What have you learnt from this Xmas that you'll take forward to next Xmas?

[Trudee]

I'm in bed on my phone unusually early for Christmas Day as I have learnt that staying with family for the festive period is not for me. As such I shall not be repeating the experience.
On the plus side I have learnt that having to cut down on dc's gift due to having to fit them in the car has been a great success and I will stick to a reduced amount in the future. I was concerned by the size of the pile lastnight but dc's really didn't care.
What will you all be taking forward from this year?

[WipsGlitter]

Bumping for everyone!

[BiddyPop]

OK - item 1 - DON'T slice into the side of your finger with a breadknife (no alcohol involved!) meaning that, along with many other daily activities, typing becomes difficult!

Otherwise:
Yes to buying ahead and keeping the spreadsheet updated throughout the year.
Although, there is 1 problem with a whole extended family announce a week before Christmas that they got a shared hamper to the smaller extended family (hah! Bad idea as DM took it all except the port which we insisted on opening Christmas night, knowing we'd get nothing else!) and I'd bought for them all.

Reduce the budget for everyone!
We spent loads on everyone and got not a lot back - I know you don't give to receive but...(DH got a €5 dancing santa from Tiger while he gave his DB a €70 print, I got a €5 peppermint candle in a jar (not Yankee) while DSIL got a hamper of sanctuary stuff from us costing almost €50! - DH was quite upset by that one, I know better than to expect much).

Secret Santa worked reasonably well in my family again, but I spent too much on stocking fillers for the non-Santa people (we buy 1 big gift each, we do a draw for the recipient in advance, and then €5 or less, or homemade or regifted stocking fillers for everyone else).

We want either to stay at home ourselves next year, or go away skiing or to Australia/New Zealand. We've done family 2 years in a row and it's very hard work and expensive for us - and there is a complete expectation that we don't need a holiday but that just being there is our holiday (poor DH sat down on 27th for 10 minutes to watch a movie - the first all week - and his DM sent him to take his DUncle for a drive as DBIL was "too busy" - DH had spent all day up to then doing chores for his DM!!!).

We've learned that a nice set of Leonidas chocs works really well for us instead of tubs of Roses/Quality Street etc - we spend the same but have far fewer calories and actually enjoy the choc!

Sarah Raven's mince pie pastry, with Hairy Bikers' mincemeat inside (it had matured for 18 months) works really well! I am going to try and get a fresh batch of mincemeat going this week for next Christmas consumption.

Keeping the cleaners on their normal schedule is good - we had a clean house leaving (sooo nice to come back to) and again just before the few days we'll actually spend at home - we've been in and out a bit between trips but actually get some family time at home this weekend.

[JudithTaverner]

that getting dumped 2 weeks before Christmas is a Bit Shit

That you don't need to spend hours making home made gravy, bread sauce and cranberry sauce, soaking your turkey in flavoured water and making home made fudge because the kids just fill up on celebrations anyway. (I didn't do any of this this year and the food was still delicious)

That whistle filled crackers are very entertaining

That my children are lovely company.

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

If you have a lot of people staying, you have to get them all out of the house now and then, a) for your own P and Q and sanity, and b) so you can tidy up a bit and hoover all the crap off the carpets, she said with feeling, having just done that.
Mind you I knew this before, but it's been quite a while since we had such a houseful..

[Polkadot1974]

Will definitely buy gifts from September again and try and store children ideas through the year as MIL likes their lists from September and I'm never ready
Save money for the food each month so it isn't a big shock in December

[ifonly4]

I'd love to go away and not bother with the whole thing, but that's not going to happen. So for me, try and spend a bit less on presents and food, and enjoy the time we have to ourselves more!

[BiddyPop]

Not to go home again. I will come back to post my fuller reminders, but that ids the essential point - a cottage where we slept separately was not sufficient to keep us from the madness that is our families, and of course, dBIL is the hardest Working man in the country whereas we are just the ones who chase around doing everything for everyone else's! While DBIL actually gets to enjoy doing his things to his timetable and getting a chance to sit. Down and relax....

[lumpyandfrumpysince1976]

Next year I will make sure that my table cloth does not touch the floor so that it can't be stood on and send whatever is on the table crashing to the floor and then we'll not need to stop everything to clear up broken pieces of glass and steam mop the floor

[IMissGin]

That 11 days is too long for the ILs to stay, I'm on day 5 and I've spent tonight barricaded in my bedroom

[Davros]

Do not be horribly unwell for the four days before Xmas day
Take out a hit on BIL before next Xmas

[Ladydepp]

I will do the opposite of some - wrap presents for others but use nice tissue paper and gift bags for DH and dc's, they get way more stuff and I can keep the gift bags for future use.

In late November get in some nice boxes of chocolate and some fizz for last minute gifts.

Send gifts abroad earlier next year!

Save some of the dc's unwanted or duplicate gifts for Secret Santas next year.

Remember to deal with verbally incontinent MIL by smiling and nodding, she doesn't actually require a response to her stream of consciousness and I can accomplish quite a lot while having my ear chewed off. And she is perfectly capable of peeling potatoes while telling me ALL about her neighbours and her health problems!

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

I've learnt not to pour boiling water on myself whilst draining the potatoes...

[cauliwobbles]

Not to invite my utter prick of a BIL!

[MsGameandWatch]

Not to go visiting. Stay home and relax and enjoy just being with my kids.

[mamaduckbone]

Do sticky toffee pud for the ones who don't like Christmas pud.
Don't leave the Christmas pud in the fridge and only realise an hour into the journey to SIL's.
Don't go out to a drinks party the night before you're due to go away for Christmas having done no packing, then stay 2 hours longer than you planned to.
Actually scrap the last one. Don't worry about the packing - it is perfectly possible to do it all at midnight and half cut, and only forget the Christmas pud.

[notapizzaeater]

I will always do my turkey the jamie Oliver way - it's still lovely and moist not dry at all .......

In fact if he wasn't for the slight issue of my husband I'd marry him !

[GetTheeBehindMeSanta]

Do a dress rehearsal of the Skype call to the in-laws. FIL couldn't work his laptop, they couldn't hear us, MIL got flustered and upset, FIL tried to make DH feel guilty when DH aborted the Skype thing and rang instead ("All we ask for is 5 minutes of your happy day..." ).

[User543212345]

Do as much prep as you can the day before
Don't invite anyone
Wear pyjamas
Bliss.

[MadisonAvenue]

Avoid the last minute dinner panic of keeping veg warm and making gravy by cooking the veg a bit earlier and then keeping it warm in the slow cooker.

[Paperdolly]

Wrap the multiple presents bought for people in tissue paper and place in individual Christmas present bags. My wrapping was the quickest, classiest and easiest ever this year! I may buy a jingle bell to attach to each bag for extra class. I'm going to do this for all presents (inc. birthdays) next year and have already bought cheaper tissue paper in Aldi today.

Don't spend the money on little bits of novelty crap but on one tasteful gift.

[hels71]

Do not believe DH when he tells you there is enough milk to last until after boxing day..next year I will check myself. (Good job I like coffee with cream in!)

To put all Christmas treats/food in the same place so I don't end up with eleventy billion mince pies....

[ENormaSnob]

Don't buy as many gifts for the dc.

Avoid sales shopping in jan because I will forget what I bought.

Dont buy too much food, most of buffet stuff is still in freezer!

[KingLooieCatz]

When DB asks what time to come round, subtract at least 30 minutes. DH came home from work at 06.30 Christmas morning, opened stockings, slept, got up, washed, dressed and walked 30 minutes in the rain uphill to join me and DS at my parents' house (a lift was offered). And still arrived before my brother who lives 5 minutes walk away. Think DB was oblivious, despite prior discussion, to the fact that we were waiting from him and his brood to arrive to do presents as DH was on nights. DB makes DH look like a model of efficiency.

[redexpat]

Lidls green beans wrapped in bacon are lovely and easy.

Jamie Olivers make ahead gravy is quite nice, but crucially means less stress during the final half an hour.

That although we stick pictures on presents instead of labels, most people giving to us dont so I should just print pictures of everyone I think is likely to give us presents and start sticking on xmas eve.

Primarni pjs are all a 2yo wants and now screams everytime she has to get dressed.

In addition to pliers, screwdrivers, scissors and a craft knife, I should get 2 large clear plastic bags ready to collect for recycling/bin at the dump.

[ohtheholidays]

That I need to stop buying so bloody much,even I had to admit that I'd bought far to much this year for our 5DC.
It took days and days to wrap it all and it took up so much of the room.

That I will be far more organized next year,I had everything sorted out in plenty of time last year and I enjoyed Christmas alot more for it.
This year everything went to pot,we lost a close family member a few weeks ago so me and my DH weren't really thinking about Christmas.

Next year I'm going to have saved money up,bought bits every week from September food wise and I'll have all the presents bought by the first week of December.