Holiday Freakout

The dust has settled from the weekend’s family party, and now I’m chugging into full holiday freakout mode.  It doesn’t help that someone on Facebook reported that they’d completed all of their shopping and had strung up lights al-freakin’-ready.   I mean, that’s the kind of holiday smugness you just need to keep to yourself.

On Saturday, we’re leaving for a week-long visit with the in-laws for Thanksgiving.  Which means that when we return, we’ll be in high gear, holiday-wise.  I oh-so-foolishly said that I’d help with a Crafty Extravaganza at my church, and traditionally, the girls and I have a Crafty Girl Party for a few of their friends.  At this point I have no idea what crafty activity we should do.  In the past we’ve done gingerbread houses, mini-trees, and ornaments–any thoughts, people?  Plus last year, we started what we hoped would be our First Annual Neighborhood Caroling Event.  So now I have to ponder whether I can fit all of these items into our schedule and I have to start making a list of people who need gifts.  I’m serious.  I am that completely unprepared.  Plus I will be avoiding Amazon because I’m still mad at them about the pedophile handbook.  Which is probably just as well because they usually screw me on shipping somehow, anyway.

I know, I know:  I’m supposed to be paring down, right?  And I have, a bit.  I haven’t done Christmas cards in years.  They’re just a pain in the neck, and most people are my Facebook friends by now, anyway.  But I love the idea of doing parties and caroling.  It’s just daunting.  And the gifts:  oy.  My mom was always completely prepared, right down to wine bottles attached to the trash can lids for the garbage men.  I am just not thoughtful enough.  I feel like I’m always scrambling.  I realize at the last minute that I thought of the teachers but not the teacher assistants.  Or we go to dance and a bunch of kids are handing over little cards and I’m like,  “uhhh, wow.  Is this really the last class before the holidays?”  Anyway, I know that I should suck it up and start making my “to do” list, but instead I’m going to whine and avoid it until tomorrow.

How about all of you?  Are you on top of things, or panicking, or somewhere in between?

5 Comments

  1. Claire

    Shopping is mostly done (I have a small family and don’t like to overdo it for my son whose birthday is exactly two weeks after Christmas, and I do most of my shopping online). I will not decorate for Christmas till after Thanksgiving. I have ordered the cards, because we used a photo from our summer vacation. I planned it so that we don’t have any appointments (doctor, hair, etc) during the month of December. So we’re in pretty good shape.

  2. Lisa

    I haven’t even given it much thought…nor have I given Thanksgiving much thought aside from where we are traveling to. So see you are ahead of at least one person!

  3. jo anne

    If people do holiday stuff “ahead”, where is the HOLIDAY?? The fun is doing seasonal things in the season. Library, of course, has a million craft books and magazines…so you will easily find a fun craft. One year I decided to make scarves…bought all this fleece…all I had to do was CUT. Almost freaked out…gave a bunch of crooked narrow scarves. And nobody cared, cause it really IS the thought that counts…

  4. Julie

    Katie, I made snowglobes for a craft last year with the boys and it was a huge hit. Just google it for directions.

  5. Claire–I have the same “after Thanksgiving” rule.
    Jo Anne & Lisa–thank you for making me feel better.
    Julie–Good idea! I’ve always meant to try snow globes. I’m looking into it.

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