... to start 'Make Christmas easier' thread?

[OftenHangry]

So MANY threads about how people find Christmas stressful and need to tone down or want to cancel. I get it. It can be too much, but Christmas are a time which we should enjoy. Be with our loved ones, have a drink while watching Snowman and a Snowdog, relax and be happy. (Yes, I love them)

So share your tips on how to make things easier for those who are bit lost.

I plan everything. Start separate shopping lists at the beginning of December for each of my 3 days of Christmas feasting (mixed culture) and I add to it every time I remember something, because with how busy we are I would most likely end up with half of the food missing. You will have a complete list in less than a week.

Spread the "chores". Decorations don't all have to come up at the same time. I spread it over 2 or 3 days. Just do a little bit when there is few min spare.

Ignore the deep clean if you are busy! There is no need to be taking everything from all the shelves and cupboards, cleaning it and putting it back. Santa won't know. And your guests won't either. I do it in January instead as a "New Year clean" after memories of my mum running around and trying to manage Christmas prep + deep clean.

Do not stress over presents! It might be bit late, but still. Make a list and make your OH do a list. We do basic things we need including socks + a surprise. I had no idea what to buy to DH few years ago as a surprise so he got toilet golf. It was fun! For £3.

If you don't like "tat", don't buy tat. You don't need tinsels and garlands everywhere to have Christmas.

Plan your cooking. You can prep many things day or two in advance and then just finish them off. Having less pots and pans going at the same time helps to feel bit more relaxed. Plus trying to peel something while trying to watch other things so they don't overcook is stressful. Potatoes can be peeled and left in a water in a fridge overnight (pour the old water away before cooking though). You can even pre-cook some vegetables like the potatoes, carrots, parsnips and even brussel sprouts (these are lovely if you finish them off in a frying pan) and just pop them in the oven on a day.

What are your "Easier Christmas" tips?

Like you I start planning early and have a Christmas Planning folder.

Not a tip per se but I keep all my shopping lists, schedules, and lists of things to do and when to do them so I can tick them off one by one.

Have a spreadsheet with a list of presents to buy, a sheet for cards and a sheet for food. They just update it each year and print it off.

Buy all your presents, cards and wrapping paper in the January sales -it saves time and money the following year. The Boots 70% stampede is especially good for this.

Just forget about Boxing Day. Most people have had enough of Christmas by then. Just eat leftovers.

If you have a big garage and an artificial tree you can just put your tree in there complete with decorations and save time decorating the following year. No need to keep redoing it.

Fall out with nearly everyone you know, cuts the present list right down.

Great idea! I love Christmas and I love planning.

Start buying presents on holiday in the summer. Aim to have all wrapped by December. I do a bit here and there in the evenings over the course of a few months - I hate trying to do it all in a couple of nights!

Look out for online Christmas shop order opening, book a slot and just fill it with alcohol until you work out what you need. You can normally edit it until 48 hours before delivery.

Make Christmas pudding and mincemeat (if you are so inclined) in September.

Make and freeze things well in advance (desserts, mince pies, sausage rolls, bread sauce, braised cabbage) - most things can be frozen.

Minimise present buying and suggest this to others - in recent years I have found the waste and general tat presents so stressful and unnecessary! Most other adults will be relieved. DH and I often get a joint gift for each other to enjoy together.

I have a spreadsheet to track gifts I've bought that way i buy through the year and spread the cost

I book santa trip as early as I can so its done same with panto

For close friends each family agrees to take the other family out for a day out later in the year this has ranged from a bbq in our local forest to theme parks depending on each families financial situation

Start drinking at lunch because 'it's Christmas'.

Oh and follow the organised mum method! I followed her on Instagram, and I have felt even more organised than usual for Christmas this year. It starts in October and gives weekly tips until first week of December.

If you don't like "tat", don't buy tat

Couldn’t agree more. The number of people on here moaning about tat, you’d think someone had a gun to their head to make them buy it.

I think people need to get serious about only doing the parts of Christmas they enjoy. Only do traditions, gifts, decorations, etc if you care about them and find them meaningful.

Grumble - champagne breakfast surely

Yes to Pachy - I don’t find Christmas stressful, but then I’m quite happy to say no to stuff. I usually host (cooked for 14 last year, 8 this year) and just find the whole thing so much fun! I love the run up to Christmas and all the prep.

Love this thread. I was really looking forward to Christmas, but a combination of getting ill and both my dc's birthdays being in December has left me sick of it already. I need to find my Xmas cheer, but I'm so exhausted.

I’m loving the idea of putting the tree away still decorated!!!

I honestly think the answer is to do less though. You don’t have to do everything, every year.

I love crafts and baking, but less so at Christmas when there are a lot of other things to do. I’ll bake birthday cakes, but Christmas is usually a bought cake these days.

And while I agree with lists and spreadsheets, I also think it’s worth making sure there is downtime. We’ve had a busy weekend visiting 2 sets of family, so tonight we had readymeals and watched Home Alone.

I organise Christmas shopping days, one in October and one in November, with my best girlfriend. We get a girly day out, get all the gifts before December and can do it before all the crowds. We finish with dinner or a cocktail and it’s lovely.

DH and I both have divorced parents who spend Christmas usually in 4 different countries. To reduce stress we have our mums and their DPs over for the first weekend in December and have a proper full on Christmas weekend then. This means actual Christmas is either in Denmark with DHs family or at home with DFIL and sometimes DF.

When at home we usually have danish christmas dinner on 24th and English on 25th. This year I have discovered that a big hotel in the city are selling takeaway turkey so i’m Ordering one. Basically you collect turkey, stuffing, gravy and sides hot and ready to serve at a time of your choosing. I’m hoping it’s amazing!

Buy presents throughout the year. I had most on my presents by October which I bought throughout the year on sale or when I saw something which looked good.

Buy fewer presents. We have only bought our daughter a handful. We have spoken to adult relatives and decided not to get presents, just buy for the kids. With friends we all go on a day out or meal together (this year we are going to the theatre) and spend the money we would have spent on presents.

Foil baking trays. I know its not great for the environment but its one day of the year.

This year I made dh do the planning and ordering of gifts for his side. He actually was a bit worn out by the time we'd finished.

DH does the food. I have a present list, which I've nearly finished, just a hoodie for DD, Father Christmas presents and Nectar presents (bought with points) to go. For Christmas Day I buy puddings, for the whole period the DC are off school I buy naice beer for me and naice juice for the DC and a tub of chocolates. DH puts up the decorations.

We do a pared down list for the DC; something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read, plus a surprise.

Our family traditions remain in the nuclear family; extended family live too far away to make it feasible to visit. We have a fun party with a few friends on Christmas Eve, and slob around the rest of the time.

We don't send cards to extended family, maybe an email or text.

We basically live our lives as normal, fit in the school events as and when necessary, and skip or attend as many or as few other events as we feel able. I think with having DC on the autism spectrum, I learned a long time ago to keep Christmas as low-key as possible at home and keep the same few simple traditions in the immediate family so the chaos of the Christmas season doesn't overwhelm any of us. They actually derive great comfort from the sameness each year, and the hibernation/lack of socialising once school lets out.

We celebrate birthdays and have cut back on Christmas spending. It is bloody marvellous!

DS has a December birthday so gift + party + Christmas is just knackering. He has so many gifts in December, it's crazy.

We have a tree and lots of decorations, we don't have a British Christmas lunch as we aren't in the UK and can't find all the ingredients. This year we are repeating last tear's lunch of saltimboca - a faff to prepare but easy to cook and bloody lovely.

I make my own crackers: loo rolls, crepe paper, joke from the internet, small gift like a pen or novelty rubber, small chocolate/chup chup.

My mum hates Christmas so doesn't visit this time of year. My dad is busy with his new partner (she is great, i have only the best wishes for him). DH's family are all local but financially and verbally abusive, so they haven't been invited since 2013.

Christmas is BLISSFUL.

No spreadsheets, no ordering food and booking slots, no panto tickets or Santa trains. No Christmas baking - cannot be arsed with that!

I do, however, make something crafty for the school hamper that they sell tickets for. You can donate food, drink, vouchers for meals out, and handcraft stuff. Last year i made a set of 5 felt Star Wars characters to hang on the tree. This year i'm making a felt noughts and cosses set. Not decided the theme yet and the cutoff date is this Friday...!

the shortcuts will depend on the age of your children and how you actually celebrate Christmas.
Now that only the last child is in school (DC3) we only have one school concert/event to attend which makes life a lot easier. No more bloody nativities/carol concerts/parties/christmas assemblies etc.

I start Christmas shopping for gifts in September to spread the cost so am now at the point where it is all done and wrapped.

for Christmas dinner I buy ready prepped veggies and ready made gravy, plus a frozen dessert so no faff with christmas pudding which is too heavy after a big meal anyway.

These are all great!

I am keeping this thread for next year 😁

Paper plates. Just fancy a quick sandwich, bit of toast or mince pie? Paper plate. I reuse the same one a couple of times if it's just had a bread on it and then I either recycle or chuck them. My gift to myself is less washing up.
I also eat a lot of sandwich based meals for ease.

Simply become a Jehova's Witness.

Planning spreadsheet, shade out tasks as I do them, then at the end I can just restore everything to non-shaded ready for next year.

Email to myself in our on-line diary to be opened early Dec and remind me of all the "it would be easier this way" thoughts that I had last year, as well as little things like "need new lights and about 6 red baubles".

Once children were teenaged, asked everyone what the really important parts of Christmas were. So we still do stockings, but no more hand-made crackers, bought mincemeat and pudding not home-made. And no alternative pudding for the odd people who don't like Christmas pud. Trouble is, tastes vary, so apart from the turkey the things that can't be left out are: pigs in blankets, parsnips wrapped in bacon, yorkies, bread sauce, gravy, roast pots, pudding, brandy butter, custard.

Oh, and no other meals provided on Christmas Day - people can breakfast on the contents of their stockings, and no-ones really hungry for tea after we've had a Christmas dinner. Makes life a lot easier.