How prepared are you for Xmas?

[BellyBelly]

Are you an organiser or let it all happen last minute kind of person?

We havent done any grocery type shopping for xmas - I have noticed some of you have started baking already! But I amalways the person saying I will do it months before next year then end up last minute dashing!

What do you have ready/planned this xmas?

[*Ang*]

I am an organiser. The majority of my xmas presents have already been bought (I have approx 25 people to buy for). I usually start in earnest end of September and aim for at least one present a fortnight.

I purchased my xmas cards online around a month ago and aim to fill them in in the next couple of days. I don't really bake for xmas so don't have to do that.

DD1's birthday is 23 December so I usually have to be super organised this time of year. I start buying any food stuffs and drinks for both her birthday and xmas in November.

I like to also try and schedule in what we are doing, where we are going etc a couple of months in advance so I am prepared for it. It doesn't always work out that way cause much to my disgust my folks like to leave everything to the last minute and won't commit!

Oh and xmas tree and decorations went up yesterday cause DH is away next weekend - mind you would have done it regardless!

[Doing my best]

I have the Xmas tree up.. Only cause we have no spare full days till the weekend before Xmas, and a week of that we are going to be interstate. (I want the kids to enjoy having it after the effort they put in).

I have a few presents for the kids.. Have booked Nan's plane ticket and established my Dad and one of my brothers plan to be here so I can 'think' about what to have.. Doesn't mean I will do anything about it though

I feel really disorganised if I do things early.. I work much better under pressure and doing everything last minute..

[Beatrix]

All presents are purchased. Just need to be picked up and wrapped. The big present we brought was delivered yesterday.

Baking not done yet. Not sure what I need to do food wise as my parents host.

[Novella]

Tree done, presents sorted, still awaiting delivery of one item from book depository. Half pressies wrapped. i need to do cards this week, the only cards I do are for interstate and overseas family so I need to get cracking! Going away over Christmas so need to be organised.

Having a pre Christmas family lunch next Saturday and all I've done is buy serviettes so in going to have a busy week!

[No.5]

I've done nothing other than write out the Christmas cards and decide on my colour theme for the tree.

Well that's not true, I've written a list of what to buy who and which of the 3 pay fortnights left I'll get them

In amongst that everything else, I need to get my car serviced for our Christmas trip.

[Tinks]

I usually have all the presents sorted in the July sales but this year there was nothing that appealed so I've been collecting stuff since July. I just have a couple more things to buy for the kids then sort out DH's family. I have no idea what's happening on Christmas Day this year. I'll be putting the tree up next week so that'll give me the slap in the face I need to get the rest of the stuff sorted.

[<3 Mumofthreetobe <3]

This is the first year ever I have been organised. We are usually starting pressie buying a week before Christmas but this year we have all but 2 purchased but we know what we are getting, just need to go into town to get it. We don't host Christmas but have already been asking what we can bring so I can organise that too. We will be doing the tree on Saturday. I must say, its a nice feeling to be so organised. I'm not stressed this year, I am actually excited!

[AnyDream]

I suspect I'm already in the slow-motion slide into last minute frenzy.

[Mother Goose]

I like to be organized and buy presents from about August. Food I start late November when the sales start (ie two boxes of choc for the price of 1). I get my roast when it's on special. I don't normally finish everything until mid dec though with just prawns to get Christmas Eve.

This year I've got everything done except my Dads present (which I'm ordering today) but no food shopping except 1 thing. I'll do it over the next few weeks.

I like wrapping presents the week before Christmas but will be doing those next week.

Although I'm organized (to an extent) I feel disorganized because I'm not doing dd's Santa photo until Christmas Eve this year. And I haven't ordered my seafood (which you could only do from yesterday) or bought my pork....

[Charlotte91]

Kids have a few things bought. That's about it.
We have no tape or wrapping paper and probably aren't setting up a tree.

Food may consist of vegemite sandwiches. Who cares, as long as we are together.

[RockingBaker]

Presents are all wrapped and labelled at my grandparents house for Christmas and the girls bday. We have no idea yet what we're doing, depends if SILs baby is out of SCBU and if my grandparents are back from sorting out my great uncles estate. We will also have a 12 day old baby so I can't see us doing a big thing, we were just planning on going to the ILs and my grandparents and taking some food with us.

[chody47]

Our tree is up and about half the pressie shopping is done. Ive been buying something each fortnight for the past couple of months which has been a big help, both organisationally and financially. We also brought lots of DD's chrissy and birthday pres in the July sales. DH and I are planning in getting more done when DD wakes from her nap this afternoon.

[Phteven]

We're going a way over Christmas.
I have presents organised but I'm not sure they will be delivered in time because I got some of them from one of the discount sites and they can take a while to pack and deliver. I still need to get a few more stocking stuffers but I'm leaving that so I can do it on holidays; the shops have aircon and if I need a break from my family it's a ready made excuse.

No tree. We leave it until the last minute and I usually grab a bit of driftwood from the beach that I can return afterwards (much to SIL's disgust lol).

Dog and cat accommodation is booked.

I need to pack but not for a while yet.

[briggsy's girl]

One present left to buy (need to find it cos its not in any of the shops my bro suggested). Pick up laybys. Wrap. Everything else is here or ordered and on its way.

Tree is up and half decorated (its that big it's a two day job!). Lights out the front getting done today.

Lunch with closest friends on dec 8. Will have to grab fresh stuff to eat but everything else done. Family Christmas on the 16th. Same deal. Lunch for Christmas day is all organised after yesterday's shopping expeditions.

I'm sure there will be other stuff come up that we will need to do bit I'm feeling surprisingly calm and organised now. Nice feeling cos I'm normally a last minute shopper.

[fionas]

Nothing done. Meh, there's a month to go. Plenty of time, right?

[Lisa]

Nothing done at all. DH &amp; I are planning to go Xmas shopping next Saturday &amp; Sunday. It's hard with him working afternoon shift until midnight and having 5 kids. I always plan to start earlier but it never happens.

[Astrid]

Going away as well. So just need to organise presents. Probably should bother with some Christmas cards. Need to go shopping for another suit case I think, must do a test load of the boot to see how it all fits at the moment.
House looker after is organised, but we need to get some water systems in for the chooks and veg patch.