Don't Tell Me I Can't… ...Refuse To Host Christmas!

Since deciding to dine out for the big day, Heidi Scrimgeour hasn’t looked back

- Niamh Burns

Sitting back with a glass of mulled wine in hand, for the first time in years I feel relaxed on Christmas Day. Instead of waking up at the crack of dawn, stressing over the turkey and peeling potatoes, I’m dining out at a gorgeous restaurant for my Christmas dinner and not lifting a finger!

Usually, Christmas isn’t quite so relaxing as, for the last 10 years, my mum Phyllis, 74, dad Mike, 72, and brother David, 44, have all descended on my house in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland. Along with my husband Matt, 43, and three children, Edan, 13, Zack, 12, and Alba, five, the house is busy, loud and a mess!

I used to enjoy it, but with each passing year that enjoyment started to slip away and I found myself more frazzled than ever when it came to hosting Christmas.