Used to love it - in my 20s and 30s I was the kind of person who crafted all my themed present wrap and cards each year, etc etc 🤦♀️ I liked it too when DD was very small and it was just buying a few cute things from ELC. Now I find it really stressful (am 45) because I do it all on my own every year — presents/cards/choosing/buying/wrapping/listmaking/writing/posting/organising/booking tickets/organising treats and meals out and paying for bloody all the damn thing. DP does nothing and only contributes stressing at the last minute, being controlling about what food we have, and cooking the Christmas meal. One memorable year DP disappeared up to bed at 10pm on Christmas Eve, leaving me to clean an vacuum the house, wrap all the presents and set everything up. I finished at 4pm and then he complained when I said I was too tired to drive everyone to church the next morning.
So I don’t enjoy it as much any more. (Can you tell? Or that I’m fed up with DP?) I’m actually trying to finish up a lot of my Christmas shopping right now - just so that I can feel like it’s done and I’m not going to be too stressed as it all approaches. I’m fed up, too, of spending ages thinking about and sourcing lovely things for all my extended family, so they’re mostly getting vouchers and stuff from Amazon this year. I’ve got a lot of stocking stuff for DD already that I bought over the summer (yay for National Trust shop sales!), and I’ve also already bought a few medium bits and pieces for DD for under the tree. Not sure what to get for her “main” present, but I’m determined that it’s going to be DP’s job. (Also buying for his mother.)
This year, I intend to get as much as possible done and booked in the next few weeks, then kick back and leave the rest to DP to do (including the food organising and shopping). And I plan on taking DD out for an afternoon pottering round the nice shops in town, and having hot chocolate, in December. And maybe buying something nice for myself instead this year. 👍