The Christmas sanity thread

lisasha3

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Well, we're getting down to the last minute time crunch. For those of us celebrating Christmas, boxing day, or something else this time of year, what a crazy next 3 days we've got coming! Last minute things always seem to creep up on you and it's not just shopping things. All my shopping is done. With me it's finishing last minute baking that couldn't be done ahead of time, cleaning the house top to bottom, finishing some last minute gift wrapping, helping my kids wrap all the things they have purchased, finishing the laundry (so we all have something nice to wear), and putting the christmas tree back together after the cats have had at it for 2 weeks
......arrrggghhhh.....My spreadsheet just seems to be growing and growing (of course I have a Christmas task spreadsheet - what a stupid question for the spreadsheet queen.
) All that and I have had no car all week because it's being repaired (I hit a deer a few weeks ago). Talk about a bad week not to have a car. A couple times this week I found out I was missing an ingrediant or had bought the wrong thing. Well on my bike I went - to the store and I'll tell ya what - 45 degrees is not that cold until you get on a bicycle.

Anyways, so I figured I'd start this just to remind everyone....no matter how much you have to do...try to remember to sit back and take a breather every once in a while. It will help us all keep our sanity.

This can be our "keep the sanity" thread.
. When you take a break, come post here and let us know how things are going - whether it be bad or good. All the folks here always offer so much support to everyone - we can all help each other get through this crazy weekend.

Now.....off to start the baking and cleaning........see you guys in a bit!
 

AbbysMom

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I'm not doing too bad...yet
I am off for allergy shots, then going to do the grocery shopping. I am sure I will lose any sanity I have after that!
 

lookingglass

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After I found my Christmas cards in my hutch last night I decided to give up and enjoy the rest of the holiday. I refuse to rush around like my tail is on fire any more this holiday season. Tonight, I am drinking hot chocolate and watching Christmas movies!
 

sar

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I'm going to regain some sanity once, I have my bulbs and lights on the go! Plus, I think I'm going out for some liquid refreshment in a little while!


My sanity might just be sucked from me with the drive for Christmas, though!
With the trains and planes out of action, the roads are going to be awful - especially with four cats in the car among everything else!


It'll be well worth it though!
 

skippymjp

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Well, I give up. I cannot get my christmas on. I'm not the least bit interested in going to any parties, I don't want to go see the family christmas day, I kind of resent buying all those gifts and don't really care if they get me anything or not. All I want to do is stay home with the furries and watch old movies and putter around the house.

I'm not trying to be a grinch, and I don't hate christmas or anything. I just can't get the least bit interested in it anymore, it's been getting worse every year.
 

momofmany

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I just set very low expectations for Christmas this year so have avoided being stressed out. With our kitchen remodel and the house in complete chaos, we have no tree, we aren't really buying many presents, and expectations for Xmas dinner are low. My only goal is to attempt to clean the dust out of the house between now and Monday, and I'm on vacation the entire time.
 

eilcon

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I've barely started shopping!
So, guess who's going to be up very early tomorrow morning to try to beat the crowds? Fortunately, there's a Meijer's, Target and some other decent stores fairly close to where I live. Then, there's wrapping everything, which I'm sure the kitties will be glad to "help" with!
 

catlover19

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Originally Posted by Sar

My sanity might just be sucked from me with the drive for Christmas, though!
With the trains and planes out of action, the roads are going to be awful - especially with four cats in the car among everything else!
I hate Christmas driving. This year I have to go an hour up to my parents house, then an hour and a half to my boyfriends grandparents house and then back to my parents house. Thats about 4 hours of driving that will probably end up being 6 or 7. Thankfully I am not bringing my cats though, they are horrible in the car.

Thankfully I am all done my Christmas shopping, and I just finished wrapping them all. Everything is ready to go. I had to make sure it was done though because my next day off is Christmas day.
 

gailc

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Well one last minute gift I bought I left out on the table (with the price tag) and Neil asks who is this for-oops!!! We are cleaning the kitchen,living room and family room this morning and doing loads of laudry. Which is a good thing as I got a call from my sis who said she hit the road late last night and right about now is close to the IN/IL border so she should be here in about 5 hrs depending how bad the traffic is in Chicago. Her older cat peed on his blanket and rug and she says the truck smells terrible!! I slept for crap last night w/ upset stomach stressing out about her drive!!
I think I will have many liquid refreshments this afternoon when she gets here but I won't get "sqiffy"!!
 
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lisasha3

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Originally Posted by eilcon

I've barely started shopping!
So, guess who's going to be up very early tomorrow morning to try to beat the crowds?
Are you nuts! I would be freakin out! I could never do that. They would have to commit me for sure.


Originally Posted by Sar

I'm going to regain some sanity once, I have my bulbs and lights on the go! Plus, I think I'm going out for some liquid refreshment in a little while!
Originally Posted by lunasmom

Jealous......yeah..ummm....VERY jealous!!!!


Originally Posted by GailC

I think I will have many liquid refreshments this afternoon when she gets here but I won't get "sqiffy"!!
Again.....jealous......wish I was gettin squiffy....although I'm not even sure what Squiffy is
(but I like the word!
)

And I have to say......
my list is shrinking....finally...it's shrinking. Cleaning is done, baking is done...only thing is the fluffy white frosting I made....well there ain't nothin "fluffy" about it.
I don't know what i did wrong, but obviously something went VERY wrong.
Oh yeah! and my car is done!!!!
 

gemlady

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Managed to keep my sanity yesterday afternoon as Mom and I headed into town. We decided to finish the shopping (book store and Sears) and I chose the wrong way to drive into the shopping areas. Sat in a turn lane through FIVE changes of the light before I could turn.

Anyway, the evening ended lovely as we had dinner at Red Lobster to celebrate Mom's and sister's birthdays. I think I OD'd on cheddar biscuits.
 

tari

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I don't even want to think about all the stuff I have to do the next couple days. My mom threw her back out a couple weeks ago, so I've been getting both her and I ready for Christmas. (Plus, my coworker is on maternity leave, so I've basically been doing two jobs at the office since September.)

I still have SIX gifts left to buy and many, many, many left to wrap. We're having dinner at our house on Christmas Eve, and I'm the only one around who cooks. Also, it's my job to make the pies for Christmas day at my parents' house, so I have five pies to bake.

Add to that, that DH set up a meeting for us with our bank tomorrow morning...so that's a half a day gone.


Wanna take any bets on whether I'm going to get it all done?
 

jessy

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I'm feeling guilty as we're going to my fiance's parents for christmas day, but they will have only got back from holiday on saturday morning, and are going again on friday, but his mum will still do all the cooking. I wondered if I should have everyone over, but my fiance said no, and I only have 2 days off work, apart from the weekend,(christmas day & boxing day), and really don't want to spend one of them cooking and running round after other people! Plus I can't afford to go out and by all the food. Sigh, but I still feel guilty.
Anyway, we haven't officially been invited, but we've been there for the last 2 years and I think it's just been assumed we're going this year

I've offered to go and pick up their washing for them as their machine is broken.
 
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lisasha3

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I am very happy to say that all is going very well over here and I am still completely sane! Baking's done, house cleaning done, laundry done, grocery shopping done, last minute shopping done, got my car back (and the shop cleaned it,vacuumed it, waxed it! Looks brand new.)...and I even made it to my Weight Watchers meeting tonite and even with all the baking this past week and the partying I still lost 3.8lbs! That's 18lbs in 6 weeks.
I am
right now! All that's left for me to do to prepare for the holidays is fun stuff - wrap gifts with the kids and prepare the goodies to travel to their destinations.
The only thing I"m missing now is somethin good to get me feeling "squiffy" (love that word!!!
Thanks Gail!)
 

trouts mom

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I need to keep my sanity..by telling myself that I will be with my family soon, and I won't be lonely forever..Things will get better
 

MoochNNoodles

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Well I'm just feeling plain ol lazy! I made a pepermint cake for our Christmas luncheon today at work. We only ate half so instead of baking another, I froze that half for Monday. Mom has assigned me drinks and broccoli puff for the dinner. I have some wrapping to do, but I'll get that done tomorrow. DH has to work so I'll have some 'quiet' time for that. I havn't wanted to 'battle' wal-mart but I need to get thoes groceries and pick up a few gift cards too. Thoes are for people DH works with, so I guess they won't be getting them till next week! I took next week off so I am just looking forward to a quiet week after the holiday. That is, after I get the oil changed and that kind of stuff!
 

ericanicole

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thank goodness for this thread.
I need a little sanity upper...
I get so fusturated that Dan goes out to the bars every weekend both friday and saturday. he comes home wasted, wakes me up and talks non stop!lol..
i just wish at 25 he would act a little more mature.

I am regrouping my positive thoughts here...
someone messed up my good day(and made me think twice about my intentions and if I am a good person) and I need a little joy in my life!
I am worried about all the cooking i am going to do ( i hardly ever cook) for the next few days..I wanna make everyone happy by showing up for the holidays...I want dan to be on time and act responsible...AHHHHHH!!!


at least I have you guys!!
 

ericanicole

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natalie...
You wont be lonely forever....
you need to come to Milwaukee...
a little far for ya?
oh well...
we would have a blast!!!
You get to meet my Mikey...he LOVES the ladies lol!!!
 
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lisasha3

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Originally Posted by Trouts mom

I need to keep my sanity..by telling myself that I will be with my family soon, and I won't be lonely forever..Things will get better
Natalie - you are welcome at my home anytime you want. I too live alone and would love the company. It can get hard this time of year, but think of it this way - you always have all of us here to talk to and keep you company anytime, so think of your home as being FULL of family and friends always.

Originally Posted by EricaNicole

thank goodness for this thread.
I need a little sanity upper...
I get so fusturated that Dan goes out to the bars every weekend both friday and saturday. he comes home wasted, wakes me up and talks non stop!lol..
i just wish at 25 he would act a little more mature.

I am regrouping my positive thoughts here...
someone messed up my good day(and made me think twice about my intentions and if I am a good person) and I need a little joy in my life!
I am worried about all the cooking i am going to do ( i hardly ever cook) for the next few days..I wanna make everyone happy by showing up for the holidays...I want dan to be on time and act responsible...AHHHHHH!!!

at least I have you guys!!
I think you must be me - 10 years younger. I don't hardly ever cook (ever!) and I too dated a guy for years that went out every single Friday and Saturday night (sometimes nights in between if folks called him) to the bars. He too would come home 3 sheets to the wind, wake my butt up to chit chat and if it was during the week, would keep me up most of the night regardless of the fact that I had to work early in the a.m.
. He was a contractor for an engineering firm and thus either worked from home or made his own hours meaning it didn't matter what time he got up. Well......he's 38 and STILL going out every Friday and Saturday night till closing. I still see him (we don't date anymore but are friends) and after being downright rude (I had no choice) I have gotten him to stop contacting me at that hour. At that hour as drunk as they are they really don't comprehend 100% what you're saying - so say what's on your mind. Tell him like it is. I did and it stopped. Now I only talk to him during the daytime unless we are out together. It took a while, but I got it to stop. I'm not sure if your Dan is anything like my guy, but if he frequents the same bar and this has been going on for a while, there is a chance it could continue for a long time. As I said - my friend is 38 and it's been going on since his early 20's. It's gotten to the point were he knows everyone at the bar and is expected to be there and meet folks. Kinda like "Norm" on cheers.
Just giving you my
from someone else who lived that for years. I know it's not my business, but you need to tell him how you feel otherwise it's going to start to bother you more and more over time like it did me. That was ultimately the end of our relationship. I told him - pick the bar or pick me. Well he said he had more friends at the bar and I was asking him to give up all his friends. Sorry, but at 38 I expected a husband and father, not a 21 year old partier. Told him if we ever had kids what was I suppose to tell them? Daddy's out partying?
uhuh - not me. Take a hike buddy. Sorry - don't mean to stick my nose in your business - I just lived that life for many years with a guy that would have been an absolute perfect husband and father other than they partying. We still love each other very much and wish it had worked out differently, but I just can't live with that lifestyle. I'm 36 - I want to settle down you know.
Sorry - hope I wasn't a downer.
 
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