Hello
Blimey we're now halfway through advent - it does seem to go quicker and quicker each year. How are your Christmas preparations going? Cards written & posted, turkey ordered, tree up, presents bought/wrapped/delivered, sprouts on to boil???
Just seeing that sort of list can drive a person crazy. What about all the TV adverts, the Christmas magazines and of course the God & Goddess of Perfect Christmas's, dear Kirsty & Phil? Did they whip you all up into an orgy of spending, making and general perfection??
STOP
Just think...
Is it all worth it for just one day?? Does it matter that you've bought your mince pies & just tarted them up rather than spent hours making them using a special recipe and 57 different ingredients. Will your children care if you've spent hours wrapping their presents in hand printed paper?
Remember the Christmas episode of the Good Life? Where Margot sends the tree back coz its a few inches short. They then wake up Christmas day with no provisions or decorations. Poor Gerry gets 'chicken pox' because they can't admit this to their 'friends'. They instead go and spend the day with their truest friends and neighbours Tom & Barbara and join in with their homemade Christmas and have far more fun than they'd ever do if everything had been 'perfect'.
Just remember this in the next week or so - when you are having a total melt down or queueing in the supermarket - perfection is stressful - simplicity is fun. After all what will your family remember of the day - the specially sourced sprouts from the same farm that the Royals buy from or the fun you had telling silly cracker jokes and just having a good time??
Sorry I didn't want to sound 'preachy' - I guess Kirsty & Phil wound me up this week. I mean just how many of us have their budget??
And breathe!!
Just think in 2 weeks time it will all be over - a pile of paper/cardboard to recycle & enough cold turkey to see you through till mid Jan ;)
Just think in 2 weeks time it will all be over - a pile of paper/cardboard to recycle & enough cold turkey to see you through till mid Jan ;)
xxx Vicki xxx
25 comments:
Hi Vicki, I avoided K & P 's prog coz I knew it would wind me up !
Love the Homemade home but,"perfect Christmas " sounds like no fun .
Love that good life episode ,watched it again on you tube , the bit where Margot objects to wearing a paper hat coz it's made out of "the Mirror" hilarious.
Our decs are going up today so I guess I'd better chivvy Mr BM to get into the loft :0)
Thanks for a lovely calming post .
Jacquie x
I know - the ice skulpture was a little ostentatious! I agree with you - all my presents are homemade, hampers, etc. I haven't got any materialistic type presents. We've gone for a simple tree and not that many decs around the house this year. Luckily we are not cooking xmas dinner this year so don't have to worry about getting supplies in. I refuse to get ill and stressed this year. Life's too short. :-)
Hi Vicki, this post has made me feel a lot better! There is a lot I haven't done yet - pressies to get and a Christmas cake to make which I promised I would do about a month ago and ingredients are still in the cupboard. I think you are right though, Christmas should be about enjoying ourselves not about worrying if we have make everything perfect or not! :) Sarah
Goodness no, this year we're not even doing the family thing, we live interstate & i'm just happy to have my soldier home from war, with our 4 children, in our home, our way. While we've done gifts for all the relatives (that about 40 immediate family!!) & my business is super busy this time of year, my husband is on leave & keeps me grounded, at peace, calm. The hype is insane, the car parks a nightmare, so glad i roll into Christmas organised. It's just one day & we're rather be relaxin by a pool as a quiet happy family unit. Our children haven't even asked us for anything at all, they're getting new bikes, they know it, they're thrilled. Let's just say, we're a bike shop's dream - 4 children who will outgrow their bikes in 2 years!! Love Posie
I love Christmas, but not the hype. I aim to have a pleasant day with my husband and children ... we'll eat a nice meal and open some presents. We visit family on Boxing Day. That's it! Our house is decorated with our traditional ornaments ... I've bought nothing new this year. Presents for other people have been scaled down, and I'm giving people useful things ... some are handmade. I was going to make all my own cards, but in the end I couldn't face it ... so shop bought will have to do. That Kirsty and Phil thing was unwatchable after the first five minutes ... what do they think they're doing! Nonsense! It's just one day and life is too precious to waste on getting stressed.
Hope everyone has a very happy stress free Christmas!
Love Kathy xxx
You're so right Vicki. I don't remember that episode of the Good Life, must watch it. Luckily being a vegetarian I don't have to eat turkey for days on end!
What a lovely calming influence you are Vicki. I watched Kirsty and Phil on Sky+ that way I could fast forward through any annoying or irrelevant bits which meant I managed to watch the whole series in about 45mins. Did I feel I'd missed out on anything NO. Christmas is about family, spending time together and appreciating what you have. I like many others get into a right flap about christmas dinner and each year swear I'll never put myself through it again. This year as there's just me, G and G's mum I am going to get everything from M&S pre prepared so no hassle. Oh and if all eles fails the homemade baileys normally works a trick lol
Big hugs
Pene x
Excellent! We don't get het up over Christmas as the whole point of it all is to spend time with those that you love the most.
We eat lovely food all year round (fresh eggs, local meat and veg.etc.) so can't really see what all the fuss is about. I refuse to get drawn into the yoyo card thing and my job for the last couple of decades has meant that I didn't have the time for that anyway. If somebody means a lot to me I think that it's more important to show it throughout the whole year not just for a couple of weeks.
I am looking forward to the first Christmas in a decade where at least one member of my family doesn't need to sit in a departure lounge in order for us to all be together, to me that is the perfect Christmas! Well done VV, Nic x
Great post :0)
I started to watch K&P but after about 20 mins I HAD to turn over. They came across as very smarmy. I enjoy watching Handmade home and I loved the christmas programmes that kirstie did last year but I think they lost me at the Jelly!
I've made lots of gifts this year, a few of the rellies will turn their noses up - but I don't care. We normally have my parents and brother over but this year I have not invited them, I do feel a bit guilty though but for once I just want us to have our little family for christmas, so that if I want to cook dinner in my pj's that's fine ! xxx
I never understand people getting stressed about xmas, worrying about what to buy people will they like it etc etc Glass of Mulled wine and lock the doors thats what me and hubbie do, and we love it! :)
What a beautiful calming post Vicki. Fortunately we don't have a TV so haven't had the Kirsty and Phil influence! ;-) Does help somewhat with all the advertising and 'must haves' that you get on telly. They pass us by which is good.
In answer to your first question no, no, no, no and no! Totally agree about the Krusty thing .... had to turn over before I threw up with the sickly sweetness of it all. Again it is all about quality and not quantity and how much you can spend but what you spend it on. I may write my cards and make a list tomorrow ... on the other hand I may not ;-)
I love the Good Life! Definitely better to have a happy, not quite so picture perfect Christmas in my opinion! I need to watch that episode again! :) x
Great post, Vicki, and I think I've never seen that episode of the Good Life! Did I see someone mention that it's available on youtube? I will have to catch it up.
I have to say I am with you on the Phil and Kirtie thing, I postedlast year about the handmade home Christmas and was shot down in flames for it. I think that homemade is great, but programs like this make things difficult.
well said. I like your snow Jelly Baby heading :) x
Well said..you are so right! :0)
Love this blog post and I love simplicity in my life. I am making a lot of my pressies to avoid shops and if I have to buy it has been on-line :-) I am hoping my sprouts down the allotment with be OK but I will have to wait and see :-)
Super Post V :0) I havent done a jot, and thinking am best to turn the lappy off, as just keep reading how well prepared everyone is,and tra la la la's and perfect houses decorated perfectly, havent even got the tree up here, makes me feel such a failure. We have had so many bugs in the house can't think straight and to be honest, all I want for christmas is for my family to be well and happy, tis all. As for the K&P programme, and I am a fan of them both, but the christmas programme didnt really do for me, felt it was a little fake, felt Phil was persuaded quite some, to do the programme and only watched maybe half of the first episode.
Merry Christmas xxxx
What a great post! I loved the Good life Christmas episode. I wish more people would stop and think before they spend money they can't afford.
Hi, so agree, we are having what I call a nuts and orange Christmas.....we are only buying for the children in the family, our budget is £5 each....so I'm topping up the gifts with something home made.
I did Enjoy the program, but its true who does have that budget?.....it really does not matter if you don't, after all in Christian terms, its a celebration of Gods love for us, that is the true meaning...so extend the love to family and friends....cos thats what makes the world go round!
Happy days!xxx
I only saw one of the Kirsty & Phil programmes and have to say I was rather disappointed with it too. Doesn't Phil have a hairy chest though! He seemed delighted to be able to show it off on camera...
Don't get me started on Kirsty again! Not being able to put my decs up yet this year has made me take a step back and slow down a bit, I've realised that Christmas will still be Christmas as long as my family are there. No amount of baubles will make it better or worse. Great post :) x
Really good post.
What with being so poorly the last few days and other things happening I'm so far behind with the things I wanted to do I don't have a hope with catching up.So I'm not stressing about it because there's only one of me and I can't do everything.Like you say I want the children to remember happy stuff not tension filled moments!
Lisa x
What a fab post Vicki!! and it has made me feel so much better! It is all so true too. I am no where near ready but not going to worry, I adore Christmas and am going to try not to get caught up in panic!!!
I have avoided Kirsty and Phil! Not because I don't like them but just don't need to see it at the moment, I do however have it recorded for later!!
Have a great day,
Love Andrea x
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