Christmas 2024 - what do you need to remember?

[Nonplusultra]

This is a time capsule thread - protecting important information from the erosion of time.

• Make a meal plan for all the meals around Christmas so I’m not glaring wild eyed and accusingly at family members who dare to get hungry at lunchtime on Christmas Eve.

• Belvoir mulled punch is the nicest non alcoholic mulled wine.

Do not under any circumstances invite my only child.

Adding more notes
Buy sauce and ready made dessert
Buy more wine
Meal plan as per first post
More crisps
More nuts
More crackers
Hoping to get wrapping paper in the dregs of the sale

Buy DD stocking fillers throughout the year.
Buy DH stocking fillers throughout the year.
Make own Christmas cake again - it was lovely.
You do not need wrapping paper or tags.
You do need cards, but not many.
Don't buy Baileys
Buy Mulled Wine
Do NOT spend £100 on cheese

We don't need to do every single Christmas activity. Pantomime is already arranged, we'll choose one more activity and then focus on low key activities at home.

Start the big clean in September!

MiniFool does not need aaaalllll the presents.

Don't get all excited about the Christmas Chronicles read-along and then forget to start actually reading it AGAIN. Actually read it!

Don’t overdo it, slightly minimalist Xmas is fine! Go to the shop instead of ordering online to get a direct understanding of how much is in the basket. Buy the tree from the same seller again so that it fits the new stand for drilled trees.

Wrap as you buy and buy as little as you need

Don't ignore my schedule for getting everything done in good time!!

Thank you 💕 @Chocolateteabag

Never forget how toxic dh family are and how sad and awful they made me feel this Christmas.

Do not let them in to my heart ever again.

This Christmas was a blur.

Here's to Xmas 2024.

Things to remember for next year

Buy Christmas crackers early. The supermarket shelves were laden down with them from around September and there were none to be had when I went shopping on the 23rd.

Buy alcohol and non-perishables in early December. I went shopping early on the morning of the 23rd to avail of freshly stocked shelves but then couldn't buy alcohol due to the licensing laws. And I'd have been quicker if I hadn't had to pick up the non-perishables.

Pace myself better/cut down a bit in terms of nights out. I ended up going out two nights in a row and I wasn't the better for it.

Don't buy DD an advent calendar. She ended up with two (one from her Dad also) and didn't even open half the doors. I might add that she's 19 - it's not like I'll be depriving a small child of a daily treat,

Things I got right this year

I booked concert tickets in October which meant that we got really good seats.

I took a week off before Christmas. This gave me time to clean the house, catch up on laundry etc. in advance of having visitors.

I need to write all this down somewhere so I won't forget it.

To buy Christmas lights in November at the latest.

To buy stamps ready for thank you cards.

To meal plan including veg- heavy dishes. Must make freezer portions of ratatouille to have with fish or sausages when no one can take more potatoes and cheese.

Also - to go through my cookery books in September and assign recipes to the DC to make. We were given ‘Advent’ the cookery book of Christmas baking and the DC would definitely be up for that.

Start any Christmas crafting earlier this time! Like, now, would be good.

Put money aside to shop for dd2's birthday again, that worked well.

Buy the beef from the market, not Tesco!

Buy the crackers I like when I first see them - guarantee they'll be oos when I go back for them!

Do not order from Ocado. Too many poor substitutions and missing items. Delivered on Christmas eve so difficult to replace.

I always overbuy for stockings. The dc really aren't that wowed by stocking presents.

Every Christmas Eve I'm reminded of the former, and every Christmas Day of the latter.

I need to put in big letters at the top of my Christmas 24 list DON'T BUY TOO MANY CRAPPY STOCKING FILLERS.

This year was particularly bad because I was ill on the run up so dh bought a whole load of last minute stocking fillers from Waterstones (not books) for ££.

This ^

A simpler Christmas (because I caught Covid in December!) was a great success, don't be tempted to complicate it next year.

Saving each month, for the first time ever, made buying things a joy instead of a stress, don't be tempted to dip into the Christmas pot on a tight month.

Absolutely nothing. We have it down to a fine art. Gifts are for partners and children only. Dinner is beef with ,mash, roasties and veg. Pudding is trifle or chocolate cake. We eat at 3 ish, if its later and the foods drier then we've all been having a good old blether so who cares. We all gather in one house, there's a mix of chairs and trays going on. There's no alcohol so no arguments about driving (that's strictly later in own homes). Some dress up more than others but ultimately It's just a totally chilled day where the importance is on us all being together.

Go abroad somewhere sunny

There’s not much I’d change from this year, but my timescales were messed up by building work and illness, so next year I’ll make sure nothing significant is done in early December.

I will make sure the fridge is emptied of superfluous jars so I have more space.

Make sure you check them before packing them. I have a habit of buying lights in the sales, then when I come to opening them, things like the back of the battery box is missing or wires not connected properly and because I didn’t check them I can’t do anything.

Buy crackers with a game like bingo rather than tat in them; much more fun.

NYE - have takeaway not a buffet; it’ll probably be cheaper and the kids will prefer it.

Go away to a hotel again 😆

Get each person 3 gifts. It's more enjoyable if it's a few special things than when I go overboard.

Very good present for my 2 closest friends - they are like family and I love them so much. Also, they don't get much from their own families and they deserve something nice.

Take notes when people mention stuff they want throughout the year. Even if I ask for some sugestions I really want to get each person a surprise gift that they'll really like.

Xmas will probably be at my parents this year. So offer to take care of the dessert and arroz à grega (special rice recipe that's traditional in my country and that I really know how to cook).

Be extra patient with my parents. They are lovely even though they make me crazy!

Get wrapping paper. We've used up all we had left from previous years.

Less chocolats and treat foods.

I agree with this.