Loving the Christmas threads... Getting so excited! Anyone want to join me?

[iloveholidays]

As the title says really... I'm getting organised early this year as DD3 due in November and getting very excited. DD1 is 3.5 and DD2 18 months so keen to properly start th Christmas traditions this year.

Going to start a Christmas hamper on Christmas eve and want to plan some christmas activities for December although might be being a bit adventurous with a newborn!! :)

[iloveholidays]

Any suggestions for Christmas activities welcome by the way or traditions which have been loved... I'm thinking of christmas market, some trips round garden centres which my DD loved last year and doing some crafty stuff so trip to hobbycraft might be in order!

[Gumby]

Making own Xmas cards for nursery friends - elc ususally have some good craft packs for that

[Gumby]

Ditto paper chains for decorating the house

[iloveholidays]

Oh that's a good idea thanks Gumby. We did paper chains last year but she lost interest quite quickly but think she's at a better age this year.

The cards sound good, it would be good if I can find some packs as Im not the most creative!!! :)

[iloveholidays]

Just found this...
www.hobbycraft.co.uk/Pages/Ideas/Search.aspx?Occasion=2

[gregssausageroll]

Paper chains. Great idea.

[EdwardorEricCantDecide]

can i join
am in work so dont have time to post ideas, but am super excited about christmas!!
marking place to return later with some decent input

[iloveholidays]

Hello

my eldest is 3.5 now so was still a little young to understand the big up last year but I think she'll fully appreciate it this year... As a result I'm also turning into a big kid myself!! DP thinks I'm mad. Hes taken our girls over to his parents today to give me a bit of a rest (32 weeks pregnant) and I've spent the day thinking about Christmas!! :)

I'm just trying to work out what I want to make a tradition for our girls, what activities to do etc. We're at family on Christmas day but will be here Christmas eve night and want to do the build up, hamper although haven't decided how to go about this yet.. Whether to just to do a couple of presents for each or one box with mixture of presents in...

[NoHank]

This year I am going to do the Christmas hamper on December 1st, not xmas eve like we did last year. This is mainly because we always have DH's family round on xmas eve and it is too late to do anything by the time they have left.

My DC's will be 6 and 2.8. I am planning on putting in a couple of xmas DVD's which can be enjoyed throughout December as well as a Christmas book we can read together at bedtimes. I will also be putting in new pj's, xmas flannel, toothbrush as well. I was also going to put in something for them to make xmas eve, thinking the ingredients for muffins or cookies so they can leave them out for Father Christmas. The hamper will be delivered by our Elf on the shelf, Cranberry who will also bring them both an advent calendar...oh I can't wait!

[iloveholidays]

Hi NoHank

That's a great idea. I was thinking that it seems a shame to be giving the girls a Christmas DVD and festive PJs on Christmas Eve as they won't get much use out of either of them so maybe I just think of something else for Christmas Eve.

We are usually seeing family Christmas eve, day and boxing day however hoping to move Christmas eve forward a day this year as it is a weekend then have Christmas eve at home to break it up a bit (thinking this might be useful as will have a 2 month old) and also keen to start a few traditions on Christmas eve... Maybe making cookies, reindeer food etc.

[reastie]

I can't wait! DD is 18 mo at the minute so I think will be starting to 'get' everything. I've got elf on the shelf all ready and am planning a christmas hamper

[bangersmashandbeans]

I'm so excited about Christmas this year, dd will be 2.10 and I'll be 34 weeks pregnant. Please can someone explain elf on the shelf and a Christmas hamper?

[iloveholidays]

I'm interested about this elf on a shelf as well...?

I've taken the Christmas hamper as something to give DCs on Christmas eve in prep for Christmas day. Contains PJs, Christmas book, Christmas DVD, reindeer book, Christmas bubble bath. That type of thing to use Christmas eve evening.

That's my plan anyway, although now thinking whether to give something earlier....

[WhatWouldVegansDo]

Meeee! 100 days and counting! :)
Though DS has his birthday next month, some I am gearing up for that first, then afterwards I will allow myself to go Christmas Crazy!

He will be 2.2 this Christmas.

We are doing the hamper on the first - helps build up the excitement. It will contain some festive activity books (colouring, stickers, find the ...), pyjamas (I think presenting them on the first doesn't get enough wear out of them), and a few other things.
We will also do the Elf thing! Here is last year's thread which hopefully explains a few things, and has various good and useful links in it: Elf Link.

[EdwardorEricCantDecide]

Sorry if I'm being really dim but what is "elf on the shelf"? Is it just like an ornament or something?
I also like the idea of doing the hamper before Xmas and including advent calendars and things, I also like to include hot choc and marshmallows and reindeer food as well as santa's special key and I worry it will just give me 24 days of "is Santa coming today?" "but I want him to come" crying etc. DC will be 3.7 & 1.2.

My activities are pine cone bird feeders next weekend (before the birds migrate) various other pine cone things (mini Xmas trees? Tree decorations etc)
Paper chains
Xmas cards
Cookies/cake baking.
When all the autumn leaves fall I'm taking dc to local wood to let them run around in them (and get loads of fun, beautiful pictures)
We also have days out to Xmas markets, see Santa and his reindeer and I might do pants this year (not sure if dc are old enough yet)

[cashmere]

I'm so excited this year bit baby is due early December and DS will be 2,10 so will need to keep low key.
I guess I can do- hot choc and copious mince pies/fruit cake (good for breastfeeding)
Christmas DVDs and books (while lounging around)
Various Christmas nibbles that go straight in the oven
Letter to Santa
Maybe make some gingerbread

[forcookssake]

Ooh may I join in please?! I am so excited already, my DP thinks I'm deranged but indulges me whenever I mention something about Christmas. In September. I really love pre-planning and it makes the whole festive season feel much richer and less stressful.

I have already bought 2 DVDs online, ready for Christmas Eve Hamper, but not sure if I'll be able to save them that long - Miracle on 34th St and It's a Wonderful Life (original version), before the prices jump up insanely.

I have taken a gamble buying a lovely sounding wooden advent calendar on Ebay, where I remained the sole bidder for the entire auction. I know why - the seller had a spelling mistake in the item title - calender and didn't upload a photo They listed it as new however, wooden, with 24 drawers, so it should provide somewhere to hide lovely, tiny treats each day. I'm ridiculously excited about it arriving actually, so I can see if the gamble paid off

[peaz]

It's DS2's birthday (his first!) on Dec 1st so we'll officially start the Christmas countdown on the 2nd. I'm doing a Countdown to Christmas hamper on the 2nd to include an advent calender, PJs, DVDs, and a few Christmassy themed books, a letter to FC for them (well, DS1) to write, decorations to paint and I'll put £5-£10 for them to 'spend' on each other.

Not sure what our plans are. We normally take turns with each others families if DH isn't working. But OH wants us to have Christmas at home and invite his folks, as it's 'their turn'. Great, I've been pushing for Christmas at ours ages. But his mum will not want to come- she likes to do her own Christmas. So he feels bad that we're not going to theirs. So he said if she doesn't want to come to ours, we HAVE to go to theirs, otherwise they would be on their own. When he says 'they', he means MIL, FIL, UIL and possibly his FIL best friend. So not on their own, really. I want to see my family on BD. My family is massive, and the chances of seeing all of them- well, really it's Christmas Day or BD. But. DH doesn't want to travel down to his mums CD then over to my family on BD. Argh. So basically, CD is not going to be how I want it.

Which is why I am going to make the most of the build up, because if we spend it with the IL's, it will be truly shit.

[iloveholidays]

I think I might just give the PJs, book, activity books and DVD with the advent calendar on 1st then give less on Christmas eve like reindeer food, carrot, mince pie, Christmas bubble bath, Christmas flannel etc. So basically split down the Christmas hamper to things I think they'd get more use out for the lead up to Christmas and what is needed for Christmas eve.

[bangersmashandbeans]

I'm really sorry to be dim but that elf link seems to have had loads of posts removed so I don't feel any the wiser about the dude on the shelf?! Anyone....?

[iloveholidays]

I'm still a bit lost on the elf on the shelf thing too... I get the feeling "it" comes to life at night and sets tasks, hides and watches over DCs to check they're being "good" then reports back to father Christmas on Christmas eve.

Am I right?

[iloveholidays]

Peaz , that sounds like a nightmare. I think it's always a nightmare juggling the different family and pleasing everyone. I've already warned my DP that things maybe a bit different this year with DD3 arriving Oct/Nov... I will be exhausted so want to sleep in my own bed more and have a "break" in the middle!!

He would quite happily go and stay at family for 3-4 days over Christmas period, but I'm keen for our girls to have their memories of Christmas at home, especially christmas eve and Christmas day. I've not won on the christmas day thing yet, but don't fancy cooking or entertaining people with a newborn this year but will be working on it next year :)

[iloveholidays]

DP has said that he's worried if its just us at home Christmas eve this year it will see like any other day, so I need to plan some activities for christmas eve to win him round!!! :)

[forcookssake]

Yes iloveholidays you've got it!
People often get partner/neighbour to ring doorbell and the elf is left there, holding a note saying he's been left by Father Christmas, wants to make sure you're being good.... (google it, there are some cute pre-written suggestions) and then the elf moves at night and the DCs have to locate it each morning. Sometimes he might cause mischief, on another occasion he might be holding something related to a festive task you've planned for the day.

[Onadietcolabreak]

I'm so hyped up, Im actually inching to get the decorations out of the loft

I got my Elf last week, can wait to do it! Was totally un aware of what it was too. But googled it.
It's basically a toy, that comes with a letter from Santa who has sent him to spy on the kids and reports beck at night to the big man, wether they were noughty or nice! Sometimes on his way back, he gets up to mischief and the kids wake up and find him (type it into pintrest, there are lots of photos)
Then he hitches a ride back to the north pole on Xmas eve

It's basically to get them to behave and bring a bit of magic a'la Toy Story.