Kate Gosselin as Carol Brady

UPDATED 12/28/2009 at 01:00 AM EST • Originally published 12/28/2009 at 01:00 AM EST

If there is one thing Kate Gosselin can't stand, it's a mess. Unfortunately the obsessively tidy mother of twins and sextuplets, who found reality fame on the TLC hit Jon & Kate Plus 8, had a whole lot of cleaning up to do in 2009. First her marriage to husband Jon collapsed. Then Jon wasted no time courting new women, as well as the tabloids and paparazzi. No wonder, then, with her show finished (though a new project with the network awaits) and Christmas approaching, Kate has only one gift request for Santa. "I really want a punching bag," she says sincerely. "I've got to find ways to release all this stress."