Shall we talk about Christmas Eve hampers?

[o0]

Thought I'd write a list of ideas and then others can too so I can steal my favourite ones.

DVD (Xmas themed or a new one that's just out)
Book (Xmas themed again)
Santa colouring book
Felt tips/crayons for the colouring book

Popcorn
Sweets
Hot chocolate
Marshmallows (for the hot chocolate)
Pringles (my DC seem to think Pringles are a treat so always put some in now)

Santa mug
Santa plate

Board game to be played that day

Pyjamas
Slippers
Dressing gown
Santa socks

Toothbrush
Character bubble bath
Fun soap (I like the play-doh style soap from Lush)
Flannels

This year I was thinking of buying one of those big teddy bear throws from Dunelm and putting everything in it and trying it with ribbon like a big Santa sack. Might get 2 small throws and put them in it so they can cuddle up under one each when we watch the DVD.

Pretty please share what you do and how you 'package' it and deliver it. It's one of my favourite parts of Christmas.

I love this idea! I think it'd have to be fairly low key to get DH onboard with it. I love the idea of it containing things to do together during the day and also the idea of it helping with the wind down for bed. My two will be 3.11 and 17months so this could be a good year for us to start the tradition! I'm looking for ideas on here and my initial thoughts on contents are...

Christmas pjs
Our night before Christmas book
Christmas socks (to be worn in the day of Christmas Eve)
Santa clause the movie or Arthur Christmas maybe
Pack of mince pies for us to have one each and to leave one for FC.
Carrots
Either cookie mix or one of those gingerbread train/house packs to assemble and decorate.
Christmas book
Christmas craft pack/colouring book
Maybe hot chocolate.

I've heard of snowman soup on here before. What is it?!

This thread is giving me that warm fuzzy feeling

We also do 2 boxes- I hate the word hamper but I can't really explain why!?
The first is given on Dec 1st and contains things the dcs will need throughout advent which is mostly craft materials for making their own cards, decorations ect. Also a couple of new books and some cookie cutters/ gingerbread house kit.

The christmas eve box is fairly low key and aside from new pyjamas and food items everything else is reused every year. We have a santa key, christmas mugs, santa stop here sign, card game and a plate for santa's cookie. I will probably put some reindeer food in although last year I was scraping a film of porridge type gloop off the patio at some ridiculous hour

We do one on the 1st as well with the North Pole breakfast, it's the elf on the shelf's gift to them if you like and it's all stuff to use throughout December.
They get;
Christmas themed pjs
A Christmas themed soft toy of some variety, this year it's the snowman.
Christmas colouring book
A couple of tree chocolates to place on the tree themselves
Some kind of Christmas related craft or activity each so this year one has Christmas stickers, one has Christmas snap cards and one has the create your own Christmas tree decorations kit all from ELC.
This year they're getting the Santa Claus egg cups from mamas&papas
Nakd christmas pudding bar
bear yo yo arctic snacks
Lush christmas bath bomb
Each have one character from the ELC toy box christmas set
They also have a lot of new Christmas books this year but they'll just be on the book shelf for their picking.

Christmas Eve hampers are also from the elf on the shelf, his departing presents to them. This year I'm putting them all in a wicker hamper basket.
They contain:
New pjs. Think I'm going with the white company red white striped ones this year, while they're so young they all have matching.
Teddy bear
Socks
Slippers
Belle&Boo tin each filled with marshmallows
Chocolate coins
Box of festive friends to share
Belle&Boo christmas card each
This year I got them Robert Sabuda's night before christmas book too.

I'd like to do a Xmas Eve hamper this year but for my Mum and Dad, who have to do a 'duty' Christmas in a cold, not very welcoming household. I'm going to include PJ's, mini kettle (if I can find one) mugs, hot choc sachets, some nice lush stuff, a silly game (thinking chicken charades at the mo) Christmas candle...any other ideas?

We have been having a big declutter over the last few years, one of the nice things is that we now have space to store things that give us pleasure like the Christmas bedding and mugs. We don't really do anything disposable in our hamper, maybe add a DVD, jigsaw or book to our Christmas collection, but definitely prefer doing it on the 1st so we get more use out of the things. Christmas Eve is exciting enough as it is IMO.

This year ive bought jumpers, new pj's and panto tickets. The story is the same one as last year, as is the key and the Christmas dvd. I will buy cookie mix nearer the time. All things I would have bought anyway so no extra cost.

Poolomoomon nakd christmas pudding bar and bear yo yo arctic snacks.......tell me more & how do I get my hands on these. My dcs scoff the non christmassy versions of these on a daily basis so I'm sure these would be a hit!

masynywlad where can I get Christmas pencils?

The dinoursaur who pooped Christmas will be ordered today! Got DS Santa needs a wee and he asked me if I could buy Santa needs a poo!!!

Hooray, lots of replies, thank you.

I love the idea of giving it on Dec 1st. Wish I'd thought of that when I started. Woe. We've done the hamper for the last 4 years so I don't think I can change it now.

I've mentioned this every year (outs name change) but we do our from our stillborn DS. He sends his big and little brother the hamper. They think he borrows some magic from Santa to let him deliver it.

He had a Christmas Day due date and died a few weeks before Christmas so it would be easy for it to be a sad time but the hamper lets us bring him into our lives in a happy way. My DS's talk about the hamper all year and how lucky they are to have such a great brother.

I love reading how everyone else does theirs.

quirky link

Oh OP what a lovely idea. I'm sorry to hear about your DS, Christmas time must be very hard for you.

We have those pencils!

Thank you masynywlad.

o0 I think I've seen you in Reastie's.

. Those threads are my spiritual home.

I normally put ours in a wicker basket and wrap with cellophane but I am very tempted to follow copy your idea and turn their blankets into Santa sacks. I've bought zebra and leopard print ones from asda as they love their wild animals.

Thank you for the link.

Lovely way to remember your DS OP

o0,

Oh that is lovely o0. What a special thing to do.

I love Christmas Eve more than the 25th. Our Christmas Eve hamper costs v little and the DC love it. They have new pyjamas but they are bought in the sales ready for the following year. I buy a book from the charity shop and everything else is free. Snowman soup and reindeer food I make, bubble bath is decanted into little pots tied with ribbon, cinnamon sticks and holly, letter from an elf. I just use a cardboard box covered in tissue paper.

On December 1st they have a Hessian sack appear at the bottom of the bed. It contains advent calendars, festive hair stuff for dd, colouring books, stuff for making decorations (holly, cones, ribbons, dried oranges, glitter etc), an advent candle, their Christmas plates and blankets and their reindeer earmuffs.

Ours is pretty low key - a box for each Dc with - a pair of pjs, a christmas book, a chocolate reindeer and a bauble.
They find it on the doorstep when get home from the crib service, ( courtesy of neighbour!)
We have dinner, get into new pjs and eat chocolate whilst reading the books. Then before bed, they get to put the last bauble on the tree.
When the tree comes down in jan their bauble gets added to their own box. Our eldest is 9 so has quite a collection! I love the idea that the baubles will go with them when they decide to have their own tree.

I started doing a Christmas Eve hamper last year when ds was 2.9. Ours is from his nanna (my mum) who died a long time ago and who ds thinks lives up in the stars. I think it's a nice way to involve my mum in our Christmas celebrations even though she's not with us. I tell him that his nanna asked me to get it on her behalf - so he doesn't get confused and thinks she can visit!

This year his hamper will have a DVD to watch that evening (probably Polar Express), bag of Disney Cars chocolates, a magic flannel, a bath bomb, a Snowman jigsaw puzzle, a hot chocolate on a stick stirrer, and a plush Sven and Olaf (courtesy of aliexpress!).

I also do a 1st December gift box/bag and that will have in it his Christmas pajamas and onesie, Christmas socks, a new Christmas book (Alfie's Christmas) to add to our collection, a Christmas craft set and colouring book, and a box of Festive Friends. I like him to get these at the start of the month so he can get maximum wear out of the Christmas clothing.

I'm feeling a bit like I've stepped into some alternative universe.

So, reading this thread, I get what a Christmas Eve hamper is now. But when the hell did this all start? I have never, ever, heard of one.

Is it just a posh-london thing? Can anyone join in?

We've always had new pjs in my family on Xmas eve (since I was a kid) not a full on hamper mind & I'm in South Wales

My parents did a Christmas Eve hamper for us as kids, pjs, bauble and chocolate so I guess it's a tradition now. It also means the Dc have smart pjs for photos but I do agree some hampers are more like a santas sack!

Cooki3, I'm working class Scots so definitely not a posh London thing.

I first saw the idea here on MN years ago, I think the OP of that thread saw it on the MSE forums. Where they got it I have no idea. I copied the idea as it just sounded nice and it ended up being a huge hit so I do it every year now.