I need to finish knitting a smurfette doll for my daughter

Tidy the house up

Deliver the last few christmas cards

Do some food shopping to get us through till next week

I love the crafting, its a part of Christmas for me. The thing is, I could easily buy my way out of it. I do believe in handmade and so forth but there is always etsy, Steiner christmas fairs, etc.

Most of the rest of our christmas is very simple. Our food is about as simple as it gets. The focus is on being together, games, music, reading, fire.

I’d quite like someone to wave a magic wand and get the cleaning done though. We have guests arriving tomorrow and then again on thursday, and we’ve had guests most days of this and last week, so its been lovely but manic.

I love the run up to Christmas - I think this year its an extra effort because its Roo’s first year too, so I am wanting to start lots of new traditions. In all honesty, we are making more gifts because A, we are skint! and B, I adore crafting and seeing people’s faces when they receive the gift. I come from a family that all love handmade items (well, all bar one, and he has a cook book from tkmax!) so I know our efforts will be appreciated more than a standard pressie.

I dont see it as stressful other than there not being enough time for me to craft

Yes, it is stressful, and life seems to keep throwing us little extra things to deal with, which have taken the focus off Christmas and just dealing with those things, eg more credit card problems, DH’s car being written off, trying to get bathroom ready so FIL can stay, and the things being delivered damaged.  I can deal with Christmas, it’s all the extra stuff that has us scuppered this year!

My to-do list is getting shorter, I think. I’m really enjoying it all this year - I used to get really stressed wanting it to be perfect but last year was such a difficult one and the highlight was going away to my parents for Christmas and just letting it all go. I really learned from that and just decided that everyone who will be here loves us (both sets of in-laws always come for the day) and I just want things to feel fun and happy. I’ve been enjoying the whole build up this year, made some decorations, built in more relaxation and a mixture of bought/made presents feels just right.

We took the weekend out of Christmas prep to do a big clean with a hired carpet cleaner so now the house is less cluttered and feels cleaner - that’s also the thing I’d let the fairies take care of!! - so today we got our tree and put up some greenery with Christmassy songs playing and it all feels better.

I still want to:

buy two more presents tomorrow when we go to the beach (Christmas tradition, drawing on the sand with sticks and lunch in a cafe - huge treat!)
Finish dd1’s yule cushion
Make dd2 a yule gift…maybe a mouse?
Wrap a couple of things which haven’t arrived in the post yet
Wrap the children’s presents
Clean the bathrooms (not want, this one is essential!)

We have a dentist appointment and I’m meeting my doula-client one day.

I’ll add a couple more things to our food shop being delivered on thurs and prepare all the food I can on Christmas Eve but mainly I want to keep things low key and relaxed so that the children sleep well - that’ll help us all enjoy the festivities!!

Claire xx

We are currently in Finland!! My list is so long but can’t do anything until we get home….but the snow is deep!

starchild - 19 December 2011 05:33 PM

<slopes off into the corner>

Hope you’ve come back out of the corner

I must admit to thinking the same when I saw the long lists with only a few days to go. I do personally love making handmade gifts but start early in the year so as not to put any strain on myself and the fact that I like taking a break from a project helps so I can put it down and leave it a few months and then come back to it. But then for me personally, we don’t have too many people to give gifts to.

I don’t let any if it get me stressed, would seem to be the antithesis of how I want to feel. In the last couple of days my dd has been having ideas of what she wants to make as gifts for people for Christmas 2012! Nothing like a bit of forward planning

Hope everyone is getting the things done they want to and without too much stress, take time to enjoy yourselves and your family.

palemintmummy - 20 December 2011 02:23 PM

We are currently in Finland!! My list is so long but can’t do anything until we get home….but the snow is deep!

Oh, that brings back such wonderful memories.  I love the darkness, the snow, the people, oh to be back there.

Have a wonderful time.