Home for Christmas - help me plan!

[okayhescereal]

I'm super excited to be spending our first family Christmas at home this year. My oldest is almost 6 but as our family are all abroad we're always travelling at the holidays.

However...I just realised I have never once been the 'adult' at Christmas. As in the one who plans, shops, cooks etc. When we go to big family dos everyone has a portion to prepare (i.e. household A is in charge of desserts, B is in charge of cheese etc) but I've not been responsible for the whole shebang!

What are your top tips for a successful Christmas period? Where do you shop? Do you pre order? Do you pre cook?! When do you make the Christmas pudding?!

Hit me with the wisdom mumsnetters!

Don't try and do too much. Don't over-plan, and don't over-commit yourself.
Everyone has a fun, relaxed time when everyone has a fun, relaxed time.

Plan in advance, make a timing sheet for the day, and then just relax. Try not to get focussed on making the "perfect" day, you'll end up stressed and not enjoying it.

The traditional day to make the pudding is stir up Sunday, which is the Sunday before lent.

I do pre order and pre prep/cook as much as I can. However I am generally feeding a crowd (we will have 21 for dinner this year). When it has just been our immediate unit I didn't bother with the pre cooking and prep as much.

Just remember the best day will be one where everyone is relaxed. Don't stress if dinner end up later, something burnt, forgotten or whatever. Just laugh and enjoy it.

The first Christmas in your own home is lovely.

Remember, it's just a roast dinner.
Prep before. Buy prepared where/if you can and as others have said work out timings.
When will the main event be?
Starters before that?
Pudding?
Cheese?
Leave time between each course so 'you' have chance to clear dishes etc.
Crackers with activities inside like charades.
A game that is quick that can be played at the table. Not a board game . M&S do brilliant games in little boxes that are perfect.

Don't be bound by other people's traditions. You get to do exactly what you and the family want to do. So there's no need to have sprouts if no-one likes them.I
Make life easy. Pre-cook, buy pre-prepared, whatever you prefer.
It doesn't need to be perfect to be great fun.

This feels like wonderful advice!

Ahhhhhhhh what a thread! Good luck OP ❤️

I live by lists for Christmas. Much has been tried and tested (and I'll hit all the big supermarkets the week before Christmas because I'm mad like that).

I make a list of what I'm serving for Christmas dinner, and then start recipe testing throughout the year so I know what I'm doing if trying something new. I keep an eye out on the essentials and pick them up from September onwards (exp date dependant!) so I don't find myself panicking if a shop runs out! Stuff that runs out fast:

• Hovis biscuits for cheese (specific but I couldn't find them anywhere last year and we went without 😅)
• Gravy, especially if you have a family favourite
• Chocolate coins for stockings
• Pigs in blankets (you can freeze)
• Cauliflower cheese/frozen Yorkshires if buying this way
• Stuffing
• Christmas cake and pudding - I buy these as only a few in the family like them, but if you're going to buy, or need a GF/Df alternative buy as soon as they hit the shops!

For the fresh shop, I have a list of what I need and will have a general idea of where I want to buy what from. I don't do the Food to Orders any more because I find it pricey and the same items are often available in the shops. I also budget ££ for extra festive bits that catch my eye as I go around! I get my turkey from M&S and everything else depends on what has looked good in the weeks leading up. If you're buying any fresh desserts try and go to the supermarket early morning on the 23rd - they've often just got the last delivery in and they'll be the freshest. Just be careful as they tend to have sold out the best ones by the afternoon!

As others have said, don't stress too much. It's easy to worry, but honestly it won't all be perfect no matter what you do. Try your best beforehand, and on the day whatever will be, will be!

Write down the timings and oven temperatures on a piece of paper. That way when your 18 month old is glued to your leg and won't leave you, everyone else can take over the cooking 😂

Also works for if you've had a bit too much to drink/got little sleep the night before/just can't get your brain in gear for cooking.

Chill - No need to go crazy

Its just a Sunday Roast with afew extras

I would personally do more exciting things with the children

Christmas Eve -
Bake cookies , New Xmas pj’s, Xmas Chocolate and chill with a Christmas movie

Christmas Day-
Open Presents, Simple breakfast but something more exciting (chocolate pancakes maybe and Chill out

Do a Sunday Dinner (ish)

and chill

Play with children and their presents and play games, watch a Christmas movie :)

FWIW, last Christmas was a dumpster fire of a disaster logistically, EVERYTHING went wrong despite months of planning, and my family are still referring to it as the best Christmas ever, so honestly it really doesn't matter 😅

This is great! Thank you!!

Making me feel so much better already 😊 I'm so excited. Definitely not bothered about it being 'perfect'. My mum was always a massive stress head at Christmas and my lasting memory of the festive period is wishing she would calm down 😂 so really want to go with the flow but I think preparation will be key to keeping it chilled but also having all the deliciousness !!

Love this!! Hope the living of it wasn't too stressful though.

I'm really good at the build up, with the baking and all the kid stuff. Love that bit even when we're away. I guess I was just thinking about how to factor in cooking a roast whilst also keeping it magical (i.e. less 'not now, mummy is busy' and more chill and play time 🙂) Prepping ahead seems like the key!!

There's no hard and fast rule that says xmas = roast.

If you're children are all under 6, what would the result be if you offered them the choice between roast turkey and all the trimmings, or a 6' tall pile of lego in the middle of the floor and cheese on toast whilst playing with their mum and dad?

Then remember who your "customers" are for xmas... it's not instagram...

To be fair I think I'd probably choose the Lego if the alternative was me cooking the roast 😂

Mumsnet is the closest I get to social media, but I appreciate your point x

Choose life, choose the lego.
😂

The good people at Bisto go to a LOT of trouble to make gravy granules. Do not offend them by attempting to make your own.

(The turkey granules are nice but I prefer their extra special posh chicken gravy granules at Christmas).

ahh bisto 😂😂

I follow the organised mum on Instagram - she has bite size weekly Christmas jobs to do starting from the beginning of September so that everything is in hand by the 1st December. I like the prompts to help feel prepared in advance

Can you eat out?

No preparing. No tidying and clearing away

Chill and enjoy the day before and after the meal

I also think when you have no one else there the timings don't matter so much-I think for a couple of years in a row I wildly underestimated cooking time for the turkey. I just never put it in early enough.
It didn't matter. No one cared. We had some nibbles for the DC and played games. Fun, no pressure.

Now I write a menu and timings out as a starting point.
Then I write a complete shopping list.
So I know exactly what I need to buy/order.
I write it out completely on the list-I don't write smoke salon blinis.
I write salmon, blinis, creme fraiche, lemons, dill.

I do book an ocado slot as soon as they become available but also some things are specifically form other stores so I note that on my list.

I do all the veg prep on christmas eve and everyone helps. play Christmas films or carols-everyone in my christmas aprons. it's really fun and everyone feels a part of making the dinner.

I make a cooking schedule for the oven now.

I always watch in the supermarket and when crackers and other bits go on offer (they always do) I buy them then and put them aside.

I start buying things that will keep in november-booze, snacks etc to spread out the cost.

I always have some games for after dinner-charades, trivia etc

But the best bit is to make your own traditions and discard the ones no one actually likes!!

Don't rely on your Christmas food order for essentials. There are too many cautionary tales on here of supermarkets not delivering turkeys etc

How exciting!

The big thing to know is that if YOU are happy and relaxed, everyone else will (hopefully) be happy and relaxed.

So do anything and everything in advance that you possibly can - and keep it simple.

Planning and organisation - start now - is key.

Breakfast - keep it dead simple: nice OJ, croissants and fruit salad.

Lunch: Put your effort into the main meal:
I order a turkey crown from M&S to be picked up on the 23rd as we're not bothered about thigh meat.
While I'm there I pick up the ready-peeled baby sprouts, pigs in blankets, stuffing balls, carrot/ swede mash, red cabbage and Christmas pudding.

Pre-make Jamie's gravy, cauliflower cheese, bread sauce and cranberry sauce a couple of days in advance.

Absolutely use disposable foil dishes for the roast potatoes and parsnips.

Evening:
Supper is turkey sandwiches, crisps, cheeses and biscuits, mince pies, Christmas cake, clementines.

Get a big .com order to come a few days before with potatoes, parsnips, crisps, nuts, drinks, cream, cheeses and biscuits, salad etc etc.

Boxing Day is a cooked breakfast, a good walk then cold turkey with salad and jacket potatoes. Mince pies and cream/ ice cream,

Another tip - go for a walk and/ or go to a carol service on Christmas Eve afternoon and then eat out late afternoon. That way your kitchen won't be trashed before you start. Save yourself for the big day.

Couldn't agree more with this. Yes people appreciate a nice meal etc but at the end of the day what will be remembered more is the fun and joy, or alternatively the stress and agro, not weather the Yorkshire's were overdone, or the gravy was from a jar/packet instead of home made

Love this 😆. I use bisto but I will admit to adding my meat juices in to tart it up a bit. Nommmm. Oh and always the water I've cooked the veg in. Makes all the difference