Simple things/traditions that put a smile on your face at Xmas

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What makes Xmas magical but doesn't cost a fortune? For us the kids love tracking Santa on the web and the web site that Santa sends then a letter (email) back.

cold penguin, turkey sandwiches at my mums, with brown sauce is the saddo highlight of my year.

Making the pudding/cake. The DCs will wander into the kitchen, have a stir, attempt to poke a grubby finger in the mix, be noisy and excited and tell me what Santa's bringing etc.

And then I like the quiet calm of Christmas Eve when everything looks beautiful and the DCs are asleep and not trashing it all.

ooooo Im all excited Im going to have a new grand-daughter this christmas and I expect with 7 kids my christmas will be as hectic and fabulous as ever. Traditions are everything for us. Our christmas starts the first weekend in december with stir up sunday when all the kids help to make the pudding the cake and the mince pies to freeze. This is the weekend we put up the tree and decorations with the youngest member being lifted up to put the star on the top. We also go to a childrens service on xmas eve with lots of carols and our new xmas clothes the children all take their presents to put under the tree in the church to be taken to families in need in our town and at the end of the service the children all get some chocolate. Then its home to hot chocolate and cookies we have made for santa mince pies egg nog tarts mulled wine and the traditional opening of the xmas eve presents new pyjamas slippers and dressing gowns. The children like to sprinkle magic reindeer food on the path outside and leave a carrot for rudolph. The older ones sit up and watch the same santa claus the movie whilst helping to decorate trifles and prepare the veg. I cook my Ham on xmas eve so we usually have some whilst setting the table for breakfast and putting the santa throws and cushions out. Then its left to me and my hubby to sort the mound of presents into 7 sacks and fill 7 stockings although there will be an extra one this year and try to creep in to their rooms to leave them on the ends of their beds Santa is normally just leaving when the screams of delight wake us up around 6am. Christmas day is held in a local hall with my parents and my three sisters and their families. We all cook and set up tables and have a huge celebration with vast quantities of food and games. My dad dresses up as santa after lunch and gives out presents from him and my mum to each grandchild from an enormous santa sack its fantastic. We do a secret santa for the grown ups too. oooo I forgot about the stockings We video it each year after piling into the biggest bedroom we start from youngest to oldest and everyone has to watch everyone else opening their stockings before being allowed in the living room to open the santa sacks. Like I said chaos but fantastic we seem to have a happy Month and feels like christmas has already begun I cant wait