Christmas Eve hamper, please help!

[Flojo1979]

I loved the other MNers idea of doing a Christmas eve hamper, but what can I put in it? So far, got new pjs. What else?

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

And Lush do a bathbomb for children. Its called something along the lines of little robot. It didn't irritate ds (admit he only has them on rarely) and he has mild eczema.

[Glitterkitten24]

There is a wholesale florist suppliers shop near me, they sell wicker baskets and cellophane pretty cheaply so I use those.
You cdn often get baskets in places like dunnes or dunelm mill at reasonable prices too.

A Christmas sack would work just as well tho, might be more exciting for the DCs if they just put their hand in and pick something and can't see iyswim?

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

Yes the gingerbread house kit we are trying this year is in the Aldi. It is Hansel and gretl style. Think it's a fiver. The Ikea one was cheaper and worked well but Aldi is a 10 minute walk compared to a 35 mile drive.

[Flojo1979]

fan I don't have a Lush nr me. It'd be Boots.

[Clothilde]

Pyjamas, stockings to be hung up, snowman soup, DVD, note from the elf, book, bath stuff, popcorn, biscuits, tea-lights, letter to Santa kit. Maybe slippers for the children and mulled wine for the grown ups.

[Flojo1979]

I'm nowhere nr IKEA either. I might make my own Christmas tree ginger breads and decorate them.

[Flojo1979]

Snowman soup? Do tell!

[Flojo1979]

Glitter I could do like a christmassy bran tub type thing!

[cazza2878]

Yep exactly! Im planning toil put shredded red tissue paper in mine like a bran tub. I've borrowed an actual hamper from my mum but if not I would have just wrapped a cardboard one in paper.

[cazza2878]

Feel a trip to Ikea coming on..... I need a gingerbread house!!

[Flojo1979]

Shredded red tissue paper, this is going to keep me busy!

[ExitPursuedByABear]

So do you people buy The Night Before Christmas every year? Or just get it off the bookshelf and pop it in the hamper?

[cazza2878]

Think (hope!) you can buy bags of ready shredded tissue paper quite cheaply in card shops.

[Flojo1979]

Was wonder this Exit maybe it doesn't make the book shelf at all and gets read then put away til next yr, I quite like that idea. or maybe a different Christmas book each year?

[gemz86]

My ds will be 2.3 at Christmas and in his Christmas eve hamper we have put -

New red and blue striped onsie
Dinosaur teddy bear pj holder (bhs)
Igglepiggle fleece blanket
New Xmas book (father Xmas visits the north pole)
New DVD (Arthur Christmas)
Milky Stars & Buttons tubes

I used a basket and covered it in wrapping paper & tied with cellophane (you can get nice Xmas ones off eBay). I did see on google a pic where someone had packed it all Into a shoe box, wrapped it in Xmas paper & tied with a big bow. I loved it but can't fit all the items in there. I plan on leaving it under the tree for ds to find when we get back from visiting relatives about 4pm.

I've also done a 1st of December hamper for him to bring out all the Xmas bits we have. He has all of his Xmas books (a lovely collections that my mum bought him for his 1st xmas), his snowman and reindeer teddy from previous years, a thomas the tank advent calendet and some new Xmas pj's. I've also bought some art and craft bits from wilkinsons for us to do together and the happyland Xmas set.

I also wanted to get a gingerbread house set. I've seem some online from Lakeland and have also seem sets in Aldi and B&M bargains. Aldi's look really nice and are only £4.99. They also have ready made ones wrapped in cellophane.

[Flojo1979]

Ah cazza I think u might be right, doubt its cheap tho...I guess it depends how big the hamper is.
With all these suggestions I think I'm going to need something quite large

[cazza2878]

Exit - Im buying the book for the first time this year. If I carry on the hamper tradition, Id probably buy a different new Christmas book each year. If Im making out elves have delivered it, I don't want dd recognising a book she already has and questioning how it got there!

[ExitPursuedByABear]

But there is no other Christmas Book.

Except my 55 year old copy of Rudolph with stand out pics, scribbled on by my childhood self, which I still insist on reading to DD every year, despite the fact that she is 13 and too cool for all that.

And then I read the Night Before Christmas to myself, and weep.

[Flojo1979]

Exit there are hundreds of christmas books...

[cazza2878]

Ill def read the night before Christmas to dd every Christmas eve but as well as a new book :-)

[ExitPursuedByABear]

Er No, it is the Christmas Book.

[makemineapinot]

There are loads of Christmas books! The postman one was a firm favourite for years! Our secret elf bag seems a bit lame now but when a 10 year old ds is involved it has to be!! But don't underestimate how much fun and time kids get from asking their own reindeer food etc! My dd would have been upset to find it ready made! Another Xmas eve idea was the Santa/Santa/mrs Santa outfits for build abear for their fave teddies - obviously ds s so not into that now :-( gutted???

[makemineapinot]

Making! Not asking! Stupid predictive text x

[iloveholidays]

I'm planning on doing a hamper gift bag for my DDs for Christmas Eve. I'm planning on putting in split between the 2 (hoping DD1 doesn't question why DD3 hasn't got one, as she'll only be 6 weeks old)..

PJs
Dressing gown for DD1
Slippers (if I can find a bargain)
Peppa bubble bath
Peppa foam soap
DVD (I've bought a couple of Christmas ones although may end up giving these during December, so maybe cinderella)
Book (again I've nought a few Xmas ones so depends what I've got left by Christmas Eve) or maybe a Christmas magazine
Personalised flannels
Chocolate or biscuits

Then I'll prepare a separate little box with DD1 for Santa, I.e. cookie, mince pie, drink, carrot, reindeer food, Santa key

Elf is arriving on1st December with an advent calendar, Xmas DVD, Xmas book (how Santa really works). I've also bought some art and craft sets (as I'm useless creating something from scratch)' cookie cutters, colouring books, other books, letter to Santa set which I'm planning to bring out (elf bring) during December. Reminds me... Want to buy some tissue paper to keep it separate to Christmas presents.

[jabelle]

This year I have put in the hamper personalised pj's, slippers, 2 new Xmas books, Xmas plates (3 for £1 from the £shop) and a couple of Christmas activity/colouring books. Just need to get a christmassy DVD and reindeer food, oh and some sweeties. In the past I have put in Christmas craft, make your own crackers, paperchans etc but by the time they get the hamper, there was never enough time to do the craft bits and watch the DVD and have a bath and put on the new pjs as I always like to get the kids in bed early on Xmas eve so have cut back on those bits this year.

As for the books, I buy a new Christmas book every year, all the old ones are read throughout December. Would be read all year if my dd had her way but I put them at the top of the cupboard now. Might even put them away with the Xmas decs next year.

We used a Christmas gift bag last year but at the moment all the bits are in a pampers box so may just wrap that in Xmas paper and put a big bow on it.