Christmas Hacks?

[hohohoandabottleofgin]

I've just recently bought some extra large storage/laundry bags - £9 for a pack of 2 on Amazon. One for each of my children, now each time a present arrives I pop it in their designated bag for easy transportation come Christmas Eve!

This probably isn't a hack for anyone else but normally come Christmas Eve, everything is hidden in such random places and it's constant trips up and down the stairs with loads of boxes and bags trying not to wake the kids! I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner 🤣

Anyone else got any Christmas tips or hacks to share?

Sounds great! Do you wrap them all? I don't know whether to wrap each stocking filler ! (10m and 4) xxx

I have ours wrapped in different colour paper for each child

other than that - I buy dishes in tin foil (eg garlic potatoes) pre made to save a lot of work over Christmas

I thought you meant that you wrapped the presents in the foil dishes.
Like an upmarket version of Smithys foils wrapping in Gavin and Stacey.

I was just thinking that putting gifts in foil takeaway boxes might be genius when I realised that you had moved on from gift wrapping

As the dc open their presents, I keep a list the presents and who they’re given by. It really makes life easier when we write the thank you cards and saves any embarrassment of thanking the wrong person for the wrong gift!

When my dc were smaller, I’d video them
opening a gift and prompt them to say thank you to the sender and (if their reaction was good) send the clip to the sender as a thank you.

If you’re hiding big soft toys, put them in a black sack, squish the air out and knot tightly. They’ll be much smaller and easier to hide.

If you’re torn between classical warm white lights and eighties vintage coloured lights, put both strands on the tree, and switch on whichever ones fit your mood.

It’s much easier to put the lights on one layer of branches at a time as you fluff than after the tree is fully put together.

If you stuff the turkey, push a metal skewer all the way in until you hit bone, to ensure the stuffing is fully cooked.

Rest the turkey (or any joint of meat) because it will be more succulent and tasty and takes so much time pressure off. I leave mine under tinfoil and a towel for an hour while I cook everything else and faff about with the table settings.

I bought a selection of Christmas decorated paper bags in different sizes from eBay one year and use them to wrap the stocking gifts.
So much quicker and easier than individually wrapped gifts ,pop in gift and secure the opening with tape,and I'm still using my original lot of bags and it must be 4 years later easily.

I buy reusable drawstring gift bags for DD's and DH's presents and have been using them for years. No faffing with sellotape and wrapping paper.

Father Christmas brings the presents in the stockings and they're not wrapped.

I make ahead pigs in blankets, stuffing balls and red cabbage and yorkshire puddings for Christmas day and freeze them. All cook from frozen on the day so that's no bother.

I buy shop bought gravy and then just add the meat juices after the turkey is cooked.

Cook most things for Christmas dinner in foil trays to save on washing up.