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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

What are you doing differently this year?

85 replies

WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid · 27/09/2017 22:51

I'm not changing much. But I definitely need to buy better chocolates this year.
Bought Roses and Quality Street last year and they were crap. I'm investing in better chocolate this year.

Will probably ditch a starter on Xmas day. Dh and the kids just aren't arsed and it makes life tricky.

What are you going to do differently this year round?

OP posts:
moominsareace · 28/09/2017 11:06

No tree this year as we've got a puppy. If anyone has any bright ideas where we can put the presents instead of underneath the (now non existent) tree, please help!

heron98 · 28/09/2017 11:34

I'm doing nothing and spending it alone this year.

My sister has her inlaws visiting and my parents are going abroad. My DH will also be working away.

I am quite looking forward to having a quiet day. I will probably go mountain biking and then eat chocolate and watch films.

Pregnantmushroom · 28/09/2017 11:37

This year I'm free of having to go to the in laws! So it will be just hubby and I and DS, not having to get up at the crack of dawn to travel 200 miles to spend the next 4 days wanting to murder the MIL Smile

It also means that I can prepare a meal to our taste rather than the bland offerings we get thanks to MILs aversion to anything with the remotest bit of taste and finicky eating, so I'm going balls out and preparing home made and maybe even (gasp) doing lamb instead of turkey!!!!

bastardlyandmutley · 28/09/2017 11:40

Not doing a traditional roast on Christmas day. I'm going to make a fancy meal but hopefully one that is less filling (so I can cram in more pudding and chocolates later!). I will do one on New Years Eve.

Also we're not buying lots of chocolates and sweets. We do this every year and we're still eating it come the Autumn. We're just going to buy some really nice stuff, probably Hotel Chocolat and Godiva, & have a box each.

Titsywoo · 28/09/2017 12:19

I would really really like to go away this year. At this point it depends on how much money we overspend on the building work happening right now though! But I am sick of xmas at home with the PIL.

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 28/09/2017 12:27

DH will be at home rather than working on Christmas Day for the first time in years. He has just been diagnosed with cancer so I expect it will be different in some ways but we will be going to my parents' as always so there will be comfort in the familiar. I'm planning a more low key gift exchange this year because we don't know if DH will have to retire and what finances will be like in future.

glitterlips1 · 28/09/2017 12:29

Not doing Elf on the Shelf. Too much bloody stress especially when it gets to 10pm at night and I have forgotten about it.
Not going to leave my wrapping up until Christmas Eve.
Not going to buy Cadbury's Roses or Quality Street.

LadyFlangeWidget · 28/09/2017 12:40

Driving to England for Xmas with the family. instead of spending it alone whilst DH works his arse off in his restaurant. No last minute panic buying either.

Gammeldragz · 28/09/2017 13:35

Better quality stocking fillers. I'm fed up of the stuff lying around in the stockings for weeks (like party bags in the car!) So I'm spending more on fewer but better items. Children will 11, 10 and nearly 8 so I can get them nice and useful bits.

Dinner on Xmas eve again, with bubble and squeak Xmas day. But this time I will make a special dessert for xmas day instead of cramming chocolates. I will not be buying tubs of choc/sweets and will not start eating the junk a week before and carrying on until new year!

queenofthedump · 28/09/2017 14:44

Making my own pigs in blankets as the aldi ones were naff.

Oh and having a baby.

IggyAce · 28/09/2017 20:15

This year we are going away, we have booked a cottage. There are me DH 2 DCs (11&6) and my best friend and her mum. I'm looking forward to lighting the log burner drinking wine and lots of yummy nibbles.

EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic · 28/09/2017 20:21

Hopefully, not getting the bloody flu and spending Christmas Day in a sweaty fever! 🤑

dementedma · 28/09/2017 20:27

Dd2 is spending Christmas with her bf, and ds only wants money towards a macbook so no presents here. Not quite sure, what to do as its going to be weird.

parrotonmyshoulder · 28/09/2017 20:30

Not buying so much stuff.
DH working - so I guess I'll have to cook.
Lowering expectations of how great the dinner is going to be!

parrotonmyshoulder · 28/09/2017 20:30

Not buying so much stuff.
DH working - so I guess I'll have to cook.
Lowering expectations of how great the dinner is going to be!

Unicorn81 · 28/09/2017 20:47

Macaroni with a ton of cheese for dinner, no starters. Nice pudding, so much quicker to make and we prefer it to traditional food. Making a christmas eve box for the first year.

ohtheholidays · 28/09/2017 21:08

2 of our DC may not be at home for Christmas this year(and I'm dreading that fact)so we may be doing a pre-Christmas for them maybe a week before Christmas and this will be my first Christmas without my Dad,I'd already lost my Mum so I think this Christmas I shall desperately be trying to make sure that I keep a smile plastered on my face.

I Love Christmas so being happy isn't something I usually have to work at,sorry for being so sad.

PP's plans for Christmas all sound really lovely though.x

ohtheholidays · 28/09/2017 21:12

Oh and I shall not be buying tons of chocolates until right near Christmas because I'm so soft everyone ends up eating them before Christmas so I end up having to replace them 3 or 4 times Blush so I end up costing myself more rather than saving a few pounds on the deals.

ClashCityRocker · 28/09/2017 21:24

I've got cracking with the presents early this year as last year time got away from me and I ended up spending too much on too little in a mad panic.

Less cheese. I got carried away last year and we chucked loads.

In fact less food in general. No one wants to be eating party food for days. Or ham.

ClashCityRocker · 28/09/2017 21:26

Oh and last year we decided we weren't going to see anybody on Christmas day.

This year we will be... Tbf they all live close enough and it delays the start of the drinking... Last year I ended up far too tiddly by about 2pm and feel like I missed half of Christmas.

missyB1 · 28/09/2017 21:42

DH is working all over Xmas but he thinks he should be home Christmas afternoon, so I think we will eat out instead of having dinner at home. Need to get it booked!

SpiritedLondon · 28/09/2017 21:45

Well we are entertaining at our house for the first time in 5 years - this means we will not have to do either of the 2 x 5-6 hour journeys that we do every year. We will not be buying the disgusting amount of presents for DD5 although she will still be a lucky girl. I hope to get all of the present shopping done by November so I can dedicate December to some lovely treats - shows and seeing Father C etc ( all missed last year because MIL was ill and died the week before Christmas) I sincerely hope I can sit down on Christmas Eve with a nice drink rather than the usual 1.00am wrapping extravaganza which accounts for the Christmas folder next to my side at the moment and the avid Christmas "pinning" in September.

sunseptember · 28/09/2017 21:46

wreck I am thrilled with my tiger stocking haul this year, so much great stuff in there!

sunseptember · 28/09/2017 21:46

wreck I am thrilled with my tiger stocking haul this year, so much great stuff in there!

TheFuckitBuckit · 28/09/2017 23:33

Not hosting any of dhs family this year just me Dh and hopefully all 3 of our dcs (plus Ds's gfs if they want to come)
We have never had Christmas just us and TBH I'm fed up running about like a blue arsed fly doing the whole of Christmas single handedly only for dhs family to descend like vultures, not lift a bloody finger, not give a word of thanks and cause upset just for the bloody sake of it. Then by the time they decide to leave, I've still to clear the mess and it's Often gone 11 pm before I can get my Jamas on, sit down listen to the silence and heave a sigh of relief. Last year nearly finished me off.....I'm done.

I just want a chilled relaxed day without worrying about, entertaining guests, getting the dinner on the table for a certain time, keeping arguments at bay and biting my tongue over shitty behaviour.

Dh just needs to tell them now!😀