Christmas next year will be different because _____

[Backstage_Gal]

Hmm. I always extended family over. Except over the years they have multyplied Now its over 25 in my small house, and they all LOVE it, tradition, blah blah, for over 30 years. I want to stop it, but DH will not hear of it. It would be easier if I were a better housekeeping during the year. So I stress about cooking and snacks and cleaning.
So what would I do different? Have a quiet day at home with the kids with DS coming home from the Air Force. But, not likely to happen, it will be another frenzied holiday here!

 

[portocall]

because my children will be one year older and hopefully let me sleep later than 5:00 AM... just hoping on this one.

 

[supercarrie]

I'll get to be with my family in CA as opposed to spending Christmas with my in-laws, who lack in holiday cheer!

 

[Carly_Roach]

"Next year" was this year for us. We made massive changes to our holiday plans because of family drama (mine this time) and I'm happy to say that this has been our happiest Christmas together in years.

I never realized how unhappy my DH was watching me be miserable but putting up this "good cheer" front until I could get home where I could sulk in private. It finally sank in around 9:30 last night when DH spoke about how I hadn't made my usual, "I'm tired and I'm going to bed" remarks that I usually start making around 8:00 on Christmas day. When he said that, I realized that I wasn't tired, weepy or depressed. I was so totally relaxed and completely happy cuddling with DH, digesting our Christmas dinner and watching a movie we got. It was bliss!

We're definitely repeating this experience next Thanksgiving and Christmas season! Just DH and me and the hell with everyone else!

 

[TDC Nala]

Give my brother's kids cash instead of shop for gifts for them.

 

[AnnaS]

Just hoping and praying that by this time next year, my mom won't be as sick as she is right now.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Fill in the blank. What will you do differently next year? Invite fewer people? More people? LEss presents? Secret Santa exchange? Donate to a charity in lieu of gifts? Artificial tree instead of real?

Next year, Christmas will be different because it will be just DH and I. Nobody else. Just him and me and blissful peace and quiet to enjoy each other and our gifts.

I am going to shop thru the yr. I am too old for last minute.

 

[hulagirl87]

We will have a baby!

 

[Freyja]

Next year Christmas will be different because (hopefully) we will be somewhere on vacation

 

[NCRedding]

Next year I will drink heavily prior to going to DH's family Christmas (particularly if we are forced to do it at the retirement home again), so that when DH's crazy aunt/half-cousin/whatever the heck her relationship is, decides to insult my daughter (again, as always) I will feel less likely to smack the old bat across the head.

On the happy note, I am delighted that I was not wrapping at the last minute, and that I was able to think of gifts that people appeared to like (except for the old bat, and there is no pleasing her.)

 

[crz4mm2]

We will have a new baby in the family!!

 

[Mermaid02]

Christmas next year will be different because I won't be recuperating from major surgery. I haven't been able to do the things I usually do (cooking, shopping, wrapping etc) this year and it just wasn't the same. Can't wait for next year!!!

 

[Danauk]

Christmas next year will be different because I will have a new niece/nephew to spoil and we will be celebrating Christmas and New Year in WDW instead of rainy England!

 

[Hollywoodhaha]

It will be different because my sister and her fiancee [married in february] will have been stationed in New Mexico and they will be going to see his family next year for Christmas in Montana.
This will be the first Christmas I have been away from my Sister

 

[KramBerries]

I can't imagine Christmas being any better next year. This year was just about perfect. We're on vacation visiting my parent's at their house in the mountains. It snowed. My sister, her husband, and her kids visited. We all had a great time together, feasting, playing games, and enjoying the holidays. It was a good year financially, so everyone got plenty of good presents. When I went to bed last night, I took a few minutes to savor the fact that everything is going so well for us right now and that this is probably what I will remember as the best time of my life. Whatever troubles and travails may befall us in the future, we'll always have these times to look back on.

The only thing that would have made it any better was if it was a bit warmer and less windy outside.

 

[Heather1101]

We will be back in Savannah in our new house after years of moving with the military.

I will also NOT be making a bunch of cookies and junk. I have 3 batches of different cookie dough still in the freezer b/c we all got sick of cookies after the first 2 batches.

I WILL be keeping it simple again and buying only what the kids just have to have. I didn't buy anything that wasn't on their wish lists (which were pretty small to begin with) and they LOVE everything they got..no duds this year like previous years.

 

[MIGrandma]

Next year instead of a lunch buffet we'll be doing a breakfast brunch type thing with stuffed French toast, a baked egg dish, sausage/ham/bacon, cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, etc.

Lots less work!

And next year I won't be asking anyone else's opinion on how to do things, it's at my house it'll be done my way. If they don't like it, they can host it next year (which they won't!), This year I tried to make everyone happy by voting on ideas, and majority ruled so the odd person out didn't like it. Ain't gonna do that next year.

 

[Feralpeg]

My puppies will be older and I won't be shouting "NO" every two seconds.

 

[Jeanne B]

My divorce was final earlier this month and one of the first things I wanted to do for myself was to have my kitchen/living room ceiling turned into a cathedral ceiling, it's something I've been waiting years for (the ceiling was only 6'6" and the ex never got around to doing the job himself in spite of not working for 3 winters...long story) so my house has been turned upside down for a week and I had nowhere to put a tree so after the carpenters left on Christmas eve DD16 and I put the artificial tree up and I took it down early this morning before they arrived again...NEXT year we'll have a real tree (4:00 on Christmas eve wasn't the time to try to find a real tree somewhere, lol) and I'll have a beautiful pine cathedral ceiling so we won't have to worry about getting a tree that's too high for the ceiling.

Next year I will drink heavily prior to going to DH's family Christmas (particularly if we are forced to do it at the retirement home again), so that when DH's crazy aunt/half-cousin/whatever the heck her relationship is, decides to insult my daughter (again, as always) I will feel less likely to smack the old bat across the head.

I know this really isn't a funny situation but I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of you having to keep yourself from smacking the crazy whoever across the head.

 

[AKL_Megs]

DH and I will probably BOTH be working... we got really lucky this year.

BUT... if we aren't, I WILL NOT let MIL dictate how things work at MY again next year.

I will Christmas shop much, much earlier... like, I will start November 1st.