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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Dec 8, 2021 12:58:51 GMT
Anyone else feel like this?
I’m stressed out!!!!
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Post by melanell on Dec 8, 2021 13:06:21 GMT
Not cancelling, but severely cutting back the to-do list this year. We have house projects happening right now that have things a mess around here, so between that and COVID still being a concern, we're just doing a small amount.
The holiday dishes stayed packed up. We don't have any exterior lights--just a few decorations set out on the porch. Nothing inside is decorated yet. We're pulling out a small artificial trees from the attic as opposed to going out for a big, real tree. I bought extra goodies and snacks to stand in place of doing a bunch of baking. I bought more gift card gifts than I usually do. And so on.
So, it's not a canceling of Christmas, but making it more easily doable for us this year. Because I knew trying to pull off a typical holiday season would be very stressful and I want to avoid that. Right now we're watching a different Christmas movie every night after dinner to try to have a bit of holiday spirit in the house, since there's nothing else holiday happening here yet.
Hugs to you! I hope your stress levels decrease a bit soon!
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Post by sawwhet on Dec 8, 2021 13:09:57 GMT
It can be overwhelming. Prioritize and only do the things that are important to you. All of my shopping is done. I reuse drawstring bags so wrapping is simple. I even reuse the tags if people left them in or near the drawstring bags LOL. Find ways to make it simple and take a deep breath.
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muggins
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,861 
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Post by muggins on Dec 8, 2021 13:24:44 GMT
We were supposed to go back to the U.K. for Christmas, however due to the omicron variant, Japan have imposed new restrictions which could possibly include closing the borders to foreigners. We cannot risk being locked out of the country indefinitely due to our dogs, and sons school.
We held out for as long as we could, but today we made the decision to cancel the whole trip.
We haven’t seen our daughter or parents for two years.
The next time we will be able to go will be the summer - 6 months away.
We are really disappointed.
I suppose I should decorate the house and start planning Christmas here. I’m really not in the mood though.
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Post by monklady123 on Dec 8, 2021 13:26:20 GMT
We're driving to my ds's in Georgia this year and as much as I don't really like long drives this is honestly MUCH less stress. lol. We'll have Christmas day and dinner with me, dh, dd, my sister, and maybe dd's friend. Then we'll drive down to Georgia on New Year's Day and stay for that week, driving back up on Friday. We have to work around dh's and dd's work schedules (and we really want dd to be able to come with us) which is why the trip is the days it is. Ds's fiancée has two senior dogs, plus they have FOUR cats. lol. Their main pet sitter had the nerve to move to Indiana, lol, so it's a lot of stress for her to try to find someone who she trusts. The one she had this summer when they came to visit us isn't available around the holidays. Plus, since we just put down our 14-year-old girl  I know how it is to leave the elderly dogs. I know how I would have felt if something happened to our dog and we were out of town, so I don't want her to worry about that. I really don't mind that we're not all together on actual Christmas....we'll just have two Christmases!  On top of all that I don't have to mail one thing this year! Last year because of covid I mailed everything to Georgia and you probably remember how awful the post office was last year (well, I mean it's ALWAYS awful, but it was worse than usual last holiday season) and that was a huge stress to get that all done, then the worry of whether it would get there on time, etc. This year we are mailing NOTHING and I've told them to mail nothing, since we'll just have Christmas when we get there. So all that to say, yes the holidays are usually a lot. But we've cut back on physical gifts except for ds's stepdaughter, and are giving more gift cards and little stocking things. My sister is still unemployed so will appreciate money and/or gift cards, dd just moved to her first apartment so she will love the gift cards, etc. |
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Post by Basket1lady on Dec 8, 2021 13:31:30 GMT
We were supposed to go back to the U.K. for Christmas, however due to the omicron variant, Japan have imposed new restrictions which could possibly include closing the borders to foreigners. We cannot risk being locked out of the country indefinitely due to our dogs, and sons school. We held out for as long as we could, but today we made the decision to cancel the whole trip. We haven’t seen our daughter or parents for two years. The next time we will be able to go will be the summer - 6 months away. We are really disappointed. I suppose I should decorate the house and start planning Christmas here. I’m really not in the mood though. I’m sorry for this. We are doing the same thing here. We were planning to go home for Christmas, but with the number of cases rising so much and so fast, we decided to stay in Belgium. And we made the decision in November when airline travel in the States was messed up long before holiday travel. We couldn’t risk a long delay getting back here, burning vacation time and additional expenses. I was sad to make that decision. |
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Post by mikklynn on Dec 8, 2021 13:57:07 GMT
We were supposed to go back to the U.K. for Christmas, however due to the omicron variant, Japan have imposed new restrictions which could possibly include closing the borders to foreigners. We cannot risk being locked out of the country indefinitely due to our dogs, and sons school. We held out for as long as we could, but today we made the decision to cancel the whole trip. We haven’t seen our daughter or parents for two years. The next time we will be able to go will be the summer - 6 months away. We are really disappointed. I suppose I should decorate the house and start planning Christmas here. I’m really not in the mood though. Oh, that is so awful. I am so sorry. |
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Dec 8, 2021 14:23:35 GMT
My work is ruining it for me.
Lots of large, last minute (and unplanned chaos) decorating. And the jobs I’m bringing for in (not the annual decorating that I do on my own) others that were supposed to help have decided that they are not their priority (but I’m bringing in the highest dollar jobs.
I’m just frustrated and tired of others not keeping to or wanting to plan.
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Post by gar on Dec 8, 2021 14:35:52 GMT
No, after last year’s non Christmas in the UK I’m crossing everything and hoping that we can have a decent Christmas this year. We have some stressful stuff going on but we need this and I’m welcoming the distraction to be honest. muggins - so sorry for you not being able to see other members of your family but the risk of getting stranded is all too real. |
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,447
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Post by amom23 on Dec 8, 2021 14:43:15 GMT
We have really been able (for the most part) to simplify Christmas over the past few years. Not having children in school eliminates school programs, classroom parties and Dec. basketball games. What does get us is all the Dec. birthdays in our family. That gets to be a bit much every year.
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Post by giatocj on Dec 8, 2021 14:52:02 GMT
I'm definitely not a Christmas person so I would be 100% fine never having to suffer through another one.
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Post by craftedbys on Dec 8, 2021 14:53:54 GMT
Oh Hon, I am so sorry you are stressed. This is supposed to be such a joyful time of year but when work and others and stress pile on it just sucks the holiday joy right out of you.
I know that there has been a Christmas or two in the past that everything was piling on and I had a good old fashioned come apart. Threatened to cancel Christmas, return gifts, the whole nine.
Thankfully, my family stepped up and pitched in to get things done. We prioritized the must dos from the should dos and the it would be nice to dos and.
DH and the kids started working down the list, cleaning, shopping, wrapping and what got done did and what didn't didn't.
Now when I start feeling the stress of the season, I just warn the family that I am about to have a come apart and that is their clue they need to be more proactive in helping.
I wish you peace and calm and I hope you can find some joy in the season.
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Post by JoP on Dec 8, 2021 14:57:26 GMT
No, after last year’s non Christmas in the UK I’m crossing everything and hoping that we can have a decent Christmas this year. We have some stressful stuff going on but we need this and I’m welcoming the distraction to be honest. muggins - so sorry for you not being able to see other members of your family but the risk of getting stranded is all too real. I could’ve written this word for word. muggins I’m truly sorry you won’t be able to see your family until the summer 🥺😥 |
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Post by wallyagain on Dec 8, 2021 14:58:29 GMT
Our kids were all here in September, and sadly will not be here for Christmas. So, it’s been hard to get into the spirit of the season. We are scaling way back. December is flying by, Christmas day will come and go and we’ll still be here, trying to get ready.
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rickmer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,146
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Post by rickmer on Dec 8, 2021 15:04:16 GMT
not cancelling but adjusting expectations. my DD is supposed to be going to spain to study for a semester in about a month. so i told kids to expect a more modest christmas, i want to kick in and help her if i can, plus the boys and i are hoping to visit her there the end of april (this is *all* up in the air due to omicron of course).
i only have the boys christmas eve/morning this year, not christmas dinner. years past (since my separation) that would have been upsetting and i would have scrambled to make other arrangements. this year, not so much. i feel 100% okay with having the kids here early in the day and then having a bath, eating some leftover Thai and watching netflix.
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Post by triplettkarla on Dec 8, 2021 17:11:49 GMT
Yes, I do especially when son in law came and told us they didn't like how we did Christmas. We'll you are getting a 10 dollar gift card lol
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hannahruth
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,715
Location: Adelaide, Australia
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Post by hannahruth on Dec 8, 2021 17:17:51 GMT
Yes, I do especially when son in law came and told us they didn't like how we did Christmas. We'll you are getting a 10 dollar gift card lol Ungrateful prat. I wouldn’t bother inviting him again - let him do is own the way he likes it. |
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Post by catck on Dec 8, 2021 17:29:05 GMT
There's only DH and me so it's just going to be another day for us. I do have my Christmas village up on the display shelf he made me last year for my Christmas gift. This year I want strip lights for the shelves he made for the lounge. We will have steak for dinner as neither of us are fussed about turkey. I seem to be living groundhog day as every day is the same except for a trip to Costco or the grocery store so Christmas will be the same as every other day except DH will not be working.
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Post by scrapmaven on Dec 8, 2021 17:34:15 GMT
muggins, I'm sorry that you can't see your family, yet. If you don't have time and energy for your usual Christmas plans then downsize and make the most of the time you do have. It can be small and intimate. You don't have to do every Christmas thing on your checklist. Do what you can and try to enjoy just that.
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Post by papersilly on Dec 8, 2021 18:18:13 GMT
i hate the hustle and bustle of it. the crowds, endless lines, not enough time to everything you want to do.
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Happycat
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by Happycat on Dec 8, 2021 18:27:45 GMT
Just keeping it simple.
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Post by voltagain on Dec 8, 2021 18:35:31 GMT
Anyone else feel like this? I’m stressed out!!!! We are having a very simple scaled by Christmas this year, much like we did last year. |
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Post by lurker on Dec 8, 2021 18:48:15 GMT
As it's just DH and me, I wasn't going to bother getting Christmas decorations out. When I got home from work yesterday, DH had put the wreath on the garage, carried the tree in the house and brought in a tote of decor. So we're as decorated as we're going to get!
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sueg
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,572
Location: Munich
Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Dec 8, 2021 18:55:40 GMT
We’re going to be keeping it simple this year as well. Like muggins, we are not able to go back to visit family - while the Australian borders have opened to citizens again, it is expensive, and now omicron has me worried we’d get stranded. Also, the news about the possibility of going back at Christmas came too late for DH to arrange to have enough time off to make the trip worthwhile. We’ll go to church on Christmas Eve, then Christmas morning we’ll call family back home and then have a quiet lunch - probably a roast duck with the usual sides - then we’ll just laze around, or go for a walk in the nearby park. I had to send presents early, so they will get to Australia in time, and DH and I will just get one or two things for each other, and that will be all. Neither of us needs anything, so presents will be fun stuff. |
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Post by lisae on Dec 8, 2021 19:01:26 GMT
The older I get the more my inner two year old emerges. Saying "No" often feels really good.
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casii
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,525
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Post by casii on Dec 8, 2021 19:35:55 GMT
We were supposed to go to Africa last year as a combo milestone birthday/anniversary/Christmas trip which got postponed. Then our middle DD got pregnant and is due on December 28. Too add to that, hello new variant, so another ho hum Christmas.
DH and I will be watching the twin big sisters while DD and DSIL are at the hospital which means we'll need a vacation after that. LOL They're high speed, low drag!
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Dec 8, 2021 21:00:31 GMT
Yes, I do especially when son in law came and told us they didn't like how we did Christmas. We'll you are getting a 10 dollar gift card lol Sounds like it's time for SIL and DD to step up and host Christmas now. They don't like your way, then they get to do all the work and do it their way! Sorry he said that to you. Is he always this charming? |
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Post by mollycoddle on Dec 8, 2021 21:05:17 GMT
Yes, I do especially when son in law came and told us they didn't like how we did Christmas. We'll you are getting a 10 dollar gift card lol  Holy cow! Rude! |
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Post by Scrapper100 on Dec 8, 2021 22:21:38 GMT
Yes, I do especially when son in law came and told us they didn't like how we did Christmas. We'll you are getting a 10 dollar gift card lol Holy cow! Rude! Very rude. Just curious did he say what he wanted it to be like? Thinking if it’s easier on you let them host but do what makes you happy. |
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ddly
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,022
Jul 10, 2014 19:36:28 GMT
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Post by ddly on Dec 8, 2021 22:37:48 GMT
My kids are 25 and23. They’ve planned to start around 11ish, open gifts and then DD’s boyfriend is coming over for an afternoon of Mario Party. I’ll buy snacks and stuff to cook a dinner and we’ll play it by ear for food. It’ll be laid back and fun. I will miss my family again this year but pandemic.
I feel for all of you who aren’t able to see family this year!
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I know how it is to leave the elderly dogs. I know how I would have felt if something happened to our dog and we were out of town, so I don't want her to worry about that. I really don't mind that we're not all together on actual Christmas....we'll just have two Christmases! 
