People who celebrate Christmas: Are you ever totally ready for Christmas without being totally frazzled?

I go for good enough, sprinkled with lots of love. Works for me.

I have worked out a system that keeps me sane. I recognize that I will be ready for Christmas by February of the following year. That way, I am never behind schedule on December 25.

The only thing that frazzles me about Christmas is paying for gifts for people. I’m 26 now, and I make enough money that it’s reasonably expected I’ll get something for my immediate family and g/f. Nothing crazy, but something. The problem is, I’m poor as crap. I make a decent amount of money but have student loans (and other bills) out the wazoo… so I find myself in December trying to come up with $100 to get gifts, and getting very “frazzled” with finding that money.

This year the g/f and I are going to Hawaii in January. She paid for my plain ticket (with the expectation I’ll pay her back eventually) and we’re staying with friends of hers, so that significantly lowers the current money woes. But I still have to worry about spending money, so it’s just a bit more frazzling for the holiday.

Other than that, I rather enjoy the time of year.

I could make something for them all, but by in large I dunno what to make or I’m not really in the kind of relationship where I would just make something for them ya know?

Usually I’m okay, but this year I am so far behind it isn’t even funny. I’m stressed this time.

@tedd: I have to give you credit for being able to buy presents for “immediate family and girlfriend” for $100. I spend that on one gift!

This year I feel pretty good about things. My husband is self-employed and doesn’t get paid on a regular schedule like most other people, so sometimes we buy gifts at the last minute and it’s very stressful. We don’t have the pressure of hosting Christmas dinner, just my husband’s parents, his sister, and her husband come over for Christmas morning breakfast. I have a couple of lovely breakfast recipes that are put together the night before, so even that isn’t a big deal.

Christmas Eve used to be more hectic for us, but a few years ago we started having a family lunch at a restaurant instead of dinner at someone’s home with one branch of our family. We get home in the late afternoon and get to enjoy a really calm, happy Christmas Eve with the kids. Well, as calm as a house with three kids can be on Christmas Eve.

This year things worked out so that a few different clients paid my husband all at the same time. I have to say, it’s quite a load off our minds! We’ve done a bit of shopping up to this point but should be able to finish it in the next week.

It definitely helps that I don’t have a regular job. I help my husband with his business so I can work from home and have the freedom to shop in the middle of the week a bit at a time or pick things up as I think of them.

I used to get caught up in the whole thing and stress myself out with last minute shopping and the like. Now I don’t stress, but still find myself doing the last minute thing every year. I can enjoy the festive season a lot more with the pressure of giving, giving, giving, i.e. purchasing for others, off my shoulders. I try to invest my energy into being with people and enjoying their company and as a result Christ,as isn’t the big deal it used to be.

Frazzled is a relative term. I have spent Christmas in so many different settings, I no longer put too much stock in any one way. I do get frazzled when one thing or another doesn’t go the way I want it to, but it never lasts.

Once. Once in twenty-five years I was ready for Christmas well in advance. Before Thanksgiving even.

Never happened before. Never happened again.

I’m usually down to the wire and admit defeat.

In the past, I was always pretty much ready for Christmas every year. There were always a few last minute things to do but not enough to get frazzled over.
The last two years I have had a lot of things tossed at me this time of year and they have been the worst years ever. I’m trying to get things done and doing what I can with what I have, but it seems God enjoys testing me emotionally lately.

If I am not going to see someone until after the holidays, I will not rush to buy their gifts or wrap their gifts. Ideally, all gifts would be bought and wrapped and under the tree, tagged, but I feel why stress over something that’s not going to happen until January anyway. A lot of my friends I don’t exchange gifts with until January, due to the busy-ness of December.

In a perfect world, I would be wrapping beautifully, making cookies, drinking cocoa by the fireside while I write cards out. In reality, gifts are usually wrapped on the bed, on the day I am seeing the person. I took my cards to work to day so that after work, I can sit in my office, using my desk. If I take the cards home, I’ll be reclining on the bed and not getting it done. My daughter is four now, so she is becoming more aware of decorations and holiday stuff, so that means I am going to have to shape up in that department next year!

@jca: In a perfect world, perhaps we would not feel obliged to follow the prevailing mores and choose how and when to break bread, give gifts, and celebrate whatever we want to celebrate.

Let there be holy days and let there also be celebrations when and where our heart points us, presumably stress-free events. Let the spontaneity begin. Let common sense and feelings reign.

Last year my family fell apart. It was the first year in over 25 years that all my siblings (within the area) did not get together. Christmas just wasn’t Christmas.

My day so far;

Static was so bad on my phone line that when I picked up yesterday evening, I could hear nothing.

Phone guy, in the flesh, was here this AM. The phone lines coming off the pole down by the pond were rotten and falling apart. The guy repaired them and came up here to inspect my outside wires. He restapled the drooping ones, and on his way out, mentioned that I had a flat tire.

Anyway, auto mechanic guy showed up to install the donut. I then drove to the shop to have them check the flat; well, I don’t need one new tire. I need two.

So they are squeezing me in today. I am about to head back there for installations.. My donut may be showing signs of age also. I certainly am.

Thank goodness I do not have to cook.