ideas for making xmas special when a small group

[necromumda]

I am after some ideas for making Christmas special when it is just the three of us and we are pretty much eating the lunch at out kitchen table the same as every other day. Does anyone else just spend Xmas like this and how do you make it a bit different? :)

Decorate the table , make it really Christmasy. Christmas music, lots of wine

We play games around the table at lunch - for example, take turns to silently act out your favourite thing we did this year and the others guess what it is, or the game where you each say one word to make up a story.

We also have a surprise extra present that arrives under the tree during lunch (around the time I have to pop to the toilet) which is a board game to play together.

We try and make sure the dc have some sort of an outdoor toy as a present so we can go for a walk to test it out. It's nice to get some fresh air and say merry christmas to the other people out walking.

We also often have something we can build together (like Lego or a jigsaw).

We are this year. There’s me, dh and ds (9). We’re going ‘fancy’ this year, shopping at Booths and buying smaller amounts of ‘naice’ food.
We’ll all have a gin even ds, who’ll have a very small measure with plenty of lemonade.
We have a lovely Christmas table cloth and place settings, which we use every year, so it feels familiar.
Not sure what to do about crackers as they’re a bit pointless for just 3 people.

In terms of the rest of the day, we will get out to visit a few family members so we’re not just on our own, but if we were we’d probably go for a walk or even to church so we saw some other people.
We’ll open gifts in a few sittings to spread it out over the day.

I should say...2 adults and a teen.

Oh yeah, this year the afternoon will be a massive Lego building session!

Open stockings
Breakfast in bed
Go to church
Open presents while cooking the dinner
Eat! We do fill-your-own crackers
Go for a walk
Watch Christmas TV
Play a board game
Skype friends and relatives

Oh and we are little awkward as we dont have a dining table, just a small kitchen one..

Not sure what to do about crackers as they’re a bit pointless for just 3 people.

You can surprise them by carefully opening up the crackers and filling with fancy sweets or a tiny gift, like a personal key ring.

We're just the 5 of us this year and I was thinking the same. I bought some crackers with Lego in, and a 'colour your own' tablecloth for the kids to do whilst I finish up the cooking. DS(6) is getting a new bike so we'll hopefully go to the park for a bit.

@PositivelyPERF that’s a great idea thanks!

We are usually just the four of us. It is still a special day. Try to space things out. Kids do stockings (sacks) here first thing, then breakfast.

We wait a couple of hours until we are all up and dressed and bucks fizz in hand/nibbles out before the main present opening.

Then the kids have lego to build/stuff to play with while I get on with the dinner prep. We Skype one lot of family.

Usually plan for dinner around 3 or 4, not too early not too late. We do a scratch card under the placemat, crackers, nice puddings/drinks, candles etc.

After dinner we play a few board games, Skype more family, then settle down to a movie.

I was talking to my friend earlier and her Christmas Day sounds dire. They eat on TV trays in front of the TV. They have a breakfast bar and dining table (but not enough chairs).

They have no tree or decorations. They 'don't do that'. They don't like turkey, cranberries, alcohol, stuffing, sprouts, bread sauce, stuffing or pigs in blankets. They don't like Christmas cake or pudding.

They celebrate Christmas with presents but don't wrap them up and don't wait until Christmas day to give them.

Mince pies and chocolate logs and listening to Christmas music seem to be the only Christmassy thing they actually do.

This year will just be dh and me and 1 teen.
We will still make it special and christmassy as we do every year whether we're entertaining or not.

We get up around 8 and open our presents and dd's stocking and santa presents, yes, he still comes to our house

Dh makes coffee and we have something sweet like stollen with it, taking our time looking at everything. DD eats chocolate from her stocking.

At around 11 we have a big brunch at the kitchen table using our christmas cups and plates and our christmas table runner. We always have champagne and fresh orange juice and real coffee and we will have either a full cooked breakfast or american style pancakes with crispy bacon and maple syrup, dd can decide.

In the afternoon we will watch movies with the fire lighting, drink wine / baileys, etc. speak to family etc

we eat dinner in the evening at around 7pm and we will get dressed up a bit and set the table in the dining room with candles etc and light the fire in that room too. We play nice music and have a leisurely 3 course dinner with lots of wine.

Then we blob out in front of the tv at about 10pm

It's pretty much the same routine as if we had guests (which we do most years) and it feels lovely to have a tradition of doing things this way each year