Christman planning (december schedule)

[kavalkada]

I have just started but so far I have:

Sunday 27th November - decorating our home, everything but the Christmas tree, children turn on the first candle on advent wreath at 7 pm (and repeat that every sunday till Christmas till all the candles are lit)

Thursday 1st December - advent calendars are out - one for each child, they are refillable with chocolates and activities for some days. Each child gets his and hers christmas activity book, we start our christmas jigsaw puzzle that will hopefully be finished by Christmas say (or at least January 8th), we bring back to light all our christmas stories and read one every evening till januray the 6th. This year I would like us to finish till Chrismas Jostein Gaarder's Advent Calendar but I think that is just wishful thinking on my side

Tuesday 6th December - St. Nicholas Day, children open their stockings. As you can see I'm not british so Christmas stockings (or boots) come earlier in my country. Children usually get just chocolate, but being an avid mumsnetter I couldn't help myself and mine are a bit more elaborate so I put Christmas socks, a magazine to each, a little toy I know they would like... My friends would think I'm crazy for spoiling my kids, so I do not talk about that. I have to say it is my dream to have a proper british christmas so I can have a proper stocking on Christmas morning

I have very funny working schedule, I work most weekends, and when I'm free it is in the middle of the week so, my schedule probably looks funny to most people.

Wednesday 7th December - decorating christmas tree at 6 pm with christmas songs. It lasts at least 5 hours till we're done.

Thursay 8th December - start of baking season with kids - stamp cookies with lemon, oatmeal cookies with chocolate (make double batch and put one half to freezer).

I'm buying presents online or in a shop after work, and I wrap them as I go (while children sleep) and keep them under the christmas tree until Christmas Day or until I have to ship them.

So, that's just the beginning. How does your christmas schedule looks like?

December 18th - try not to laugh or cry in inappropriate places during DD’s nativity.
December 19th - miss the last day for 2nd class post, so pay extra for first class.
December 20th - finish eating our 3rd tub of Heroes.
December 21st - kids change their Christmas list..… again.
December 23rd - Frantically find last minute presents with next day delivery on Amazon prime.
December 24th - realise I’m out of wrapping paper or sellotape or both, despite having bought shed loads of the stuff. Also get a last minute phone call from MIL informing me I’m expected to provide a dessert for Boxing Day. Spend the rest of the day sitting in gridlock at Sainsburys.

Enjoyed reading your routine - I will have to live vicariously through you, as don't really have a schedule as such.

Going to have lunch and look round a garden centre that has extensive Christmas section with a friend in mid-November - before it gets too crowded.

Advent calendars for Dec 1 - a Harry Potter Lego one for everybody to take turns with, and my DD (17 years old) has her own woodland Xmas scene calendar to do.

Christmas tree and decs probably won't go up until around 2 weeks before.

I love your list. Now i have to go and look how a tub of Heroes looks like.

Oh my goodness your routine sounds so idyllic! Where in the world are you? I'd love to hear more, will you update with the rest of December?

Idyllic? Thanks. I'm in Croatia, Zagreb. It is really lovely town to spend Christmas in. We have beautiful advent festival, lot of christmas activities and christmas theatre.
We have most beautiful Nutcracker in our national theatre, it is closest thing to fairytale I have ever experienced and tickets are still very affordable - I think the most expensive are 30 pounds.
Everbody dress in their most beautiful clothes and it is lovely to see mothers taking their daughters to their first ever nutcracker and you know they have been picking that perfect dress for weeks.
My daugheter is three so I'll have to wait for at least three years until she is ready to stay quiet all through the performance.

I will admit to having never heard of Zagreb before so I just googled 'Zagreb at Christmas'. Oh my. You lucky thing! I'd love to visit one day.

Early October: buy tub of celebrations to refill advent calendar while they're on offer.
Late October: eat said tub of celebrations
Mid November: buy new tub of celebrations at full price
3rd Dec: decide I can't be bothered going in the loft to find the refillable advent calendar so start on 2nd tub of celebrations. Declare it's too early to start thinking about Christmas
8th Dec: panic buy Xmas jumper
9th Dec: Xmas jumper day in the office. Remember colleagues are a bunch of miserable f*ckers so I'm the only one dressed as an elf.
10th Dec: Xmas lunch with friends, funny how lunch usually results in getting home around 11pm......
11th Dec: Xmas shopping day cancelled due to hangover.
12th Dec: attempt to buy Xmas cards only to discover the charity shops all sold out in October
13th Dec: donate Xmas card money to charity and post virtue signalling post on facebook
14th Dec: find the Xmas cards I cunningly bought in the sales last year
15th Dec: debate if i can be bothered putting the tree up this year
16th Dec: have a couple of glasses of wine after work and head into the loft to find said tree
20th Dec: finish work
21st Dec: start Xmas shopping. Realise I've left it too late to buy, wrap and post gifts so hit Amazon Prime.
22nd Dec: clean house from top to bottom before going away until New Year

1st of November- start teaching the Christmas songs for the Carol sertvice at end of term, to my class.
End of November- Christmas tree festival at church
Also....make Christmas cake. Feed it with brandy.
16th December- work Christmas party
17th December - put up tree
18th December- family gathering

Shopping will all be fitted in as and when.

My boys will be back from uni about the 21st December. I will cry with happiness!

1st Dec Put out fabric advent calendar and put bag of teen-friendly beauty items in a safe place to fill relevant pocket daily
3rd Dec Have 2nd last Cub meeting, organise Scout Leaders to come explain Scouts, buy badges in advance to hand out, persuade Cubs not to go too mad with theme for party next week
10th Dec Organise, run and clean up the chaos of Cub pack Christmas Party
12th Dec Travel to Gran Canaria for a week of meetings for work with my boss and 1 of my team - bring cards on plane to write
16th Dec Return home (land at midnight!)
23rd or 24th Dec Travel "down home" (2.5 hours in no traffic) with DH, teen DD, and DDog. All presents wrapped, 2 cars packed, fridge emptied and cleaned, ...
Evening of arrival - lose all will to live in the chaos and expectations of others

Nothing else is set in stone yet. As I have just cancelled another work trip on 7-8th Dec.

I am not that into Christmas but a pre Christmas trip to Zagreb has just made it onto my bucket list!

Few days befire 1st Dec:

Get the Christmas Bedding out of the attic , wash and dry ready for 1st ( though DD usually insists on Nov 1st for hers )
Christmas shower curtain, drinking straws , toilet paper , Christmas oilcloth on the dining table ,handtowels and tea-towels go out

Pre-lit wreath on front door
Advent tree ( tiny one with decorations that hook on, donkeys years old but still has to make its guest appearance )

Dec 1st Boxes ( well, jumbo gift bags) rather than Christmas Eve .
Pyjamas/loungwear
Robe
Underwear
Socks
Advent Calendar
Sweets
Toiletries
(DC are adults )

On the Friday I'm doing an afternoon/high tea. I'll get cakes , sandwiches , make a breadloaf for toasted cheese . Insist the table is set and we all sit down.
I haven't done this before , much eye-rolling from DS

DH and I are going to a Christmas Market/Shopping trip (in UK) first weekend in December
I have a couple of days leave in early Dec to try and get organised with food and shopping .I'll bake the Christmas cake then.

Decorations go up 10-14 days before Christmas , mainly on the bannister and landing . No tree (cats are little vandals)

Trip to shopping centre with DD to ponce about and buy presents for her and M&S Foodhall ( date nor decided )

Work up till the Thursday so as of 23rd I am on leave , work on the Wed/Thurs after Christmas .

Try to not get Covid this year

12th December - Adventure Babies Christmas Special
15th December - Baby Sensory Christmas Party
17th December - Baby Movers Christmas Special
18th December - Santa Visit at a play area
20th December - Day out at Christmas Markets and a light walk
22nd December - Breakfast With Santa
23rd December - Day out at a play place with loads of activities/play areas and a santa visit
24th December - 'Baking' cookies for santa with my 1 year old, making sure everything is wrapped and ready, cavery for tea and opening Christmas eve boxes
25th December - Visiting both sets of parents in the morning, coming back home for presents and snacks and hoping a decent takeaway will be open for tea
26th December - Hoping I have enough money for the LUSH Boxing Day sale

This is brilliant (and also my schedule!)

This is also great. I have already nearly finished the first tub of sweets I bought on offer, for Christmas. Very bad idea. I'm a marketer's dream.