As promised last week: Let me give you a glimpse into what the holidays are like for those of us who have recently been laid off. I read that 403,000 Americans lost their jobs in September, 320,000 in October and another 533,000 in November. That means that me and 1.2 million other Americans are looking for work this holiday season.

For us, there's the usual stress that goes with not having a paycheck, looking for work, wondering how you're going to pay your bills and planning how long you can last before you are unable to pay your rent ... and then there's the holidays.

Don't get me wrong here, I love the holidays. Christmas is my favorite day of the entire year. I love getting together with my family and friends and having a delicious turkey and ham dinner. I also love giving gifts. But shopping is like a drug for me -- I actually get high from shopping. So, needless to say, it's going to be a very sober Christmas.

Click here to read how CJ plans to deal with unemployed gift-giving ...

True, the holidays are not about gifts and shiny new dresses at holiday parties, but that's a lot easier to say when you can afford those gifts and that shiny new dress. The truth is, they aren't what the holiday is about, but they sure are nice. It's really fun to go from store to store looking for some silly gift that will give my sister joy, even if it's only for a few fleeting moments.

But this is just the way it is folks, and it's all going to be fine -- next Christmas no one will remember the scented candle or makeup bag that you didn't get them. No one is going to remember that you wore some old dress you've worn a million times to their holiday party or that you didn't bring a bottle of wine to dinner.

You know what I've found? Sitting in a Starbucks writing a blog and watching people scurry about busy New York City streets in the rain in their poofy coats makes me feel almost as good as the look on my sister's face when I get her that perfect gift. I've found that watching the wind blow colored leaves from the tops of trees is as delicious as a bottle of holiday wine, and that first snowfall of the year (especially when you've spent your entire life in sunny Southern California) is as thrilling as walking into a crowded room in a shiny new dress.

As for gift-getting, I'm going to make sure that everyone who gets me a gift knows how perfectly thrilled I am with it and how it's exactky what I wanted. I'm going to give a hundred big warm hugs, as many post-dinner back rubs as my arms will give, and I'm going to help with the dishes. I'm going to give the gift of taking a break from being the laid off/unemployed girl, and I'm going to be that trusted sister, loyal daughter and fun-loving auntie.

And when people ask me about the job search, I'm going to smile and say, "It's going great. Thank you for asking."

To do: Smile more, and work on my posture.