Christmas 09 Debrief...what to do different next year?

[AnyDream]

How did your Christmas logistics go this year? What mental notes have you made to do things differently next year? (Planning to revisit this thread in Nov of next year)!

For me -
I will choose my colour theme much earlier and *after* seeing what's in the shops.

I'm planning to make better use of online shopping and in particular some charity sites - esp for family members - rather than leaving it all to the last minute and trawling around on foot.

I'm going to buy the premium cherries instead of the cheap ones, and remember to order a ham!!!

I will shop for the girl's christmas dresses at the start of the summer season and not leave it until Dec.

I'm going to make my own rum balls or white christmas and if I don't I'll be sure to buy 2 packets of the shop-bought ones...one isn't enough with several lots of visitors.

[*LovemyKids*]

Great idea!!

I will NOT be having christmas at my house so that DH family can sit on their BUTTS and watch me do EVERYTHING. Cant even put their own rubbish in the bin, just leave it all over the table and I will do it all for them!!!!!!!!!!

I WILL be sitting on my BUTT and doin NOTHING at DH family house!!!! next christmas!!!

I WILL NOT be buying MIL anything special next year as anything we get her is NEVER good enough!!!! SOAP it is!!!!

I will not be supplying food, drinks, towels, togs, suncream for IL's. Even though they know we have a pool and clearly you would think they would bring their own stuff!!!!

OOOPPPPSSS Sorry about that it was a bit of a vent but these are the thing that I will DEFINITLY will NOT be doing next year!!!!!

Hope eveyone had a great christmas!!!

[Trillian]

ICK Nikki! Even right down to the togs? That is the laziest thing they could have done

[Tinks]

Next year I won't be going to the IL's house. We'll have Christmas lunch here and if they want to come they are more than welcome to.

[Fleur]

I will start my Christmas shopping in February
No seriously... I always leave it till the last minute & stress out & spend too much & have to send parcels express post.. not next year!!

I will plan Christmas lunch a little earlier than that week - not that it was bad, everything was good, but I bought waaaay too much cause I didn't really know what I was doing.

I will NOT be sitting up until 1am wrapping. I will wrap as I buy, or at least throughout the week or two before.

umm... so basically, I will be organised

ETA - it's not my fault, really. I am sure this year was on fast forward, or Christmas came early, or something....

[BekZ]

I will be putting money away regularly for Christmas as of our next pay.

[AnyDream]

Oh yeah, and I'll get my chrissy card labels printed early instead of waiting until the 11th hour and then having a total printing stuff-up and then not sending any cards at all because I can't stand the hand cramp involved in writing all the envelopes

Gosh Nikki, those ILs are slack!

Bekz - great idea - avoid the ouch factor.

[maz]

I will be putting money away regularly for Christmas as of our next pay.

I will be doing this aswell cause I have car rego and council rates bothe due early January.

I WONT be making enough food to feed an army

I WONT leave sending my christmas cards until the last moment (try the 23rd )

I DONT wnat to eat bloody chinese christmas eve cause my parents like it

I WILL be taking the ham out of the freezer 1 day before I need it.

AS a family we will be supporting a child from a 3rd world country and sending gifts not just for them but their whole family

[Spring Angel]

I'll be prepared and not be still doing present shopping at 8 1/2 months pregnant (lol).

[AngelPunks]

Next year will be totally different. New home and new life.

[Astrid]

Definitely good thread, as I have already been thinking about this

We will get the ham from the local smokehouse that does it themselves, rather than the butcher. Even though properly smoked it still had additives.
We will be getting a fresh free range turkey and roasting it ourselves. Have struggled to get proper smoked turkey breast down here.
For the dishes DH makes, he will be given the money and sent to the shop himself, I will not be responsible for his stuff again as he gives me half arsed info so I am destined to stuff it up.
We will be making our own pudding as we are no longer near the lovely man that made fantastic ones.
I will be putting Christmas money aside in the house instead of with the bill money, as we spent way to much bill money this year.
DH will be given the choice - a hotel room on Christmas day or a day with his family that does not involve him sleeping on the couch and watching Mythbusters.

[~Hestia~]

Hopefully not get sick Christmas Eve!!

[Rouge]

I don't think I'd change anything. Apart from the fact the kids got gastro the week before thanks to a Kinder break up party... noice.

OH I know. I'd take more photo's. I didn't get one photo of my gorgeous red, white & silver table. I didn't get one photo of the buffet of gorgeous food and snacks I prepared. I didn't get one photo of my DD belting out some awesome tunes on Band Hero... but I have all the memories in my head

I had a chuckle Nikki at yours, I LOVED waiting hand on foot for my family and friends, and yep I was on my feet from 9 am till 7pm but that was WORTH every second. Seeing how happy they were, seeing the empty plates and the full bellies. The mess that took us nearly 2 days to recover from. For me Christmas is all about making other's happy and seeing them happy was wonderful. And funnily this was the first year I didn't stress out. I just took every knock and bump as it came and worked with it or around it. I have no idea where I pulled my zen from but I hope it comes around next year!

[fionas]

Mental note to self: hiring a house for a few days over Christmas to escape our mid-renovation disaster house is WORTH EVERY CENT. Just what we needed.

Going to ILs for lunch was quite nice as was leaving before dinner without having a blue with DP about it.

[Glamourcide]

Two words: PLASTIC. PLATES.
And cutlery, and cups. And paper tablecloths. And whatever other disposable items I can get!

And I think, in future, present-opening morning and Christmas lunch feast will be done here, then I say I force my lazy mother into the kitchen and we'll go over there for dinner rather than them ducking out after lunch to leave me to the cleaning, then coming back at 6pm after having a nap (while I've been cleaning and running around after children all afternoon, having been up since 6am and cooking since 9:30am), and watching me cook them dinner because I'm still too stuffed from lunch to eat