Around this time each year; before I decorate the house but after I've started on the terrible Christmas movies and put the songs on in the car, I buy in to the dream of the perfect Christmas.There's usually one item I'm toying with buying that I've decided will make this Christmas the one and this year, it's a tree. Last year I resolved (while wrestling with tangled lights) that 2018 would bring me a brand new, pre-lit tree. Easily done; you might think, but do you know how many trees there are??I've been spending my YouTube time watching reviews of various brands and 'styles' and falling deeper in to the hole while stretching my potential budget considerably further than I anticipated. This evening I almost pulled the trigger on a very expensive alpine beauty and (although I'm still not totally saying no) I just had to take a moment to consider whether I was really that in to the tree or if it represented something more.Now, there's every chance I will still buy this overpriced spruce to put up for one month a year (hopefully my husband isn't reading this because when he asks, I will slash the cost in half!) but I know; deep down, that I've always leaned on the idea that you can buy happiness. I am a shopaholic, my first thought if I'm having a hard time is to spend some cash. I know this about myself and it's not great but still there's that twinkle.. the thought that the beautiful thing (the tree in this case) will just light up everything good and all the bad will fall in to darkness.It's not a million miles away from my last post; where I talked about shopping the sales smarter, and I think my subconscious is really trying to steer me clear of bankruptcy in 2019 because these things just keep coming to me. I just finished shopping for a super low budget secret santa that I upload with my friend Emma (it's tradition) in December and maybe that's what gave me the jolt (combined with the tree shopping) but things shouldn't bring happiness.They shouldn't but for me, they sometimes do. I truly believe that a gorgeous (very expensive, realistic, pre-lit) tree in the corner of my room (where I've already made a space for it) will make me happy. In reality, it's probably just the season and the music.. and the bucks fizz.. and the ferrero rochers that will make me happy. It could even be that the anticipation of anything is better than the thing itself and 90% of Christmas is anticipation (is that why we love it so much?) but regardless, Christmas for me isn't one day, it's a whole month and on this occasion I feel like I can buy at least the perfect BACKGROUND to it all.I know it's all nonsense but I wanted to ask; because I know I'm not alone, what is the one thing that you've convinced yourself will make it perfect this year? Is is it a gift you know someone will love? A plan for Christmas Day? Seeing people you've missed? Or are your decorations monopolising your pre-festive thoughts too?Obviously you can't buy happiness but, what does yours look like this season?