...To ask if anyone else is a month behind with Christmas prep?

Also behind. Never been this disorganised for Xmas before. Tree is up but not a lot else done. Just remembered need to buy Xmas jumpers for jumper day at school while writing this. Need more presents and food. Will plan the meals and write food list tonight. Already booked slot so hopefully that’ll be fine. Need to decide what presents to get and get ordering and wrapping. Just no motivation this year

I havent done anything yet either but i never do. There is no rush. Its badically a Sunday roast with some presents.

I dint even j ow whis ciming yk mi e yet. Ill know about a week before. Its all very casual ;)

That sounds really hard - I'm sorry. Hope you get through it ok.

I'm behind as well. This year I've been adjusting to working full time after 17 years part time, and I'm behind on loads of things generally, plus getting my H used to the fact that I can no longer take on most of the domestic gubbins, Christmas included.

I prefer to decorate later, so that's ok, and I'm confident with all the food, but I am SOOOO behind with presents. I have too many adults to buy for, and previous suggestions of not bothering or doing a secret Santa went down like a lead balloon.

How do you know they scowled at you for buying premade? Maybe they have resting bitch face like me and just look permanently annoyed. Or have other stuff going on in their lives, so aren't smiling over the sausage aisle.

I haven't bought a tree yet, nor a single present, all my food will be premade. My father's funeral is on Friday. I loathed the man, but for my mother's sake, all Christmas prep has been delayed until after it is over.

We don’t put our tree up until mid December at the earliest, we used to do it on the first day of the school holidays so that could be very late. I never buy presents before December either. The only way I could be a month late with everything is if I started around the middle of January 🙂.

Who says it’s a month behind, I say I’m on time this starting Christmas in November or earlier is fine for some but not for me, it doesn’t need to drag on for months. Christmas shopping starts today, tree up tomorrow only think I’ve done is calendars for the kids.

Good point about the pigs.

I tend to make them to use up a packet of streaky bacon (cutting up chipolatas) and lobbing them in the freezer.

Today I will tackle the plain Xmas wreath that I bought on Friday and which has been sat in the garden awaiting Amazon pretty bits ever since.

I DO have some Xmassy flowers, but otherwise the house is its usual cluttered.

I'm blaming it on the fact that December started on a Sunday

Just cant be arsed this year and i usually love Christmas. Ive bought a few presents but havent wrapped anything yet. Tree not up yet either. All the main food and drink bought though so at least i have my priorities right! It will get done, it always does.

Yeah me. I've done bugger all really and we are going away this weekend so it won't get done then either. I've bought two presents.

I have done absolutely nothing .
I am working from home today and am looking at the tree but can’t be arsed to put it up.
I haven’t bought any presents as I intend to give money to my nieces/ nephews / my kids. .The only person I bought a present for is ME.
I ordered a walking pad. Absolutely love it
Food shopping will be done next week when the kids return from university. I will give them a list and let them get on with it.

If you have an artificial tree, this evening get it out (or get your dp to) and get the rest of the house to decorate. If getting real supermarkets have them. Stuff the other decorations for now. Superficial tidy up by rest of house whilst you hit Amazon, boots have good deals, Argos, jl etc online.

finally by the end of the weekend make a shopping list for food and ideal pick up the longer life stuff keeping it simple, just a big roast! Stick to easy sides that are crowd pleasers like red cabbage, I threw it together last night in 5 minutes from things in the cupboard (bar the actual cabbage) rather than complicated gratins and buy a let gravy!

I’m so far behind

we moved in august , house was a tip still is tbh , trying my darnest to decorate and buy furniture etc

I’ve had two lots of new school uniform to buy on top of trying to decorate and sort the house , that’s on top of 4 kids bdays October our funds are well and truly gone

I’m normally done by oct all presents wrapped and tree up nov …. Even Our Xmas decorations didn’t make the move no room in our removal van 🙈 trying to make do with what we have

I buy pigs in blankets pre-made every year, judging by how difficult to come by they are on Christmas Eve so does most other people. I’ve only made them once when I couldn’t find them for that reason.

sod making them, in fact sod the faff of the Christmas dinner. It’s just a roast dinner with a few extra bits, I even buy a chicken (cheaper and I don’t like turkey) 😂

I stopped writing cards years ago, everyone I love I see 2-3 times a year anyway. Only put a tree up. Ensure you rationalise gifts - parents and kids in the family only. If you want to go wider - secret Santa approach on the day. So you all buy one other adult a gift. Despite the panic over Xmas food delivery dates, it’s a fancy roast. Get to a big supermarket early on 21-23rd and buy the Xmas dinner. If you’re hosting, delegate puddings, starters/nibbles to those coming. If hosting is pushing you over the edge, just don’t. One year it was just very complicated and I decided just to cook for my kids and partner. People popped in during the day but I just couldn’t face it. It was nice. If you host all adults and older kids must help.

What on earth!!! Someone scowled at you for buying pre-made?!! They could have a look in my fridge/freezer. We get ready stuffed turkey, pre-made pigs and gravy. We short cut all the way - except DH makes Gary Rhodes cranberry sauce and I’ve made the cake.

The tree took an hour to do - just crack on one evening. We don’t do outside lights - never got round to buying any. I’m almost there with presents but not finished. Plenty of days yet. We were still wrapping past midnight one Christmas Eve- never been that late since though!

You can just cut the sausages up? (Sorry do buy them made it really is nobodies business)

I bought gifts in January and some in July but that was only a few filler type ones I'm currently chronically behind I'm blaming my dad he won't mind 😂

I was scowled at in Tesco for buying premade pigs in blankets yes they are easy to make but I'm gluten intolerant and finding small gluten free sausages can be a faff so I get premade! I've also bought easy to carve boneless turkey joint stuffing balls (not everyone likes stuffing) I'm personally taking every single damm shortcut I can between now and Christmas day

Thank you - the tree is still in the garden, no decorations up, I only have half the required presents, my son has just come down with something... slightly, quietly, panicking now...

I haven't bought any presents or cards yet! This is the first year I have left it so late. I will start at the weekend!

I am glad there are a few Christmas outliers!

Ecards are a thing might even be able to get some for free

I'm also very behind, have the tree up as my 11 year old asked last week so I forced myself to, but won't be doing outside lights this year. Very behind with present buying and just not feeling it. After two immediate family members passing away last month and last November, I'm struggling to find any christmas spirit. Have also spoken to quite a few other people who are the same this year, so you're not alone.

I advise taking as many shortcuts as possible - buy the Christmas dinner bits from Cook or M&S; buy a pre-lit tree and stick the baubles on in front of the TV; book a one off clean (appreciate these take money).
Sit down and order all pressies from Amazon. Can you book a day's leave to do the wrapping? I always book a couple of days off to get organised in the run up to Christmas! Make sure your DH is on board with doing half as well! If your kids are younger buy some craft kits to keep them busy in the run up

My tree is up... the big clean didn't happen though 🙈 dc were insistent on decorating the house so I let them, they did the main tree so unevenly it fell on the puppy so she's scared of it. The cat has eaten and thrown up a shocking amount of tinsel.

I bought some gifts in Black Friday offers and hid them so expertly I can't find half of them. Also didn't write down what was bought or for who.

No motivation or desire to do any real prep.
The traditional Christmas wind-down has started at work though if that counts?