A ‘what will you do differently next year’ thread

[OMGitsnotgood]

I’ve been hosting Christmas for almost 40 years so generally have it pretty well sorted, but there is always something to imporove on.
This year I had a pretty hectic December for a combination of reasons, some of it unexpected. I did still manage most things but ended up doing a lot of cleaning on Christmas Eve Eve and Christmas Eve, when I’d much rather have just had food prep to focus on them put my feet up enjoying a Baileys.

Next year I am going so make sure I do a deep clean early in December and keep on top of it.

I was reading yesterday in our local media about one of the Miller & Carter’s where something had gone wrong in the kitchen and they had to cancel all the Christmas Day bookings. I don’t know whether people got their money back.

We actually ate out ourselves, and I would recommend it (assuming no issues as above), but the downside is you don’t get the leftovers which provide easy meals the next day.

Remember the rule- It's not Christmas until you've told the cellotape to off

We’ve booked to go away next year as well. It’s the only way to not be the default on call option.

My daughter was supposed to be hosting this year and after doing her shop went down with this flu. I took over and found she didn’t have as many different veg as I tend to do. But it was less stressful so I will definitely take that on board. Secondly for the first time ever instead of putting all the food on the table and doing the ‘can you pass the xxx, put me a bit of that on my plate will you’ routine I laid it in the kitchen and everyone helped themselves. So much easier. Then Xmas evening I went to bed with the flu….

I will remember to never ever cook goose again. I should have known from last time. A 6kg goose the size of a large baby and to a pick on it!

I’ve gone back to hosting Christmas since I retired four years ago. We also have a little granddaughter. We used to fly off somewhere warm. Now we go away in early March instead.
I’ve cut out all unnecessary (and tiring) extra stress inducing work (eg baking). So it now runs as follows:

Deep clean and clear house and kitchen cupboards, fridge and freezer late November/early December. Keep on top of house by tidying/vacuuming etc
Finish Christmas shopping in November. Don’t wrap - use present bags. No Christmas cards.
Put up a real Christmas tree in the second week of December.
Do a store cupboard shop for all drinks, toiletries and non perishable items last week of November.
Make beds for family guests last week in November.
Do the Christmas food shop on the 22nd. Top up if necessary on the 23rd and collect bakery order.
Go out to eat on the day family arrive in a local pub (23rd). Simple supper of sandwiches and Christmas treats from M&S and local bakery
Christmas buffet (quiche, pork pie, salad, cheese, ham etc). Go out for a family treat to a local Christmas attraction on the 24th. Takeaway for dinner (Thai or Indian).
Cook traditional Christmas lunch on Christmas Day. Sides (gravy, stuffing, pigs, bread sauce and custard) all from M&S. Cheeseboard for supper.
All food is put out buffet style in the kitchen - help yourself.
Boxing Day - A long walk followed by snack lunch in a cafe. Roast a ham and serve with potato gratin and green veg in the evening.
27th Dec - Lunch - a large homemade pasta dish (pasta sauce is homemade and taken out of the freezer)and salad. Everyone goes home in the afternoon.

I always buy too much food and drink. I am just so terrified of running out of anything and really don’t want to have to visit the shops at all over the period.

Next year I will scale back, especially on the booze. There is so much left over and it won’t get drunk until next Christmas as I don’t really drink any other time.

I'm doing the park Christmas vouchers for next year. I've done them for about 10 years and this year thought, no we don't need much buying or i'll get something every month and I've really struggled this year and spent a lot of my December wages and will be short until the end of January now.

We’ve hosted for 8 years and always served a starter until this year. It was a game changer not dealing with an additional course and I think everyone enjoyed their main meal more as a result.

I’m not hosting outside my own DH and DC next year.

Cutting down on presents for people outside the above.

Buying less food as in chocolates and sweets.

Please can I come ! 😁🎄

I will insist on a 'downtime day' where I can be at home and not see anyone except DH and kids. It's been pretty full on and my social battery is flat.

Might book myself a restaurant to eat out at and then go home and have a cider and a treat in the afternoon food wise as I suspect my children will be with their partners next Christmas.

Much against my instincts I did them In the air fryer with olive oil, honey and balsamic vinegar - they were delicious.

I’m going to be selfish and not host again as everyone ate my food didn’t help clear up then pissed off home at 5.

Got a capon this year instead of a turkey and will do that again.

Do it!
We had a beautiful beef sirloin ans all the trimmings on Xmas day this year - and I enjoyed every mouthful!
(To be fair had turkey at a early family get together in early Dec so felt I'd had my fill!)

Oops that was for the Poster who said they were planning to have beef next year!

I’m going to start a wishlist and add to it year round. I do this for everyone else and I always have an idea of some sort even for the awkward ones. But I couldn’t think of anything I wanted or needed for myself. Not because I don’t want or need anything, but because menopause has trashed my memory.

I’m going away next Christmas. No idea where yet!!!

I went for the first time this year. It was lovely. I have waited for DC to become adult and was delighted DH, adult DN, DS, his partner and DD tagged along. We're all going next year together again.

Going out for lunch. DH only gets Christmas Day off most years and I don't want to spend half of it in the kitchen. Everyone else washes up and cleans afterwards (the cook never washes up), but I still found it exhausting, despite prepping over several days.
Making sure we all attend church at midnight on Christmas Eve. It was so beautiful.
To start putting up decs earlier. I make fresh wreaths and garlands for friends and family and barely finished by Christmas week this year.

Yes we put candles on the tree. Yes it's a fire hazard. It's why you position them very carefully so they don't set everything on fire. No big deal.

Stupid question, how do you attach them?

Not next year, but we changed things this year which have worked. Last year DH and I started running a shop, working late on Christmas Eve after very few days off in December. Then visited PIL on Christmas Day, and my parents on Boxing Day. So we decided this year we would stay at home for Christmas Day and it was brilliant. Just us and the two DC, very relaxed, and when visiting both sets of parents on 26th/27th we asked for maybe a buffet and drinks rather than a sit-down meal, which they loved too.