‘Tis the Season

It’s begun. The catch up’s. The parties. The drinks. The planning for Christmas Day. It’s here.

We’ve had a very social weekend – dinner with friends Friday night, drinks with other friends Saturday afternoon and then the Village Christmas party on last night. I looked at Daisy’s black bags under here eyes this morning and cursed the fact that we still have 2 and a half weeks left of School – bring on Summer holidays! Lazy days. Pj’s on till after 10am. Less routines and deadlines. Yes, bring it on.

Before then I have to SERIOUSLY focus on the task at hand: Christmas Day. I am hosting at our place this year – all 18 of us! I’ve started thinking about meat orders for the butcher and panicking that they are not in it.  Today I have to find myself some precious “researching time” which is watching Delia Smith’s Christmas Special on the couch and starting to make sure I IQ as many Christmas cooking shows as I can. Do you love them as much as me?

Oh and there’s that whole Christmas shopping thing. I haven’t started. Have no clue. None.

How many people do you have on Christmas Day?
Have you started your shopping?
Have you FINISHED?

At least I have most things (food related) sorted thank to BEVERLEY which can be downloaded for the iPad here. Sorry it’s not available for android or iPhone just yet – we wanted to make sure we got one platform right before rolling it out in different formats!

Comments

  1. We are going away to a Resort this year. No cooking for us, doing it simple and eating out. I’ve finished my Christmas shopping and hope to have it wrapped this week and hidden in the suitcases ready for a trip. Bring it on! I’m ready for you Santa! 😉

  2. Traci Sparkle Devlin says

    Can you send some food ideas my way? I’m clueless this year. Must start researching too. I have just have zero motivation this year….

    I have got the pressie thing sorted though. I’ve bought for 11 of 18 people. I’m on the home stretch.

  3. I’m about halfway with the Christmas shopping, and on Christmas day we go to my in laws for a big fat Italian feast. I love this time of the year so much, and the excitement I see in my kids is filling my heart with so much joy and love!

  4. I am pretty much in the same boat as you. I am hosting Christmas this year, and am totally not ready! I have started a bit on my Christmas shopping, but I still have a ton more to do. YIKES! Looking forward to December 26th!

  5. You need a good farmers’ market Beth! We have two Christmas celebrations – my family (10 adults and 7 kids) on the 15th and then just “little family” – the four of us and my BIL – on Christmas day. All of our meat orders have already been done through local producers and then we will pick up from the farmers’ market on the 22nd. For the 15th everyone brings something with them and we just fill the gaps so that is really easy.
    Christmas shopping for non food items on the other hand……a whole other story!

  6. My conundrum isn’t cooking, it’s whose house we go to this year- his parents or my Mum’s. A lot of family politics involved!

  7. I have booked a table for 13 at the Novotel Glen waverley Melb..We will have 7/8 of my children with me for Christmas/New year and 3 of my foster kids as well…shopping will be a grab and dash christmas eve in melbs…We doing a secret Santa this year to cut costs and luggage..and Beth,I so enjoyed your first edition of Beverley from cover to cover..good job!

  8. I am so proud to admit, I have our Christmas shopping done and dusted and Christmas plans sorted, were still not sure if we are going down the coast or staying in sydney due to hubby’s work commitments but we’re ready for both!

    Merry christmas
    Helen

  9. We have Christmas at my sister’s house, affectionatly known as the FOTT house. Because it is the only place that will fit all of us…20 in the immediate family, but then we always end up with extras last year we ended up with 29. Bloody strays! No, I love it. The more the better, and my sister’s house is perfect with her swimming pool and projection screen for afternoon movies.
    I start Christmas shopping after the babies birthdays on the 4th and 8th of December. But we always make present for Christmas very low key. For us it is all about the food and togetherness.

    http://iliska-dreams.blogspot.com.au/

  10. My mother bought me ‘Delia Smith’s Christmas’ cook book one year and it is fantastic! I have made loads of things out of it most years – you would love it too, I think.

    We’re having Christmas at our place this year – I think we’ll have about 14 or 15 for lunch. Haven’t finished Christmas pressie shopping yet (but I HAVE started) and also have a million lists of things I need to do over the last few weeks. I’m trying to get it all done BEFORE school finishes… after that, everything takes twice as long!

  11. I have 15 for lunch and dinner every year, I think I have sucker tattooed on my forehead! xT

  12. Thinking seriously about ditching all adult gift buying! I have been sewing for people. No idea what to get adults and figure that if people want something , they can go and buy it themselves! Some family members facing possible redundancy too which is terrible, so have told them no shopping for us at all needed! I am so over consumption and crap that kids get given too. Do put some thoughts into gifts people – books are number 1 especially for children.
    And when the family politics stop, we might be able to figure out what actually is happening.
    Every year I would like to run away with just the 5 of us and am getting seriously close to doing.
    The best thing would be to leave the country and live elsewhere – I am dead jealous of family overseas with no- one else to have to work around!

  13. Our baby will be in the kids hospital having spinal surgery this christmas so we have moved christmas forward 1 week this year. It means I have even less time to get things ready!!

  14. I have finished my Christmas shopping! Yes, I’m gloating. But it’s not because I’m super-organised – just that I absolutely cannot handle the carpark at the shopping centre so every year I vow I will not go in there during the month of December.

    Lunch is at our house – 12 people so pretty easy and everyone brings something. Researching the food is the fun part – I buy every mag I can get my hands on – even The Womens Weekly (purely for the recipes you understand). Yes, love the cooking shows, especially Nigella. Also quite partial to Kirsty’s Homemade Christmas (daggy I know but I like to watch other people doing crafty things that I would never do). Love this time of year!

  15. It’s going to be very different this year! Technically it’s a work day for Clint, but working for a European company, they give him the day off. My mum will be over and we’ll go to the fish markets in the morning to get lobsters and giant prawns. Add some salads and champagne and you’re done. Just the six of us, it will be quiet and peaceful. All of our friends are headed home for Xmas, so it will be super quiet. Enjoy your planning, I know you will xx

  16. I am so happy to say that all the Christmas shopping is done and wrapping is well underway. Christmas is a three day event for us this year. Christmas Eve, Eve is spent with my husbands family, Christmas Eve with my family and then Christmas day back home for just my husband, myself and our two kids. I can not wait. I am nearly as excited as my kids and spreading it over three days means we get to spend lots of time with the really special people in our lives. I am loving “Beverley” too, well done!

  17. wow hosting sounds huge! I did it a few years back..and well I did a few cold meats that I could do a day before, and one hot dish (hello Aussie Summer) and loads of salads and spuds. Good luck with the planning…and can i just add….go online for all your shopping. Mine: All done, now just waiting for the delightful postie to deliver the goods!

  18. Best time of year, love it! This year is my first Christmas lunch hosting and with only 10 it’s nice and easy to manage. Meats ordered, mains & desert covered. Just starters to sort now and table setting.

    P.S. finally got a chance to download Beverley, nice work you!

  19. I am totally unprepared…and it is STRESSING me out!

    I feel like I have one zillion things to do before I can even start thinking about Christmas…but I am going to have to start thinking about Christmas soon otherwise it will come and go and I will miss it!

    Luckily all I have to do is Christmas cards, presents, wrapping, and Christmas breakfast.
    Oh and get the house ready for Daddy R’s family who are coming to stay with us.
    And cook and Thanksgiving dinner for our belated celebration!

    What is the countdown now?

  20. We have an easy one this year – just our little family over at the in-laws. I’m making a turkey roulade with a pistaccio and cranberry stuffing, and loads of veg. Not letting the mother-in-law near the oven, she is a dreadful cook! Got most of the presents sorted, except for the husband (eek!), and today IT STARTED TO SNOW! All good! 🙂

  21. I have always had christmas lunch for about 12-20 of us every year, Husaband always invites every stray he can find!!!!! This year though we are going to a chinese restaurant- husband’s suggestion as his mother is now wheelchair bound and in a nursing home. this restaurant is just around the corner from her nursing home. so we just wheel her there. Daughter got all upset with me about no meal at home, so I guess we might be doing a christmas eve or boxing day lunch/dinner and probably a new Year’s eve party too! Fun!!

  22. Shopping done, Christmas day will be spent at a friends house. Next up is a gathering at mine for 4 of my best girlfriends for ‘Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas’. Looking forward to see your Beverley app on Iphone, and I can’t wait to see your pictures

  23. It’s 3 weeks today till Xmas and I have not bought a SINGLE gift.

    The house is decorated, thank goodness, but I’m starting to feel nervous about the lack of gifts and organisation.

    Your Xmas day will be amazing I’m sure, can’t wait to see what you do with it.

    This year, we are having a large Xmas dinner on the 23rd with my inlaws family because most of them are jetting off to India and Nepal on Xmas Day, oh the life of some!

    Then on Xmas Day, Mum is hosting her usual lunch which is overwhelming but amazing. Then on Xmas night, I am having my inlaws over to my place for a casual dinner, just 7 of us. I am looking forward to the kids being able to play with their toys, and get to bed at a decent hour. Last year, we didn’t get home till 12:45am on Boxing Day and the day was topped off with Abi having a dreaded cough vomit in the shower. Shudder, it was terrible.

    Also, I’ll be 34 weeks pregnant and the size of a house! Hello online shopping, you are my friend!

    xx

  24. I watch Jamie Oliver & Nigella Christmas on DVD.
    And then I do something totally simple that they wouldn’t approve of……;O)
    I love it too.
    Tania xx

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