Christmas - are we all organised?? :0)

Scorpion0x17 said:

In my book it's simply something that the giver wants to give and the receiver wants to receive.

Agreed. Its getting both parts right thats hard.

Jon said:

On the subject of presents, what makes a good gift?

In my book it's simply something that the giver wants to give and the receiver wants to receive.

Scorpion0x17 said:

That's my biggest dislike about Christmas. When I can find what I want to give at the right price it's nice and easy, but if I can't, I can't stand it, and my Mum will say things like "You don't need to get anything for the adults" - but I want to! Or, "Just get them some bicsuits" - but I hate giving people that sort of present - it's like you've put no thought into it and just bought a cheap box of biscuits from Tesco!

On the subject of presents, what makes a good gift?

Jon said:

I don't really like getting presents.  Coming up with presents for other people is hard. It has to be good and I find it hard to buy something that I don't like even if the other person might. I just can't get my head around buying something for someone if I don't like it myself......

That's my biggest dislike about Christmas. When I can find what I want to give at the right price it's nice and easy, but if I can't, I can't stand it, and my Mum will say things like "You don't need to get anything for the adults" - but I want to! Or, "Just get them some bicsuits" - but I hate giving people that sort of present - it's like you've put no thought into it and just bought a cheap box of biscuits from Tesco!

I havn't done any christmas shopping. I am only buying my partner a present (on Thursday, between £5-£10, on the second hand market/charity shops). Just tyhe two of us on Christmas day. I don't really like it. There are so many things that are bothering me that it is just upsetting things more. My partner gets quite excited by Chrismas so I don't want to spoil it for her.

Christmas Day should run like this:

• Get up.
• Go for a run with partner.
• Cooked Breakfast.
• Exchange gifts.
• Neighbours coming around, will say hello but might then take some time out.
• Walk to the pub for a drink.
• Cook and eat dinner.
• Watch a DVD. Either 'Romancing the Stone' or 'Living Daylights'....
• Drink, snack, repeat.....
• Bed.

I don't really like getting presents.  Coming up with presents for other people is hard. It has to be good and I find it hard to buy something that I don't like even if the other person might. I just can't get my head around buying something for someone if I don't like it myself......

I am coping far better than last year because I now have my own very nice flat, so I can escape the stress when I want to, and this makes me feel more in control. I don't mind Xmas day but it is the run up to Xmas that can be intolerable, particularly the crowds. I did some Xmas shopping today and it  left me feeling exhausted and over-stimulated. People bump into me, step across my path, everywhere is full of movement and stress. It sometimes makes me panic.

I'm ready for it. Got all my xmas pressie shopping done, got a plan of action for the food shopping.

Older kids are excited, Tyler seems oblivious, although he has been saying mer sismas (merry christmas to the rest of us :) ).

Got a nice chilled out Christmas day planned, just us staying home doing the family thing, then going to my Mums on boxing day for the big family thing, but I'm going armed with my laptop (Tyler is a computer wizz) so if he gets stressy, i can just plug him in. 

Thats as far as my plans go, the rest depends on hubby and his working hours.

Hope everyone has the best Christmas possible :)

hi Denise - it's so OTT commercially, esp in a massive recession.  I'm not stressed about the hype, gave up on that a long time ago.  I don't think the "perfect xmas" is achievable for most people + trying to achieve it creates a load of stress + disappointment.  I realised a long time ago that my son didn't view xmas the same as I did.  He enjoys the presents, the grub + the social events.  Full stop.  In many ways no different from a lot of people.  That's fine by me....as long as he's content and/or happy....fair enough!  Have the xmas you genuinely want, chill out.......