To go to a restaurant for Christmas dinner?

[PinkyOfPie]

I'll be almost 9 months pregnant on Christmas Day. We haven't committed to having people over this year but we did always say as we are in a new house we want to have Xmas day at ours. However I really couldn't be arsed cooking a full Christmas dinner when I'm gonna be the size of a house (I was enormous with DD and already huge with this one at 5 months). DH's cooking skills are limited to omelette and beans on toast, everything else he burns or ruins!

We thought about going to family's but TBH I want to be somewhere I can be fat lay down and make myself comfortable if I need to, I'm not a very good house guest at the best of times.

DH has suggested going for a meal just us 2 and DD. A local pub is doing a 3-course meal for £40 per adult £15 per child. Steep but we spend a lot on food for the day anyway.

I think I'd feel bad though, I did waitressing in my student days and always felt sorry for the staff who had to work for a pittance on Xmas day. I also think it might look unsociable to family then again to have no food to make or mess to clean sounds like heaven is it the 'done thing' with anybody?

Do NOT feel guilty about the staff.

I waitressed all through 6th form and uni and it has always been my experience that staff will fight to work Xmas day double pay, tips often a free meal after and a more jovial atmosphere behind the scenes. I loved it. I was always first to put my name down for behind the bathe at the local on NYE too. Not all of us are desperate for the big family thing, I loved the excuse to avoid my batshit family at times of high drama.

Bathe= bar

DYAC

" he could probably roast a chicken no problem but when it comes to having more than one thing ready at once he falls apart! "

Oh I agree it's getting stuff more or less ready at the same time that's the trick of it.

Also factoring in prep time as well as cooking time.

It's a bit sad people see it as "just another day".

Obviously emergency services need to be running as normal: otherwise I think it's a shame that people have to work.

We did this in 2014.

We were building an extension that was taking longer than we thought.

We had a few rellies over from Oz, and thought, stuff it.

We drive there, left the car and walked off dinner. After having s bottle of Chablis, it was one of the easiest and best we've had.

Yanbu.

We do this every year 'cause I just can't be bothered. Walk to the pub, eat drink be merry, leave a good tip and walk home.

While it's not what I would do, I don't think you're being at unreasonable. Otoh, you could just tell family that if they want to come to yours then they'll be cooking and cleaning up themselves. It depends entirely on whether you'd be OK with other people using your kitchen, and whether you know they'd cooperate and clean up properly after. My family would be fine, but dh's wouldn't.

We haven't cooked a full Xmas lunch from scratch for years - we either buy all the trimmings from Waitrose and then it's just timings and getting the turkey in or go out. Going out is my preferred option - like others have said, no hassle, lovely walk down to pub, great meal, tip well and a nice walk home but in your case I'd be inclined to do the buying it in option.

Given the timings faff, how would you feel about not having a roast turkey - something like a beef wellington and some ready to roast spuds and veggies would be zero hassle for DH if you have a baby or just don't want to cook on the day? That might be a good option. I was just off full term at Christmas and my folks came that year and brought everything with them and did all the cooking - my mum still denies that it was anything other than altruism, she wasn't at all hoping I'd go into labour whilst they were there, honestly! .

I was due Boxing Day. DH and I had Christmas Day at home just the two of us. We had a small turkey crown, roast potatoes and sprouts. Christmas light I guess. It's just a roast lunch after all. No big dramas and it was very very special.

Christmas dinner is only a roast with a few extra sides anyway.

As for people working Christmas Day couple of Christmases ago I got a right earful on the phone from a customer ringing in to report his landline wasn't working ...he expected the engineers to be out the same day Christmas Day and was shouting at me that he needed to have access to a phone and it was disgusting that people weren't working (presumably his mobile he was shouting at me from was due to self destruct in 10 seconds ) Love the people who expect others to work but wouldn't do it themselves.

Do it. The atmosphere will be lovely IME (waitress here). Leave a tip if you possibly can though...anyone working will either a)have no choice and be missing family time or b)have no family to celebrate with so are therefore working. Neither choice is brilliant.

YANBU. £40 is a bargain. DH and I are paying £90 each 😳 but last year was a rotten Christmas so it's a bit of a treat. Enjoy (hopefully)!