Happy Christmas Eve Mumsnetters! What are everyone's plans for the day?

[lucysmam]

I'm just finishing my first cuppa, in silence, then headed up to wake the girls with a cuppa each.

We're off for our traditional walk into town to the market, even if most of it will be shut & we don't need anything. It started when they were little, to ensure they were tired & has continued even though they're teens now.

When we get home, we'll prep the veg and spuds for tomorrow and defrost the chicken. We'll make some more mince pies too so there's one to leave out for Santa tonight.

This evening it'll be showers all round, some crochet in front of another episode of A Discovery of Witches for me, presents out before I go to bed and bar the girls from downstairs 🤣

What about all of you? 🎄

I’m going to plan the cooking for tomorrow so I just need to do stuff rather than think.

Brine turkey, prep veg. Mandatory to do so while listening to Handel’s Messiah, as that’s what my mum does.

Decide whether I’m going to both or neither Christingle as well as Midnight Mass (kids are in the choir).

Wrap the half of the presents I haven’t done.

Today is gingerbread baking day. We used to attempt to build a house but it never stood so now we make gingerbread men, kids will decorate them, if the wind dies down will go for a walk before baths, new pj's, pizza with elf before putting out Santa's gingerbread and, at my youngest's request, a block of cheese to keep the grinch away. He watched the grinch at playgroup and is terrified of him stealing christmas. But the grinch is scared of cheese apparently 🤷‍♀️

We are staying at my adult DD's. We are up reasonably early this morning as DGS woke up! DD is having a lie in.

DD's DSS is here too and our DD. They are only a year apart and get on like a house on fire.

Our other children and partners are coming over this morning for a festive brunch and present exchange.

Then a walk to the pub with DDog to tire out DD and DSS where we'll have dinner with DD's IL's. Then back for hot chocolate and Polar Express.
Presents out and then bed.

Good morning Lucysmam

Adult DS3 arrived home yesterday, DS1 and gf and DS2 coming over this afternoon then we are all going to DB and sil for the evening.

This morning I need to cook the ham in coke, and DH needs to collect the turkey from the butchers.

Merry Christmas ❤️ your post made me teary and I don't know why! You sound like a lovely mum x

Merry Christmas Eve 🎄

Just enjoying 5 minutes peace before the household wakes up. Will finish the last bits of cleaning and then we're off for a walk with the dog and then brunch at the in-laws.

Home just after lunch to make Clementine possets for tomorrow and to get the table ready.

We're walking to church at 4 30 for the family service 5-6. Will stop for one at the pub on the way home and then it's back home for chilli for 20 with all our neighbours. Hopefully much merriment and singing will ensure.

Christmas Eve is my favourite. Have a lovely day everyone.

It's the first Christmas Eve for a few years that neither DH or I are working so we are having a lovely family day for once! Church this morning, then after lunch we'll go to the cinema to see Wonka. In the evening our traditional films of The Polar Express (watched every year since the teens were tiny) and then Die Hard 2 (which the teens joined in on for the first time last year!). Depending on weather and timings, DH and I might walk to the pub for lunch, dinner is pizzas for the teens and a brie and cranberry pastry thing for us. Plus copious amount of gin and Bailey's 😁

Off to church (4th Sunday of advent), packing to go to family tomorrow. Visiting in laws this pm then back to church for 8pm mass (the start of Christmas).

We don't do midnight mass here as the church is opposite Wetherspoons 😂)

Husband is cooking yummy chicken tikka for dinner and I'll get my ds10 helping to put the presents under the tree. It's the first year he doesn't believe so we're looking forward to moving our traditions on.

Good morning Lucysmam and others. After decades of doing Christmas for the family, this year I'm going to dd's. The baton has been handed over. So today I'll give my brother his gifts, visit mum and finish housework. It'll all be quite leisurely- a huge change from previous years! I have cranberry sauce to make and bread sauce to prepare. Have a lovely Christmas Eve everyone

Kids are up and eating, giving husband another hour to sleep because he handled the 4am bed change, then washed dressed and piled into car to pick up the Christmas dinner (heat at home from local restaurant who started this during lockdown, and discovered Christmas Day off is quite nice actually).

While down that way, dash to florist to collect flowers for my mum and next door, and on the way back kids will be taken for hot chocolate while I dash into the toyshop for the previously unmentioned £5 dinosaur which was announced as the Most Wanted Thing Ever to Santas at school, creche, Folk Park and Winter wonderland adventure over the last week, god help us.

Then clean round the house, walk kids, bring gift to next door, dinner, bedtime and wrap presents until it's time to go collect DSD from her mum's when whoever isn't driving sets up the Santa presents.

And then we will crawl into bed and hope nobody wakes up at 5am this year.

I’m getting up in a minute, will walk the dogs after a coffee and then nip to the local shops to get a couple of things I forgot in the big shop. 3 adult dcs all here and a dh who I think has a cold. I’ll spend the day prepping veg and making yorkshires while listening to Radio 4. This afternoon we’ll go to elderly Auties for buffet style food and a few games. Home by about 8 for more raucous games, stocking up and maybe a film.

Bacon sandwiches for breakfast, then I'm meeting a friend for a dog walk at 10am, then back home for a shower and a lazy day in front of the TV.

I've woken up with a stuffed nose, shivers , sore throat and start of a migraine 😞

Giant game of Tetris to get the car packed to head off for 4 days with relatives.

Happy Christmas Eve @lucysmam & all! I've just had a coffee in bed, will wake DS age 17 at 9am as he's nipping into work for secret Santa & an Italian breakfast at 10 before coming back home & resting prior to a 2pm until finish shift at the restaurant!

I will walk the dog, nip to Tesco to buy 3 items, then tidy the house & change all bedding. It's very windy here so thoughts of a longer walk this afternoon with DH have been parked! DH & I have M & S Chinese to eat this evening with a nice bottle of red.

Will also Skype DDad this evening. He lives in New Zealand so it will be Christmas Day Morning when we speak.

@violetcuriosity thank you - sorry for making you feel teary! You've no idea how much your comment means to me - that, right there, just made my day before it's hardly begun! Having come from a terribly abusive childhood with no clue how to love anybody I know exactly how lucky I am and will treasure every moment.

Driving home for Christmas!! (There’s a song there!!)

then welcoming my mum and veg prep!

Happy Christmas!

Off out for breakfast in about 20 mins - I've just roused DS and DH from their beds by playing Slade very loudly 😆

Post-breakfast mooch around our local Sunday artisan market for bread and interesting cheese, and then home before it gets too busy (I expect it to be rammed by mid-morning if our local Facebook group is anything to go by.)

Then a chilled day at home prepping for tomorrow. Cheeseboard, wine and films tonight.

Morning all!

I'm taking the DCs (x3) and DDogs to a National Trust site this Morning to burn off some excited energy! Making a flask of Hot Chocolate and Mince Pies for after.

Then have to visit a few Friends to drop off the last of our Cards and small gifts!

In the afternoon we're decorating our gingerbread house and watching the Polar Express (for the 100th time 😁)

Undecided for dinner just yet, Xmas Eve Meal isn't really a big thing in our House and the Children are already asking for MCDonalds!

Hope to have the Stockings filled, presents under the Tree and a glass of Bubbles in hand by 9 o'clock 🥂

Morning! We're sort of having Christmas today, as tomorrow morning we'll be visiting Mum in her nursing home. As it happens ds is off to see his other granny in her nursing home today and eat with his grandad - I would have gone too but have had a bit of a collapse as my mum is very ill. Christmas breakfast soon and one present, then a day opening boxes from dp's move. Christmas Dinner tonight, dp's cooking. Games and if we can clear the boxes we'll have our first ever open fire in our home together.

DD age 5 woke up at 2am vomiting, she was hysterical and crying due to it so we are both sat on the sofa having a cuddle with sick bucket to hand and will probably do nothing all day. Our original plan had been to go for a walk on the hills and make a Nutella pastry tree.

@lucysmam

I am sending out a few cards then just going to vist my son in Swansea on a train , spending some of my time at a guest house today and Tommorow at a budget hotel
treating this time as a sort of get away retreat too,

Thanks for asking hope you and your family have a lovely Christmas time too..
Best wishes

Happy Christmas Eve!!!
Am supposed to be cleaning the house, Shifting loads of washing, going to the supermarket. But am not well I've got the most awful cough and feel awful. My ribs hurt so much i keep thinking I've broken them. Its just Ds and me for Christmas day so dont have much prep to do tbh but house is a tip cos Ive had this cough for a while now😔Best friend is coming over tonight for drinks and nibbles and to bring presents over and i know she wont say anything about state of house or care about it tbh but I need to do something. Am going to get Ds to help me but he has fragile x syndrome and autism and cant actually cope with Christmas itself so its going to be fun. Hope you all have fun today xx

This morning is BIG CLEAN - hoover, mop, polish, change bedding. Then we're meeting friends and kids for a walk, then a cheeky pint in the pub. Home for tea (stew) then carrols on the green near our house. Back for bath (DS) new pyjamas, The Snowman and when he's finally in bed, Prosecco and It's A Wonderful Life for me and DH.

Morning 👋 Today I am doing some final washing and cleaning. Main job is the veg prep amd making sure all is ready for Christmas Dinner tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a good day