to feel completely deflated and think Christmas is overrated ...................

[DroopyKnickers]

so the kids are already bored with their carefully thought out presents and are back to fighting over the TV/Wii

Guests have gone home so the house feels empty and lonely and is a tip with mounds of washing to do. Am very tempted to take down all the decs now but don't have the energy!

Fridge is almost bare and have to make myself go to do a big shop

Am now skint until payday next week so it will have to beans on toast until then anyway!

Have had flu and feel like crap and just want to crawl into bed!

I think I will start saving now so next year we can bugger off abroad as I think that it is such hard work for just a few days.

yip - i agree. xmas is over rated.

i suggest getting rid of television channels and then you dont buy into the happy families - must buy buy buy for xmas.

without the telly this year i have deffo felt less pressurised. and it didn't even feel like xmas until xmas eve

my other tip is to think its gonna be shit and then you are not dissapointed, i actually had rather a nice time this year and i was dreading it - 13 people for dinner - and they got a normal sunday lunch - with turkey!

i didn't bake anything, marinade anything, stuff anything - i made no more effor t than cooking a joint of beef - i don't have bad thoughts about ungrateful people etc etc

and no one got on my tits.

Nothing wrong with beans on toast!

Get a duvet for the sofa, find a film to watch with dc's and pour a hot toddie for your flu.

Ignore the washing (or get dc's to do it)

Hopw you feel better soon

No YANBU we have such expectations...I'm going to change my thinking for next year in the hope that I can just appreciate the rest and light in the middle of Winter.

DP and I celebrated Solstice together and it was wonderful so I'm holding on to that...especialy as DP has now got the lurgi!!

Completely agree...love the xmas idea but it just turns into a nightmare every year, next year we're going to run away!

I felt this way twice in the past few days. Both when we were exchanging presents with people.
Everyone was really complimentary and seemed to like the presents I gave....but it didn't seem the 2 minutes of joy was worth the days of looking in shops, trying to pick up hints from chatting to them, and trawling web sites, to find something that they'd like.

I think they are happy with their presents, but it's been such a big part of my thoughts for the past few weeks, and isn't balanced, if you get me.

But I'm sure next year will be the exact same.

I love Xmas.

Guest still here.

More guests arriving shortly.

I start 'planning' it in January.

It's FUN!

I also love Christmas but have been so ill the last 3 days (the worst on Christmas day when I was hallucinating and staggering around).

And I'm now so pissed off that this hacking cough is preventing me breathing properly and that I haven't eaten any food or had any alcohol for 3 days.

I had this planned meticulously, 2 months of preparation. It was our first Christmas with a child (perfect gifts for her wrapped) and I wanted it to go well

She ended up having to make us hot squash and hot lemon and honey - luckily we now know that she can be trusted with a kettle (she's 10). I wanted it to be great for her - and it could have been so much better.

She opened her beautiful gifts and loved them and neither me nor dh could hug or kiss her and we're still not - at least she hasn't got this virus yet.

I want to get the tree down so I can move my furniture back