Festive fluster

This evening I am going Christmas shopping. With my fiancé. In Lakeside (local shopping centre that is always packed normally)

Recipe for disaster right?

Add to that, my partner is unwell at the moment and is not in the best of moods. I’ve been to work all day and I feel like I’m catching his germs.

We must be mad right?

I’ll let you know how we get on, but I wanted to share as I wondered if others have the same dilemmas I always do with Christmas?

I get into this massive panic over Christmas presents and cards – everyone else seems to be super on top of buying them/writing them/sending them and I haven’t even started.

So then I go on a mad dash to get started and I go a bit mad.

I bought my cards last week and one evening I then got them all written and the next day got stamps and posted them as soon as I could. My family cards I wrote and have been pestering my other half to give to his family non-stop ever since.

Then of course it’s panicking over Christmas presents. I blame you lot out there, those people who get things in the Summer and publicly announce to everyone on social media how organised you’ve been.

The rest of us then end up in a total panic and feel guilty until we too sort out the festive purchases.

We got started on the present shopping and got quite a way through and our list. I started to feel quite proud. But then we stopped.

My stressing out restarted, hence now we are going to a shopping centre tonight which is going to be crammed full of people (not to mention the likely traffic jams there and back). I may even go to Westfield (nearer me at work) after work tomorrow evening too if needed.

The joke is? When I’ve spoken to people now about it, everyone seems to be saying how organised I am and they haven’t even started?!

Where are these people earlier in the month/year when you witness the smug organised ones??

We’re (read me) hosting Christmas Day at our new house this year too so I’ve just realised this week I need to buy games, drink, nibbles and a whole lot more. That will have to be next as I can’t face tackling both just yet.

So off to Lakeside we go, let’s hope we’re successful on the trip or god help my stress levels!

Merry Christmas everyone!

So it's Christmas Eve and I have no more work until 3rd January 2012. I was thinking about New Years Resolutions the other day and I have to say the top one was to blog more. As you may have noticed my posts have been a bit slack lately, but in my defence this has primarily been down to one of my busiest Decembers ever!

Now, after a month of gigs, meals, nights out drinking and dancing, parties and Christmas lunches I have ahead of me days of family time. In fact, because we're at the boyfriend's on Christmas Day, today is the start of my Christmas and we are off to my parents' house for Christmas dinner (number one).

Yesterday at work we had a Children's Christmas Day which was just lovely. I took my niece and nephew along (with the help of my boyfriend) and had a day of mixing doing work, making Christmas cards and gingerbread men and countless trips to the bathroom to clean both the kids up! We had a really lovely time and everybody loved them (well, who wouldn't they are just SO cute!) I was absolutely shattered though, I went to bed at around 10pm yesterday as I simply couldn't keep my eyes open any longer! I've been waking up countlessly throughout the night though, not sure if it is Christmas excitement or my body nervous at the thought of more food and drink again, in even bigger amounts this time!

Due to being so tired last night I didn't get anything ready to take to my parents (we'll be staying there for the next few days). So I have a ton of presents to pack, outfits to choose and a bag to pack with enough stuff in for the next few days (no easy feat for an over-packer like me!)

I've been a super lucky girl already though I must admit. Secret Santa at work I got some super cute earrings and a book, my boss gave me an Amazon voucher and card and I got two Christmas presents early from my man - Stereophonics gig at Shepherds Bush and Rihanna at the o2. Amazing! So only knows what's in store for me the rest of Christmas!

I'm also lucky to be getting the best of both worlds this Crimbo - Christmas dinner and celebrations with my small family and things I'm used to, a day with my boyfriend's family which will involve 8 adults and 2 lovely kids, a calmer day at my Auntie's and then a combo day with them all mixing together!

The only issue with all this is I've already been overeating this month and consuming too much alcohol. So is my body going to hold out? Only time will tell, one thing's for sure I'm not going to be able to fit through the door at work come January and as for my bridesmaid's dress fitting perhaps a nearby camp shop or local funfair might be more appropriate - a Big Top tent is coming close to being my ideal fitting option!

Whatever you are up to over the festive period I hope it's amazing. Merry Christmas to everyone!!!!