Christmas Eve - tell me your plans for today

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Happy Christmas Eve all! Obviously today is going to feel really different , we normally go for a nice long walk in the woods, cinema, church, dinner and then all the normal Christmas Eve things. Without all the bits we normally do in the day I’m at a bit of a loss as how to keep today special for the DC ( especially as I’m feeling zero festive) . I’m going to make everyone a nice breakfast and we’ll still get out for a walk (if it’s stopped raining) and thought maybe watch the NT panto on YouTube but any other festive tips would be much appreciated otherwise the DC will be up in their rooms on tik tok 🙄. They’re 10 & 12 so both non Santa 🎅🏻 believers (its DS’s first year of not believing) and I just want to make it feel as special as possible (without me having a mini breakdown). TIA

Going for a swim this morning then taking the wee one for a walk on the beach, neither of which will be possible after Christmas Day for God knows how long.

And when the wee one is in bed we’ll wrap his presents, order a Christmas Eve McDonald’s and watch some of those MR James Christmas ghost stories.

I'm cooking mince pies and gingerbread and icing the cake. Dc will ",help". Theh are 10 and 6. We have a zoom christingle to attend and a walk with friends after. Rule of 6 applies. I've got to soak a ham and stuff the turkey. Am making fish tacos and nachos for tea. Have to put chocolate in the pirate. Dc will watch a Christmas film later. I'm going to sit and watch dark materials with a good glass of sherry later. Also got to find stockings and sort Christmas table. Eeek!!!

I can't leave the house as got an isolation notification from the nhs app. Kids have just opened their Christmas Eve boxes so will play with them for a while and then dh will take them for a long walk/cycle. Probably got chocolates and a film this afternoon and our neighbours are kindly bringing us around a lasagne they made us for dinner.

I've been to Sainsbury's for the things that are missing on my Morrison's order (due soon) only a few bits thankfully. We've had McDs for breakfast in lieu of our usual Christmas Eve brunch at a local cafe.

Cooking and cleaning planned, at a nice slow pace with lots of tea breaks. DP is coming over later, dinner tonight will be the ham I'm cooking this morning, nice bread, cheeses etc. maybe a glass of wine.

Got to take the kittens to the vets for their vaccinations. Later we’re out for lunch and will have a wander round the cathedral green, see if we can go inside to see the nativity scene. I’ll miss not going to church today.

Back home, prep stollen muffins for breakfast tomorrow and work out how to sneak in and wrap big present without kids seeing. Play with kittens and watch TV in front of fire with snacks.

I’m taking the children to the zoo, then we will come back to a buffet lunch, nap time for little one and some Christmas tv for DS6, after that it’s somehow trying to swap gifts with nearby family and a drive through Blackpool illuminations. Home for what’s left of the buffet, Christmas TV and usual Christmas getting ready e.g. stockings....

@ShinyGreenElephant

Exactly! The French seem to have their main celebration on the evening of the 24th, rather than it being on the 25th like for us. I absolutely cannot do this, so we have agreed on the compromise. It’s a bit more work as it means cooking a fancy meal on Christmas Eve night too (French often have fish, so we stick to that), but I enjoy cooking and enjoy eating even more so it’s not the end of the world!

@ItisRainingAgain

Day half over here already so ... Went out for breakfast Went to bakery to get fresh sourdough for Christmas Went to fish co-op to get seafood Went to beach for short walk, only 25 degrees so too cold to swim, was nicer yesterday Went to Bunnings Bought last minute groceries and champagne as I’d forgotten it earlier Tidied house Made kids do some housework Going for a swim soon Still need to peel prawns Still need to rearrange dining room as there’s 10-15 of us for breakfast and lunch and we’re hosting Will also need to save green tree frogs from dog again later as they keep coming under the pergola at night

Until you mentioned the tree frogs I was exceptionally jealous of your day. Nope, you can keep it thanks very much 😱

We're off for a walk to the market for veg. Might call at a cheese stall too.

Usually, after that, we'd have a mooch in Poundland for nothing in particular then wrap it up with a festive Costa or similar. We may get those for wandering the market instead.

Home after town to make trifle and prep veg, plus defrost the chicken for tomorrow.

Tonight there are 3 stocking fillers to wrap & I've a small bit of a crocheted gift to finish off. Hopefully that can be done this afternoon though!

I'd best clear the table of my craft stuff, at some point, too!

I'll start with a strong coffee, then plan on doing nothing but watching xmas films with DD and eating nice things and walking the dogs.

Cook turkey
Defrost red cabbage, stuffing and pigs
Visit mum( support bubble)
Clean and tidy kitchen
Dig out something to wear tomorrow that isnt pyjamas
Hang stockings
DD2 is doing Christmas Eve food ,Dd1 doing Christmas day breakfast and all three DCs do Christmas day dinner so relaxing day for me. The utter joy of having older children!

In bed, going to get up in a minute and change bedding and generally tidy the house. Put a wash on. Baileys coffee later this morning.

Have parcel arriving between 10 and 11. Then will head out locally on foot to get some flowers for the table and a few last bits for dinner tomorrow and Boxing Day when DP's youngish kids are coming. Might pop in a pub for a quick lunch and glass of something, given that won't be able to do this for a while.

Then back, several presents to wrap in front of the TV, Amazon delivery arriving about 3. Prep tonight's dinner (toad in the hole, mash, gravy (for Christmas Day too) and cauliflower cheese) and some of the veg for tomorrow. DP here after he finishes work at 5. Hope to see the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction finally. Then cocktails, dinner and lovely relaxing merry evening. Bed when we feel like it, no need to get up particularly early the next day.

I'm nursing a hangover, wasn't my intention! Dp was the archer generous with the gin measures it seems, then we had wine. Oops. Dp's dd is coming later so it's ibroprofen time

Meeting a friend for coffee outside as last day of being allowed before moving us to tier 3
Then have to make a couple of doorstep present drip offs
May go round my parents in garden with fire for an hour or so as we were supposed to be staying there tonight ready for tomorrow and she had already bought food in

Paint nails. Go for a nice dog walk. Make the cake bit of my white chocolate gingerbread yule log (need to finish it on Christmas Day as it will be filled with vanilla whipped cream). Dh will be cooking the rest of Christmas dinner, so no other prep for me! Watch first half of The Box of Delights. Dh has made a raised game pie and Christmas ham, which we'll have for dinner, followed by mince pies. Fill stockings after dc have gone to bed.

@Allhallowseve how does swimming work in these times ?
Not been and just wondering ?

Normally I work Christmas Eve till lunch time but not this year .
So hopefully this morning I can do my cleaning /washing /ironing tidy clutter away .
Prep veg for tomorrow and make a nice festive buffet tea for the dc .
I'd like to go for a Christmas walk this afternoon if I can be bothered.
I've got the Christmas fear that have I enough food & drink in etc .

Baking and icing a sponge cake, probably with DS helping. Going for a walk to a cafe for takeaway hot chocolate. Back home for ciabatta toasties while watching some Christmassy TV. Putting the presents under the tree.

@FreshfieldsGal you can put glow sticks in the bath? I never thought of that. DD will love that!

Ordered breakfast from a really great cafe and then working after work a shit load of crab and lobster and watching lord of the rings and getting appropriately drunk.

Hey all,

Dont celebrate Christmas as am muslim so a normal day today for us, with just more exciting things on telly that I have recorded for the kids to watch.
Instead I am going to repack my hospital bag and dig out some bits from my last baby born in 2018 to give them a good clean ready for this baby who is due very soon.
Prepare a Nigerian stew for my Dh for dinner later.
Watch homes under the hammer and do some online work.

It's our first Christmas at home for 20 years.
Feels very strange as we no longer have our own Christmas traditions so we're creating new ones.

I'll be doing lots of cooking prep ready for tomorrow, and then cleaning the kitchen whilst I listen to Carols From Kings.

It's going to be a sunny but cold day here after what feels like endless rain in recent days. We'll go for a muddy walk across the fields to the neighbouring village before lunch, then around 6pm we'll take another shorter walk around our own village to look at all of the Christmas lights and garden decorations. We'll be watching Paddington 2 between a late lunch and our evening walk. I'll miss the first few minutes as I'll be listening to the end of the carols.

After that I'm sure I'll be ready to sit down with cheese, wine and mince pies.

I'm in mainland Europe so we're having Christmas Eve dinner tonight which is the main Christmas meal. Opening presents tonight too. On the 25th we'd normally visit extended family or friends for lunch, there's a rule of six where I am but there's already 4 of us so we're not going anywhere tomorrow.

I'm working for a couple of hours this morning (remotely), then I need to pick up the last bits we still need for dinner.

Trip to the post office to collect some presents that couldn't be delivered yesterday, and I need to post a couple of gifts which are meant to be opened 6th Jan (that's when most children get presents here). Praying Amazon deliver what I ordered for today otherwise my parents won't have any presents to open tonight!

When my mum gets back from work we'll start dinner prep, put some Christmas music on and around 8pm we'll have dinner, watch Christmas Eve 1914 and then open presents.

I signed up to a running challenge, and so I have to do a half marathon this morning
Then will have a clean of house whilst DH does red cabbage, mince pies etc for tomorrow. Then walk with kids to collect Holly for table, homemade pizza for dinner, then baths and a film before bed

We've had waffles for breakfast, soon going for a walk with a friend, pizza for lunch and then decorate the table, afternoon film, pub for supper (for last time for a while 😥), carol singing at home, stockings out and Christmas story!