On December 1st we do the Advent calendars, my youngest has a picture one and my older son has a Playmobil one for the first time.
They also have a reindeer toy each this year because it just worked out that way. I got a cuddly one reduced in Next while I was pregnant for the baby so picked up a Schleich one for my older so so he would have something as well.
I bring out the festive books and DVDs both of which have been collected over time and are out every year from December 1st to December 31st then put away the rest of the year. Some of the books are from my childhood that my Mum had put away. We read one every bed time up till Christmas.
I bring out the Christmas noisy books, we have three Usborne Christmas books that play little bits of Christmas songs. I got them my son's second Christmas and he loves them, he plays them non stop. It works well because when he starts to get bored of them they get packed away to be new and excited again the next year.
I add the Christmas songs to my my iPod and his My Pal Scout. Which will usually lead to him playing 'Jingle Bells' every day up till the start of March when I take it off and add 'Happy Birthday'. My youngest is getting his own Scout for his birthday so I will have two singing Scout toys driving me nuts next Christmas.
I light my first Christmas Yankee Candle when the boys have gone to bed.
I think this year we are also putting the tree up December 1st, it depends when my husband is working. We do it on his earliest suitable day off in December.
I love Christmas and I love the build up, I hope this year my son my start to understand a little and maybe be excited. I have managed to teach him to say Christmas (he is autistic with a severe speech and language delay so that is a big thing). He likes the lights and he likes the music. He is less keen on the mess and finds the extra visitors a bit stressful. He has become willing to unwrap presents since last Christmas so that it going to be great.