Anyone want to take part in a 'Lessons Identified' for next year?

[everydayaschoolday]

I'll happily go first:

1. No need for small pressies in advent calendar; kids only wanted the small piece of chocolate!

1. You cut back this year a bit and nobody noticed; cut back a bit more again next year.

1. More than 2 bottles of shloer is required .

1. All the material/clothing items (character bath towels, slippers, dressing gowns etc) from the elves on Christmas Eve worked well as our adapted Christmas Eve hamper.

1. Prep the veg and set the table on Christmas eve next year.

1. Hide the chocolate brioche from DH otherwise it'll be gone before christmas morning breakfast .

1. Fewer, well chosen items were highly appreciated this year. The no tat challenge was a success.

1. Go and see Santa at the garden centre for £15 like everyone else.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT spend £53 on a 'Santa Special' steam train trip. It pissed with rain, the gift was perfunctory, and DD saw Santa for all of 10 seconds. There was the option apparently to visit him in his grotto upon arrival, but the queue was so massive we never made it to the front before we had to get the train back. Never, never again, felt thoroughly ripped off.

1. Make sure DH gets his work rota well in advance - one wasted pantomime ticket at £25 did not impress me!
2. Take DD's present requests with a pinch of salt - my lovely and generous family got her most of the things on her list and she's barely played with any of it.
3. Do not spend £14.99 on a hideous, yapping remote controlled dog which was apparently the most wanted item on the list, (see above).
4. Save, save, save. And buy stuff throughout the year.

For those who love pigs in blankets, don't bother with fiddly little cocktail sausages, use chipolatas (Tescos finest are good, and they are now made with outdoor reared pork) and stretch the streaky bacon rasher around in a spiral.

I agree with Stellaface about trying to please everyone and doing loads of different dishes. If you are hosting do what you want to cook and what is practical.

Oh, I have another "Lessons Identified" to add to my list:

When I buy the cellophane for the Christmas Eve Hampers, remember where I put it. This saves sending DH out (clueless about what I want "When you say 'cellophane' you mean 'clingfilm' don't you? " )

No I don't. I mean 'cellophane'

He came back with completely different to what I bought (and HE helpfully tidied away )

it was totally okay to do an m&s, bung it in the oven, pre-stuffed turkey crown. tasted fine and much less hassle than a bronze free range turkey from the butcher which I have to prepare on Christmas Day early in the morning. we will continue doing this during the years we have babies.
the amazon prime membership was totally worth it. Christmas would not have happened otherwise with a newborn in the house. one (ish) day delivery ftw.

This year the kids are all getting premium bonds for which they can thank me for when they are 18 & have a nest egg. If they hit the jackpotof a million pounds then they can hand sone over to me for my troubles.

www.nsandi.com/savings-premium-bonds

I am not battling crowds to buy gifts for birthday so close to Christmas ever again. Note to self: do not have winter babies ever again.

We've decided against premium bonds in the past because we don't fancy dealing with the fallout of one of them hitting the jackpot and the effect it might have on the other.

My top ten lessons this year:

1. Save up for Christmas / buy presents over the course of the year. - it really does make life stress free.

1. Buy all your Christmas presents before December. I found it really stressful this year trying to get everything in the one month or so.

1. This year DH and children went to see a Christmas movie at the cinema on Christmas Eve. It was lovely and relaxing. Will definitely do that next year (and I'll be organised enough to join in too )

1. One nights' stay at my parents is enough. Whilst I love them dearly, two days camped together led to cabin fever .

1. You really don't need that much food over the Christmas period.

1. I have tons of wrapping paper, you really don't need to buy that much.

1. Instead of buying expensive Christmas ribbon, just buy cheap organza ribbon from Hobbycraft. Much nice and 1/4 of the price.

1. Organise New Year's Eve in advance.

1. Most years, we have friends over before returning to work, we didn't this year, and I kind of missed that.

10. But, we usually book up loads between Christmas and New year, but this year we didn't, and it was so relaxing. I think I preferred it this way.

That said, I had a lovely Christmas and am already planning this year's .