Next christmas, I am going to ....

[janaus]

Next christmas, I am going to ...

Stay as a family of 3 under a roof of our own (not under OUR own roof - but a cottage right on the sea near both sets of parents). Tis booked, non-refundable deposit paid.

DMIL has already moaned to DH about it, as she'll be "all alone" - DBIL is next door, her DB is at the other end of the house, and DSIL will probably be in DMIL's house too with her DH and new DC.

But we need a space of our own at Christmas and I nearly cracked up last year without it and bad weather meaning being confined indoors.

Buy lots of expensive cheese.

BUy proper chocolate , cook my own Turkey and have a real tree!

Buy so much less food, not sure what I was thinking last year!

I have found out this week that, although DMIL has serious issues with my plans for the cottage (only 15 minutes away from her - we live almost 3 hours away), my DF LOVES the idea. He's been out right beside it and heard all about the internal layout from a neighbor, and reckons' we've landed on our feet, it "is stunning, just stunning", and I suspect that he will be out for a few quiet coffees and chats over the 5 days we're down!!

I need to plan a few extra mince pies!

Possibly be in a new house, so I am quite excited about changing some of the decorations to go with the new place. I may actually have to cut back on some of the decor.

Ooh Ginger Ivy I am in a new house too..surely that means we more??? Pinterest full of Christmas decorating ideas on my new house board!

I wish. Downsizing. But much nicer house in nicer area, so I am happy to downsize in that instance. Thought I'd get rid of some of the tat, and focus more on the nice decor. :)

Get married!
well on the 28th

And be sensible and not buy DS 4,000 presents that he doesn't need

Travel less
Sleep more
Write cards earlier and write a short note in each one
Shop and wrap earlier
Make a snowman (it will be a white Christmas one year!)

Florida

Only buy presents the dc actually want.
And stick to a budget with family.

Much bigger tree
Much less presents

Spend the budget on my own family and not fretting about other peoples presents.
Buy lovely decorations which make me happy.
Cook more homemade sweet treats. Have Christmas pancakes in the morning.

Keep it exactly the same. Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve with lovely candles and good wine.
Christmas Day with lovely party food and enjoying the children and their day without being stuck in the kitchen for hours.

All being well?

Have my first (3 week old) child

I imagine this xmas will be less organised than usual

More baking and crafts with the kids in the run up.

Finally make the kath kidston decorations from the book and kit that I've had for 3 years .

Plan some family activities for between Christmas and New Year.

Not panic buy loads of last minute presents for DC to bulk out the pile. Quality not quantity!

We're going to Lapland just before, which I'm super excited for.

But I will be working again on Xmas day

We're doing the panto as I think dd2 will be old enough to sit through it.

I will change nothing about Xmas eve as it was perfect this year.

I will write cards earlier. I will not force dp to help me sift flour around his booted feet at 2am Christmas eve (probably).

I would like to buy some really nice knitted stockings but I'm not sure it's really worth the astronomical cost.

Spend less money on gifts for family
Do more Christmassy things with DD
Prepare food shop and write lists so I don't buy crap that stays in the cupboard for 12months!

Make sure I budget for actually posting the presents I've bought

Get gifts and cards all bought, written and wrapped by DC3 arriving (mid Nov). Enjoy December build up with craft / baking and fayres without any last minute panic. And host a biggish family 40th birthday party for DH in December too! Will be a busy 6 weeks!!

Not send Christmas cards.
Definitely do lots of stocking fillers. They were playing with some of them yesterday and I made a mental note to do similar. Buy less big things at the last minute to 'bulk' out the pile.
Definitely make chutneys and sloe gin as gifts. I was apprehensive at first but the recipients were very positive and asked for more so I'll do that again.

Not move house on the 18th December with husband in a sling post shoulder op!

Not have Christmas dinner in a room that stinks of the previous owner's dog despite shampooing the carpet. Twice.

Not buy anything that isn't square (I've been saying this forever!)

Buy less cheese - another one here who ends up eating it all January in the weirdest food combinations cos wasting cheese is a very bad thing.

Shop before Christmas week.

Actually post cards and presents!

Christmas dinner rather than Christmas lunch sounds good. We always invite DFil round because we lost DMil a few years ago and family is very inportant to him. BUT it also means single Bil and Sil come too (they all live together) and while they are nice people they are conversation vaccums, don't help, don't play with DS, don't thank us for the food/wine. Ideally I'd like DH's other siblings to offer to host, then we can stay at home, not going to happen However, a Christmas dinner would mean more of the day for DS to ennoy presents, more time relaxing in pyjamas and not running around cooking so early.

Make my Christmas cards in November (I only do around 10) so they're ready to go to family abroad on Dec 1.

I put away DS' stocking tat when the decs were packed away so he'll see them again Christmas day: slinky, whoopee cushion, a drinking straw that winds around your head and looks like glasses, some Smurf finger puppets. He had a lot of fun with them, but they were ignored once The Presents were unwrapped, so he can see them again every year until he's 18

DH was in charge of Christmas breakfast this year whuch worked out great - pancakes! With rainbow sprinkles! And cinammon sugar mmmmmmm.

Make sure if one day over the hols is busy, then the day before and after are chill out days, i don't want to pack it in.

Take more photis and go for long walks on the beach - make festive crap with driftwood!

I have already started sewing for this Christmas

Next Christmas I am going to (hopefully) be 6 months pregnant! Cannot WAIT for crimbo 2018 to start all our new family's traditions eeek!

Not that I'm getting overexcited or anything