So, before we all forget, share your Christmas tips ready for next year!

Roll up a newspaper and wind Christmas lights round it, taping the ends to the paper. Stops the dreaded untangling each year!

Hibernate

Arrange for DD1 to host next year. Yes!

Get out of the house as much as possible.

Even if you are planning to eat out or go away, make sure you have something in the house you can cook just in case you don’t get away- transport problems, or illness for example.

Not to but snacks/chocolate/ alcohol or make enough mince pies/cake/sausage rolls et al as if all AC still lived at home, and expecting girlfriends/boyfriend and various friends to be turning up unannounced!!!!

I shall not be able to start "healthy eating regime" until 1st February instead of planned 1st January!!!!

Having a small treat stored away is a sensible tip.

I think that next year I will buy some mince pies, and some of that extra thick brandy cream, and maybe even a small sad person Christmas pudding, because the "holier than thou, and that's a few less calories" feeling does NOT compensate for the lack of such yummy things! (Mr P eats neither)

Bad Phoenix, this was supposed to be a thread of sensible tips!

If you are cooking ham/gammon in the slow cooker for dinner, make sure your DH doesn’t switch it off after half an hour.
I didn’t notice for hours, it produced the first cross words of Christmas.??

I use the 'leaving things by the door' trick but is somebody's law says that that tidiest person one knows will turn up and be horrified at the state of the hall.

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a topped and tailed roasted parrot!

must have been the parsnips, peeled, parboiled and potatoes that produced the parrots!

Boxmas is something we have used for years, seems to add something to the day!

Parrots? Caribbean twist??

I love 'Boxmas'

My tip - potatoes, parsnips & carrots parboiled then roasted together in one roasting tin. Parsnips & carrots were topped and tailed but not peeled. All roasted perfectly - carrots much nicer this way. For some unknown reason I used to do parrots separately. Sprouts just steamed.

Cooking for only four so easily do-able.

Phoenix its an Eggcellent idea
We have a similar stocking thingy.
We cant actualy switch stockings as DGS have personal stockings
however as I enjoy the traditional christmas stocking 'business',
I make up two bags of identical stocking goodies, all my daughter has to do is to put a bag into each of the xmas stocking without peeking as she enjoys watching the boys open their stockings on Christmas morning.

Ah Smiley4. If you are hosting and catering, they should be jolly glad they are being spoiled and looked after. Ungrateful lot.

Eat at a restaurant. No fuss, and no washing up
I spent too long and got too stressed this year trying to give my difficult family, what they wanted. Eg they all wanted different starters, different deserts, even different meats.
So next year I e decided I’m either going away, or going to a restaurant! ?

Lots of votes for the foil dishes, thank goodness, I worried that some may think I was a money wasting, lazy bissom!

No one, however seems to like my sack switch tip!

Ditto the foil trays and leaving essential items near front door.
If I am having people round I have a notebook where I note how many people I was catering for and how much of each dish I made along with a note of whether it was too little or too much or if something was liked or not. My notebook still includes information about my children's birthday party food and past Christmas dinners. I aim to have a little food left over but not too much.

Foil trays are in use all year round here, makes clearing up oh so easy, even with a dishwasher. We have all sizes, sadly it didn’t occur to me to take any with us to yesterday’s chef - we were washing up .

Phoenix Thank you and a very Happy Boxmas to you

Agree everything lined up in the hall.

This year, I also stuck left over Christmas labels to every item in the fridge that needed to be transported by cool bags to our DD's house.

Dh insists on packing the coolbags and loading the car his way .
So it did mean that at silly 'o' clock Christmas morning we arrived without the dreaded forgotten item as you say Elegran left in the wardrobe or lurking at the back of the fridge.

Agree wholeheartedly, GrannyGravy !(Although not just for family get togethers..........)

Foil trays are a must in the "Gravy" household, at every family gathering involving the oven.

Family get togethers are far too precious to waste time washing up!!!

The foil trays are brill! We are thinking of getting a few in for the ordinary Sunday roasts, as the washing up can be quite daunting. (Probably my fault, I do like to do a good variety of veg )

I agree, kitty, they do need to be within and supported by "proper" oven trays.