Are you nearly there yet?

Presents not wrapped, so going to make a start this afternoon with the obligatory glass of sherry and mince pie 😊
to those without your other halves.

When MrOops invited his mate and his wife for Boxing Day one year I was ok, until they said that his brothers and their families were staying for Christmas but they would all love to come, it was the day before Christmas Eve.
I wasn’t a happy bunny. But as he was the one who had to go to the shops on Christmas Eve morning to buy extra food it’s made him think twice about doing it again.
Having said that, I would have expected his mate to have declined the invitation, but they will go anywhere for a free meal.
Make your DH do most of the preparation.

Sago I need to Your husband needs to shop, cook, bake, clean, make beds.

He invites = he does the work .

The few cards I post went off today, the Christmas e-mails were sent yesterday. The baking is finished and most of the cleaning.

Christmas parcel despatched and received by daughter. DH's present to be wrapped and cats' new toy finished.

Haven¨t been able to buy the tree yet as the snow was banked so high at the sides of the main road I have to cross that there was no way I could get my bike over and the snow was frozen too hard to shovel.

It's supposed to thaw tomorrow, if it doesn't I shall still try to fetch the tree - the obstructive snow has been trodden a great deal flatter, so think my cargo bike can now pass.

Done the presents. I bought Christmas bags for most of them and then sticky tape across the tops. I had to wrap up about 6 because they were too big. I cut down the number of cards by half this time though I hand delivered some.

I'm having furniture built, and there have been delays, so I am loving in a tip just now, until I can get everything put away. I plan to just cram things into cupboards and shut the doors if it ever gets finished, and sort things out at leisure when Christmas is all over. So no, I'm nowhere near 'there'.

I have, however, bought all the presents, and ordered the food, which is a start. I bought wrapping bags (reusable foil ones) last year, and am duly reusing them this time, so the 'wrapping' is done too. I recommend the bags - it takes no time to 'wrap' the presents, and they should last for years.

I do need to sort bedrooms for when the ACs come to stay - they become dumping grounds between Christmases.

I have wrapped presents, bought vouchers, sent cards and emails. I have one delivery to make as it is grandson’s birthday on 23rd.
Carol concert last night, carol service in church tonight, hoping the roads will not be too icy. Then no more choir practices for a while.
As for food, I have a turkey crown in the freezer, bought tiny Christmas puds in the cupboard, apart from that, nothing special in the way of food. There are many things DH can’t eat and many more we shouldn’t, so no mince pies. Plenty of veg though.
I do like to keep things simple but I would love to share my son’s Christmas Day which they always spend with his wife’s family.
No visitors, no invitations until after Christmas/ New Year.

Sorted in my own way. Working right up till Friday 23rd needed to get organised. So let it all happen now. Packed wrapped done!

No, not even close to being ready. Mostly due to managing money this year and Christmas savings needed for breaking things.

My last day of work is Tuesday so normally I would want everything done by then so I can relax but it's going to be a scramble this year I think

Love & hugs to everyone who is missing their partner this year.

On reading this thread I realise how lucky I am as my husband cooks, shops and wraps the presents. I must tell him how much I appreciate what he does, I'm not very good at that.

Sago I think your DH needs a list of things to do - given that he has dropped the extra burden on your shoulders. From what you are saying if you attempt all those tasks you will be on your knees by 25th, and unable to enjoy your visitors, welcome or otherwise!

Iam thoughts are with you - this must be so, so hard. {flowers}

That SHOULD have been wrong brackets - sorry. x

Seems that husbands dont do much in preparing for Christmas. Mine used to complain that the golf course was closed on Christmas Day.
So we went to Spain in the days many years ago when it was just religious day. No cards or presents. Children got presents on Jan 6th.

Ask husbands for help, write lists...

If they start helping they just didn't notice it needed doing before

If they still don't help, they need retraining, go on husband strike, no clean pants for you

Yes almost, thank you 😃 Finishing indoor decorations today then it will be time for Christmas 🎄 Quite frankly, anything that isn't done now won't get done and I refuse to worry about it. Last year I forgot to put the slow cooker on for the Christmas pudding but it tasted just as nice on Boxing Day.

We've even organised the family Zoom sessions so all the GC can open their presents at the same time and we can all join in, except the ones in NZ who will have already opened theirs.

Not as ready as I had planned . I’m having a cataract op tomorrow so will be out of action for a couple days I think. Decorations done, food ordered for delivery but some presents for DGC still to arrive from A…z..n . My one secret Santa present for adults is wrapped though.
Hoping my vision will be good enough to cook Christmas dinner if not DD and family are here to take over !
My late DH seemed to be completely oblivious of everything that needed doing at Christmas, and usually decided to start a big DIY project or make a game for the GC two days before Christmas Eve ! I’m missing his chaos though this year, as although he died nearly 3 years ago (New Year’s eve😞) it’s the first big gathering at Christmas since he died .

Presents bought, wrapping starts tomorrow, MrJ as well. Farm shop Wednesday morning, early, for veg; grandchildren and daughter prep them Christmas Eve.
All meat in the freezers, including vegi alternatives, house decorated.
I cook gammon on the Eve and we visit to exchange presents with my son and his family. I cook dinner on the day, the others clear up.
I too am ‘if it’s not done now, it’s not happening’.

Sago

Pittcity That was my plan too until my lovely husband opened his mouth😉

Write a list if jobs for your lovely husband and get him to take some if the extra work he’s caused.

I haven't managed any decorations, not even the tree this year. Just so difficult to do on my own. Dh made may little wooden Christmas decorations and they are all in the storage boxes. Finding it difficult enough without seeing and handling all those little treasures. DS did offer to visit and help, especially with the outdoor ones but I just don't feel able to ceebrate. Next year perhaps.

Then my husband opened his big mouth and invited some friends to stay, it was supposed to be our first ever Christmas alone and I was looking forward to that!

I need to shop, cook, bake, clean, make beds.

No, your DH needs to do a lot of that.

I don’t know how I’m going to manage everything. With help!
M&S and other outlets sell mince pies, cakes, puddings, sausage rolls, ready prepared stuffing, sprouts, carrots, glazed parsnips, pigs in blankets, brandy sauce, even gravy - everything to help you cheat 🙂

We usually don't have anyone in from the 23rd through the 29th, but if my husband chose to invite he is competent to the whole of Christmas 'shop, bake, clean, beds'. Husbands can do anything needed.

Uninvite the guests unless and until the inviter says what he is going to do about the food, drinks, presents, washing, tidying and entertaining.

No visitors this year, so not bothering with any decorations.

Only food for the two of us so a fairly normal week really.

We are visiting Dd on Boxing Day. She can’t be bothered to cook, so having a takeaway curry.
Although she has put up a tree and decorations.

To all those not up to celebrating this year for whatever the reason - I hope you manage to find a little peace and/or quiet contentment at some point over the Christmas period.

There will be a few 🍷🍷🍷 raised to absent friends in our family this year. It will also be DM's first Christmas without DF for 60 years and she has opted to stay home alone and spend her time quietly and just have visitors. Everybody needs to do what is best for them.