Christmas Prep

Yes I am using the C word It is indeed that time. I am not quite as good as Fostermummy with her home made this's and that but we do have rules to play by!

The old chap & I will pay our Greek emergency property tax (yes another lot)as our gifts to each other.
I will spoil both kids hugely.

My family and I have a £10 per person limit on all other gifts. The circle is composed of my lot, sister and brother in law, niece and husband, my parents. That't the lot. You have to be creative and homemade or recycling is encouraged. I started on Saturday to get a few things for everyone I also invested in chocolate (needed for kids Christmas stockings).

This year I am doing a theme of Christmas stockings for everyone. They will look good and also my wrapping skills are abysmal. I am trying for an eBay bargain but if that fails then I can get creative with mums sewing machine.

My kids get their gifts from us on Christmas morning and the rest all get exchanged after the walk which is after lunch at mum & dads house. Same old routine every year and we all love it.

Food is the other major expenditure. My responsibility is the Christmas Eve dinner (M&D Christmas day - a proper Christmas Dinner, Sis & BIL Boxing day - usually a bbq is the snow - so cool!). Christmas Eve supper has got lighter and lighter over years as fashions for food change. I find that very often the most popular thing is the crudites. I also do a few things for Christmas day like a nice Christmas cake, the stuffing and pigs in blankets at lunchtime, maybe some quiche or something to add to the supper table, red cabbage.

I also like to make sweeties. I don't make them all year but i enjoy the making and the kids are old enough to cope with the sugar rush now. So I will be making rocky road, Cornish tablet and coconut ice at the very least.

We have plenty of decorations, so the only limit to creativity there is effort. I only send Christmas card to people I wont see that are not on email, make the Christmas card bill considerably more manageable. I normally buy some tins of chocolates for work but I might make them suffer some home cooking this year.

So only just started but not actually doing too bad!