Only 11 weeks till Christmas!!

Yikes!
A friend announced today that there are only 11 weeks + 2 days till Christmas. (She is pregnant and due Christmas day)
What to do????
How do you tackle the silly season?
This is the start of my social season. Drinking, parties and BBQs all conspire to tempt me. It begins with my hubby and I celebrating our anniversary, Melbourne Cup, then his birthday, work break ups, Christmas functions, Christmas day, New Year, and my birthday in early January. It seems that every weekend there is some kind of social event or three and it is always centred around food. When partying, I don't have as much of a hold on how much I eat and what I eat. It is hard to log or count the top ups of wine or the handful of this, nibble of that and it can very easily blow out.
I want to keep the momentum going and don't want to waste the Duromine if I am not going to be compliant. I need some suggestions how to enter into this season and keep control, while still enjoying myself. This has to be a lifestyle not a punishment.

Things to start the ball rolling....

• One thing I have found is skinny girl cocktails. Nice for a special treat and they are great served half with soda water. @ 82 or 78 calories for 100ml serve (200ml if mixed with soda water) add ice and a garnish and I can sit on one of these for ages and not feel like I am missing out. I love margaritas and I had a cosmo the other night and enjoyed that too.

• Do not eat indiscriminately.... hard, I know but it is sooooo easy to eat a whole day's calorie allowance or more, just on nibbles.
• Try to log food as you eat it. A bit antisocial, but pulling the iPhone out to log that wedge of camembert is much better than the calorie amnesia I often experience, or the guilt when recalling the amount eaten, logging it the next day and being horrified at the amount. It also slows you down and makes you think.
• Bring a plate of stuff I know I can eat and enjoy without stressing.
• Know rough values of foods and which are better choices. A little bit of research before you go can save many calories and avoid shock later.
• Give half to hubby. It is usually only the first couple of mouthfuls that you get the most enjoyment from, the rest is just going through the motions.
• Keep up the exercise. I have begun waking up an hour earlier to fit the exercise at the beginning of the day (I will let you know how this goes - I am usually not a morning person)
• Have one day in the week a very low calorie day to balance out overeating. Try to average calories out across the week.
• Alternate alcoholic drinks with low calorie soft drink or water (good to avoid a hangover) or offer to be 'deso'.
• Mix wine with half soda water.
• Don't arrive hungry. Always disastrous if you turn up on an empty stomach and they are passing around the chips.
• The usual small plate and stuff I do every day will come into play as well.

OK that is all I have for now. It is quite a list actually. Did not think I had that much already. I suppose writing it down helps consolidate it in my mind.
Christmas Day is a whole other beast though.

All suggestions will be gratefully accepted.