I know it’s ridiculous, but trying not to be my old type A, list-making, preplanning self is making me STRESSED. Normally by Thanksgiving I have at least half of my Christmas shopping done, and I finish the rest within a week of that. This year I made a promise not to do any shopping until after Turkey Day, not only so that I can enjoy the decorations and Christmas spirit in the stores, but also so that I didn’t drive my families nuts asking them what they wanted in like September. 

The problem is—I’m not enjoying it. Not one iota.

All I can keep thinking about is everything I have to get done. We were out of town over Thanksgiving and then I had a deadline to meet, so I forced myself to put blinders on until those things were over. Now that I’ve taken them off, I’m a little panicked. Let me say it again—I know this is absolutely ridiculous—but there it is all the same. I need to put up the Christmas tree and decorations. I need to figure out what everyone wants and fight the already annoying traffic to go get it. Thank goodness for the internet; I can take care of half my list just at Amazon alone. However, I’ve discovered another downfall to not spacing out my Christmas purchases over several months—a decided drain on the pocketbook. How do people wait until December to do their shopping? And enjoy it?

Do you make your purchases for Christmas throughout the year, or do you wait until after Thanksgiving? Do you enjoy it, or is it just another chore?