Ill - Behind Xmas scheduale!

RoxieW

Hi all
Am just getting over swine flu and as well as being horrible it has set me so back with everything I needed to get done I'm feeling massively overwhelmed at the moment!
I have a work deadline for the 21st Dec. The house is an absolute bomb as I havent had the strength or energy and hubby and children have also been ill. That is probably my biggest problem. I like everything to be clean and in order ready for santa and had planned a massive clear out but I'm still so drained I cant even lift the iron and so have an ironing mountain sky high No shopping. Not even thought about a list of what I need. Cards not sent. Gifts not wrapped. I was meant to be hosting a party last week which I've had to postpone till next monday so have all that to prepare for. No baking done. i still dont feel well and I dont even know where to start. i dont want xmas to be rubbish because I dont feel organised. I wanted everything to be perfect this year Where should I start? Any good corner cutting tips? I'm also limited to how much I can get done during the day as I have a demanding (also ill) baby. All I want to do right now is lie on the sofa but I have so much to get done my head is swimming (as well as pounding)

ceebeeby

Okay,

Let's see if we can break it down into practicalities. You have limited energy, so only use that which is essential!

Work deadline - I presume this is immovable, in which case you'll have to struggle through this.
House tidy - Hide as many things in your glory drawers / cupboards as possible. Once everything is hidden, it won't look too horrific. If this is a total no-no to standards, what about splashing out and paying for a one-off cleaner to come in. They charge about £100 for a full day, and you could even get the ironing thrown in. (You'll have saved money from the party!!)
Ironing - only choose the essential easy to iron items, and ask DH to do these bits.
Shopping - If DS is any good on-line, write out your list and get him to order it all, but before he presses 'buy' get him to print off list so you can check it. Mos tof the Xmas slots will have gone now, so just order the big and bulky's and you can do your fresh order in-store next week.
Cards - Make this a whole team effort! After dinner tonight, whilst still all sat at the table, get the kids (are they old enough) to write the insides of all the family cards, you and DH write out the envelopes. Post them in the morning on the way to the school run.
Gift wrapping - Children's gifts - make best use of the 3 4 2 offer at Tesco on their value gift bags, which just need a dod of sellotape over the top. Family gifts you could tack this on to the end of the card writing session.
Party hosting - Is this cancellable??? The fact that you've all had swine flu is enough of a good reason. Suggest to F&F that you will postpone this, this year, or speak to your bestest friend and ask them to do this party and you'll host a Burns Supper or a Christmas BBQ on the 25th June (6 months).
Baking - look in the local paper for your next school / Scout / Church fete and head straight to the home baking stall. Failing that, a trip to the supermarket baking department (not the boxed ones) and buy in the bucket load. Decant out of the pre-packaging and stick them into your own tins.
Feel Better - plan to do about half an hours work, and then an hours rest for you on the first day, and then tomorrow, pull back to 3/4 work then rest, then the next day etc. etc. If DH is still off sick, then rotate with him, the rest hours so someone will always be up to deal with the kiddies.

Have you had your maximum paracetamol for now?

ariarnia

may I also suggest - you're feeling better, but keeping up with the lemsips will help too, or even starting them if you didn't have a bad throat when sick.


They're full of glucose, rehydration syrup and caffeine as well as a little paracetamol (or you can get the pain free ones) the caffeine will keep you on your feet, but coffee itself will make you feel worse after a half hour or so, lemsip is much gentler.

spankymonkey_2

do you have a friend or family member that can give a helping hand?

ubamother

a perfect Christmas is one where you and yours get to laugh a lot, eat, drink and be merry - I've ruined so many Christmasses for myself in my younger days being upset because something wasn't 'perfect' i.e. exactly as my head had planned it. Try and find simple solutions to some of the jobs - e.g. buy a load of gift bags as easier than wrapping. Will anybody drop dead if some of the ironing pile is smoothed and folded away rather than ironed? You could always get bits out again when you're better and iron them then. Work out what's really truly important, make a priority list and do the things first that are physically/mentally easiest so you are not over-doing it too early.

SallyForth_2

Given that your whole family has been poorly, I would firstly think realistically about what you and your family believe "perfect" would be? You might be surprised to find, that it would not require quite as much work and effort as you think.

This is very important as you have already said you are still not back to you your normal self so getting stressed, panicked, overwhelmed or worked up about it will make you ill again and you will end up with a rubbish Christmas anyway. There is time yet, so continue to lie on the sofa and rest, maybe do a revamped list of what you realistically can manage when you head isn't throbbing so much.

There are a few things which will make the day special, the rest can be ditched on the grounds that your family are probably not really going to care that much. Don't woo'ed into thinking that perfect means something you have seen on the telly or in a magazine. All that festive decor and food is all very well, when you have a dozen people running around sourcing everything for you, but most of us are too busy to acheive this anyway. Consider how it was when you were a child, did you care about table decorations, or themed Xmas trees?

It is fortunate that you have got your gifts, because pressie buying can be a real energy sapper. Do a few gift wrapping sessions at a time each day, starting with with those which are going elsewhere. Frankly, I would ditch the card sending if you can bear to, or at least limited to only those who might notice and get offended.

Xmas food shopping can seem overwhelming, but we all say it every year, we buy way too much food, we get taken in by all those shelves loaded to the ceiling with everything from Party Crisps to Advocaat, but really, who eats all that stuff on top of Christmas dinner? In reality, you only need to cater for those three meals on Christmas day just like any other roast dinner day, and you could buy everything and not bother baking at all. If you are feeling optimistic, you might feel up to doing a few bits and pieces next week, so don't panic, have a contingency 'bought" subsitute in, just in case.

If you give yourself the chance to recover properly now, there is every chance you might be able to do that party between xmas day and New Years Eve? So leave the catering and planning until then. Otherwise, just cancel it. Nobody expect poorly people to host a Do so close to xmas.

Housework and Ironing chores are another energy sapper, and again I would suggest you only do what is absolutely necessary or get someone in to help with the worst. Don't try and do it all in one go, share the chores with other half, and do half an hour or so each every day until you are both feeling able to do more. Only iron those things which you need, and put the rest away until after xmas, in the meantime, if you can avoid wearing things which have to be ironed, that will stop the mountain getting bigger, don't bother ironing baby things at all.

I hope you start to get back to normal soon, and I am sure you will if you take slowly now. Good Luck!

savingmummy

Aw so sorry you`ve been pooorly hun.
I would just do what you all can do tbh, get hubby to do his share make up a rota. Tackle a room at a time, maybe you tidy/clean, hubby tidy/cleans, children put away and just do your best.

Any close friends or relatives who can help out with shopping? maybe try online list and buy online. save you being rushed around the store.

Cards can be done in one evening, as can the pressies 2 scissors, 2 sellotapes rolls of paper - you and hubby watching tv while wrapping up.

The party i would cancel tbh, i think you need a break and people will understand or maybe host it elsewhere? get guests to bring a plate of food instead of a bottle?x

THE-WIFE_3

Roxie, there's not much else to say because you've got such good advice here anyway, just give yourself and your little ones the time to heal as otherwise you'll be back to square one again. There's always next year.

Harrietxxx

And heres me feeling miserable about a little cold, you are really having it rough at the moment hun. Not much to add in the way of advice, don,t bother with ironing, put it away and do it as you need it. Definitely cancel the party, everyone will understand. Just take it easy on yourself, better to feel well and have an untidy house than try to do too much and make yourself ill again.

Take care and big hugs
x

victory

Excellent advice, great to read for a change:D

RoxieW

hi all
thank you for the advice. have had abit more of a productive day then i expected as tackled some on the ironing while baby had a nap. i was on the sofa falling asleep myself when a delivery man came to the door so i was up then and thought i'd do as much as i could. i also made up (bead bracelets) 2 pressies whilst sat on the sofa watching tv so i think i've done my bit for today between that and dealing with babies diarrohea attacks :eek: will make tea for the boys and then i think i will be about done. feeling ok in myself, apart from when i eat with makes me feels very sick. luckily the kids weren't as badly effected as i have been and were over it in a couple of days.
thank you for all your help. the best thing to wish for of course is that we are all healthy at xmas time. i just felt veryout of control and i struggle with that feeling. feel abit better now and will write a big list of whatneeds doing and prioritise it