Christmas plans 2017

[Sloan27]

Hi all new to this what's your plans for christmas this year.
I normally do a nice movie day Christmas eve get in the last min things then my sister has a party around tea time for all the kids it's then home kids washed and new pjs on then off to bed

We have a Christmas market at the beginning of December that we visit. We are also trying out a bus tour that drives round looking at the City lights and the bus is driven by Father Christmas.

Odeon cinemas usually show an old Christmas film in December, last year was Jingle all the way, the year before was Home Alone so we get tickets to that.

Christmas Eve we go to the pub for mulled wine and mulled cider (warm apple juice for DS) then go to church for the Nativity service.

These are the fixed things we do every year, we also watch lots of Christmas films , heart Christmas is on the radio all the time and we also visit Father Christmas too.

Ooh I love Christmas!

We will go to Dover Castle as they do a WWII Christmas and DD is covering WWII in school this term.

We booked iceskating and dinner with several friends, it is an annual tradition now.

DD has a Christmas show from her theatre group and a party.

Pantomine is covered by the school, yeah!

We have tickets for a carol concert in the Albert Hall and most likely will walk around London on that day.

Gingerbread house development is the last weekend in November.

We will do presents and breakfast alone, just me, dh and two dc. Then my family is coming for Christmas lunch and then we will go to MIL for Christmas tea, so lots of running around and not much rest.
Dd has only just been born so both families want to see her for her first Christmas so that's the only reason I have agreed

And we do panto on New year's Eve!

Gingerbread house development is the last weekend in November

Our gingerbread house was a disaster! I can never get them to stick! Can you buy Pre stuck ones just for decorating? I have an ornament Gingerbread house that I got from the garden centre so that's going up!

We have a recipe which says it is just a couple of hours but ours takes 3 days to finish or it will collaps.

DH now builds a scaffolding with Lego to hold the walls up and two mugs inside to keep it upright. And it needs to dry at least 24 hours before we put the roof on top. Then another day before we start decorating it. It drys next to the radiator.

We buy these tubes with icing, that works better than making your own and smearing it all around the walls. It looks a bit like cavity insulation going wrong we just love the whole process.

We will (hopefully!) be in our new home so I want to start a couple of traditions. We don’t always do much on Christmas Eve but DH is hatching plans for this year 🙂. Christmas Day is the 3 of us plus my DM & DF for dinner then in the evening just the 3 of us again. Leading up to the big day we have a visit to Santa ( needs organising), possibly the panto or maybe after New Year, various events at NT properties, school Mums meal out, poss Winter Wonderland in Exeter. Mine & DD’s birthdays are in December too so it’s a busy month

Last year I tried to make a gingerbread house on Christmas Eve at least there was lots of yummy (flat) gingerbread to eat!
Not sure what we're going his year. DSis is coming over with her new baby and I think we're going to watch movies and bake. Very low key.

If you have a Costco card the gingerbread house kits they have seem to work every time. It comes with some pre-made icing which sets like cement.

Or if you aren't planning on eating the house, just use superglue.

We have a Santa visit booked, we're going to Lincoln Christmas market and to Beamish on the way back up to Scotland. We also go to Edinburgh Christmas market every year. We build a gingerbread house. Pick holly for a wreath from the back garden, decorate the house and also the play house in the garden.
Christmas Eve is nativity play, Christingle service, Family buffet.
December is going to be a very busy month.

OOh Noramum, that sounds like a great family tradition with the scaffolding and everything!! I love that your DH is so involved as well!

This year, I am trying to persuade DH to go to a "Ratpack" Christmas concert, as I have given up on both he and DD enjoying choral or orchestral concerts with me.

Otherwise, I have no plans for a Santa excursion (DD is now 11) or other specific events - we will have the junior end of year disco in the sailing club for DD, Christmas Party in Cubs (and DD is an "Elder Lemon" so will be planning it, as their final event before moving up to Scouts in January), and work is always mad busy. So I am just looking forward to a bit of seasonal "Peace and Goodwill" to relax and unwind! !!

I'm hoping I'll be home by Christmas baby #2 due on the 15th but I'm in the western isles and getting sent away to glasgow 2 weeks before to wait for baby. Apparently they don't like to induce before 10 days overdue so I'm praying he wants to make an early appearance so we can go home in time and get settled before the big day. Hell of a culture shock moving up here from Bolton

These all sound brilliant

We are going to Lapland for 3 nights on 14th December so that's very exciting! The tree will go up the weekend before, and I'm pretty excited about that too - we've just bought a new one from Balsam Hill. DS will get a letter from Santa inviting him to Lapland that weekend too.
I'm doing a 1st December box with Lego advent calendar, PJs and a book.
I finish work on 22nd until 3rd January so nice long break.
23rd we have friends round for a festive meal.
24th we will go to the Christingle at church and then to DS godmother's open house party.
25th my parents, MIL and maybe SIL and her partner here. DH is a good cook.
26th is a PJ day with nice food and films. We will go to see the Last Jedi at some point between Christmas and New Year. We then have friends arriving on 29th until 2nd, I'm doing a murder mystery on NYE.

Tillemin Ooh what's it like living there? Do all women have to go to mainland to have their babies?

Christmas is mad for my family not only do we have Christmas but we have all the birthdays as well they start on the 25th December right till the 4th of January . My boys have now started a count down till christmas eve