I’m depressed. I also love Christmas, well I did but the magic has gone and I want to get it back please help

[christmas2018]

I love Christmas I always have. I have ASD and at the moment PND
The last few months have passed me in a bit of a blur as have felt bad. I felt a little better and thought I’d book some things for the kids and that it’s make me feel Christmassy
Spoke to dh and is said before about things and they were a little too expensive but he said as I’ve felt sobad just book as a treat
But the things I wanted to book are all booked up 😔
So now I feel bad again. Went to an xmas play at school and felt sad and like crying rather than happy and festive
I feel like I’ve lost Christmas 😔
I’m trying so hard but I can’t oull myself out of it I feel like I’ve let kids down too by not being organised to book things earlier in the year and I’m annoyed at myself
I need some ideas, inspiration anything to 1). Make me feel a bit better and 2). Enjoy this time of year again
Thankyou

I used to throw myself at Christmas (well since having kids) but my dad died earlier this year and I’m just not feeling it. So I’ve completely taken the pressure off myself, I’m delegating much of the present buying/wrapping to OH and being kind to myself. We’re just doing simple things, as I too left it too late to book the glitzy Santa experiences. DD saw a free Father Christmas the other day in a local city and he spent more time with her than a paid one does (and no plastic tat 😂). We went to our local lights switch on and wandered around, we’ve been to a garden centre for breakfast and a look at the decorations and lights. I’ve pared down the decorations for the house and bought a few crafty bits for DD to make and Friday night we’re going to put on a Christmas film and decorate the tree
It’s still Christmas, just a bit different and for this year I’m just planning to get through it the best I can
I hope you can find something that brings you some peace and maybe a little joy

Pnd is like that you feel like you are looking in on not really with it I had it 22 years ago you do get better but it is the strangest illness it isn't like anything else ,

Oh, poor you. I've been there, going though the motions at my favourite time of year and feeling robbed. You may have to fake it till you make it and, when you're depressed, there feels like there is more pressure to rise to the occasion and feel better.

Go for cozy, rather than Christmassy. Try hot chocolate with marshmallows and stirred with a candy cane, light a Christmas scented candle and watch a Christmas movie, snuggled under a blanket, with all lights off except the tree lights. Try to capture moments of contentment, warmth and comfort.

How about lighting some Christmas scented candles or having some Christmas scented diffuser's around the house,cinnamon,nutmeg,ginger and orange always remind me of Christmas and you can pick them up really cheaply.

You could pick one afternoon to have a Christmas movie session with your DC,there are lots on the tv at the moment if you have sky,if not Poundland are selling some Christmas dvd's or you can pick them up for a couple of pounds in the supermarket.

We do a couple of Christmas movie sessions with our DC,we turn the big lights of and have the Christmas lights on,we pick a movie and I make treaty snacks to have whilst we watch the movie,things like flavoured popcorn(you can pick up Christmassy one's now)Christmas cookies(again you can pick them up cheaply or make them)mine love chocolate and orange or stain glass window biscuits and peppemint chocolate bark is really easy to make or you could make hot chocolate fudge sundaes, you can have flavoured hot chocolate or soda floats.Something that feels and tastes Christmas inspired and is a real treat for the children.

I don't know how old your DC are but if the right age you could take them to see santa and then after take them to get some luxuary hot chocolate from a coffee shop.

Something we've done for years now with our 5DC is we take them out in the car to drive around and see all of the beautiful Christmas lights(there are some amazing displays about 20 minutes drive from where we live)we have warm throws in the car for our children to have over they're legs and I make them all a luxuary hot chocolate to have in they're travel mugs and I take a little tub with some warm mince pies and chocolate cake in and it's something they all still look forward to and it's almost free to do.

When we have a dry day we also go for a drive out into the countryside and we collect some greenery,berries and fir cones(to bring home so we can make displays with them)and I pack a hot picnic for us to have in the car before we come back home.
Again the only thing it costs us is a couple of pounds for the petrol.

Have a look online as well Christmas2018 there could be free events where you live,where we live there are usually free Christmas carols held at lots of the churches where we live and some of the charitys and community centers have Christmas things you can go along to and most of those are free.

I hope you start feeling better soon and that you find your love of Christmas again very soon [santa]

We always found the xmas windows in Harrods and Hamleys magical as children. How about a bus trip to see as many window displays as you can, then a hit chocolate somewhere?

Hi OP. I'm going through a bereavement and quite down. I have three kids and just can't face shows etc.
But we have made paper chains and Christmas pictures to go on cards. Mooched around the garden centre. We will bake stained glass window cookies. Christmas films also. We have actually had some lovely times at home with the warm glow of lights and classic FM on
I think what kids remember isn't the expensive shows it's mum making an effort at home and getting in the spirit

I took my four year old for a walk in the dark past all the Christmas windows while older ones were at a music lesson. She still talks about the magic she saw. Stars, bright Santas and angels and toys displayed in the windows. The dark river tinkling past as our town has a river running through it.
This cost nothing!