Christmas tips

In January each year I start preparing my 'list' , I put it on a large piece of card and tack it inside a wardrobe door. I buy gifts throughout the year and mark each one off on the list so I can see what is left to buy.
That way I don't run the risk of buying three gifts for one person!

I think the Amazon wishlist idea sounds good in theory, but in practice, you might be asked for items that are either impractical or extortionately expensive and have to disappoint the GCs. My MiL once asked my DS, aged 4, what he wanted for Christmas (this was in July!) and he answered that he would like a metal detector (Why?). Fortunately she ignored this and by Christmas he had forgotten the idea. He's 38 now and still hasn't acquired a metal detector!

Annobel - I have a present drawer too, but it gets depleted when we go visiting the family!

The boxes reminds me of what my mother used to do. She'd tell the children that on Boxing Day they had to see if there was a special box anywhere. Of course there was -sometimes on the doorstep. She filled it with the little things that they wouldn't have enjoyed so much alongside their bigger presents on Christmas Day. They all, in their 40s, remember it.

Santa foot prints in fake spray snow has the GC wide eyed when they wander down to see if he has been.

Sigh! Yes, you're right glass. Will get the flipping mixing bowl out tomorrow.

(Still got one left from last year so will only have to make half quantities this time)

Some lovely ideas for Christmas, but I wonder if anyone my age (bus pass arrives in 2 weeks) remembers coal fires and soot! My sister and I used to run downstairs on Christmas morning to see if Father Christmas had left his 'sooty' prints on our plate when he ate the mince pie!!! Mum told us of the mess she used to get into reaching up the chimney to get 'finger prints on the plate. I in turn done the same with my children, and I now do it with my GC, their faces are a real delight to watch.

joanne there is nothing like home made christmas pudding, tried all the shop bought and none comes up to my DD pudding.

When the grandchildren are young (up to about 5 or 6) we have the main Christmas dinner on Boxing Day. Much less stress for adults and little ones and it frees up time to spend with the children. We still have lovely food on The Day, but easier, prepared in advance and not always requiring a table to be laid. Then full bells and whistles on Boxing Day.

Someone remarked to me a couple of years ago that basically Christmas Dinner is just a big Sunday lunch with crackers......keeps it in perspective. You never ever want to be the woman in Waitrose a couple of years ago who had a complete screaming fit when she found we were all out of Organic celeriac....her Christmas was 'ruined'. No doubt it was a camel's back and straw situation but hells teef its just one day and lifes too short.

I also know a lady who abandoned a sit down meal when her children became teenagers and has never gone back. She just does a running buffet. Not my idea of a Christams meal but she (and her family) love it.

Don't feel you have to do everything yourself, delegate, & it doesn't matter if you buy ready made food.

Get a reasonable sized box, (usually an apple box) from the supermarket, for each child. Then on Christmas Eve they decorate it (I usually have bit and bobs of paper, ribbon, old cards, glitter etc. saved up), which gives them something to do. Then on Christmas day they each put their smaller toys/gifts/sweets etc. in their own box as they open them. Then, not only do their things not get muddled up, but they can also take them up to their bedrooms easily, look at all their presents easily, and the lounge stays slightly tidier!! I did this for my DD's and now they do it for their children.

My Tip is to wrap all Christmas presents in brown paper and decorate them with pictures cut from old Christmas magazines and some of last years Christmas cards I havent used for gift tags. I also make felt Christmas ornaments to sell and any left over are attached to the presents as a little extra to decorate their trees next year.

Get all you children to put up an Amazon wishlist, which includes all their children too. For the last three years I have chosen gifts for all my children and grandchildren this way. All are delivered to the door. All I have to do is wrap them and have the extra pleasure of KNOWING that the gifts are wanted or needed.

I have a Christmas drawer. During the year, if I find something that would be ideal for someone I pop it in there. Then in December, I have a look and wonder what was meant for whom!

I always buy christmas cards, wrapping paper and any other present bargains straight after christmas when they are ridiculously cheap in the supermarkets, then tuck them away in the spare bedroom and forget about them. It's always a pleasant surprise to find them ready and waiting when I fish the christmas decorations out the next year.

I peel and prep all vegetables Christmas Eve morning after breakfast.
I then pop them in cold water, bung the lid on and then Christmas Day I only have to turn the hob on.
I also make my rum sauce in advance, make up a White sauce then freeze without the rum. Defrost when needed and add the rum whilst heating.

Great stuffing tip, I never thought to freeze it, marvellous!

If you have a long-ish train journey - like mine to cousin Fred in 2 weeks time- buy your Christmas cards early + write them on the train. Even better- have a good stock of cards still in your cupboard from last year so you only have to buy a few.

My best tip is one someone gave me many years ago. When I am in a blind panic worrying about it all, I try to bring it all down to size and remember that it is just a couple of days or so in a whole year of days and also to remind myself that I always, always get to the other side every year relatively unscathed!

We all know that a big part of Christmas is leaving out a mince pie and a drink for Santa on Christmas eve, you could also get some bird food which you have mixed with a little glitter ( dont let the little ones see you do that). You tell them it is reindeer food and let them sprinkle it on the garden path before they go bed and in the morning with a bit of luck the birds will have eaten the seed leaving behind the glitter which you tell the is magic dust from Santas sleigh

While we are on the subject of Christmas will be having Christmas smileys ?

phoenix putting cryptic messages on the tags sounds like a good idea and as you say not for the smalls but would they stop to look at the gift tag let alone read any message on it, they would be too busy ripping off the paper

Annika, the old Christmas cards are used here too, especially as they usually give more room for the cryptic messages!

(PS, these are reserved for dh, the dc's and any other grown up or teenage recipients, not the smalls)