David

[patsylabrador]

I have a dreadful scatterbrain and often have vague ideas about things I never see through.

I love Christmas and want to make a kind of journal of my Christmas. I envision a fat book of recipes and cuttings and so on. Something that I could pass on- please don't laugh. I want to make an heirloom.

I don't like the published ones which seem to be lists to make up, I'm not happy with lists, they make me feel sad. I won't even make shopping lists and I hate Christmas card lists especially when you have to cross out a name- too sad.

I've bought a leather bound blank notebook which ties up and I have this dream of it bursting at the seams with Christmas ideas, and I will put in the things I love to do and the things I love about Christmas like different cultures and myths etc.

But I'm not sure that would make it satisfyingly full.

Does anyone have ideas of categories I could think about or if you have done something similar, what would you put in yours?

[soapdragon]

What a FAB idea!!

 

It may not seem very organised but what about a box file....maybe as a starter and, after a few years, perhaps it will become obvious as to how things need to be categorised?

 

Maybe it could be broken down into categories such as.....planning, cooking ahead, card list, family presents, decorations and where they are kept, routines for Xmas Eve/Xmas day/Boxing day. Feedback/photos......sounds like a fascinating project which could evolve over the next few years; maybe you could ask immediate family what they perceive as priorities/highlights for each of them?

 

And a personal diary for each year too!!

[Olly]

My mum used to keep Christmas notes in an exercise book.

 

As I recall, one page would list all the presents she'd bought (or made) and how much she'd spent each year.

Another would list special Christmas food or drink - probably because she bought throughout the year and needed to remember what she'd stockpiled. She loved Christmas and with a tight budget these lists were invaluable. I think she may have listed cards sent too, and there was a page for gifts received so that on Boxing Day when we sat down to do the dreaded thank-you letters she could make sure they were right!

 

They were simple but caused us huge entertainment in later years when we saw the price of things in pence rather than pounds - she also had a promotional leaflet from Augustus Barnett, if anyone remembers them, with the price of bottles of alcohol for 1972 or thereabouts, another cause for horror/mirth. It was also lovely to look at it and remember some of the presents.

 

When we divided up the house contents after my parents died, my brother said those books were the only thing he wanted. It's a great idea Patsy but I can't suggest categories because everyone's Christmas is different. Is it a record of Christmases past, or an aide-memoire or a planner or something of all of those?

[Lavenders_Blue]

Recipes is an obvious one - foods you have made and enjoyed, any tweaks you have made to recipes, even include the disasters - family will remember them and look back and smile. Mulled wine recipes and Christmas cocktails.

Do you do any home made gifts or tree decorations? Instructions and photos could be a great thing to put in the book.

Photos of different Christmases together - how you have set the table, how you have decorated the tree, photos of you all together in your party hats from the crackers. How about a CD of favourite Christmas songs and carols to put in the book?

I think this sounds like a great idea, I hope you have a lot of fun putting it together and adding things each year.

[patsylabrador]

Thank you for your replies. They were perfect and have given me ideas and inspired me to make sure that I actually do it. I think it will be information about what I have done and enjoyed as opposed to a planner.