What do you do between Christmas and new year?

[50ShadesofXmas]

Every year we say "we'll do something lovely between Xmas and new year" but then no-one can agree on anything or think of anything to do so we do nothing!

It's the one thing I'm dreading about Christmas. I have a dh, ds (8) and ds (3) and not much cash!

Just wondering if I can steal something.

Do? DO?

Are we supposed to DO something between Xmas and NYE?

I thought they were officially National Days Of Slumping ?

We don't usually have any plans, and just do as the mood takes us.

It isn't really my favourite time of year because I don't like the long dark nights / short days.

I like Christmas itself, and we go out to a local restaurant for dinner.

I am not yet sure when or if I might be working this year. Haven't got as far as discussing it yet as I am new to my job.

Ah, we spend Xmas day with dmil (dfil died some years ago) and either my dm or df (divorced), the other one we see on Xmas eve.

I love the idea of national slumping days but ds's think otherwise, they are not the "slumping" kind - where did I go wrong, I'm a great slumper!

Hmm I know what you mean, OP, but I usually think the DC have got enough new toys/books,etc to keep them occupied though DH and my days of intensive slump-fest.

Well Boxing day is a big walk in the woods followed by a family gathering at my Cousins, 27th will probably be a lazy PJ day, eating/drinking and watching festive telly. 28th we've booked to see the Panto & are going to Pizza hut, 29th will be a Chinese & a few drinks with my friends (We do this every year just after Xmas)

Dreading the weight gain!!

Eat. Walk. Sometimes go to some art galleries.
Sometimes hit the sales, sometimes work.
At some point I do mammoth loads of laundry and pack for DCs who spend the second half of the Christmas holiday with exH.
No extended family visits as I am too far away from everyone. I don't know if that's a blessing or a curse.

Sometimes I am occupied preparing responses to exH's court filings against me for contempt regarding my 'appalling breaches of our parenting agreement', i.e. refusal to adjust my allotted time or work schedule with the DCs over the Christmas holiday just so he can jump when his Mother snaps her fingers. One year exMIL suggested he bring three DCs to visit for a week beginning the day after Christmas, which would have required washing all day Christmas Eve and time on Christmas Day spent packing. Neither exMIL nor exH thought there was anything wrong with that scenario. Or filings based on his misreading of the agreement.

I have my birthday!!!

Skiing. Don't come back til the 3rd. Sorted.

We have a small family so on Xmas day my parents and DPs mum come here. We don't have anyone else to visit

I used to go to next on Boxing Day but can't even afford sales clothes.

The best thing we ever did was bugger off on holiday on the 27th. Rented a little cottage in St Ives with a real fire, went for windy walks along the beaches and pub lunches. It was bliss! This year however, we are dirt poor so hoping to recreate at home a bit. We do live by beaches so we can go for nice walks, watch DVDs and hibernate. I am barring the door to all visitors and as I will be 8 months pregnant by then I should get away with it! If DH finds work between now and then the first thing I will do is book that holiday!

I think if you have a family history of not actually every organising anything, and you find the time between Christmas and New Year boring, then you do need ot make plans and just inform everyone else/invite them to join you.

A walk in the country with a picnic with hot soup in a flask would be good, or a walk to a nice pub that does food!

Or invite friends with similar aged DCs over one day for lunch.

There's bound to be a film aimed at children out, arrange a cinema trip.

I'm just not going to bother with panto again because our local one is always dire, but if you have a good local one, pick one day and book to go. If you have a couple of things booked, the rest of the week won't drag so much!

Avoid the sales at all costs (never find anything , and they bring out the worst in people)

I usually work a couple of days, gets me out of the inevitable go-to-bed-late-wake-up-late cycle

I get the joys of the Boxing Day test match.
If I'm very lucky it will only go on for four days rather than five.
If I'm unlucky the inlaws will visit as well. When the test match isn't on they'll find other cricket games to watch. I could tell you about the times they watched THREE games in one day, and then the next day watched the repeat of one of those games.
DS will be 3.8 this year and he will not stand for being cooped up inside for days on end. I suspect he will be my saviour as I'll be able to use him as an excuse! Unfortunately DD (who'll be 1.9) is showing signs of being a traitor and liking sport!

Xmas eve we visit MIL, I don't have any family to visit (except my sister but she works in retail and is single/no kids so takes advantage if the extra shifts at Xmas).

Xmas day no-one is allowed to visit us, it's a day for just us and our dc.

Boxing Day we go for a long walk up the local mountain. Ds may even be able to get all the way up and down himself this year (and we will not forget our coats because it seemed warm enough before we set off ).

27th we go to a Panto.

28th I am normally sick of Xmas and take the tree down. Normal service then resumes in the Pourquoi household.

Relatively new tradition - big family trip to cinema to see whatever the latest family film is (last year frozen, before that rise of the guardians) followed by Pizza Hut buffet :o

(As an aside... When I wrote the above it first came out as 'pizza hut bugger' - definitely not part of the Xmas tradition)

Last year we went on a day trip to Whitby, it was a lovely sunny day and we ate fish and chips outside. We took the dog on the beach and blew away the cobwebs.

Work same as at Christmas and New Year

The Saturday 'Betwixmas' I meet up with friends and their children (and my DS) at soft play in the city we all went to uni :-)

We have the step children over on Boxing Day for a 2nd Christmas Day, the day after Boxing Day we go to a relatives house for the day, the next day we chill out and recover from what feels like ' 3 Christmas days in a row ', after a couple days we are usually fed up and we have a mass tidy up and take decorations down ( we put them up early so by the 28th we are pleased to take them down ), then we usually hit the sales. We don't really do anything special for New Year's Eve or day, we are usually in bed by 10.30pm on New Year's Eve, we can't be doing we celebrating

We go on holiday! With Dps siblings (who all get on and are lovely and normal!) and their ohs and dc. Normally about 18 of us in a big house by the sea for a week.
It started when his nieces and nephews were babies and going out for New years seemed pointless. Oldest one is now 21 and comes with her OH now, youngest DC is 2. Lovely to hole ourselves up somewhere and eat and drink lots in good company. My favourite holiday of the year without doubt

I go down to see my family on Boxing Day and stay there a couple of nights before taking children over to XHs parents (he then goes down separately and they are there until after new year). I then come back up here and mark exam papers.

Last year (after many years of saying we want to go away after Christmas) we went to Fuerteventura - with a bunch of mates and all the kids (teens and almost teens) and had a great time! Hot sun all day, bit of scuba diving for them (not me oh no....) then dinners out in the evening - twenty to a table and ate like kings for not many euros mostly!

Going back again this year. Can't wait.

Boxing Day always feels like a massive come down to me. I spend from June onwards really preparing and planning for December in general- elf on the shelf and North Pole breakfast, Christmas Eve, all the activities we can do, the presents etc. Christmas Eve is my favourite, I love the exciting build up. Boxing Day just feels a bit like a bad hangover really. All the excitement is kinda gone and you know it's over for another year .

We always spend that time watching shit very informative television like Worlds strongest man and the other year man vs monster, just stuff like that. Or movies, maybe DVDs the DC got for Christmas. We eat a lot Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. A heck of a lot of chocolate... And go on walks to try and help the bloat . Usually go shopping on the 27th or 28th but don't often buy anything, just something to do.

I can't be of much help. It's probably my least favourite time of the year.

Depends a bit on who we've seen already on Xmas day but usually....

26th: nice day at home
27th: head down to see my parents but last 2 years we've rented a cottage nearby with a big wood burning stove etc, stay there until 2nd.
28th: see my sister and nieces and nephews
29th: kids spend day playing and usually spending some Xmas money
30th: go for a walk somewhere usually that has a big park and take my parents out for lunch.
31st: chill then evening at cottage
1st: lunch at parents and long walk along beach
2nd: go home and depending on if we have dog with us stop somewhere on way.

Our plans are always very similar:
26th - pyjamas, new toys and a family film snuggled on the sofa then my parents come over and babysit whist we go out for dinner and drinks with Dsis and Dbil.
27th - Walk around local NT park, feed the ducks, skim stones etc. Then scones and tea in the café.

28th - Museum and catch up with friends
29th - Sales shopping/lunch
30th - Food shop/prep house
31st - Cinema with kids then home and party frock on before friends arrive
1st - Entire family gather at my grandparents for steak pie.