To ask for ideas on how to spend Christmas

[DilemmaDelilah]

This is light hearted and by no means a 'Woe is me' post - just asking for some ideas!

Background - in the past we have either hosted Christmas or we have gone to Butlins or somewhere if it's just me and DH. I love Christmas, I love choosing and wrapping the perfect gifts, planning etc., but this year I am undergoing treatment for cancer. I had thought it would all be over by Christmas, but due to some delays I will still be recovering from Radiotherapy at that time, and I won't be able to drive. I won't be up to hosting, we won't be receiving an invitation from my most local adult child, and my DH won't want to drive 6 hours to my other adult child without driving back up - should we be invited there. And I don't think I will be up to Butlins!

My thoughts at the moment are:
a) A quiet day at home with lots of nice nibbles and no cooking
b) There is a (very expensive!) nice hotel not too far away which we could go to for their festive package. The drawback to this one is the price, particularly as we have separate bedrooms at present and would need either 2 rooms or a spacious twin, which is more expensive.
c) quiet Christmas plus Twixmas hotel break
d) something else!

We went to a Warners hotel for a Twixmas break last year, but I was getting over a chest infection and found it really difficult to manage the very long walk to the restaurant and back for meals, so I don't think I will be able to manage it this year. It needs to be something that I can manage as a fairly feeble person. We don't need entertainment, I would probably enjoy a quiz and carol singing, my DH would put up with it. I would love a murder mystery but my DH does not like them, and neither of us dance.
I did think about renting a holiday cottage with its own indoor pool, as I love to swim, but renting anywhere over Christmas is prohibitively expensive and I'm not sure I will be allowed to swim anyway.

So - wise mumsnetters - may I have some suggestions please?

Could you do option A and then a lovely hotel stay at a later date when you might have a little more energy?

Could you find a hotel that is very close to something such as tje coast - Christmas unch at hotel, chat with others, go ot for a lovely walk on the coast, have a nice room?

Otherwise day to homevwith gorgeous no cook / low cook food?

I would love to go to the coast for the day at Cristmas, or even a few days... is there anyone renting out a static caravan to considerably lower the cost?

Good luck with your treatment though!

I would also say option A with option C in the new year; hope the treatment goes well

I have been in this situation although chemo rather than radiotherapy. You will feel very wiped out, I think, and also be vulnerable to infection? So option of staying home with low effort treat food os ideal. Have a hotel break when it's all over.

Option a sounds lovely to me! Good luck with your treatment x

If you do decide to go away, you can rent a wheelchair from the Red Cross for £20 a week. For a bit more, they’ll deliver it and pick it up again too. It’ll give you something to hold onto until you’re starting to flag, then your DH can push you when you need to sit.

All fingers and toes are crossed for you that this treatment does the trick and that by next Christmas, you’re feeling fit enough to be doing a Christmas Day swim at a beach somewhere 💐

Do you have any takeaway places open near you on Christmas Day?

If so, home, plenty of easy food, plus a takeaway delivered for lunch or dinner.

We spent last Christmas (the whole of December actually) in hospital with my daughter nearly lost her. This year we've booked a log cabin with hottub for a whole week pure family time, books, m and s food and cozy blankets cannot actually wait xx

Id expect my husband to cook me a lovely Christmas dinner (he did love to cook and did cook Christmas dinner every year, but even if he didn't I'd expect to him to try as it's my favourite meal). Or get stuff that just requires popping in the oven. But it take a lot for me to miss Christmas dinner!
Barring that I'd splurge and go to a fancy hotel for a couple nights.

But if budget doesn't stretch then C.

I'd stay at home and get a nice m&s preprepared as much as possible meal in. Choose a film. Buy and amazing Christmassy candle for opening on the day. Watch Queens speech enjoy the quiet outside.

I would go for a). Don’t plan anything that would be messed up if you felt worse than expected.

our favourite Christmas quiz is the King William. Remember each block of 10 questions is on a theme, and make heavy use of google. Learn a lot of curious things!

Some nice ideas already!

My DH has reminded me (I don't know how I forgot...) that chemo has really mucked up my digestive system - so much so that I am due to go for a colonoscopy in 2 weeks - so we won't make any plans until I have the results from that. But it probably means that choosing any option which involves restaurants or being more than a few yards from a loo won't be a good idea. Can't believe I forgot that!

A take away is a wonderful idea, but although we live in a (small) city I don't think there is one take away that will be open on Christmas Day. Worth looking into though!

We could do self-catering, but not a caravan. I need a comfortable bed and I would prefer some privacy in the loo.

And my DH already does the cooking. He took over cooking during the week when he retired, and has done absolutely everything since I became too unwell to do anything. I was in hospital with chemo toxicity after my first chemo session and have still not recovered 3 months later. So it would be nice for him to have a break.

Looking forward to seeing what other responses I get!

I would go for A and just do a few lovely things at home, no effort or stress, then plan a hotel break for when you're feeling better.

Option A.

Get your favourite take-away. Freeze it. Warm it up on Christmas day.

We live somewhere small but the Indian takeaway is always open at Christmas. Or you could pick up sushi the night before if you feel like that?

I'd make a film playlist of stuff you haven't seen yet or old classics that you want to watch again, get some popcorn and snuggle up for a filmfest in the afternoon.

Assuming you don't live in the middle of nowhere, could you get a Christmas grocery shop? I really like the Tesco festive food to order - it's fancier than normal, only available at Christmas, and you just pop it in the oven.

Alternatively, quite a few high end restaurants will do food boxes you can finish off at home - I don't actually know if any do this over the Christmas period, but I'd be surprised if they didn't. Many do nationwide delivery.

The advantage of eating at home is that if you are feeling too poorly to enjoy your food, you can push 'Christmas' to another day without any pressure. If you're not feeling right on the 25th, but a bit stronger on the 27th, you can move the main event without having to cancel/ reschedule anything.

I would do a low key Christmas at home. Nice food that only needs heating up, new snuggly blankets, stupidly expensive crackers, movie rentals and streaming carol singing. You just have to go up a couple of levels in 'normal' spending for it to feel like a treat.

PS All the best with your treatment.

I'd get food from M&S and stay home. I think you'll be knackered. If you aren't then maybe a trip out to a pub or something in the afternoon. Our local does a Christmas Eve quiz that is always rather lovely then you could have a quiet Christmas Day.

There’s a French rotisserie place near us that will prepare, cook and deliver a lovely Christmas dinner. Haven’t used it but will one day. Looks delicious. Not cheap but not outrageous either. Do you have anything like that nearby?