Christmas tips

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.

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

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.

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)

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

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.

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!

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!

Disposable baking tins for the spuds etc. just for this one day a year and not that expensive, but helps make short work of the dishes.

Some great hints, keep them coming please!

I find making mince-pies ahead of The Season very helpful. Make the mincepies as usual; place in the greased baking patty tins and put the tins in the freezer for a couple of hours. Remove pies from the tins and keep in a bag in the freezer. When needed, you can pull out a dozen or so, put them back in the tins, brush with milk and cook as usual, from frozen, maybe cooking a couple of minutes longer than usual. Result - home made mincepies, freshly cooked, less hassle.

Joanna I;m with you.Unless you really enjoy the process buy a pud at M and S
Also I always order the Christmas food inc. turkey at M and S Their food order
book is out now.
My daughter and I buy cards wrapping paper and crackers in the sales after
Christmas.
Asda had lots of different wines on offer this week Different varieties of fizz
and Cava for £5 excellent for Christmas

For extra fridge space, we use the 'flatpack' cheap zipped-up-over-a-frame greenhouse as a booze fridge ... it's perfect in the garage, doesn't freeze up, but provides nice cold beers (you can tell we're from the southern hemisphere). in fact anything that needs to stay nice and cold can go in there.

Here's another tip: my mother taught me to store food in glass containers in the fridge (never plastic) because glass provides a 'fridge within a fridge' she'd say. So true! Food lasts so much better in glass - cold meats etc. And no transfer of colours or smells. Recycled glass jam jars are perfect for left overs.

Best Christmas tip I ever had was that ' Christmas is a season - not just one day'. Taking this view removes the stress of packing everything into one day, of trying to eat all the Christmas foods together at one meal, of trying to gather and accomodate a scattered family in the same place at the same time, of having over tired and over excited children.

Being Scottish, we also include the New Year celebrations in our 'Season' so have several small and medium sized get togethers and plenty 'time off' to chill as well.

I make mince pies and sausage rolls with fresh ready made pastry and freeze them before cooking (if you grease the mince pie tins well they will pop out easily when frozen, or ease them out with a knife), I can then take them out of the freezer and cook them as I need them. There are always some left for later in the year and no need to throw unused ones away.
I love the idea of the decorated boxes nanapug - will certainly try that.

Grandchildren love to be in their own home on Christmas morning so we buy pudding and crackers, turn up with the presents and then play with GC and their toys while daughter and son-in-law make dinner. Brilliant.

Over the year I keep my eyes open for Christmas or glitzy fabrics, remnant stalls, store sales in January and party dresses in charity shops are all good sources. One autumn evening, well before the Christmas rush, I make different size bags from the fabric - then at Christmas time I just pop my gifts inside a bag, tie with fancy ribbons and add a name tag. It's so easy, no more fiddling with difficult shaped presents, they look spectacular under the tree, everyone loves the bags especially children and of course they are recycled for years.

Thanks, bama2U. What a lovely idea and one which even I could adopt, despite going into a cold sweat at the sight of a needle and thread.

I am inspired by your tip bama2U. What an easy idea - I enjoy wrapping the first present then it becomes a chore. I'm going to use this one - thanks!

Love DivaWA's idea of the list and crossing things off - we have the 'gifts' box where if I see anything I feel would be great for a present I store away until needed. Although I usually have someone in mind when I buy things I never have actually made a note that I have them - divas idea would help with that!

I am feeling sooooooo smug today - we support a family out in Moldova and every year we send three boxes on the Christmas lorry - one with clothes for each family member, the second with presents for each family member and the third with tinned food, pasta etc (non-perishables) and sweets for the children. We delivered our boxes to the depot today and it's not even November!

Am planning now to get the other presents sorted while I am in the mood!
Don't stop me now !!!!!! (Wish they did a smug emoticon!)

I have a Christmas planner book - room for present choices, individual pages for everyone I buy for, card list, notebook for ideas..........everything I can think of. It's my third year of using it..........it has space for 5 or 6 years I think. The good thing is that I can see what I bought for people last year and not repeat.............it works for me

Wow jogginggirl - well done - and I thought I was organised!

I am full of admiration for the organisational skill of my fellow Gransnetters - something I must admit I totally lack. But... but... is Christmas meant to be a challenge? a chore? Because that's what it seems to have become since I was a child. Just throwing this into the mix!