Well. As Carla excitedly informed me this morning, we have TEN DAYS until Christmas!
Let’s do a little check-in to see where we are:
Décor: We have still not put up our tree, BUT Carla did inspire me to put out some of our other Christmas decorations after school one day this week, so it’s moderately festive in here. I would still like to figure out some sort of ribbon/garland/pine bough situation for all the many doorways in this house, and also the railings, but I have yet to do more than just think “I want to decorate the doorways” so it may not happen this year. We also have two mostly dead mums on the front stoop, and I would love to replace them with something more Christmassy/alive, but that may not happen either. Setting up the TREE is the priority. I did bake the menorah today, so that’s all nice and shiny for next year and stowed safely in a drawer, so that’s something.
Gifts: I am pretty sure that everything is ordered? And, if not in my house, on the way? That feels suspicious; I hope I haven’t forgotten anything. I am STILL dithering about the espresso machine, but dithering toward not ordering it. Also: all the gifts for all but one of the out-of-town recipients have been wrapped AND mailed, so I’m pleased with that. Lots of wrapping yet to do, but there is time. Oh! I do still need to buy gift cards for a few people (Target gift cards for the mail person and the garbage and recycling people, all of whom gave us holiday cards with their names, so I think that is a sign that we should return the favor; a Dunkin Donuts gift card for Carla’s music teacher) and deliver gifts to my hair dresser and Carla’s other music teacher. We also have a Toys for Tots gift to deliver to the appropriate place. And I would like to pick up a few extra small stocking stuffers. But this all feels DOABLE, which, again, makes me suspicious because apparently I can never just feel okay with a thing.
Meal Plans: My parents and I have figured out the meals for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. My mother is handling Christmas Eve; Christmas Day will be at my house, but my dad will make his traditional spice roast. (We’ll also have goat cheese and garlic mashed potatoes, Caesar salad, sticky toffee pudding cake and a yule log.) The roast and yule log have been ordered. I guess I need to figure out what to make for breakfast for Christmas Day… but there’s time for that.
Holiday Baking Projects: Carla has requested that we make cookies again this year instead of chocolates, which is fine. So now we need to figure out WHAT we want to make. I am making cranberry crumble bars for a holiday open house we are attending, but beyond that I’m not feeling pulled toward any cookie in particular. What do you think we should make?
Music: I found a radio station that plays nonstop Christmas music, so I’ve been listening to that. I find I’m mostly in the mood for traditional stuff, so there’s a lot of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald on rotation. What I REALLY want to listen to are Christmas hymns: Joy to the World and Carol of the Bells and Hark! the Herald Angels Sing and O Little Town of Bethlehem. I’m not quite sure where to find these specific songs, though, except in church.
Holiday Events: So far, we don’t have a ton of things planned, which feels good and doable. We are going to an open house, put on by one of our new neighbors. Carla has two playdates scheduled. An out of town friend and his husband will come by for cookies and tea the week after Christmas. We have dinner plans with friends the night before New Year’s Eve. Add in some fun with my parents and that feels like plenty of special get-togethers with lots of time for relaxing.
Weather: Currently, we have sunshine and blue skies which I refuse to complain about. But if we could get a nice dusting of snow right around Christmas, I would be very pleased.
I feel like I’ve made pretty decent progress since Monday. How are you faring with your Christmas plans?
I’m fairly happy with my prep. The only thing that I’m quasi-dreading is all the special food ahead. We have a LOT of food traditions (it seems like more each year), so between Christmas Adam (curried rice with shrimp + a seafood casserole), Christmas Eve (homemade pizzas), Christmas Day (homemade coffee cake for breakfast, though supper is mostly prepped and in the freezer and lunch we’re just going to do sandwiches), and Boxing Day (the big turkey meal)…it just feels like a lot of cooking and dishes. But aside from slight panic about that…I’m ready?! And excited <3 I just need to sit down and think about what and how to delegate re. the food situation!
Your food traditions sound amazing, but I understand the dread of a lot of cooking and dishwashing. Delegating sounds like an excellent plan!
But this all feels DOABLE, which, again, makes me suspicious because apparently I can never just feel okay with a thing. LOLOLOLOL. I’m right there with you. I have to pick up a gift and buy one more gift (and two books) and drop three boxes off at the post office and I’m done. It seems doable, but I’m still freaking out that I’m missing something.
We do have some holiday events happening. I have my FINAL meeting/celebratory dinner at the community center next week, Zoo lights, Rotary Garden lights, and, of course Christmas Day. I am looking forward to all of it, but it means my schedule is going to be messed up like crazy in the next two weeks and I do not like my carefully regimented schedule to be too out of whack.
That sounds like a really good mix of holiday plans! But I get what you mean about messing with the schedule. It does sort of seem to go out the window over Christmas. Hoping you find good ways to ensure you feel steady and well paced while you have all that fun.
It sounds like you’re in good shape with 10 days to go!
Sigh cookies. All that my family wants is oreo balls and chocolate chip cookies and we don’t have a big crew this year. I want to make All The Cookies but I need to pare the list down to Some of the Cookies. I would enjoy a few cranberry crumble bars and I think the kids would probably eat them so they’re on my list.
This is what neighbors are for, Birchie! Make all the cookies and then distribute them to your neighbors. 😉 I hope you like the cranberry bars — they are really my go-to these past few years.
I’m as prepped as I can be until it’s time to make cookies; I do them a day or so ahead of time. My girls loved doing sugar cookies: choosing colors and sprinkles to decorate them. They were much more creative than I! It was messy but well worth it. Bake the menorah? What do I not know about menorahs?
Hahaha – I put the menorah in a 200 degree oven for 10 minutes. The wax melts off onto a damp paper towel, and I can easily wipe the rest away.
This is genius! I have never heard of such a thing!
Wait you literally just made my day. I put mine in the freezer because it said that would make the wax easier to get off but I haven’t taken it out because… I don’t know why, I’m lazy and knowing me it will somehow sit there til next year. But now I want to try this as it seems much more efficient!
I’m pretty sure all of my shopping is done, now I just need to wrap. Still working on Christmas baking but we are getting together on Sunday to finish that up and decorate our annual ugly Christmas sweater cookies and then see who gets the most votes for the “ugliest” sweater. It is great fun trying to compete for the ugliest sweater. I still haven’t finished my outside decor though, I finally bought some white deer for the yard. They are assembled, I just need to figure out the extension cords for lighting. But overall I’m feeling pretty good this year and don’t feel like I’m forgetting anything.
Wow, you are doing great! So organized! I have a suggestion with regards to the Christmas hymn music – if you have Spotify, that is – there are so many of that type of playlist, including instrumental versions.
What about making those fall spiced cookies? They would feel festive with all the ginger!
This VERY WEEK, Paul and I remarked that we wanted to hear Christmas HYMNS as part of Christmas music, but we rarely if ever do. This has launched Paul on a multi-evening quest for “good versions” of each hymn. So far most of the versions are choral and make for kind of a glaring contrast to, for example, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and “Jingle Bells.” But I want “Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella” and we are determined to find a good version!
“Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella”!! haven’t thought of it in years! The exact opposite of “Little Drummer Boy!” Thanks for that!
I stream music via Pandora whilst cooking, and have found the “Christmas Radio” station plays a nice mix of secular, traditional, and hymns: https://pandora.app.link/r8dvviLKyFb
Hope this helps!
I have been frustrated with our all Christmas music radio station too. It seems like they keep playing the same songs over and over just swapping out the artists. And I keep wondering if they realize that there is a LOT of Christmas music that they are leaving out.
I’ve got most of the gifts at least ordered; but am still stuck on The Husband and stocking stuffers; so I really need to get moving on that.
It sounds like you’re in good shape! I still have to come up with a couple gifts for my daughter, but I feel like everything will get done. I think I’ve made those cranberry bars, and they are GOOD. Maybe I’ll add them to my cookie list.
I would also like to listen to traditional Christmas songs without having it sound too church-y, if that makes sense. Let me know what you come up with, and I’ll do the same (spotify? I’ll try it.)
We will almost certainly not have a white Christmas and I am totally fine with this after the ridiculous amount of snow we had last year. It’s raining currently and I am just so glad it’s not snow! The boys are sad but I am sure we will eventually get snow!
I had the day off yesterday and wrapped all of our gifts. I need some stocking stuffers for the boys, probably candy/chocolate? Because they don’t need more toys/tiny crap.
I tested positive for Covid yesterday though so am kind of going to limp into Christmas and hope and pray no one else gets it so we don’t have to cancel our Christmas plans. We love going to Phil’s cousin’s for Christmas Eve. I will be so sad if someone else gets this and we have to miss it. So far both boys are testing negative. I was almost kind of hoping they had it too and weren’t symptomatic so we could get it over with ahead of Christmas.
We’re getting our tree this afternoon and I plan to spend much of the weekend addressing cards and wrapping presents. Making gingerbread dough is in the next tier of things to do so that may have to wait until next week, but it’s on my radar.
Did you know that O Little Town of Bethlehem and It Came Upon A Midnight Clear are totally interchangeable? Try it!
It sounds like you’re pretty much on top of things. I love that you have the Christmas menu figured out. I am still contemplating the details and I usually make menu cards for my family overseas, but they haven’t given me their ‘finalized’ menu list yet, so I haven’t been able to work on the cards. I hope to get the details tomorrow (on our FaceTime call).
Suzanne, you never fail to make me giggle. Yes, this all sounds and appears doable, so yes, let’s overthink that something is missing. LOL. I get it!
I’m feeling much better about everything as of this afternoon. But like you, perhaps I’m missing something HUGE!!
I do need to think more about grocery shopping which I’ve done none of for the holiday.
I am excited to bake and plan dinner/breakfast now that I can taste fooooood again!
I am so behind on prep that I am refusing/avoiding to make a list because that would make how behind I am real…. But, we are planning out bakes tonight (priorities) and I have a plan for teacher/extracurriculars for Wednesday.
You’ve gotten so much accomplished! Way to go!! Putting up the tree is SUCH a process; I get it. I am kinda relieved I don’t have to worry about that this year.
I know this is late and now it is literally the day before, but I hope you are a) breathing, and b) enjoying the time with your family. How wonderful that you can be together. <3 Go well into the holiday, Suzanne. Thanks for bringing your light to the internet.