Proof that Father Christmas has been - apart from the presents, I mean

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

Last year at dd’s house we naturally left out some carrots for the reindeer, in a dish outside. (FC’s tot of brandy and mince pie were in the kitchen.)
In the morning, when I went with little Gdcs to check that the carrots were gone, would you believe it, there were some very messy, chewed up morsels of carrot strewn around the dish!

So of course there were tut-tut, ‘What a mess!’ type comments, followed by, ‘But at least they didn’t pooh in the garden!’

Any more useful proofs?

We only had 'healthy' breakfast cereals on a daily basis. The children always made a bee line for cocopops when we stayed in a hotel. Santa knew how much our children loved coco pops and always left them a box next to the carrot & mince pie remains and half drunk cup of milk.

Rudolf lost his collar at our house a couple of years ago (dog collar with metallic pipe cleaners and bells).

I might have gone a little over the top that year...

I’ve bought some sleigh bells from the pound shop this year so will tie some red ribbon to one and FC will lose one this year.

We have a dog, so anything like leaving bits of food about or covering a doorway with paper wouldn't work (she'd put her foot through it then jump right into the room!).

FC leaves a note saying DS has been a good boy. Rudolph writes a note (I use my left hand) and says what highjinks he and our dog got up to during the night, mostly running around on the beach, taking goofy selfies with FC's phone

When I was young, it was just mince pie, glass of sherry, carrot and water to show FC had been, and the presents of course. One year the water dish had a chip taken out of it and my parents said Rudolph had stepped on it and broken it with his hoof I so believed them!

Something in their stocking that they know I absolutely would not buy them. So chewing gum (an enormous hit) pooing reigndeer, can/bottle of coke are some examples from over the years. Never fails to convince. He also leaves multiple party potters in the stocking so that they can make an enormous noise at the crack of dawn, very un mum like.

One Christmas Eve, my parents told us Father Christmas was giving sleigh rides in people's gardens; but because his sleigh might contain presents which were not wrapped yet, we had to have our eyes covered. We wore our winter coats, gloves and wellies, were blindfolded so we couldn't see a thing (coal in stockings for anyone who peeped), and in turn we went round the garden on the sleigh, which was actually the wheelbarrow with bells attached. Father Christmas would speak to us, and we could feed carrots to the reindeer. Even though we had to use our imagination, this felt like the best thing ever, and was talked about for years afterwards!

We do the Christmas paper over the door so they have to burst through the door.
It also means they can't sneak down before us & snoop as we all come downstairs together.
The kids leave a plate with cakes,they've made on Xmas eve so crumbs will be left. They also leave oats for the reindeers which will be messed up & half gone.
We also leave Santa a can of energy drink to keep him going, which will also be left empty.

I like the idea of something in the stocking that I would never let them have like a tin of coke.

I like the idea of something in the stocking that I would never let them have like a tin of coke.

A can of coke, hopefully? A tin of coke might be considered liberal even for the man in red!

Over the years (not all at once) we’ve had ...

Sooty finger prints where he pulled himself out of the fire place
Ornaments knocked over
The Christmas tree slightly askew
Crumbs and drink rings
Coal and ash scattered untidily
A red thread caught on the fender
Reindeer prints on the patio
Reindeer prints on the roof of the car
A great big chunk gone out of my precious bush the year we forgot to leave out carrots
A piece of a leather harness with gold bells caught on a branch
A gift dropped on the roof
Sleigh marks gouged in the lawn
A trail of chocolate coins from the hole in his sack
A button that popped off his suit
And all sorts of gifts that I’ve firmly refused to buy

We have Santa's snowy footprints all over the house. One year, he obviously got caught short, and there were footprints where he had stood at the loo. This year he's only allowed into one room because of COVID ~and because it's less hoovering for me~

When we had snow a few years ago, my OH went up on a ladder with a bamboo cane to make sledge marks on the roof of the conservatory.

We do snowy foot prints, a bell left behind, last year I used an app and managed to sneakily snap a picture of santa in our lounge and the reindeer on the front lawn .
I've seen for sale Santa's sleigh flying licence so I think this year he will accidentally leave that in our lounge

@thelegohooverer

Over the years (not all at once) we’ve had ...

Sooty finger prints where he pulled himself out of the fire place
Ornaments knocked over
The Christmas tree slightly askew
Crumbs and drink rings
Coal and ash scattered untidily
A red thread caught on the fender
Reindeer prints on the patio
Reindeer prints on the roof of the car
A great big chunk gone out of my precious bush the year we forgot to leave out carrots
A piece of a leather harness with gold bells caught on a branch
A gift dropped on the roof
Sleigh marks gouged in the lawn
A trail of chocolate coins from the hole in his sack
A button that popped off his suit
And all sorts of gifts that I’ve firmly refused to buy

@thelegohooverer I'm sorry but "A great big chunk gone out of my precious bush the year we forgot to leave out carrots" really made me laugh