Christmas tips

Our wee postie is a gem. He never lets us down with deliveries of parcels etc, leaving them in a pre-arranged place, or letting his colleagues know where to leave things for us if he's not going to be around. So, Jockie gets a tenner in his card from us at Christmas. The binmen are 4 to a lorry so they get a 4-pack of beer because they're not always the same crew all the time. They're the only ones, really. My hairdresser has her own business, and she does my hair, so I don't normally tip her, but at Christmas, if I have an appointment just before, I give her a wee bit more and tell her to buy her little girls some sweets!

No I don't tip binmen [they come at 5.45 in the morning one week and around lunchtime the next] because it's never the same crew. Same with the postman - they change with the wind and never come at the same time. I don't tip my hairdresser during the year but give her a small sum with a Christmas card on my last visit before Christmas. No, the only people I tip are taxi drivers - when I use them and occasionally in a restaurant for good service or when I'm with a crowd and we decide to include a tip. My mother always tipped everyone including the paper boy. Those were the days!! Noone tips me either!

Postie and binmen can share special offer on bottles of wine 3 for £10.00 one bottle for each of them and the odd bottle for my wine rack !! sorted.

If I can catch my postie I will certainly give him a Christmas box. If I am out, he always leaves my mail where I want him to leave it and has taken to coming to the back door because he knows I'll be in the back of the house at breakfast time. Best postie I've ever had.

My milkman would get a tip if he put the plastic container I leave out every day on the milk bottle to stop the birds pecking the top off. He doesn't so he doesn't. Don't know the binmen and, as they've taking to inspecting our bins weekly in case we've put something wrong in them they wouldn't get a tip..although it's a thankless task and I'm sure they feel bad about doing it. But my posties get £5 each because they're the best posties in the world and they really go out of their way to be helpful.

No, never see my binmen, and the postman is different every couple of weeks. Long ago, we always had the cost of a pint each for the gang of binmen or the postman ready by the front door if they should knock. We put it in an envelope with their Christmas card.

Can I please reincarnate this thread and go off in a different direction asking fellow GNetters if they tip bin men, postmen, milkmen etc and if so what is now considered to be the "going rate"

Just had the chance this year to do all my own baking . The cakes ready with a half bottle of Brandy in it just needs to be iced. Sausage rolls, cupcakes, pies for the Boxing Day party in the freezer.Just the mince pies and quiches to do in the next few weeks.Hope the freezer will be able to take the strain.
At least I know what's gone into everything .

gma........lor, you've reminded me of my ex-MIL she cooked everything either in a really ancient pressure cooker of a chip pan, if it didn't go in one it went in the other!!!

A certain member of my family needs no encouragement to fart er...break wind and his partner, with my full agreement, bans sprouts.

I really like them and we've already had several helpings already this year, sorry to everyone who hates them

Aaargh! What's so great about sprouts that they are obligatory at Christmas?

Sorry Hilda W but you really must get your sprouts on-tonight if possible-in a very slow cooker. Mine have been simmering for several days now, the house smells delightful, but they have still not turned mushy-long way to go yet!! (PS I hate sprouts with a vengance)

Is it too early to put the sprouts on?

start preparations as early as possible

Dont try to be superhuman!! Plan, start shopping early, and accept that some shop bought goods are as good as your own! Also I am learning to accept offers of help with a smile, the kids now each bring something to the day, and we all have more time to sit together and enjoy the kids.

Thank you Gilly70, sounds fun. Will definitely do it and will think of you!! x

Treat Christmas day dinner just like any other Sunday dinner, we all end up throwing so much uneaten food away. Any left overs could be served in sandwiches in the evening.

I have tried using the spare room, but as soon as I get it nicely piled up with plastic carrier bags of this and that, and the bed covered in stuff, DD1 announces that they will be up tomorrow for a weekend, it all gets stashed away hurriedly and I can't find anything for weeks.

Then I put a table in the (very small) conservatory, but I can't sit there owing to the clothes horse full of damp laundry, the plants brought in from the greenhouse, the painting easel (actually an Ikea trestle with a board fixed on it), the three comfortable old chairs, the welly boots and the rolled-up rugs to throw down when my brother visits with the dog. Oh and the ironing board, but that spends most of its time folded up and leaning against the wall.

The craftroom is such a great idea - I have a similar room that just needs a Velux window, and I could sit up there reading or crafting, with a view over the wood behind my cottage. Must save up and do it next year.

Here is Joanna Gosling in her craftroom.
www.telegraph.co.uk/property/interiorsandshopping/8874222/My-space-Joanna-Gosling-newsreader.html

Hello Nanapug, glad you liked the 'pass the parcel' game idea. My GC are 17&11, but they are used to Nannas games & it is all part of our Christmas & Boxing Day together. When they were younger one of the forfeits would be a small bag of dressing up bits & pieces, lipstick,hair clip,ribbon,clip on earrings etc & they had to choose their favourite person to dress up, it was usually Dad! Much to his delight, not! This was my GD's favourite & it was always included in some form. We ended up with the last present being box of chocs to hand round to everyone.. As they are older now, I include more card games, we have a very old cardgame called 'Wot' that is an old favourite. I keep an eye out in the run up to Xmas for small gifts to put in & make sure everyone gets a small gift as well as a forfeit. It is a good game to play on Boxing Day, I try to make the parcel as huge as possible, with lots of padding, use old wrapping paper, or crepe paper and finish off with big glitzy bow! You need someone to be in charge of music, to stop & start randomly. My SL tries to get this job to get out of playing! Good luck! It is great fun and we do enjoy it.

My daughter gave me a brilliant idea this year. She's bought some personalised chocolate bars and is going to give them to neighbours, her doctor and the man who delivers the paper instead of a card!

It's a great idea, and means you don't have to get a separate gift as the bar is a card and gift combined! She found me one for my vet too, as we've had a tough year with our dog, she's been brilliant. I will find out where she gets them and let you all know!

I thought it was rather a good tip actually, Earthynana.