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]

Parsnips burn easily

A turkey crown is a million times easier to cook and carve

My sister can bloomin well come to us next year for once - I'm sick of legging it to hers only for the house to be full of people already, no time to give the kids their presents and having to race home to sort our food - it's been that way for eight years, time for a change.

Anti pasti platter was a great starter!

[ALemonyPea]

I'm not going to do a Christmas dinner again as there was so much wasted as people had been picking all day. So buffet next time and people can pick all they like.

[SamPotatoes]

My revelation was on how to put lights on a Christmas tree. Usually I wrap them round the tree in a circle with one set on the top half and one on the bottom but it is difficult to distribute them evenly on a monster tree. This year I used one set on each side of the tree and it was so much easier. Plus the tree looked amazing.

We never have Christmas dinner, just party food that we bring out whenever the kids are hungry. Always makes for a less stressful Christmas but was brilliant this year when I came down with the lurgy and got sent to bed. No worry about helping dh with the cooking or feeling guilty that I was missing a big dinner.

[Aderyn2016]

I will be doing all the veg prep on Christmas Eve rather than on the day. Did that this year and it was much easier.

Also had dinner a couple of hours later than usual which was also better - people were ready to eat by then. Usually we eat at lunch time but people are still full from breakfast and quality street!

My family decided to set a £10-£15 gift budget for adults this year, so we could get token presents rather than bankrupting ourselves. We all got nice, thoughtful things and no one felt they lost out. It took a lot of the pressure off.

For next year I am going to buy less food. I say this every year and then panic. We will be eating Christmas pud until July!

[smellylittleorange]

Don't go out on Christmas Eve, eve and forget DH has not had lunch...he for very drunk which rendered him useless Christmas Eve

Don't leave things for DH to do Christmas Eve.

Prep veg as early as poss.

Work out how to.use your meat thermometer before you atempt to use it

A small Christmas pudding is enough

Charge and set up new mobiles before first use

More soft drinks needed

Think ahead what jobs can be delegated...

[annandale]

Oh yes - Oven Pride is absolutely brilliant. Clean oven for Christmas was amazing.

[YourHandInMyHand]

Staying at home
Pre-prepped side dishes in throw away cookable containers
One big food shop after ds's bed time when it's quiet
Cooking the turkey and ham on xmas eve (turkey in disposable foil tray)
Quality over quantity for presents
Not trying to get DS in bed early on xmas eve

Most of these have been learnt over previous Christmases making this a good one with no depressing relatives, no mountain of dishes to wash, no overwhelmed child, etc.

[olddogsnewtricks]

I don't want to go to DH's family again. They are very nice people and I like their company but Christmas lunch just isn't fun - no charades, laughter, hardly any drinks and very bland food! I decided to re-do our Christmas lunch today and it was actually much more relaxing and fun even though I did all the cooking.

[Whitecovers]

I'm thinking of taking the kids to New York next year. Miles away from everybody and lots of fun just us three.

[SloanePeterson]

I don't know if I'm going to bother doing a big roast dinner any more. Me and dh love it but I spent 4 hours in the kitchen yesterday feeling rough and tbh the dc get a roast often enough throughout the year that it doesn't seem special. Ds has asd so doesn't particularly enjoy Christmas, was underwhelmed by the food and just impatient most of the day. Youngest dc was happy being left to play with his toys. Today is so much better, table covered in nibbles that'll stay there for the foreseeable and everyone relaxing and doing their own thing. I think I'm going to aspire to making Christmas more Boxing Dayish next year

[OhPuddleducks]

Pre-checking SIL's presents to the kids is a must, if only to make sure he hasn't bought 99 things for one of them and 2 for the other.

[Lilaclily]

I've also learnt that there's no point trying to have Christmas lunch the way we want, as MIL won't compromise

Surely the hosts decide ? Blimey !

[SoupDragon]

My mother has learnt that glittery crackers are not a good idea. The whole house is covered in glitter after DC and I embarked on Glitter Wars.

[Hellmouth]

To start the gammon before everything else lol

[Alligatorpie]

This has been the best Xmas ever. Just us (family of 4) on a road trip in northern Thailand. As much as I love our family's, it is too stressful to go home and visit at Xmas. (We live overseas)
The dc' s do not need a lot of presents. Experiences rather than gifts they can open seems the way forward.

[JemimaMuddledUp]

That Christmas post Santa belief (DC are 10, 12 and 14) can be just as lovely - no mince pies and sherry for Santa but DD stayed up for midnight mass for the first time.

Ready prepared veg and sides are they way ahead - DH and I both work FT and time is better spent with the DC than peeling veg. Ditto foil trays that go in the bin - no more scrubbing roasting time.

[MiladyThesaurus]

Buy more red wine. Last year I was left with loads of red because the PILs didn't drink much. This year they've already made their way through the 2 bottles I bought for them (since they only drank 1 between them over 5 days last year). They don't appear to drink white wine, which I have plenty of (I suspect they don't know white wine is nice because neither of them understands the need to chill it - DH practically had to force them to chill a bottle of champagne a couple of years ago).

[123bananas]

Not to have loads of family staying that you have to entertain and cook for when you are working night shifts over Christmas. Knackered.

[Foureyesarebetterthantwo]

Go to Aldi again.

Turkey covered in bacon already in a roasting pan, roast pork preprepared, incredibly easy.

Honestly, Christmas dinner is so much easier without a whole turkey taking up the oven and drying out for days afterwards.

Also, Aldi was cheapish, so no horrible overspending feeling at the till.

[MrsHathaway]

The correct allocation of pigs in blankets is greater than six each (full size, not cocktail size). Since they can also be eaten cold apparently without limit, a useful approximation would seem to be a dozen per person.

Also, do a dish of fried/roasted onions. We all like them. Could be sliced brown or red onions, or whole baby onions. Fry until caramelised, then bake.

[dementedma]

That older dcs find Christmas Eve dull and non-magical so time to change the routine

[Christmassnake]

I'm going to buy myself presents when I buy everyone else's and wrap exactly what I want and put it under the tree...then I'm doing to give the bill to dh😁..he's happy he won't get it wrong ,I'm happy I get what I want.sorted😃

[kelper]

Go abroad for christmas. We went to America a few years ago and it was so much better than being at home!
Ignore my dad when he is rude about ADHD DS. In fact ignore everyone who is rude about ds.
Convince other ds that he really needs to read his work timetable properly, and not realise on christmas eve that he's working boxing day 🙄

[MrsHathaway]

For those who had trouble with roast potatoes ...

Do them in a frying pan. Boil them and drain in a big colander rather roughly so the edges will break (can be the night before and chilled), then put them in a good heavy frying pan with plenty of fat (can be oil, or fat drained from the goose or pigs in blankets) and fry on a high heat until the broken edges go crisp and brown.

Then bake them in a dry baking tray or dish. Temperature less crucial, as this stage is to dry and fluff the insides.

Photo: yesterday's, about halfway through the frying stage.

[TisConfusion]

That I shouldn't expect DD (4) to be good for the day just because it's Christmas.

Buy less presents. DD ends up with too many by the time other family members and friends buy for her.

And overall I just need to lower my expectations. I was pretty excited for this Christmas but it's turned out to be one of my worst.