If you have a christmas eve hamper, what is in it?!

[Crystal15]

This is our 7th year doing christmas eve boxes. Well actually last year I changed it to one giant velvet Santa sack due to various shared items such as craft kits and dvds.

Ours has :
new pjs for all
Socks
Festive bath bomb
Xmas film
Hot chocolate
Popcorn
Personalised Thorntons chocolate for children
Reindeer food
Make your own twin snowglobe kit for children
Usually dig out a christmas book and santa sign to hang and pop that in too.

Any ideas for treats for adults? I'm thinking luxury ales and mince pies for DH hmmm. Possibly festive bubble bath too.

We usually do stuff for that night, a film and a book, hot chocolate, wine for us, Christmas bath bomb

But I do like the idea of 1st December getting out the advent calendars and pj's and books and films for the month

Yeah I do the 1st of December box too our elf on the shelf brings them.
This year I bought boxes from the works as the red felt bags I normally use got ripped. So far I Will have in them -
Xmas pjs from Primark
Xmas cosy bed socks from Primark
Glass Xmas jam jars from B&m (they also had plastic ones) only £1 each.
Xmas book each
Christmas small chocolate
Lush Xmas bubble bar or bath bomb
Advent calendars I get them both a £1 chocolate plus a more fun one (which gets taken out of their Xmas budget) my son has a Lego Star Wars one and my daughters I think are getting a playmobil one and maybe a smiggle one, still undecided on the smiggle one.

And I will get some different Xmas related activities to do over December like gingerbread house making etc.

Previous years have included Xmas DVDs but don't think we need any more now, Xmas mugs but have loads so got the jam jars for milkshakes n juice instead.
We love it. Il put on some pics but they are empty looking as not got all the kids there stuff yet. Iv got 3 kids.

We do:

Xmas pjs for everyone
Xmas film
Popcorn (to cook, not ready iyswim)
Toothbrushes and toothpaste for everyone
Some sweets

Sometimes get slippers/thick socks, drinks, etc. (Basically anything for Xmas eve entertainment)

I also put the empty stockings in to pack it out a bit!

Fab box, Christy!

I love those bath bombs, Crystal. Definitely going to get those!

I do a Dec 1st box too.
Pyjamas
Hot water bottles - Rudolph and a snowman
Bar of chocolate
Cola - ones with reindeer names on
Pack of paper chains to decorate bedroom
Small Christmas craft kit
Pack of cards to send to classmates
Gold/silver pens to write cards
Xmas mug
Small crackers to pull - nice to start the season off while wearing a paper crown!
Sachet of hot chocolate
Xmas themed pencils to take to school.
Christmas themed blanket.

Some is stuff from previous years that gets brought out only in December. I leave the boxes on their beds which have Santa duvet covers put on.

Oooh loving all these ideas! Keep them coming everyone!

Think I will do 1st December box too, will just put advent calenders in, all xmas books, dvds, xmas colouring books anx I will get them a festive blanket each and fairy lights for room.

I agree kiki.

We did it on Christmas Eve last year and didn't feel very Christmasy up until that point. Because of that, mine are getting it on Dec 1st this year.

The contents will be:

• New pyjamas
• New slippers
• Advent calendars
• Stockings to hang up in anticipation (I think this is what I missed most last year - we only had them up for one night)
• Magic key
• Candy canes for the tree
• All our traditional xmas books and dvds that we get out every year.
• Gingerbread house kit
• Maybe some Christmas bedding if I can find a bargain!

I was in the Card Factory store and saw Santa keys on sale for 99p (or there abouts)

Oops posted too soon.

I was in the Card Factory store and saw Santa keys on sale for 99p (or there abouts)

Loving the idea of a Christmas bath bomb, may just have to steal that one. Our box pretty much has what others have listed above including our personalised wooden board that we leave the mince pie and carrot on for Father Christmas and Rudolph.

I don't do these boxes but at the beginning of December I put Xmas pillows cases on the dcs' beds and bring out the box with our Xmas books/DVDs collection.

I love this ^^

We don't do it as a hamper (the elves are a bit slapdash and just leave the items outside the door) but this year it'll be pyjamas for the DCs, a puzzle to do as a family and probably the Mr Bean Christmas DVD as they've fallen in love with Johnny English this year :o sometimes it's been a book instead (Jolly Postman etc), a bath toy or an activity book that they can snuggle up with. Next year I'm thinking of getting the Santa version of the Love Letter game, as I had already got the puzzle by the time I discovered it and don't want to have both in the same evening

Oh I forgot the other thing I've sometimes done is given them each a Christmas tree decoration which they hang on the tree before going to bed. One year I then attached a ribbon between their decoration to their pressies basically because I'd forgotten gift tags and needed a way to indicate whose was whose which went down well.

Don't think I will this year as we've been on lots of trips to museums etc where we've chosen tree decorations in the gift shop as a souvenir. That way when we decorate the tree we can remember all the fun stuff we've done over the year :)

Pjs, hot choc, Christmas dvd, reindeer food, Christmas book and Christmas chocolate.

I do the 1st December box along with Christmas Eve hamper.

On 1st December the elf arrives with
Advent calendars
Christmas fleece blankets
Christmas books
Christmas DVDs
Countdown ornament
Christmas craft

The blankets, DVDs and books are the same every year!

Ours is very small
New pjs for the kids (matching red gingham flannel from White Company for both this year)
A new Christmas book to read at bedtime
Mine and DH's Christmas mugs
Father Christmas plate and cup
Hot chocolate
Naice biscuits for us all and then to put a couple on plate for FC

We don't have a DVD player but in a few years if we get one and they're a bit older (both under 5 now) then will do a DVD.

They will get so much from wonderful generous family and friends and Father Christmas, I think that too much on Christmas Eve isn't necessary.

We normally do a Christmas Eve box, but really liking the idea of a 1st December box too. My DC (7 and 4) love treasure hunts and puzzles so I normally do a treasure hunt around the house for the Christmas Eve box, not sure if it'll be overkill doing one for the 1st December too, hmm will have to ponder...

Anyway 1st December box will contain:
Advent calendars
Tub of celebrations
Christmas bubble bath
Box set of Christmassy books

Christmas Eve box:
New pj's (not necessarily Christmas ones, just nice and new so they don't look like urchins in the photos)
Christmas bath bomb
Their stockings
Christmas mugs (same ones every year) and hot chocolate sachets
Possibly a Christmas craft kit depending on what we decide to do that day (at DMs this year)

Going to be our first year for a Christmas Eve box. Hoping the DC will understand it now (3 and 2).
Couple of questions- what kind of box does everyone use?
Where can I get a Santa key?
Plan is to put pjs, Christmas book, Christmas cup, and some gingerbread. Loving all the ideas.

Sweetpea you can get santa keys cheap from Card Factory.

Great idea about the milk bottles, DH is picking me 2 up today :)

Ours has:

New:
PJs for DH, DD and I
Festive Lush bath bombs for DD and I
Naice hot choc for us all

Old:
DD's stocking
Twas the Night Before Christmas book
DD's Christmas plastic plate and glass (used all through December just popped into the box in advance)
Snowman hot water bottle (used all through winter, popped in the box that day)

We got given a lovely hamper last year so reusibg it as our christmas eve box.

On the 1st Dec we have Christmas bedding out with advent calendar and Christmas p.j's (get the full months use then) plus a few Christmas themed books and dvds.
Christmas Eve
New p.j's, annual, santa or snowman chocolate lolly, matey bubble bath, hot chocolate cone, reindeer food.

I like to keep it simple. A new pair PJ's (which they would've got anyway), a bath bomb and some popcorn. We will watch Arthur Christmas. A note from the Christmas Fairies.

The plan is to go for a VERY long winter walk somewhere, run off all their energy then back home to find the box. I cook a ham in the slow cooker and we have it with cheese, crackers, chutney etc. Just us. I think it's the best bit of christmas.

We do ours 1st Dec too, Christmas Eve is always hectic and exciting enough without it. Get out all the Christmas books, DVDs, a jigsaw, teatowels, maybe some paperchains or other activity. I like the idea of a Christmas bath bomb on the 24th though, I've never put them in stockings as the smell would probably contaminate the chocolates.