What I will do differently next Christmas

Wilma I agree with th idea of cutting down on the little "oddment" presents.
What I must do is to replan my catering for me and him, (just us on Christmas and boxing day) and only two days when DD and family come.
I am left with mountains of cheese which we do not get an occaision to eat.

It would have helped a lot if OH had not taken it into his head to buy another dozen mince pies and a panatone. We just do not need all this cake and fancy cheese for snacking on.

I agree with the not buying so much food. Apart from that I would not change the Christmas we have just had. Saw both DSs and families, briefly on Chiritmas day. Dinner was DH and I, lovely and relaxed. On Boxing Day everyone came to us.

x

Christmas was unexpectedly lovely this year but I was ready for it to be 'over' days ago, and I'm sick of eating Christmas food in it's various incarnations. Can't wait for tomorrow ie a 'norma'l day.

Freeze the cheese nelliemoser especially the hard cheese. You will be able to make very superior macaroni cheese/cauliflower cheese/broccoli and blue cheese(it doesn't have to be Stilton) soup and it will not go to waste!

MammaN that's awful!

I fear I might have gone OTT with some presents e.g. for the DDs' MILs. Because I had bought some "big" presents from L'Occitane, I had the opportunity to buy 3more little make-up bag type wash bags full of travel size products for about half price (about £15 instead on nearly £30) and it seems to have misfired. Nobody sounded very pleased at their present (I would have been!) and I suspect they thought I had set a precedent for a "bigger" present than in previous years I t is so hard to judge it right, I just usually pick something that I think someone will like, not weighing up relative cost etc and if I get a bargain, so much the better! Ah well, home made chutney next year

We did see the Pope

Well that's not too bad a Christmas!

Christmas always used to be lovely at ours with sons and their partners and my Mum and stepdad. Often had daughter in laws family there too. So different now as Mum has passed away (miss her so much!) and stepdad is in his 90's & goes to his family now. Sons have their own homes now & do Christmas there rather than all wanting to come to us so that makes me sad as whole family never seem to get together. We are hugely welcome at either of their homes so that is lovely but I miss the old Christmases. This Christmas DH & I had Christmas on our own which was peaceful and lovely but we have both commented that we probably won't do that again. Miss the family too much. What to do next year? It will be lovely whatever but never the same as it was.