Santa Ain’t Comin’ to Town… They’re Already Here

As kids, we experience the Holiday season with our eyes filled with joy and magic. With the white, glistening snow coating the ground, hot chocolate with marshmallows warming your hands, and warm cozy nights snuggled up watching Holiday movies, how could you not be consumed by the magic? But there’s one group of people that are often overlooked this time of year, when in reality they’re the REAL Santa Claus.

This month, to honour all our real St. Nicks and Kris Kringles out there…we sat down with Instagram sensation, creative powerhouse, body confident, Mom extraordinaire…Sarah Nicole Landry, aka @thebirdspapaya, to talk all about the magic, and pressures, of being a parent during the Holidays.

A Very @TheBirdsPapaya Christmas

Being a mother of four, Landry is no stranger to the chaos that can be the Holiday Season. Growing up, Landry recalls her mom always going out of her way to make the Holidays special in small ways. Whether that be through gingerbread houses, or Christmas Eve cookies, or decorating the tree together. Even as a young girl Landry knew that the real present wasn’t wrapped under the tree, but in the time spent with her loved ones.

Because let’s face it: the Holidays can be stressful! Parents are hiding and wrapping presents from “Santa”; playing perfect host/hostess to all that extended family; and most importantly, cleaning up the mess once it’s all over. And parents do this every year, without fail, whether they want to or not, all in the name of St. Nick. No matter what Holiday you’re celebrating this time of year, I can guarantee the parents in the room are behind it all.

As she grew up and had kids of her own, Landry would often piggy-back on her parents Holiday festivities. Gradually over the years Landry and her family began adding their own traditions into the celebrations. Now they enjoy a hybrid of old and new Holiday activities that have grown to include extended family and friends. Landry loves the whimsical aspect of the Holiday season, and encourages her kids to not only experience classically Christmas activities, but to explore other traditions as well.

The Logistics of the Holiday

Like so many of us, Landry grew up to discover that mom’s (and parents in general) actually put in a huge amount of effort every year to create this magical Holiday for their kids. After all, a big, round-bellied white guy with a beard doesn’t actually come down the chimney to deliver presents made in a workshop located somewhere near the Arctic Circle. The real Santa is always parents, who faithfully assume their aliases in secret as the clock strikes November 1st. There’s food to be prepared, decorations to hang, presents to buy and wrap, cookies to bake, the list goes on and on.

[parents] do a whole heck of a lot more than i ever realized. as a kid, you don’t really think about how the gifts got wrapped, or how the food makes it to the table. As an adult, you know [IT] all too well.

Sarah Nicole Landry on Parenthood during the holidays

While the experiences of spending quality time with your family are priceless, it does take coordination. Landry has loved taking over the Holiday traditions with her family. But she does say that managing expectations with your own level of ability or capacity is extremely important this time of year.

The Newest Edition to the Landry Family

After having years of Holiday celebrations with her three teen/pre-teenage kids, her fourth child, 10 month-old Lemmie, is experiencing her very first Holiday season this year. According to Landry, “having a baby in the house has brought the whole place alive with excitement”. With Lemmie seeing the lights, gifts, decorations and tree for the first time, her family has loved watching her absorb all the magic of the Holidays.

Just having [lemmie] witnessing it all, that has been a gift to our entire family

Sarah Nicole Landry on her daughter’s first Holiday season

It comes as no surprise to me that Landry loves the magic of Christmas. Not being the type to do anything half-way, Landry is excited that her older kids let her continue to play the part of Santa, even though the facade had dropped long ago. This time of year just has an air of magic to it, where we can all feel like a kid again–if only for a few days.

It’s Not all about the Gifts

It’s no secret that Christmas specifically is one of the most heavily commercialized times of year, yet it’s commonly accepted that the gifts aren’t the point of the Holiday. But every year, parents around the world agonize over the gifting process. I mean, the financial stress of the season alone is enough to overwhelm anyone. But what about the other pressures we put on ourselves? Like the need to be the best host/hostess, or suddenly becoming and Iron Chef and Master Baker overnight. And of course we can’t forget the patience and skill required to wrap a box that Santa would be proud to put his name on.

Yet through all of this, the part of the Holiday that kids think of most are the presents. For Landry, she found as she got older, she never remembered the gifts opened on Christmas morning–except the year she got the SONY Walkman. Most of her favourite Holiday memories were centred around spending quality time with her family. When it came to presents for her own kids, she knew it was important that it not be all about the gifts. To ensure the delicate balance of Holiday magic versus overindulgence, Landry came up with her own method for gifting that’s been working for her and her family.

i really wanted to make the holidays not about getting too much but making sure the kids felt loved. For this, i adopted a new style of gifting.

Sarah nicole landry on gift giving during the holidays

This new style of gifting ensures each of her kids gets a little bit of everything, while remaining as equal as possible. After all, greed and Santa are not a match made in The North Pole.

A New Style of Gifting

Every year, Landry gets her kids four gifts: something they want, something they need, something they wear, and something else they need. Keeping a balance between practical and indulgent gifts is important. It’s part of what creates the magic of the Holidays.

When her kids are all grown up and have families of their own, Landry hopes that they will simply find joy in spending time with their family, finding their own traditions along the way.

The Creative Evolution of @TheBirdsPapaya

After 13 years online, it’s safe to say that Landry has evolved in a number of ways not only personally, but creatively. At first, Landry found that blogging was a way she could connect with people around her, as well as channel her creative energy. As time went on, Landry fell into that all too common trap of social media.The need to impress everyone online. Whether that be through her family, home, or even her body, she was just trying so hard to “fit in” with her peers.

It wasn’t until years later that she was able to let go of that constant expectation of perfection. As a people pleaser myself, I totally get it. Landry ultimately has been able to figure out who she is, and how she can show up as herself, and for herself.

that ultimately led me to my greatest work, my most authentic self and a following that believed in me.

Sarah Nicole Landry on finding herself in the digital world

And really, the air of confidence without being arrogant, is one of the major reasons why the internet loves Landry so much. She’s a real life woman, with real life triumphs and struggles that we can all relate to in some way or another. Just ask all 2.1 million of her followers.

Body Confident and Proud of It

One of Landry’s greatest work (outside of her daily mom duties) is her dedication to body confident content on her Instagram. She’s been extremely open and honest about her struggle with her body image. Especially after the birth of Lemmie in early 2020 as her body didn’t bounce back after pregnancy the way it had in the past.

my goal, is ultimately to understand that these feelings of discomfort and struggle with our image will come and go, but that we can still show up in our own lives. main character energy, as the kids say.

Sarah nicole landry on being body confident

Landry is very much aware that at her current size, she’s capable of shopping anywhere and using fashion tricks to accentuate aspects of her body. She is very aware that there are so many issues in the fashion industry–and society in general– that she hasn’t ever experienced.

Her Amazing Community

That’s one of the beautiful parts of being a digital creator. You gain the ability to foster a community of like-minded people. We can all think of one social media influencer who we relate to and follow, well, they get attached to us too. Sharing experiences and being able to have a space where conversations can begin is, at the end of the day, what it’s all about. For Landry, there have been many times where she wouldn’t have been able to get through entire seasons of her life without her community to share with and learn from.

As a literal one woman show, the 24/7 performance reviews by thousands daily is something that Landry has struggled with. While she describes herself as an open book, it takes a lot of courage to put yourself out to the world the way that she does. Instead of applauding her for her authenticity, these internet trolls forget that there’s a real person on the other end of the screen. After 13 years, Landry isn’t sure if she’s got that piece quite figured out yet.

That certainly hasn’t stopped her. I’m talking she’s got her own podcast, produces content, does TV spots and keynotes. Not to mention her amazing collaborations and brand deals over the years, the most recent being with Knix and Bodacious Wine… I mean, have you seen that video?!

Her entire next year is almost completely laid out, and is guaranteed to feature some of her most exciting content and collaborations yet! Maybe even a Holiday Movie of her very own.

Staying Sane During the Holiday Craze

With November and December just jam packed with Holiday cheer, it seems totally normal for parents to be a little overwhelmed with it all. For those who are struggling, Landry suggests focusing on finding a few minutes for you. Self-care, especially during a hectic time, doesn’t need to be all about getting a facial or taking a long bubble bath.

With four kids, a fairly new marriage, and social media empire, it’s the small moments that really make a difference for Landry in her wonderful yet chaotic life. Whether that’s five minutes in the morning to reflect, saying no to something, or setting (and sticking to) your boundary, every little act of kindness towards yourself counts.

we don’t have a guarantee of anything, but we do have right now. Not waiting on someone else…on other’s approval…on “looking better” and truly make that decision everyday to be an active participant in your own life”

sarah nicole landry describes one of the most impactful lessons she’s learned in her life.

And at the end of the day, we only have one life to live. And for those parents out there who have been creating the magic of whatever Holiday you celebrate every year, without fail, we see you. And just know that you all are the REAL Santa Claus.

Credits

Producer, and Creative/Art and Editorial Direction: STEVEN BRANCO; Photography: NICK MERZETTI; Production Manager and Words by: MERRILL FLYNN; Makeup (HMU): ANGELA LEE; Hair Stylist: DOMENIC IANNUZZI; Hair Assistant: RENEE TOBIN; Gaffer: DALE SOOD; A very special thank you to our presenting sponsor,  CITIZEN WATCH CANADA, and co-presenting sponsor, OZERY BAKERY team for their incredible support.

Originally published: December 6, 2021