Learnings/reminders for 2021

[Mallowmarshmallow]

I always make a list on my phone about now for things to remember for next year. Here's my first few thoughts so far:

My kids LOVE paperchains and making paper snowflakes (and the baker Ross type crafts which we need to stock up on next year)

They're not bothered about any of the stocking fillers and really just want the things they've asked for from Father Christmas so I should save myself and not waste time thinking/worrying/adding to those bits

If they have jelly tots in their stockings all the sugar will end up in our bed

I have plenty of wrapping paper, cards and name tags for next year and don't need to buy any more

Buy gift bags for other people’s gifts.
Wrap stocking fillers in tissue paper.
Don’t buy as many gifts.
I’m really thinking of having a nuclear family Christmas on the 24th and then we can celebrate with wider family on the 25th.

No one wants dessert after Christmas dinner. Just buy some ice cream for the kids.

Bigger kid will be jealous of younger brothers’ childish thing so get for them too

Make sure there are a couple of gifts they can make alone on Christmas afternoon eg easy Lego sets

Great idea for a thread!

The Christmas Eve box was a lovely addition to Christmas Eve. Bringing it out mid afternoon rather than tea time also worked well. We would have run out of time otherwise.

Stocking was a massive hit and he didn't get overwhelmed by the stuff being wrapped. Also it meant that he played happily while DP and I opened our stockings.

Having breakfast between stocking and main presents broke up the morning nicely.

Buy lots of wrapping paper. Had to break into the santa paper this year as ran out. Didn't matter as gets so little but won't get away with that forever!

Take the packaging off everything before wrapping.

10 presents plus stocking was a nice amount.

Open presents in batches ( we video called this year but it made the day go quicker and less over whelming)

Let them have what they like for Christmas Dinner, make sure everyone gets a book to read for some downtime

Buy less. We are now overwhelmed with stuff

I have adults DC , both live at home , both University students .

They don't need "things"
I buy underwear, socks, toiletries , pyjamas/ loungewear , robe for their Dec 1st Box . All things they need

I make a Beauty Advent for DD , she really likes this and asks every year for one . I start searching in October for things .
DS mainly asks for money in his account . Over the years we realised it's best just to do that .No point buying just for the sake of it
Apart from the underwear - he'd still be running about in pants from when he was 15 if he could

No-one wants breakfast apart from pancakes on the first day I'm off work , then it goes to toast and cereal .
No-one wants pudding .

Christmas Dinner was quite relaxed . Made more roast potatoes and Yorkshire Puddings than I thought I'd need , all got eaten.

This year , online shopping has been the only way to buy , but every year I think Christmas Shopping will be fun and relaxed ......and it never bloody is !

Buy a lot less for the day! Not gifts but the silly little add ons that I forget about and find after Christmas day 🤦‍♀️ this year I've found salt and pepper shakers shaped like Christmas puddings, a whole bunch Christmas scented candles and wax melts, personalised Christmas mugs. I know they'll keep until next year but its just a waste of bloody money!
Be more organised when making chutneys, buy the jars before buying the ingredients to make the chutneys and buy smaller jars next year so I can gift them to more people.
I need to wrap as I buy next year too and and not leave all the wrapping until a week before Christmas.
Prepare, cook/roast if applicable and freeze some of the vegetable sides/sauces for Christmas Dinner in December, all I need to is defrost and reheat Christmas day.
Buy less bloody food. We're swamped with chocolate, crisps and party food that will end up getting donated.

Cook the turkey early morning or christmas eve. Do not buy sweets or biscuits for the house myself as ive lost count how many we have been given. Don't buy as many bottles of shlour. 2 or 3 is more than enough.

Every year I say I’ll buy less nibbles but here we are yet again with the entire coffee table full of bowls of biscuits, twiglets, quality street, lindt balls, nuts. It’s madness and we don’t need to be constantly grazing for a whole week.

Never buy Costco massive rolls of wrapping paper again. They are huge and heavy and take years to get through. Our photos look the same with all the same paper year after year. Must get new paper next year and donate the other half of this flipping roll.

Make sure I’ve given the kids stuff they can do by themselves when they’re bored. Despite console games, books, clothes, a lot of making stuff will need supervision like a tie dye kit. Make sure I’ve got easy crafts they can go off and do for a bit.

Christmas was perfectly lovely with only a video call to my parents. I will definitely remember this for next year!

Getting shopping delivered was a revelation. I’ve never done that before at Christmas; never had a delivery before lockdown actually. It was brilliant- my turkey was guaranteed, and there was no awful battle through crowded shops. I will definitely be doing that from now on.

I loved having a cosy Christmas with just ourselves. Hosting and spending time with family is a very important part of our lives but it was really relaxing and enjoyable by ourselves too. I don’t think we’ll do it again, but it’s going to be a lovely memory.

Speaking of memory, I need to write down recipes and instructions. I might be getting a touch menopausal because I was struggling to remember things I’ve been doing for years! Hopefully I’ll at least manage to remember where I wrote them down next year.

I’m not doing any homemade gifts anymore. It’s too much extra work in Christmas week.

Buy a hot plate buffet style server to help keep everything warm - been humming &!hawing about this the past few years &!yet again I wish I’d done it
Get any house decorations lights in November. Don’t leave it till December our local home bargains & b&m had completely ran out!
Agree an online shop the week before Xmas was great
Start a Christmas savings plan
Pick up cards now in the sales where possible

@mumontherun14 I do the Christmas savings plan with park - this year was my second year and it has honestly revolutionised my feelings about Christmas. I keep the standing order running constantly throughout the year and come November a lot of my Christmas is paid for. It's so much less stressful!

@namechange7438 I’ve been looking at that. What did you choose? I was looking at mix of supermarket & shopping vouchers. Xxx

I do sainsburys voucher +s as I save nectar points all year for Xmas too, your choice gift cards (you pay a bit extra but can use them literally anywhere as they're prepaid mastercards - great if your nearest and dearest have obscure tastes!) and then a smaller amount in love 2 shop cards. I pay May standing order weekly as I get paid weekly so I don't notice it quite so much.

Bigger kid will be jealous of younger brothers’ childish thing so get for them too

That is a big one for us too. DS2 couldn't get near his stuff for DS1.

I think we managed to get about the right amount of stuff, 10 things for them to open from us.

Prep dinner the day before so it's ready to be lobbed in the oven. I say this every year bash the house into shape much earlier.

Do a toy clear out in October, doesn't help with many charity shops being closed.

Buy less stocking filler type bits!

Next year I'm going to make a pinterest board with photos as I forget how much I've got dds until its all out. It was slightly crazy this year they were thoroughly spoilt rotten. They are using everything though!

Never do a roast again, last year I did pizzas on Christmas day and it was perfect. Roast was a right faff and spent too long cleaning up after it all. And I've got so much still leftover and because I'm ill I dont feel like eating it.

Buy less crap, there's so much chocolate and rubbish in the kitchen. Dds keep grazing on it all. Going to have to pack it up soon and limit it otherwise someone will end up being ill!!! Doesnt help i work in a nursery so get given lots of gifts so we are swimming in it!

Doesnt help i work in a nursery so get given lots of gifts so we are swimming in it!

DS's nursery requested that parents didn't buy for individual staff members instead give something that could be put into the staff raffle so all the staff got something. Made it much easier for parents.

Buy pre prepared cabbage, cauli cheese - these are a faff and not everyone likes them. This year Waitrose versions were delish and saved saucepans!

That DD is still concerned about box size, compared to DS who isn't bothered about 'big gifts' anymore - in fact his skateboard has proved the perfect present. Will think harder about his gifts next year as this was a last minute idea that came good.

That running a half full dishwasher a couple of times, while not eco friendly, was brilliant for my sanity!

Getting out for a couple of walks with the kids is necessity.

Next year;

I'd like to buy some reusable cloth wraps for gifts, love the idea. And brown recyclable paper with ribbon for smaller/non family gifts.

Buy less nibbles. The macadamias are sat unopened, along with crisps, biscuits, etc. Too much and I always try to do a dry/healthier Jan so I don't want it in the house.

Likewise less puddings. DC both said Yule log was dry and sickly. It sits largely untouched, as do the profiteroles, and the sherry trifle I made!

Treat myself to the Coole Swan liqueur I liked two years ago. This year I said Baileys would be fine but found it a bit sickly.

Dare I say it, have Christmas just the 4 of us again.... it was heaven!

Don't do a big roast lunch, go back to saltimbocca much less faff and tastier.
Get dad to send me a couple of packets of Paxo stuffing, homemade took bloody ages and was meh.
Make gravy in October/November and freeze it.
Pigs in blankets huge hit, make again.
Don't go out in the evening of Xmas eve and chug down cocktails (long story).
Make a proper bug Christmas cake. I made six mini ones this year in baked bean tins (bastards to double-blind, bastards to get out, I had to use a can opener on the bottom and push from the top, fiddly feckers). I made them as gifts with one left over for us, they were well-received but I thought it was crap.
I'll decorate as I did this year - love where the tree is and how I strung up other decs. I've taken photos do I remember!

Last but not least, continue to use the wrapping fabric and drawstring bags I started a couple of years ago. Easy to wrap, looked lovely, zero waste. The gifts we received from others were the only ones in paper and we have next to bigger all recycling to do.

I'm adding photos! Example of two gifts and small gift bag with all the wrapping we received. Sod all

I am seriously considering doing our Christmas meal on Christmas Eve next year. The best meal we had this weekend has been homemade soup, party food, crisps, cheese and biscuits and chocolate. I think it would have gone down well on Christmas Day. No one really seemed bothered by the big meal, including me.

For the last decade I have kept a book called Riverhouse book of christmas that I write things in that we did from the Christmas just gone and then things I want to do the next year. I use it as a list making place, like who to buy for, what needs to be done, where we are going etc. I love looking through it.
For 2021 we are definitely going to have christmas dinner on Christmas eve so we can relax and enjoy christmas day more. Otherwise the day gets taken over by cooking and it was really nice to change that this year.
I love the idea of the gift bags, did you make loads of different sizes? Any additional info much appreciated.

Yes Riverhousepuppy lots of different sizes of bags. They can fit big Lego boxes, skinny rolled up posters, books, pyjamas...anything. I also have bolts of fabric I hemmed, as above, and loads of different ribbon, string, wool, faux leather necklace type stuff (as seen in pic) and I can wrap anything in it. This year dh had a big framed picture (50 X 60cm) and it was a fiddle just to swathe it, tie it up and stick an initial tag on it (some made of felt, some DS and I made out of air-drying clay and biscuit cutter shapes, fantastically easy and a lovely thing to do together in December).

The bags and fabric bits fold up to nothing and the tags are in a small Tupperware box. Together they don't even fill a bag for life, so storage is easy.

It's been a game changer: no running out of paper, no wastage of offcuts, no swearing at mofo sellotape, no recycling.

I've used fabric I bought especially, old lumberjack-type shirts with cool check prints, old cushion covers, old pyjama top of DS' (white with cool polar bear and pale blue trim), and one from the photo I posted upthread was a very good quality napkin from a friend's wedding, they gave out extra slices of cake in them to take home. I sewed a strip of wide organza across the middle and poured in some silver stars I've had in the craft box for years, tied up with skinny silver 'wool'.

I have also made a selection of bags for birthdays with all sorts of patterns. They make me rediculously happy!

We prepped lots of things on Christmas Eve this year, for the first time. Would definitely do it again, as it made the day itself much more laid back.

Don't buy any chocolate/biscuits - we had so much sweet stuff gifted to us. I've frozen some of it, and will give some to a food bank.

Buy 2 smaller Christmas puddings, rather than one big one. Nobody wants much on Christmas Day, if any, but it's nice to have one for a miserable day in January.

Buy a new game to play that requires minimal effort to learn how to play and doesn't last too long.

I made fabric bags - but only used them for people who I could watch open things and then ask for the bag back! Must admit, though, that although the bags are pretty, they don't look as nice piled up as wrapped presents do.

The rolled up train magazine in the stocking has proved invaluable at calming DS down when it all got too overwhelming (DS is autistic)

The cheap-as-chips outdoor decorations are NOT good investments. (Looks sadly at lopsided and sickly-looking polar bear.)

Ordering online cheese boxes for family was inspired and saved much wrapping/queuing at post office.

Waitrose trifle was big success.