Warning……SMUG alert, Christmas prep.

That recipe sounds lovely. Thank you.

I've got my mince-pies in the freezer. Presents all bought and wrapped, cards written and stamped. Just got to buy fresh groceries in Christmas week, and make cakes.(Chocolate ginger cake, and a galette des rois)

#Sago from one control freak to another, you are one! But in a good way and I'm glad to see I'm not alone. If you're also a bit OCD I would identify with that too. I really try not to but I can't help myself.

Well done to ever that likes to be prepared and good on you all those that prefer to live on the edge. I am lucky that neither of us like Christmas cake or mince pies. Presents are bought only partially wrapped, cards are ordered, turkey crown in freezer do I have a foot in both camps

Ooh very envious SAGO. Will try your shortbread recipe ?
Wish I was more organised. I’ve made two Christmas cakes though. One for us, the other for DD and family. I’ll ice them in a couple of weeks. I make mince pies on Christmas Eve, otherwise my DH would keep sneaking a couple out of the freezer!
Still have presents to buy, but I know what I’m buying. Cards still to buy except for Aussie and my family in Europe. They’re written ready to post.

I'm with you Granny kaye and Monica,I always mean to keep my notebook but somehow it goes out. I should put it on the computer. DD's used to laugh at me but now with families of their own often phone and ask for recipes or if you can freeze ahead certain things.
DH says it keeps us both sane we set a time and decide on food and drink and then I knock the TODO list off when appropriate, he likes to do the ordering and drinks but not the Sainsburys.
I lived in a house of chaos each year we played find the scissors /sellotape for present wrapping or the nutcrackers on Christmas morning so I'm afraid we live in a house of a place for everything and everything put back in its place.

Sago Mine are all bought too! I hate shopping at the best of times and December. Yuk!!

I try to live in a house with a place for everything and everything in its place, but I am up against stiff competition i am married to someon who has never in his life knowingly put anything away anywhere, let alone the right place. Even his mother despaired.

Gosh Granny23 I bet someone would bite your hands of for that lot?

I am a great list maker but they do get lost.

Somehow, transferring it to a spreadsheet makes it all seem terribly important!

As a Christian I love Christmas but I absolutely hate the retail madness. Martin Lewis did a moving prog about Christmas-about buying gifts folk don’t want/need with money you don’t have.
I was brought up in poverty and although I’m comfortable now it still winds me up.
I would say I’m neither pious nor a Scrooge!!
I have made the cake which DH and I like. We do stockings (fabric ones bought years ago and reused every year) for our 6 GC-we’ve bought the chocs to go in them. Not sure yet what else will go in.
Gifts will be children only-clothes and books.
Send mostly (free) e-cards especially abroad. That saves a fortune.
I find it an incredibly stressful time ? I’m just useless at buying gifts! I envy all of you who sail happily through it all!

My cake is made, veg dishes cooked and in the freezer. Fish for the pie for the vegetarians cooked and frozen and the ice cream also made and frozen. Now DS and I are eating out of the freezers to make more room for Christmas dishes. I’ve got the frozen cherries for the trifle, and on my fourth try at Asda, they finally had trifle sponges in stock. The next thing going in is sticky toffee pudding.

Newquay I share many of your sentiments, but have got round the present angst by asking family members for a wish list in October. There are no promises that anything or everything on it will be bought as a gift, but it saves buying unwanted gifts and endless worrying about what to give, expecially as both grandchildren are now secondary school age and it is so easy to get it wrong.

After that we have Christmas our way, I do not really enjoy shoppings, so shops are easy to avoid. Foodwise I go for quality rather than quantity and order a lot well in advance. Then I just switch off, my mind disengages from all the rest of the advertising and media induced frenzy.

At the end of the day, for most people, Christmas is about their family. Switch off from everything that is not part of your Christmas and enjoy the Christmas on your own terms.

OPHere Thank you all for contributing to the thread, it’s interesting to hear how you all deal with Christmas.

20 years ago I had to have major surgery before Xmas so I got everything done by Halloween, 3 children of 6,13 and 17 and a husband who doesn’t know how an oven or washing machine works meant it was imperative I was organised.

Since then I have been well prepared, it has meant I can relax and enjoy the nice bits of December such as Nativity plays, carol concerts and family time.

Wether your last minute or prepped and ready it will hopefully be a happy and peaceful one for all of us.

As my birthday is 1st December I try to get most things done before then. It is a lovely month and if I am not having to rush around I can enjoy it more.

? Lovely thread ?
Parmesan Shortbread added to The List ?
Googled 'what to buy 9yr old girl'
bought a few stocking fillers for her & other GCs.
Thought about the rest ???

I like to think that I am organised for Christmas each year, I write all the cards (yes we still send them, and hopefully receive some!) I buy and wrap presents, getting better at that, all growing older and not sure what to get so it's money in money cards, sealed, marked NOT TO BE OPENED UNTIL 25th DEC, and a little Chrismassy sticker put on the outside. Food is my domain also (although I do prefer it that way, I know what I need to buy, others doing it means writing a list etc). All this has been pushed forward a bit this year as I'm due to have an operation on the 9th Dec (covid go away, its already been cancelled twice) so method in my madness, will all be sorted before the 9th, I can recuperate in peace, and just get mobile to cook on Christmas Day, if I'm not up to it and others don't want to do it BEANS ON TOAST IT IS !!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL xx

And a Merry Christmas to you too magshard
Good Luck with the op!!

I posted all my overseas cards today. And yesterday posted presents for sister and niece in the US. ?

However I still haven’t completed today’s designated job, which was the annual polish of the big chest largely covered with ornamental brass and copper. Taking an extended break, having done only a third of the front. I find the necessary kneeling to get on with it, even with a nice fat cushion, very back-ache-y now.

I shall resume shortly though.

Sounds and looks really impressive! I wish I was as productive as you. I've already bought some presents, but still have a lot of work to be done

I finally finished polishing the chest (and the coffee pots) - about a dozen utterly filthy dusters have gone in the wash and I’m virtually out of Brasso wadding.

One bonus - I brought in my garden kneeler/seat to make some of it easier, and lo, the kitchen scissors we thought had been accidentally binned, were in a side pocket. We’d replaced them, but good to have a spare pair.?

???Well done looks fab

Thank you, Sago!