What's your gameplan this Christmas?

[AndHarry]

If there is such a thing as a Christmas gameplan :o

Mine is to see as many people we like as want to see us over December, to push forward a big family meal out early in the month with a Secret Santa to round up the huge and random extended family while keeping costs down, make the focus having fun with the DC and to have the 25th to ourselves for the first time ever.

I really want to spend Christmas Day at home for once, but no-one will come to us, and I'm not sure whether it's nicer for DS for us to visit others then he could see cousins and extended family. But I really really want to stay at home!

Well I've had plenty of time to plan ours as MIL called on 17th Jan to check it was their turn to see us this Xmas & to ask if we were going to go to theirs or if they were coming to us as it affected which holiday they booked. We decided they'd come here. So they on Xmas Eve morning & BIL will arrive later that day. They will be sent out with the DC whilst I get on with stuff & then we'll have early supper, bath for the DC and new Xmas PJs & book. The following morning will be stockings for the DC in our room, then downstairs for their big present followed by a fry up & then the rest of family presents, lunch in early afternoon & then a walk. Boxing Day afternoon is the panto and PIL and BIL leave the next morning.
My parents will come & stay the for the weekend before Xmas and hopefully DBro & his girlf will come over one day and poss an aunt & uncle too. The other day we'll probably go to Lapland Windsor.
The weekend before that, I'll go out for lunch with a bunch of girlfriends one day & we'll go to see Santa at the garden centre on the other. The weekend before that we're at Centre Parcs with friends & the one before that (first weekend of advent) we'll go to DD's former pre-school's Xmas fair on the Saturday and then the Sunday will be spent buying the tree & decorating. I'm going to take a couple of days off in the last week of Nov or the first week of Dec to do some Xmas shopping & cooking. I realised last year that they key to having umpteen guests is plenty of meals in the freezer.
I'm looking forward to it already although think there could be a real sense of anticlimax on 27th...

Blimely you lot are organised! We had Christmas just me, DP and Dc last year for the first time due to chickenpox and quite enjoyed it. We do alternate years and it is DPs family's turn this year. We have invited his parents to ours. Not sure if we've had an answer yet. They did Christmas for 10 adults and 3 dc 2 years ago and said NEVER AGAIN .
I'm also looking for a new job at the moment and want to agree up front that I'll be off between Christmas and New Year. I also have a December birthday and promised myself last year to take the day off this year as I had an awful day last year.

All your Christmases sound lovely, I am very jealous of all the Xmas eve parties you're going to have.

Our elf will arrive on 1st December with advent calendars, new Xmas book, DVD, fleecy blankets and hot chocolate. The elf will get up to all sorts if I remember to do it My lovely MIL is making us a advent calendar which I intend to put in a treat or a note with an Xmas activity. It will things we would do anyway like making cards, decorating tree, panto etc.

And then on Christmas Eve I plan to take dcs out for walk to deliver presents and on return there will be a hamper with new pjs, bubble bath, face cloths and toothbrushes - this is my favourite part of Christmas!

Still not decided on the big day itself either staying here or going to ILs, they are only over the road so it can be decided literally day before!

We will have visitors for the first time in a few years - my parents. As long as they actually participate it'll be fine...

jam I like the idea of your Christmas Eve hampers-what do you have in them?

Our DC are a bit older now, so not sure what to do. Will definitely sort it all out by 23rd so we can enjoy Christmas Eve as well as Christmas Day. Last year we had lunch at Roleys then went to the ice sculptures and circus in Hyde Park. Maybe find a matinee of a good musical or panto.

My parents are staying over for a couple of nights. I love having family at Christmas, so that will be good. FiL usually comes the weekend before, so we have a mini-Christmas dinner with him too.

Am also volunteering at Crisis who need people between 27-31st, so will do a couple of days there once my parents have gone back home.