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Christmas

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

Original poster

What are you NOT doing this year.

81 replies

BrisaOtonal · 08/10/2018 10:00

Christmas with my little family is a WIP. Every year I try and add to it or tone it down. I keep a note book and as I put decorations away I make a note to myself for the next year. I just read the letter to myself and I can see the sarcasm in my writing.

So what are you changing or not doing this year? Here are the notes I wrote to myself:

You bought too much food. The shops are open on Boxing Day or 27th if you need anything.

Buy better crackers. They were rubbish.

Only buy 2 bottles of your favourite tipple for the Christmas period. You felt poisoned after finishing the 3rd bottle Grin

Don't put up decorations until 01 Dec as you will get bored of them

Don't buy so much stuff. Book days out instead.

Suck up your Christmas obligations but make sure it is only 50% of the time and the other 50% is what you want to do with your family.

Reduce further the amount of effort and money spent on childish adults presents.

OP posts:
Overgrownyard · 08/10/2018 10:06

I need to write myself a letter!!!

Following this!

BlueOooChristmas · 08/10/2018 10:10

Less in the Christmas Eve Boxes. I just found some bits never got touched. The hits were PJs, DVDs, Christmas Cup, Hot Chocolate and nibbles.

I find after all the presents are put out (including all the unexpected tat from relatives) we were left with a sea of gifts and the few Santa presents look a bit lost. This year I'm buying the girls a Santa Sack each and will fill them with lots of unexpected treats as well as the few things they put on their lists (we have a limit of 3 suggestions for Santa).

Oh and more booze. We ran out far too early!

BikeRunSki · 08/10/2018 10:10

Also “less stuff, more experiences”. The DC’s main presents are tickets to see Matilda in Bradford in March. We’ll have a good meal out too. They both love Roald Dahl, DS (10) is really into Drama. It’ll be their first experience of a big theatre. I can set this being far more memorable than a Lego set or PS4 game.

DunesOfSand · 08/10/2018 10:11

Im not spending christmas with DH Sad
He has to work, so I'm flying the kids to my parents for the week.

Ilikethedaffodils · 08/10/2018 10:13

Agree with everything you say, OP, but distracted by not knowing what WIP stands for! I'm thinking maybe work in progress?

stridesy · 08/10/2018 12:01

Not to bother with cards. Sent loads out last year and not many back. Not to bother with Christmas Eve box (tried it once and son wasn't overly bothered). To spend less time at my parents (son has asd and couldn't cope with the overstimulation in their 2 bed flat).

Lovemusic33 · 08/10/2018 13:20

I’m not buying anything until mid November or even December.

Not putting as much effort in to buying gifts for people that I don’t really like (family).

Going to stick to a list.

Justgivemeasoddingname · 08/10/2018 13:24

Love your note idea!!

Clutterbugsmum · 08/10/2018 13:26

Like the daffodils I assume WIP is ‘work in progress’

Cumbrianlass66 · 08/10/2018 13:31

Not doing Christmas cards.

This is the first year that we know Ds and Dd definitely don’t believe in Santa without a doubt so I won’t be staying up until after midnight then beginning to lay presents out and tiptoeing about 😂

I am not going to stress if DD and DS don’t want to come out for a family walk with us.

We have invited MIL for Christmas if she doesn’t want to come that’s fine but I will be switching face time off as she always FaceTimes as I am about to put dinner out, in the middle of us opening presents or when we are asleep and still in bed and at least 3 or 4 other times bragging about what she has received from her darling son and darling daughter (who are both loaded) and forgets to thank us for our present.

Original poster
BrisaOtonal · 08/10/2018 13:45

WIP Work in Progress

Call up relatives at 0900 and get them out the way. This is what we do.

OP posts:
always2ndbest · 08/10/2018 13:51

I won't be spending this Christmas biting my tongue and keeping the peace after going no contact with my brother after years of bullying and nastiness. He is the blue eyed boy who can do no wrong to my parents and even when his comments were really horrible, I was always told to ignore him as that's just his way and how he is.

reluctantbrit · 08/10/2018 13:55

Don't worry if the carefully planned craft session didn't happen.

Don't feel guilty about working and not doing magical things each afternoon.

Enjoy the time I do have

Eat a bit less chocolate, just a bit.

Alanamackree · 08/10/2018 14:04

Glad to hear I’m not the only person who writes notes to myself Blush I love reading back on them and seeing how I’ve changed my approach from year to year. This year I’m taking heed and not buying biscuits and chocolate until closer to Christmas as I just end up eating them. And I’m going to set up boxes in the shed to sort cardboard/paper and plastic so I can take a car load to the recycling centre instead of having overflowing rubbish bins for two weeks.

DeadBod · 08/10/2018 14:33

I'm going to crack open the drink and chocolates a week (minimum) before Christmas day. I usually hold off by saying "it's not Christmas yet" but then we're sick of the sight of them for weeks afterwards especially with the extra treats we get as presents.

wink1970 · 08/10/2018 15:45

I'm not cooking this year, or at least in the traditional sense. I have volunteered DM to host Christmas Day, on the grounds that it's hard to get a dog-friendly taxi from ours, so we will just go stay at hers. She just buys it all in from M&S, so my involvement will be limited to pouring drinks.

Boxing Day with 2 grown-up DC and 2 DGC I have decided to lower the stress levels and am doing an all-day 'party tea'. Apparently this has already gone down well as I have promised half the table will be given over to chocolate.

showmewhatyougot · 08/10/2018 16:16

I'm not slaving away In the kitchen from 23-26th!

Making a much more sensible dinner & might even get a take away on Xmas eve! Screw tradition!!

WhoGivesADamnForAFlakeyBandit · 08/10/2018 16:19

I sent an email to myself:
Buy more Home Bargains gift bags
Need sellotape
Need name stickers
1 roll wrapping paper
NO CARDS
No Stollen
1 x mince pies
Get Chocolate log but no bombs
++ PnB but only 1 x stuffing
++ Yorkshires
No posh gravy
No biscuits/chocolate etc
Get ++ selection boxes
No Thorntons

I am not entirely sure what it all means now.

beeefcake · 08/10/2018 16:28

I'm not leaving my house, sick of spending Christmas driving to and from another county

SnowOnTheSeine · 08/10/2018 16:33

I'm not hosting my parents as they'll be in a different country Sad

I don't know what I'll do differently really. 2 years ago I told DH I was sick of being in the kitchen and missing out watching the DC being happy with their presents so last year we did a simpler meal.

DarlingNikita · 08/10/2018 16:37

Don't put up decorations until 01 Dec as you will get bored of them

I can't really get past this. I'm a confirmed Christmas Grinch these days, but even in the days when I did do Christmas, I wouldn't have dreamed of putting up decorations/tree until 14 Dec (my birthday and quite a handy 'Christmas marker').

FWIW I haven't planned anything yet, but DP and I tend to piss off somewhere cheap and warm for a bit and bypass the whole thing.

Original poster
BrisaOtonal · 08/10/2018 17:54

Last year I did put them up at the end of Nov LOL. I won't do it again. My neighbour has threatened to put hers up after Halloween. She has reindeers and a lit Santa on her roof Grin

OP posts:
quackaday · 08/10/2018 18:00

Great idea to write yourself a note! All your observations from last year seem sound.

DH and I are not doing presents for each other this year. We have booked a weekend away mid December instead (with the kids). We've also agreed (but yet to break it to his mum) that we won't be doing the family "secret Santa" - it's not secret and for the last few years has become an exercise in swapping cash around on the day do the recipient can sort their own gift or put it towards something bigger. It's silly so we are opting out. He has to tell her though; I'm too chicken!

1moreRep · 08/10/2018 18:05

well i'm emergency services so will be working from 1- i have the DC's until 11 when they go to their fathers. This year we will be going to our annual christmas eve water world trip then a good early night.

Breakfast is going to be pancakes and then just try and enjoy every second until they leave.

At work i'm not going to get a takeaway for tea as last year that was depressing, i'm going to prep a lovely meal.

not bothering with little toys the dds don't bother with and getting slime ingredients

labazs · 08/10/2018 18:10

my partner and i run a dog walking and home sitting business and have been together 2 years. first xmas we were home sitting seperate places and were 45 miles apart last year 30 miles apart so this year we have said we are not working 365 days and will have xmas at home together. whether this happens i have yet to see no doubt that phone will ring or email arrive and work will summon