Inspire me please! What are you doing Christmas Eve?

[ellenjames]

We have all been poorly so I haven't thought what to do to make it special. Would like some ideas please! Dh in bed till 12ish as on nights until then. Have dd aged 9, ds1 aged 8 and ds2 aged 5

DD's will get their elf hamper in the morning because we'll be out late.

Going to Disney on Ice in the afternoon with some friends and then out to dinner with lots of family and friends as it's also DH's birthday.

DD1 will sleepily put out a carrot and mince pies for santa when we get in and then go straight to bed. DD2 will fall asleep on the way home!

(Then DH and I will get all the presents out and get excited!!! )

Going to the ice cream place in the morning (it's a long-standing tradition that we should freeze half to death there on Christmas Eve).

Then visitors are arriving.

Lighting the Christmas candle at 6pm, then mass at 6.30.

Then home to sort out cookies etc. for Santa, and pack the children off to bed by 9.

Probably ought to do lunch or dinner at some point, but I'm hoping that will happen by something like osmosis...

We're off the Christingle - where the kids get to hold a naked flame in church. They really do seem to love it though. After that it's our 'turn' to host the neighbours immediately following the service even though we agreed we'd do it next year

DH working til 2pm. I will be tidying, prepping veg, cooking my Christmas ham and setting the table for Christmas Day dinner whilst the DC play.
Everything stops at 3pm when we cosy up for a family Christmas film and a picnic tea.
After that we will go a walk round the neighbourhood to look at the Christmas lights before bath and Christmas jammies, leaving things out for Santa and sprinkling the reindeer dust then lots of Christmas stories and bed. I love Christmas Eve.

Bake sausage rolls and mince pies, go to crib service, eat sausage rolls and soup, go for a walk in the old cemetery/nature reserve across the road (and maybe to the nearby playground), come home to hamper, prep Christmas dinner while listening to 9 Lessons and Carols on the radio, eat dinner, bathe children, write letter to Father Christmas, leave out snacks, hang stockings, read stories, drink mulled wine and eat mince pies while watching g a film, go to midnight mass, turn into Father Christmas and leave presents under the tree and fill stockings, go to bed.

Go shopping (food) first thing for any last bits, although considering doing that late tuesday night instead now. Back home for hot soup and crusty rolls and a quick tidy up.
Afternoon we have a couple of things to bake/Xmas cake to ice. But mainly try to make it a chilled out day of watching films, playing board games/jigsaw together and eating chocolate.
After dinner, DC have baths then find their elf presents (PJs) and start doing the carrot and mince pie routine and hanging up stockings. All of this will be interspersed with DS giving regular updates from the NORAD website on where FC is/how many gifts delivered so far etc.

When DC are finally both asleep I will get out the gifts (hopefully all wrapped by that point) and do the stocking switch. Depending on how late it is by then, I may stay up for a while with a mince pie and a glass of something. otherwise it straight to bed for me as last year we were all up by 5am!!!

Mad panic trying to finish getting the house tidy in the morning, friends have an open house in the afternoon, and then my parents come round after tea in the evening.

Cheers! I don't have to worry about cooking as at my parents for Christmas Day. I like the idea of a walk and film and being all cosy

We do the same every year, meet BIL on the southbank for lunch, have a walk round the Christmas market, a quick whirl on the London eye ad then home. Watch elf (again!!!) put out goodies for Santa and then try to get DD to go to bed so that I can get the presents under the tree

We're going to see Annie at the cinema with my friend, then will go to my sisters for a buffet tea with the family. We will come home in the evening, put on pyjamas and watch a Christmas film, then DD will go to bed and I will wrap all of her presents while listening to Christmas music and eating the mince pie that she will have left out for Santa.