Christmas day started out as any other, once all of the gifts were put away and the turkey was in the oven. That is…until my Discount Dude decided to do the laundry for the first time in months. Keep in mind that the reason he was doing it to begin with is because I had neglected to wash his camouflage attire, and he was leaving the next day for a hunting trip.

I was sitting in the living room with my feet up, reading a magazine (as all true Divas should do on Christmas Day, since all the stores are closed and there are no yard sales to be found), when all of a sudden, I heard all types of unintelligible words spewing forth from my dear hubby's mouth.

The big commotion? The water line in the laundry room had burst and water was quickly making its way through our house. After a mad dash downstairs, we discovered that the water had already soaked through the insulation in the basement ceiling and all of the ceiling tiles had fallen out. Since our basement is more of a guest house with a bedroom, kitchen and bath, you can imagine how much furniture and carpeting was ruined. Needless to say, I was devastated. Christmas is supposed to be filled with gifts, pretty trees and good times, not with a basement of mucky water.

As I made my way through my new indoor wading pool, it hit me. There was a positive in all of this. Soaked furniture and trashed home accessories meant shopping for new ones...and that is always a welcomed prospect.

And then, while the restoration people came and set up all of their humidifiers and fans, and began ripping out all of the ruined carpet, we got to spend four luxurious days and nights in a hotel, enjoying room service and relaxation.

Of course I was just resting up for the big shopping spree that was to come in January. With insurance money in hand, me and my Discount Dude had a blast. Truly, this was a Christmas gift in disguise.