What are your plans for Christmas? How will you cope with food?

I'm staying home for Christmas, going to chill out, probably watch some movies, maybe take the dog out. Think we're doing the in-laws thing on boxing day. Do you call it boxing day in the US? I've bought myself some cute PJs as I don't intend on getting dressed on Christmas.
As for food, we did our shopping today. We're going to cook a fairly big meal and eat all the stuff we want, but apart from that, we haven't bought anything extra or anything too dangerous to put me at the risk of bingeing. There's enough food exposure at work and at everyone else's houses so no need to add to it at home.
I have to try to not beat myself up if I eat more than I want to.

Well I have to work the morning/afternoon of Christmas eve. After that we might be going to vigil Mass and then to Joe's mom's house later on to give them their gifts and have their leftover dinner.

On Christmas we are going to drive home to my parents and spend the day there.

This could change with us going to Mass early on Christmas or Joe's moms that morning. we don't have much planned outside of my parents house.

We don't do boxing day here, but that day we will be spending by ourselves and relaxing. Seeing as this is our first Christmas, we don't have any traditions of our own yet but we will be exchanging a few small gifts. As for food, we are just keeping each other in check. We managed to give away a bunch of the food his office gave us as gifts.

I love regifting food at Christmas

We celebrate Christmas on January 7th (6th being Christmas Eve), so I have 2 extra weeks to prepare for the temptation. The first "danger day" for me would be New Year's Eve, which is BIG here, with lots of food and even more booze. And my bf and I are hosting a small party at my place. And then, there is a HUGE party for my Patron Saint on January 14th...

I took up Christmas Fast though. It is not a total (i.e. water/liquids) fast... It is vegan diet, with fish being allowed on certain days. God forgive me, but it will help abstain from New Year's Eve food. Since I'll be the only one fasting on that day, I'm planning to fix most of the "non-fasting" food for everyone else and something "reasonable" for myself.

I do need to brag about something... I do keep the traditions of my family, and my sweetheart of bf is very willing and happy to accept and participate in those traditions. For instance, there is this tradition to get some wheat and grow wheat grass for Christmas candle... He saw it and asked about the meaning (prosperity) and method (place wheat on the plate and water it 2-3x a day). When I explained, he said "Ummmm... Is it OK if I water it sometimes? And how much water does it need?" None of the previous ones wanted to participate... I say it again: this one might be a keeper (Sorry for hijacking thread)

Be careful with the fast. I did a vegan diet last Lent and ended up really depressed around certain parties etc. I ended up binging on lots of banned foods. I'm sure you'll be fine though, just don't put yourself under too much pressure.
A little rant from myself, today (xmas eve) my mum and brother came over. My husband called his parents to invite them too, but they refused. Again. Then they had another massive go at him because we weren't coming over tomorrow. And blamed me. So he got upset. Long story short, we're spending tomorrow round there....on the condition that if anyone is rude to me, I'm coming home. And I will stick to that, no matter what trouble it causes. I'm trying to stay positive and keep an open mind about it

Well we ended up at Joe's moms on Sunday night for dinner after weekly Mass where we had a normal non-holiday meal and exchanged our gifts with them.

Christmas eve, I had to work and after that me and Joe made a nice meal together, went to our church to do some caroling and then went to his moms house for coffee. Then we went to midnight Mass because I really wanted to. It was in Latin and had the prettiest music of all the other times we could attend so I'm glad we went. Plus I got over being shy long enough to walk up to get a blessing from our priest (I'm not baptized yet so this was my first time waiting in communion line)

Christmas day we had to make desserts for my family, we did our gifts and had a small breakfast. We went to my parents and exchanged gifts with them. My mom didn't make a dinner, more like appetizers and snacks which helped take the pressure off.


Hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday, and for those that still have some to come, I hope they are lvoely

Oh! and gifts! What did everyone get?

From Joe's family we got a bunch of stocking suffers, an immersion blender, a gift card, he got some clothes and his mom wrote up a $500 check to help start the wedding planning.

From my family, my sister typed up 50 of her and her husbands favorite recipes from their first year married and put them together into a binder for us. My parents also gave us $500 towards wedding things.

Joe got me a cookbook from my favorite chef on youtube, a really cute stuffed squid and a blender bottle thing.

I got Joe tickets to the orchestra( it's a shared gift as we picked out the performance together), a shift, a family prayer book and the next book from his favorite novel series.

From my husband I got an iPod touch and some perfume, blu rays etc and tickets to the Harry Potter studio tour
His family got me junk as always, but going to regift it, so not all lost.
My brother got me loads of books, a book voucher, a polka dot purse and scarf a Blu ray and a lovely mermaid necklace
My mum got me a book mark

I got my hubby shoes, boots, a blu ray, scrabble, a sandwich toaster, a book, a stereo and he used the birthday money I gave him towards an iPad. I got my mum clothes, perfumes etc and my brother a blu ray some chocolate and a tv. I think my dog got more gifts that everyone combined, just as he should