So what have you got ready for December 1st (for your dc) ?

[FESTIVEFRANNY]

I have bought new Christmas bedding to surprise the dc with on the 1st.

I don't do a Christmas hamper on the 1st like many do but I do bring down the box filled with Christmas books and Christmas DVDS.

I have just placed an order for all the Christmas crafts we do on the December weekends, so should be all set to go on the 1st!

What do you do?

I have my little advent calendar things sorted (but still need to wrap them), and I've ordered some christmas crafty stuff. I kept last year's cards so we can cut them up and do something with them. Like you I don't do a hamper, but I have a christmas box I'll get out with christmassy stuff I don't want out all year.

Advent calendar is the same as always, as is the elf. I have 23 out of 24 books for the advent story bag but I still have to wrap the books and write the letter from the elf. I was vaguely thinking of making bunting but I think I'll leave that until a bit later on.

Do you wrap 24 new books and give one each day?

Have the advent calenders ready and new christmas bedding.

Love the idea of getting the christmas craft box out.

Thanks for the inspiration

No. I rifle through the bookshelves and wrap all the christmassy/ wintry books we already have, then borrow enough from the library to make it up to 24. I did buy The Jolly Christmas Postman though. Then I wrap them in brown paper, wrote a number on each one and put them in a bag for the children to rummage through at bedtime.

I need to print out our Christmas activities for the advent calendar. We have a wooden one which I put a slip of paper in with what we are going to do. Could be bake Xmas cookies, draw a picture, make Daddy's Xmas card, collect pine cones, go to carol service/christingle service
I keep an eye out for Xmas books in charity shops and school fairs and buy them through the year. They don't get 24 brand new books. We have some whoch are christmas themed such as Stickman which I hide and wrap up. Same with Xmas DVDs although if I have to watch Diego saves Christmas once more I may puke.
Pjs at the ready for 1st Dec

I bought Xmas pudding flavored hot chocolate last year but DC didn't like it so won't bother with that again

Dd (3) is getting a playmobil advent calendar, ds (7) is getting a lego one. They also get chocolates in a wooden train calendar.

They're each getting a Xmas themed top and also a set of Xmas cookie cutters between them.

I'm going to buy some Xmas stickers and put it in a box with envelopes and notepaper for writing to santa.

We've also bought a m&s snowdome box of biscuits for when we decorate tree on 1/12.

Er no .. I need to write a list after I work out what I have already got

Wow you all do so much on the 1st. I do Xmas pjs on Xmas Eve but never thought of doing something on 1st. What a fab idea. What goes in the Xmas hamper you all talk of? A food hamper? I'm so missing out here

franny dear,

would you mind sharing the crafts? I am looking to do the fill, make your own bauble thing but I cant find the link now....

I am still wavering on whether to do Elf or not....I do not think DD gets excited in the same way I used to as a child.

I have sewed myself an Elf costume which I will wear for the entire of advent, I will also only answer to the name Mrs Jingle Bells. The DCs bedrooms have all been painted a festive red tartan, to match their Christmas bedding, Christmas rugs and Christmas wastepaper bins.

Our bathrooms will have Christmas towels and instead of toliet paper we will 'recycle' last years Christmas cards for our Advent bum wiping :)

The DC will love their 5 calendars they have to open each day (Chocolate one, Lego, Playmobil, Homemade advent bunting and Wooden Advent House). They will be offered a choice of 10 different Christmas crafts and activities for each day and a trip to Lapland each weekend.

DH has built a home cinema in the basement which we will use entirely for viewing Christmas movies (a different one for each day of advent obviously) and a we have hired a small monkey who will serve roasted nuts and popcorn on demand.

Oops I almost forgot about the all important Christmas pajamas, 6 pairs per DC should do it and the Christmas slippers, dressing gowns, toothbrush, toothbrush holder, mug. And a Christmas tree in each of their rooms and three downstairs.

We shall also be doing the school run in a replica Santa sleigh pulled by 4 reindeer who we have hand-reared on a diet of glitter and gluten free gingerbread...

Do I win?

I ordered mine from Crafty crocodiles. But Yellow moon or Baker Ross do similar.

I prefer Crafty as although they have less range, you can buy singly instead of having to have say 6 of one item.

HTH

I think based on animal cruelty to the monkey, you lose doitnicely.

And WTF has a monkey got to do with Christmas?

A wise man with a donkey would have swerved the whole cruelty issue and ticked the festive box.

Amaturish really doitnicely

doitnicely oh I thought all that went without saying

I think I must have missed a memo. I get a Cadbury advent calendar and they open a door after dinner each evening.
Am I supposed to do elves and activities and hampers???
I'm not even a new mum my eldest is 7 and I have never heard of this.

Christmas mugs, teatowels and kitchen roll come out, also Christmas bedding for the DCs beds. Music gets put on the Ipods. Books come out of the loft. One new DVD. Not going to buy any more Christmas craft stuff as we still have plenty from last year. We don't do activities in the Advent calendar, as it's too tricky to plan for the whole month, things change and it's a very busy month, have tried in the past but don't end up doing half of them, or needing to change days.

I think I must have missed a memo. I get a Cadbury advent calendar and they open a door after dinner each evening.
Am I supposed to do elves and activities and hampers???
I'm not even a new mum my eldest is 7 and I have never heard of this.

If you want pukey DVDs (or not want them as the case may be) I give you (and I really do wish I could literally give you our copy) Barneys Christmas DVD.

barf fest.

Since when have we been supposed to do a ton of stuff on 1st December?

My kids get advent calendars and a clip round the ear if they mention Elf on the shelf (I think it's creepy)

Disclaimer - I'm kidding about the clip on ear

Not about the Elf though

We're not 'supposed' to

I agree about elf on a shelf though

Well a Christmas monkey will be all the rage next year, so remember you read it here first.

BTW our monkey will be imaginary treated like one of the family, so no cruelty issues here.

Got to dash and feed the reindeer...

No cockyfox, its Christmas not prison.

You do exactly what you want to do, when you want to do it.

And no one will tell you off if you don't do it - although if you do choose to do it and talk about on here then you will have to put up with a lot of sarcasm from those that don't.

But we're tough lot, us festive lags, we can take it - we just spray em with fake snow if they get a bit rowdy

God Christmas monkeys are so last year

I can't bear the elf - but I will defend to the death anybodies right to use it if they so wish