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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

What worked over Christmas, and what didn't?

36 replies

FlowChart · 28/12/2008 19:02

Hi, what worked for me was:

  • opening presents after lunch
  • buying cheap
  • leftover meals - minimal cooking
  • really rare time with DH and DCs
  • playing games with DCs
What didn't work was:
  • DCs having Norovirus over Christmas, in succession!
  • Snotty young label-monster relative criticising my present choice for DH - ie lottery ticket - we are really broke - I thought a lottery ticket was a good idea. DH does a crap job for crap money. I go out cleaning at weekends to make ends meet. I put on a really nice buffet for Christmas Eve (for me and mine). Against my better judgement, and bullied into it by my mother, I invited these awful people. Wish I had eaten my own sick. Sat and listened to how hard it is to choose a Ted Baker dress for the ball, and how she wishes she knew where to get matching sequins for the mask - gaah. They didn't even bring wine, but drank a shit-load of mine.
NEVER AGAIN - The dreadful thing is - they will never know why. I wish they would, but you can't make people be nice, can you? Sorry, this has turned into a rant, it wasn't meant to be!
OP posts:
PinkPoinsettias · 29/12/2008 16:25

what worked;

  • doing christmas at home til 3pm and then heading to my parnets for diner and to spend the night
  • not geting worked up trying to do a 'special' breakfast for 2 kids who were too hyper to even eat their rice krispies
  • spacing out the presents lots
  • tidying up the packaging and wrapping from each pressie as it was opened so nothing got lost in the mess this year
  • learning to relax and just let the kids play rather than trying to organise the day too much like i did other years
  • leaving my parnets on boxing day after dinner with kids in jammas so they could be popped into bed straight away and dp and i could have a nice relaxing evening trying out our pressies!

what didn't;

  • forgetting to bring kids medicine with us when i knew both kids had colds on and off for weeks...... ds was not a happy bunny on xmas night and it was exhausting trying to keep him from melting down as he didn't feel well.
PinkPoinsettias · 29/12/2008 16:29

oh yes and definitely agree with jammies til you actually leave the house it feels so much nicer and meant the kids xmas clothes were still presentable when we got to my parnets!

starbear · 29/12/2008 16:46

pinkspottywellies Why does it work on Christmas Eve? I love Christmas Eve, but curious why you as a family have dinner then.

pinkspottywellies · 30/12/2008 16:43

We started Xmas dinner on Xmas ever when we were small so that on Xmas day mum could play with us and our new presents rather than being stuck in the kitchen most of the morning, and so that she didn't have to say 'no, you can't eat that (at requests re various chocolate treats!) you'll spoil your dinner'. Also gives little ones something to do on Xmas ever rather than just Being Excited!!

This year particularly, we were all out on Christmas Eve (Sis and I shopping, DH and BIL getting more beer supplies in!) DD was asleep so mum would have had a nice quiet house to get on and cook.

We used to have the cold meat and salad Boxing Day type buffet on Xmas day and it was much more relaxed. Worked for us anyway

LightShinesInTheDarkness · 30/12/2008 16:57

What worked : Me. Damn hard. All day. For 2 days.

What didn't work : DH. Mother. Whole family.

MumOfTwoGirls · 30/12/2008 21:45

LightShinesInTheDarkness, I feel your pain!

Tommy · 30/12/2008 21:48

what worked: having lunch just with me, DH and the DSs - really lovely

what didn't work: going to PILs on Boxing Day - grim

LightShinesInTheDarkness · 31/12/2008 00:04

Thanks, Mumof2. Next year will be different, lets promise ourselves now!

sallystrawberry · 31/12/2008 00:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

skramblenotdieting · 31/12/2008 00:14

Can't remeber if I arleady posted.

Worked,

staying at home with kids myself opening stockings with just me, traditionally it has been PIl and uncle and auntie all sitting on my bed and exH last year. Lovely just me and the kids.

Offering to cook dinner at MIL's, so she wasn't faffing about then me ending up doing it anyway as I can't bear to see her struggling. So I cooked what I wan't and had all my nescesities in my goody bag I brought round.

Taking time to open presents, one at a time, clearing wrapping as we go, kids have always been encouraged to take turns and it works well.

Didn't work

Relying on exH not to be an arse about arrangements that were already in place. Or thinking he might actually want to spend more than a few daylight hours with them despite him having them for 3 days. I think they say more of me in those 3 days even thought they stayed at his.

think everything else went OK, did miss BF on Christmas day, felt it was a bit much him being there on Christmas eve and going to church with me and the PIL (exH not there), plus Christmas morning with kids jumping in the bed etc, maybe next year. He doesn't drive so no way of him getting there on CHristmas day, his NYR is to get his licence.

NancysGarden · 31/12/2008 00:30

What worked:
The sprouts. Usually no one eats them they get wasted. Pan fried them with shallots and basil. Yum.

A matter of loaf and death

Afternoon scrabble with Granny

Cheese & crackers, disarronno and backgammon after DD asleep.

What didn't:
The christmas poems I took along to family dinner (didn't get read)

The veggie option: (meat substitute) mix up of timings and arrangements, so just a plate of vegetables for DP and me

The teasing of 2yo DD by family member over a blinking yo-yo (from a cracker)

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