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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

To tell you that it is only

926 replies

RabidEchidna · 21/02/2012 07:53

307 days till Christmas

Do I have the record for the first Christmas thread of 2012? Grin

OP posts:
TitsalinaBumSquash · 13/05/2012 10:09

DP was saying this morning about getting a big marble run for the kids, I said "noooo order it and we can put it away for Christmas" he gave me this look > Hmm

I loath spending ££££ in Dec especially with a new arrival on the way and a whole new lot of stuff to buy for him/ her.

milk · 13/05/2012 12:15

TitsalinaBumSquash- I agree about spending £££ in Dec- I think its better to space it out during the year :)

How many DC do you have?

RabidAnchovy · 14/05/2012 07:02

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TitsalinaBumSquash · 14/05/2012 07:08

Currently 2 (5&7 yo DSs) come Dec I should have a 2-3 week old as well!

I really struggle with what to buy my 2 at the best of times, so any genius ideas get saved for Christmas and Birthdays.

ATM though, I have a horrible feeling we're going to be expected at MIL's for Xmas which I personally don't want to do!

ObiWan · 14/05/2012 07:55

Milk , the Lego is for the children of course! They are aged between 4-8 ( the baby just eats the Lego) and I'm just lucky that they all share have been steered towards my love of the little bricks Grin

BiddyPop · 14/05/2012 08:29

Stockings for 2 month olds....I had, just in case DD arrived before Christmas Day itself, a few Christmas bibs, a rattle, a small jar of vaseline (travel bag size), and a Christmas onsie that a friend had bought in NYC. If there are older siblings, you'll HAVE to have a stocking, even if they can't enjoy it much themselves - but something nice and fun (small) and then lots of practical items that you'd be buying anyway just presented in the stocking Grin

Sorry, I've been MIA for a hectic week (and this week looks as bad, hence v early post from the desk before I get lost again).

And not a lot done practically about Christmas yet. Although I mentioned to DH that I'd been looking at cottages - and he sounded interested. So I may persuade him on that yet.

As for Traditions. DD has made an ornament for the tree every year (creche, school, and the odd venture into glitter and mess at home! ), which we have kept carefully. Some of these go on the tree every year but some are just kept for her own tree. (Cos I have LOADS of decs for the tree). I tend to buy an ornament every year though, when we are somewhere interesting - various hols worldwide or business trips, or just interesting things we spot coming up to hols here to mark special years (like the year we got married I got a crystal one).

DD and I , and last year DH, all get new PJs on Christmas Eve. And then after a bath (last year, I got a Lush "SANTA" bath bomb for DD's bath - wow that went down well!!), we read "Twas the night before Christmas" for the first time of the season. I have loads of Christmas books and stories and we read one most nights in December (I have to read a french one about the mouse family preparing daily - in french and then translate - at least 6 times in the month!!), but TTNBC gets saved for Christmas Eve.

And my own personal tradition, is that at some point after the tree goes up and before Christmas, when the house is quiet (like DD asleep and DH out at a work do), I turn on tree lights, off all other lights, (maybe light candles or the fire), and lie on the floor with a G&T reviewing the year past and making my plans for the year ahead (sorta New Year resolution type thoughts). Might manage 10 minutes, or an hour. But it's been an important time out for me ever since I was 16 and first raided my parents Jack Daniels stash while the rest of my siblings watched TV in the other room and I was the babysitter (not that bold cos I only had less than 1 measure and was already a beer/wine drinker sanctioned by parents). There have been quite a few years where it has been a soft drink. But the tree lights and the quiet are the important part.

milk · 14/05/2012 09:19

So far I have hidden away:

  • a box of Duplo I bought for DS (he'll be 21 months)

then I hope to get some small nik-naks and DVDs- I can't wait for the Sainsburys half price toy sale Grin

RabidAnchovy · 15/05/2012 10:03

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BiddyPop · 15/05/2012 15:15

Is it really only yesterday I posted that essay? It feels like at least 3 days since then.....

It's getting scarily towards the sub-200's, and I have nothing worthwhile done.

But I was thinking last night while lying awake at stupid o'clock trying to get back to sleep that I will make a pudding this year. And I will use the time off I am taking in the summer to do it.

RabidAnchovy · 15/05/2012 17:55

I think we should put a Christmas tree up on this thread when we get to 200 Grin

Petsinmypudenda · 15/05/2012 18:36

I brought three colouring books and some chunky crayons for ds2 today. I'm thinking of doing him one of those storage boxes crammed full of crafty bits as his big present. He will be 2 so not really into Christmas yet.

RabidAnchovy · 16/05/2012 06:57

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RabidAnchovy · 17/05/2012 07:07

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TitsalinaBumSquash · 17/05/2012 07:23

We had an actual discussion over dinner about Christmas this year, I expressed that I didn't want to be at MIL's so we compromised with Boxing Day but we would like people over on Christmas day so we may invite them although I doubt FIL will come because he isn't overly nice sociable. Hmm

I will also invite my sister and her brood although I again expect they'll opt not to come because they have their own extended families to sort.

I hate Christmas day with just the 5 of us though, I grew up with a 20 head count minimum round the table for Christmas dinner.

DP got all gooey about starting family traditions for the first time this year of our own! He is a big softy about these sort of things. :)

milk · 17/05/2012 08:35

TitsalinaBumSquash- 5 people is nice in the sense that you can serve the fanciest food and the bill isn't too high :) We have 8 people around for Christmas dinner, although this year DC2 will be born so there will be 9 Grin

Our Christmas traditions are all food related :) We start the meal with beef and barley soup, then go onto the traditional roast turkey, which is served with chestnut stuffing and apricot and ginger stuffing. Served with honey glazed roast potato and parsnips. We also have broccoli on the plate for greenery. Dessert is a simple sorbet and fruit... then about 3 hours later we eat rich cakes/Christmas pudding with clotted cream and alcohol Grin

RabidAnchovy · 18/05/2012 07:18

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TitsalinaBumSquash · 18/05/2012 07:44

milk I'm sure if it ends up as just us it will be lovely, my worries stem back from a couple of Xmas days spent with ex and the 2 boys, it was just like every other day (him shouting, the kids made to be silent Hmm)
I'm one of these that has an ideal picture in my head and then I try too hard to make it perfect when really 6 and 8 year old boys just want to play with their new toys and a 4-6 week old baby will just be wanting bf and sleep. Grin

milk · 18/05/2012 08:25

TitsalinaBumSquash- we have adults in one room and children in another, therefore the adults can drink in peace and the kids can play with their new presents :)

TitsalinaBumSquash · 18/05/2012 08:28

I'm not sure we'd get away without the constant cries for Lego assistance Grin

I'm seriously tempted to start making little decorations already Blush

milk · 18/05/2012 09:16

TitsalinaBumSquash- what decorations do you make?

TitsalinaBumSquash · 18/05/2012 09:33

Anything and everything!

I scour the internet for projects.

In the past I have sewn little tree decorations out of scraps of fabric filled with christmassy smelling spices.
Both boys have a giant stocking I made,

They have a huge advent calender I made that needs repairing, it's 25 little stockings I made out of felt and decorated then stuck on a cork board that I had covered in Christmas fabric.
We have bunting, snow globes, gingerbread houses, wreathes. It's like a grotto in this place from December onwards Blush

milk · 18/05/2012 09:39

I'd love a Willy Wonka Christmas, so all the decorations are edible chocolates and sweets Grin

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 18/05/2012 21:53

You need to beg,steal,borrow,buy or make an Elf on the Shelf. There are loads of threads on EotS last Christmas. They are popular in the USA, but the Elf looks a bit scarey.
I made mine from a Dr Who Christopher Eccleston doll (red and green felt outfit sewed on and hat and pixie boots glued on) .He looked pretty fierce and beligerant, not a friendly elf Grin.
You hide them in the house, track their hiding places and he disappears on the night of the 24th to Lapland.

My DCs will be 13 and 10 at Christmas, so our Traditions are changing but they still love the Christmas Eve Hamper and stockings (presents for a 13 yo DS are expensive and tiny so the under the tree pile looks skimpy ).
Stocking gifts-well wrapped up- give you valuable lie-in time when they wake early.
And we put a fibre optic tree in the bedroom (they share a room on Christmas Eve) on a timer. When it goes on, they know he's been.

YY to edible decorations. Candy canes, chocolate tree decorations and iced ginger biscuits (I put in tied cellophane bags).

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 18/05/2012 21:58

Titsalina yes, start now !
I made a tree skirt (years ago) from a kit from QVC. Little teddy bears on a train with a million sequins and beads. I started in the August and sewed for an hour every day.Took forever but even now 8 years later it sits under the tree and I'm really smug when I see it.

RabidAnchovy · 19/05/2012 10:18

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