Christmas Eve boxes, what’s going in yours.....

[sophisticatedsarcasm]

Decided this year I would jump on the Christmas Eve box bandwagon. Had it fairly planned out. I plan to put in for DS10 & DD6
A pair of xmassy pjs
A lush bath bomb each
A Christmas colouring book for DD / not sure for DS yet as he’s not in to that.
A pack of chocolate coins each
A roblox blind box for DS and a L.O.L lil sister doll for DD
A packet of hot chocolate powder for DS and either a milk straw or milkshake for Dd (she don’t like hot chocolate)

I’ve chosen not to put a movie in as I literally own all the Christmas movies already.

We have a wooden box we use every year. In it goes the personalised Santa plate we’ve had for years, the magic key we’ve had for years and the believe bell we’ve had for years!

In addition are

A book each
Bauble drinking jars
Oats to leave outside for the reindeer
Cookies or cakes
A Christmas decoration each
PJs (not Xmas ones)

DD (5) always has

Pyjamas
A christmas themed book (Mog's Christmas this year)
A beanie boo (she's obsessed with them)
A christmassy DVD that we'll all watch together.

@ShowOfHands that's why I added in my opinion, which is why I don't do it. To each their own. I should have added a humorous BAH HUMBUG at the end of my post!

I am a bit undecided whether to do them or not.

Dc are 18,16,14 and 10.

Getting tougher to find nice bits especially for the Ds's.

Ideas welcome.

I will definitely include sprudels and bath foam, they are very popular for a Xmas eve bath. And some chocs or sweets.

In previous years I've put in pjs and a film, but we seem to have hundreds of pjs that will fit for a while and some Xmas dvds from last year that haven't been watched yet. Last year I put in little cups with their names on, which were lovely, but they don't need another cup.

So, I need ideas!

I should have said, our Robert Salbuda Night Before Christmas book and the dc's stockings are also always in our hamper.

I love Christmas Eve just as much as the day itself. My ds gets jammies from granny. I put in bath things for box, new toothbrush etc (stuff he'd get anyway). We put in Santa key, snacks, dvd, polar express bell and ticket. Usually a tree decoration also. I'm not doing Reindeer Food/dust. The glitter is dangerous and oats on ground attract the local fox. I found a great alternative on eBay. It's a light in a bag that you hang outside to lead the Reindeer to your house and there's a Reindeer decoration that comes with it.

Pjs
Christmas selfie sticks from wish
Dvd

If you’re putting reindeer food in your boxes, please consider NOT using plastic glitter mixed with real food such as oats. Small wild animals will eat the whole lot when you sprinkle it outside and unfortunately suffer terrible consequences.

It's my PFBs first Christmas so I'm really keen to start a tradition on Christmas Eve! I'm going to do a Christmas Eve box with jammies for the baby, a Christmas book, Christmas plate (which will be reused each year), reindeer food (none glittery) small toy and hot chocolate with all the trimmings for the adults (including some rum because any excuse). As she gets older she can have chocolate milk or similar.

Ooh love the bubble bath idea! Perfect excuse it will be running very low by then...

Mine just have pjs, a Christmas book and a small chocolate in them.

My ds 3yrs 10 months will be getting
New pyjamas
Jigsaw puzzle
Small snow globe
A Christmas soft toy
A book
A bath bomb
A new drinking cup
I’ve got them from places like b&m, home bargains and the card factory. It doesn’t cost much but he thinks it’s brilliant. Also a nice thing to do with him Christmas Eve when dh is busy building toys

When do you hand the boxes over?

Thinking about jumping on the bandwagon but also have a Christmas Eve Birthday.

But thinking a 1st Dec box might be a better option.

What i mean is do you hand them over after dinner? Or 1st thing in morning.

Can't do first thing because thats taking away from the birthday.

Our CEH magically appears when we get back from a walk or activity late afternoon.

My DC have theirs on Dec 1st now , DS will be 19 yo, DD will be 16yo and no, they're not too old

I bought large fabric gift bags (might use these next year too)

Advent calender (chocolate)
PJs (they get their 'naice' winter ones on the 1st , Christmas Primark ones on the 24th)
Robe for DD (I think DS isn't fussed )
Underwear (branded , non festive)

DD is having a Beauty Advent (I'm making for her) I bought a Skyn Iceland gift set for the 1st .
DS will have a Scaramouche&Fandango gift set
Maybe a magazine ?
DD has her Winter bedding on 1st Nov, DS wants to wait till 1st Dec

Never done them

My DC are getting big now but December 1st saw the arrival of

Advent calendars
Christmas craft
Cards or card making stuff
Cookie cutters
Christmas bedding used every year (winter themed so used untik March)
Christmas pasta from Lakeland
Christmas story books and dvds reused each year
Mugs - reused. Some years I firget to put them away.

Christmas Eve

New PJs so everyone looks tidy
Bath stuff
Family puzzle which we all do in shifts over the break
Melting hot choc stirrers

Enjoy whatever bits you enjoy. The DC will be big soon enough [santa]

don't do them. I don't know anyone who does apart from on MN when boxes have to contain "pjs" and "hot choc" .

Don’t know anyone who does a box as such.

But we do have always eat the Christmas tree chocolate, and read the same book each year. It is always done in an “unusual” place. Eg. In the bath tub, on the kitchen floor, under the dining room table etc.

We do a festive themed treat every day from 5th November to Christmas Eve, we call it the 50 days of Christmas! (we love Christmas!!!!) In the xmas eve boxes I put
New jamas
Fluffy socks
Reindeer dust
Hot chocolate
Cuddly toy
Chocolate coins
Our elf on the shelf brings them in the morning along with a special xmas eve breakfast!

Our DC are now too old but I absolutely hate all this excess commercialism so I wouldn’t be doing Christmas Eve boxes or any of this Elf on a shelf malarkey or whatever Americanism has just emerged.

PJs. Might get matching for all of us.
I bought a brilliant hot choc spoon with Santa on from here: www.notanotherbunchofflowers.com/products/hot-chocolate-spoon-santa and a personalised Christmas kid's mug and some really cute slipper socks with robins on.
Chocolate coins.
Some sort of game. Do they do Xmas Top Trumps?

I sound really mean and I absolutely love Christmas but today’s kids always get far too much stuff on Christmas Day. We always put the trees up early December, always had advent calendars, read the Night before Christmas several times and watch lots of Christmas films but I think the Worlds gone mad. We always did operation Christmas shoe box and attended the christingle service etc.
A friend of DS’s mums with younger children boasted on FB that she had paid some silly price for what looked like a bog standard wooden fruit crate with a lid painted in pastel colours with her child’s name and Christmas Eve box on etc. The same mother will take lots of bragging photos of all her children’s wrapped presents and expensive gifts on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning etc.