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 read £90 and thought OMG but then when you break it down I have bought Theatre tickets for christmas eve. Onesie is going to be about £15 for DS, DVD £5 , I can see where you are coming from

We're going to relatives so am just going to wrap up new pjs for the 3 of us. Have just ordered from Next - Moose snuggle pjs for DS, red check bottoms and grey top for DH and navy t shirt and star print leggings for me. Will also buy The Night Before Christmas book for DS bedtime story that evening. He is only 2 so I expect as the years go on we will add a few more bits to it.
I am going to sit down with him in early Dec and write a letter to Santa, Santa is going to respond quite quickly (so DS makes the connection) with a new toothbrush and a recommendation that he uses it every single day. We are having a battle to get him to brush his teeth so if my other methods haven't worked by then I am hoping Santa will convince!

We always had new jammies, chocolate biscuits and bubble bath in Christmas eve and I'm 37. I've just carried on the tradition. The funny thing is my dc talk all year about their mini whisk for their hot chocolate. They invariably get lost or end up in the garden during the year. Cost 50p on ebay but they love the dinkyness.
I make no qualms about the fact that I want my dc to have the most idyllic childhood in my power and that includes Christmas, with bells on.

I do a Christmas Eve hamper and advent calendars on December 1st.

For Advent calendars my older son has Playmobil which I hate the expense of but he loves it, doesn't eat chocolate and the toys will be used for years by both children. My younger son loves chocolate so has a chocolate one (he is too little to care that his brother has a toy one).

For the Christmas Eve hamper which is in a small sack, they mostly contain things we have already and use each year. These items are Christmas stockings ready to hang, their 'santa stop here' bedroom door signs and then one child gets the Father Christmas key and the other gets The Night Before Christmas book as they share those items.

As well as that they have new pyjamas and toothbrushes which I would buy anyway, the pyjamas tend to be slightly posher than I would usually buy but not Christmas themed. If they need new slippers/towels/dressing gowns/flannels I add those but they don't this year.

Finally they have a present to open on Christmas Eve which is a tradition from my childhood, something costing under £10 that they can take to bed.

Even if I didn't do a hamper (or Christmas sack in my case) I would still buy new pyjamas, get a Christmas Eve present and get them new toothbrushes so it is no additional cost. It is just organised better!

Haven't been on this thread for a few days and can't believe the turn that it took!

All you bah humbuggers why don't you avoid the Christmas topic and leave the rest of us to it?! Honestly!

To the rest of the Christmassy people on the thread- 70 days!!!

I do need to know what snowman soup is ?

Snowman soup is a relative of Reindeer Poop!

Snowman soup is basically a treat bag with a portion of hot choc mix (we tends to use ready made sachets, but you could just measure out into a smaller clear bag), a candy cane as a stirrer, a few mini marshmallows, and perhaps a small choc seasonal figure. There is a poem you can write.print out from the internet. (I don't have a link right now, but there's loads of versions out there).

Reindeer Poop is another clear treat bag filled with a decent handful of choc covered raisins and again has a poem about Santa leaving something behind. Readily available on google also.

Dd has done both on separate years for her class in school as her birthday treat (26th Dec) so she loves seasonal treats, both work well for mass production, and both look cool for the kids. And are a little different to a bag of mini bags of haribo jellies, but not such hard work for me as the Angry Birds cookies another mum handmade for her DS's class treat!! Among other delicacies.

Just got expandable Christmas flannels from primark £1!

I think I'm going to do an Advent hamper now.

Well a wee bag, not a hamper. I'll put their Christmas duvets on while they're at school (need to check if Dec 1st is on a weekday) and leave a little bag on their beds for them to find. A craft kit, pack of cards for sending to friends, snowman soup and reindeer poop and probably a soppy note from me.

Thanks for all the ideas, you're a warm fuzzy bunch.

thank you biddypop

We don't do a hamper, but have a few treats on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve we buy old vintage annuals (new annuals are in Christmas Day sack); though Misty (one of DC favourites) is becoming more collectable and expensive!
pyjamas or nightdress
Hot chocolate - usually white hot chocolate

I'm wondering whether to buy Christmas duvet covers this year, it would be a nice surprise I think (though dh will think I've gone mad ).

I give my dcs a Christmas hamper on the 1st of december. It has 24 festive things in it.

I've never done a hamper as such but I always do (and received myself as a child) a new pair of pyjamas, hot chocolate and marshmallows, a bath bomb and a story.

We do a version of this:

On the first of December I put christmas pillowcases on their pillows, get out their christmas pjs (I have 4 ds and we pass down so really may not cost anything some years), I put out all of our christmas reading books and DVDs we've collected over the years, and put all the christmas CDs in the car to listen to every single car trip for the month! They also each have a christmas mug that, and we shop together for some new decorations when we're at the shops to get the Santa photo. The outdoor lights go on each night from the 1st usually but I'm now thinking we might start a week earlier because it's a lot of effort and I'd like to enjoy them for longer!

We just do PJs, reindeer food and snowman soup, no hamper, just wrapped or popped in a gift bag.

As we're having a more relaxed Christmas Day this year and not leaving the house until later afternoon, I might treat myself to some new PJs.

Ds had a Christmas Eve present last year of a new onesie, book, bath bomb and sweets but we had such a busy, fun day with family it was a bit lost in the midst of things and ds was not as bothered as I'd hoped. I know it's different for you, oO as your's is more significant but I'm just mentioning it to others who may be umming and ahhing about whether to start a hamper/ present.

Thanks for the snowman soup explanation!

so many new ideas for this year, last year it was pjs, santa plate, dvd, book, hot chocolate & reindeer food. Think I'm going to step it up this year with some of the above ideas though

New pyjamas sometimes smell funny or are a bit stiff and I like to wash them before the DCs wear them so no good for Xmas Eve but jolly good for before that so I might make that an Advent treat instead. I always get down the Xmas DVDs CDs & books on 1st anyway but quite like the idea of making it into a "hamper". I wouldn't buy all new stuff but might present the old faves in a nice way. Mine are all teens now and I am feeling wistful when walking through the toy part of supermarkets at this time of year. Enjoy the build up folks.

Signing in as may try this for the first time with our 5 and 2 year old!

Love this idea. It appeals to both my christmas obsession and my organisation obsession. Plan for the weekend is to gather up all of the christmas books, DVDs, CDs etc to pop in our new advent hamper. I love the idea that all of the bits and bobs we will use around Christmas will be kept together. Last year I didn't find my Christmas CDs until December 27th...

Advent Hamper Plan:

• Advent Calendars
• Paper Chains to make
• Christmas colouring pages
• New decoration for DS
• All of our current DVDs, CDs and Books
• A list of all of the christmassy events going on (church service, santa visit etc)

Christmas Eve hamper will be mostly the same as everybody else - PJs, Hot Chocolate and so on. Can't wait!

I love Christmas Eve hampers! Ours will have:-
New pjs (for all of us!)
New Christmassy book and dvd (thinking Holly Webb's Reindeer Girl for a book and Prep and Landing for dvd as have loads of films already lol!)
Lush bubble bath/bath bomb
Magic flannels
Panto tickets for that day
Snowman soup or those hot choc spoons
Yoo hoo cuddly for each dd ( a st bernard dd1 has been after since the summer and a moose that dd2 has no clue she wants!)
Personalised coke bottles
Popcorn
Peanut brittle for dh

Can't wait! Also doing my take on a North Pole breakfast and can't wait!

Oo tell us more about the North Pole breakfast!

What do you put it all in? Have you found 'Christmas' hampers/boxes somewhere or have you just decorated the usual?

I bought a tree ornament storage box from dunhelm mill. I think it was about £5. It has snowmen on it and I reuse it every year.