Christmas 2023

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

I'm spending Xmas eve and morning alone, so any tips to make it less miserable would be appreciated please

Omg, this is my dream! Have a lie in, get your favourite takeaway and watch trash TV or favourite movies. I would also read and eat a load of junk

 

[HoGi]

My sister keeps asking who is hosting Xmas this year (she's been asking since January ) as I normally host (bigger house - not a brag just more practical) and they want to host this year.

I sound like a brat but I really don't want them to host Xmas. To me Xmas Dinner is such a big thing and her husband is a great cook but he is totally style over substance. Their dining table is in an unheated conservatory and they only have 1 oven (we like 2 meats so isnt easy with a single oven). When they hosted Easter last year the food looked great but was cold. We had purple carrots and cavelo nero etc. All nice stuff but it's not a traditional Xmas/easter dinner.

Also they never have a roast dinner during the year. Whereas me and the husband have them every other week, so we are dab hands at a roast.

We stayed at theirs last weekend and he burnt a bagel when making breakfast and it was this huge disaster. So God forbid something goes wrong with Xmas dinner.

 

[kelly123]

Morrisons had tubs of quality street, heroes, etc 2 for £7. I'm going to stock up next week.

I do this and ‘put them away for Christmas’ then boom - come December I’ve probably polished off six tins

 

[heretoreaditall2019]

You can do the same sort of thing at your own pace for half the price.

Yes!! This is the other part, feeling like cattle just being churned through a process at their timings doesn’t really appeal either.

Can’t help but wonder if lot of it is just competitive parenting driven by social media? Like in normal times/the real world you can get a ten course tasting menu from a Michelin star restaurant for ~£150. Admittedly sans drinks and ex-London! But how in the month of December does that same £150 buy you a grubby seat on a decommissioned train with tea from one of those church kitchen huge metal tankers and a fox’s biscuit*? It’s mad.

*don’t get me wrong love both those things at a play group that didn’t cost three figures!

 

[Shesaidwhat?]

I'm waiting at the airport to get out of this blistering heat and back home to Movies24 Christmas in July, cannot wait
We're over halfway now boys

Funny you should say that just seen this. Feel free to fight over my share of the mince pies though

 

[beautyblogger123]

I'm spending Xmas eve and morning alone, so any tips to make it less miserable would be appreciated please

If you can, treat yourself. Run a bath, pop on a facemask and load a few movies or tv shows you love. If it's economically feesible, why not book in for a night at a lovely hotel? I did it a couple of years back and had a Christmas Day massage which was heavenly.

 

[coconochanel]

Ive decide to have my Christmas in Aug day this bank holiday Monday.

 

[Padparadascha]

Anyone Irish here?
Myself and some friends throw money monthly into a revolut vault during the year. We usually plan a good night out on the 6th January for Nollaig na mBán. This year we upped it to 20 quid a month which should cover an overnight spa deal in a hotel.

I started Christmas shopping today, I used to be a last minute person but a Christmas Eve running around with a bawling baby in sideways rain trying to get all the presents cured us both so now we prepare early so that we can be smug bastards sitting in getting sozzled on mulled wine on the 24th.

Our rule ever since the baby was born (he's a big fella now) was Christmas day we stay put. People are welcome to come to us, or we'll visit them at any point they want over the entire season but that day is ours at home. I saw my brother run ragged every year alternating going to grandparents and his kids never had a Christmas morning in their own home so he had me warned when I was expecting to start as I mean to go on and I did!

 

[Shesaidwhat?]

I’m seriously tempted to buy this for the tree

 

[Shesaidwhat?]

Think the guy in Argos thought I was mad! Gave him my collection details and he was like riiiiight so this is for....4 Christmas trees?!?!?!

Doesn’t he know there’s only 19 weeks to go?

 

[Silverback]

Now my kids are teenagers I look back on how much I used to spend on them at Xmas and baulk- I mean I didn’t go over £200 each but a lot of the stuff was kind of not used a few months later. Some random examples include t shirts that you could write on and it would light up in the dark and a magic set that got used once.

Things that always were worth it were games consoles (very occasional present but there was always mega excitement about the PS5 or Switch opening), Lego, pyjamas and clothes.

Also, you don’t have to spend mega bucks on events in December to make lovely memories. We do lots of baking- just simple stuff- together, and go and choose a few new decorations each year in London and enjoy the beautiful lights.

 

[FenellaTheWitch]

Fortnums is my favourite Christmas Shop of the London lot - although strikes last year meant I couldn't get there until nearly xmas so most was gone

I have bought Fortnums condiments before for the Christmas table eg Fortnums cranberry sauce, chutney for cheese etc All left in the jar on the table obvs so everyone knows were it's comes from.

 

[Thank(space)you]

I'm spending Xmas eve and morning alone, so any tips to make it less miserable would be appreciated please

 

[fudgebox]

Hellooo joining the thread! I absolutely love Christmas it’s my fave I cannot stand summer! Last year was so hectic for me in work I could barely even be bothered about Christmas or decorating because I was so exhausted, but this year I’m due our baby in December so I’ll be off work and hopefully will be able to enjoy the run up to Christmas a bit more
Last year my brothers their partners and us all decided not to buy for each other but to buy for the kids and dogs instead so I’ve started putting money aside ready!

Can’t wait to have our baby and start Christmassy traditions

 

[dxo]

This thread makes me soooo excited so i'm jumping in. So glad it's not just me that wants to buy myself little presents this year. I always ask people to ask me what i'd like to save on wasting money and no one ever listens. I hate to sound ungrateful but when I have to donate my gifts every year it makes me so sad :/. I'm already in planning mode. I'm hosting I think this year and i'm hoping to have my new fireplace soon too .

 

[ATV2021]

Yay CHRISTMAS. I put a 6 month countdown on my stories on the 25th and got told to F off a few times. Negative people

My xmas shopping is 99.9% done as only foodie bits to add. I do Park Christmas saving then buy alot on boxing day/Jan sales & throughout year as I spot things with that gift card. Also save my Topcashback & surveys for Amazon/Love2shop vouchers. (Get all cards, paper boxing day too lol) and then I record everything in my xmas planner book I'm such a loser but I love it.

Looking forward to wreath making, grotto trip with Godson and mulled wine times. And spending 100 years putting up my tree lol

 

[ATV2021]

We’ve gone out for Christmas Day lunch for the past 8 years, mainly as none of us have a house large enough to host It can be a bit rushed in the earlier slots, carvery one year was bleak and the Indian restaurant another year was great for those who chose Indian food, microwaved mush for those who braved roast dinner! I’d agree with above to choose either an independent pub or a smaller chain like vintage inns, they usually hover around £75 per person and are pretty decent, just make sure to leave a cash tip for those people working on Christmas Day

I worked at a Vintage Inns & did xmas day - all tips are split across the entire team (which did annoy us waiting crew because the bar staff did sweet FA!). I had a few "secret handshakes" off customers that day with like a wink so I hid those in my bra

 

[Carefree]

Not everyones cup of tea but I'd actually love xmas alone. Get loads of booze and nice bits in from M&S. Sit with my feet up in front of the tv whilst also admiring my tree and browsing tattle. Cook something nice but easy like lasagne. But apparently it's anti social and my family get offended when i suggest I don't visit. But then I'm not close to my family, and only have a small one, and see them most weeks anyway

My brother's ex used to despair that I didn't want to come round to hers or her family's for Christmas dinner or the pub or anything other than vegging out in my PJs and getting merry alone. But I've been in big dinners and never felt more lonely.

Men that I've seen are few and far between so why put up with someone else's family for some dry turkey and cold spuds? At least on my own, no one makes me watch the inbred crew speech or other such nonsense. Plus the remote control is mine, all mine.

Bring on the heavily soaked trifle and mince pies, at this point. Anything but false bonhomie and gritting my teeth through other people's awful politics and opinions.

 

[Airysairy]

The John Lewis Christmas shop is up and running!

I always love looking at the themes (even if they are broadly similar each year). My favourite one this year is Royal Fairytale - blue and gold and red, with dragons! I nearly put a crowned goose ornament in my online basket before realising it cost £22...

 

[Happy Lady]

Fab, my kind of thread. I love the run up to Christmas. Bake my cake in October, write cards in November, buy prezzies all year . I enjoy wrapping them and seeing happy faces when they open their gifts. I also enjoy the get-togethers that all seem to be arranged during December too.

PS: I love summer too