Share your Christmas expectations vs reality with NOW TV - chance to win £300 NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We all know the biscuit tin or movie version of the ‘perfect’ Christmas is not quite what actually happens at Christmas, and the team at NOW TV would love to know how different your expectations for the most wonderful time of the year were with how it actually went down.

Has snow or bad weather at Christmas stopped visitors from coming? Was your turkey still defrosting when the Queen was making her speech or did the dog ruin your lovingly decorated tree while you were out at the panto?

NOW TV say “if your Christmas plans go a bit wrong or you need something to distract the in laws then at NOW TV we’re all about making things extra easy: sign up and start watching instantly on one of our clever apps - including on iPad, iPhone, games consoles and selected Android devices - you’ll get access to loads of great content for families, including over 1,000 movies on demand plus a new premiere every day - including Christmas classics like Love Actually and big movies like Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.”

Share your tale where the reality didn’t quite match up to what you envisaged at Christmas time you will be entered into a prize draw where one person will win a £300 voucher for the store of choice - from a list (which might make you feel a bit better! ).

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Standard Insight T and Cs Apply

When I was little...

Expectation: Waking up to open a stocking full of goodies!

Reality: Waking up to find the hamster had escaped and chewed through all the wrapping paper on my presents!

Last year when both my kids had hatchimals on their lists and they were sold out everywhere! I finally managed to get one and on christmas day their excitement lasted until it hatched then it was put to the side and not picked up again!!

The thought of taking the kids to see Santa, expecting a fat jolly suited man with gorgeous white beard and a toy that will last at least until Christmas....
The reality in our town was a man in an over sized suit whose beard looked like it had fell out of a cracker and was really as jolly as Victor Meldrew on a good day.. with a huge price tag for a toy we wouldn't have even looked at and could have bought better in the cheapest shop/....
and we'll repeat next year in the hope it improves haha

Expectation: A deep-cleaned house full of Christmassy scents and dressed to the hilt, like a magazine shoot. We are seamless, fabulous hosts.
The Reality: Time and glitches taking over and clutter has been just shoved into whatever drawer or cupboard has a free space, a hastily thrown together tree and the cats deciding to save up their fur balls until Christmas Even before unceremoniously bringing them up on the living room rug, in front of guests . . .

I got my husband a Santa outfit thinking it would be really exciting and would make it magical for my daughter (she was 9 mths at the time), nope it scared the daylights out of her and she screamed and screamed. It was only when she was 3 yrs old and we saw a Santa in Asda who was giving out sweets that she came to love Santa!

Expectation: a lovely chance to spend quality time with my DC age 9 and 10 after a hideous year of caring for very elderly unwell parents as well as working.
Reality: Christmas Day and Boxing Day spent trying to look after my mother which ultimately culminated in all of Boxing Day at hospital. The DC have been gaming on their consoles non-stop and I've not managed to cook our Xmas lunch yet - Hoping tomorrow will be drama free and we can have our postponed Xmas.

Expectation: a lovely xmas day spent with family, having a few drinks, eating snacks and treats and watching telly.

Reality: brother drinks a whole bottle of rum and falls down the stairs, spilling blood all over the staircase and floor, then falls practically comatose asleep on the sofa!!

My mother in law started puking up at tea time! Still ill a couple of days later!

I remember as a very young child my Dad was fortunate enough to win a prize at the local WMC of £1000, we were not very well off and so this was a dream come true. I remember him and Mum sat discussing how good Christmas was going to be as it was only a couple of weeks away. He even ordered a fresh Turkey from our local farm. He bought us 3 children all the gifts we didn't think we would get, or what he'd already said he couldn't afford. He even saved a little bit for a rainy day... on the big day Mum was happily singing in the kitchen and preparing the huge Turkey that had arrive that morning. After she put it in the oven, the house was filled with the most horrendous smell that I can never forget, it actually made Mum and Dad physically sick.. The Turkey was OFF!! Dad said to Mum "I'll put it on the back doorstep for now just to get it out of the house", we opened all the windows but the smell lingered on for what seemed like an eternity, finally Dad went to move the Turkey away from the back doorstep but it had disappeared... later that week it was obvious where it had gone when the 'Rainy Day' Money had to be spent on a rather large vet bill for our family dog Kimbo...

A few years ago, I was cooking for my parents and I actually forgot to turn the oven on! Yes, the cooker dial was on but the switch on the wall! So, we had to wait 4 extra hours before eating the dinner - I've never lived it down!

Expectation: A bottle of perfume as a secret santa gift from OH as he left it untill last minute and he works in a pharmacy and price limit was £10 so i thought i would get something worth a lot more

Reality: A vaginal testing kit priced £9.99 as he quotes "the limit was £10"

Every year! The roast dish cracked and fell apart in the oven, leaving the meat sitting in some shards of crockery on the shelf. Thankfully that was rescued.

My son found his presents hidden a couple of days before Christmas, then proceeded to tell his sister in detail everything he was getting. I could have cried. I had to say that Santa was late in collecting them and quickly buy him a few extras!

The year my daughter wanted a 'famous plastic doll' house. After the kids were settled I started laying out their pressies before I went to bed to get precious little sleep before the cries of 'he's been' at around 4am. It needed built. There was a million tiny bits of plastic and stickers. I finished building it exactly 20 minutes before the little buggers were back up!

There is always something that goes wrong when you build something up to be perfect. It is never going to happen where children are involved.

As long as you go with the flow and have no expectations it will always be a lovely day that leaves you with some great memories....and some you'd rather forget

This Christmas my family decided to swap Christmas Day and Boxing Day around, and do everything we normally do on Boxing Day on 25th, and everything we normally do on Christmas Day on 26th. My grandpa was unwell and an antibiotics so this gave him an extra day to rest and meant he could join in with us on 'Christmas Day' on 26th. My grandma however was not happy and was complaining that 25th was just like any other day! Even though she knew the reasoning she was not a happy bunny so we had a grump Gran all Christmas!

Expectation:
A great family lunch with everyone getting together with lots of laughter, great food and drinks!

Reality:
Everyone was ill with flu, coughing and sneezing and nobody had much of an appetite!

Expectation - a lovely Christmas dinner with all 4 generations of our family together
Reality - no Christmas dinner & only 2 generations as my nephew was locked up in the cells having kicked down the door of his house when he found out his ex GF had another man staying over on Christmas Eve in the same house as his little girl even though they had only split the week before.

My expectation is that everyone will get on and be together on Christmas day - the reality was me at home on my own getting over norovirus!

Expectation: family all gatheredtogether everyone happy and laughing,

Reality - sniping, backbiting and general moaning due to massive hangovers

expectation a number of joint session wrapping presents while DS was out
Reality:- last minute solo present wrapping session

Expectation of a lovely Christmas lunch and settling on the sofa snuggled with hubby .
Reality.. Unfortunately due to chemorads this year my stomach still hasn't settled. Managed half the main course, but the Christmas pudding was a step too far. Violently sick and spent the rest of the day in bed.

One year we had the electricity go off for over 2 hours - the preceeding weeks we had a number of electricity cuts due to the sub station having problems and it just couldnt cope on christmas day! The turkey was in the oven but i resisted the urge to open it and when the electric came back on i cooked it for another hour (it probably was actually done as it only needed another 25 mins when the electric first went off). By the time it came out of the oven it looked all sunken and was very dry so we had LOTS and i mean LOTS of gravy with it. It was really wierd having no telly, no music, no internet, the family had to actually talk to each other! I think it was good as we really appreciated things we take for granted!

I love Christmas! Love preparing Christmas dinner and having all extended family at mine for Christmas.

However, last year I was heavily pregnant and loaded with the cold :( had to wrap presents with the awful glittery paper from tesco. Had glitter everywhere including my hankies lol. I just couldn't be bothered with setting tables, making food etc.and was glad when it was all over.

Back to normal Christmas cheer this year though

Boxing day buffets never really match up. I like to do one for anyone that couldn't come on Christmas Day but everyone is generally tired and not that hungry from Christmas Day

In my head we would all wake up and come down at an early but reasonable hour, all get washed and dressed and then exchange gifts before I start the Christmas Lunch.....

Reality 4.30am wake up for DC, Hungover Grumpy DH moaning about the squeals, realise I forgot to take sausages (For stuffing) and pigs in Blankets our the freezer, then drop the frozen black forest on the floor whilst panicking to remove them, DS pokes DD in the eye, whilst they are getting impatient waiting for DH to get out of the bathroom. Still smiling and biting every inch of my lip whilst trying to restore some order. The rest of the morning went nearly to plan apart from the DC launching sprouts at each other whilst waiting for their Christmas Lunch! Honestly Ive never finished two bottles of Bucks fizz before 12 on Christmas Day before!

when me and my sister where little and we both received angel outfits to wear that made us look so daft

when I had my first baby, he was about eight months at christmas and i bought him so many presents, however all he was interested in were the boxes and then we all got sick with S & D. it was one of the worst christmases.