Are you running round in circles?

KateyKrunch your mention of short sell-by dates makes me think of one possible up-side of brexit - maybe food manufacturers will be allowed to start putting preservatives in food again. Does anyone remember the days it was ok to keep opened salad cream and ketchup in the cupboard for months opened?

Was getting stressed but just took the reins and gave myself a good talking to... because of childminding grandchildren..and other commitments can't do big food shop until Monday so expecting a nightmare there aaagh!! Going to go as soon as they open ..6a.m I think..once that's done... total relaxation hmmm?

What a stupid thing to be running around in circles for. Everything is done It’s not like you have to sit an exam. My feelings are , get a grip!!

You all sound wonderfully organised (unlike me ) so relax and enjoy it !

I'm much more organised than usual, largely because dd , SiL and very little Gdcs will be arriving tomorrow for several days, so did not want the usual last-minute-img, frantic wrapping up at midnight on Christmas Eve, etc.

Still various stuff to do - beds, some food prep/shopping, but I must say I feel a bit weird, having so much under control for once! For the first time ever I've made stuffing and pigs in blankets in advance, and put them in the freezer. I'm now making the most of the relative calm before the bedlam!

I used to get stressed...... but that was when I tried doing everything myself, down to frosting the grapes! Lol! Now I have a cleaner, do online shopping, never make mince pies, Christmas cake or puds ...... just buy them. Ready made custard ...... get the picture? Buy gifts online. I am so much more relaxed about things and have more time to see friends for lunches before Christmas ...... I love the run up to Christmas, playing carols, decorating the house, meeting friends, seeing family. My tip is delegate as much as you can and take all the short cuts. Cheers!

Hristmas.....Christmas. My iPad seems to hate C’s and misses them out.

......or, GrannyA you could just relax, and do none of those things.Or, you could get your DH to do some of them for you. Hristmas will arrive and be enjoyable without everything having to be perfect.

I was slap bang in the middle of 'the big pre-Christmas clean', but I had to suspend operations in order to go and do the 'big Christmas shop'. I just spent £180 at the supermarket. Right now The Wonderful Man is living up to his name and unpacking the shopping and I'm sitting down in a state of exhaustion awaiting the cup of tea he promised to bring me. The vacuum cleaner is in the middle of the room (only half the carpet got done before I needed to get to the shops), the dusting and polishing things are still adorning the coffee table, and tomorrow I need to finish up the housework early. I was supposed to be having a day off, but a local shop has very kindly organised a huge raffle on behalf of the little charity I work with and so I've been asked to be present for the draw. Afterwards I need to dash back to get the tree decorated - it's currently outside in the rain(!) - before the first of my children and grandchildren arrive for dinner. Oh yes - I need to sort out fresh bedding too. And have the dressing on my back changed. And ensure anything at toddler height is re-positioned............, but once the family arrive tomorrow I shall get into the spirit of the season.

Are you sure they said that?

No, I drew it up about 30 years ago. Nothing changes very much from year to year and it saves me so much blood sweat and tears every Christmas, because I do not have to think about Christmas, because I thought about it 30 years ago.

As someone said efficiency is another word for laziness.

You were joking about spread sheets Monica surely?

Katy present lists stocking list, menu plan, shopping list, budget and diary for making cake pudding etc week by week from beginning of November onwards. Keep it on the computer, add notes about what needs to be bought for next year, ie wrapping paper, bows, labels, I do not need to buy these every year as I unwrap presents slowly and carefully and re-use the paper (and the bows). Then next October when I flash it up again I am ready to run.

Prep the whole meal on Christmas Eve, including stuffing, par-cooking potatoes and parsnips and preparing sprouts. pigs in blankets (if you have them, we don't). Have a Christmas Day time table: turkey in around 8 or 9 and then no need to go into the kitchen until midday when potatoes and stuffing go in oven and so on, aiming to eat between 1.00 - 2.00. I absolutely refuse to ruin my Christmas day by being cook and bottle washer all day. An hour or so I can manage, but no more.

I am fairly low key on cleaning. How much really needs to be done? I will clean the kitchen and vaguely dust and hoover the downstairs rooms on Sunday morning. The visitors bedrooms were done yesterday and the doors shut. Including changing the bedding, it took about an hour. I will then not do any cleaning again until well into January when the decorations will be packed and away and we have been away for a week.

I dont usually stress about Christmas but dont speak to me on Hogmanay until the last floor has been washed the last window cleaned the fingerprints wiped off the doors and the food and drinks laid out ofr midnight.

I AM my mothers daughter and have been found in floods of tears if anyone gets in the way of the big Hogmanay clean..its traditional you know in Scotland .I remember the year my sister died mid december and OH decided to decorate our main bathroom to keep himself busy and cheer me up.Well...he ran out of wallpaper and I howled for hours thinking of the bad luck coming to us because everything wasn't perfect.Christmas is a joy compared to New Year.Happy 2019 to all .

Lol at Kateykrunch and her sock fluff. Good idea about taking photos. I spend too much exhausting time standing round deciding where to put things.

Well just wrap those last gifts and sit back and enjoy. Seems you have everything covered. I think a last minute panic adds to the sense of it, then there is always that moment on Christmas Eve when the shops have actually shut and it really doesn't matter if you have forgot something! I am saving on the cleaning till the weekend though! Have a great time.

Dont like to be the bearer of bad news, but, if you have already cleaned, it will need doing again, its 5 days to go you know!, there is sure to be sock fluff. As for shopping, yes its done but the delivery of short date stuff means I need to shop again! I like the idea of a spreadsheet M0nica, what headings do I need? I have lists, which I either forget to look at or I ignore. Last year, due to illness, I thought I may not be around for this one, so I took photos of my tree and decorations which was really handy to look at for this year as everything got put up again this year in more of less the same place (who would know) and Yay, I’m still here, so I am taking it all in my stride and trying to chill brrrrrrr, I mean be relaxed about it. Happy days everyone x

50 years of organising Christmas and my trusty spread sheet and I am unstressed and under control.

No I m not I feel quite relaxed it’s only a blooming day, well two what’s the fuss ?

I think it’s an age thing, I won’t say stressed,but I certainly don’t feel as chilled & organised as I was in the past.
And then I get cross with myself,it’s ridiculous but good excuse for a festive tot????⛄️Merry Christmas to all ?

Take deep breaths and especially, breathe out s l o w l y!
You sound as if you're doing fine.

You sound dehydrated to me - have a gin or something.