How Christmas is too Christmas?

[PaperDolphin]

I decorate the house including tree and outside lights, have a Christmas jumper as do the kids (as well as other Christmas clothes including PJs), and read Christmas books to them throughout December. We have (chocolate) advent calendars and a Christmas puzzle that gets an airing each year.

I always thought that, as far as Christmas "stuff" goes, Christmas bed linen was a step too far. I have had a complete mind change on this and am absolutely 100% getting Christmas themed bed linen for myself and kids this year.

Just browsing and noticed that you can get Christmas themed crockery... again feel this is a step too far (would you only use it on Xmas day?) Does anyone have it and it brings them joy? What Christmas themed objects do you have that may seem a step too far for other people?

Spode plates, use throughout December. Bedding including brushed cotton sheet with polar bears and pillow cases to match. Christmas candles, mugs, blankets, shower curtain, socks, tops, pj's. We have no kids 😁 it's either for you or not

"I stopped celebrating christmas in the 1970s. That means I dont spend money I havnt got or get huge bills in January. I know that many of my friends and relations envy me."

"Many" of them? Really? I doubt that, they're just being polite. It's simple, people who want to do all the Christmas things do and those who don't, don't.

It costs me nothing to bring out the Christmas bedding/plates or whatever each year. Why would I have a big bill in January?

I have a tree with gold decorations, gold fairy lights, a willow wreath on the front door, and three wooden reindeer. We also have a felt Advent calendar which hangs on the back of the living room door.
I don't even put up Christmaa cards because I can't bear the clutter.
I do quite fancy a bushy garland for the fireplace this year, but we'll see.

Searching this thread for ideas, I’m the most Christmassy person I know. Every room in my house gets decorated including the bathrooms, utility, stair banisters etc. Each room has a theme traditional red / gold in the main room, food themed in the kitchen, Frozen themed with one of those rotating light things that make it look like it’s snowing (for the grandchildren) in the dining room, winter wonderland with creatures and birds in the home office etc etc. I’ve recently started buying Dept 56 and Lemax snow village pieces for a full light up miniature display on my sideboard. I have Christmas towels, tea towels, oven gloves, soap dispenser, doormat that come out a couple of weeks before Christmas. I do Christmas Crafts some grown up some with my grandchildren. I have some Spode Christmas pieces and use my Christmas mugs all year round cause they make me happy. I just use my good dinner service on a snowflake tablecloth and use napkins and place markers to Christmas it up. I make my own big wreath and foliage displays. I’ve pretty much maxed out the house so this year I’m going to make my garden shed into Santa’s workshop. I even volunteer to decorate the building I work in for the kids enjoyment and built a fairly large Santa sleigh as the centre piece. My kids are grown up now so I don’t need Elf on the shelf or Christmas Eve boxes but when they were in primary school I used to make a Santa’s grotto in the school for the Christmas Fayre with my own stuff from home and barely noticed the dent in my collection. I don’t have Christmas bedding but do have lovely cosy winter themed bedding that I can get more use out of. All my Christmas stuff is kept in huge boxes in my utility, thank goodness I don’t have a loft otherwise there would be no stopping me.

We have Christmas cushions, Christmas snack bowls and Christmas coasters, and Christmas mugs. These are in the first of December box along with our book/advent calendar. I don't think we could fit any more stuff in the hose.

When I win the lottery I am going to buy an enormous house. There will be a present wrapping room, a Christmas Dining room and drawing room and it will be glorious.

But as this is the most unlikely case I do much the same as others, I buy gradually over the years and will eventually pass everything on to DD.

We have Christmas plates etc used throughout December. I think we probably have everything other people would consider too far but I’ve given up caring what other people think.

Anything is a step too far for me. Hate christmas!

@isitweds9thseptyet I don’t suppose the Christmas topic is the place for you then...

You have all inspired me to be more Christmassy!

I think I may buy the kids some Xmas bedding to start with. The elf can make their beds up one day in early December whilst they are at school as a surprise!

Will be on the hunt for Xmas plates and bowls. We only have one Xmas mug so need some more.

I love Christmas!

@PaperDolphin There’s such a thing as “too much Christmas”?! 🤯
I absolutely love Christmas so I’d have 10x more stuff if I could 😂 So far we do 2 trees, cushions and throws, bedding, jumpers, soap dispensers, mugs, serving bowls, cake tins etc 😊
We have lovely matching family Christmas stockings too. Hoping to start a crockery collection this year 🤞🏼 We’ve just had our first DC so I want the house being like a winter wonderland for him each year lol.

I love Christmas serving bowls and bakeware etc - TK Maxx/Homesense usually has come beautiful ones that are a bit different! I have some beautiful cake pans that I’ve collected 😊

"The elf can make their beds up one day in early December whilst they are at school as a surprise!"

The elf once did this on 1st December at our house....whilst they slept Can not believe none of them woke up! We even managed the pillows

I stopped celebrating christmas in the 1970s. That means I dont spend money I havnt got or get huge bills in January. I know that many of my friends and relations envy me.

I wouldn't know a single person who would envy this. Let alone "many." Like PP, I would lean towards your friends and family being polite, not envious.

Due to the bargain thread on here, things I've collected over the years, I don't remotely spend money I haven't got, (again, I don't know anyone IRL who actually does that) and far from a big bill in January, I'll be done shopping by November at the latest.

Things that will cost me zero again this year:

(and the next, and the next..)

The huge stair garland, wreath, and two small trees that I made for the hall. All of DS1 decorations he's brought home from school that decorate the kitchen windows. The BH tree that I can do in one of four colour schemes. The JL frosted berries tree in the dining room that DC do as a woodland animals tree. Both pre lit so no faffing with lights, just straight onto a glass of Bailey's and putting the decs on.

The wooden Christmas Eve box engraved with our family name, that contains over a decades worth of wind up toys that DS has received in his stocking each year since age 3. A beautiful Robert Sabuda pop up Night before Christmas book, that again is about a decade old. And all the cards we receive from our international card exchange will be in there to open on Christmas Eve together. Actually I'll have spent about £30 on stamps there. So we're £30 in now.

Our matching sacks and stockings which will be used for every year DC live at home, then passed onto them. The big ceramic serving bowls for nibbles, with gold stars and mistletoe, and are truly beautiful, passed to me from my grandmother. The two tablecloths, one with little angels at the hem, the other with large bows, that I made aged 16 for my GCSE textiles, that come out on Boxing Day.

The two Christmas jigsaws that come out on Dec 1st to be completed by Christmas Eve, one from DM, one from a little Dutch market 6 years ago.

There's probably more. You get the idea. And my bill for all that this year, is zero. Plus £30 p&p

@Watto1

I’ve got a Father Christmas toilet lid cover. Usually I hate toilet covers full stop, but it’s acceptable in the downstairs loo in December!

Me too!

Nothing is too much Christmas in December however I think storage for Jan-Nov has to be considered

Window...

It’s totally up to you, all a matter of taste and your own priorities.

For us Advent as it’s own season is really important, but then we make Christmas last the full Twelve days by keeping decorations up til Twelfth Night and giving DS a gift each day to spread it out.

The focus in Advent for us is on the patience and waiting that comes with that season, so an Advent wreath, candle and religious calendar (will get a chocolate one for toddler DS this year), but we don’t decorate until about the 18th. We have a lot of Christmas stories though and read them in Advent and until twelfth night. We’ll also go and see Father Christmas and do a panto or Nutcracker etc when DS is older.

For decorations it’s a big tree (colourful baubles, old fashioned coloured lights, tinsel), wreath on the front door, Christmas candelabra in the window and old fashioned foil decorations upstairs. Holly, ivy and mistletoe downstairs and white lights around the banisters.

No elf though, no Christmas Eve boxes or crockery or bedding here. Wintery pyjamas, eg red tartan, but only if needed, not specially for Christmas.

Table decorations of homemade floral arrangements with a few candles stuck in, nice tablecloth and napkins.

I used to think Christmas bedding was OTT but when little Gdcs came to stay a couple of years ago I thought sod it and bought a Father Christmas duvet set for the double sofa bed they share when here.

I did Christmas Eve boxes for them too, and that’s another thing I never thought I’d do.

We have Christmas bedding that's in it's 8th year now. It's used for the whole of December & is cozy brushed cotton.

DC each have a 3' tree in their bedrooms, they get a new decoration each year which relates to what they're into at that time. Eg DD has a few ballet dancers/shoes & a tiny grand piano. DS1 has a snake puzzle, a drummer & an xbox controller. DS2 has sharks, dinosaurs & minecraft. Haven't decided for this year yet.

Large tree in the lounge which has colourful baubles & warm white lights. All the interesting/special baubles & decorations hang under the mantelpiece on a light up pole.

Bathroom has a short but bushy tree with tiny baubles. A happyland Christmas playset from when DD was tiny & Christmassy bath mats, towels, hand soap.

Downstairs loo has a reindeer mat, towel & hand soap.

Outside has lights around our big tree & front windows.

I have 1 Spode plate that I bought from a charity shop years ago that is used as a decoration until Christmas Eve when it is used for the mince pie & carrot for Father Christmas.

Also lots of mugs!

I don't think that is too Christmas, its great!!

We do the usual Christmas tree {We are those people who put the tree up in Nov}
lights round the windows
lights on the tree in the front garden
snowflake decals in some of the windows
Christmas plate for Santa
Christmas mugs
Chrismas candles
Chrismas glasses
Our DC has Christmas pjs, we don't only because we don't wear pjs.
Read Christmas books to Dc {tbh, she likes us to read them throughout the year!}

@ShowOfHands

I swap out all of our crockery on December 1st, including mugs, serving bowls and so on. I have almost an entire Spode Christmas tree set. I also have tea towels, cruet set, placemats and so on. Oh and two tablecloths and cushions but I made them myself.

I have the Spode tea set and take great joy in getting it out beginning Dec. Also pot plant holder for a poinsettia and tablecloths, jumpers etc. Having storage is key. If I was tripping over it all year it’d pall but as it’s one loft trip it’s ring fenced. Mid January it all goes back up- tree comes down at epiphany and then the upstairs landing fills with decorations, clothes and linen as they’re washed etc. I even have a small box downstairs that gets filled all year. At the moment it’s got a bauble and some christmas cards.

Up until a few years ago I couldn't understand buying Christmas bedding but we moved house and all of a sudden I could just picture it!
On the last Friday on November I decorated the children's bedrooms whilst they're at school - bedding and a few small decorations. This will be the 6th year for DS bedding and the 2nd year for DD bedding.
Las year I found the perfect Christmas cushions which I've never had before so I'm looking forward to getting those out again this year.
We also have Christmas towels in the downstairs toilet and the family bathroom.
We normally decorate the outside of the house with lights, decorate the lounge and a few bits in the dining room and kitchen. This year I'd like to get some hanging lights of some description to hang on our new back door (which will hopefully be fitted before Christmas and will be mostly glass).
I have a few Christmas serving plates etc but not a full Christmas crockery set but that's mostly because I haven't found one that I absolutely love.
Each year I seem to add something somewhere in the house. Is there such a thing as 'too much Christmas'?

I adore Christmas, and everything that it means (and meant) to my family.

I also dislike wasting money, so our Christmas decor is something that has built slowly over many years.

There are decorations on my DM's tree that are older than me, my Christmas stocking will be hung out with pride - its 40 odd years old, embroidered very wonkily with my name.

I know it's viewed as the season of excess but I know that for a lot of regular posters on the Christmas Threads, that doesn't mean we spend to excess, far from it.

It is the season of goodwill to all men, and goodwill is plentiful on this board.

@mamatoTails one of The Elf's biggest (most remembered/talked about years later) successes was when he brought DS Christmas bedding... and changed it overnight while he was sleeping!

Just saw @NigelSlatersXmasTaters 's Elf also did the same!

We also have a Christmas Eve box engraved with our surname, a beautiful wooden board for mince pies and carrots on Christmas Eve, Garland on the stairs and a Christmas snow globe collection. Forgot all about them. I can't wait to take them out🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻