Good Morning Mumsnet! What's everyone up to this Christmas Eve?

[lucysmam]

As always on days off, I'm starting my day with my cuppa, in my kitchen spot. The kittens have been fed & are mooching about the kitchen atm. There's no noise at all from the girls so I'll check they're awake in a mo.

We're off for our usual Christmas Eve walk into town to the market, for our veg and visit to the cheese monger, and stop off for a coffee somewhere.

We'll get the bus home & should be back around midday ish to prep tomorrow's Christmas dinner and nip for a bottle of wine for me. We probably need milk too.

Tonight's tea will be something quick & easy, followed by gingerbread house for afters 😋

Then showers all round, and relax for the evening 😊

What about all of you? 🎅

Well I just girded my loins, pulled up my britches and gritted my teeth for what I thought would be a harrowing experience at the local retail park and it was dead quiet. In and out in less than half an hour with everything I wanted.

Morning everyone and Merry Christmas.

I am cooking the Turkey and Ham this morning (we are having a buffet tomorrow and I want to prepare as much as possible in advance). I need to give the kitchen a bit of a clean.

Early evening I will go see my son, his partner and my grandson. I will read my grandson a Christmas book and hopefully get to help with leaving the mince pie etc out for Santa. Will watch a Xmas movie with the teens later in the evening with snowballs.

Christmas is going to be different this year due to my husband being very ill. I would like a relatively stress free day (and maybe a nap).

I’m having a lazy morning. I’ll start veg prep for the big day after lunch, peeling the potatoes will take ages so I might crack open an another bottle of red to help with the task. DH is cooking Christmas Eve dinner for the two of us which will be nice and civilised. I’ve making lunch for 12 tomorrow so today I’m enjoying a bit of peace.

Morning all,

I was up early this morning so I’ve cleaned the kitchen and wrapped all of DD’s presents. She’s got the next few days off work which is unusual as she usually works Christmas Eve. I don’t expect her to be up before midday! I’ve just had some toasted and buttered Pannetone for breakfast which was a real treat!

I’m planning to run the hoover round once she’s awake and give the bathroom a wipe down, then I’ll sit and watch muppets Christmas carol as I always do on Christmas Eve! Later on I’ll prepare a buffet with DD’s help, mum will be over around 6pm and DD will most likely have a friend of 2 pop in for drinks and nibbles. After we’ve eaten mum and I will make the stuffing for tomorrow, to bring to my sister who is hosting. We will also be watching eastenders at some point tonight as we are all fans! I love Christmas Eve.

Morning all.

I am just doing a tidy up and getting the dining room ready. Dh did a massive clean yesterday as I was making sausage rolls and the Christmas Eve gammon.

I still have presents to wrap.

I'm making eggy bread for lunch then we have to take some stuff to the tip!

We are then singing in our Choir at 4pm and back to ours with some friends for the Gammon buffet (different side dishes and ahem, picky bits 🤣🤣🤣.

We'll try and squeeze in our favourite Christmas film with a Baileys and chocolates before we head to our Christmas Eve service at church from 11.30pm.

Sadly we had to put one of our cats to sleep yesterday so we're feeling a bit low tbh. Plus DD is away at Sea (she's in the Navy), we haven't told her about puss as she's a bit homesick at present.

Working this morning then in the afternoon, home to watch DVDs. Half way thru Gavin and Stacey. Sadly wont be able to watch the new one as I do not have a tv at the moment and anyway if it is on tomorrow I shall be working. Hence got a number of DVds and Christmas music to occupy me!

I was working until 11.30, and am currently attempting to make a gingerbread house from a kit from Aldi. It keeps collapsing though so I am having a break, letting the icing dry before I carry on, or throw the whole thing out the window.
The DC were supposed to decorate it by I fear if they breathe on it it'll crumble.

Need to also make the Christmas cabbage, and some sausage rolls this afternoon. Once DH finishes work we will pop to Sainsbury's to pick up some last minute bits, including a rug as a giant stain has appeared on the living room carpet which cleaning appears to have made worse, and super snobby mil is coming round on tomorrow

Then off to Christingle later on, followed by gift swapping at the ILs.

Loads to do yet here I am, staring at my phone.

Tesco at seven o'clock was very quiet. No queues and plenty of parking. The only thing I couldn't find was fresh cranberries, so I bought a jar. But it was very easy

Working here

I’m procrastinating.

I have a million presents to wrap. DH made a start for me last night and has used the same paper for presents from us and from Santa, hasn’t labelled any of them and can’t remember what any of them are. And I can’t find the Tonie we bought weeks ago. So instead of thinking ‘sod it’ and getting on with it, I’m eating Lindt, looking at photos of people’s fridges and watching The Holiday while DH is working away in the kitchen!

Had a lazy morning drinking coffee and chatting with DDs who are home for Christmas. Just about to go out for a lazy lunch with them, then popping into M&S to fill a basket with treats and nibbles (we're eating out tomorrow and nearly every day after, so just needs snacks).

Later it will be the traditional watching of Polar Express + hot chocolate, and our DDs will choose one present from under the tree to open. At bedtime we'll do the traditional reading of 'The Very Special Christmas' by A. J. Wood with it's beautiful illustrations.

Our DDs are grown up but still insist on the same childhood traditions, which is lovely.

Its my birthday today 😁

I have just been delivered breakfast in bed. We were then going to go skiing but its socked in with snow, so I might pass as I prefer to be able to see where I am going.

Then dc are cooking a fry up for lunch and I have to pick up a parcel from the post office. This afternoon DD and I have a baking session planned, more mince pies as the earlier batch have all been eaten, the buche de noel for tomorrow and birthday cupcakes for me. I will also get the DSes to peel potatoes, carrots and parsnips for tomorrow, prep the turkey and roll the bacon rolls. Then we will set the table to look festive and have a snacky dinner and watch Love Actually

Happy Birthday @SeaToSki where are you if you are able to go skiing?
ive been up tidying and setting up the house for tomorrow, then took a break to have one of the scones I made yesterday. Headed over to sil to exchange gifts and see that side of the family. Just heading home to put on the gamon and finish the cleaning, then muppets Christmas Carol before bed tonight. Good times.
Happy Christmas to you @lucysmam your regular threads are like a hot cup of tea and warm slippers - so soothing

I don't think one of these threads has ever got to 5(!) pages. Looking forward to reading what everyone's been up to later on, once we've eaten 😊

Got up at 7.30, had breakfast, wrapped 4 presents, prepared mince pie dough and worked until 1pm.

Nap, baked mince pies, now sit down with a pot of tea, Lebkuchen and watching a movie.

Then Christmas starts with presents and a nice dinner.

Thanks @lucysmam fir a Christmas Eve thread, I love it as a regular.
Hope you are all well and have a lovely Christmas
My gravy, bread sauce and ham is done ✔️
I'm ready for a relaxing evening and the big day 🎅🎁🎄🫎

I was up at 7, finished wrapping, boiled, glazed and baked the ham, peels the spuds, walked the dogs and dss's for 5 miles to tire them out, cleaned the house, wrapped DD's boyfriends presents for her as she is in bed with flu :( and replaced any batteries in decorations or tea lights that needed it. now just having a lie down for 10 mins before I need to get ready to go out for tea.

Just need to put the kids presents in the tights (we use tights instead of bags, always have) after they are in bed and done. This is the most organised I've ever been I think!
I might have a wee glass of wine.

Happy Christmas Eve all x

I’m in the NorthEast of the US. The snow has passed and the sun is now out. The DC are making a knees up of my kitchen cooking a fry up now, but they are good at cleaning up so I am enjoying listening to the friendly chaos and banter.

Feeling very festive, I love my Xmas Eve birthday as everyone is around and in a party mood

Yes thanks @lucysmam for this thread. Was up early trying to secure an.emergency dental appointment. Fitted me in to.sort out my.broken.tooth. it still.painful. prepared a couple of lessons, washed two coats and treated with solution to.make them.waterproof- fingers crossed. No preparations for Christmas to.do. very low-key here.

Two of the three Christingle services done, on to the last one now. Nobody caught fire. Turns out we made 830 Christingles not 750, which is just as well as we have about 80 left at this point.
The rest will go to sidespeople from the last service, and be left for the midnight service.

So its 8:20 and both kids are in bed and fast asleep, I have no idea how this has happened, I can assure you it is not parental effort, do we now just sit on the sofa awkwardly waiting for them to wake up. Our daughter has never ever gone to sleep on her own before, so I think the rest of our christmas eve will just be confusion.

🤣@Simonjt yep, pretty much how it goes!

Have eaten so much food that I am unwell!
Hopefully it clears for lunch tomorrow

DD in bed sleep and just settling down for mine and DH annual Christmas Eve movie Die Hard with a glass of wine. Merry Christmas 🎄 xx