OTT Christmasses - let's fight back!

[consuelapipkin]

I have discovered an interesting thing. If you tell the kids Santa has been and unleash them on their presents and chuck them a selection box they are just as happy (if not happier!) than the Christmasses when you grind yourself into the ground and end up in tears.

What can you drop from your Christmas to make life easier and enjoy the day more?

I DO love Christmas, but I think it should be more fun for Mums.

Who's with me?

We choose a movie in advance for Christmas day on digital download (not watching whatever rubbish the TV offers us up).

I'm going to steal this one. I always used to look forward to xmas films & TV but recent years have been really disappointing.

OP - can you stop going on about "mums" - you're starting to sound all DailyMailJourno

The site is called MUMSnet

The DCs and I left ex last year. He'd never really been into Xmas, wouldn't have decs up if I didn't insist.

So last year we created our own new tradition. Buffet of food we like on Xmas eve, along with being in cosy PJ's watching a film. I cook dinner at mum and dad's Xmas day, nice but not ott. Boxing day down there as well (mum is bedridden). Then later in the holidays well gave one day with no visitors, food we want and pjs all day. Bliss.

I rarely gain weight, often lose it at Xmas. We'll be walking on other days.

Small family here- just myself and dh, parents and my ds and bil. We are going for a christmas night out instead of presents! And we are sticking to money/stocking for our 6 shared children. The relief is immense

No Xmas tree - we haven't got the room anyway. Just some jolly and ivy hanging up to reflect our pagan leanings.

No more stockings as the dcs are older now and I'm sick of plastic shite.

Anything we do need will be bought online. Online grocery shop a week before.

I'm working this year anyway.

I've done all the dutiful xmases for donkeys years and the pils are dead now so we're free to suit ourselves at last.

Holly, not jolly

I'm on the poncetastic thread and there is lots I love about Xmas but there are lots of things I don't. I like a previous poster reuse bags, I have hessian sacks rather than wrapping paper, they are used every year. I try and get gifts that aren't just plastic tat, although dc will get some they also get books, clothes, bath stuff etc. I don't have a different theme each year, a lot of stuff is natural greenery and they rest comes out each year maybe with tweaked accents. I only gift people in the house, who ever that is. Other family members get gifted when we see them throughout the year, we live overseas, family does the same to us. So I may yet gilt a cranberry or two but I only do what I enjoy and works for us.

I love this thread!

We usually have people to ours on Christmas Day and I have run myself ragged trying to make a perfect lunch with all the trimmings. Last year we were away and had a nice, but simple, lunch. It was a revelation! So this year I will make slow roast lamb with vegetables and we will have nice ice cream, chocolates and cheese if anyone wants it. Smoked salmon on brown bread and mince pies for afternoon tea.

We don’t get loads of presents - secret Santa for family and DH and I don’t get each other anything. I LOVE sending Christmas cards though! And baking with the kids - going to try and make a Yule log this year!

One of our best Christmas dinners was when we pre-ordered a variety of chef's specials from our local Indian takeaway. It included a wonderfully tender marinated leg of lamb which had been cooking for hours.

DH collected the meal while I made lots of salad, we all ate just what we wanted like a giant buffet, no-one dressed up, and we could all relax.

Lots of leftovers for several days after :-))

That was one of my most laid back Christmases.

Great thread op, will be watching with interest! I've less to buy this year as many of my friends and family have decided to stop giving gifts, and just enjoy spending time together. Takes so much pressure off! Dh's extended family don't want to stop so I will be soon writing him a list of who he needs to buy for

I haven't had a British Christmas for 15 or so years. When i read MN threads there is so much i do not recognise!

Christmas eve box
North pole breakfast
Reindeer food
Elf on the Shelf
FC visit + Santa train + panto + Christmas market + + + (just choose one! )
Festive bedding
Festive pyjamas
Fuck ugly Christmas jumper

It sounds exhausting!

Getting oit on Christmas day for a walk or two, the delight in watching ds open his present -and him giving the dig her present his anticipation, him helping make the breakfast pancakes, the tree, the wine+cheese, the carols, the good food (never excessive).

I refuse to martyr myself at the alter of Christmas (pun intended). Goodwill to all beings and generosity are the centre of our celebrations. We have small xmas parties for DS' friends and neighbours' kids, cute games - outdoor and indoor, we deliver biscuits to those who live alone/elderly neighbours. Thjngs like that (don't want to bang on). Where i am the festivities last until 6th January, so it feels less 24th-25th-26th-all over. The whole thing is a lot more laid back.

I remember a couole of years ago having a big list of things we coukd do with ds in the run-up to Christmas and in the days after until school started - we only did about 6 things! Just reading the list was exhausting! He does plenty of stuff at school and we go see the town tree lights go on... That's pretty much enough, otherwise it's overkill and he'll be blasé about the whole thing.

But i must admit i love, love, love Christmas and most of my decorations are handmade - SO PONCETASTIC i'm shit at cooking, so all the flavoured vodkas and blackberry jams etc on the poncetastic threads are wasted on me. I'd much rather be up to my ears in felt and beads than stirring a steaming hot pot for hours.

I don't do Christmas cards

No buying for adults just our own children

No more bending over to please the in laws that's a big no for me ever again 🙄

We have Christmas day at home alone with no visitors we like it this way

Agree. Plus a lot of the pressure is piled on by retailers in order to part you with more of your money. The Christmas Eve box ‘tradition’ is a prime example. Some marketing exec in a boardroom cooked it up!

Loving this thread! Last Christmas for various reasons was completely exhausting for me and DP, although usually I love it - we actually took the tree down before going away on 29th, which is unheard of usually!

So I'm gleaning ideas from here of how to make this one easier, despite the fact that we will still have family staying, with small (and beloved) DGCs). No Christmas pudding for a start as really only DP and I like it. Simpler food, cut out some of the side dishes or get ready-made. Put the tree in the dining room so we can get the sofa bed out each night without a massive moving job.

Work Xmas Santa this year will be a bit different - instead of scratching head to know what to buy, everyone is going to receive something that the foodbank needs - they then have to go out and buy it and return with at the beginning of the new term.

Some on MN are talking about giving 1st of December boxes. Never heard of this. The things you could do just become bigger and bigger. Soon there will be countdowns to December calendars.

Christmas eve box
North pole breakfast
Reindeer food
Elf on the Shelf
FC visit + Santa train + panto + Christmas market + + + (just choose one! )
Festive bedding
Festive pyjamas
Fuck ugly Christmas jumper

We do none of this. I will not get sucked into the mindless consumerism of buying, buying, buying and think that it's what you do to "make memories".

It is all about buying more and more stuff. Sure leave out a carrot for the reindeer and a mince pie for Santa Claus, and a glass of your favourite tipple. But that does not make enough money for retailers.

Although in fairness our town has a xmas market every year. Basically going to that means going to twon for any reason, a quick look around. So we always do that. Did one time meet some friends there are drink quite a bit of mulled wine though.

FC visit + Santa train + panto + Christmas market + + + (just choose one! )

I get wanting to cut down on consumerism and endless tat. But surely those kind of things are all about making memories? So what's wrong with doing all four? Instead of buying stuff?

I don't think there is anything wrong with doing all four. But it doesn't matter if you don't. I think it is the weight of expectations that is the issue.

Santa train

Throughout December in my town and surrounding villages, Father Christmas visits all the streets on his sleigh (for some reason, this is Thomas the Tank Engine themed). It's organised by the local Rotary club - they hand out sweets, and collect money which is then spent on local community cause. We do a street party in our Close - everyone brings sausage rolls, cakes, nibbles, mulled wine or whatever. It's certainly not mindless consumerism along the lines of a Christmas Eve box.

The Santa train is a load of nonsense. Santa comes to the house on Christmas Eve to deliver gifts. During December he is not twatting about on trains. He is busy with the elves, making presents.

We don’t do anything like that really. My kids have ASD and saw through the costumes/fake grottos very young and knew it wasn’t the real Santa so they’ve never been bothered.

This year I have booked tickets to a carol concert with the Kings College choir. This is something I really want to do though, not something I’m doing because a magazine / blogger / instagrammer thinks I should.

Let’s be honest, the images we see on adverts are not a representation of real family life!

Tidy2018

I like the sound of your Xmas, so relaxed.

The sad reality for me, is that our family is waiting for mum to either get better (not going to happen) or to pass.

I'm hoping she makes it until Xmas, I think she will as things have been stable for a while. But dad is adamant that while mum is not able to go out and about, he won't either as it isn't fair in his eyes if he gets a posh meal and mum doesn't.

So, we'll have a relaxed meal at mum's instead. I'll prep as much ahead as possible, to make it easy on the day.