Christmas tips thread

[Rubybrazilianwax]

I thought I'd start a thread where we can share any tips for Christmas. Food, decorating, general household tips etc, that might help for a hassle free Christmas wishful thinking

Mine are:
Lots of bin bags and kitchen roll
Have a designated box to throw instructions and small bits into as dc open toys.
Make dc open Lego on a tray
If having a fresh tree buy a can of plant gloss spray to keep it looking fresh.
FROZEN sprouts, yes you heard me! I love my fresh veg but I normally stir fry the sprout with chestnuts and pancetta so might as well take a short cut nod buy the little button ones. IMO life is too short for peeling sprouts!
Use foil trays for some dishes, like roasted parsnips, then they can be dumped (I'm environmentally friendly for the rest of the year I promise)
Few extra gift bags with biscuits and wine in them under the tree, just ready to lift for the unexpected guest.
If you want to hang a wreath but don't want to mark a door, tack a ribbon to the top of the door and let it hang down.
Make something now for Christmas Eve, like a stew or curry or chilli and it leaves you free for prepping that day.
And for after
Store your baubles in paper cups in a box
Wrap lights around kitchen roll holder, starting with opposite end to the plug

Stuffing, bread sauce, cranberry sauce and potato gratin can all be cooked in advance and just heated on the day with no ill effects. I've done the same with Nigella's spiced chocolate cake.

You can have the convenience of an M&S ready made spread but much tastier : )

When putting lights on the tree go up and down rather than around. It's how they do the tree at the Rockerfeller Centre in NY apparently. DH wasn't sure last year but we tried it and it works well.

When buying Xmas stockings buy two identical for each child. Then you can fill one in advance and just swap for the hanging one - saves rustling around.

I like the stocking tip. Christmas eve is always so nerve racking trying to be quiet

crazyoldlady do you freeze them? Or just make day in advance

Freeze them Ruby. I'll prob do my stuffing next week. Don't do bread sauce.

Actually I need to clear my freezer to make space. I think we will have an eating out of the freezer week.

Th stocking tip is good. Can't claim credit - I read it on here!

No frozen veg here, I've got guinea-pigs who love the peel (except the potatoes)

YY to binbags - we have rubbish and recycle

And make sure everyone is on board about things like breakfast. Do you want breakfast before the presents or after?
Or are you going to skip it and eat chocolate?

I have one of those clear suction hooks for my wreath but it kept falling off so last year I put one of those 3M hooks on the front door and it's still there (white UPVC so no nails)

Bread sauce is gorgeous (but eyewateringly ££ in M&S) . You can do the milk the day before and leave it in the fridge overnight. Then heat and add the other bits.

70isa i thought your post said you have guinea pigs who love to peel... i had visions of you letting your pets half eat the veg haha

Breakfast here depends entirely on what time the dc get up. If its 4am it's a very non festive bowl of cereal which keeps them going until we are fully functional

I freeze everything in november, including the bread sauce. The only things cooked from scratch on the day will be the goose, the roasties (and actually I'll probably parboil them on christmas eve) and the sprouts (which will be frozen ones, microwaved, because I tried that last weekend and they were lovely and very, very easy).

I might try par boiling spuds the day before too thanks

If opening lots of presents from lots of people, have notepad and pen ready to make a list of who got what from whom, so you can do proper thank you letters.

Thanks 70sisa can you link to hooks? Really want a wreath but got a brand new door I'm not ruining

Oo, lots of good ideas, thanks festive vipers.

Loving the up and down tree lights. Will try it!

Most of my tips have been gleaned from here, so you might recognise a few:

Cover an open cardboard box with wrapping paper, use it to chuck used paper in as they dc are unwrapping, that way, when you take photos of the dc and the tree etc there isn't a nasty old binbag in the pictures.

Have a Christmas cupboard where you keep all your: Christmas crockery, napkins, table decs, candles, tablecloth... all the paraphernalia for setting the table and decanting the nuts!

If you are having a big even one day (either in your own home or going out), make sure the day before is a relaxing sloth day.

Make mince pies and freeze them - done mine already!

Have somewhere in your handbag or at home, wherever handy, to put all your receipts in. This can be handy for exchanging presents, swapping a jumper for a bigger on, for example, replacing something faulty/broken. And it can also help you tally up haw much you've spent and perhaps help you budget better next year.

Have food in for light meals: salmon, biccies, vegetable soup.

Don't forget to eat fruit breakfast is the best time to stuff your face with satsumas and have a banana. Drink plenty of water.

Fake-plan some days: use these days as down-time, you can only visit so many rellies/neighbours.

If you get anything free during the year, like make up/perfume samples, put them together in a little washbag and have handy as a 'travel kit' gift just in case you realise you've forgotten to buy something for someone (or need to reciprocate). Mean, but handy!

Put a little cash to one side for the January sales for: paper, tags, bow, tealights, cards... etc.

Do Secret Santa with people - doing it this year with friends AND family as we're all bloody skint and know Christmas is really for dc. Finding two really nice gifts will be a lot easier than 15 slightly crappy ones!

E-bay things you don't want/need anymore (you or dc) in September/October, then spend the cash you get on present for this year or a trip somewhere or... well, whatever you like! Someone might be looking for what you're selling for a present for someone and snap it up quickly. Those months are also great for getting Playmobil/Lego/Brio etc stuff cheaply on ebay as the prices will rise before Christmas.

Prepare a First Aid Kit containing: plasters, antiseptic wipes, painkillers, germolene/savlon, light bandages, hangover cures, Rennies.

I may think of some more, I have written down some from this thread already, thanks

use a different wrapping paper for each child - no writing on a million tags and no dramas when said tags fall off!

Photograph their letters to Santa so you have a permanent record (if they insist on posting the originals in a post box!) The ones from when they are tiny are so lovely!

Make a breakfast pack for each child - pop tarts, mini cereal box, hot choc sachet and juice carton here. All the crap they are never normally allowed! Keeps them busy if they get up too early!

If you do xmas eve hamper use a wrapping paper covered box. This can then be used to chuck paper etc in on Christmas morning. No bin bags here! >ponce alert

Loving these, thank you!

A tip I found on here last year which worked really well is to take the gift tag off the dc presents as they open it and write on the tag what the gift was. Saves time writing names in a notebook and I soon forgot who-gave-what in the Christmas morning flurry

Each child has a large cardboard box covered in Christmas paper and tinsel and glitter etc.
All small presents and bits and bobs go into their box after they have been unwrapped .
My DC used to love dragging the box into a corner and crooning over the contents. " Mine , all mine . My preciousssss "

Ps us grown ups have our stash box as well.

trumpton thar made me giggle out loud! A good idea though

Oooh Trumpton I like it!

Mine is another one I read on MN which makes me ...Tell the DC that CCTV cameras are monitored by Santa's elves of they think about misbehaving in public!

Yes with the different coloured paper for each child. (twins here).
Keep a box for small bits of crap that fall out of the games when they are opening them.
spare batteries.
Love the breakfast goodies idea.
Borrow a dog to hoover dropped food during the day.

I always wrap presents up as I buy them, as I hate doing it all in 1 big go and it also keeps gifts hidden from prying eyes! But I often found that I later couldn't remember what was inside, so needed to unwrap then re-wrap, especially when things were in similar shaped boxes.

So I would put a little post-it note on each one as a reminder after wrapping before stashing it away. Now DC are good readers though, so instead I just put a code that links to my christmas spreadsheet. E.g. Present with 17 on post-it is DN's Peppa Pig DVD but the one with 23 is Uncle Dave's Dr Who DVD.

Smiling at the thought of Santa's elves in charge of CCTV surveillance ... and of the children who believe it!