Gah it winds me up when posters come onto a thread specifically to piss on someone elses chips.
If the thought of it offends , then don't bother with it , but the snippy comments are just uncalled for .
CEH (on the 24th) are a lovely way of calming down over excited DC
Mine used to love theirs and they don't cost ££ and aren't another load of presents .
My DC are teens now and still like the whole build up to Christmas , but they don't need the whole How many sleeps thing.
As for another expense :
I buy my DC bathrobes and winter PJs
And underwear
Things I'd buy them anyway so it makes sense to do it for the 1st.
And we've always done a jar of sweets (the jar gets recycled into the kitchen or to put pencils /stationary bits in)
My DMum never liked Christmas , she didn't like the extra work involved (not that she did it , she fobbed it off onto whoever happened to be in the kitchen.....usually me )
And always said things like "I just want to go to sleep and wake up after New Year" or "My favourite day is Boxing Day ..because its all over "
Way to go to make us feel like we didn't deserve any sort of effort (unless we did it 
)
So when I had DC , I did make the extra effort , and its the little things they remember .
But for those who like to do someone down, Crack On !