Personalised letter from Santa or Christmas Eve boxes

[HairyToity]

Not done either of these before, but DH thinks we should give it a go. Anyone have a recommendation?

I don't want to get into routine of Christmas Eve box and would rather just order one already filled. My DH thinks it'd be a nice treat for 2020 lockdown Christmas. Not one to carry on with for future years.

Thanks

How old is your little one? Portable North Pole do video messages from Father Christmas you can personalise with info about them, photos etc. When we first did it for DS he was beyond thrilled that Father Christmas actually knew him . You can arrange for a phone call as well. Really good.

7 and 3. DH was thinking keep sake rather than video message.

Do both? You can buy really nice personalised letters from santa from etsy. There are filled christmas eve boxes on etsy too. If you end up making your own christmas eve box you could always use a plain wicker basket and reuse it for something else afterwards

NSPCC is usually my go to for letters but you can get them off groupon etc... aswell

Xmas eve boxes arent really about gifts they are standard and practical tradition of things like PJs and a bedtime story, they arent really that 'exciting' and I dont see how if you dont normally do or intend to continue doing the new PJs thing that it would work.

I would rather avoid Christmas Eve box. It's DH who suggested it. He'd seen some Morrisons Christmas Eve box on his Facebook feed, which came with a letter from Santa. There were lots of items in box I didn't like though.

I might get an NSPCC one - thanks.

We have a reusable Christmas eve box one for each of our children (we have 2) the are personalized wooden boxes, each Christmas eve they are filled with PJ's, hot chocolate, a small game and a book nothing elaborate and nothing they wouldn't get anyway. I usually do personalized letters from online we got them form Santa knows me this year.

We don't do xmas eve box but we do get the kids a new pair of Pjs and some chocolate to eat whilst we watch a xmas film after tea.

We do both, the personalised Santa letter being in the Christmas Eve box. We started it when had children and it’s the same items each year but I also put in their pjs which change year to year and a chocolate treat. For us it’s a way to collate things together on Christmas Eve - Santa stop here signs, stockings, plate and milk bottle for Santa, ‘‘twas the night before Christmas book

I'm doing a family Christmas Eve box this year (it's only the 2 of us) with PJs, hot chocolate, Night Before Christmas book, new bubble bath & a few activities - a magic painting book, indoor snowballs & Christmas story cards. Each year I'll get new PJs, bubble bath & activity book; the rest will be reused as our Christmas Eve tradition.

If you want a lovely keepsake try Polar Post - beautiful letters!

I actually temped for a firm that did Christmas letters by phone in. DO NOT EVER DO THAT. We were instructed to type whatever we heard and a lot of that was misunderstood but people had already paid up front!!!!

If you can, find a company that does bespoke letters AFTER you have emailed them details.

Whatever you do, do not use a premium phone Santa company.

I have avoided the Christmas Eve box tradition but I do write a personalised letter from Santa myself every year . My son is now 14 and he still wants one every Christmas haha. I write them for my nephews and nieces too. I based them on the Tolkien book of collected Father Christmas letters that he wrote for his own children and other child relatives, starring the North Polar Bear, elves, goblins and fairies (I’ve added my own characters over the years!) The letters are written in gold pen obviously on red paper and in the shaky hand of Father Christmas. Every year they all get up to some kind of nonsense or calamity at the North Pole and it is usually the North Polar Bear’s fault. He likes to cheekily interject in Santa’s letters (in his atrocious spelling) to explain what happened from his point of view. It always comes with an illustration of the scene at the North Pole that Christmas. And it’s a great opportunity to explain any missing/late gifts or bashed up or missing boxes (if gifts are bought second hand). I love writing it and my son gets so much joy from reading it, it’s the first thing he looks for in his stocking even now which is hilarious!

I love idea of the 1st of December Christmas box, more than Christmas Eve box, but that is because Christmas Eve in our home is always hectic with last minute baking.

I also write a personalised letter from Santa myself every year. I started when my son was 4, and he is 7 now. In the meantime we had a little girl so she gets one too.

I downloaded free template for envelope and paper from internet, and I write it myself. He is always surprised to find out Santa knows so much about him.

We also put a first clue for treasure hunt in Santa's letter because he is the cheeky old sod and he hides his present. Then we have 11 more clues through the house till he finds his. He told me that this is his favorite part of Christmas.

Both those are nice ideas. Another nice tradition for children is an advent calendar, I like the wooden ones with drawers for a little sweet or coin. I guess the traditions were flexible, but some things were constant, new pj's, washed in advance so they could wear them right away, and they then opened one present of their choosing from under the tree later in the evening, before bed. The whole day was an open house with the kids friends and my in-laws. Tons of food out on and off, and always dishes of nuts, and chocolates out. Always a fire on Xmas Eve and day. We'd have a baked ham dinner and go to candle light family service at church, and if the weather was dry, a group walk looking at the decorated houses around us. My mil and I liked to put on something like Miracle on 34th Street.

I got carried away by the memories.

@Kyliealwayshadthebestdisco

I have avoided the Christmas Eve box tradition but I do write a personalised letter from Santa myself every year . My son is now 14 and he still wants one every Christmas haha. I write them for my nephews and nieces too. I based them on the Tolkien book of collected Father Christmas letters that he wrote for his own children and other child relatives, starring the North Polar Bear, elves, goblins and fairies (I’ve added my own characters over the years!) The letters are written in gold pen obviously on red paper and in the shaky hand of Father Christmas. Every year they all get up to some kind of nonsense or calamity at the North Pole and it is usually the North Polar Bear’s fault. He likes to cheekily interject in Santa’s letters (in his atrocious spelling) to explain what happened from his point of view. It always comes with an illustration of the scene at the North Pole that Christmas. And it’s a great opportunity to explain any missing/late gifts or bashed up or missing boxes (if gifts are bought second hand). I love writing it and my son gets so much joy from reading it, it’s the first thing he looks for in his stocking even now which is hilarious!

I love your letters idea, gold ink ect.

I used a company called lap land letters last year and it was brilliant, came with an activity pack. Gave it to DS the first week of December and he found it magical. Never done Christmas Eve boxes although he does get new pj’s

Used them a couple of years ago but on the hunt this year for somewhere that will let me write my own. My kids are Christmas obsessed but needs to be something written a bit differently as they'll spot a generic letter!

@kyliealwayshadthebestdisco me too

I used someone called leighdraws on Etsy. She does lovely handwritten letters with little pictures and they feel really magical and authentic. She used my words as we had a special message we wanted wanted Santa to explain. I got fed up with the ones that feel mass produced and cynical.
kavalkada your treasure hunt is a brilliant idea, going to borrow!