These things have changed my life at Christmas

[MrsDeaconClaybourne]

I probably learned them all on here -

Stocking fillers/small gifts in paper bags (festive pattern, bought in bulk on ebay) and sealed with precut sticky tape

Each family member having a colour of wrapping paper so no need for tags

All DC presents as far as possible in a sack packed in advance. Stocking presents in a bag to quickly stuff in

What are your favourite tips?

Use Ruby socks as stockings. Childs takes an empty stocking to bed. Then, once child's asleep, you just switch other one of the pair which you've already filled for the empty one. (It was years of doing it the hard way before my brother let me in on that little secret)

Rugby socks

We have Christmas Dinner on Christmas eve so I don't spend the day in the kitchen missing all the fun.

Buy those wristbands and precut strips of tape. Massively extravagant in the grand scheme of things when I have so many people to buy for and literally hundreds of presents to wrap, but a lifesaver!

Aw, that’s given me a warm feeling VeryFlummoxed. I always had one of my dad’s rugby socks as my stocking.

Unpack toys with all the fiddly Wires, screws, batteries etc before the big day.

I have guests around xmas eve.

Everything done in paper plates and plastic and all food able to go in fridge after and last a few days.

Bin bags/ carriers placed strategically and when full closed and placed by front door - NEVER have my guests failed to offer to put a bag in my bin (bins and parking down road a bit) on their way out!

Also when making tea/coffee fill washing up bowl with soapy water. People tend to just naturally wash own cup!

I swear I’m not lazy and would do it - but help is always appreciated and never expected.

To put soft toys in a paper bag with strong smelling oil like peppermint or cinnamon for a week so that they'll smell like they've come straight from Santa's workshop

To run the dishwasher after breakfast regardless of whether it's full, and to wash as I go in a bowl of soapy water while I cook. No dishwasher noise competing with dinner conversation and an empty dishwasher ready to work after dinner

Serve breakfast and you can take as long as you like to cook the turkey. No breakfast= people in kitchen underfoot making snacks

Peel, parboil and freeze potatoes for roasties in advance.
Nobody notices if you give them Aunt Bessie’s!
Charge electronic things that need charging in advance (especially for dc!)
If you are getting a games console for the first time, set up your account in advance.
Set up new bikes in advance - they are often delivered with handlebars slacked off and twisted in line with the bike frame and with pedals off to fit in the box. Might also need some air in the tyres and/or forks.
Stock up on batteries!
Put something in stockings that the recipient can do (by themselves) straight away.
Take small dc for a long swim or walk on Christmas Eve afternoon to tire them out.
If you are veggie/have food intolerances etc don’t forget to remind your host, even if they are your mother (not bitter at all )

Lay the table on christmas eve.

Get the fire ready for Christmas morning so that you just have to light it.

Stockings on door handles saves a lot of creeping around

These are so good ! Thank you for this thread. I am definitely using the paper bag stocking thing next year, and the peppermint teddy bear as that's adorable.

Sorry I don't have anything helpful to add

Buy a few foil roasting trays and use them to line your roasting tins,straight into recycling and no horrible,greasy tins to wash up!

Buy a sellotape dispenser.

Don’t stress about anything that won’t actually ruin the entire day

Disposable roasting trays.

cook the turkey the day before. We have done this for years and it saves a lot of hassle.

I get as much food prep done in advance as possible ie all veggies prepared, stuffings made etc but I think the main thing is just not to go too overboard. With everything.

I don't understand the benefit of presents with no tags. How will the recipient know who they are from? Some people must have massive families with them on Christmas Day to be wrapping hundreds of presents. I don't think we've ever had hundreds of presents under our tree, and that was when growing up as one of four children and with my dad's large family visiting.

Pound shop sellotape dispenser. Buying non-perishables well ahead. Following Delia's advice on what to prepare and freeze. Remembering that the day itself isn't the be-all-and-end-all, especially if you are away from home and following other people's schedules - we can have our own lazy Christmas at time at home later

Each child gets a carrier bag and cotton bag with stocking. Each toy goes into cotton bag. The rubbish into the carrier bag as they open. Helps prevent loss of those little fiddly stocking bits.