Hi everyone! I’m a single mom to Taylor, my 15-year-old daughter who is somehow already smarter, cooler, and more emotionally stable than I am. I’m convinced she was swapped at the hospital with a much more advanced model, but we’re rolling with it.

Normally, I juggle serving tables and part-time admin work and I clean a few houses on a regular basis. This year has been tough for us (and everyone else). Life happens and this year it has been, school trip feees, car repairs, reduced hours, and me staring at my bank account like it personally betrayed me.

Ive budgeted and re budgeted but there's just not anything extra.

Now, Taylor is the kind of teen every parent hopes for:

All Honors classes ✔

Mentors kids from her old elementary ✔

Can draw like she was raised by Studio Ghibli ✔

Reads constantly ✔ (Seriously, I think she’s read entire libraries.)

Too good for this world ✔✔✔

She has always been mindful of our financial situation and doesn't ask for much.

Asking for help is not my default setting, but here we are because I’ve only got a few Christmases left before she’s off to college and finding her place in the world.

I’m hoping to raise $1,500 to give her a Christmas that she deserves. If you can donate even a few dollars it would genuinely mean the world and I promise we will pay it forward one way or another.

Thank you for reading this far. I hope your holiday season is full of joy, warmth, and zero surprise car repairs.

With gratitude (and a slightly frazzled sense of humor)

Brandi