t a bad day, really. In fact, despite my lack of sleep I am feeling quite happy and Christmas-y. This post was just a reminder I can look at when I have bad days.)

This ends my Golden Girls Discussion (Part 1).

Part 2 focuses on the possibility that all four Golden Girls were not human, but personifications of a teenager’s brain (a’la Inside Out), and that teenager is named Miami. More on that at my Ted Talk.

Yesterday we got a table.

Today we get…
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I’m making a Secret Santa gift today using faux-fur fabric, because I give great gifts.

If you’re looking for great gifts, check out the cool stuff I sell at the PowerPencils.com store! The Jetpack Werewolf Ornament is back in stock after selling out last year and I only have a few left this year.
Also, you can get a pack of magic pencils that summon monsters. This is only available at PowerPencils.com because Walmart and Target are too intimidated by my enchantments to sell such things in their stores. Your support is greatly appreciated, and I love you.

What could today’s calendar item be?

It’s…
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I like this calendar quite a bit…so far. Perhaps the Gods of Playmobil have stuffed good items early in the calendar with a sinister hope to lure me away from Lego calendars. It’s working.

Yesterday’s Jonas Cannoncube was a fantastic surprise, and I like him even more today. Did I mention his jacket is a deep, rich shade of purple? It’s luxurious.

What’s behind today’s door?
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This is my first December 2nd in six years in which I have not touched a Lego brick. Not gonna lie, it feels weird. But change can be good.

I did some investigative journalism (Wikipedia) and learned a few cool things about Playmobil:

1. It was invented in the early 1970s by Hans Beck of Germany. I imagine Hans had an old workshop deep in the woods where rays of sunshine cut through the colorful leaves, draping the entire area in a rainbow of golden autumn colors, as a small creek babbled nearby and the curious deer and chipmunks would peek their heads into the window to see what the old toy maker was creating. Or maybe he sat in a beige cubicle inside a cooperate office. It’s magical either way.

2. The figure is called a “Klicky.” In Spain, the male characters are called “Clicks” and the female characters are called “Clacks.” And in England, instead of Playmobil, the toys were originally called Playpeople…but England is terrible at naming things since they call ladybugs, “ladybirds.” WHAT THE HELL, ENGLAND! It’s not a bird, it’s a bug! Do you also call spiders “Wall Fish” and penguins “Polar Humans”?

3. The first Playmobil people were based on Native Americans, Construction Workers and Knights.

4. They come to life at night and steal the tongues of lying children.

What lurks behind today’s door?

Yesterday I got a boat. Today I got…
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