How would you spend your ideal Christmas?

[fuzzpig]

A thread inspired by lots of other yearly threads about family dilemmas, obligations etc.

I suppose my absolute ideal would be a big family Xmas but with my family that is never going to happen.

We spend a lot of it snuggled up watching movies, opening presents and playing with them, cooking and eating food!

I would also love to set up more family traditions, maybe going for a (hopefully snowy) walk, playing board games as a family (DCs are a bit young at the moment), maybe a nice posh breakfast... we are also planning to invite a couple for friends who are normally just the two of them and don't enjoy it much.

We've not really made much effort the last few years (it has, as I said on another thread, pretty much Sunday with presents) as we've had a tough time with DH being injured - but he's recovering from his operation now so this year might be different. Inspire me! :)

Oh, lovely thread, this is getting me right in the mood!

I think your description sounds pretty much perfect, to be honest (and I hope your DH's recovery goes well so he can enjoy it this year).

On Christmas day I love making a big deal of breakfast and it doesn't have to be that posh - so, porridge with cream and brown sugar, or scrambled eggs with salmon, and a nice thing is to have a new piece of clothes/jewellery for everyone wrapped up by the side of the breakfast plates, so you can put it on straight away.

I also love decorating the tree on Christmas eve while listening to carols from kings - but that is cutting it very fine, so it may not appeal to you. But you definitely need a tradition of buying or finding on youtube a new christmas song every year. It's great fun.

Thanks for getting me thinking about plans!

Lovely ideas! Yes 24th would be cutting it too fine for us as I like having it done earlier (but after my birthday on 7th) but I LOVE carols from kings so that is a must!

Yes, I think we will change that tradition when we have children!

I love the idea of doing something all together as a family while listening to the carols, though ... if not decorating a tree, sometimes my mum had us all making mince pies, or wrapping presents for family members who weren't ther (granny and grandpa!). I just like the idea of it being a time when everyone does something together.

One day, I keep promising myself I will go listen to carols from kings at the actual place ...!

real tree

walks on christmas day and boxing day (love seeing all the kids out on their new bikes )

new PJs every christmas eve
new outfit for christmas day (including underware and socks)

stockings with socks, lego, orange, white chocolate

books/annuals

christmas porridge (with cranberries and cinnamon and cream) or smoked salmon and scrambled egg for breakie

loads of smoked salmon in general

I like the new clothes idea... possibly not affordable this year!

I do really want a fabulous tree, an artificial one that will last decades. Never been able to afford one so we've just had crap ones but I want to invest. Quite tempted to make do this year and get one in the sales? Possibly with stockings/wooden advent calendars too.

the christmas eve jammas are the most important part of the new clothes tradition here new jammas and new socks feel so lovely!

Loving the idea of Christmas porridge. We have new jammies for the children, delivered to their beds from Father Christmas on Xmas eve while they are in the bath. Our church does christingle service on Christmas eve that we all go to. I like to have the house decorated and looking lovely. Big fat xmas dinner and lots of wine

I love your ideas & dreams ................ - the reality in my house is that DS quickly grew out of enjoying anything like that so I would be lovingly decorating the tree/baking/making crafts with carols in the background whilst he would be making a huge fuss and wanting to get back to watching the Simpsons or something equally trashy and the annual moan that everyone else has the latest mobile/ipad/Xbox etc etc.

On Christmas Eve we go to my local - it's one of the oldest inns in the country, it always has a huge tree and a log fire and is rather lovely. We stay there for an hour or so and then back home so I can prepare supper whilst listening to Carols from Kings.

Supper is always a ham with dauphinoise potatoes, that's what my mum used to cook and so I cook it too.

New pjs for my daughter to wear after her bath. We have a relatively early night otherwise Santa won't come. My daughter is only one, but this is what I tell my husband.

Christmas Morning is stockings and presents around the fire with a glass (several) of champagne, blinis with smoked salmon about 11am, roast goose and spiced red cabbage and roast potatoes at about 4. Board games and long dog walks and listening to my husband's alternative Christmas cd to be slotted in where convenient.

Can I come to yours Calamity? Sounds gorgeous.

Thank you! It is. Come along, the more the merrier, I love a full house at Christmas!

French Alps
Fresh snow
Catered chalet
Either both sets of grandparents (best, but in seperate neighbouring chalet, for babysitting) or neither
Vin chaud
Presents (and children) mysteriously teletransported there

Reality
cross family grandparent envy
grumpy, ungratful kids
stressed parents
lots of tat
sulky walk round reservoir

Start with a lie-in
Watch happy grateful children open presents at some civilised hour
Have dinner cooked for us by the fairies
Not have to do a single blood glucose test or count carbs or worry about excitement-induced hypos (ds2 has diabetes)
No visitors to please
No presents that need charity-shopping in January
No talking during Doctor Who ...

Aye well. We're not having visitors on Christmas Day, 1 out of 7 isn't bad .

I think I'd like to go away one year, or even just out for a meal, but we've put that on the back burner for the near future as with 2 little DCs it's more hassle than it's worth!

We usually have family round and xmas eve dinner is always baked ham baked potaoes and coleslaw and then the ham that is left becomes part of xmas dinner or breakfast or boxing day buffet. I always insist on a walk before presents can be opened so often we dont get to presents except stockings and maybe a small one each till about 2pm It seems to work for us , also whn the kids were small we started having xmas dinner about 5pm which means that you can have plenty to drink and all that has to be done with kids is to push them into bed
I used to buy each child a new bauble for the tree every year or let them choose one, it makes the tree more memorable, i have one s i can remember my dad buying me (over 40 years ago!)

i'd love to rent a large country house and have all my family there.there would have to be a nice cosy pub nearby and also a nice area for walking.we would have a huge xmas lunch and have lovely yummy nibbles in the evening aswell as a few bottles of wine and definately a bottle of baileys.loads of games and music.

Loving the idea of traditional meals other than the main one!

I think a main part of my ideal Xmas season is cooking. I would LOVE to be one of those organised mums who bakes lots of treats with the DCs throughout December, gives hampers to family full of home made truffles and jam... as it stands now I can barely make a fairy cake without fucking it up!

in Wham!'s Last Christmas video, i think.
ski, apres ski, 80s knits and Big Hair

I also buy a new bauble each year for DCs. My xmas starts with Carols from Kings on Xmas Eve when I start making mince pies which is a tradition I inherited from my lovely MiL. Xmas morning always start in our bed with DCs and DH and I opening our stockings together and we take it in turns to open a present each.

In an ideal world it would be a lovely breakfast, followed by presents, lunch, walk in the crisp snow and then carols around the piano in chunky christmas jumpers drinking egg nog

In reality chocolate for breakfast, DC breaking land speed records to open presents, too much champagne, getting all hot and sweaty cooking lunch cos my new xmas outfit is just not suitable for cooking in, slumping in front of TV with a box of chocs, small sleep and then a round of Gaviscon tablets before we start all over again!

Love it either way it happens!

Midnight Mass and family lunch. A little bit of snow, so that it's lovely, but not so much we can't wear beautiful clothes. Lots of food. No arguments.

gorgeous thread!

not 100% sure what's happening this year for christmas, we are moving to our dream family home, so money will be tight and we will have just about moved in properly come christmas, but here are some traditions i have and some i'm going to start...

always attend carols by candlelight at our local church the week before christmas
always attend our local cinema to watch "it's a wonderful life" the week before christmas
always make sure to drink a glass (or two) of mint baileys every night from mid december, therefore always put two stone over christmas
always make sure to drink a glass of mulled wine every night from mid december (see above)
always put DD to bed on christmas eve in her new christmas pj's (after tracking santa and leaving the carrot, mince pie and milk out) crack open a bottle of bucks fizz (i'm not an alcoholic, honest) and stick and m&s buffet in the oven.
always start christmas morning with the christmas music blaring, pain au chocolat, nutella, sausage (out of the butchers) sandwiches, fresh fruit salad, coffee and bucks fizz.

am going to start playing board games over christmas in our new home
am going to start having a lovely wintery walk every boxing day, as our new home is near to the woods
am also going to take some time out between christmas and new year and just reflect on the year that has passed, count my blessing and make plans for what i'd like to achieve in the new year ahead.

All sounds so lovely :)

Forgot about carols around the piano! We got my beloved piano moved up last year, I don't get much time to practise but I should dig out the christmas carol books.

We have 2 boys who are growing up. I am aware that there will come a time when they will probably spend at least some of their Christmases with other people.

DH and I have been getting excited about our first Christmas on our own. We plan to go to the Lakes, spend the day out on the hills and have an M&S Christmas Dinner in front of the fire. Can't wait (but don't tell DSs)

Durab that sounds fab! my DD is only 3 so i have plenty of christmases before it's just the 2 of us. when she grows up and is with her PIL's for christmas i'd like to spend christmas in aspen or canada.