What were your favourite Christmas moments that cost nothing?

[throwingpebbles]

Just wondering, as there is so much pressure to spend in the build up to Christmas, but I had so many "favourite" moments this year that cost nothing...

The DC deciding to make up a Christmas story as they were all lying in bed too excited to sleep on Christmas Eve

Christingle and the walk back spotting Christmas lights

My step daughter sitting at the piano singing Christmas carols while my daughter gazed at her adoringly

My daughter (3) "playing" the piano and insisting that everyone danced

Baking mince pies and everyone making differing decorations for the top

what were yours?

My eldest cousin joining us for our Xmas meal at an Indian restaurant. His immediate family hadn't seen him for years, and only found out that he had split from his wife when they managed to contact him to tell him that his mum (my aunt) had died. Which was when we found he was living only a few miles from us, and was going to be alone on Xmas day.

Watching my 6 1/2 month old demolish his first christmas dinner

One I hadn't even thought of....watching the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures with DS, my little 8 year old geek in the making. He loved it! And there are 3 of them.... (I am a fully fledged geek with a Physics degree).

The adult dc thanking me with hugs for both the lovely day and the meal. Made it all worthwhile.

Not Christmassy but something that has given me and a friend a huge laugh.

It really is the gift that keeps on giving!

My friend text to say she had finally had sex with a rather dishy if inappropriate man.

I text back ' you are sex on a spoon'.

Only I didn't text that back to her. I text that to my 25 year old kitchen fitter.

Lovely thread.

DS cried when he opened one of his presents and took me aside later to thank me and tell me that he'd had the nicest day and he understood the work and money I'd put in and that I was the best mum. From a pre-teen who's main mode of communication is grunting, tutting and eye rolling this was just lovely.

And just to bring some balance to Mumsnet my MIL was LOVELY and bought me some gorgeous, thoughtful presents

Mine was seeing 3yo DGS's reaction when he realised that his Paw Patrol dressing up costume gave him a tail, he was beside himself with excitement and ran around wiggling his bum to wag it

DD1 (2 years old) has been loving seeing all the Christmas trees. When she got home from nursery one day to find we had put our tree up at home she couldn't stop bouncing around, laughing, and clapping with sheer joy that we had a Christmas tree. We also have DD2 (just turned 7 weeks) and seeing DD1 dote on her sister at times has been magical. Yesterday she was genuinely worried as she couldn't find her baby sister on a couple of occasions (because she was peacefully sleeping) and was going around calling her and desperately trying to find her. After months worth of worrying about sibling jealousy and how she was going to react to getting a sibling, to see how lovely she's been to her baby sister has just been amazing.

Lots and lots of moments this year...it's been a really lovely one.
-Walking on the beach on Boxing Day with family and dogs - just beautiful.
-Ds1 giving me a big hug on Christmas Day evening and saying thank you for a brilliant Christmas (as a pp said, from a grumpy pre-teen this is priceless)

• having a huge snuggle with ds2 watching a film on Boxing Day (from a recently very independent 7 year old also priceless)
• DSil's best answer playing 5 second rule - name 3 things beginning with J - Jam, Jerusalem and Jeffrey!

@ GetAHaircut

Joining a pop-up Christmas choir - loved the rehearsals and the Carol Service at the end.

Watching DCs Christmas plays - esp DD1 delivering her first stage lines and dancing.

Catching up with an old friend I hadn't seen for a year a couple of days before Christmas.

Three generations of family playing Qwirkle - fab new family board game which we got as a present.

Getting to read the rest of my Christmas mysteries short stories book which I only half-finished last year.

Also enjoyed my orange truffle Baileys which a dear friend gave me.

@GetAHairCutCarl, thanks fo making me laugh..mostly out of embarrassment as I did something to my older male cleaning person. Except I sent him a picture of my boobs. It was a long time before I could look him in the face 😳😅

My 7 year old playing beautifully with my 18 month old. It was lovely for about 30 sec!!!

Oh this is lovely!
Mine was my 4 year old opening her presents, exclaiming each time "Oh it's just what I always wanted!"
Then sitting n the sofa feeding my 2 week old sipping champagne for the first time in a year, listening to my family teaching DD the Music Man song. Bliss!
And finally, watching everyone coo and melt over the baby - including all the men! Best Christmas present ever

My dad helping the kids put a bottle of beer, a mince pie, and seven carrots out on the porch. After they'd gone to bed he drank the bottle of beer, ate the mince pie, chopped the ends off the carrots, and gave each carrot end a good gnaw, then put the empty bottle, the mince pie foil, and the gnawed carrot ends back outside on the doorstep!