What will you definitely or definitely not be repeating next Christmas?

[Trudee]

I made a note in my phone last year in an attempt to stop me repeating the same mistakes. It worked well although I now need to add 'buy less biscuits'
Interested to see what everyone else would put on their lists?

Different - never to do turkey again. Even Nigella's brined turkey let me down. The breast was dry but kegs were nice and moist. Back to the goose next year. I have been cooking goose for the last 3 years but I told myself I should do something else this year; never this year.

Same - start early like I have done 2 years in a row. I aim to have all presents bought and wrapped by end of November. It has given me plenty of time to be with dd and my mum in a relaxed way. I was also quite ill at the lead up to Christmas so imagine doing the shopping, wrapping, etc on top everything else would have been a nightmare.

Same - dd loved visiting father Christmas grottos. I will be taking her to a few of them again next year.

Ooh board games. We all LOVED Ticket to Ride (kids are 10 and 13).

Will make gingerbread house from scratch again - fun, looked really good, tasted amazing.
Won't do Christmas Day with just the 4 of us again. It was the first time on our own and was a bit dull.

I will most definitely not be using those disposable foil turkey trays, I used it for my roasties, took one hand off to close the oven door and it bent pouring boiling fat over my leg. I’m now getting my dressings re-done every other day

I will definitely go back to the “ice bar” in our local city’s winter wonderland on Christmas Eve, it was lovely and Christmassy.

Not fecking working Christmas Eve so everything isbhodeously packed in
But I work in retail so that’s a pipe dream sigh

Will do again:
Go out for Christmas dinner again.
We loved it!
Go for a Christmas Eve walk.
Take the kids on a Santa express train again.
Not give many Xmas cards out.

Changes for next year:

Not get a bloody cold come on Boxing Day.
Buy the kids less.
Not to let bullshit that particular family members come out with bother me so much.

Oh & also not buy the kids advent calendars with toys in.
They were a pain in the arse!

Will repeat-
less gifts for the kids but higher value items. I cut out a lot of the 'bulking' gifts I usually buy, socks, pants, pyjamas, felt pens etc and spent that money on one of the gifts on their lists instead. The stockings and sacks were much emptier than usual but they were delighted with everything.

Got teacher/club leader gifts sorted earlier.

Bought a couple of second hand items for younger DC.

Bought no crappy chocolates, instead bought a couple of boxes of good quality chocolates which were shared and enjoyed. We're not now scoffing the nasty quality street just because they're there.

Made cards for Grandparents with DC. Kids enjoyed doing them and well received by GP's.

Opening toys before wrapping, cutting as many ties as possible, adding batteries etc

Entertaining more, love having friends and family round especially in the days after Christmas. Sharing food and exchanging gifts together then rather than rushing round trying to deliver everything before the 25th.

Won't repeat-
Forgetting what I've bought or where I've put it. DD's lush stuff and a book for DS3 are still AWOL.

Buying a ridiculous amount of cheese. I.Love.Cheese. However we bought far too much. Less is more for next year.

Leaving the kids presents upstairs. So bloody noisy bringing it all down, worse as was slightly pissed!

Not giving visitors firm times for eating. Have had to do a lot of keeping stuff warm.

Not booking a birthday meal (Birthday in the week before Christmas) in a timely fashion and couldn't get in at favourite restaurants.

Need to get older DC and DH to think of more ideas for family to buy. I ended up giving away a lot of my best/easiest ideas.

Oh and for turkey I'd definitely do a butter muslin again. Much easier and crispy,crispy,crispy skin.

This is an excellent and thought provoking thread!

Same - meat order was about right but wouldn't order chipolatas and bacon separately again as ready made pigs in blankets much easier.

Different- far too many Christmas chocs.
Start earlier!

I’d say going on a long haul holiday in November, except that I’ve already booked a long haul holiday for November 2019

The mistakes I won't be repeating next Christmas..... I will be buggering off with our kids on the 16th December for two weeks and switching my phone off so my not so dear family can start arguments on purpose...... I will be dining out on Christmas day so I'm not elbow deep up a turkeys a#se and up to my eyes in pans etc, next year iam actually going to enjoy Christmas rather than running around trying to ensure everything is perfect whilst not having a nervous breakdown! Merry Christmas indeed next year

repeat:

• about the right number of presents
• spend both Christmas day and boxing day with family
• list of all presents on my phone and get everything by end of November
• work between Christmas and New Year. I got loads done!

change:

• DB did a great Christmas lunch, but I love hosting it Hoping we can do it next year, and parents and PILs will come to us too
• stocking went over budget. I bought several £10-£15 things because they were small and looked fun, but they were unnecessary and bumped up the cost
• Get the house tidy well before Christmas. Christmas eve is not the day to do it!

Not be pregnant again. I’ve missed out on all the good cheese and pate the last two Christmases!!

But what I shall repeat:
Frozen Lidl turkey. Two years in a row this has been an absolute knockout.
Wear pyjamas all day and not give a flying monkey about what anyone thinks. I was SO COMFY
Get a much smaller bird than you think necessary. Means you’re not still eating it come 1st of Jan....!
Don’t buy the kids so much stuff. My mother goes overboard regardless of what I buy so I may as well not go mental as the kids neither know nor care!

First time in a few year I didn't buy it all prepared from M&S, must go back to them next year. No turkey or cranberries, buy a sharing dessert for later.

Love this thread!

To do the same next year: not cook turkey, but have ham and chicken instead,
Cook meat in advance so just veg and roasties to do on the day,
Make and decorate gingerbread house because it was definitely worth the effort and the kids loved it,
Buy all presents before December and use app to keep track and not overspend.

Do differently next year: not invite all the family around at the same time on Christmas morning. It was a bit manic and didn't get to enjoy seeing the children open their presents as was too busy rushing around and too much going on at once.
Have more ideas ready for family to buy for DS, ended up with lots of cheap plastic tat. Well meant and given with love, but it's now cluttering up the house and he's overwhelmed.

I'd love to host my mum and step dad again.
I'd do less veg.
I'd just do xmas pud as 75% of sherry trifle didn't get eaten (had no space in belly, it was lush though).
I was right not to buy salad, cheese board etc. Not needed.
We were right to host inlaws at pub on boxing day. Can't abide sil, so she's not crossing our threshold. Pil are lovely though. If it was just pil we'd host them here.

I won't:

• ask my parents and brother round for a family Christmas. They changed the day to the 26th to suit them then turned up over three hours late.
• Stress about pleasing my SiL.

I will:

• arrange a relaxed christmas day just for us 2. Very chilled and let us appreciate it.
• go to Midnight Mass - gorgeous choir and can't beat a descant or the last verse of O Come All Ye Faithful!

I might try a goose!!

I wont be worrying about not buying people enough and stressing about getting perfect gifts as its become quite clear im the only one who does! There’s just me and dd and i buy for example a family member, there partner and 4 children! This year as most years i didnt recieve so much as a card back from them let alone a thankyou even though we saw them Christmas eve.
I had spent a long time chosing them nice things spreading it over the year etc wrapped it all lovely and it was quite a kick in the teeth to not even get a simple thankyou plus having my dd get nothing.
I dont give to recieve but i have realised now it’s got beyond a joke i buy for a massive list of people and i am going ro really scale right back this year and saving for me and dds future will be priority.
Same goes for birthdays as ours are always forgotten. Oops i sound like a right grinch honestly im not and i really enjoy gift buying but being taken for a mug is one thing im leaving in 2018!

Wow Betsy86 that’s terrible. How did you first start buying for them, are they close family?

Will repeat:
Boned and rolled chicken rather than Turkey - much tastier
No crackers - first year we've not had them and they weren't missed
No stockings- DC are 20 and 22 and said they were happy not to have them

Won't repeat:
Having my sister and her family to stay from 22 -30 December. I was cooking non stop for 8 days for 9 people. I'm exhausted!

Yes close family :( since i was younger i always bought everyone a little gift even if was jus a chocolate bar with my pocket money. Its just continued over the years really and as the family has grown by people having kids etc theres more on my list but obviously now its all proper gifts.
As i dont have siblings i classed them as siblings growing up, then as the xmas shopping list begins i feel quite daunted by it all once i count up all the people on it.
I bargain hunt big time to be able to afford it but make sure every gift is well thought out and beautifully wrapped as i really do enjoy gift giving. But it really has left ne disheartened the past few years.
Im still going to get people a little something but no longer will i worry it doesnt look enough and i wont be adding to it or thinking having a gift bag means fill it to the brim!
Its hard to cull the list as I normally see one set the same time as another and feel bad having gifts for some and not others!
However i was letting this Christmas be the decider on how 2019 will be and im definitely scaling back! I think i will just be doing small token gifts or one family gift between them.
Hoping to cut a few unnecessary gifts out also for others. We barely see anyone or get invited to things during the year so anyone i have barely heard from by next years xmas shopping will be off the list!
Time to make a change. :) xx

@Betsy86 rightly so as well!

Will be doing a chicken roast dinner with a couple of extras! No more turkey etc, will be getting everyone a gift card for somewhere they like, i don't have the space to store gifts anymore.