We understand. We develop many elaborate excuses to avoid holiday-related tasks. Almost as many as we create to avoid the gym.
To help our fellow procrastinators, we’ve developed this guide to make your last-minute holiday preparations a little easier. Use our tips and you just might avoid overhearing a stage-whispered “Scrooge” when you sit down for Christmas dinner.
That’s on Sunday, by the way.
TREES
Cut your own: Thinking about heading to the mountains on Christmas Eve to cut your own tree?
It’ll certainly be a Christmas to remember when you and the family are stuck in a snowdrift eating stale Cheetos and hoping for rescue. Maybe it’s better to head to one of our area tree farms where you still can harvest your own, but be only steps away from the hot cider stand.
Parking lot pickings: There still are plenty of asphalt tree-farms set up around town selling green, white and, yes, pink trees. With just two days to go before Christmas, you’ll find some motivated sellers. Check for needle drop before buying and get that tree in water as soon as you get it home (after cutting an inch off of the trunk).
Tree in a pot: It seems like such a good “green” idea: a living Christmas tree. Trouble is, evergreen conifers aren’t houseplants and don’t appreciate warm houses – it’ll kill them quicker than a jug of Roundup.
But because you’re so late in the game, your potted tree can take a few days inside a cool house with LED lights.
Just remember to it haul outside by New Year’s Day.
– Craig Sailor
LODGING
You just hung up the phone, and the news you received has left you speechless. Those relatives you invited two months ago to come for Christmas, but they declined? Well, they’ve changed their minds and are en route. With every bed/couch/futon accounted for, what are you going to do? Fear not, options abound. It all depends on who’s coming.
Wild ones: If it’s your wife’s cousin – the one with the crazed kids who always leave your home looking like its needs FEMA assistance – head to your favorite outdoors store and buy a tent on sale. Putting a little distance between you and them is a good thing, and your kids could always use it for summer backyard campouts.
The in-laws: For the newly married guy, finding a bed and breakfast for the in-laws is a good option. There are a number of options in South Sound where they can have some privacy and enjoy a comfortable room. Meanwhile, you will get some quiet time to snuggle with your bride in front of the fireplace.
Trying to impress: Is your rich Aunt Evelyn coming? The Silver Cloud Inn on Tacoma’s waterfront has deluxe king rooms with fireplaces. There’s front-door access to the Ruston Way walking path, the coffee and eating establishments of Old Town, and Job Carr Cabin for a taste of Tacoma history. For the downtown vibe, set her up at Hotel Murano.
– Jeffrey P. Mayor
DECORATIONS
Store leftovers: If you’re looking for the cream of the decorations crop on Christmas Eve, think again. Most of the good stuff’ll be long gone. But don’t despair. Chain drugstores are open and selling lights, tinsel and baubles. Just keep it simple: One strand wrapped artfully around a single column or doorway makes a better effect than trailing mismatches.
Do-it-yourself: Don’t want to brave the store crowds? Go old-school and make your own decorations using stuff you already have. Make paper chains with holiday wrap, string popcorn around the tree, thread fishing line through cotton wool balls and hang multiple strands in the window, find a cinnamon dough recipe online and make ornaments. For a centerpiece, fill clear glass containers (mugs, jars, vases) with colorful small edibles such as cranberries, pistachios, jellybeans or coffee beans, or with old Christmas ornaments, if you have them. Prune your own evergreens and tie some swags. Collect pinecones on a plate and dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Super lazy: What if you only have a minute to decorate? Tie a big bow around your nicest houseplant and stick it on the table. Grab a handful of candy canes and dump them in a glass tumbler. Download a free holiday screensaver and prop your computer on the mantel. Or just tell all of your visitors that minimalism is back in style, and good for the environment to boot.
You can even add a “Bah, humbug” if you feel like it.
– Rosemary Ponnekanti
DINNER
If it’s Christmas Day and you’re looking to cook dinner from scratch, you’re in big trouble. You should just go into hiding now. Here are some other options:
Dinner in a box: Major grocery stores will sell you a complete, cooked Christmas dinner, but it’s likely you should have had your order in by now. Your best bet is to find a grocery store open and elbow your way to a hasty Christmas dinner. Many stores are open Christmas Eve for limited hours (Tacoma Food Co-Op, for instance, is open from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.), a few are even open on Christmas Day. Bring a tactical team for the store extraction because things might get ugly. And don’t even think about getting a frozen turkey unless you intend to stand over a sink changing the cold water every 30 minutes. Go for ham. Or how about Christmas burgers? Red and green peppers could make a festive relish, no? Flexibility is the key.
Go local: If you have just a bit more time, you could locally source at least dessert and coffee. Try a pie, cake or whatever you find in the display case at Corina Bakery. Or stop by Johnson Candy Company on Tacoma’s Hilltop for chocolate truffles. For coffee, you could stop by Valhalla roasters on Sixth Avenue for some Ethiopian beans.
Last-minute eating: I hear Jack-in-the-Box might be open Christmas Eve. Just kidding. If it’s Christmas Eve and you want to do something less tacky than two-for-99-cents tacos, you could try a local Chinese restaurant. Many are open during the holidays and also offer a lot of flavor with very little fuss
– Sue Kidd
GIFTS
Let’s face it, guys, we’re talking to you, because your wife or girlfriend finished shopping for you a month ago. Read on.
Kindle Fire: There is a surefire way to beat back those pangs of guilt over waiting until the last minute: Spend more money on her than she did on you. At $200, a Kindle Fire, essentially an iPad light, is a good place to start. It’s also one of the hottest gifts this season. Oh, and Target closes at 7 on Christmas Eve, just so you know.
Cozy pajamas: Avoid great gifts that can send the wrong message: workout videos, a new vacuum cleaner, a designer apron. A gift that never fails: cozy jammies. Everybody sleeps and everybody likes to be warm. All you need to know is your wife or girlfriend’s size (better to underestimate if you’re guessing) and you’ll have plenty of options. Store shelves are heavily stocked with pajamas this time of year. Nordstrom closes at 4 on Christmas Eve.
Groupon: Perhaps no last-minute gift requires less effort than the three mouse clicks it takes to buy and print a Groupon. Sure, there’s a chance the only options Groupon.com will have at this late date will be paintball lessons or gutter cleaning, but if your wife braved the crowds on Black Friday, she’ll at least appreciate that you got a great deal.
– Craig Hill
