Luxury Christmas Splurges

[cashmoneyy]

Anyone have anything they totally splurge on at Christmas? Maybe it's the most authentic looking Christmas tree, the most amazing turkey, an extremely expensive advent calendar, champagne etc?

Molton Brown Frankincense and allspice soap/hand lotion. Always get that on 1st Dec.

I need to get a Christmas candle this year I think.

I have trouble with White company candles, can’t get them to burn properly. The wick always seems rubbish!

I don't find them strong enough

The best Xmas smell was crab tree and Evelyn noel, about 15 years ago.

Oh my goodness I remember that candle @Bryonyshcmyony! It was the perfect Christmas scent. I find the White Company Winter oil is stronger than the candle, although it doesn’t seem to last that long.

White company winter set - candles & room diffuser.

Meat from the butchers, rib of beef costs about £60 but worth it.

Bottle of champs.

I always buy a lovely handmade wreath from a local florist. She now knows my style and last year even added lights for me. I love it but it is quite expensive. My dh always buys nice wine and I always get some more expensive hot chocolate for the kids and myself. The kids get to buy a new decoration every year which I suppose is an expense that is unnecessary but I plan on giving them to them when they move out.

Yes and no.
We don't tend to buy a lot of boxes of chocs/tins of sweets etc, but I will buy a box of leonidas and a (very) large bag of their orangettes (way nicer than a chocolate orange).

We buy a free range turkey, usually organic. And we get a fair amount of nice seafood and some other good meat over the break.

Our bubbles are usually splashing out on the €11 bottle from Lidl rather than their €8 version. But I will spend about €20-25 per bottle on 2 really nice bottles of wine for the dinner - just DH and I, and we might not open the 2nd, but it's nice to have it we decide we want 1 more glass (we often only finish a bottle over a couple of days anyway). Our spend on wine, even though it has increased in recent years, is still only €10-15 range/bottle normally.

I like an occasional amaretti biscuit in the evening over the Christmas break and the odd quiet winter night, but the variety I buy from the deli are well wrapped so although the pack is very expensive, it usually lasts me about 3 years. (I need to buy them this year).

We drink a lot of hot choc in winter, and I tend to get a good version from an artisan producer where we grew up for December. (and some good choc for baking at the same time). We used to be able to only get it when we were down in time for the local farmer's market on Saturday mornings, but they started doing it by email order and posting last year.

From the 20th Dec through to the 1st Jan Christmas is one big splurge for me, it is without a doubt my absolute favourite time of the year.

The biggest luxury in recent years is to have caterers come in on Christmas Eve (I host the extended family). We go out for lunch, have a walk and then back to the house for a light supper or canapés.

It’s so nice to spend time with the family without feeling frazzled especially since I do a lot of cooking for Christmas and Boxing Day.

We did get a real wreath 1 year (when DD and I were very upset seeing DH off to the airport again shortly before Christmas as he was spending 2 weeks away every month in the last recession and it was hard getting used to that - local florist was near the bus stop), but although it was expensive at the time, it actually dried really well in the attic afterwards and we reused it for about 8 years before DH decorated the door differently. It still looked great even after all that time!

@BiddyPop

Yes and no. We don't tend to buy a lot of boxes of chocs/tins of sweets etc, but I will buy a box of leonidas and a (very) large bag of their orangettes (way nicer than a chocolate orange).

We buy a free range turkey, usually organic. And we get a fair amount of nice seafood and some other good meat over the break.

Our bubbles are usually splashing out on the €11 bottle from Lidl rather than their €8 version. But I will spend about €20-25 per bottle on 2 really nice bottles of wine for the dinner - just DH and I, and we might not open the 2nd, but it's nice to have it we decide we want 1 more glass (we often only finish a bottle over a couple of days anyway). Our spend on wine, even though it has increased in recent years, is still only €10-15 range/bottle normally.

I like an occasional amaretti biscuit in the evening over the Christmas break and the odd quiet winter night, but the variety I buy from the deli are well wrapped so although the pack is very expensive, it usually lasts me about 3 years. (I need to buy them this year).

We drink a lot of hot choc in winter, and I tend to get a good version from an artisan producer where we grew up for December. (and some good choc for baking at the same time). We used to be able to only get it when we were down in time for the local farmer's market on Saturday mornings, but they started doing it by email order and posting last year.

Seeing your post reminded me; there's a shop in Hove near me that hand-makes chocolates (www.audreyschocolates.co.uk/) I buy a kilo of dark chocolate dipped orange peel every year. It's £6 per 100g, so costs me £60, but they're beautiful.

Me and other half aren't wine/fizz drinkers so my main 'splurge' is getting full fat real Coca-Cola which I never get any other time of the year. I also treat myself to some macarons but as they're the Lidl ones they don't feel like that much of a splurge either! 😂

I need to know more about the White Company candle I think! I have an expensive gingerbread spice room spray which was discontinued 3yrs ago and I spray a tiny bit on Christmas Eve and that's it. I'm dreading it running out as it's the smell of Christmas.

Yes to @ShaunaTheSheep - we indulged in filling a bowl with Lindor instead of usual crap quality tubs and it was such a treat. The lindor was on 3 for £10 at Mozzas so hardly broke the bank.

I’ve experimented with all sorts of turkeys and can’t taste the difference so we just get a free range frozen one now (not indulgent or posh at all)

Can anyone recommend a nice Christmas candle that isn't White Company please? Budget about £20 - £30.

Seen a lot of love for the white company winter candle. Their electric defuser is about £60 and you can get the scents for £10. The winter one is so nice makes the house smell like Xmas the second you open the door ❤️

I hosted Xmas for the first time last year and splurged quite a lot. Turkey, wine, tree. Went all out. I'm due my first this December so Xmas will be a haze!

I was a bit disappointed with how long the scent lasted in the winter one. Think I will buy the oil this year instead, or try Jo Malone if that's better?

Last year was our first year doing Christmas at home so splurged on an organic goose and some good wines. I'm normally hanging out on the poncetastic thread though so most of the rest of my stuff is homemade. (Although probably better not to ask what get spent on craft supplies!)