Christmas Eve Boxes?

[JessDee]

I am just looking for ideas for xmas eve boxes? Never really done them before but love the idea. I have the boxes now...just need ideas to fill them? Making one for my DD age 5 and my DH also as something different

Don't fill it all with new stuff. If you have things that are traditional to Christmas Eve in your house (assuming its' not "the Elves" that deliver it), add them in. Like the plastic plate with Santa on it, and plastic glass with a snowman, that are used for Santa's snack, the stocking, the hot water bottle with the festive cover, and the Christmas story that you always read on Christmas Eve night (it's Twas the night Before Christmas in our house). Those sorts of things.

In our house, new stuff for DD would be:
lush festive bath bomb
new PJs
hot chocolate

For DH, there is:
(possibly) a nice seasonal shower gel
new PJs
Christmas beer
nice hot choc

For me, there is:
lush bath bomb
new PJs
nice hot choc

It's been like that since DD was about 4/5, and she's now turning 13. And it has always come out just after dinner and after lighting the Christmas Candle, when we are already slowing things down, with the main aim of getting DD into and out of a bath, and off to bed. And persuading her that we will all be going to bed early in our new PJs.

This year I am putting in Christmas cups, bubble bath, choc lollies, popcorn, hot chocolate, cream and marshmallows and a new ornament for the tree.

Other years I have put in pjs, books, dvds, christmas activity/sticker/colouring books.

We give Christmas stuff out over December. A December 1st box would be a good idea if you’re set on a box. That way it gets used for longer than a day or two.

DS gets a 1st December box with advent calendar, PJs, a nice book and some chocolate tree decorations.

I do new Christmas books , a Christmas dvd , new pyjamas , reindeer food . Last year I did a bath bomb. Also planning on hot chocolate this year as they love it .

Ours is just like @BiddyPop, lots of traditional things we have every year like a blanket, Christmas cup, book, etc, plus pjs, bath bombs and some sweets. They get it on the last day of school after dinner.

I put a Xmas book, DVD, Santa's plate, Xmas stockings, bubble bath, slippers, pjs and treats.

We used to do PJs (Primark ones), jar of sweets each , bathbomb, annual.

Left in front of the fireplace for them to find when they came back from their walk (feed reindeer or ducks)

Now they have a Dec 1st (they'll be 19 and 16 by Christmas)

It's nice to just space things out , let them use their Christmas PJs (we buy winter rather than Christmas ) , some nice smellies and some chocolate .
Otherwise it's a bit overwhelming to have too many gifts at Christmas , and some of the bath products and face stuff gives them a chance to prep themselves and spoil themselves

Oh and I put in a new Christmas mug , tried the hot chocolate sachets but they just ended up back in the cupboard.
I bought the small glass milkbottles from Lakeland , filled with Nesquick milkshake and kept chilled till needed.

Hot chocolate out at Starbucks !

At the risk of sounding a bit dim, what is a Christmas eve box exactly?

Christmas Eve Box :

Evolution of the Christmas Eve Pyjamas

Just to get small(ish) DC wound down and off to bed on Christmas Eve (so that they can wake you up at 5am for their stockings )

I know loads of people say "Why give presents the day before / it's just adding to the Tat Pile"
But it's things they would have anyway - new PJs (I did winter ones rather than 'Christmas' ) bathrobe , slippers.
A Kilner jar of sweets each so they could eat a few and keep them for themselves .
A mug and hot chocolate
The bathbomb for the wind-down-bath.
Annual to read before bed .

They're a lovely add-on. I used to "Just go and check the door is locked" while DH got the DC into the car, put the boxes in front of the fireplace , then they were there when they got home .

If people don't do them, or are that's up to them.
I do Dec 1st boxes now mine are older.
And a Beauty Advent for DD ( one I make rather than buy , so I can hand pick everything. ) She'll have a new showergel mini or shampoo to try or face mask. Maybe some make-up, but her preferred is ££ ( she likes high end cruelty free so that's 'Present' territory not Advent)

I used to buy boxes from HomeSense , (and they are lovely) DC would use for storing things like phone cases and games in after.
I buy bags now , much cheaper .
DS is 5'10" so getting a bathrobe in a box is tricky

We have 1 box for all of us delivered by the elves which brings:

• pjs for all of us
• Xmas book
• Xmas dvd
• popcorn

If used to put more in but then it gets a bit like another Christmas. Just having one box of stuff we do on Xmas Eve is manageable, doesn’t start the present giving and it focused on calming everyone down.

Mid afternoon we put on pjs, watch film and eat popcorn. Then at bedtime we all cuddle up and read new book.

Tis lovely!

Do people match there pjs to the season? I just get what people would like and then wear them all year round! Last year I got nice Primark ones with ‘chalet girl’ written on then. I’ve worn them all year!!

This thread is so helpful, this is my first year doing a Xmas Eve box. So far I have Christmas book, Christmas DVD and plate for Santa. Planning Christmas PJ's and hot chocolate. I like the idea of a family box rather than individual

Some of our “Christmas “ pjs have actually been festive designs but worn all year (or some of mine get put away in late Jan and come out again in November).

Some have been winter themed but not necessarily Christmas and worn all winter and even all year if appropriate for temperatures.

Some have been plain and no themes and worn all year, suited to relevant temps.

Just because they are given for Christmas, it doesn’t mean that you need to have a Christmas theme to them. And even if you do, there’s no reason why you wouldn’t wear them just like any other pair.

I have sometimes got Christmas themed pjs/onsies and sometimes not. But they are worn all year round (bar summer) anyway

I also have a 5yo DD. In her Christmas Eve box she's getting pyjamas, slippers, a Christmas themed book we'll read at bedtime, a beanie boo (she's obsessed with them) and a Christmas DVD that we can all watch together.

We always do a box for December 1st. The dc's are 12 and 8 this year but we've done it for the last 10 years now. We've always hosted the in-laws on Christmas eve so would never get the benefit of a Christmas eve box

The elves arrive with the box on December 1st. Each year it might be a bit different as the dc's get older but generally it's
Advent calendars
Christmas / winter pj's so they get plenty of wear out of them
Christmas jumpers - they wear these when we go to panto and there's always a Christmas jumper day at school
Christmas DVD
A book each, usually Christmas themed
Hot chocolate and mug sets
Letter to Santa pack
Build a gingerbread house set which they do together
Sometimes reindeer food or ingredients to make cookies for Christmas eve
Chocolate coins
Last year there was a list of things from the elves to do throughout December, things like donate a toy, feed the birds, go for an evening walk and see all the Christmas decorations. DD loved this and ticking everything off as we did them.

I do board games, xmas socks, slippers, colouring books ,pens, a xmas book,the xmas mickey and minnie teddies at disney store we collect those. Mine is mostly filled with things to do on xmas eve x