Once again it seems that December has snuck up on me with the realisation that Christmas is around the corner and I’m hopelessly disorganised yet again. The fabric for the home made advent calendar is still in a bag in the deepest darkest recesses of the ‘study’ (as we optimistically call it – junk room is more accurate) – despite my best intentions, somehow I never quite found the time to put it together. I’ll make it next Christmas – if I ever manage to find the bag again.
I started the pre-Christmas decluttering and managed to tidy one cupboard before my enthusiasm for the task disappeared entirely. I look around the clutter that somehow needs to be tidied away in the next three and a bit weeks and feel like I am preparing to scale Everest. I suspect I might just end up shoving it into the study, shutting the door on it whilst making a mental note to add ‘sort out the study’ to my New Years’ resolutions.
My social media feeds are full of pictures of beautiful homes with their Christmas trees already up and gorgeously decorated. I’m wondering where I can clear enough space to put ours up and whether I can make it suitably Sophie-proof. We don’t have a beautiful colour theme – in all honesty our tree will probably look like someone just haphazardly threw a mish-mash of coloured baubles at it.
We’re hosting Christmas Day and I’m already trying not to stress out at the thought of cooking dinner. I’m praying that I can get a delivery slot as the thought of going food shopping a day or two before Christmas with two little ones in tow is the stuff of nightmares.
I haven’t written any cards yet and suspect that the last posting dates will coincide with my announcement on social media that I’m donating to charity instead of sending cards this year and will be wishing my friends a Merry Christmas via Facebook. Although having gone to the effort of getting the photo done for this year’s cards, I should at least do a few for close friends and family.
There’s presents to buy, presents to wrap, decorations to dig out, food to buy, cards to write, so much to organise. If I think about it all, I’ll start to get overwhelmed. But then I remember that my children don’t care if my tree is colour-coordinated or if my Christmas pudding is home-made or shop-bought (they’ll probably reject it either way!). To them, Christmas is magical, because there are twinkly lights, and wrapped presents, stockings in their cot on Christmas morning and toys to play with. We’ll have time together as a family, quality time. That’s what really matters on Christmas Day.
That’s a lovely sentiment, and you’re so right. It’s very easy to get carried away and overwhelmed with all the things we ‘should’ be doing, and panic when looking at social media and all those very organised people, but essentially that’s not what Christmas is about is it x
Thank you – have to keep reminding myself of what Christmas is really all about whenever I start to feel overwhelmed by it all. Maybe one day I’ll be organised and December won’t sneak up on me! 🙂
You are brave having a tree with a toddler in the house lovely! I think most of us feel like this,don’t be fooled for a second by those people on social media who seem to have it all sewn up xxx
Thanks Reneé – Jessica was pretty good at leaving the tree alone so I’m hoping that Sophie will be the same but we’ll do what we can to make it toddler-proof! I keep reminding myself that comparing what I’m doing to what others are doing on social media is comparing my reality to other people’s highlights and that puts it back into perspective again x
That’s so true, it doesn’t matter about all the stuff and all the pressure we put ourselves under to have the perfect day. What really matters is the true meaning of Christmas and spending time with our loved ones x
Thanks Stephanie – will keep reminding myself of that! 🙂
Believe me, you are not alone! I’m feeling quite proud that I managed to get our Christmas photo done on Sunday and then actually ordered our cards (which I failed to do last year!). I know they will arrive though and sit until the last minute to be addressed and posted! I have done nothing else, at all… Starting to panic a little too!
Ah well done for getting as far as ordering the cards – I still need to do that as well! 🙂
I’m so glad you ended the post the way you did. Children don’t care for colour coordination and do you know what? Neither do I.
We have never met but I feel like I have got to know a piece of you through this blog. You love your children and I know that your house will look homely which is how it should look and that is the main thing. x
Thank you Katy for your lovely comment. You are right – children don’t care for colour co-ordination or whether the house is tidy or not – just that they are loved and looked after x
This is a bit like the post I wrote last week Louise! I seem to have managed to get quite organised quite quickly though although I haven’t really thought much about decorating. To be honest our house sounds a bit like yours only instead of the study, our junk room is the dining room. It would have taken a mammoth effort to clear it out to be able to have anyone round for a meal but fortunately the in-laws have invited us round on Christmas Day. I’m willing to make the effort and get a bigger tree this year (albeit with that ‘thrown together’ look). We’ve had one of those mini table top ones for the last five years. But I’m still not quite sure if EJ will manage to somehow bring it down on himself! I always remember my mum telling us about how her my uncle once brought their Christmas tree down one year, smashing the television in the process! He must have been in so much trouble 🙂 Thanks for sharing this with The Truth about hon Xx #thetruthabout
Oh yes, so it is – I had forgotten that when I sat down and wrote this one! I’m glad you have managed to get quite organised now though and great that the in-laws have invited you around for Christmas Day to save you having to clear the dining room. Fingers crossed that you get your tree up without EJ pulling it over – definitely don’t want him to repeat what your uncle did – what a nightmare that must have been! Lovely to link up to #thetruthabout again – thank you for hosting 🙂