What are you doing Christmas Eve?

[MsMiaWallace]

DH is at work until 2pm so looking at inspo for afternoon with 3 small kids.

What are you guys up to?

No children, so not too much help for you here op!

But with my younger nieces and nephews it was a day with doing some paper chains while it was light. Watching a bit of the Snowman and Father Christmas and then a walk round the block to see some Christmas lights when it was dark.

Dd is going with my niece and her kids to the pantomime.
I'm going to the hairdressers for a blow-dry/ nails/ eyebrows.
When she comes home we will get Christmas jammies on and get ready for Santa and food for Rudolph.
We are having our usual takeaway. When dd goes to bed DH will TRY to build toys while I give instructions from the sofa with my large wine.

Making gingerbread Christmas trees and mince pies. Last minute wrapping and then dinner booked at a Cotswold pub.

Going to a tree planting party. Mince pies and hot chocolate supplied by organiser/landowner.

Make shit mince pies?

Depending on the weather we'll probably go to the zoo or longleat or similar. My son is autistic and doesn't cope well with busy places and most attractions are absolutely dead on christmas eve!!

We go to the beach for a picnic lunch and some fresh air. Then home for a long dog walk, followed by showers and pyjamas. Ready for watching Elf.

No children so drinking.

When mine were young we either popped to shops for a last minute bath bomb/treat as it was always surprisingly quiet or swimming or quick pub drink with friends with the same age kids.

We visit family (so we don’t have to Christmas Day), go for a walk somewhere and then have a take away. It’s just me and 2 teens so it’s pretty low key now they are older.

Working xmas eve, xmas day, boxing day & Monday 27th Dec (Bank Hol)

We’re spending the morning decorating sugar cookies - my kids are tweens but they won’t part with this tradition! I’ll play Carols from Kings via Alexa and drink AF mulled wine. Then in the afternoon I’ve booked bowling followed by a walk home to see the Christmas lights and the Living Advent Calendar on a street near us. Fish & Chips for tea, new pjs and bath bombs, and a movie - most likely Elf. Then stockings will be hung, a glass of milk and a mince pie laid out - winks will be exchanged. Up to bed to read Night before Christmas and hopefully sleep. DP and I will then stay up watching Scrooge (Alistair Sim obvs) and listen out for sleigh bells. Ho Ho Ho.

We might go swimming in the morning as we usually do Xmas Eve. In the afternoon we are going on a Santa train - a local steam train that does a short journey, little present from Santa, mince pies etc. Then probably a walk to see some Christmas lights and bed.

Flying back to the uk (fingers crossed - still have flashbacks to they year we were delayed six hours!)

We're going swimming in the morning and possibly lunch at the pub. Then probably go to a crib service in the afternoon.

Whizz round collecting food orders, load everything into the boot of the car and drive over to MIL's. Spending Christmas night in a Travelodge - the glamour!

Park, bowling, Die Hard.

Same as every year except DS will be working. Brunch followed by panto with my parents. They still want it even in their late teens! Then t bone steak for dinner!

We used to try and go to the cinema in the afternoon then pizza express for an early dinner.

In the morning we'd prep stuff for Christmas Day then bake biscuits for Santa. When we got home from dinner, we'd decorate them, then set things out for Santa and watch tv before bed. My 2 used to love a sleepover in the eldests room.

Now one has a part time job in a care home and the other a bar job. So no idea yet what they are working.

Dh and I are off. We'll hit lidl for croissants and stuff for breakfast then bake biscuits.

We go to our local Pantomime on Christmas Eve. It’s only 10 mins walk from home. We have seats near the front so usually get squirted with water or showered in foam. Then my eldest cringes in case I’ve mention his birthday and he gets a shout out. Class.

I’ve just had my first DS this year so looking forward to starting my own traditions. One thing I remember doing as a child though is getting a Christmas eve box. My mum used to put in a pair of pyjamas, hot chocolate ingredients and other Christmas eve treats and small presents. We also used to make ‘cookies and cupcakes for santa’.

It is a working day for us, so would do some christmas decor (I like the PP of paper chains), may start preparing some of the food for Christmas, get into the christmasy PJs, and we have a hot choc set already bought.
Not sure what to have for dinner that day, but needs to be light and special.
Also, getting the lights in the tree. We will have it decorated, but we got cats and they chewed the last set we had, so we will wait till we are home having a look to it! I loved those lights. So much that we have not found anything to match them yet.

We are staying in Scotland (live in Spain) in a lodge at a beautiful hotel. I suspect we will be swimming in the hotel pool and a long walk, with a few drinks and some lovely food. When the kids were little it was always Pantomime time - such a lovely tradition on Christmas Eve, then a walk home to watch The Snowman and the snow dog. Oh how I miss those days

It's a Friday so I'm working. Dh will be off and playing games on the Wii with our (home from uni) kids, eating chocolate and drinking spiced rum and lime Pepsi max. But they'll make dinner and prep veg for Xmas lunch, so can't complain...

I've always struggled a bit

Now try and do the ginger bread house, my two favorite years however were Disney on ice and the other was going to a local theatre to see A three person producrion of snow queen.