Christmas tips

My previous post was a story not a tip!
Sorry!

My tip for pre-Christmas fun with the family is to make a cauldron of soup, bake or buy some lovely bread, get the mince pies and YuleLog ready, make some mulled wine and have a family and friends get-together to gather the makings of Yule wreaths and decorations.

We set out wrapped up warm with secateurs and baskets at the ready to gather Holly and Ivy and any other greenery that we spot. It is such a Blessing to be out in the fresh air and is a lovely beginning to the celebrations.

We sing and talk with the children about the old days, about why a Mid-Winter celebration is important, about how lucky we are.

We are really competitive about our wreaths and the house is full of leaves and bits but it is such a great celebration.

As Pagans DP and I are reticent about our beliefs but our Yule celebration is very special to us.

You'll probably all be shocked at my family's solution to the Christmas stress of accommodating all the traditions of different families.

For years everyone came to me, including my dear loved but very awkward aging and infirm mother, the son-in-law who likes nothing I cook, (I am an great cook , any waifs and strays. Everyone had their own ideas of how it should be, when the prezzies are opened, what to eat, when to eat it and on and on. Stress levels were high and even though we had fun it wasn't good for my DD and family as they had to visit DSiL's family too and there are only so many hours in a day. No-one was really happy.

So since my mother's death DP and I go away to a lovely cottage in the centre of our Dream Town. We shop locally at the organic shops and framers market. We cook our Mushroom and Chestnut en Croute and peel all the veggies on Christmas Eve. We walk through beautiful countryside on Christmas morning, call at the pub for a drink in front of a roaring fire before Christmas lunch in all its glory.

When we get home we have Christmas at our house, a huge meal, everyone opens their presents, the children aren't overwhelmed. it is really great.

My stomach no longer tightens at the thought of pleasing everyone as I know that everyone is pleased and happy. It's not everyone's ideal solution but it works for us, especially as various friends and family come to visit us in our Dream Town.

My daughter and I do the majority of our Christmas shopping during Boots' Loyalty points events.These events offer £12 worth of points for every £50 spent in store. This includes all the 3 for 2 deals.
They have a huge selection to choose from, including toys and gifts and we get so many presents free that it is now our first port of call. In one day shopping (in one store) we have done the majority of our Christmas present shopping already. Can't be bad!

Sorry dizzy - I can't even spell tonight - and I had "previewed " the post too...

dissyblonde - if you've just made all those Christmas goodies for the freezer you certainly don't live up to your name. You put most of us to shame

lucid - lovely idea about the wrapped sweets but I think our new rescue dog would find them first!

Buy a tin of wrapped sweets and use them to decorate your Christmas tree. Tie to the tree with some brightly coloured cotton, the GCs will love searching the tree for the treats (if you can keep your hands off them!)
If you run out of clips to hang baubles use paper clips - just carefully unfold them so that you have a hook at each end.
Hang your cards from lengths of ribbon..pin up one end and let it hang then, using paper clips or pegs, attach the cards. They look lovely if you use different lengths and colours of ribbon. Also a good use for those bits of wrapping ribbon that are too short to wrap around a present.
I also make cranberry sauce, mince pies and sausage rolls well in advance and store in the freezer.
Have fun and be flexible....you can't enjoy Christmas and neither can your family if you're stressed out.

I cook my christmas pudding in the slow cooker. It means I'm not confined to the house whilst it cooks. I also reheat it on Christmas day in it as it saves hob space.
Just made stuffing, cranberry sauce, bread sauce and red cabbage to go in the freezer as I don't know yet if I'm working and have 13 for Christmas lunch.

It's coming up to Bonfire Night and I've bought a nice pumpkin but it's for Christmas. I make Pumpkin Soup (recipe already on site) and freeze it for a meal at Christmas. We either have it with some lovely bread as a lunch or as a starter to a 3 course meal. Either way, it's delicious.

I always write a cooking/preparing schedule with nominated people doing designated tasks on it such as preparing drinks and nibbles, laying the table, helping with serving, serving the wine, "weeing the kids", whipping the cream etc etc. It means that I can just get on with my jobs knowing everything is done. It works well

It's your Christmas too, take any help going, spend it with people you like (if you can), concentrate on enjoying yourself instead of worrying about other people for a change.

I like to make sure all the prezzie's for little one's are in order and ofcourse for my DCs' specially DD as she is still classed as The Princess in DHs eye's and she laps up the attention from everyone,(stroppy is what I call it )but apart from that if I forget anything on the day it's hard luck the world will not end and it will not spoil the day.

Step-by-step guides are scary. Too many of them get published. Makes people anxious.

Just get up and do it.

Too much importance can be attached to getting things "right".

Cancel it. No, only joking!

Don't go overboard. We don't spend a lot of money on the kids at Christmas - they get the big stuff, bikes, scooters, climbing frames etc for their birthdays.

It's only one day - you don't have to lay in enough food for a siege. Don't buy tins and tins of chocs and biscuits etc because you'll be sick to death of them by the week after New Year.

Keep things in perspective. Think what Christmas was like when you were kids. Was it simpler? Did you enjoy it less?

We try and be mindful of what Christmas is about - we're not a very religious family but we do try and go to church at least once over Christmas week.

For a money saving Christmas, save last years christmas cards and cut them up as gift tags , they can look very pretty.
Buy basics gift wrap and make it look expensive with ribbons or tissue paper flowers.
Fill gift boxes with homemade biscuits for a lovely cost saving gift for friends and neighbours.
Enjoy the day and dont let it cost a lot, children will value your time more than any gift so have a fsmily day with loads of games and family activities.

HildaW I also work at Waitrose as a 'picker', internet shopper to everyone else. Last year we had a lady doing her nut because we'd sold out of Heston's Xmas Pud. and she bought it later on Ebay for £600!!! We also get shoppers who arrive half an hour before closing and being more then a little annoyed that we've sold out of sprouts,parsnips and potatos. I bet we could write a whole coloumn about the daftness of Xmas shoppers.
Me I go to my son and his wife - I help of course as I make the cake and 2 Xmas Puds -but they know I'm so fed up with Xmas by then that I can't bear the thought of it

OMG! It's only ONE DAY!

See I told you in other threads I was feeling grumpy today - it's the WITCH in me!!

Be Organised, Be Prepared and Enjoy yourself!

notso I usually save my Tesco points over the year and use them for my Christmas shop, but this year as Asda is closer we have been saving £5.00 a week on the Christmas gift card when we do our shopping for the last few months, it eases that big shop.

That's why I collect Tesco savings stamps all year Funky. I use them for all the boring staples that are still needed over the festive season (plus the odd bottle of Baileys or Port ) freeing up cash to spend elsewhere on Christmas goodies.

It's a great idea to spread present buying throughout the year but I always found that by Christmas, my toy choice was now deemed "uncool", someone had become allergic to that perfume I bought or a hobby had fallen by the wayside. Instead, I spread buying my staples for November and December (cleaning products, loo rolls, pet food etc and, nearer the time, items like freezer food, stock cubes, rice and pasta, etc). That way, I can use my grocery budget to buy presents that will be appreciated without overspending.

Plan, plan, plan and plan some more! This is a 3 step process...
1. Think about what you can really do. Don't take on more than you need to (or want to), it won't gain anything in the long run.
2. Think about when it needs doing. Spread jobs out over the weeks up to Christmas - a surprising amount can be done now. This allows you to programme in some time off to enjoy the fruits of your labour!
3. Actually do it. First you need to remember about each job - I put them in my diary for the relevant week so I see them when I turn the page & don't just forget. The actual "do"ing is sometimes the easiest bit!

Having your christmas dinner on christmas eve means that you can spend all of christmas day with loved ones, preparing a buffet type meal later in the evening. It's worked well for us, for many a year and my children are following suit with their own families.

Nanaplug, this is brilliant. Even the 22 month old can have his own gift box. I noticed the supermarket had piled some boxes up to take away instead of throwing them out so I will get and decorate with bright paper and cut out cards. They can use them to take home their gifts too.