Just do it.

Don't wait until everything is perfectly aligned to invite your friends and family over. Just do it. Make a big pot of macaroni and cheese and cut up some veggies and just tell everyone to come. If you wait until the bathroom is remodeled or you finish painting or you have enough money to throw a catered party, it will never happen. If it is raining and fifty degrees outside, scrap the luminaria...you ran out of time anyway. If constructing the gingerbread house goes too slowly, and it's not done, just make another batch of dough into gingerbread men and put out some sprinkles and let everybody decorate them. If you don't have very many holiday decorations, improvise a wreath with some construction paper and magazine clippings. It does not have to be perfect to be a good idea.

Last night our house was filled with noise and laughing and the clankity clang of young children banging on piano keys. Christmas music in the background, warm cups of wassail clutched in hands. A small crowd lingering until long past my normal bedtime, helping us tidy up and put away food. (Or just pick at the food until it was gone!)

I'm 8 months pregnant, M and I both got new jobs in the last two weeks and Laurel is so very three. There were a lot of reasons not to throw a party right now.

But there were more reasons to just do it. I'm so very glad for every opportunity we have to open our doors, and for the people who walk through them when we do.

So, don't wait to invite those new neighbors over for dinner (they won't care how messy your house is).  Haven't talked to an old friend in a while?...send her an email today. Take out your stationary and drop a note to your grandma. Bake some cookies and drop them off to your kid's teachers. Don't overthink it, just do it, and do it now. You won't regret it.