Wine, procrastination and wrapping

[QuinnTwinny]

Please someone confirm that I am not the only parent who sits down to wrap the presents (lets get organised!), decides a glass of wine will make it better and then somehow ends up online shopping for more stuff and watching crappy tv? It's happened three times this week! I have a massive (growing) pile of presents, less time and less wine.

Do you want me to crack a whip at you?! Get on with it! It's like ripping off a plaster, much better when it's all over.

I have all the wrapping to do too.

Twice I have dragged all the presents down to the kitchen table from their various hidey holes, and then had to abandon as my rather demanding 4 month old has woken from his nap.

Hoping to get it done today.....

I've been wrapping bits and bobs every Sunday while dd has been out with her dad, it is one of my favourite things about Christmas though and I've learnt from my mistake last year of thinking it would be lovely to wrap all of dd's presents on Christmas eve! It was lovely for about the first hour then not so much!

You are not the only one.

Oh god bedpig I thought the same!!! What the hell we we thinking?!?! I thought a nice Christmas film on, some mulled wine, some lovely Christmas eve wrapping for 1.5 hours (max) am an accomplished wrapper.....

But no, 5!!!!! Hours of sticky tape stuck resolutely to the table, littleun resolutely refusing to go to bed.until.10pm...... Sigh

I've decided that next year I am going to wrap presents as I buy them. This idea has come to me because I have been wrapping FOREVER these past two weeks. The pile does not seem to get smaller. It's never ending.

I have a lovely evening planned, holiday inn on in the background, glass of mulled wine and cellotape/brown paper in hand . I suspect it will end up in failure, me getting a bit too distracted by Bing and his lovely blue eyes...

Managed another 2 presents yesterday put on love actually for background noise and ended up watching instead of wrapping!!!

I got down to it the past two nights. Left the wine for a treat at the end. Who knew I could wrap presents so quickly?!

I managed a couple of hours each 2 separate days about 2 weeks ago - which meant I could drop most to our immediate families (that we won't see on the day) last weekend when we were down.

I've lost 1 thing to go in DSis's though, so have to send that with other DSis when she's up to babysit for us next weekend.

I didn't buy something yet for DH's Aunt - but he has now decided to do an overnight after school breaks up (to see a different Uncle in hospital) and he will bring that then. DD will go with him but I have work.

I parceled up the rest of DBro's last night to send to Canada (last posting date - LAST Friday!! oops!). So that went to post office this morning.

I also, while I was at it, parceled up what I needed to for DSis in the UK - but DD has to do 2 more for that parcel so her job tonight is..... (either that or finally write the Santa letter).

I have one more to parcel up for UK.

And I have another few things for a Christmas party this weekend (DD needs to buy 1 more, but I have the 2 adult ones bought), a few relatives living near us here (I have 2 of the remaining 6 I need bought), DD's present from us, DD's birthday present (Boxing Day) and 1 final small part of DH's.

I still have to buy for 4 sets of adult relatives, DD's minder, the afterschool club ladies and my own new PJs.

What I have found HUGELY helpful, (apart from sticking on True Christmas for some smaltzy movie to cheer me up), is to have all the wrapping stuff assembled together, and the table relatively clear. So I can grab a window of time and get a few things done fast - and then put them aside and get on with other things.

I may wrap the rest of what I have tonight, and treat myself to a nice glass of something relaxing at the end of that. Oh, The Apprentice is on, that will keep me happy!!

YES

DS (4 months) has slept for 2 hours and his brothers (and his) presents are now wrapped, sorted into bin bags and stashed away ready for Christmas Eve.

Cleared up all the packaging and bits for recycling and off to pick up DS 1 and 2 from school.

I just have 6 or 7 tree pressies to wrap - easy because they are small and light.

Hooray!!!

I'm in awe of such organization. I haven't even started shopping yet, never mind wrapping!

I watched 'Closer' where they all shagged each other while I was wrapping (and tutting, loudly), after 3 hours I had a festive can of Coors and realised I still have shit to buy