What would you CHANGE about Christmas 2010?

[zchristy]

To contrast the other post about your highlight, what is one thing you would change about Christmas 2010 in retrospect?

Don't forget to make note of it in your notebooks if it is something you can tweak for next year.

 

[girlsinmo]

I have NO control over the 1 major thing I would change about Christmas 2010 if I could.

However, a less life impacting thing I will change is how I present my gifts. Gift boxes & Gift boxes for me unless someone else steps up and wraps them all LOL

 

[AnnieClaus]

I would:

* Wrap more, earlier

* Order my Christmas mail labels earlier

* Get my Christmas picture taken earlier
- Make my Christmas cards earlier

* Make homemade stuff for Thanksgiving/Christmas recipes like: pumpkin puree

* When I see something that would be a perfect gift from someone- that needs to be ordered online- order it right then and there! Or SOON!

Annie

 

[Christmaslvr]

I would:

Definitely make my cards earlier (see my Rudolph Day post!)
Shop for stocking stuffers/12 or 24 days gifts throughout the year
Socialize more

Make more food gifts
Stay on budget (!) Oh AND stash money like I use to for baking needs and Toys for Tots

 

[luludou]

More patience. I had so much to do I got frustrated when nobody helped out. I would cancel the new year's eve supper and keep only the evening.

 

[MinnieCo]

have my cooking prep done, wrap gifts earlier and keep holiday concerts down to 1 a season. Oh..and take off the day after Christmas. No Shopping! I need that day to rest!

 

[MissBrittany]

I would do more homemade gifts... which is part of my plan for this year.

 

[Gingerbug]

All in all ...it was a GREAT Christmas....

Things I would do differently...

1. Save a bit more money

2. Ship boxes to Mexico earlier

3. Only save two things to bake on Chrismtas Eve.

4. Start buying baking supplies a few weeks earlier than I did this year.

5. Buy Christmas stamps earlier

6. Do NOT hold Brunch on Thanksgiving weekend

7. Set STOP SHOPPING DATE...to December 1st

8. Stock up on some quick and easy meals for week between Christmas and New Years

 

[Holly Molly]

The things I can't change bother me most, particularly that I have to shop for all our gifts from DMIL and give detailed lists to everyone else who buy exactly what is on the list. I mean really! Why can't they take a few minutes to think about what we might like. We're pretty multi-faceted and even thrifty. It's not like we look for big presents. I don't understand that I have to tell them the exact book, the exact color, the exact puzzle, etc. I want Christmas to be fun again and I don't really remember the last time it was. Somehow it has devolved into just more work for me.

What I can fix... start my handmade gifts earlier, host an open house starting again in 2011, get tickets to a concert or show, go to a church pagent (ours doesn't have one), go caroling. These are the things I miss and love.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

I would try to pare things down a little. There was so much food here.
I would also like to try and be more patient. Not everything needs to be done my way.

 

[Lana]

Wrap alittle earlier~~~will with the parties this year!

Shop earlier

Keep my bedroom more organized thru the season. Everything that needs a home finds a way into there!

 

[AnnieClaus]

Ohhh, Ginger! Get Christmas Stamps earlier- that needs to go on my list too. I ran out and it was more of a headache than you would know!

Annie

 

[Winged One]

Remember NOT to have builders in the house in the autumn - they have sworn on BOTH occasions to be gone well before Christmas and I was chasing them out both times. At least this time there was a whole week (although I was sick for that).

I think that was the cause of the worst of our problems this year - I couldn't wrap early, I couldn't decorate early, I couldn't sew (cos of dirt) and I was caught up on doing that when I had planned on being baking and sweetmaking. I didn't even get the sewing done in the end.

But next year, I will be working on my crafts better year round. I have my wrapping supplies in a better location and can wrap as I go. And I will build in more "me time" and less stress time in advance (to get things done like hairdresser, beautician, and a few lunches with girlfriends).

 

[snickerdoodle]

We weren't able to either take a weekend trip to Branson or go to any Christmas shows this year. It just seemed like there wasn't time to do everything we wanted to. I am trying to build in more money in the Christmas budget as well as the time to have either a day or a weekend away for some Christmas fun.

 

[jampss]

It went pretty well, here, too.

But I would try to work better on my menu and put things in the freezer be it a casserole, side dish or cookies!

I missed any caroling ... we were, but DH and DD had a cold so we didn't go. Can't help that much!

:snowball:

 

[charscorner]

For me the biggest change will be to allow myself to skip some baking if I cannot get it done in time. This year everything was going so well until I had to give time over to a health issue with my husband that meant time out for appointments. As a result one type of cookies we all enjoy did not get baked until after Christmas but then my incentive was so low I had to force myself to do the baking.

Charlotte

 

[happy2bme]

Things went well for the most part, but there is always room for change:

start baking earlier and not as much
too much food, need to cut back
get DH to help with the wrapping
get DH to help with the cards

 

[Kim Loves Snow]

For me, I hope for the following:

1. Fewer 'trinket' gifts for the kids. Focus on a couple larger items and resist the urge to fill in.

2. Decorate around Thanksgiving if not before. I could not do that this year and it made me a bit depressed.

3. Wrap earlier...did much better with that this year because of the wrapping parties.

4. Work on Christmas cards in October and November using AuntJamelle's method.

5. Paint Christmas ornaments for all the kids in my life. I used to do this every year and I stopped when I got overwhelmed with life and I miss it and feel bad about stopping.

6. Hold stocking stuffer shopping until December for the most part. I'll pick up really unique items when I see them but I'll hold the basic stuff like socks, chap stick, etc. for December so that I don't over buy stocking stuffers.

7. Shop for DH's Christmas Eve birthday and his Christmas presents MUCH earlier. Too much to cram in at the last minute.

8. Make sugar cookies with the kids. Jessica - you are such an inspiration when I read about all the cookies you made with the kids - they'll never forget that.

 

[Snowey]

If I had the power to change anything this past Christmas it would be that I would not be sick over Christmas.
Next Christmas will be so different because I'll be spending it with my family in the states.
Ill be doing all my shopping down there.
But I really want to get some of my handmade gifts done before then to take with me.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

After talking to the kids we will be changing very slightly how we "do" Christmas eve. Over the past few years we have had a movie night. I do a Christmas Eve basket and put in it, Coke, chips, popcorn, sweets etc and a Christmas movie. Last year the kids hated the movie and did not want to watch it. This year we will sit down earlier and all decide on a movie we want to watch. It does not need to be a Christmas movie, just one we are all interested in.