Finding Christmas spirit

[Mamalamadrama]

Please help.

I'm just starting to come down with a cold or something. The house is a mess..4 kids at home as older ones have finished school. Haven't wrapped a single thing.
I'm so stressed out. It's supposed to be a magical time of year and I need some motivation.

My house is a mess too. One child home, one still at school.

Today is the day we get our houses sorted! Set a 30 minute timer and go, 5 mins break and then start again.

Honestly, forget it all for an hour or two, get yourself some nibbles and a drink and watch a Christmas movie or just do something that would make you happy. Mess can wait.

If you can't do that, break it down into chunks. I set a ten minute timer per room and see what I can do in that time.

I know this might be scary...but can the kids help? Especially if I let them know I feel under the weather my kids will at least TRY to help tidy (or wrap gifts if they're old enough for that).
You'll need hot chocolate though and some Christmas music on (or heavy metal whatever you're in the mood for). Good luck and hope all goes well 🤞💐

Get some lemsip cold and flu down your neck, ask any older kids to help and get the Christmas songs on the go. Also get some festive candles/diffuser. Have a mad hour or 2 cleaning. Then put your favourite Christmas film on and break open the quality street. Leave the wrapping until later.

See this is real life and the reality of christmas. Mess, chaos and sometimes poorly but it will all come together in the end. The picture perfect TV adverts never show the reality so rest and break the chores down into chunks and get the kids to help a little.

Same here...ten mins per room will make a good dent in the mess, then do a half hour max in each of the main rooms over the next few days and it'll look fine. Wrapping...if none of the kids are old enough to help then again chunks are your friend, half an hour at a time. Or if the budget will run to it order a load of those present bags with a tie top and just drop things in...job done!

Above all, lower your expectations ... of yourself; good enough is good enough!

Sending positive vibes OP, how’s your day going?

Thanks everyone. Good advice.

Managed to wrap a few presents (locked myself in my bedroom)while they played downstairs for an hour (in-between them running upstairs to ask me stuff).
Will definitely try the timer cleaning. Would like it all sorted for Christmas eve so we can have a nice relaxed day before the hectic days.