a peek inside the fishbowl

21 Dec, 2015

So how’s your Christmas coming along?

Posted by andrea tomkins in: Misc. life

Me and Santa.

Every year I swear up and down that This is The Year I Get Christmas Under Control and every year I end up feeling the exact opposite of chill and relaxed. (In a word: frazzled.) Why is this? Do I overburden myself with tasks, or is it just that I saddle myself with these unrealistic expectations of happy holiday baking? Sure, you say, DELEGATE. In theory, that’s a good idea, but letting go of all of this is easier said than done.

Also, I am still wrapping up my work.

On the bright side (and these may seem small/trivial, but each is actually a big deal to me):

  • Simplifying our gift-gifting strategy really works. (Blogged here in greater detail.) I only have a couple of little things left to purchase, and then I’m done.
  • I have enough PC Points to cover our dinner and some fun extras for the season: LCBO gift cards (which we’ll spend on holiday beverages) and gift-related gift cards for the girls’ stockings. Woot!
  • I have been trying to eat well in preparation for the Holiday Chowdown and I am feeling pretty good.
  • The tree has been up and decorated for a couple of weeks, and that’s pretty much all I’m doing in the decor department. I would still like to find a nice live wreath for the door though. (Any suggestions?)
  • I’ve discovered that Farm Boy makes the best egg nog. It’s the stuff that comes in glass bottles. Honestly, I don’t even like egg nog and I like this egg nog!
  • Mark and I bought a new espresso maker as an early Christmas present to ourselves and it’s keeping me happy and fuelled as I plow through all of my deadlines.

How are your holiday preparations coming along?


7 Responses to "So how’s your Christmas coming along?"

1 | Claudette

December 21st, 2015 at 4:05 pm

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I made a Swiss recipe called espresso cookies. Only I have neither an espresso maker nor espresso coffee…so I begged my parents to give me some of the instant stuff. Now I’m thinking, the cookies are pretty good but if I had used real espresso in the recipe they would probably be awesome! :)

This is what your post made me think of. lol

On the shopping front – I hate shopping so I try hard to get it done prior to Dec 10 or thereabouts. Problem is, my girl keeps getting invited to birthday parties which has me go back to the stores, again and again… (they’re still young, 8, so a gift card is a last option, not a first option. I know how much fun it is to open a real present…).

All part of it, right?

Happy holidays to you and yours!! And by the way, I joined the PC point thing because of your post and LOVE it.

C

2 | andrea tomkins

December 21st, 2015 at 4:46 pm

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Claudette: Happy Holidays to you too! I haven’t minded Christmas shopping too much this year. I’ve been trying to walk and shop locally as much as I can. You know what prevents me from shopping early? THE SALES. Omg. I snagged some great deals by shopping this week!

3 | Carly

December 21st, 2015 at 9:15 pm

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On the live wreath front . . . we stumbled upon a place last year while “hunting” our tree.

It’s called Briggs Trees (http://www.harvestontario.com/detail.php?id=4526) and while we personally weren’t fond of the ungroomed trees, they did have some beautiful wreaths, huge ones, at a very reasonable price. I like a live wreath that’s left fairly natural looking and these ones really fit the bill.

They’ve also got a neat little antique shop on site, full of vintage and unique finds.

I think I’ve managed to finally detach myself from most of my Christmas expectations – this after our tree fell over last year just as we finished decorating it, breaking many of my irreplaceable ornaments.

We’ve missed out on some of our family advent activities due to exhaustion and illness and cranky kids and I’m impressed with how everyone is taking it all in stride. Of course, it helps to be off work for these next two weeks – I highly recommend it. ;o)

Merry Christmas!!!

4 | Amanda

December 22nd, 2015 at 9:39 am

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Sounds like you have things well under control, Andrea :)
This is the first time in years I’ve had a chance to really prepare for the holidays. Last year I was freaking out about the baby’s imminent arrival, the year before I had just gotten back from India and was really sick, and the year before that a family tragedy left us not feeling very festive. It helps that this year we have really simplified our gift giving, and that I am on “mat leave” and have more time than usual.
Happy holidays to you and yours :)

5 | andrea tomkins

December 22nd, 2015 at 9:46 am

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Thanks for the recommendation Carly! I should have asked about live wreaths a month ago! Sigh. I am definitely filing this away for next year.

Amanda, it seems like you’ve gone through more than your share of challenges!

I really think the trick to surviving the season is managing expectations and being kind to ourselves. After all, it’s ok if we don’t bake up a storm of Christmas cookies, right?

6 | Brenda A

December 22nd, 2015 at 1:45 pm

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I love that Christmas picture of you as a little! So stinkin’ cute.

We are 90% ready and 90% wrapped. As much as I am pleased to not have cold and slush to deal with, I am missing the brightness of the white stuff!

7 | andrea tomkins

December 22nd, 2015 at 1:59 pm

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Thanks Brenda! :)
I spent half the day on foot yesterday, shopping in Westboro. It was pretty wet and miserable to say the least! I don’t miss the cold but I miss the snow too. It feels so festive when it’s snowy on Christmas Day!

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My name is Andrea and I live in Ottawa with my husband Mark and our dog Sunny who is kind of a big deal on Instagram. During the day I work as a freelance writer. I am a longtime Ottawa blogger and I've occupied this little corner of the WWW since 1999. The Fishbowl is my whiteboard, water cooler, and journal, all rolled into one. I'm passionate about healthy living, arts and culture, travel, great gear, good food, and sharing the best of Ottawa. I also love vegetables, photography, gadgets, and great design.

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