What things do you do for Christmas that make it less stressful?

[AxolotlEars]

Every month some money goes into a bank account just for Christmas. Roughly, I use it throughout the first half of the year to buy gifts for friends and family. The second half of the year I use it for my kids and husband.

This year, for the first time, I cooked everything that went in the oven, in foil trays.

What are your tried and tested tips?
Did you do anything new, this year, that you'll repeat next year?

Splitting up the cooking
veg prep and table laid the day before
eating lateish so a chilled start to the day
no faffy breakfasts or first courses

I no longer send parcels of gifts. Instead I order directly to the recipient address, using the local amazon for friends abroad. That limits trips yo the post office and works out cheaper.

Let someone else host Xmas. Offer to travel and bring dessert / booze.

This year, for the first time, I cooked everything thawent in the oven, in foil trays.

I prepare all the dishes and roast everything bar the peas and leeks

braised Red cabbage on 22nd
cauliflower cheese on 23rd
Roast potatoes par boiled, roughed up, rack dried and ready to drop in hot oil on 24th
carrots and parsnips par boiled 24th
yorkshire pudding mixture ready 24th
table laid 24th
meat on day in oven 2 hours earlier than needed. This is because any chef will tell you the meat will rest and also stay hot for two hours wrapped in foil and a couple of kitchen towels

leaves the oven empty and ready to put all the foil trays with prepared food into the oven

i have a savings account for Xmas food
and another for Christmas presents

Also the foil trays work much better for producing crispy roast potatoes, the thinner the tray the crispier the potatoes

Use the sales in boots to pick up some Christmas presents for uncles and aunties, many sets are half price. Then collect points & use points to buy more presents.

Wash and blow dry hair on Christmas Eve so getting ready in Christmas Day is quick (I wish I’d done that this year!)

do a Christmas review now in notes in my phone to help plan next year with these headings:
loved
didn’t like
wish we had done

I don’t think this is true. I usually roast my spuds in a very heavy cast iron/enamel roaster and the fact it retains heat so very well means that if the door is opened etc the heat remains constant and so they cook better and more evenly. I cooked this year at my daughters and had to use foil trays but constant opening/closing meant they really weren’t doing very well. I put a large pizza stone in the oven under the roasties and turned it up to reheat it fully and they cooked much better due to the stone heat sink maintaining the temp

Could you link to the thread you mention? The pre Christmas bargains one?

Thanks so much!