Procrastinators Ambling through Advent and Composing Christmas Lists

[Alibabaandthe80nappies]

Welcome to our new festive thread ladies! I am sorry we do not have festive smileys to start off with!

Hi Baroque, were you one of the original slatterns? I was a regular last year but I've been away for most of the year and came back for Christmas.

Today/Tomorrow
Take vits done
Make house nice for friend who is babysitting.
Spend nice time getting ready for office meal out (not big works party in marquee with without red dress which is next fri eve)
Take in some dry cleaning
Ring upholsterers done - ready to pick up Saturday £450 eeeeeek
Pay gas / elec
Post stuff

Xmas
Remaining Xmas shopping - mainly for kids
Wrap and post more presents done more
Write xmas cards -started
Post xmas cards! posted some!
Get baby sitter for work xmas party!!!!!!!!!!!! URGENT!!!!!!!!!!!!! - rang 2 no one avail so far eek
Get kids to write xmas lists for santa
Make Delia xmas cake & ice!
Get xmas tree
Do xmas decorations in house

Other stuff
Buy some nice clothes that fit and look nice done
Honey for teachers presents

Hi baroque, how's things?

Busy day nearly over, but have family-fun trip to the docs in a bit for flu jabs. DS2 notorious for screaming the place down when we merely go into the GP surgery...

Thurs:

• morning routine DONE
• maybe swimming with DD (if I cba) No shopping instead
• DD nap DONE
• washing
• lunch & tidy up DONE
• concert (2-4, babysitter minding boys after sch) DONE
• tea (pasta) & tidy up DONE (well some tidying still to do)
• DS1 reading DONE

• flu jabs for me & DS2 (though have to drag the others along too)
• DC bath & bed
• early night (DH home late)

Christmas:

• last few presents to buy; More done
• post letters to Santa DONE
• voucher for Nanny
• presents & stocking organising session
• Thorntons order for DH's family
• tree decoration with DD's name on
• tidy mantlepiece pre-decorations
• decorations up (this weekend?)
• what else?

Ongoing:

• book handyman in to clean gutters (& other jobs)
• order blind for kitchen side door
• pictures to label 'animals' & 'people' & 'cars' boxes
• watch Prison Break DVDs & give back to PIL; Started; Done more
• clean oven; Bought Oven Pride
• get kitchen curtains dry cleaned
• family tree (scanning in old certs & photos & email new contact)
• tackle Areas of Doom;
• buy some frames that will hang on the wall & hang up as many photos as poss; need some sizes; Bought 1 to test
• sort iPhoto on laptop... no luck yet
• big bathroom blitz really needed
• fill out Organised Mum calendar; Started

Hello Baroque!

JKS - hope the jabs have gone ok!

HMHB - I have text SIL, she will let me know tomorrow but isn't hopeful because it has been a v.good seller apparently :(

Bit of a nothing day here really, all the usual stuff has been done and I've done some laundry and a few more bits of Christmas shopping online.
Off to see a friend tomorrow who lives about an hour away, so I need to pack a bag with stuff for the boys tonight.

Hi Peeps.
Blowing a hooooooley here and we aren't even in the thick of the weather, being daaan Saaarf. God knows what it must be like in the North and Scotland. Hope any of you are ok.

Right, well, a reasonably productive day. Can't believe it is Friday tomorrow though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where on earth did that go?

Got my ladies lunch tomorrow, NCT gang get together (we see each other quite regularly, but a "proper" lunch out at Christmas has been something of a tradition the past 5 years or so!). Luckily for me, it's at the pub at the end of my road, and both my DC have lifts home from school so I might have a couple of glasses of wine tomorrow........... . Hopefully not too which is what usually happens if I drink in the middle of the day!

Ah well. DC bed time, so must dash.

HMHB - don't lose any sleep tonight!

The wind is amazing, manages to find gaps somewhere to whistle through.
Friend just said on FB that the yacht club, down on the seafront just recorded a 50mph gust. eek. Not surprisingly the reindeer on the mini balcony at the front are falling over. They are tied on so won't go anywhere, just look drunk, lol.

The jabs went weirdly well DS2 only cried when i got an arm out of his coat/jumper, cried a little louder at the jab, then that was it. bizarre. Last visit to the GP - for DD baby check, he screamed the place down and i fireman-carried him home whilst pushing the pram, not fun.

Thurs:

• morning routine DONE
• maybe swimming with DD (if I cba) No shopping instead
• DD nap DONE
• washing none done, oops!
• lunch & tidy up DONE
• concert (2-4, babysitter minding boys after sch) DONE
• tea (pasta) & tidy up DONE (well some tidying still to do)
• DS1 reading DONE
• flu jabs for me & DS2 (though have to drag the others along too) DONE
• DC bath & bed DONE

• meant to wrapping more presents but opened the wine so may not happen!
• early night (DH home late)

Fri:

• morning routine (DH up first)
• DS1's Christmas show
• home for lunch & tidy up
• laundry
• DS2's school for messy play session
• collect DS1, reading, etc
• DS2 home, check bag, etc
• party at church hall (must take coffee & presents & DS2 food)
• home & DC to bed
• M&S dinner (our anniversary of meeting each other 16 years ago :) )

Christmas:

• last few presents to buy; More done
• post letters to Santa DONE
• voucher for Nanny
• presents & stocking organising session
• Thorntons order for DH's family
• tree decoration with DD's name on
• tidy mantlepiece pre-decorations
• decorations up (this weekend?)
• more string for reindeer needed
• what else?

Ongoing:

• book handyman in to clean gutters (& other jobs)
• order blind for kitchen side door
• pictures to label 'animals' & 'people' & 'cars' boxes
• watch Prison Break DVDs & give back to PIL; Started; Done more
• clean oven; Bought Oven Pride
• get kitchen curtains dry cleaned
• family tree (scanning in old certs & photos & email new contact)
• tackle Areas of Doom;
• buy some frames that will hang on the wall & hang up as many photos as poss; need some sizes; Bought 1 to test
• sort iPhoto on laptop... no luck yet
• big bathroom blitz really needed
• fill out Organised Mum calendar; Started

Good morning, lovely ladies.
Things til sh**te here with DD1 and school refusal, she is in counselling (when she doesnt kick up a fuss about going .

Life still has to go on (seeing as I handed DMIL back all her cleaning stuff cause I couldnt handle the stress of both her looking down her nose andDD refusing to go, one of them had to leave and it couldnt be DD1)

TO DO
Wash Breakfast Dishes
Put on casserole
Iron Clothes
Convince DD1 she wants to go in for 2 lessons
Sweep Kitchen Floor
Washing
Hang up clothes

CC - that sounds very stressful :( Glad you chose MIL to go though!
My MIL has a fondness for hoovering, i hate the sound so am not so keen. Drives me demented at her house blooming hoovering all the time!

Luckily DD got sleepy so we escaped from the Christmas show, saw Y1 (DS1's year) and half of Y2's but couldn't really hear them anyway and still had Y3 to go before the grand finale. Thank you DD

Fri:

• morning routine (DH up first) DONE (he got in at 2am! so i got up first grr)
• DS1's Christmas show DONE
• wrapping not done from last night
• home for lunch & tidy up
• laundry; TD on
• DS2's school for messy play session
• collect DS1, reading, etc
• DS2 home, check bag, etc
• party at church hall (must take coffee & presents & DS2 food)
• home & DC to bed
• M&S dinner (our anniversary of meeting each other 16 years ago )

Christmas:

• last few presents to buy; More done
• post letters to Santa DONE
• voucher for Nanny
• presents & stocking organising session
• Thorntons order for DH's family
• tree decoration with DD's name on
• tidy mantlepiece pre-decorations
• decorations up (this weekend?)
• more string for reindeer needed
• what else?

Ongoing:

• book handyman in to clean gutters (& other jobs)
• order blind for kitchen side door
• pictures to label 'animals' & 'people' & 'cars' boxes
• watch Prison Break DVDs & give back to PIL; Started; Done more
• clean oven; Bought Oven Pride
• get kitchen curtains dry cleaned
• family tree (scanning in old certs & photos & email new contact)
• tackle Areas of Doom;
• buy some frames that will hang on the wall & hang up as many photos as poss; need some sizes; Bought 1 to test
• sort iPhoto on laptop... no luck yet
• big bathroom blitz really needed
• fill out Organised Mum calendar; Started

Hello.
I am not doing many chores today, have had a general straighten out.

JKS - close your ears as I do need desperately to hoover

Thanks JKS, it is but its like everything else, you just adapt!
How long is it since DS2 was in hospital around Christmas, I am thinking 2 yrs?

TO DO
Wash Breakfast Dishes DONE
Put on casserole DONE
Iron Clothes
Convince DD1 she wants to go in for 2 lessons
Sweep Kitchen Floor
Washing
Hang up clothes DONE

Wow CC what a good memory, yes 2 years ago + a week we went in, we left hospital on Christmas Day :)

He is doing so well now it's unbelievable :) :)

Mad how time flies, little did you think would have DD now as well

I know :)

What's slightly galling is that I'm the same size/weight now as I was 3 years ago when DS2 was 10 months old.
When he was in hosp, not surprisingly I had lost all the baby weight & was my ideal size.
Add another baby and look where I am again

Fri:

• morning routine (DH up first) DONE (he got in at 2am! so i got up first grr)
• DS1's Christmas show DONE
• wrapping not done from last night DONE
• home for lunch & tidy up DONE
• laundry; TD on & wm on
• DS2's school for messy play session
• collect DS1, reading, etc
• DS2 home, check bag, etc
• party at church hall (must take coffee & presents & DS2 food bag packed)
• home & DC to bed
• M&S dinner (our anniversary of meeting each other 16 years ago )

Christmas:

• last few presents to buy; nearly done I think
• post letters to Santa DONE
• voucher for Nanny
• presents & stocking organising session
• Thorntons order for DH's family
• tree decoration with DD's name on
• tidy mantlepiece pre-decorations
• decorations up (this weekend?)
• more string for reindeer needed
• what else?

Ongoing:

• book handyman in to clean gutters (& other jobs)
• order blind for kitchen side door
• pictures to label 'animals' & 'people' & 'cars' boxes
• watch Prison Break DVDs & give back to PIL; Started; Done more
• clean oven; Bought Oven Pride
• get kitchen curtains dry cleaned
• family tree (scanning in old certs & photos & email new contact)
• tackle Areas of Doom;
• buy some frames that will hang on the wall & hang up as many photos as poss; need some sizes; Bought 1 to test
• sort iPhoto on laptop... no luck yet
• big bathroom blitz really needed
• fill out Organised Mum calendar; Started

Hellooooo?

Fri:

• morning routine (DH up first) DONE (he got in at 2am! so i got up first grr)
• DS1's Christmas show DONE
• wrapping not done from last night DONE
• home for lunch & tidy up DONE
• laundry; TD on & wm on & again
• DS2's school for messy play session DONE
• collect DS1, reading, etc DONE
• DS2 home, check bag, etc DONE
• party at church hall (must take coffee & presents & DS2 food bag packed) DONE
• home & DC to bed DONE
• M&S dinner (our anniversary of meeting each other 16 years ago) Cooking

Sat:

• DH definitely up first!
• DS2 mini-footie
• decs down from loft & tree done as a minimum
• orch rehearsal
• DS1 party
• orch concert (remember mince pies, mulled wine, etc)

Christmas:

• last few presents to buy; nearly done I think
• post letters to Santa DONE
• voucher for Nanny
• presents & stocking organising session
• Thorntons order for DH's family DONE
• DS2 teacher presents DONE
• DS1's teacher presents ready need cards
• tree decoration with DD's name on
• tidy mantlepiece pre-decorations
• decorations up (this weekend?)
• more string for reindeer needed
• what else?

Ongoing:

• book handyman in to clean gutters (& other jobs)
• order blind for kitchen side door
• pictures to label 'animals' & 'people' & 'cars' boxes
• watch Prison Break DVDs & give back to PIL; Started; Done more
• clean oven; Bought Oven Pride
• get kitchen curtains dry cleaned
• family tree (scanning in old certs & photos & email new contact)
• tackle Areas of Doom;
• buy some frames that will hang on the wall & hang up as many photos as poss; need some sizes; Bought 1 to test
• sort iPhoto on laptop... no luck yet
• big bathroom blitz really needed
• fill out Organised Mum calendar; Started

Sure I put a list on here today but it isn't here. Wierd.

Hope everyone had a good day. Putting my list on here for tomorrow.
JKS - on the bright side you'll probably be back to your fighting weight in a year or so.

Mini has arrived!

Today/Tomorrow
Take vits
Take in some dry cleaning
Pick up chair
Pick up xmas hamper
Buy xmas tree
Post parcel
Pay gas / elec
Post stuff
Toy shop
Jewellers

Xmas
Remaining Xmas shopping - mainly for kids
Wrap and post more presents done more
Write xmas cards -started
Post xmas cards! posted some!
Get baby sitter for work xmas party!!!!!!!!!!!! URGENT!!!!!!!!!!!!! - rang 2 no one avail so far eek
Get kids to write xmas lists for santa
Make Delia xmas cake & ice!
Get xmas tree
Do xmas decorations in house

Other stuff
Buy some nice clothes that fit and look nice done
Honey for teachers presents

I know HMHB, would prefer not to have to wait quite that long though! Am getting fed up of wearing my small supply of clothes that fit.

Yesterday was busy bit everything that needed doing got done, decorations all over the place now so some order does need to be imposed on them

Sat:

• all up & breakfast DONE
• all dressed some done
• DH & DS1 having a bath Doing
• DD nap Doing
• read papers & do crosswords Started
• laundry
• general tidy of bombsite
• lunch & tidy up
• DH taking DS1 to a Christingle service
• dinner & tidy up
• DH out
• DC to bed
• catch up on Strictly & bed

Christmas:

• last few presents to buy; nearly done I think
• post letters to Santa DONE
• voucher for Nanny
• presents & stocking organising session
• Thorntons order for DH's family DONE
• DS2 teacher presents DONE
• DS1's teacher presents ready - need cards
• tree decoration with DD's name on DONE
• tidy mantlepiece pre-decorations
• decorations up; Started
• more string for reindeer needed
• what else?

Ongoing:

• book handyman in to clean gutters (& other jobs)
• order blind for kitchen side door
• pictures to label 'animals' & 'people' & 'cars' boxes
• watch Prison Break DVDs & give back to PIL; Started; Done more
• clean oven; Bought Oven Pride
• get kitchen curtains dry cleaned
• family tree (scanning in old certs & photos & email new contact)
• tackle Areas of Doom;
• buy some frames that will hang on the wall & hang up as many photos as poss; need some sizes; Bought 1 to test
• sort iPhoto on laptop... no luck yet
• big bathroom blitz really needed
• fill out Organised Mum calendar; Started

Anyone else following Nickel's birth thread? addictive stuff.

Sat:

• all up & breakfast DONE
• all dressed DONE
• DH & DS1 having a bath DONE
• DD nap DONE
• read papers & do crosswords; Started
• laundry; WM on, airer full
• general tidy of bombsite; Done some
• lunch & tidy up DONE
• DH taking DS1 to a Christingle service DONE
• dinner & tidy up waiting for pizza
• DH out
• DC to bed
• catch up on Strictly DONE yesterdays & bed

Christmas:

• last few presents to buy; nearly done I think
• post letters to Santa DONE
• voucher for Nanny
• presents & stocking organising session
• Thorntons order for DH's family DONE
• DS2 teacher presents DONE
• DS1's teacher presents ready - need cards
• tree decoration with DD's name on DONE
• tidy mantlepiece pre-decorations; Started
• decorations up; Started; More done
• more string for reindeer needed
• what else?

Ongoing:

• book handyman in to clean gutters (& other jobs)
• order blind for kitchen side door
• pictures to label 'animals' & 'people' & 'cars' boxes
• watch Prison Break DVDs & give back to PIL; Started; Done more
• clean oven; Bought Oven Pride
• get kitchen curtains dry cleaned
• family tree (scanning in old certs & photos & email new contact)
• tackle Areas of Doom;
• buy some frames that will hang on the wall & hang up as many photos as poss; need some sizes; Bought 1 to test
• sort iPhoto on laptop... no luck yet
• big bathroom blitz really needed
• fill out Organised Mum calendar; Started

JKS I am lurking on it a bit, but never having done it I can't really get caught in the moment IYSWIM? She is doing v.well :)

Lovely weekend here, we went on a train ride with Father Christmas yesterday, had lunch out and then a bit of shopping. Today we have holed up at home due to the foul weather and got a few jobs done, but mostly loafed and eaten yummy things. And now DH is cooking while I sit with my feet up because T is having a nap.

Will have a look at that thread later JKS

After a fairly hectic weekend. Mini has helped me with a load of shopping, she's got some presents for the DCs and we got the xmas tree, bought up and decorated.

My KM dress still hasn't arrived eeeeeeeeek!

LIST
Take vits done
Take in some dry cleaning
Pick up chair DONE!
Pick up xmas hamper DONE
Buy xmas tree DONE
Post parcel
Pay gas / elec
Post stuff
Toy shop DONE though got to go back
Jewellers
Xmas party dress!!!!!!!!!!!

Xmas
Remaining Xmas shopping - mainly for kids
Wrap and post more presents done more
Write xmas cards -started
Post xmas cards! posted some!
Get baby sitter for work xmas party DONE
Get kids to write xmas lists for santa
Make Delia xmas cake DONE & ice!
Get xmas tree DONE
Do xmas decorations in house

Other stuff
Buy some nice clothes that fit and look nice done
Honey for teachers presents

HMHB - hope it arrives today. Glad to see you've got a sitter sorted :)

So, do I try and tie the reindeer up more effectively than I have so far or do I just lie them down (& turn the lights off) for tonight which is forecast to be very windy?

Leftover:

• read papers & do crosswords; Started
• laundry; WM on, airer full
• general tidy of bombsite; Done some

Mon:

• morning routine DONE
• smear test (yuk) DONE (can feel smug for a while now!)
• MN/FB/cuppa & news Doing
• DD nap
• try and sort out DC presents (last biggish slot of time before DS1 finished school, eek)
• lunch & tidy up
• orch concert @ OAP home
• DS2 home, check bag, etc
• mine & DC x 2 tea & tidy up
• DS1 staying at school for school disco (his first, aww!), so home late, reading, etc.
• DC to bed, early night, DH home v late

Christmas:

• last few presents to buy; nearly done I think
• post letters to Santa DONE
• voucher for Nanny
• presents & stocking organising session; today?
• Thorntons order for DH's family DONE
• DS2 teacher presents DONE
• DS1's teacher presents ready - need cards
• tree decoration with DD's name on DONE
• tidy mantlepiece pre-decorations; Started
• decorations up; Started; More done
• more string for reindeer needed
• what else?

Ongoing:

• book handyman in to clean gutters (& other jobs)
• order blind for kitchen side door
• pictures to label 'animals' & 'people' & 'cars' boxes
• watch Prison Break DVDs & give back to PIL; Started; Done more
• clean oven; Bought Oven Pride
• get kitchen curtains dry cleaned
• family tree (scanning in old certs & photos & email new contact)
• tackle Areas of Doom;
• buy some frames that will hang on the wall & hang up as many photos as poss; need some sizes; Bought 1 to test
• sort iPhoto on laptop... no luck yet
• big bathroom blitz really needed
• fill out Organised Mum calendar; Started

Phew, having another sit down.

Leftover:

• read papers & do crosswords; Started
• laundry; WM & TD on again
• general tidy of bombsite; Order restored :)

Mon:

• morning routine DONE
• smear test (yuk) DONE (can feel smug for a while now!)
• MN/FB/cuppa & news DONE
• DD nap Doing
• try and sort out DC presents DONE

• lunch & tidy up
• orch concert @ OAP home
• DS2 home, check bag, etc
• mine & DC x 2 tea & tidy up
• DS1 staying at school for school disco (his first, aww!), so home late, reading, etc.
• DC to bed, early night, DH home v late

Christmas:

• last few presents to buy; nearly done I think
• post letters to Santa DONE
• voucher for Nanny
• presents & stocking organising session; today?
• Thorntons order for DH's family DONE
• DS2 teacher presents DONE
• DS1's teacher presents ready - need cards
• tree decoration with DD's name on DONE
• tidy mantlepiece pre-decorations; Started
• decorations up; Started; More done
• more string for reindeer needed
• what else?

Ongoing:

• book handyman in to clean gutters (& other jobs)
• order blind for kitchen side door
• pictures to label 'animals' & 'people' & 'cars' boxes
• watch Prison Break DVDs & give back to PIL; Started; Done more
• clean oven; Bought Oven Pride
• get kitchen curtains dry cleaned
• family tree (scanning in old certs & photos & email new contact)
• tackle Areas of Doom;
• buy some frames that will hang on the wall & hang up as many photos as poss; need some sizes; Bought 1 to test
• sort iPhoto on laptop... no luck yet
• big bathroom blitz really needed
• fill out Organised Mum calendar; Started

Eeek HMHB! Has it shipped?

JKS - I've just realised too that I have got this afternoon, tomorrow afternoon and then Wednesday to get everything done because then DS1 breaks up for Christmas! It is his nativity on Friday morning, he is a shepherd.
I think I would lie the reindeer down, you don't want to be out in the garden at 2am wrestling with them!

DONE
All up dressed and fed
Breakfast and clearing up
Bins and recycling out
General tidy and doom prevention in the kitchen
DS1 to preschool
Tidy up dining room and living room
Try and make a plan for this week

TO DO
Write cards for DS1 to sign for preschool (slightly about this but he has had some from friends there so...)
Pack up parcel
Go and collect undelivered items from royal mail depot
Decide on dinner
Lunch and clear up
Pick up DS1
DS1 reading

CHRISTMAS
Post MN Xmas appeal parcel
Addresses
Write and post cards
Update budget spreadsheet
Check present list
Shop for remaining presents - done I think
Decide when to go and buy cheese

Nooo Ali, resist, resist the mass Mummy-written Christmas cards!!! I refuse to do any for the kids until they ask to do them & write them themselves, at least their own name.

We've done school christmas cards, and I've handed a few out but haven's posted a single one to anyone else!!! AGGHH.

Have emailed KM and complained esp as I paid for speedy delivery. At this rate me and my dad and DD (not ideal combo) will have to go to Chester tomorrow for an emergency dress shop.

I was trying to eat really well so as to look nice in dress but now dress isn't even here have accidently ate fish n chips - oops.

JKS - feed the raindeer and tether them tightly. They are used to extreeme weather so they should be ok

LIST
Take vits done
Take in some dry cleaning
Pick up chair DONE!
Pick up xmas hamper DONE
Buy xmas tree DONE
Post parcel done
Pay gas / elec done
Post stuff done -thanks dad
Toy shop DONE though got to go back
Jewellers
Xmas party dress!!!!!!!!!!!

Xmas
Remaining Xmas shopping - mainly for kids
Wrap and post more presents done more
Write xmas cards -started
Post xmas cards! posted some!
Get baby sitter for work xmas party DONE
Get kids to write xmas lists for santa
Make Delia xmas cake DONE & ice!
Get xmas tree DONE
Do xmas decorations in house

Other stuff
Buy some nice clothes that fit and look nice done
Honey for teachers presents