The holiday season is in full swing here in the UK and we are loving the sparkle, fairy lights, and feeling of festive anticipation. As we are now more than halfway through our advent calendars, we wanted to share some light-hearted insights into what Christmas is like for Rachel and me.
If you have been reading our blogs you will not be surprised to find that although we are both eager to have an amazing Christmas our approach to achieving this is quite different. Enjoy.
When does Christmas start and end for you?
Kelly: Late November. I’m often in the US for Thanksgiving and the day after is when lots of people pick up their trees. As soon as I see that Christmas card scene of a big tree on top of a car, then I’m feeling festive!
It ends the minute our parents leave the house on Christmas Day. I find the bit in the middle a bit sad, I usually work.
Rachel: Today, 12th December, is when Christmas started for me this year. Why today? Well, I attended my Granddaughters nativity play at school. Seeing young children so excited, performing their hearts out is infectious and magical. As soon as I got home, I switched all my Christmas lights on, even though it was mid-morning.
I love the bit in between Christmas and the New Year. It’s the only time we seem to to get uninterrupted quality family time.
It’s all final over for me on the 2nd of January, when normality kicks back in.
How do you spend the big day?
Kelly: Up early to get the Turkey in. I do zero food prep before Christmas Day because Christmas Eve is my absolute favourite day of the year, and I don’t want to spend it in the kitchen, I want to be out enjoying drinks with friends. On the day we’ll be at our house with parents. We don’t have kids, so our day is fun, but the house will be a lot quieter than I know Rachel’s house will be!
Rachel: It is all change this year as my children have flown the nest, so we are having to adapt. One thing that isn’t changing though is that I will be cooking the Christmas dinner for the family, 11 people (I love doing it really). Afterwards we will be playing silly family games and have a kitchen disco in the evening. My house will be busy and loud all day and on boxing day we do it all again!
Do you do any Christmas crafting or baking?
Kelly: Absolutely not. Mum makes a fantastic trifle though.
Rachel: Yes of course. My granddaughter and I will be baking cupcakes, with flour and sugar all over the kitchen it will be a crazy mess that I’ll have to clean up. I can’t wait!
Real tree or fake tree?
Kelly: Fake. I got it half price in the John Lewis Boxing Day sale a few years ago when branches started to drop off the old one.
Rachel: Fake inside my house and a real tree outside my front door with a thousand twinkling lights.
Any top tips for an organised Christmas?
Kelly: Share the load! I’m excited to host, and I’ll do the cooking on the day – but I don’t take on all the burden. We have a family meeting, sometimes as early as October, to agree the menu and share out who will do what in terms of shopping. Lists are distributed!
We have sensible conversations before getting caught up in the December excitement – do we really need four different desserts, what will everyone want to drink, how is everyone getting here, do we need to book taxis etc. This way everyone’s expectations are set – so we can relax and enjoy ourselves on the day.
Rachel: I’m not as organised as Kelly; we don’t have any family meetings and as I do the cooking, I decide the menu. We do share the burden of sourcing all the food though. My daughter has already ordered the turkey from a local farm and my Mum has been out buying the drinks and nonperishables. A few days before the big day I go with my daughter to the supermarket to buy the fresh food. We go late at night, when its quiet. I am sure my daughter only goes with me to check that I remember her favourites.
Any top tips for a resilient Christmas?
Kelly: Breathe and pour another drink!
Rachel: My top tip would be to go with the flow and enjoy yourself. Everything might not go to plan and that is part of the fun! I remember my Dad deciding to wash his hands over a pan of mashed potatoes I was storing in the kitchen sink while I served dinner (I’d run out of room on the worktop). We didn’t have mashed potatoes that year. I also remember tripping up and spilling a full bottle of champagne all over the freshly cooked turkey another year, I told everyone it was a new recipe I had tried and they liked it, (although they may have just been polite). These are all great memories and things we laugh about every Christmas time!
However, you’ll be spending the festive period, we wish you a brilliant one!
Kelly, Rachel and David
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