When do you feel done?

[AliceMcK]

Hi all, when do you feel your done for Christmas? For me it’s when I’ve got my DCs gifts and all their lists checked off, because Christmas is all about them for me. Everything else is incidental. I think I always give nice thoughtful gifts to everyone else but they aren’t a priority in my mind. I have a good stable set of decorations so what ever extra I buy is a bonus. Food, we will happily eat what ever fresh food we can get in the supermarket in the days running up to Christmas, just as long as we have a decent supply of yummy frozen finger food and plenty of selection box’s then we are happy.

How do others feel, do you have to make sure every tiny bit is done or do you have a point your satisfied you’ve got the important stuff done and everything else will just fall into place?

I always start early. But I suppose I feel 'done' when the presents are under the tree 🎄

I feel done on Christmas eve when I put the santa hats on my flute glasses ready for their bucks fizz in the morning!

@FilthyforFirth

I feel done on Christmas eve when I put the santa hats on my flute glasses ready for their bucks fizz in the morning!

Haha love that, I may do that this year 🧑‍🎄

About midnight on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day when I finish wrapping. Every year I promise myself it will be different. I love Christmas day but the lead up is so stressful that I end up dreading it.

When I have put the stockings full with goodies onto their beds successfully without waking any child!

For presents etc? At 5pm on the last Saturday before Christmas Day. If we don't have it by then, we won't have it at all. I do an online food shop for the 23rd and we don't buy anything after that until January 2nd. Bit of a shopping detox if you like

@SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun

About midnight on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day when I finish wrapping. Every year I promise myself it will be different. I love Christmas day but the lead up is so stressful that I end up dreading it.

I try and get wrapping all done in October/November so I don’t have to do anything in December except play with the elf’s. I really love the feeling of just putting things straight under the tree. If anything is left over then it’s DHs job to finish the wrapping Christmas Eve.

Yes @ChurchlightJane.

We don’t do anything after the 21/22, like you if we havnt got it the tough. The 22nd & 23rd are usually our Santa visit day & catch up with cousins as I don’t like dragging the DCs anywhere on Christmas Day. Christmas Eve is lots of chilling and getting excited about Santa’s visit.

Only on christmas eve when the kids are in bed and everything is ready for the morning.

Even if I have all my shopping done in September and everything wrapped in advance, I still dont feel 'done' until around 9pm christmas eve.

@Namechangedzzz

When I have put the stockings full with goodies onto their beds successfully without waking any child!

This is why I don’t do stockings in beds 😂

When all the children’s presents are bought! I spend agggges finding things for them through Oct and Nov. I like all their presents to be ready for Dec 1st. We kick off December with a special breakfast when the Elf arrives. We don’t do the elf on the shelf rules as such, we just have an elf that arrives and the kids play with him throughout Dec, bring him on Christmas trips and things. Anyway, once he arrives that’s the start of Christmas! We’ll be out all the weekends of Dec picking the tree, visiting Santa, panto, family gatherings etc I like plenty of time watching Christmas films in festive pjs, baking and crafting too. We do shop for other people in December but we can enjoy that as a family visiting Christmas markets and going to the local town centre for those few little things. It’s no fun if you’re heaving lots of bulky things around though!!! Kids done by the end of November… then relax into a whole month of Christmassy fun!

Ooh driving home from the supermarket with everything on my list plus a few extra nice things

I do try to be organised with the presents , my DC are adults now so less pressure to be magical and seamless . When they were little we bought presents and hid them. Wrapped when they were at school.
DH took them to the cinema while I did the supermarket shop so the food appeared as if by magic.

Though it's not "Done" till The Twitch has been silenced !

@70isaLimitNotaTarget

Ooh driving home from the supermarket with everything on my list plus a few extra nice things

I do try to be organised with the presents , my DC are adults now so less pressure to be magical and seamless . When they were little we bought presents and hid them. Wrapped when they were at school.
DH took them to the cinema while I did the supermarket shop so the food appeared as if by magic.

Though it's not "Done" till The Twitch has been silenced !

I love that, never done the food appearing by magic, it’s very Harry Potter and the house elfs my DCs would love that. I couldn’t get away with the whole thing these days with my older 2 but I could definitely do some surprises. Thank you x

Christmas Eve when the shops delivered after that I simply don’t care, cards brought September not many now can’t be bothered presents ordered November sent straight to in-laws.

I never feel done so have increased my preparations again this year as our December is full of plans as well as the usual FT job, oldests football training and matches.

Feeling the pressure at the moment as I havnt worked full time 'in work' since March 2020 and before that was only back four months from maternity before the pandemic hit.

Hoping to be done present wise by November and wrapped before December as I want to enjoy what we do without added stress.

As for done properly... When I open my gin on Christmas Eve

When we have finished work for the holiday, gifts all wrapped and delivered, food shop delivered and all the cleaning done. Then I can relax for the next few days and just enjoy.

I am planning a food shop on the 22nd this year so am determined to have all presents wrapped by then. I'm a chronic Christmas eve wrapper and it really does set me up for being tired next day as I have all of the other last minute prep, then wrapping, then sneaking the filled stockings up in the hallway and presents under the tree. If I can get the food shop and presents wrapped on 22nd I will definitely feel done :)