Christmas struggle

Is everyone struggling to be ready in time for Christmas like me?
The house still looks like a craft factory and the family are due to arrive. I bought a Christmas tree which totally fills the room. And although it is beautiful it requires a superhuman effort to get it to stand upright, preferring as it does to lean drunkenly to one side.

I have been to various towns and I wander round looking for presents but I usually completely fail to buy anything. I just don't find things I like. And it's not just that. It's also finding things that you are confident the other person will really appreciate. Also have you noticed how the small shops where I used to find unusual bits and pieces are now filled to the brim with Christmas decorations and not gifts? Little shops have sprung up in my town just selling decorations. What about after Christmas? Presumably they have very short leases and will close for good on December 24th.

I could also have a Scrooge rant on the price of gift wrap. I picked up three nice pieces and guess what - £1-75 each!!! What? I am bored with the brown parcel paper look but this year that or, even cheaper, newspaper makes good economic sense! For a totally affected look you could buy a Japanese or Arabic newspaper to wrap your presents in! Maybe tissue paper -Tesco have some pretty colours in cheap packs. Wrapping the present first in white typing paper means less layers of tissue.

I love nice gift wrap. My family think I am totally sad in that I like to save it from one year to the next. But often it irons really well!! Actually ironed old gift wrap under tissue paper. There's a good compromise. No?