If you could share one thing that you do that makes your Christmas less stressful.

[MaryJanesonabreak]

To counteract the current wingefest of everything irritating about Christmas, I thought I would start a thread for those of us who enjoy it.

It can be a lot of work, and I can’t think of anything more helpful to offer than as much prepping as possible. I’ve frozen a batch of gravy, the vegan stuffing and regular one, the little sausage things, the braised cabbage and a tray of cauliflower cheese which we always have on Christmas Eve with baked potatoes.

If anyone has any tips on managing the more bonkers members of the family that would be great!

I don’t use gift tags for the kids. Each has a different wrapping paper and are piled together on Christmas Eve for the morning. Saves time. Apart from family gifts, all my kids’ presents come from Santa so it works for us.

Going very minimal on presents (and no presents for adults)

Minimal on food and drink (helps to save money also)

Not attending the works Christmas party

We have secret Santa for the adults, so you know you’ll get something that you’ve asked for, rather than weird tat. The grandchildren get gifts though.

• don't do "Elf on the Shelf"
• don't gift wrap presents from Santa
• don't do "reusable" advent calendars - just get the bloody dairy milk chocolate one.
• don't forget to buy Baileys.

My Mother always said when I was a kid that children's should be at home for Christmas and not carted around. I was always grateful for that, and I've done the same with DD. Thankfully, I don't have a partner / in laws or extended family to please and its bloody brilliant. I did have my fair share over the years though and could happily have swung for some of the buggers. When I knew I'd had enough, I just said "OK, I'm done with hosting now and won't be doing it in future thank you" and let them mutter under their breath while my ears burned.

Apart from that, cook ahead, including par boiling and part roasting potatoes (defrost or cook from frozen on the day in about 30 mins) Use foil trays to cook with so little or no greasy washing up.

I do the Elf, as the grandchildren visit at the weekend, and look to see what activity the Elf is hiding. Usually a craft project; paper chains, snowflakes for the windows, a wreath for the door etc. It’s not tedious as it’s only a few times before Christmas is upon us.

My husband does all the cooking and the prep and buys all the food. He also clears all the plates and loads the dishwasher. I do show my appreciation 🤭

I’ve outsourced all gift buying to my DH (apart from my own parents and nephews which I’ll get, only fair!).

I have enough life admin on my plate.

• I don't use gift tags (I either colour code wrapping paper or write a name on (nicely) in marker)
• I only write cards to people I will actually see this means I don't have to buy stamps which reduces overall cost.
• when I did a traditional Christmas dinner I would slow cook most of the meat overnight and prep the veg etc in the pans.
• to go with above point, I now no longer do a Christmas dinner and instead we do 'snackmas' which is basically instead of a roast, just a huge buffet of all the gorgeous party food that comes out over the Xmas period. It's brilliant and works best for our family.
• those with children (like us) prepare a little basket with things like scissors, bin bags, screwdrivers, batteries etc, to save the panic trying to find them to unpack and build new toys on Christmas morning.
• take it slow. For one day a year I try to not worry about mess. For me it's still hard, but I certainly try to ignore it!
• no presents for adults where I can help it. I may sound like a killjoy here.. but when we used to buy for adult family members, it always spiralled out of control, and ended up branching off in many different directions. So we now just buy for our daughter, and a small gift for immediate family members.

YES!
We have extended family both sides here, but we thankfully have no issue with saying NO when it is requested that we go to somebodies house for Christmas. We did it once and never again.
No child wants to leave all their new things behind to get dressed up to eat dinner at someone else's house, let's be honest!

I don’t cook a roast and I get to enjoy time with my DC as a result

I don’t make breakfast on Christmas Day (or indeed any other day). If anyone wants cereal or toast they can help themselves.

The only veg I do with the Christmas lunch are potatoes, parsnips, carrots & sprouts, roasted or boiled as appropriate, no fancy recipes.

Tesco Finest pigs in blankets.

I don’t make an evening meal. There’s plenty in - help yourselves. And bring me a plate of cheese and crackers while you’re at it 🙂

Prep food, I’ve cooked pigs in blankets and frozen them. Also prepped veg, blanched and frozen.

This!

Going out to eat are my best most memorable years. Bit cheap but every year but I recommend.

Meant to say "not" cheap.

Working between Christmas and new year actually reduces the workload a lot!
Also no overnight guests unless absolutely necessary!

Weirdly I think leaving everything until December helps. Counterintuitive but the more time you spend prepping, researching presents, buying presents etc the more overwhelming it all becomes..
Even if they don't get "the present" there will be a tons of things they like. Get it for their birthday (if they still want it). I desperately wanted a Mister Frosty for years and never got one but it didn't ruin Christmas.

Most years I spend at least a few hours cross because I missed the deal or the thing I wanted to buy and its just wasted angst . No one else knows or cares. If you start in December you get what you need from what's there and enjoy it 3 weeks later. Perfect.

Main meal on Christmas Eve, christmas day is gorgeous, quick-to-prepare snack food. Means the day is more relaxed, no pressure for people to be in the kitchen more than 30mins.

And I have massively reduced spending on Christmas and am no longer buying for buying's sake. I only buy presents for DH, our children and my sister.I've even said no to our extended family Secret Santa this year, and far from causing the almighty row that I feared it might, everyone is ok with stopping it and several have said they're relieved. We can still have a lovely time and enjoy each other's company over the festive period without having to exchange token gifts that nobody really wants and are probably going to end up as landfill anyway. I've found releasing myself from this obligation quite liberating!

I print out a sheet of labels that say "To ..... Merry Christmas, from X and X" so that I only need to write the first name on. That saved me loads of time last year.

I also, for the first time ever, wrapped as I bought. Christmas Eve was so lovely and relaxed!

No gifts!

No elf and a fairly low key Santa here. Now past that stage anyway.

Agreed no exchange of gifts with my adult siblings, if only DH's side would agree to this too!

Set up address Labels for our Christmas card list, saves a good deal of time every year.

I cook on Christmas day (which I have down to a fine art) and then I don't cook again until New Years Day. Everything is cold meats/cheese/crackers or party food which anyone else is welcome to prepare.

If it takes more effort than 20 minutes on a single oven tray at 180°c I don't do it. I'm more than happy with cold cuts and crackers/pickles and an assortment of mini bite sized things from the freezer section for a week. I will eat lots of clementines to avoid scurvy and have a Baileys in my mid morning coffee for the calcium and medicinal benefits.

For a roast Christmas meal we take an order of which meat (s) everyone wants and buy the appropriate number of slices precooked from the deli counter.