Christmas Eve/1st December hamper

[VikingVagine]

Don't think there's been a thread yet this year.

I want to do a pre-Christmas hamper. Last year the elf arrived with it on the first day of December.

It contained:

A letter from father Xmas about the elf spying visiting
New PJs, slippers and dressing gowns
A lush bath bomb
Snowman soup
A DVD
A cuddly toy

What are your ideas this year?

[TheYamiOfYawn]

For us, the elf arrives on the last day of November along with the advent calendar, advent candle (probably tea lights this year) and maybe some blank cards to draw on/fill in.

The elf will introduce other activities throughout December.

[LoganMummy]

Can someone explain this elf please?

[TheYamiOfYawn]

On Christmas Eve there us a hamper left by the elf when she goes back to Father Christmas with the Christmas Eve stuff - pyjamas, stockings, bath bomb etc.

Oh, and I'm thinking of doing a bedtime story advent calendar this year, wrapping 24 Christmassy books for bedtime. I am only attempting this ad I noticed that roughly a quarter of the picture books in the library are Christmas themed, so I can borrow in November, renew once and only buy the real keepers like The Snowman and The Jolly Christmas Postman.

[VikingVagine]

The elf thing is pinched from the book/toy elf on a shelf (google is your friend here!).

[raisah]

Have a look at these baskets for your hampers, they are lovely & not v expensive:

www.homebargains.co.uk/products/5836-christmas-luxury-hamper-basket.aspx

[VikingVagine]

I already have a perfect basket (massive picnic type thing), but I do like the idea of some fabric to line it!

[iloveholidays]

love this thread.

1st December the elf comes to visit and brings advent calendars, I've also bought 24 advent storybook from amazon.

I've ordered a few Christmas dvds, Christmas craft sets and Christmas books which elf will deliver when we have quiet days.

Christmas eve the elf will leave a hamper with pj's, new toothbrush, character bubble bath and chocolate. I've ordered some plastic Christmas mugs from baker Ross to add in as well. basically anything bath, bed related to settle them down. maybe a new book or dvd. thinking of getting tangled.....

[iloveholidays]

I put our "hampers" into Christmas gift bags and are on their beds late afternoon

[buzzgirly]

I love doing these hampers - it's my favourite part of Christmas!

The 1st December hamper is ready to go - our elf will arrive with:
Advent calendars
2 x Mickey Mouse christmas fleeces
Arthur Christmas DVD
How Santa Really Works book
2 x Disney battery candles

This will arrive in a basket that I got as part of a gift earlier in the year. I'm planning leaving out a trail of baubles which will lead to the elf and hamper in living room.

And the Christmas Eve hamper will have:
New pjs
Special toothbrushes
Magic flannels
Special Bubble bath
Chocolate Santa
Santa Sacks

I put all this into Disney cardboard boxes that I got from Poundland last year - I may cover them in paper as dd spied them last week!! These will be on the door step/inside porch when we get back from our walk.

It's stuff I would get dcs anyway, I don't see the point of keeping Christmas DVDs until the big day so this way we've got the whole of December to enjoy them!! I love it!

[VikingVagine]

Adding Christmas duvet set to the list of things to possibly include.

[NannyPlumForPM]

Xmas magazine? Am lurking for ideas!!

[snappybadger]

Ds will be 2.9 this Christmas and I'm so looking forward to doing these and using the Elf on the Shelf I bought last year!

First of December - Elf arrives with:
Peppa Pig Santa's Grotto DVD
Wooden advent calendar
Christmas duvet and fleece blanket
Christmas advent books
A few new Christmas books (to add to the growing collection from last year!)

Christmas Eve hamper:
Peppa Pig Christmas Show DVD
Christmas mug with hot chocolate
Chocolate/sweets
Lush bath bomb
Night Before Christmas book
Gruffalo electric toothbrush
Peppa pig magic flannel
Christmas pajamas

[VikingVagine]

Going to do 2 things, big hamper on Dec 1st with PJs, dressing gowns, slippers, bedding and advent calendar, then little basket on Xmas eve with bath bombs, snowman soup, DVD, cuddly toy and stockings.

[BankerMommy2010]

I like this thread... I have stuff for a 1st dec hamper but worried I was being OTT!

I have for dec 1st:
Next xmas duvet
Next Xmas santa countdown cushion
Advent calendar
Christmas book
Elf
Letter from santa introducing elf :)

[Whereisegg]

Snowman soup?
Sounds traumatic!
I am imagining a snowman silently screaming as he disappears in a pan on the hob, leaving a carrot and some lumps of coal in water...

[CircassianLeyla]

We only do the Christmas Eve presents which, are PJs and sometimes slippers, plus a DVD and new book.

I do like the Christmas books advent idea.

[VikingVagine]

First time I heard about snowman soup I thought the exact same thing, a bit harsh for Xmas! I think it's supposed to be soup for snowmen.

[VikingVagine]

Dec 1st falls on a Sunday this year, I think we'll buy a tree the day before, and the first hamper can arrive that evening, maybe with a few decorations in it. Then we can decorate the tree together on the Sunday, listening to carols and eating mince pies

[Leilandri]

We release a helium balloon on Nov 30th with DS' s letters to Santa attached, and watch it fly to North Pole.
Once boys are in bed I decorate the house and tree. DS' s come down in morning to Xmas everywhere and Elf in a hamper with matching balloon attached.
Their hamper always includes a letter from Santa and their wooden advent calendars. This year also has 2 new xmas dvds (the others will be back on the dvd shelf having been in the loft!) Xmas jumpers for us all, advent
Candle, some xmas colouring books (that they received for xmas last year and I squirreled away!) And some chocs.

Xmas eve hamper will have a thankyou letter from the Elf. Pj's, hot choc and marshmallows, Shrek the halls dvd, xmas cookies, and a mince pie & carrot to leave out for Santa.

[snappybadger]

Oooh, love the idea of sending the letter to Santa on a helium balloon!

I can't decide whether to put the christmas pajamas in the 1st December hamper or the Christmas Eve one. He'd obviously get a lot more wear out of them from 1st December, but I like the idea of new pajamas to go with the Christmas Eve bath.....Of course he'd be able to keep wearing them after Christmas too, but it's not quite the same is it?!!!

[CircassianLeyla]

You get those cheap non-branded, non lovely old school pjs in a pack for about £7 I. Most supermarkets for 1st December and then a naice pair for Eve.

[VikingVagine]

That's why I put a little cuddly toy in the eve hamper, so there is something novel about bed time, otherwise as you say, they won't get as much wear out of the PJs.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

My DD is wearing her Primark festive leggings to bed now, in October. She has a dark blue pair (reindeer I think) for Christmas which she'll wear after New Year

I bought DS a fleece pair with a 'Nordic' pattern (so festive but not Christmassy)

And DH and I have a Nordic duvet cover + cases and a flannel white with reindeer sheet+cases.
That'll go on 1st Dec.

[NannyPlumForPM]

Right so I need Xmas bedding, dd is already wearin her penguin pjs from next but theyre not REALLY Christmassy, a lush bath bomb (great idea) a trail of baubles/ Xmas chos to said hamper, an elf and a letter, Xmas jumpers and some Xmas tights for dd (obviously I don't need all this stuff but I WANT IT ALLLLLL) some hot chocolate.... Oh a I can't bloody wait!!!!

[HeyJudith]

Ah, but if you keep the letters to Santa instead of sending them off on a helium balloon, they make great future reading!
We are keeping ours (verrry well hidden!) so we can read what the DCs wanted when they were 3, 4, 5,6... and so on, when they are all grown