What will you do differently next Christmas?

BabysCoffee

What will you be doing differently next Christmas?

I will be serving canapes before the main dinner instead of a starter!

SarahLil

Finishing up earlier for holidays from work, I have two days holidays left from last year, I should have really finished up earlier, when Christmas Eve arrived I thought I still had another day to get organised

Maybe go away in Ireland for New Year

Princess Peach

Buying less biscuits and chocolates.

I'm still eating!!

Loughc

This year Im going to take more time relaxing and taking it all in (with some DVDs and selection boxes) last year a lot of my Christmas was spent travelling to and fro.

Ol' Donie

Fewer people staying over in the days immediately after Christmas. Didn't actually start to relax until too late into the break.

And I'm going to eat more mince pies. Had a good few the week before, but none at all while there were turkey & ham sambos on the go. :-)

kiteman

Next Christmas I'll do the same as I did this year. For the first time I can recall I did absolutely nothing, apart from sitting by the fire, watching TV and reading books. The occasional walk in Donadea forest, what a great Christmas break.

Sunny Dayz

Princess Peach wrote: »

Buying less biscuits and chocolates.

I'm still eating!!

Same! Everyone decided to gift us bickies and selection boxes!

BabysCoffee

I'm going to enjoy the lead up more.....

That means more christmas markets and carol services for me!

john the one

Drink less beer and more whiskey, be it hot whiskeys or cold whiskey

BabysCoffee

I'm going to make sure I have a Hot Chocolate - for some strange reason I drank none this Christmas

Aimeee

Don't plan to do anything different this year. 2014 I made a point of sitting down more and chilling with the kids and hubby. Had just the right amount of family, friends and time to ourselves. Same again please.

kiteman

Oh I forgot to mention, I was involved with the Clane musical society carol singers at dublin airport (T2) arrivals, welcoming those returning home for christmas.
It was a fantastic 2 hours of singing our hearts out. Looking forward to doing it again next christmas.

efb

Not go home for Xmas

hairyprincess

Not buy gifts for family who I have no relationship with any other time of the year.

scream

I'll be going home to England for Christmas this year. Think it'll be 3 years since I was home at Christmas.

Amazingfun

Ol' Donie wrote: »

Fewer people staying over in the days immediately after Christmas. Didn't actually start to relax until too late into the break.

And I'm going to eat more mince pies. Had a good few the week before, but none at all while there were turkey & ham sambos on the go. :-)

You are my idol for 2015. Anyone who is already planning how many mince pies they will eat next Christmas deserves some kind of award :P

SarahLil

BabysCoffee wrote: »

I'm going to make sure I have a Hot Chocolate - for some strange reason I drank none this Christmas

Me too I normally go in for one while shopping and didn't manage it, I did start making baileys coffees which went down a treat I am on the dry for January so I look forward to finishing off the baileys this winter

Our Turkey was abit of a disappointment so I hope next year to eat lots more Turkey

Toto Wolfcastle

I'll probably relax a bit more about the amount of time I had to spend away from my own bed. (Christmas Day to the 27th!) It ended up being lovely this year and I'm sure it will be lovely again in future.

Rosie Rant

Next Christmas will be my first one not spent in the family home so that should be different but good.

I'm also going to eat less. Pfft, yeah right!

BabysCoffee

SarahLil wrote: »

Me too I normally go in for one while shopping and didn't manage it, I did start making baileys coffees which went down a treat I am on the dry for January so I look forward to finishing off the baileys this winter

Our Turkey was abit of a disappointment so I hope next year to eat lots more Turkey

I had lots of Bailey's coffees too! I'll be repeating that next Christmas :-)

kiteman

This year for the first time since I can remember, I had a full 2 weeks off. Living on my own I pondered what to do, where to go maybe.
I really meant to go visiting family around the country, and thought of a week in Spain evan.
Anyway I settled in to lazing around the house, going for a daily walk, then sitting by the fire, watching TV, and just generally chilling.
Before I knew it, I was going back to work in january, having done none of the things I had half planned.
Hopefully I'll do the same again next year.

leahyl

Ol' Donie wrote: »

Fewer people staying over in the days immediately after Christmas. Didn't actually start to relax until too late into the break.

And I'm going to eat more mince pies. Had a good few the week before, but none at all while there were turkey & ham sambos on the go. :-)

I meant to make mince pies before Christmas and never got around to it so there's a jar of mincemeat in the press still....better use it before it goes out of date

Day Lewin

I'll get my hair done in the first week of December. I always leave it too late, and then there's no appointments free, or no time to go.
Also I am going to find out what Eggnog is, and make it. :-)

Loughc

katemarch wrote: »

Also I am going to find out what Eggnog is, and make it. :-)

It's essentially eggs, sugar, milk,cream & bourbon and nutmeg. Does not sound appealing :eek:

angeldelight

Will be first Christmas with our baby so loads of different things but the one I'm most looking forward to is doing Santy also won't be pregnant so will go back to having champagne with breakfast

Day Lewin

@Loughc - sounds like a sort of brandy custard? But you drink it?
I wouldn't agree with you - I think it might be tasty. Though rich and sweet? I MUST try this!!!
(Stand by for reports)

Loughc

katemarch wrote: »

@Loughc - sounds like a sort of brandy custard? But you drink it?
I wouldn't agree with you - I think it might be tasty. Though rich and sweet? I MUST try this!!!
(Stand by for reports)

You drink it. It remains rather liquidity. The thoughts of bourbon and eggs together is turning my stomach haha.

Synchronic

Eat less mince pies that way I won't have to kill myself in the gym like I am now and start my Xmas shopping early for a change.

SarahLil

kiteman wrote: »

This year for the first time since I can remember, I had a full 2 weeks off. Living on my own I pondered what to do, where to go maybe.
I really meant to go visiting family around the country, and thought of a week in Spain evan.
Anyway I settled in to lazing around the house, going for a daily walk, then sitting by the fire, watching TV, and just generally chilling.
Before I knew it, I was going back to work in january, having done none of the things I had half planned.
Hopefully I'll do the same again next year.

That's sounds fab...lazing, walking and back the fire bliss

Into The Blue

Less (no!) travelling. Spend time doing nothing with the kids, eat dinner earlier, have films lined up and ready to go after dinner, Turkey, cranberry, stuffing, ham and apple sauce triple deckers for tea

kiteman

SarahLil wrote: »

That's sounds fab...lazing, walking and back the fire bliss

It was, and the huge shock I got, when the alarm went off first day back to work.
I'm still not the better of it.

Loughc

kiteman wrote: »

It was, and the huge shock I got, when the alarm went off first day back to work.
I'm still not the better of it.

Last week was tough with the alarm going off so early for me but I'm back in the routine this week. Your bodyclock just needs to adjust it will in no time.

scream

Loughc wrote: »

It's essentially eggs, sugar, milk,cream & bourbon and nutmeg. Does not sound appealing :eek:

Is eggnog essentially the home-made version of Advocaat? Sorry for the de-rail.

Loughc

scream wrote: »

Is eggnog essentially the home-made version of Advocaat? Sorry for the de-rail.

It's VERY similar.

Miaireland

I am going to do pretty much the same as this year but am not going to buy a present for a toxic person.

BabysCoffee

I'm going to lay about more next Christmas. I plan on lighting my stove as soon as I get out of bed but stay in my pyjamas and watch Christmas films all day.

DrJ

Christmas has been a very busy time of year for me for the past few years for education reasons and I finished up my training right before Christmas this year which was the best Christmas present ever but didn't leave much time to do all of the shopping and soak up the atmosphere. It just flew by! I feel like it didn't really happen this year.
So in 2015 I am looking forward to picking up presents throughout the year and being very organised so that in the weeks coming up to Christmas I can just soak up the atmosphere more. I also had a wedding to attend this year around New Years which I felt stole the last few Christmassy days on me. I would prefer a little bit more time to lounge around with nowhere in particular to go, go for long walks and take Christmassy photos of the decorations around the town, go to see a carol service or join them! I really badly want to take night classes in baking cakes and hopefully learn to make a Christmas Cake, Yule Log, Stollen etc :-)
Edit: Oh and I am dying to try this eggnog stuff esp. the eggnog latte in Starbucks. I missed out on it this year and last year. Apparently they only make it until they run out of eggnog which tends to happen before the end of December.

scream

DrJ wrote: »

...Oh and I am dying to try this eggnog stuff esp. the eggnog latte in Starbucks. I missed out on it this year and last year. Apparently they only make it until they run out of eggnog which tends to happen before the end of December.

I must remember to try one of these myself now that I know where to get it next year.

DrJ

scream wrote: »

I must remember to try one of these myself now that I know where to get it next year.

I tried starbucks on o connell street on jan 2nd and in the whitewater sc on jan 3rd and they were both out of eggnog since end of Dec so get in quickly. They said they weren't even meant to be doing it this year but they had to be brought back by popular demand! i might try advocaat sometime soon too.

Into The Blue

I was recently informed that advocat tastes like eggnog, so will be trying that for the first time next Christmas

washiskin

Hey kids, to further stretch the eggnog/advocaat point. have any of you tried a Snowball? Equal parts Advocaat and White Lemonade. Kitsch but lovely!

WittyNameForMe

washiskin wrote: »

Hey kids, to further stretch the eggnog/advocaat point. have any of you tried a Snowball? Equal parts Advocaat and White Lemonade. Kitsch but lovely!

Snowballs at Christmas, I think this clip sums it up perfectly

DrJ

Yeah, I think Advocaat is basically the European eggnog (which seems to be an American thing). I have heard of Snowballs all down through the years but never had one so there's another addition to what I'll be doing this Christmas :-) Thanks guys!
PS: it's only 6 months til the end of October when all of the Christmas decorations will start going up promptly :-) Yay!

SMJSF

This xmas I think I'll have Xmas alone in Dublin, in the comforts of my apartment. I go to family every year 3 hours away, but I don't enjoy it.

BabysCoffee

SMJSF wrote: »

This xmas I think I'll have Xmas alone in Dublin, in the comforts of my apartment. I go to family every year 3 hours away, but I don't enjoy it.

Great plan!

Jude13

Careful though, I am very independent and live abroad. I thought I would do the same many moons ago. I was actually working Christmas day. It was morbid.

In Dublin though it should be grand, loads of good grub stocked up and good tv.

RentDayBlues

Enjoy it! Last Christmas I had a 2 1/2 yr old and a 10 month old, both of whom were sick on Christmas Day, it was a long sad day. This year we are going to sing and be merry for a whole month!

Glitzgirl

I'm gonna say mine would be to not give up so easily when it comes to dragging my OH into the christmas spirit! Unfortunately he's a bit of a grinch and every year I say "this is the year I'm going to convert you !" Hasn't happened quiet yet so I need to be a bit more persistent I think

emmagination

I'm going to try and take the days between Christmas and New Year's off. I didn't last year, as I knew we wouldn't be busy, but just having to get up and go into work made me lose the Christmassy feeling a bit!

Cherrycola

RentDayBlues wrote: »

Enjoy it! Last Christmas I had a 2 1/2 yr old and a 10 month old, both of whom were sick on Christmas Day, it was a long sad day. This year we are going to sing and be merry for a whole month!

I hear ya! We had a 2 1/2yr old and 4mth old, they weren't sick, only me on St Stephens day with some sort of vomiting bug! But the baby was not (still isn't really) a good sleeper so Christmas just passed us by last year. I want to enjoy it this year, get to actually watch some movies without having a feeding/sleeping/pooing schedule to deal with every 4hrs!
I'm so excited for this year!!!! The baby at 10mths has just started sleeping through the night, at last!! It's been the longest 10mths of my life!

RentDayBlues

Cherrycola wrote: »

I hear ya! We had a 2 1/2yr old and 4mth old, they weren't sick, only me on St Stephens day with some sort of vomiting bug! But the baby was not (still isn't really) a good sleeper so Christmas just passed us by last year. I want to enjoy it this year, get to actually watch some movies without having a feeding/sleeping/pooing schedule to deal with every 4hrs!
I'm so excited for this year!!!! The baby at 10mths has just started sleeping through the night, at last!! It's been the longest 10mths of my life!

Yes and yes!