Christmas can be stressful, hey who am I kidding, it’s always stressful and whether you’re feeding the five thousand or having just a few friends and family over, there are things you can do to take the stress out of the festivities, starting with pouring a big glass of wine and staying calm. I have what you call a big family; 3 older siblings (I can’t forget their husbands), 14 nephews/nieces, a great-nephew and my folks and this year, I’ve 11 people coming for Christmas dinner – 11 more than usual (send help!)
I’ve already made plans on how the day should unfold (unless my bogey-eating nephew decides otherwise) and I recommend you do the same too. Making a list and checking it more than twice can lead to a stress-free day, but if you’ve a memory like a sieve like me, there will be a few things you’ll forget and this in turn could lead to bigger problems but there are a few things you can do to avoid this…
…first being cancelling Christmas. I’m kidding! Check out my top tips for a stress-free Christmas – oh, and keep your eyes peeled for some bingo promotions thrown in here and there to really help you unwind.
Damn, I Forgot to…
…chill the wine! Argh! Don’t panic. Yes, nobody likes to sup a good Sauvignon Blanc at room temperature, so go grab a damp tea towel and wrap it tightly around each of the bottles before bunging them into the freezer and within 20-minutes, you’ll have totally chilled drinks.
Keep ‘em Flowing
When your oven is stuffed more than the turkey itself, how the heck are you supposed to warm the plates? Here’s an idea; why not put your dinner wear into the dishwasher on a quick cycle? Give them a rinse just before serving and they’ll be the right temperature.
Is your Christmas tree shedding its needles quicker than your father-in laws head? Chances are it’s drying out so to solve this problem, move it to somewhere cooler. More often than not we bung the tree next to the fire or radiator for the best pictures and the heat dries the tree up quicker than usual, so before your guests arrive, move it to stop the snide comments.
Always the loser when pulling a cracker? Here’s a foolproof way of always winning; tilt the cracker lower your end and twist slowly as you pull. The only thing left to do is to wipe away the kids tears when you win! Ha!
When you’re full from all the feasting and can’t take any more of the stories you must have heard a million times, why not retreat to Butlers Bingo where Christmas Day will be packed with not just your typical free bingo games, but merry free bingo games. Between midday and 5pm, there will be a guaranteed prize pool of £500 on offer and this means more cash thrown in the free pot than usual! If you feel you can’t just abandon your own party, whip out your smartphone or tablet and play some mobile bingo without anyone knowing…
…every ticket you claim will play out whether you’re in the bingo room or not!
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Comments (1)
Bubles12
12/14/19, 06:12:14 PM
Some handy tips there. I’d have never thought about a towel around the bottles. I’m always forgetting to cool the wine before guests arrive.
