What do you still have left to do?

[Musidora]

One week to go, so some people will be 99% sorted and others will be getting started. What’s still on your Christmas prep to-do list?

Mine:

1 still waiting for one present to be delivered, I’m starting to think it might not arrive in time and I’ll need to venture to the shops to find a replacement.

2 get the final bits of chocolate for the stockings.

3 about 4 presents left to wrap.

4 the house is a tip again despite my early December deep clean, so I’ll need to spend some of this weekend making it presentable.

5 hosting drinks next week - need to buy drinks and food for that.

6 need to make a few things ahead of Christmas Day - red cabbage and stuffing might be all that gets done. And I’d like to bake some mince pies and cookies if I get time.

7 make a restaurant reservation for NYE

8 the big Christmas food shop. I haven’t pre-ordered anything this year except the turkey so am hoping I can get everything I need in person…

Please share your lists, I always find these threads helpful as I’ve probably forgotten about 10 things I still need to do!

I'm normally well organised at this stage. New job and big projects with deliveries finishing yesterday (a few meetings next week but slowing down). Dh got new job last Nov but a key contact died last month so there is some chaos with year end deliverables. Dd is on an interprovincial team for her sport and the national finals are tomorrow, and she's dealing with the after-effects of a concussion in training 3 weeks ago (and being a typical teen!). And all 3 of us came down like skittles with a stomach bug the week before last, and I got home at 2am this morning from a week away for work.

1. Write and send my cards, once I buy them (and stamps).

1. Buy presents online for 2 different families overseas.

1. Buy presents for another 12 or so still on my list.

1. Go to storage unit for some decorations as DH wants some but not a tree as we're travelling, drop off items that belong there and also bring home presents previously bought.

1. Wrap all presents.

1. Empty my suitcases, wash laundry, sort papers.

1. Figure out what to make for Christmas Day starter and dessert at ILs and shop for that. And alcohol as DMIL doesn't have any and won't get it (but some is needed to get through 4/5 days!).

1. See what's in the fridge for the week, make a plan for general food shop. Including coffee as there's none left (disaster when trying to plan on not enough sleep!). and cream, whiskey and mince pies (for Irish coffees and mince pies after section meeting at work on Tuesday afternoon).

1. Make a concrete plan for travels, suck up that I am now likely to be bringing DMIL to hosp appointment and staying extra day for that as DH will be bringing DD back for sport.

10. Clean the house again.

11. Once (clean) laundry mountain is sorted, think about what's needed for next travels and what to pack for family Christmas.

12. Fill car with petrol, check oil and tyre pressures, clean car, empty junk from boot to make room for Christmas travels and those needs. (Dh responsible for his own car).

13. Buy "bad Santa" gift for divisional pizza and beer gathering on Monday.

14. (But much higher priority) Decide what to get DH, and then get it.

Although there's a distinct lack of coffee, (much needed to try and plan how to manage all those jobs!), there was my first mince pie waiting for my breakfast and the order of gifts for my team at work arrived so I can hand those out next week. And I know I have most of the presents for smallish sorted - it's mostly adults left so I could do a generic "nice candle/bottle of wine" type for a lot of them.

I still need to:

Wrap presents bought for the wider family (dc’s are wrapped)

Buy and wrap presents for both BIL

Buy alcohol - Bailey’s, Buck’s Fizz, wine, etc

Keep fingers crossed that the washing machine pipe finally defrosts without bursting so I can do the mountain of washing that has built up

Clean my pit of a house

Work (although I finish on Wednesday)

Work Christmas meal out with a few drinks on Wednesday.

Finalise my Christmas food order (it’s being delivered on the 23rd)

Throw vitamins, fluids, fruit and veg at the dc as they’re all full of colds with temperatures at the moment so they have 7 days to recover!

Not catch dc’s cold…

Doing reasonably well this year compared to some. Wrapped the DCs presents yesterday while I had a day off and they were in school, it was my last chance to do it in an empty house.

1. Wrap all the other presents
2. Hand deliver local christmas cards - will do that later today with the DDog
3. Big food shop - probably Wed/Thurs
4. Buy final gifts, need something else for DH, a couple of books that DD sprung on me and Christmas flowers for our DMs
5. Do the braised red cabbage, only DM and I like it but I only do it at Christmas
6. Blitz the house, tidy and clean before people start to visit
7. Book a Christmas lights event - we do it every year between Christmas and New Year, also thought about a pantomime but i've left that a bit late as we didn't know DHs work schedule

Really looking forward to some time off with the family. Will be reading other posters list to see if I have forgotten anything!

This might make you all feel slightly better, we haven't bought a tree yet!

One last present buying trip today.

Not even started on the wrapping (clearly) .

Have ordered a turkey though.

@BiddyPop if this helps first class stamps won't get there in time for Christmas now, perhaps send WhatsApp Christmas cards this year

I did have plans to master "frosty the snowman" on the keyboard, what was I thinking!

Wash the floors
Do a shit load of washing
Wrap all presents
Food shop but OH does that

I realised it was too late to send Xmas cards so donated to charity instead

Did the big clean last weekend but need to keep on top of it or I'll be spending a whole day sorting it again

I need to wrap most of the dcs presents. My mum's are all wrapped bar one. The room she is sleeping in is piled high with things that need moving and that will take a full day to sort out. Ds is quite poorly so I might not get to do more than put it all in black bin bags and stick it in the garage.

I need to

1. Buy a few more stocking bits.

1. Wrap all presents.

1. Buy all food.

But there are only 3 of us so not hosting loads of people or anything.

I'm still waiting for 2 online orders but they are for DH so if they don't arrive it's no big deal.

Local cards to hand out/deliver

Buy something else and also get money from cash point for DD (21)

Wrap DH and DD's presents

Drop off DM's card, she's not too far and seeing her Xmas Day, but didn't want to risk the post

Usual tidy and clean next week (house not too bad as I tidied before DD came home from uni)

Fresh food shopping

I'm almost ready now.
I've managed to spread the cost this year (single parent).
I'm so glad I did as my ex partner let me down with child maintenance last month.
Sleepless nights now to see if he makes a payment on the 23rd.

I've ordered my Christmas food shop online with Sainsbury's.

I've wrapped the children's presents and it feels quite rewarding knowing I have done it all single handed (he's a compulsive gambler).

Wrap all the presents.
Buy a present for my DM.
Finish decorating the family Christmas cards with the toddler.
Put the rest of the Christmas decs up now the toddler has stopped moving the ones we got out already.
Cook and freeze the red cabbage.
Check the state of last year's Christmas puds.
Pull out the spare bed and wash bedsheets for the in-laws.
Feed the cake.
Order food shop (delivery Friday).
Put hanging chocolates on the tree.
Open the tub of quality streets.
Get merry with the neighbours.
Get merry with friends.
Exchange gifts with family.
Receive the food shop.
Collect the turkey.
Pre-prep the vegetables.

Something like that.

Get myself to the UK (next Friday)

Do a mad Christmas Eve rush for stockings for the GC, copy of The Night Before Christmas and present for DH (£10 limit)

Wrap all the GC presents (which have been delivered to UK already)

Can't do that in advance as we are travelling hand luggage only.

Try to contain my excitement for the first Christmas in 3 years with my DC/DGC 😍

1.dd birthday on 20th

1. Work. Finish on 23rd but manager is chill about us doing very little that day😆
2. Buy all food for eve, day and boxing
3. Wrap stuff
4. Open booze already under the tree

All presents bought & wrapped.
Cards with 'round robin' letter sent to old friends not on SM.
Online Christmas food deliveries ordered.

To do...
Clean house
Put Christmas bedding on
Prep Christmas Dinner as much as possible (on Christmas Eve)
Drop presents to the grandkids I won't be seeing on Christmas day
Bath dog...maybe.

Not doing anything this weekend had a busy week with DCs schools and my mum visiting before Christmas.

Monday I'm wrapping all the presents so that'll take all day.
Tuesday I'm doing my Christmas food shop and last bits of chocolate etc.
Wednesday I have stay and play at ds7 school, ds11 starts his Christmas hoildays that day too.
Thursday carols around a tree for ds7 school and he finishes school.
Friday finish any wrapping - which I hope is all done by then.
Saturday relax with Christmas films. FaceTime all the family as we won't be seeing them (live to far away - and train strikes made sure of that!)

🎄 Buy presents for 4 more people
🎄 Buy Xmas day outfit for DC
🎄 Wrap presents that arrive over next few days
🎄 Clean and tidy
🎄 Book Xmas eve meal

I need to buy Christmas food and drinks - DH and I will be on our own on the day, so we'll have curry, but I need to get buffet food for Boxing Day when the family will all be here.

Cards, presents, decorations all done. Cards sent (whether they'll get there is another matter). Presents have all been distributed. I'm meeting different friends 4 days next week, for lunch and drinks.

My big shop including booze will be done on 23rd.
All gifts to wrap.
A few bits still to be bought this afternoon.
Colle the Xmas tree Sunday 18th.
Decorate tree.
Make space in freezer for buffet food. This will mean having to cook large chicken and other bits to make room before shop.
Get decorations up in lounge. DH is giving a good clean and tidy this morning so we can decorate this afternoon whilst I waste 2 hours sitting in cold carpark so DC can play cricket at Indoor Centre.
Take DC to buy DH gift and gift for older 2 brothers.
Yesterday I did tidy and clean guest room so some progress made. Also cleaned guest shower room.
I have found Xmas table cloth which I thought I had lost.
Taken a deep breath as we always get there in time for Xmas and going to adult dear son this year as first year in his new house. I am cooking turkey New Year instead.

@Itwasntevenblackpudding awww how lovely - I hope you have an amazing time

I still need to:

• finish wrapping presents
• deliver cards to neighbours
• fill the stockings (adult children so do in advance)
• collect preordered Turkey
• hang chocolates on the tree

Nothing! Hooray 😃 🎄⛄️🦌
DH will do the food shopping as I struggle due to arthritis. We have the frozen stuff already. We don’t get a lot. The shops are only shut for one day. I am not risking having my knees and hips whacked by loads of packed trolleys.

DD(20) will arrive on the 23rd. Everything I need to do is done.

Buy wrapping paper and wrap presents :)

I've bought all the presents but they need to be wrapped - I've only done DPs, to make sure she doesn't accidently see any.

I have a few bits of artwork to do. I normally give out a couple of hand-drawn christmas cards and a winter solstice card, which I'm going to do this weekend. I'm also in an art secret santa online, which I've drawn but need to colour - though the deadline for that is technically new year's day so I have a little bit of grace time.

I'd like to find some mistletoe. The usual florist I get it from didn't have any and another local one wanted £5 for a teeny sprig. I might venture out to the market today. I also need to go out and grab a little ivy for our wreath.

I need to find out what my parents want me to bring for the meal they're hosting.

I haven’t actually started much yet - I’ve bought some presents, and the tree is now up and decorated. We won’t buy any food until Christmas Eve, and Dh will do that. But I’m at work on Christmas Day, so Christmas will start after I’ve finished.

Biddypop you have unfortunately missed the last posting dates. 2nd class was Dec 12th.