I used to find hosting Christmas Day rather stressful until .....

[BigSandyBalls2015]

..... I discovered early drinking, it really helps, it's amazing. Even MIL can't upset me or the moody teens.

Started with a Bloody Mary about 10.30, moving on to the prossecco an hour later. Dinner is in the oven, all is well.

Buck’s Fuzz at 8:30am here too! 🥂 I’m on my second g and t now, my daughter is doing her cross stitch cactus and the other half has gone for a nap. Food will be ready in about an hour.

First year ever just the 3 of us and no stress whatsoever!

Merry Christmas all! 🎄

Lunch is nearly cooked and I've just poured my third glass of champagne - cheers, hic. It works for me

I did this on the first day of the holidays with a friend and thought it was a brilliant idea until I stopped drinking and had a massive grumpy comedown!

Clearly what I have learnt from this is to keep drinking all day long

@crunchymum

I’m 35 weeks tomorrow! I’ve got some alcohol free champagne (sarcastic woo) to share with dd at dinner. I’ll make up for it when this baby arrives!

I am not a big drinker. Except for Xmas day.

I have been drinking snowballs. The problem is after sleeping for only one hour after a night shift it has gone straight to my head. I am relaxed but it isn't doing my tiredness levels much good.

DH should have the dinner done soon, so that will soak it up. Then a nice snooze on the sofa( after starting on the wine with dinner )will be in order.

At least the mess isn't stressing me out. The heartburn is starting to piss me off though.

Baileys since about 8.00am.

We have eaten the lovely dinner I cooked this morning, now I am tired and can't be arsed to wash up and tidy.

Started the day at 4.30am with coffee with real cream and Amaretto. Next cup will be with Kahlua since I'm an equal opportunity drinker.

You are absolutely right OP. I have used this method for some years.

The other tip is to host parents and parents-in-law together. That way they all talk to each other and nobody bothers me. I can hole up in the kitchen with my several glasses of something yummy and sort the dinner in peace.

Christmas Day is a day when it is perfectly ok to start early. I started with a generous slug of brandy in my coffee when we were opening presents at about 10.30. Proceeded onto sherry, now after dinner having a cold Gewürztraminer.

There is rumour of a family walk shortly which will take 40 minutes. I may start again after that.

I think I may be pissitively possed

I'm not as think as you drunk I am.

That was weird... Happy Christmas BeverleyGoldberg!

Oh, god. Yes, not hosting here but on about the 11th drink.

Didn’t feel very pissed yesterday despite many drinks, thought it odd until DSIS told me about an hour ago her and my mum had had an argument and DSIS had dumped most of my mums white spirits down the sink and replaced with water in revenge. I wish I was making it up...

Pass the gin!

Early drinking is key. But even more crucial is after the second glass you have to ruthlessly alternate each glass of booze with a soft drink. I knock back the water/Schoer/coke so I can move back in to the next glass of champers/G&T. By it defo slows me down whilst retaining the all important buzz!

her and my mum had had an argument and DSIS had dumped most of my mums white spirits down the sink

White spirits? As in, paint thinner? Not sure anyone should be drinking that, even at Christmas!

I hear you. I hit the port around 10-30. Constantly top it up until lunch is ready then hit the fizz with lunch. Bailey's for the rest of the day.

Prepped everything, and I mean literally everything yesterday and started on the vino around half ten. Have had a very relaxing day so far despite hosting and cooking for 12. #cheers

Stressfree Xmas = drinking from 9am and takeaway. It's been most rrlaxing....

Essential strategy in our house, it was always my brother's job to keep my mum's glass topped up with champagne from xmas breakfast onwards... You then need to stage eating/snacking cheeky snooze in sofa so that no one descends into angry drunk...

Darn it, read down to post 10 pantplot

I've just remembered the bloody bucks fizz in the cupboard meant for me and Mil, as she's a light weight drinker and now its bloody 7 pm. I'm driving first thing tomorrow so can't even have it for boxing day.
Dang and blast.

I couldn't drink all day because I was collecting my mother by car, and then driving her back home. And now I've done all of that plus everything else, I'm utterly knackered and don't really feel like drinking.

There's no kids in my family, and no driving needs doing today. We crack on gently with a sherry on Xmas eve and then Bucks Fizz on Xmas morning, then bellinis, wine with dinner, Baileys etc. Helps me cope with my mother's martyr act......

Just read the op because I'm drunk. Been stressed most of the week. One of my 14 guests gave me a tequila around midday and the day has gone swimmingly!

I didn’t have my first alcoholic drink until 4pm

Admittedly that’s only because I had to get rid of my hangover first though.

I usually write my timing plan around the 21st, as that's normally the last time I'm sober. Aim for a pleasant buzz all the way through the 12 days of Christmas.

I've got through this year on judiciously spaced alcohol and painkillers - we were hosting, plus I have a filthy cold and was working flat out till the end of last week. Everything has just about got done, but I'm wrung out. Couldn't have done the lunch without the two glasses of prosecco. Especially with MIL hovering right by my elbow, trying to help and getting in the way - without the wine I would have given in to the temptation to yell "GET OUT OF MY KITCHEN", and regretted it. I am very fond of her but my GOD is she an unhelpful helper - I just want her to sit down and let me get on with it!