Christmas Crazies

My favorite thing about Christmas is the tradition. I love spending time with my family, eating cinnamon rolls, opening presents, and spending the day doing nothing..... no one told me that when you became an adult that those days were long gone. If I had known that, I never would have accepted.


Let me just tell you about all the things I have going on/things that need to be done, so you can cringe with me, if you're not already feeling stressed about the holidays, you're welcome.

1. I have to clean my house; you would think, since there's just two -and a quarter- of us, that it wouldn't get that messy... think again my friends.

2. Wrap presents; where did the time go? I was on the ball with wrapping and now I have a closet full of stuff that is unwrapped, and glaring at me every morning... When did I get so far behind?

3. Finish buying for Mr. Spiel; I've said multiple times how hard he is to shop for, so I'm going in blind pretty much. Hoping to find something that strikes my fancy, that might strike his as well. Not to mention 9 times out of 10 I end up in the beauty isle in Target, trying to decide how much I can buy without being noticed in the bathroom...

4. Saturday.. Oh Saturday... I'm getting my hair cut, my brother's coming to town, my friends are coming to town and want to get dinner, and my office Christmas party is that evening. Yikes.

5. I'm going with my brother to do any last minute shopping he has to do, then that night Mr. Spiel and I are going with my parents to church for an "Old Fashioned Christmas Eve Service", then we might go to the lights. -because I loveee me some Christmas lights, no matter how exhausted I am- 

Then I have Monday, to do anything last minute that may not have gotten done this weekend (laundry.... it's a possibility) because on Tuesday, the real fun begins.

I always thought living in the same town with our parents was a good thing, I'm learning to think otherwise. I love our parents, but they both feel like we need to be with them the whole holiday. My mom wants us there all day Christmas day, and Mr. Spiel's family wants us with them Christmas Eve and Christmas morning... So here's the plan we've developed, at this point is mother/mother-in-law proof. Next year we're gonna pull a "Christmas with the Kranks" and just go on vacation...


Tuesday night we're going to Mr. Spiel's parents to eat, then to his church to do hot chocolate and gifts with his grandma and his extended family -Aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.- then we're going to my parents house to watch home movies -or it's a wonderful life if I can swing it, because who doesn't love that movie?- then we're going home. Christmas morning we're going to do our own Christmas, then head to his parents house early for their Christmas, then going to my parents house around 11 to do Christmas there and eat. And finally, going home. To sleep. And never wake up.

Don't get me wrong, I do love this season, everything about it. It just makes me a little panicky.


Am I the only one running around like a chicken with my head cut off this weekend? What are some of your favorite traditions?