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Christmas

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Original poster

What will you do differently next year?

104 replies

MaitlandGirl · 26/12/2017 09:22

While the horrors of 2017 are still fresh, I’d there anything you’ll do differently next year?

We’ve already decided we’re having Christmas just the 5 of us. It’s time for BIL to take one for the team and have MIL (and FIL) for Christmas lunch. FIL is great but MIL is hard work.

The kids will all be over 18 next Christmas and I’m seriously considering giving them all cash + a stocking. It’s not easy finding ‘big’ presents for them anymore as they’ve got pretty much everything the want/need.

The big thing will be doing the entire Christmas food shop on Christmas Eve - I always buy far too much food and figure if I’ve got to restrict myself to what I can fit in a small trolley it’ll still be a great meal but I’ll save a fortune.

OP posts:
AFistfulOfDolores · 26/12/2017 15:37

I'll be buying salad for the evening. After a day of sugar and too-rich food, all I craved last night was something fresh and crunchy.

MagicFajita · 26/12/2017 15:42

We'll probably go to a restaurant for Christmas lunch.

NorbertTheDragon · 26/12/2017 15:45

Next year the only meat we have will be the pigs in blankets. We tried a three bird roast this year and it wasn't all that great, don't particularly like turkey and we have roast chicken a lot so I think we'll concentrate on the bits everyone loves and do loads of them!

Littlelambpeep · 26/12/2017 15:47

I think I changed a lot this year and I am going to keep it this way. Not drive two hours visiting family on Christmas day. See some Christmas Eve and whoever wants to visit can.

Also agree no need to buy loads of food to spread the cost. I also reduced all the present buying.

heron98 · 26/12/2017 15:52

I didn't really do Christmas this year as it was just me and DP so we didn't have any special food or really acknowledge the day other than exchanging presents in the morning.I thought I wouldn't really mind and was looking forward to just relaxing but in truth I found it a bit sad and think we should have made more of an effort!

WhatsGoingOnEh · 26/12/2017 16:06

  1. I'd save up throughout the year so I can afford to blow £350 on each DC. They're both bloody amazing, I'm so proud of them, and I wish I could shower them in expensive stuff.

  2. I'd insist we all went to church, not go by myself. It was beautiful but I felt like a bit of a loser!

  3. I'd host a Christmas "do" here.

Dontbuymeroses · 26/12/2017 16:07

Same as overthehillsandfaraway I'm not cooking and clearing up all on my own again. DH will undoubtedly have a hangover on Christmas day again so I will be buying it all in ready cooked. I don't particularly care whether it's a roast or not, nothing is worth spending the best hours of the day in the kitchen for!

DH gave me a bit of a hand with the cooking but was good for nothing once he'd eaten and fell asleep for hours.

It would be nice to think I might be able to persuade him to stop drinking quite so much but I've come to learn you only have control over your own actions, not those of others.

halfwitpicker · 26/12/2017 16:09

We should have left on Xmas eve, stayed Xmas eve night and Xmas day night then returned home today, boxing day.

Instead we left yesterday, Xmas day, the weather was awful so the drive was horrendous, and now today it's too cold to go outside so wasted day at FIL's.

Lisamac1988 · 26/12/2017 16:27

I’m not going to get as many presents for the kids,they loved opening everything but there was far to much so we could hardly move in the room and we spend far to long unboxing things.I think it’s because I started buying in may.lol

annandale · 26/12/2017 16:43

I'm going to buy a bird from the butcher, and I'm not going to try new recipes on Christmas Day. Because I went to M&S, I mentally checked out of cooking, to the point that I completely dried out the turkey crown and barely cooked the parsnips. The nice bits were the bits I cooked properly from scratch and paid attention.

Not going to spend the run up wondering whether to go to a cottage with the inlaws. We didn't, and thank God. I love being at home and ds has had a great time seeing friends and even chilling with us Shock

cookie75 · 26/12/2017 16:59

I'm with you pebbles. All of it. Definitely no husband after this year's crap x

Nishky · 26/12/2017 17:06

Wrap presents as they are bought and not all of them on Christmas Eve afternoon!

missperegrinespeculiar · 26/12/2017 17:39

Never ever spend it with extended family again, well, not the people that were here this time, they helped with nothing, complained about everything and were really unpleasant, they ruined the day

the kids on the other hand were delightful and enjoyed the day very much, which makes me feel a little better!

cupofteaplease · 26/12/2017 17:43

We are out this year for the first time, and it was fab! It also meant there’s no random Christmas food in the house now that we’ll never get round to eating.

I enjoyed mince pies at work throughout December, rather than trying to force them down today or yesterday!

We stayed overnight at my mum’s and it was just a bit too squashed so next year I’d like to be at my own house in the evening.

I bulk bought candles from QVC for teacher, secret Santa presents etc and that took a lot of stress off, as did buying gifts on eBay and Amazon throughout October and November.

I bought the least presents I ever have, but still felt there were too many to open!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 26/12/2017 17:48

Buy a really good fake tree (even if it means buying it in the sales in March ) , we bought a 7' this year , very nice but it takes it a shed load of room and we have to manouvere round it. And I was unwell on Christmas Eve night and kept imagining the tree smelled horrible (like a Hallowe'en pumpkin after a few days). It doesn't , it smells fine it was just my weird sense of smell.

Don't let DH put the decorations away ( I was away last New Year) all my glass baubles were heaped in a suitcase ( so some broke) and some we didn't find this year.

Buy the flipping bread on Christmas Eve, don't listen to DH saying "Oh we have a loaf at home" . I don't eat bread , but the loaf we had was mouldy so no toast for breakfast.

The teenage DC had a lie-in (very different to when they were little Xmas Grin ) we didn't wake them till they were ready. Nice lazy day, had dinner late afternoon, presents went down well.

And DS even liked his Christmas PJs ................

WutheringFrights · 26/12/2017 17:50

Next year I will not get food poisoning 😷

Hoviscats · 26/12/2017 17:54

This Christmas was my best since having DC and I really hope I can repeat it next year! Had Xmas dinner on Xmas eve so Xmas day we just grazed on left overs and played with the children all day without me dashing in and out of the kitchen and doing masses of clearing up. It was so brilliant I plan to do it for the next few years until DS2 is past toddler/preschool age at least.

Last year we hosted a lot including Xmas day so this year we planned a much lower key week and I am really happy about it. Still seeing people but much more informally and on more of a take us as you find us basis. It is the way forward!

ohlittlepea · 26/12/2017 18:02

I will have newish baby so will probably be taking the day at their pace alongside my 4 yr old :). Id like to see more of family earlier in the day as this year they came at 5pm (wed invited anytime from 3pm) but this was a hit overwhelming for my tired little girl. Im planning to be mpre organised as i will be on maternity leave but who knows if
That will work out 😂. More presence less presents is somthing im always aiming for.

allinclusive · 26/12/2017 18:05

Although I have had a lovely Christmas, I'm exhausted. I'm planning on getting on a plane on Christmas Eve next year x

TossDaily · 26/12/2017 18:12

Buy a proper turkey instead of a crown - I really missed the leftovers.

Do too much veg/spuds - same reason as above.

Other than that, nothing. It's been lovely.

RVPisnomore · 26/12/2017 18:29

I would like to do the same thing next year as this year. That is for the 3 of us to stay on our own.

Every year I end up hosting at least one, if not both sets of parents and I find it tiring and feel like a hotel! I know I won’t get away with it so I am relishing this years time alone!

HerrHerrHerr · 26/12/2017 18:29

We’re going to stay at home next year. We usually go to inlaws on the day but a 3 hour round trip is unfair on the children when they just want to play. We told them they can choose to come to us on Christmas Day or we’ll visit Boxing Day. They’re already not happy as they want to host it.

IrritatedUser1960 · 26/12/2017 18:39

Stay in bed in my own home with the duvet over my head and binge watch netflix.

UnreasonablyPissedOff · 26/12/2017 19:53

We are hosting this year and while it all went very well next year we plan to be away somewhere exciting like New York. dd will be a teen and i think it will be nice to do something different to mark the change from traditional christmas to new christmas

RaeSkywalker · 26/12/2017 19:55

Send less cards! And probably reign in the amount spent on a few people.

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