to not want to do Christmas at home - where would you go?

[SoTiredNeedHoliday]

I really am just over the Christmas prep and cooking etc etc. No family nearby either so its just us. Kids are older mid teens so they are no longer into the magic of Christmas......sadly

Where would you go or what would you do to either

1. escape the tradition or 2)make it more exciting at home

I’m a Christmas obsessive so I think I would try and make it more amazing at home, but if it’s gone stale I can see why it’s tempting to totally mix it up. I would either do something really Christmas spirited like volunteer in a soup kitchen or go away somewhere hot and sunny.

Take the family on a Christmas cruise.

Have you asked your teens? Even at that age I loved a 'proper' Christmas at home. I would stay home but go out to a naice pub or restaurant for lunch, then home for nibbles, films, board games.

Ask the kids what they might like to do? Mine are adults but one is at home. We do a buffet and mulled wine with a film on Christmas eve (always get new pjs to lounge in). Christmas day is very relaxed and involves me drinking sherry, cooking and singing badly. We might get out a board game later. On Boxing day we go to the cinema and eat leftovers.

It doesn't have to be a big production. Scale it back.

I have thia dream of renting a really isolated cottage. Loading up the car with a weeks worth of food, dvds, games, walking boots and waterproofs and spend the week building fires in the cottage, playing games, walking and drinking champagne and eating cheese. The lakes, North Yorkshire moors, Scotland, the coast anywhere!

Last Christmas we went with our teens on a Caribbean cruise followed by a few days in the Florida Keys and a few days in New York. It was amazing - I loved being in a swimming pool on Christmas Day, while a steel band played Christmas songs.

I wouldn’t do it every year (couldn’t afford to!), and I’m looking forward to Christmas at home this year, but it made a fantastic change.

This is so inspirational especially you the cat.

Totally escape the tradition. I loathe the idea that you have to do the same thing each year - it's SO boring. I've done 46 Christmasses and I'm over it. Yawn.

Shaking things up doesn't have to mean being overseas and spending loads though, cottage in the UK or even making it a pizza and popcorn day rather than having boring old turkey.

What’s the budget? I’m always a fan of somewhere hot at Christmas like Barbados. A lovely family holiday somewhere warm and sunny, without any Christmas expectation or work does wonders for the stress levels.

Just have a quieter one at home? Doesn’t have to be Turkey with all the faff.

Have any of your teens got boyfriends/girlfriends? Spending quality family time together in a little cottage in the Alps or whatevs might not be as much fun as you’d hoped if you’ve got a heartbroken teen desperate to get home for a snog.

Or skiing is good if you still want to be a bit more Christmassy but have someone else do all the cooking. Generally not the best time for actually skiing though. And again, suoer expensive.

Some years my family have forgone the turkey and had 5/6 courses of different cocktails and canapés instead. Everyone can choose a drink and nibble to prepare.

Have you got anyone you can invite? Another family in the same boat, other friends?

I find that if you have people over at Christmas, even if it's just the eve, everyone is on better behaviour, no whinging / arguments / moods.

I would try and do a traditional - ish Christmas, if your kids are mid teens you won't have many more Christmases with your kids in the home.

I go to my mams.

She could probably squeeze you in, she always ends up with an extra person (friend of a friend type) or two.

Do what you like I prefer to be at home with my immediate family but I you wanted could make it not so fussy or Ott fussy!
One year we had steak for out Xmas lunch!
This year our DC are understanding Xmas more so we are going to town with decs getting them involved in picking new ones (and making them) then a big roast with trimmings too

I'd do Christmas at home in Christmas jammies and get an Indian takeaway. I've always wanted to do it!

We've always made a point of not having the same sort of Christmas every year, it can get incredibly tedious. Now with a 17 year old we really scale things back, Christmas Eve will be a working day for me, DH & DS May go and visit family. DS will come with me to Midnight Mass as he meets his youth club friends Aaron Church. Christmas Day this year we will spend at my brother's (just going for the day) & Boxing Day DS is off on a school ski trip. Festivities over. I find that teenagers would rather be with their own mates than hanging around with their parents all the time.

A week in Madeira, nice mild temperatures, inexpensive food, a real change from the UK. If you stay over New Year there are big firework displays (I haven't been but DB and SIL went last year).

I
Would go
Somewhere like Copenhagen. Tivoli is beautiful at Christmas as is the whole city. I don’t know what budget is but you could always go all out and go to New York. Or spend a few days in London, ice skating at Somerset house, Hyde Park winter wonderland etc

Caribbean is lovely- but pricey obviously. Hotels in likes of Brighton and Bournemouth do Christmas packages and could be nice. Or city break in Edinburgh walking round the city with plenty of stops in cosy pubs.

Is it just the meal?

Several years we have done an Indian takeaway on Christmas day.

Set the table, crackers etc, buy in some nice desserts, open wine.

Our local Indian is mega busy for take aways on Christmas day.

some great ideas there for both options.

We'll probably mix it up at home somehow, maybe next year go away (book early to get decent fares!).

thx

So if you lived in London have done winter wonderland , and all the normal things year on year what would you do:

• shows to see?
• Different places to visit?
• country pubs ?

If I lived in London and had done all the usual things year on year then I would get out of London.

so do you go away from where you live - assuming you've done all the local usual things? Where do you go?