Are you doing anything particularly fun/generous/off-kilter

[randomcatname]

this Christmas just for the hell of it?

I really want this year to be fun so looking for some ideas outside of the usual panto/xmas fair type things.

Or maybe a surprise gift for someone you wouldn't normally. Do you go the extra mile to create Christmas spirit, I suppose is what I'm asking

[randomcatname]

No? None of you then?

You miserable lot.

[OSETmum]

Not this year really but last year we went on a random road trip to Paris, Disneyland Paris and Amsterdam. We only decided to go (with friends from Australia) in late November but it all came together nicely.

[SatsukiKusakabe]

Sorry OP, pretty boring really however I've decided it would be festive to bump your thread up a bit, so let's see...

A few years ago pre kids I surprised dh with tickets to see Paul Maccartney in Dublin a couple of days before Christmas.

This year I am making him some vouchers to exchange for lie-ins, as he always gets up with the kids and finds it hard to switch off. How times change

I have bought some extra toys and books to donate to a local women's refuge for families that might be away from their home on Christmas Day because of violence. The children have helped me choose and wrap so that's been a nice thing to do with them.

I'm going to get something for our postman as he always goes out of his way to make sure I don't have to make a trip to the collection office.

An elderly neighbour was fantastic when the kids went trick or treating on Halloween, really treated them and put on a charming little performance, made their night, so I'm going to pop a card and something in, though I don't know his name.

[ohtheholidays]

Christmas Spirit.

A few years ago I started a new tradition with our 5DC.
One weekend I'd take our oldest DC,DS19 into town and we'd do some Christmas shopping together,I'd help him look for the presents he wanted to get for his brothers,sisters and his Dad and then we'd go to a nice restaurant for lunch.
Then the weekend after I took our 2DDs,DD12 and DD8 to do the same and to a different restaurant and then the weekend after that I took our DS17 and did the same again.

DS14 hasn't been yet,but they've broken up from school now so I'll be taking him in a few days time.

Another thing we do that our children like is we'll go for a drive out to a forest and collect things like pine cones to make some Christmas decorations and a Christmas table display when we get home.

One evening we usually all get wrapped up and get into the car DH will have found out where there's streets with lots of decorations in the gardens and on the houses,I'll have made some hot chocolate and some homemade sweet treats and we'll go and have a drive around to see all the decorations.

[randomcatname]

I think this year I'm going to go the extra mile for some particularly difficult family members. It's either that or go mad.

To counter that I've just had a really lovely day hosting the normal members of my family. We were all in need of christmas solidarity and I think I managed to spoil them and keep a bit of the old family traditions going, so I'm really pleased with that. And still a few days to go! I'm happy.