Confessions of a Christmas Failure!

Muppet81

OK! Here it is ... my confession ...

I have read the getting ready for Christmas posts for months, taking in the hints and tips
I have re-read all my Christmas cooking magazines and books and made copious lists
I have made a list of pressies to buy and cards to send
I have talked about Christmas for months and bored Mr Muppet rigid

Why oh why am I now sitting here thinking that I seem to have been running myself ragged for ages but am nowhere near organised

When I worked full time I was the most organised person going when it came to Christmas and so much was homemade ... since I gave up work and have the time .... I am now looking for last minute, easy options

I have just ordered a bit shop online with Mr T and know that I have gone totally over the top ... that mad panic that the shops will empty and we will all starve

I wanted to be able to spend time in the last week before Christmas doing NICE Christmas things and chilling but no chance of that .. still to get house ready for several family visits ... loads of washing and ironing of bedding to look forward to.

It is beginning to dawn on me just how much the commercialism of Christmas has got to me .. I seem to have have been buying cards and pressies for an eternity, am skint and a bit cheesed off.

Next year ... I would like to be different but I am not sure how to acheive it ... friends are buying more and more elaborate gifts and not just 1 gift but several. Some would appreciate a HM gift but many would not.

Don't get me wrong please ... I am not moaning .. I am very lucky to have a lovely life BUT why oh why can I not be more organised? I do try, honest!

Am I alone in feeling a failure at this festive time of year? I would love to be superwoman but I am not

Just off now to pig out the fridge ready for MR T to deliver and to tidy up my shelves so I have a chance of knowing where the stuff I buy has gone ... wine, wine ... I need wine :eek:

Happy Christmas all

tara747

I am sure you're not alone LOL!!!

I go to the folks for Christmas so have hardly anything to do bar buying/wrapping gifts and writing/posting cards. Well, the gifts are bought and unwrapped and the cards are written and unposted! :rotfl: And I am sitting here wondering how the hell the rest of you manage to do it all!!!

stef240377

This year has been especially tight for us as Hubby is now on long term disability so we are having to get by on benefits.

To fill up time during the week i watch these forums like a hawk. The end result means lots of expensive looking prezzies for peanuts. One relative commented last saturday how we seemed to have gone over the top with the present buying because no one was missed out - little did they know most of them had the alcohol sets coutesy of the m&s glitch. Is this a possibility with your family members to why their gifts seem more elaborate?

On the cooking and cleaning front it seems never ending. We get it all done in the morning for the kids to come in from school leaving mud throughout the house, a washing pile as high as everest and any sign of cooked food demolished, therefore i dont think you can ever over prepare yourself for xmas day where you are in actual fact ahead of yourself. Slow down, have a glass of wine and take it in your stride otherwise you will be totally worn out and get no joy from the festivities.

Actiongirl_2

You are definitely not alone. I spent three hours this morning ironing napkins and table cloths for the parents and inlaws and siblings who will be coming to us this year. All while trying to keep a 21 month old amused without resorting to chocolate bribery! The rest of the week will find me ironing bedlinen, getting fresh towels ready for everyone, hoovering the skirting boards (in case my mother in law thinks I am slovenly!), dusting, re-dusting and then thinking about getting the fresh shop done. Oh and there is the playgroup xmas party to provide nibbles for, the wrapping to do, all the cards to send (including the ones my husband will not get round to writing).

This week I have been asked by said DH to provide a secret santa and wrap it (requested 10pm Sunday night, needed for Monday commute)... and a silly hat for his xmas party.

All have been managed (thank heavens for present drawers and knowing where the sellotape was!).

I am also 7 months pregnant and therefore exhausted.

Yet I should be more organised too! I am a stay at home mother and so in theory have all the time in the world to get things done... except the toddler doesn't always want to fit in with my plans!

So no, you are not alone. But on the plus side, they will all be gone by a week on Sunday!!!!!

valk_scot

I find the less I feel I "have" to do at Christmas, the happier I am. So every year I do less. No-one seems to have noticed yet. I make sure there's presents and enough food for a couple of days and that we have a tree and Advent calendars and then either the kids do the rest if the spirit moves them, or they don't. No big deal.

Currently the tree is up, but undecorated, I have written and posted three cards, not wrapped a single present and not done anything more about food than write the list. Oh, and I have a joiner coming tomorrow to do some really dusty work up the attic so no point in doing much cleaning till that's finished, maybe on Monday. If I don't have time I will merely get guests so drunk that they forget any dust they may see. I have not bought any new clothes. Or planned much by way of activities apart from a couple of family visits. These things will just happen, I find. For instance we are going to the school Christmas panto tonight, but I only found out about it two hours ago.

No big deal. You only have too much to do if you give yourself too much to do, I find. Anyway, Christmas isn't about cleaning or excessive and complicated food or the frantic buying of presents, surely?

valk_scot

Actiongirl wrote: »

I am also 7 months pregnant and therefore exhausted.

You are mad as well, m'dear. How come you're "doing" Christmas for the relatives at seven months pregnant anyway?

Muppet81

Some sound advice ... particularly from you Valk_scot ... yes, it is mainly self inflicted. I will try my best to remember your philosophy for next year.

Actiongirl - I agree with Valk_scot ... you should be taking things a bit easy and letting others pamper you a bit.

Stef - well done for your ingenuity on the pressie front in what sound like such difficult circumstances.

I know that so many have a really difficult time at Christmas and I am fortunate that my only problem is my inability to get myself organised. I feel ashamed but still can't help feeling a failure ... I think I blame St Nigella and St Delia a bit as I feel I ought to be able to work the miracles they do.

Actiongirl_2

I know, I know! But we both have very family orientated families. Before we were married, we never did the alternate xmas at each others house, we used to have xmas together a week before, then split up and go to our own familes. So then neither felt deprived. Now we are married with children, we have said that we will always be in our house and people have to come to us. It avoids insulting anyone. I suppose on the plus side, we avoid the madness of travelling between Manchester and Surrey on the M6!

I will I am sure have grandparents who can at least amuse the toddler whilst we get on with things, and at best will load the dishwasher for me!

To be fair, DH is pretty hands on with the cooking and of course if things get stressful, I have the ultimate excuse to go to bed early!!

I suppose I sort of like it anyway. I feel like a grown up even just owning a white table cloth, let alone ironing it! (And the parents only get ironed bedlinen at xmas!)

It did occur to me though as I was ironing that there may be a market in charging to iron peoples xmas linen as a one off!

Actiongirl_2

Muppet81 wrote: »

I think I blame St Nigella and St Delia a bit as I feel I ought to be able to work the miracles they do.

Noooooo. Don't mess with the classics! My mum messed with the traditional trifle one year on the back of a Delia show and has never heard the last of the complaining!

St Nigella and Delia can have all the fancy parsnips they like on the TV... they have researchers preparing it all for them!!

Penelope_Penguin

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]!!!!!![/EMAIL].

Muppet81

And I hadn't even found this thread until now
How much of a failure am I
Good luck with it all Actiongirl ... being a grown up can be hard going at times ... oh to go back, just for 1 year to the wonders of being excited about Christmas with absolutely no work or worries.