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Finding a tree (not including travel time) is probably about 30 minutes. Then decorating it is about 2 hours. Then other decorations is probably another hour.

I'm going to say around 5-10 hours researching and choosing gifts. Maybe 2-4 hours of planning and shopping for food. Another 4 hours of wandering around in stores buying things I either need or don't. Then probably around 5-10 hours assembling/organizing/wrapping gifts.

The only baking we're doing is Christmas Eve, so that's probably 30 minutes.

So... that's 20-34 hours!

I said 40+ but it's only because our gifts are all DIY (mostly knitted and crocheted). My pregnancy has cost a lot more than we expected so our gift budget is practically nothing this year.

And I've been making my daughter a doll and that's been about 2-3hrs at a per day for maybe 2-3 weeks? We are doing some gift cards for people and I made little knitted stockings to wrap them in.

It's stuff I enjoy doing though so none of it has been a burden. I've especially loved making the doll (I actually put a lot more time in it than needed because I've been hand combing the wool from a fleece I bought a few years ago). If I didn't hand comb the wool it would have taken less than half the time!

But it's been a pleasure to do this and has helped distract me from my morning sickness.

I keep it very simple, the only thing that we do that takes a lot of time is making our tree. We do a box tree, which is basically a 6 foot stack of empty boxes that we decorate in a theme. This year we did minecraft, so my son and I painted 7 boxes in different block themes. It takes a bit of time to do that, but once it's done, all I do is stack them in the corner and the disassembly time is also very short, like 10 minutes and into the recycling bin

The outdoor display takes my husband about an hour to set up and an hour to dismantle, then it takes another 2 weeks to get the boxes in the attic...so you know I think the lapsed time is really the killer for us, not so much the active time to actually get things done.

I voted 1-10 hours, but it's really more like 15.

40+, I'm hosting Christmas Eve so I spent a lot of time cleaning and coordinating. We needed to do the cleaning and yard maintenance anyway. I spent a fair amount of time researching gifts and activities for everyone. Very little time shopping. I also started a craft project that will probably take me years. I've enjoyed all the extra work for the most part. My house and yard look great.

@Corduroy: I am curious what the project is...can you share high level?

@Mamaof2: I will, today when I get home.

@looch: The project isn't that impressive I'm just slow and only have a few minutes to work on it every day. It's a Bucilla gingerbread house wall hanging. https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS680US680&hl=en-US&biw=320&bih=492&ei=-EtdWKacLeWB0gKBqrroBQ&q=gingerbread+house+wall+hang+bucilla&oq=gingerbread+house+wall+hang+bucilla&gs_l=mobile-gws-serp.3...50374.51629.0.52373.7.7.0.0.0.0.307.1230.0j4j1j1.6.0....0...1c.1.64.mobile-gws-serp..2.4.801...35i39k1j30i10k1.xRRXydXWX1s#imgrc=mUL8d8JLpv8AgM%3A

Maybe like 5? An hour or two to decorate the tree and a few hours of online shopping. I don't diy anything and we do t have a ton of Christmas decor.

Probably 25+, between decorating, getting a tree, shopping (mostly online), baking, wrapping, and sewing one of the gifts. The things I spent the most time on are things I really enjoy though (baking and sewing), otherwise I'd spend less time.

@808love, @Mamaof2, @youboots: Thanks ladies. It's a labor of love, that's for sure.

My son and I have already decided on next year's theme...it's going to be automobiles. Both my husband and son are car freaks, so it's fitting.