Can I ask what people generally do on christmas eve...? Looking for ideas.

[iloveholidays]

We are usually at family on Christmas eve then home at 5ish to get girls to do stockings, bath bed etc.

Because it falls on a Monday this year and DD3 is due in November we've decided to do family on Sunday 23rd instead, have Christmas Eve at home, then Christmas day and boxing day with family again. Hoping it will give me and DDs a chance to rest up before a hectic couple of days.

DP is the type of person who would usually just go and move in with family Christmas eve for a few days... Loves having lots of people around! So basically he's happy to have Christmas eve at home, but said he doesnt want it to turn into any other day so I'm looking for some Christmasy ideas to be festive but not tire us out!! :)

I'm thinking of making some festive cookies, watch a Xmas film and maybe go for a walk.

Any other ideas?

Thanks

I can't plan until I know if I'm working or not .

If I'm working I'll finish as early as possible (flexi), DH will be at work, so it'll be about getting as much done for christmas lunch as possible, including preparing the chocolate buns ready to bake on chistmas morning, and then early baths, Christmas Eve presents and settling down to a picnic tea in front of whichever festive film DD gets in her parcel.

Reindeer food, a drink and mince pie for Santa are standard practice, as is snowman soup before bed.

If I'm not working me and DD will have a walk into town to pick up the turkey and a few last bit and bobs, we'll have coffee/hot choc and a nice piece of cake before we walk back, and I'll do the prep for Chrismas day lunch in the afternoon, the more relaxed option.

I spend the day cleaning while DC watching telly all day and eat!

This year I am going to get them to decorate some biscuits to leave out for Santa. We track Santa on NORAD all day too. Usually have nibbles for dinner and I make a pot of soup for anyone who wants it. Bath, story then bed for DC about 8pm.

I then watch telly in between prepping the turkey and veg with a few glasses of something! Then we get the presents organised usually end up in bed at 1am up at 7am! I wouldn't have it any other way I love Christmas Eve the anticipation of it all is so much better than the day!

Oh and we make reindeer food too!

OhTheConfusion Love the hamper under the tree idea.

I'm going to do just that.

DD and her family are staying with us from the 22nd until Christmas Day. I've been trying to think of something special to do for the DGC and now you have just given me this brilliant idea.

Thankyou and merry christmas in advance.

I'm determined that the house will be sorted by dds December birthday, and I'll do maintenance cleaning/tidying then until after christmas, so no mad last minute housework, and I can focus on the food and the family.

I actually managed this last year :) and it was brilliant, no panics when guests arrived unexpectedly with presents.

If I can also manage to make and freeze mincepies in advance I'll look like a domestic goddess for at least two weeks out of the 52.

We just chill out in pj's watch x-mas tv/films, dh often rushes out to do last minute shopping (because he hasn't go around to doing any and he sudenly realises its christmas tomorrow). I will probably go over my mums once the kids are in bed and collect presents that are hidden there. Before bed the dd's get x-mas pj's and a new book to read before bed, we track santa on the net and then dd1 refuses to go to sleep.

We have gone to the panto most years.

Last year we moved house on the 20th of December, so a lot of unpacking was done, until it was time to go. That was actually good, because there was a cutoff between unpacking ending (until after Christmas) and Christmas beginning.

This year, we have decided to go ice skating at Brighton Pavillion, instead. I can't wait!

DH and DS go out and buy me a present in the morning which DS is allowed to choose- so always tat but heartfelt tat. DH says it's training for buying presents at the last minute. A sort of male assault course of shopping.
This year we are going to the panto in the evening and then hopefully Ds will conk out.
When we were kids we would go to my ancient great aunt and uncles house, meet my cousins and have a snifter from the 500 year old bottle of Baileys. Then we would open the presents that my great uncle in Australia had sent and took 3 months to arrive ( he left Ireland in 1925 and never came back but he and his wife continued to send presents to his sisters' kids and grandkids every year). We would then sit and listen to my granny and her sister slagging them all off about things that happened 60 years before. It was fab.
It's the sort of thing I'd like to do with my sister and her kids but she's not into family.

DM and I usually go for a wander round town, sometimes have lunch, always have a few drinks. (DD stays with DF as it's hell trying to manoeuvre her buggy through the masses! The only rule is, no Christmas presents can be bought, but we do usually buy ourselves a few goodies, as some sales start on Christmas Eve.
Then we get home, and make gingerbread biscuits, listen to Christmas music and DM will cook a ham or gammon joint, with some picky foods, for when DF gets back from the pub and my cousin comes up to stay.
Bath time and bed for DD and us "grown ups" play a drunken games of Trivial Pursuit.