Preparing For Christmas With Aunt Bessie's

As much as I love Christmas, I have to admit...I am one of those people who can also find it all quite overwhelming.

I feel the pressure to make everything "perfect" for my family very strongly even though they'd never complain if anything wasn't...the pressure all comes from within my own mind. It's something I struggle with year-round as an OCD sufferer but it really kicks in more so when December comes around.

From double and triple checking that I have all the presents I want to give out, to making sure that I have the wrapping paper "Just so"...I end up with to-do lists coming out of my ears and in the past the obsession over "The Perfect Christmas" has resulted in me reaching meltdown point. Which, ironically, makes for a pretty rubbish Christmas!

Last year was a prime example. After a problem with defrosting the turkey, it looked like we wouldn't be able to have our Christmas dinner at home as planned - and as trivial as it may sound, to my mind that meant I'd failed...after all the money I'd spent and all the time I'd put into shopping and prepping, the dinner was ruined and there wasn't anything I could do about it.

But do you know what it taught me? That Christmas isn't about everything being perfect...it's about everybody being together and making the most of it.

We ended up going to my Mums for Christmas dinner, and the day off from cooking and trying to force 3 little ones away from their new toys to eat dinner was actually a welcome change - and so this year, I have a new approach! Instead of everything having to be "perfect"...I want everything to be convenient!

No more worrying about preparing 6 different kinds of veg so that everybody has their favourites, no more staying up until 5 am to make sure the Turkey is cooked the night before, no more standing over the stove par-boiling pans full of potatoes...after being converted to Aunt Bessie's Crispy Homestyle Roasties this year there's simply no need! Aunt Bessie’s Roasties are rated by Mumsnet (check out the Mumsnet badge on the packet) with over 75% saying they would recommend them. They’re super convenient, no more part boiling; 25 minutes in the oven and they’re done...and they're vegetarian and gluten free too so suitable for any Christmas dinner guest!

This year instead of spending the whole of Christmas eve in the kitchen prepping veg and stressing out about the turkey, I'm going to be spending it watching Christmas movies with the family and eating quality street....Christmas from now on may not be picture perfect, but it will be full of relaxation and fun!
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