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!

Everything! Due to
finances and health won’t be doing anything until Thursday & Saturday. Written lists to try and reduce the anxiety.

I only have to pull the food out for defrosting.

Everything is wrapped, the table is set, food is in the freezer (not cooked apart from soup) cards have been delivered,

I do need to get a couple of things from the shops but they're not specifically for Christmas Day.

Covid has struck our household so I have wasted my last two days off work being very ill and lethargic.

I need a rocket up my area tomorrow as the whole house needs cleaning and I need some last min gifts for hard to buy for in laws. Collecting food order from butchers on Friday but still need to brave a supermarket before Christmas.

I also still have to wrap all the presents as I keep putting off as I hate wrapping!

One present to wrap.

Cards still to go to neighbours.

Tree up and some other decorations up but I'm sure I'll add more as I go along now I've got going.

Fairly organised. Need to find and stuff the stockings. Find some scallops (the shellfish type. Live in rural backwater so not easy). House is a tip so need to clean. Need to deliver gifts to local friends (ideally also have lunch or coffee with each of them but more likely just fling gift to them on the doorstep). Need to buy food to cater for second Christmas dinner on 28th (even more tricky that the main event due to supermarket opening hours and whether or not they’ve have a delivery to Rural).

Just to ask- those who have the table set already- do you have a separate dining room and kitchen table? We only have one so
are using it right up until breakfast on Christmas Day.

All cards written and all except 1 sent (as I need to add a letter). Final posting date UK today and tomorrow for Ireland so hopefully all will make it. (And the 1 is going by a different route, not involving post).

1 overseas family bought. Will try and sort the other today.

Most presents bought now - I need 2 more adults and 1 book. DH is sorting money for 1 teen.

Low key but tasteful decorations done.

I managed to get a lot of wrapping done yesterday, another hour or so should finish it.

Laundry from travels sorted and washed, papers brought to work. But I need to empty toilet bags and refill before next weekend's travels - will do it as I repack for a change.

Have decided that DMIL would most like smoked salmon on brown bread for starter so let's not get creative, fruit salad and maybe sticky toffee pudding for dessert, although DH has literally just requested a chocolate biscuit cake I make in the shape of a pudding-which I can make here and transport.

DH ground some coffee and apart from milk, we're mostly having a freezer week so can ignore shops.

I'm making progress through the cleaning, sorting, organising and car maintenance jobs. And the work end of year reviews and other jobs.

I managed to organise a parent that was well received for work Bad Santa but still haven't any ideas for a main present for DH.

So overall, a lot done, more to do, but a lot less panicked than when I woke on Saturday.

🎄 Just one to go!
🎄 Not done!
🎄 2 presents left to wrap & anything else that turns up!
🎄 Fairly tidy. Need to do some clearing still.
🎄 Also not done - glad I came back!
🎄 Local cards posted

Need to buy daughters last present

Pick up a present from the post depo

Buy final few stocking sweets and crackers

Organise everything so I know where it is (stuff hidden EVERYWHERE)

Finish wrapping

Visit family to drop off gifts

Buy the last minute perishable foods

Oh and tidy

1.Wrap stockings for the kids

1. Wrap in laws and my dad's presents
2. Buy sweets for stockings
3. Tidy up sons grave and lay a wreath
4. Tidy up the house AGAIN 😵
5. Deliver neighbours cards
6. Have a minor meltdown at the stress then say Fuck it and have a g&t

Made some progress - ordered the food shop (and added to it several times today every time I remembered something), made one batch of gingerbread fudge, and vacuumed and mopped upstairs and downstairs.

Going to make a lactose free batch of fudge tomorrow and possibly try and fit in an emergency visit to the dentist (woke up in pain today but not entirely sure if its my tooth or my sinus that's hurting, its the whole area, urgh). Shall put out the Christmas bowl of chocolates tomorrow as its DD's last day of school so Christmas is officially starting. Discovered there's still some presents left to wrap so need to do those at some point. Still need to get a tree, OH keeps forgetting to get one after work.

Re toothache - handy til from dentist I got told years ago, tip you head upside down, if the toothache gets worse it’s your sinuses. Dunno if it’s true though!

To Do:

Final food shop - handed over to DH

check what I’ve got for each DC and make sure it’s fair-ish - have done this, it isn’t really so need to add some for Ds2.

wrap presents x 3 DC (have started DD) MUST do some this eve when 2 DC are out!

wrap DH presents

try and tidy up downstairs a bit, especially clearing the kitchen for cooking

put up or away lingering decorations & lights that are annoying me now - started

one more Christmas meal (DC x 2 with scouts) + thank you wine for leaders, need 2 wine bags, have bags

wait for new bedside table to arrive for ds2 - on way

print out homemade vouchers for all dc for a new game/computer game Need to fill in Done ✅

door wreath up

whatever else I’ve forgotten…

all ive got left to do is wrap the 3 gifts that are arriving tomorrow and write a list for the fresh food we need picking up on friday! its been a slog to get things done but im finally happy enough!

I have NOTHING left to do apart from making the desserts unless I don't get what I have ordered in my delivery tomorrow - in which case we will have to go to the supermarket for a few bits. My daughter is hosting Christmas in my house and doing all the work (I've not been well recently) and my grandsons and I will be making lemon cheesecake and finishing off the trifle on Christmas Eve. We will also be making and decorating gingerbread shapes and taking some to our neighbours. I have bought the dough so no extra work there.

Re toothache - handy til from dentist I got told years ago, tip you head upside down, if the toothache gets worse it’s your sinuses. Dunno if it’s true though!

Ok I tried that and it does seem to hurt worse upside down.

Buy 4 presents
Wrap everything
Buy 10 chocolate Reindeers
Take dd1 to get her 'special bauble' for this year
Clean the filthy house
Ge my nails done.
See friend for lunch tomorrow (Christmas lunch)
Finish food shop
Liaise with exh over New Year's Eve and the DD's
Get balloons, birthday wrap and card for dd and dh who both have Boxing Day birthdays
Work til Friday with two nights on call 🤯

Mostly all done,

• Festive food shop and collection of pre-ordered meat - that’s DH’s job

• Change bedding on spare bed and make up the emergency sofa bed - my job

Oh forgot I’ve got a dinner with friends this week too but I don’t count that as a festive chore.

I'm normally finished by now except the food shop but spent the last week of school in hospital so I'm massively behind! Got most wrapping done today though. So left there's:

• 2 gifts to collect from the people who've collected them for me, and wrap
• 1 stocking left to finish buying bits for
• Christmas clothes to find/buy for 2 dc
• Christmas dinner to plan
• Food shop to do

I've also got a few bits to make/print, including:

• 6 stockings
• 3 photo baubles
• 2 T-shirts
• 5 mugs
• 3 dc's Christmas pjs

Some things are for customers, some for us.

I'm definitely forgetting something too but have no idea what it is!

To Do:

check what I’ve got for each DC and make sure it’s fair-ish - have done this, it isn’t really so need to add some for Ds2 - it’s close enough now for them not to notice, I’ll make a note of what less I’ve spent and we’ll add to his bank account for the future. ✅

wrap presents x 3 DC (have started DD) MUST do some this eve when 2 DC are out!

wrap DH presents Done ✅

try and tidy up downstairs a bit, especially clearing the kitchen for cooking - working on this…

put up or away lingering decorations & lights that are annoying me now - Done ✅

• find a place to hang some string for cards in the new extension, no random hooks anymore!

one more Christmas meal (DC x 2 with scouts) + thank you wine for leaders, need 2 wine bags, have bags - tonight

wait for new bedside table to arrive for ds2 - on way

door wreath up done ✅

find socks used for stockings ✅

whatever else I’ve forgotten…

Christmas Eve:
stuff socks
FC food? If DC still want to play along
reindeer food? Ditto
look at NORAD? ditto
FC presents under the tree after DC go to bed - this involves staying awake lol

Been at work today so not done much, I should get more wrapping done but don’t feel like it!

To Do:

wrap presents x 3 DC (have started DD) MUST do some this eve when 2 DC are out! DS2 mostly done

wrap DH presents Done ✅ - found one more!

try and tidy up downstairs a bit, especially clearing the kitchen for cooking - working on this…

find a place to hang some string for cards in the new extension, no random hooks anymore! Done ✅

one more Christmas meal (DC x 2 with scouts) + thank you wine for leaders, need 2 wine bags, have bags - tonight done ✅

wait for new bedside table to arrive for ds2 - on way

whatever else I’ve forgotten…

Christmas Eve:
stuff socks
FC food? If DC still want to play along
reindeer food? Ditto

look at NORAD? ditto
FC presents under the tree after DC go to bed - this involves staying awake lol

To Do:

wrap presents x 3 DC (have started DD) MUST do some this eve when 2 DC are out! DS2 mostly done Done! ✅
(will probably find something hidden at some point. Or twitch…do not twitch!)

wrap DH presents Done ✅ - found one more! Done ✅

try and tidy up downstairs a bit, especially clearing the kitchen for cooking - working on this…done more…

wait for new bedside table to arrive for ds2 - arrived and wrapped ✅

get smarties and then finish choc Rice Krispie cake I’ve half made

get DD to make gingerbread house at some point

whatever else I’ve forgotten…

Christmas Eve:
stuff socks
FC food? If DC still want to play along
reindeer food? Ditto
look at NORAD? ditto

FC presents under the tree after DC go to bed - this involves staying awake lol

Too much! Luckily antibiotics have kicked in properly now and I'm no longer in pain so I can work hard today.

I've made the Christmas bread dough now (was debating last night whether or not I'd bother making any but decided I do really want some appropriate bread for the pickled herrings) and waiting for it to rise so I can bake it.

Then I need to take fudge round to the neighbours (and label all the bags of fudge I made)

Prepare the star bread and stick it in the fridge to bake in the morning.

Got to iron the Christmas tablecloth and placemats.

Quick vacuum of the main living areas and DD's bedroom as that didn't get vacuumed earlier this week.

Move the presents down to the basement and wrap the last few.

Decorate the tree (I've delegated that job though), probably need to trim the lower branches too but I don't know where the shears are.

I had to go to the shop to get cashback this morning (and buttermilk for the Christmas bread) so I have enough cash to pay Father Christmas tomorrow (Finnish children get their gifts personally delivered by Father Christmas, and a day earlier as well, lucky kids!)

We celebrate tomorrow so I need to put the tree presents under the tree once the children are in bed and fill the elf hat "stockings"

I think that's everything!

Wrap the dog's present.
Buy some Christmassy flowers.
Everything else is done ✅