Little inexpensive touches

[SweetPeaPods]

If you have family for Christmas day (or staying for Christmas period in general) what little touches or traditions do you have to make it that little bit extra special?

We have got family staying for Christmas this year. First year having parents, in-laws and sister who lives in Canada staying so won't happen again for a number of years, especially not while dc still 'believe'.

Keen to make this year as special as possible without blowing the credit card.

My mum always put a £1 scratch card under everyone's placemat and we scratched them when we sat down before dinner was served up. It was always good fun.

We always play Sprout Roulette from Lakeland or elsewhere, about £5 but quite funny especially if you ham it up a bit. Christmas jumpers? Or a murder mystery theme at dinner or one evening?

We usually burn essential oils, no pets, candles and was melts. I usually use Yankee candles but this year I picked up some from a shop in Cardiff

I've got a 'pin the nose on Rudolph' poster (was less than £5) for the wall - every visitor to the house will have a go with their own red nose sticker with their name written on it. After Christmas, the nose closest to the right spot will win a prize - probably a tub of chocolates or a bottle of wine - yet to be decided. I would add that we're all adults...

We also have a big jigsaw (as mentioned by a PP above) which gradually gets completed over the holiday.

Make decorations using dried orange slices, they smell so Christmassy and are dirt cheap. You can string them up, make garlands or leave them in a bowl.

Just cut oranges into slices and leave them in the oven on a low heat for a few hours. I'm planning on trying them in a slow cooker this year but haven't tried yet so don't know if it'll work as well

hristmas cushions , even 2-3 will brighten up the sofa .

Just cut oranges into slices and leave them in the oven on a low heat for a few hours. I'm planning on trying them in a slow cooker this year

Won't they just cook rather than dry out ?
The oven drying sounds ideal if the oven has been on and you can leave them in the residual heat then maybe put on the minimum setting .
Do you put them on paper (greaseproof/parchment) ?

Cinnamon stick, cloves, dried orange peel, wrap in muslin and pop between the two sides of double radiators. Smells heavenly.

There's no need to spend- just fill the house with love and divert any rucks.

This is a lovely thread, christmas is way more about these silly little things for me than about the big things. It’s reminded me of a Facebook post I saw this week that really rang true with me, I’ll share it below..

🌟YOU DON'T NEED MATCHING PYJAMAS TO BE HAPPY.

⭐YOU DONT NEED AN INSTA PIC WITH SANTA TO HAVE A GOOD CHRISTMAS

🌟YOU DON'T NEED A CHRISTMAS EVE BOX TO BE A GREAT PARENT.

⭐YOU DONT NEED VARIOUS CHRISTMAS TRIPS TO HAVE FUN.

🌟CHRISTMAS FILMS DONT NEED TO BE ON A MASSIVE TELE IN A TIDY ROOM.

⭐YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A CHEESE BOARD.

🌟YOU DON'T NEED CHOCOLATE BOMBS.

⭐YOU DON'T NEED A COLOR COORDINATED TREE.

🌟YOU DON'T NEED TO BIN THE TINSEL.

⭐YOU DON'T NEED A MASS OF PRESENTS UNDER THE TREE

🌟YOU DONT EVEN HAVE TO CHANGE OUT OF YOUR MISMATCH GRAVY STAINED PYJAMAS.

❤️YOUR CHRISTMAS IS YOUR CHRISTMAS, BE HAPPY WITH OR WITHOUT THESE THINGS, STOP LETTING SOCIAL MEDIA MAKE YOU THINK YOU HAVEN'T GOT IT ALL.❤️🎄☃️

AND MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ME & MINE. ❤️🌨️🤶🎅

@Inextremis

I've got a 'pin the nose on Rudolph' poster (was less than £5) for the wall - every visitor to the house will have a go with their own red nose sticker with their name written on it. After Christmas, the nose closest to the right spot will win a prize - probably a tub of chocolates or a bottle of wine - yet to be decided. I would add that we're all adults...

We also have a big jigsaw (as mentioned by a PP above) which gradually gets completed over the holiday.

Love this 😂 Please put this near the door and include like delivery drivers etc in this game 🤣

One year, Santa ‘dropped’ his report on the adults and kids in my family in the porch. It was a full rundown on how brilliant everyone had been all year (typed by me), and we read it out at dinner.

@Bellie99 Definitely hot chocolate! We found that heating up ‘Cocio’ chocolate milk on the stove makes an extra decadent hot choc!

My dad used to ring a set of sleigh bells at some point in the night (once we were all in our rooms). As kids we were so sure it was Santa. Definitely a nice inexpensive touch!

@SarahDippity What an incredible idea, I love it!

Track Santa on Norad website

Home made Xmas biscuits, Xmas scent, cinamon, orange... Beautiful music

Fairy lights everywhere
Christmas films with a nice hot chocolate and nibbles
Attend a Carol service
Make a pompom wreath, very easy and cheap to do, DC can help
Christmas Eve, DS has a glowstick bath (that tip was off here years ago!)
Collect pine cones and Holly / Ivy to decorate jars etc
Make homemade fudge/shortbread/mince pies, much nicer than shop bought
Party games, we do charades, treasure hunt, and games on the Nintendo Switch

This thread has me feeling very festive!

Asda are doing a six pack of led tealights for £2 which work quite well if you can't do real candles for any reason.

F

If you don't have a real fire but do have access to you tube on your TV, this makes a room cosier than you'd imagine.

You could continue the jam jar theme and decorate jars for tea lights (LED version from 'cheap shops' if you have pets or young children). Lots of ideas on Pinterest, simple string is low cost & effective and then you can add whatever you have lying around the house (eg buttons or ribbon) some greenery from the garden, or a sprig of rosemary.

Presentation of food can make simple stuff seem more special, see cheese Christmas tree example but you can do the same with crudités to serve with dips. I bring out a rarely used tiered cake stand for mince pies & Christmas cake & satsumas.
Open sandwiches always seem more indulgent than regular sandwiches to me.
A friend had never heard of open sandwiches - so what I mean is cut bread rolls in half, spread with butter or margarine, and add topping to each half. Make a variety of toppings and a little decoration eg tuna Mayo with a twisted cucumber slice, egg mayo with a little bit of cress: ham with some tomato slices

We played a game at a work Christmas do a few years ago which I am going to try to recreate. You have a minute to answer as many questions as possible but you must answer with a wrong, but relevant, answer. Eg 'name one of Santa's reindeer' - 'Fred' would be acceptable, 'cheese' wouldn't; 'name something you'd traditionally leave out for Santa' / 'sushi' would be acceptable, 'grass' wouldn't.
You vary the questions by person. Sounds a bit naff now I've written it down but it was absolutely hilarious as it's hard for our minds to unthink the right answer.

@sarah13xx thank you so much for that- I'm stealing it if that's ok, it's exactly what I needed today as our family circumstances have changed and I'm stressing a little about money you have put Christmas into perspective for me. Thankyou

Trip to the best carol concert you have locally

Walk out to get holly

Christmas drinks for the neighbours (make it bring a bottle of cheap red to Chuck in the mulled wine pan) / making the mulled wine and mince pies for this event )

Trip out to play/ballet/cinema w Christmas theme (if you can afford it) / followed by / or alternatively tea in an old fashioned tea shop if you have such a thing near you… any sort of trip to an olde work town that just Christmas well

Nordic buffet on Christmas Eve - smoke salmon/trout, cream cheese, mackerel pate, rye bread, etc, followed by baked plums and barbados cream

Jingle bells round the house on Christmas Eve

Midnight mass or atmospheric Christmas service at some point

Tiny cheap stockings for everyone (satsumas, chocolate) maybe one paper pack as proper present)

Monopoly or charades after lunch on Christmas Day before settling down to a good film

Nice walk on Boxing Day to a good pub

Proper Boxing Day meal with cold cuts and fresh roasties

Check what’s happening locallly - might be some good cheap events

I buy scratch cards for each guest at the table and put a bit of Xmas twine and holly round them, everyone loves it.
I like battery operated candles everywhere. I do love real candles as well but at least battery ones are safe.
Always decorate your fireplace. A table centrepiece and Christmas flowers.
Coffee/tea station is a good idea with an electric kettle and cups so they can help themselves.
Merry Christmas

I love the holly jam jar idea!

I don’t think you can beat just being a really good host, super clean house, Christmas smells all around as in candles, reed defusers, lots of baked goods and snacks to eat, fancy mixed nuts, chocolates, gingerbread, crisps, cheeseboard with crackers. A good drink selection alcoholic and soft drinks plus lovely soft fresh towels and bedding. Fairy lights in bedrooms are a nice festive touch too.

I have my mum to stay at Christmas and always make sure that in her room she has:

• mini toiletries and essentials like painkillers (she nearly always forgets something)
• bottled water and a nice glass
• snacks like individual biscuit packs (she has funny eating habits and gets hungry at odd times)
• extra blankets for the bed in case she's cold
• magazines in the bedside table

She also loves having Amazon Alexa in her room.

@AperolWhore

I love the holly jam jar idea!

I don’t think you can beat just being a really good host, super clean house, Christmas smells all around as in candles, reed defusers, lots of baked goods and snacks to eat, fancy mixed nuts, chocolates, gingerbread, crisps, cheeseboard with crackers. A good drink selection alcoholic and soft drinks plus lovely soft fresh towels and bedding. Fairy lights in bedrooms are a nice festive touch too.

Christ, if having a super clean house is the definition of being a good host, I’ve been failing all my life, mind you, so have 95% of my friends 🤣🤣🤣