I seem to have fallen off the blogging wagon entirely, after NaBloPoMo. Well. Writing is like that, isn’t it. Sometimes the words flow freely; sometimes the well is dry. As the prolific Louis L’Amour said, “The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on,” so I am sitting here at my computer with my fingers on the keys, hoping something will come out.
Part of the problem, maybe, is Christmas in all its impending vastness. I feel like I have done NOTHING, nothing at all to prepare for the holiday which is nonetheless marching toward me at a steady pace. The only piece of Christmas décor I have up (still) is the wreath my mother sent me the day after Thanksgiving. I have also been receiving a few holiday cards, here and there, and have been arranging them on the molding above the doors and windows in the kitchen. I like the way this looks, but the cards keep falling down and the door frames are very tall so I am spending a lot more time on my tiptoes than I would otherwise prefer. My husband and I finally sat down and got presents squared away. I ordered the roast for Christmas dinner, and my mother and I figured out our plans for getting together (they will come to us for Christmas Day, but we get to go to their house for Christmas Eve! I am so excited!) and settled on a menu. So maybe I am in better shape than I feel like I am??? But I really feel like I am in very poor shape indeed.
Well. Writing does not make any sort of dent in the Christmas chaos. But I can at least use a blog post to help me figure out what to eat this week. Because, of course, we need to eat despite the many other things that require attention.
Dinners for the Week of December 11-17
- Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tacos: I feel like someone suggested this recipe to me; was it Birchie? In any event, this sounds delicious and simple and I plan to make extra so that we can have leftovers.
- Lemon Chicken (inspired by Elisabeth): YUM. Some sort of green vegetable will accompany this. Maybe some leftover latkes as well.
- Short Ribs with Wine and Cream: My husband and I had a little getaway a few weekends ago, to celebrate our fifteenth wedding anniversary. (FIFTEEN YEARS OMG.) We went out to dinner and each ordered a dish that purported to be beef stroganoff. But it was unlike any beef stroganoff I’ve ever had – cream based, with a lot of rosemary flavor – and was so decadent and delicious that I have been thinking about it ever since. This recipe sounds like it could be similar? Although I’m not sure about the capers. Well. Maybe worth a try.
- Ground Beef Tacos: Yes, this means two different kinds of tacos on the meal plan this week. But I could (and sometimes do) eat tacos every day, plus I am trying to plan a playdate for Carla and a friend this week and I think they will both eat tacos. I am TERRIBLE at planning playdates, but Carla assures me that “kids who are almost teenagers, like me,” do not need a mommy to plan some sort of activity for the kids to do. They will just “have a dance party or do a fashion show,” she informed me. Excellent. I am wildly in favor of that kind of playdate.
That seems like enough meals to get us through. We can have Ham Sandwich for the other three nights I haven’t accounted for. (In my case, leftover tacos.)
Are you suffering any holiday angst, or do you feel like you’re in good shape?
If you need some Christmas prep help, I can recommend a FB holiday prep group (run by, uh, me).
https://www.facebook.com/groups/264278483055476/
It does sound like you are in better shape than you think you are though. I’m doing okay this year though a few things have slipped. (Are you enjoying MY holiday card yet? No? That’s because they haven’t even arrived at my house yet, I only just recently ordered them.)
I’m going to need you to report back on those short ribs with wine and cream because yum.
And I don’t plan activities for playdates either. It is a “here, I have made these children for your convenience, play with them” for activities.
You ordered presents, food, and you know where you’re going to be. Sounds like you’re done, to me!
Sounds like you’re definitely on your way :).
Also, the FB group HereWeGoAJen posted is awesome!
Suzanne! I have a solution to cards falling down! We hang up a ribbon (from some of those Command hooks) on the molding in our doorway and then we attach cards to the ribbon with teeny tiny clothespins I bought at Michael’s (the craft shop). I do have to get out the step stool to hang the cards on the top of the doorway when they arrive, but nary a card has ever fallen! (you can see it here: https://ngradstudent.blogspot.com/2022/12/225-relationship-december-gratitude.html)
You’re ahead of the game! You have ALREADY SENT CARDS. I am obviously full of envy over this fact.
If you’ve wrapped presents and have dinner ordered then it sounds like you are almost DONE with Christmas planning and prep. Congrats!
I think we’ve got a decent amount of stuff to put under the tree? It gets harder as the kids get older to come up with things.
Why yes we’ve had the kids invite their friends over and tell us that the friends don’t need food…we used to keep pizza rolls in the freezer for this very reason.
I have your card and it’s lovely. I have cheated the last few years and just display them on a shelf in a corner hutch. I also stick a few in and amongst the branches of our tree. I think it looks so festive and I’ve heard of people that have an entire tree JUST dedicated to displaying holiday cards. I’m too minimalistic for that, but a few of my fav design go onto the tree!
I hope you like the Lemon Chicken as much as I did. It was so easy and I just thought really, really delicious.
Also, it sounds like you are doing great! Christmas is overwhelming but you’ve planned in a lot of things. Gold stars, my friend.
I am suddenly in Bad Shape. I rested on my Hanukkah laurels and now I’m rushing again. PLUS I planned to use preschool hours to wrap gifts (LOL), but Minnie isn’t going to school until after the holiday break, so…
Do you listen to the Girl Next Door podcast? They have an awesome get-your-holiday-together episode pout right now.
I only have presents for one of FIVE children, and I’m not even worried, so I think you’re doing okay. (This is not normal for me. Im not particularly organized, but this year is BAD.)
I am going to make you feel better IMMEDIATELY:
I HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR CHRISTMAS EXCEPT PUT UP A TREE. PERIOD.
I have NOT SHOPPED, NOT THOUGHT OF GIFTS FOR ANYONE, NOT PLANNED ANYTHING, NOT THOUGHT OF PLANNING ANYTHING, and I SIMPLY HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THIS WILL ALL KICK IN.
help
I’m so excited for you about your Christmas plans with your parents! So fun!
I can vouch for the non-parent-planning-playdates that happen…when? I have no idea. When did the kids start planning their own things? I really cannot remember. But I do remember never having to do things and just having a houseful of boys show up. I always had food available, that was an important consideration!
I’m more chill than I think I’ve been before for some reason. Christmas is taking up almost zero space in my brain. I don’t know what family gatherings we will have with my husband’s family, I haven’t bought gifts for my husband or my daughter, etc. Who cares? Not me.
What I HAVE done – bought cards (we do old school cards from a box, not family phtotos, which I suspect makes us dinosaurs) last year at the after Christmas sales. Those went out already. I have ordered gift cards for nieces and nephews. I have ordered a joint gift for my brother and SIL. That’s it. I’m putting a lot of eggs in one basket – I’m getting together with a girlfriend downtown on Friday, and I expect to finish my shopping then. Downtown had better have some good ideas for me, is all I have to say about that! Oh, and our tree is up. It’s tiny and fake with lights already on, so it’s pretty easy.
I am feeling a definitely ramping-up of the stress over the last day or two, I think because now it’s 2 weeks away which is seeming VERY CLOSE, but also because I’m starting to see shipping estimates that alarm me. Plus, this is the part of Christmas prep where I feel as if I keep working at it and there keeps being more of it. I wrap and wrap and wrap and wrap and there is still so much wrapping to do! etc. I am not yet at the stage where All of a Sudden I’m Done (and, perversely, sometimes wishing there was more to do).
Happy 15th anniversary! I’m so glad you were able to get away and celebrate!
I just realized Christmas is 2 weeks from today! I am pretty ready overall. But we do not have to buy a lot of presents and our Christmas Day is such a low key affair since it’s just our family of 4 plus my MIL. We have a chicken breast in the freezer, so I will make that and the usual sides like mashed potatoes and gravy. I’m glad you get to spend Christmas at your parents! We spend Thanksgiving with my family and Christmas with my MIL. She’s a widow and Phil is her only child so we couldn’t leave her alone for the holiday. And that means I get to sleep in my own bed and more importantly, my children sleep in their own beds. So I actually don’t mind that I never go to my parents for Christmas. But if they lived closer, we would – but 3.5 hours is not close enough and I won’t do long drives on Christmas… That’s more than you probably needed to know!!
For meal plans, we had chicken tikka masala last night and I’ll make ground beef tacos tomorrow. And that’s it. But I have HHs Wed/Thur. I’m totally on board with tacos twice during the same week!
I think this is the first year I’ve felt like I finally have it together, for the most part. I’m usually still scrambling at this point of the month to get my tree up, I rarely send out cards because I wait entirely too long, this year I got them out early last week. That never, ever happens. I think I put way too much pressure on myself to have everything done but working full time makes it hard. By the time you get home you just want to chill, not race around doing more stuff. I think you have a good handle on your Christmas, it’ll happen when it happens.
I am definitely feeling frazzled by my lack of Christmas preparedness. I feel like after reading your list of things accomplished and plans made that you are in good shape.
I made a taco salad for a tailgate in tbe fall and we LOVED it. I have not made it since. It is happening this week. I am excited. The Chipotle chicken tacos in a slow cooker is something I need to try.
Sounds like you are a bit ahead in the game to me. I am SO full of angst right now, despite the fact that on paper it looks like I’m okay. I know I am missing something and just haven’t put my finger on it yet…
It does sounds like you’re further ahead than you think… but I am in a similar place. I got some things checked off my list, but when I think about that Christmas is in less than two weeks, it makes me a little anxious… and we’re not even “hosting” (well, I’ll be cooking at my MIL’s place and have to do all the prep when we get there). It will all work out, it always does. Inhale, exhale. Repeat.
I was feeling a tremendous amount of Christmas angst- seriously, where did the time go?- until yesterday, when I more or less got it together. I put up most of the outdoor lights, and ordered most of the kids’ presents. Things would be GREAT if it weren’t for the fact that two of my daugher’s gifts won’t get here before Christmas and one was sold out. So I somehow have to deal with that. I wish we had one more week, but I’ll get everything done. Are you doing a post about Carla’s gifts again? I always love those! I think you’re in pretty good shape… good luck!
It sounds as if you’ve done a lot of the important things. I do get a little panicky about it all sometimes and I’m not even sure what part of it I think I need to further along with, if that makes sense. I’m sure I’m forgetting something important, I guess.
That’s a great milestone, not having to plan activities for playdates any more.
Suzanne, It’s all going to come together! Mona
You are probably more prepared than you think you are! Sometimes I think that the frenzy gets all whipped up and then we start getting caught up in it and then we feel behind but really it is not as bad as it seems! Having said that, I try to get my cards out by the beginning of December because I know that time flies once December starts rolling! I hope that you enjoy your meals and your Ham Sandwich! I am going full on lazy mode and putting beans in the crock and letting it essentially cook itself while I do other things!
We’re a no gifts family except for the Littles. All my decorations have gone up gradually, so it didn’t seem overwhelming. I’m stressed about the Xmas eve meal–I’m doing turkey! Why??
I hear you! We made some good progress in the gift department this past weekend and I also got our Christmas cards ordered, so I do feel a bit better now. Also, the reality is that we are traveling for Christmas this year, so nothing is urgent urgent. We are doing our main celebration with my parents after Christmas when we get home. But, I know I will NOT want to deal with a single Christmas related thing after Christmas is over (besides just enjoying the event itself), so I am really trying to get everything situated now.
I feel your angst! I did as much as I could to get ready in November and I feel like December has completely gotten away from me.
Good work planning ahead, Kim!! Because December is the fastest of all months.
I still have a few more presents I need to pick up, but other than that, I think I’m good?? MAYBE? I always feel like there is MORE I should be doing/buying so I feel weird if I’m not doing/buying anything, lol. It’s an odd feeling. Thankfully, I don’t do Christmas cards – I did for a while but it was just adding stress to the holiday season and that’s not worth it!
SO much angst. And being called out by my grown children, for not having any plan whatsoever for any dinner, any night! (But it’s their fault! They’re always out! Why plan if no one is going to be here?! GAH. This is a weird phase of life.) I’ve done my shopping but not all my wrapping. Very angsty indeed. But happy holidays to you and yours! 😉