CHRISTMAS EVE- what are your plans and what still needs doing?

[Milpale]

Very quiet here. I'm going to be sorting the fridge and freezer out as best I can, totally disorganised right now! Some last minute cleaning. This afternoon will be a walk around the neighbourhood looking at house lights and decorations. This evening will be easy watch tv with Baileys and a pork pie or two.

Got to make the filling for veggie Wellington, prepare bedrooms for guests, clean the downstairs loo, finish the toppings for today's soup and mop the kitchen floor! DH is also cleaning and mopping. Christmas is one long to do list! Once my parents arrive we'll have lunch then head for a walk.

We've been unwell and for one reason and another there's now only adult DS and me here for today and Christmas Day tomorrow. We and the house are a shambles and have very few decorations up. We'll try and put some more up today including the Nativity Crib of course!

DS hopes to start some prepping and cooking if he's up to it. We've got quite a lot of food in - which is now for 2 But it'll do us for days.

I really want to clean ,i had a c section last week so struggling to get around.My other half has been a angel making food,doing laundry and taking care of us.But he is struggling like he didn't clean the fridge before the christmas food shop theres vacuuming and just general housework that needs doing.Its making me itch i want to clean but curse these bloody stitches .

Thankfully for christmas dinner were going to his mothers but still i really wish i could do more

thankfully we always have takeout on christmas eve to make things easier ,then we just watch stuff on tv together with the girls .It will be nice still

I’m nominally working til 12 but given that I went to the office 40 minutes away for an 8am meeting that was cancelled by the organiser 😡 they can sod it - three of us all turned round and went home again!!

So now I need to make a chocolate cake, make the veggie pie filling for my Christmas Day lunch, and wrap the last present that finally turned up yesterday. Nice day of cooking and looking forward to tomorrow.

2 last minute presents to wrap

Hope and pray that Royal Mail pull off a christmas miracle and deliver something that has been in the post over a week

Apart from that we will call to see my Dad later as that has been a Christmas tradition since I was about 10

"Working from home" well on Mumsnet currently but have work to do. It's a normal work day except finishing at 3pm

Prep spare room for in laws, clean the upstairs toilet, sweep kitchen floor, eat leftover Chinese food 😋 head over to my parents for a full Christmas dinner, come back with huge amount of gifts, put out mince pie, carrot and milk for Santa and reindeer, and when dc are in bed write a goodbye note from the elf!

Been unwell all week and finally turning a corner. Trying to keep going for the kids and get into thr spirit.

Because of this I'm behind on the last clean ups but just the kitchen to conquer then it's prep time for Christmas dinner.

All presents wrapped at least.

Also “wfh”. There are a couple of presents left to wrap, I need to hoover, clean the downstairs loo, run the dishwasher and set the table for tomorrow. Also need to make the Yorkshire puddings for tomorrow.

Everything’s done here. DCs are still in bed, I’ve been to the butchers, Sainsbury’s, pet shop and post office, delivered my last cards. All done.

I just need to get ready to go out at 2pm 🎄.

I’m still in bed, waiting for DH to finish in the bathroom, but have lots to do & unfortunately I’m working this afternoon. Going to try to get at least some of the veg prep for tomorrow done & I need to deliver the last of the cards. DD16 needs sweets to make stained glass cookies as we call them & has a pressie to drop off. DH is going to clean & tidy. Think we’ll probably have KFC for tea. DH & I always watch Love Actually on Christmas Eve.

I'm wfh as well but feeling very poorly got a GP appointment at 11 hoping I can get some anti sickness to stave off the nausea.

Kids at the grandparents and DH is doing brilliantly picking up the slack but I have to make a pavlova, root pie and prep veggies.

Clean downstairs loo and move the kitchen table. /sigh just want to lie in bed

Wrapped last couple of presents this morning. Hoovered and mopped. Ready for my parents to arrive now.

Christmas dinner today so I’ve got everything peeled and prepped, meat is out of the fridge and I’m now sitting with my feet up whilst the kids are still in bed.

Our cleaner came this morning - which was lovely as I wasn't expecting her to. I've been out to supermarket and local market for some last bits. Dd informs me she is getting the train about lunchtime so will be here this afternoon. Everything is wrapped. I am doing roast beef tomorrow - just a normal roast really but with extra stuffing and pigs in blankets, so I don't really need to do any pre-prep today. Plan to make some sausage rolls with dd later on and then we will play games and see what crap is on the TV. Xmas Eve is big family eating occasion in Belgium, and everything is shut by late afternoon. Its a shame as now dd is an adult it would be nice to pop out for a drink, but there is nowhere local to go.

Everything. Literally. No shopping. No presents. Wish me luck!

Just having a tidy round. Done the countdown on the Santa tracker as he's set off.
I'm about to do a Christmas Eve workout.
We’re out for dinner later as we have a curry tomorrow!

Quick trip to bottle bank as our glass box is full. Fresh milk and bread to buy. Will put dinner in slow cooker this afternoon. And that's it!!

Presents are all sorted thankfully. And we have the meat for tomorrow, plus starters. But we've all been ill over the last week or so and the rest has somewhat gone to shit.

Dh has not long left to do the food shop for the rest (on Xmas Eve 🤢...we've never been so late). I'm cleaning (with regular MN breaks). And I'm currently ploughing through a big pile of sheets/blankets/quilt/pillow because ds3 (7) peed the bed last night 🤦🏻‍♀️ Very very rare for him now but his timing was impeccable and it was massive, even the pillow got it 😂

I'm from a country where pubs didn't open on Sundays or religious bank holidays, so we became a nation of 'home bar enthusiasts'!

Nothing left to do at all here. We (me and DP), will be having our Christmas dinner tonight (mushroom wellington, mash, pigs-in-blankets for him, veg etc) and then exchanging gifts afterwards. The teeny tiny turkey (serves 4-5), is cooking ready for the buffet tomorrow which will be our Christmas day food.

We had a lovely late wake up and then did a little spruce of the house. Dh will make some seitan and a chocolate torte later. I'll make red cabbage and a cheese cake. There's a little Christmas merriment happening at our local gig venue that we might wander down to around 4.

I went out earlier for fresh bread, milk. Also got more wine, chocolates & gift wrap as I’m always afraid I’ll discover I’m short on these when it’s too late to get more!

DH & I will call to an elderly relative this afternoon for an hour then we’ll finish the wrapping, probably with a drink . We’ll do some veg prep this evening, dc will set the table for the morning and then it’s bung-it-in-the-oven party food, cheese and trifle in front of the tv for the evening.

I've been out for a long walk and coffee with a friend, taking the kids to the cinema this afternoon (a tradition) then home for the crib service at our local church. DH has been cleaning this morning!

We always have slow cooked pork shoulder with stuffing, apple sauce and brioche rolls for dinner on Xmas eve so that will go in the oven around 3.

Nothing needs doing now. Done it all!
Just about to set off for long Xmas eve walk with DD and dog then local cafe for hot chocolate + mince pies on the way back. Probably followed by nap on the sofa before going to in-laws for tea.
Hoping to persuade them to put Carol's from King's on at 6pm. Alcohol free night tonight and fairly early night hopefully.