Who else just wants time to stand still?!

[pleasenotmondayagain]

I'm a self confessed Christmas lover - not just the day itself, but winter, open fires, candles, family time, nice food, simple pleasures like a walk on a clear frosty day..... I'm relatively organised with planning this year, managed not to miss any of the random Christmas events and demands at school, and sorted out some other stuff around the house ready for family visitors. But it feels like I'm missing something.

But what I want now is for time to stand still. I think I have lost the ability or the time to savour the moment. I was sitting at work this afternoon fantasising about stopping off in town, browsing the shops, seeing the Christmas lights, having a winter themed coffee and cake, listening to Christmas music. Not sure quite what I'm missing, actually. It might just be some selfish time to myself to waste as I wish. If it could keep being today (or tomorrow - Friday!!) for a few days, that would be lovely.

It doesn't help that DH is a total humbug who is counting the days to Boxing Day!

I'm the same, every year I decide I'll really savour the run up and before I know it, its January.

Totally. This is me every year.

That's exactly it, origami - savouring the moment. I've just sat next to the decorated tree with a cuppa and a nice biscuit. First time I've been in the lounge and sat down all day, despite the fact that Christmas vibes reside in that room.
How do you savour the run-up? I thought it was by being organised enough that there is less to worry about, but I'm not there yet. Maybe I just need to release the inner child!

Ah yes , but Life In General gets in the way.
My DD (16) has been saying for weeks "I wish it was Christmas NOW "

But i have the planning, shopping , another week of work.

She wants to lard about in winter PJs eating cinnamon buns and putting on face packs

I have plans for this weekend (involve shopping and tidying) then I have a day off to get my hair done . Then next weekend , we go to London for our traditional day out.

We are having a fab run up so far but I don't want to savour it too much as I m just desperate to finish work next Thursday!! Time can slow down once we are all off though!!!

Yes!! Definitely....love this time of year

I could've written this exact post.

While it hasn't exactly worked perfectly for me this year (work, general life etc) I have found an improvement on last year by doing the following which, I admit is very sad, but I'm a self-professed Christmas lover like you;

Last Christmas I gave you my heart made a 'to do' list for the following Christmas, I think it was the week after when I was feeling really down about all the things I hadn't done.

It was really basic things like reading Christmas stories to DD every night, remembering to save a couple of days' leave to spend in town shopping or doing general, nice Christmas stuff, movies I'd forgotten to watch, basically all the things I'd previously tried to stuff in to the last few days last year, spread out nice and evenly next December.

Obviously it's a nice plan and who knows what will happen, but it was a nice reminder when I started to read it around November and allowed me to think about all the things I wanted to do.

Like I said, sad but it has really helped me enjoy this year a lot more

Of course I'm not suggesting you wait until 2020 to savour Christmas but there's still plenty of time to plan

I know where you're coming from.

I find that with December, there's almost not enough time to fit in all the lovely things that you could do.

I'm pretty organised this year so am enjoying the run up to Christmas.

I think the key is to get all the stressful stuff out of the way early. For me that's the wrapping presents.

Then don't fill your calendar up too much so that you've got time to enjoy the bits you like.

Have you read the chocolate lovers guide? There's one about Christmas and it's so festive.
It about a groups of friend who come together for their love of chocolate ( as it sounds) but it helps me make Christmas last longer and gives me a break from the seasonal worries

me me me!!!

I was having this exact thought yesterday, even planning that next year i will be totally finished by November so that I can just enjoy December

On the one hand I really want Christmas here as I just can't wait to see how ecstatic my kids will be. But on the other hand I don't want it to hurry up because then it will be over.

I literally have a stuffed diary until 27th December so very little time to soak it all up.

I'm feeling better now that it is Friday! Took the DCs into town after school when I finished work and we sat and enjoyed hot chocolate looking out of the window at Christmas lights etc. I stayed up late tonight for a combination of work and baking, and I'm back settled next to our Christmas tree on my own for a bit. I think that's it - I love the run up to Christmas with the DCs who are still young enough to be excited by every passing day, but I need a little bit of 'me' time to relax into the season.

Last year, instead of trying to get everything ready before the end of the school term, I used the dark afternoon / evenings before Christmas with the DCs to do the food prep, wrapping family gifts etc. We're not quite there yet, but those are the times for sitting at home with Christmas movies or books or music, wandering around looking at other people's lights etc. I'd still like to have my 'own 'time though, if I can stop work getting in the way for a couple of hours

Yes! I feel like I could do with a secret day off work to do lazy Christmassy things by myself.