I stopped getting up early and cooking for a noon meal for my house or to take for relative's noon meal. It's my holiday too and I wasn't about to spend it getting up early and cooking. I switched to cooking a late evening meal. The kids could go eat and visit relatives/boyfriends/inlaws and then come home to a family meal with DH and I. It has truly been one of the best decision I've made concerning holiday stress level for me. The best holiday decision was when I said no more spending Christmas Day away from home. Running around to parents home for Christmas Day was a nightmare in planning and very tiring. We get together for Birthday dinners during the year. DH told me time and again he was so glad I made the holidays just for home.

We stay home at Christmas, too. It was so much easier when the kids were little.

Also, for Christmas, I do not cook a big meal. I bake a ham, make homemade buns and tons of snacky things. Getting excited kids to sit for a big meal was a pain so everyone just walks by and grabs whatever they want to eat all day long.

That's how we do Christmas food too! I make a big pitcher of Mimosas :) , a pot of coffee, and a pot of hot chocolate and bakery cinnamon buns for the morning. I bake a ham and have finger food the rest of the day. Everyone eats when they want. I cook a big dinner for New Year's Day.

We decided that Christmas Eve is just for the four of us and then Christmas Day everyone comes to us. My kids are the only grands on both sides so all the grandparents want to be with them. My in laws live 6 hours away so it would mean one side or the other completely not seeing the kids so they come to us! No one gets hurt and we plan another day to go to each of our parents to see their tree and decoration, ect.

The year I said NO to going to Grandmas by 9 a.m. We had 3 small children, the uncles and aunts no kids.. I said lets go at lunch time and boy did I hear it for weeks prior to the event. It was the best decision. We could get up, enjoy opening presents in PJ's, kids could play with the new toys (not have to shove them under the tree til we got home late that night) and their father and I could enjoy a hot coffee and relax without rushing. I am so glad I stuck to my decision and it was never questioned again. The simple things we can do that can make our lives so much more pleasant.

One year we met for a Thanksgiving breakfast...YEP....my kids were getting older and pulled in many directions on the holidays...so we met at a restaurant for breakfast and had a nice long visit...and it was a lot of fun!!!
I started having Christmas at "our" house when my kids were young. My DB's did not have kids and mine were having to rush through presents and breakfast to get ready to go... The tears over having to leave their toys...not enough sleep due to the excitement of Christmas morning... I said "enough!!!" Then when my DB started a family and mine were older we switched to Mom's as her house was next door to his and the kids could run back and forth.
I am starting to think now of having Christmas and Thanksgiving on the following Sunday...that way we can all relax and not have to worry about anyone having to be somewhere else or having to leave somewhere else early to be with us :wink: Most don't do much for New Years Day anyway...and there are TV's no matter where we meet :wink: for the ball games.

Gertting Divorced :shock: Stopped all the silly running around LOL I use to hate the holidays , had to be here... here and here... no time to relax and enjoy . Should have done it years sooner :wink: