From slippery white tights and velvet collars to nursing-home caroling and “present!” drops from Mom’s closet, Beth and SJ unpack the rituals that made Christmas sparkle, and the darker seasons when holidays were used as leverage.

They talk about learning to reclaim celebrations, giving Dad his flowers for simply showing up, and how repetition (not perfection) is the real engine of holiday magic. The sisters swap practical tradition ideas (window candles, cookie day, puzzles, popcorn garlands), debate turkey vs. ham, and explore a meaningful Winter Solstice gathering that centers light, gratitude, and connection. They close on gift-giving sanity checks, parenting without recreating scarcity, January as a recovery month, and the great “eat the frog…or toad?” bit.

What you’ll hear:

• The good stuff: kid memories of tights, Mary Janes, matching dresses, and the legendary “present!” hallway toss

• The hard stuff: when holidays turned into control tactics and how the sisters rebuilt them anyway

• Reframing tradition: repetition > elaborate plans; “predictable = magical” for kids

• Gifts with grace: managing expectations, secondhand wins, and why “being seen” matters more than price tags

• Winter Solstice 101: candles, evergreens, Yule logs, and celebrating the return of light (zero spell-casting, promise)

• Boundaries & grace: why Dad gets oceans of grace for still trying and what that means for adult relationships