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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

How prepared are you?

27 replies

unavailable · 15/12/2008 09:16

I am beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed at how behind I am. I have bought less than half the presents I need (some of them needed for swapping this weekend.)I have not bought or sent any cards, or food. (My kitchen refurbishment wont be finished until Thursday, so no point in buying any food/drink until then as nowhere to put anything.) I did bring some decorations down from the loft yesterday, but have no tree yet. Oh, and I am working right up to Xmas eve.

How is everyone else doing? (Any time/energy saving tips gratefully received.)

OP posts:
VivaLaPotPourri · 15/12/2008 09:19

Written DSs preschool cards, and that is it, and that's only because I need to hand them in later today. No tree, no decs. Oh, I have bought most presents though (online).

Myrrhcy · 15/12/2008 09:24

I'm in the same boat as you.

I got off to a good start but in the meantime dh and ds have got a flu-like illness so I've been stuck at home all last week looking after them - and I woke up feeling really rough this morning.

SparklyTinselBella · 15/12/2008 09:26

Prepared?

Ha!

Pour me another gin please...

SparklyTinselBella · 15/12/2008 09:26

i.e. nope, done nothing really..............

Switchoff · 15/12/2008 09:27

Presents done and wrapped (By my Mum ,I am rubbish at wrapping she wraps my presents I write her xmas cards 'cos she hates her handwriting )

I haven't sent any cards at all .

Dp on battery run .

Doing food shop next Tuesday .

akhemSaidSanta · 15/12/2008 09:29

I've done absolutely nothing, no tree, no cards, no gifts yet, no food.. zilch

like you I had the kitchen renovation thing going on which finally finished on friday after 3 weeks of chaos... and now I've got very little free time to go out and do what needs doing :/

I think I need a wife

littlelamb · 15/12/2008 09:29

Nope, not prepared at all. I had been buying food for Christmas but my fridge freezer broke this weeknd so have kissed goodbye to most of it Nothing is wrapped, and I still have to post a big parcel of presents to my family

Marne · 15/12/2008 09:30

Im too prepared, evrything wrapped, half the food bought, christmas cards sent and tree up.

Just sat here waiting for the big day to come.

ilove · 15/12/2008 09:34

I have a tesco order for the 22nd, and all my meat is being delivered by www.welshfarmorganics.co.uk on the 23rd.

I have bought, wrapped and sent all the inlaws/neices/nephews on his side

Bought but not wrapped 95% of stuff for my 4 children and bought but not wrapped most of my families.

Written half the cards, and need to buy a million batteries at some point too!

Working till 11pm on the 23rd then on Christmas Eve we are going to the matinee of The Nutcracker then out to a local Italian to eat....

Dreading wrapping the stuff for my lot I have to say...

TheRealMrsJohnSimm · 15/12/2008 09:37

Everything ordered/bought but still got wrapping to do. Real tree bought yesterday but still to be decorated. Kids tree was thrown together/decorated a week ago . Wrote my cards weeks ago but, as usual, there are still some sat on my desk awaiting posting/delivery.

Time/energy saving tips would be: make a To Do list and prioritise items so that you spend most time and energy on those things that you simply cannot live without at Christmas. As for the rest - well, if they get done then fine but if not then nobody will notice anyway.

Food-wise, ok so you have a new kitchen and probably want to show it off to its full potential () but buy as much pre-prepped food as possible to save you time. No one will thank you for standing around peeling spuds/sprouts/carrots etc until the early hours of christmas morning or baking like crazy in a storm of stress.

I usually run myself ragged every year trying to be perfect wife/mother/hostess and decided this year that if I feel any sense of grudge in what I'm doing then I will shelve it (ie when I got mightily hacked off by the 50th mince pie I made yesterday!!)

herbietea · 15/12/2008 09:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

mysterymoniker · 15/12/2008 09:41

haven't done anything yet

there is still plenty of time tho?

ohreindeerwhatamessysleigh · 15/12/2008 09:41

For the first time ever I seem to be on top of things (famous last words), but our Christmas is a very low-key affair.

Cards sent (all 8 of them)
Presents bought, to be wrapped tomorrow evening
Food plans made, purchasing responsibility lies with dh
Tree arrives on Weds, to be decorated on Friday
Batteries bought

Still need to:
Complete festive costume for the dcs for this afternoon
Take photo of both dcs together and looking the right way and smiling and not moving for MIL (to go in photo frame bought for her)
Do big clean - scheduled for next Monday if dh takes ds1 away for the day

ilove · 15/12/2008 09:44

Oh, and I've bought the cake/mince pies etc because lifes too short to make them!

Original poster
unavailable · 15/12/2008 09:51

Thanks. I am feeling a bit reassured now. I dont think I will be baking anything this year either. I now need to research where to get the best pies and puds.

OP posts:
cherryontopofthexmastree · 15/12/2008 09:59

have bought all my presents, just waiting for a couple to arrive, have wrapped about 20% of them, have ordered food to be delivered on 21st, have ordered meat, will be picking up on 22nd, have written cards but not sent them yet, tree is up, decs are up, have huge amounts of cleaning to do as i cant move in my house atm. getting there i think

TrinityRhino · 15/12/2008 10:01

I still have to buy tree
order food
write my cards
decorate house
wrap a million presents
buy two more presents

ARRRRGH

BellsCarolsNSleighs · 15/12/2008 10:06

made 3 cakes.. need to marizpan ( today)
made mince pies and frozen
written cards not yet sent
half of pressies made or bought.. stockings and a few bits still to do and hampers to put together and prettied up.
decorated the house and covered the hole in the ceiling from when we had the disaster last week
need to put up xmas tree and decs.

vesela · 15/12/2008 10:59

I still have a lot of tidying up to do (think boxes of junk in spare room), cleaning and baking. Have bought Christmas tree decs (it's our first one, although I'm 40!) etc., plus roasting tin & various other cooking bits and pieces (it's also the first Christmas dinner I've made).

I never wrap presents until the last minute, no matter when I buy them... it wouldn't be the same.

SparklyTinselBella · 15/12/2008 11:00

Hi Vesela!

What's Santa bringing you?

ByThePowerOfBaileys · 15/12/2008 11:02

Pressies were done but now have a couple more to get
cards 80% gone just hand deliveries to do
meat order is with the butcher
Supermarket list is ready for Next Tuesday
need to clear a couple of rooms in the house ready for visitors
need to make mince pies

lots of other things as well that I can't remember at the moment.

Myrrhcy · 15/12/2008 11:03

available, I don't think we've had the best mince pies thread yet, I'm sure there's once most years!

vesela · 15/12/2008 11:08

nothing!

Biglipsdrankallthexmasbaileys · 15/12/2008 11:11

nothing here too....got no money!!!

kyrasmummy · 15/12/2008 13:32

I have bought all the presents, wrapped all of DS's which took 3 hours so really not looking forward to doing the restand keep putting it off.

Tree and Decorations are up.

All Cards written and Sent.

Will do food shopping next Tuesday and also need to buy a new outfit for DD and DS for xmas day.

First time ever i have been organised

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