So what would you do differently next Xmas?

SUESMITH_2

everything went really well this year, prob cos i didn't hit the wine until the food was almost ready for serving.

my resolution is to start buying morrisons saver stamps in january rather than september. i managed to get 100quids worth, it took some doing but it was a lovely feeling getting the money off my shopping.

JulieGeorgiana

JulieGeorgiana wrote: »

I will have lower expectations of people and not get upset that when my Mum tells me she wants a 'Real Gift' for her birthday (as opposed to the HM Gifts I slave over)! Or when my sister gives us a card and no gifts (My HM gifts are obviously not good enough for her either)!

I'm off to my MIL now... lets see how they like their HM Gifts (you would think after 2 and a half years they would be used to this by now)!

Just a quick update... I am so happy... I saw what Christmas was about!

My MIL, SIL and Grandfather-In-Law all LOVED they HM Gifts and after 2.5 years still give back to us generously (how lucky are we?)

I got poorly which there with a Migraine and went to bed for 3 hours, and they all looked after me, and then because my Husband was out at a friends, they looked after my son and just all really helped out.

The gifts we got were also more thoughtful and more suited to us then what we've received in previous years!

Monday I celebrated Christmas with my son (he was at his dad's Christmas Day) and he was so unselfish and uncommercialised I was so proud of him!

He just wanted to spend time with us, and we spent the day playing board games, and as my son put it 'spending time as a family because that's what it's all about'

My closest friends HM my gifts, and another bought me something small but she knew I really wanted!

We did get less this year, but we felt it was all so much better as they were such thoughful gifts. We feel so lucky this year

The only bad thing was the gift from my mum, it was so obviously not me... I am pretty sure it was a freebie from somewhere!

Anyone want a gold, fake fur?

twirlypinky

Next year I'm not going to volunteer to cook christmas dinner for eight people in someone elses kitchen!! !!!!!!!!

I'm going to remember to check BOTH ends of the bird for giblets, as i cooked a bag of them for two hours! Luckily i realised when i took the bird out to baste it, and whipped them out, and filled the gap with stuffing... the perfect crime. Only my sister knows and is under total pain of death to keep her mouth shut! The last think i need is my mother finding out, she would NEVER let it go!

Spend all year thinking up thoughtful gifts for h2b, as he always gets me such lovely things with little or no direction from me, and my main gift to him this year was an electric toothbrush!

Spend more time at home just the two of us. We were out all evening Christmas eve and didn't arrive back to our own house until Monday, we missed it!

McFilly

This year I spent too much on detail that didn't get appreciated .. Next year it wont be happening.. full stop.LOL

3KIDSNOMONEY

I am going to put more thought into presents, buy earlier in the year and not let disappointing family make me feel down.

Quick question - a relative only buys for my youngest child (christmas and birthdays) and not my older 3, they have a child the same age and a baby and I buy for both for christmas and birthdays. To me you buy for all (or at least send cards) or for none. Not sure what to do next xmas.

Eenymeeny

3KIDSNOMONEY wrote: »

I am going to put more thought into presents, buy earlier in the year and not let disappointing family make me feel down.

Quick question - a relative only buys for my youngest child (christmas and birthdays) and not my older 3, they have a child the same age and a baby and I buy for both for christmas and birthdays. To me you buy for all (or at least send cards) or for none. Not sure what to do next xmas.

Seems strange behaviour and I agree with you, either buy for all or none at all. Maybe they are struggling with the cost of Christmas like a lot of others? We agreed in our family years ago to just send a card from one family to the other. Makes life much simpler and I'm sure that it is as much of a relief to my brothers and sisters as it is to me. (They can use the money they would have spent on my family to buy something for their kids that they really want, where I could only hazard a guess) Maybe you could discuss it with them now before the year starts with another round of birthdays? At least it would save the worrying of what to do and when.:)

Gingerbiscuit_2

3KIDSNOMONEY wrote: »

I am going to put more thought into presents, buy earlier in the year and not let disappointing family make me feel down.

Quick question - a relative only buys for my youngest child (christmas and birthdays) and not my older 3, they have a child the same age and a baby and I buy for both for christmas and birthdays. To me you buy for all (or at least send cards) or for none. Not sure what to do next xmas.

Maybe you could start doing the same? And only give to the youngest? Or at Christmas just buy a family gift, dvd or game maybe for them all to share?

DaisyFlower

I want to have everything wrapped by the end of November and delivered by 2nd week December, two years running one of us has been ill and everything then turns into hard work.

I also will not rely on Thorntons for my chocs to go with gifts due to the dreadful service - will stick to Tescos.

Primrose

Eenymeeny wrote: »

Seems strange behaviour and I agree with you, either buy for all or none at all. Maybe they are struggling with the cost of Christmas like a lot of others? We agreed in our family years ago to just send a card from one family to the other. Makes life much simpler and I'm sure that it is as much of a relief to my brothers and sisters as it is to me. (They can use the money they would have spent on my family to buy something for their kids that they really want, where I could only hazard a guess) Maybe you could discuss it with them now before the year starts with another round of birthdays? At least it would save the worrying of what to do and when.:)

I think a lot of families are going to be struggling with the problem of birthday & Christmas presents for relatives this year, especially when they have their own immediate children to cater for. It was a great relief in our wider family two or three years ago when I suggested it was time to call a halt. Everybody agreed with alacrity. I suspect nobody had wanted to be the first to suggest it for fear of looking "mean". Now, when the majority of people are in the same boat, I think people will be grateful to whoever suggests it, and the beginning of the year is a good time, before the birthday season starts to get under way. By next Christmas, the agreement will just be a distant memory so nobody can feel the timing is bad.

jcr16

just thought of something else i'd like different for mext xmas.

And that would be buy a real xmas tree for the dining room. I love my snow tipped 7ft one in the lounge, but a real tree for dining room would be excellent.

so , so far that , not have morning sickness through the afternoons, a bigger fridge, cooker and real tree.

i know the sickness one won't be there, my tall fridge has come. not sure i have room for a range cooker unless we do lots of changing to the kitchen ( not sure that will happen with a new baby due) and a real tree. so think i've given myself a pretty do-able list,lol.