https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 10 May 2026 14:46:46 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2670179 Sun, 25 Dec 2016 11:45:25 +0000 looch 2670179@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@808love, @Mamaof2, @youboots: Thanks ladies. It's a labor of love, that's for sure.</p> <p>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. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2670100 Sat, 24 Dec 2016 19:12:13 +0000 808love 2670100@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: Wow !!! Outstanding. :heart: </p> <p>I better be more appreciative of DH. He did a lot, lights, tree etc. I did the cards, went Christmas tree shopping and shopped a bunch on Black Friday but that is it. Oh and yesterday I made a craft angel with LO. DH took us light touring, a bunch of wrapping and even decorated the tree with LO to surprise me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669978 Sat, 24 Dec 2016 00:11:41 +0000 LemonJack 2669978@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669931 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 19:53:53 +0000 Mamaof2 2669931@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: wow!!! That is awesome! Great job :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669895 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 16:48:48 +0000 youboots 2669895@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: you are a badass!</p> <p>And sorry to everyone for my awful autocorrect. I wrote this post in my car waiting in line for gas after running hours worth of errands. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669889 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 16:30:01 +0000 looch 2669889@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: here we go! </p> [attach=677/16/oinqe2.450x600.IMG_2140.JPG] [attach=677/16/oinqe3.450x600.IMG_2141.JPG] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669833 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 12:38:14 +0000 ShootingStar 2669833@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669811 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 11:46:48 +0000 looch 2669811@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Corduroy: I am the exact same way, buy you are probably further along than I am in any project...I tend to buy the supplies and fizzle out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669800 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 11:12:15 +0000 Corduroy 2669800@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@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. <a href="https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS680US680&#038;hl=en-US&#038;biw=320&#038;bih=492&#038;ei=-EtdWKacLeWB0gKBqrroBQ&#038;q=gingerbread+house+wall+hang+bucilla&#038;oq=gingerbread+house+wall+hang+bucilla&#038;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" rel="nofollow">https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS680US680&#038;hl=en-US&#038;biw=320&#038;bih=492&#038;ei=-EtdWKacLeWB0gKBqrroBQ&#038;q=gingerbread+house+wall+hang+bucilla&#038;oq=gingerbread+house+wall+hang+bucilla&#038;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</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669782 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 10:34:32 +0000 Mamaof2 2669782@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669781 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 10:33:54 +0000 looch 2669781@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: I will, today when I get home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669778 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 10:33:20 +0000 Mamaof2 2669778@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I am dying to see the Minecraft tree!! My DS is a fanatic!</p> <p>Can you post a pic or wall me one please? :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669777 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 10:32:18 +0000 looch 2669777@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Corduroy: I am curious what the project is...can you share high level? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669771 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 10:27:35 +0000 youboots 2669771@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: that sounds really awesome! What a fun project.@Corduroy: that sounds like it will be just beautiful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669749 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 10:07:57 +0000 Corduroy 2669749@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669723 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 09:16:30 +0000 Foodnerd81 2669723@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It feels like forever and not enough. But we have been pushing hard to get house things done at the same time as actually getting ready for Christmas (like stripping bathroom wallpaper and putting up Christmas lights on the same day). I'm exhausted. </p> <p>Then I've also spent a fair amount of time making Christmas cookies and making decoration crafts wth my 3 year old but I enjoy that mostly. If I didn't I'd buy the cookies no sweat. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669714 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 08:36:07 +0000 looch 2669714@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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</p> <p>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.</p> <p>I voted 1-10 hours, but it's really more like 15. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669698 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 05:49:45 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2669698@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Given that our tree isn't even up yet, this year probably 10-12 hours. Eventhough I bought LO's gifts months ago I spent alot of time researching them. Besides participating in the cookie swap this past week I don't bake for Christmas. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669675 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 01:32:16 +0000 newlypregnantlady 2669675@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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! </p> <p>But it's been a pleasure to do this and has helped distract me from my morning sickness. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669673 Fri, 23 Dec 2016 01:05:11 +0000 youboots 2669673@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I posted because I ran several Christmas errands today and realized what a time investment it is.</p> <p>id guess I put in a 1x1 ratio I don't prep more than the hours we enjoy Christmas. I really underdid it this year. Only 1/4 of the decor and about 1/2 the gifts. It felt so nice to do less. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669588 Thu, 22 Dec 2016 20:29:54 +0000 Adira 2669588@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>The only baking we're doing is Christmas Eve, so that's probably 30 minutes.</p> <p>So... that's 20-34 hours! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-hours-do-you-spend-preparing-for-christmas#post-2669580 Thu, 22 Dec 2016 20:12:04 +0000 youboots 2669580@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Say from the times everything is put away to your first official event like Christmas Eve.</p> <p>Shopping, baking, decorating, meal planning, crafting, finding the tree, hanging lights unpacking and repacking decor buying and wrapping gifts etc?</p> <p>Not fun things or activities like the polar express or zoo lights but the actual hours of work you need to feel prepared.</p> <p>Not the actual holiday or say drive time? </p>