What do you do to enjoy the run up to Christmas? New ideas wanted.

[OMGitsnotgood]

A dull and rainy August day, I’m full of cold and didn’t sleep very well so no energy to do much and have been awake and up for ages.
I was browsing cookery books to help me meal plan, a couple of recipes jumped out as possible Christmas Eve / NYE dishes. Then of course my mind has wandered to thinking about Christmas itself.
Yes it’s only just August, but it’s the Christmas board, and I’ve gone from feeling very sorry for myself to having a smile on my face. Thank you Christmas!

I love Christmas as a season, not just the day. All the preparations and the run up bring joy, rather than dread {planning and starting early is key to this I think).
But I’ve been doing it for so long, tends to be the same old same old so am wondering what other people do to enjoy the run up to Christmas. (Our DCs are adults so not looking for children’s activities. )
For me, it includes things like:

Making ahead anything that can be to make Christmas dinner easier (bread sauce, cranberry sauce, stuffing, red cabbage, pigs in blanket for freezer; cake, mincemeat, pudding, chutney for the cupboard).
I love wrapping presents so take my time doing that but that’s not til December. I’m quite crafty, so often make gift tags and Christmas cards. I make cards and tags early as if I leave tbem til December I tend to run out of time.
Whilst we might wander round a local Christmas market, we’re not ones for light trails or similar Christmas events. That said, one of our local National Trust stately homes decorates every room for Christmas and I’m going to put that on my list as we’ve not made it yet.
Maybe a theatre show or concert, although its been a few years since anything grabbed us.
I’m going to start looking at decorations I can make. We don’t like masses of decorations so want some really lovely ideas for things I can make/assemble for tbe coffeee table/sideboard/window sills- will be browsing Pinterest after this but suggestions welcome.
Whilst I don’t buy presents generally til nearer the time, I do keep a list on my phone all year to jot down ideas as people mention them eg DD mentioned she was thinking growing her own herbs. I have popped ‘herbs and pots’ on my list to check back in December whether she has actually done that. DCs’ main presents will either something they’ve asked for or cash, but we love our stockings and small thoughtful gifts (I’ve another thread Adult Stocking fillers all year round that other stocking filler lovers might enjoy)
I do like to play Christmassy music while wrapping presents/cooking/doing housework/decorating tbe tree etc, I’ve just made a note to look at compiling a couple of play lists.

Looking forward to hearing about what makes your Christmas season special.

That sounds interesting. X

Last couple of years, I've added a little Christmas wind up toy or similar to everyone's place and we've had great fun racing them after lunch.

I love reading Nigel Slater’s Christmas Chronicles with a glass of something lovely and a nice candle on!

I have never tried lying on the floor looking up at the Christmas tree lights. The thought has never even crossed my mind, but it’s firmly on my list for this year.

This is my kind of Christmas! I daren’t crack open the Baileys too soon though because I find it very hard to stop at one!

I haven’t done advent challenges for tbe ‘children’ since they were much younger, but am wondering whether that.might be something they’d enjoy.

We had racing toy crackers one year and tbey went down a storm. Might see if I can find them again this year

I’ve seen the annual Christmas Chronicles thread on MN and wonder if I am missing out, but I’m not a big fan of his recipes. Maybe I should give it a go this year

On the app so cant link threads. But have a look at the poncey Christmas threads from over the years on here

I find it really pretentious. My friend and I love sending screenshots to each other of the most esoteric parts.

@JustAQuietSpotPlease Thank you so much for the video! I’m definitely looking at Christmas fabric tonight. I’m very much in the young kids phase (1&3) and I always loved as a kid getting the Christmas boxes down from the attic with the old familiar decor so I’m hoping to make some nice bits and use them year after year.

I love Christmas, and I love the run up to Christmas and planning for Christmas. However we don't do many 'events'.

I usually start buying Christmas stocking gifts around now, and I buy Christmas presents any time from now if I know what people want or find the perfect thing. I love finding the perfect wrapping paper and wrapping things beautifully.

Like you, I prepare Christmas food in advance, where I can. We usually take the grandchildren to the pantomime before Christmas and I have already bought the tickets for that.

I'm not sure what we will be doing this year, apart from that. It depends on my adult children. My youngest child and her child came to us last year so I know we are unlikely to see her this year. I know my eldest and her family will be celebrating Christmas on Boxing Day due to other commitments, but I dont know whether we will be included in their plans at all. I would love them to come to us and I know the children like it, but I dont know if they will. We haven't ever been invited to share Christmas with either of my children at their homes as yet. I will see them both together at the beginning of September and will try to pin them down as to what their plans are for this year. If they don't involve us we will probably go away for a few days. It's not so much fun when it's just DH and me - but it does mean less work.

Not sure if this will work for you OP but one of my favourite Christmas evenings is our family gala dinner. Each person is responsible for one course. We began it when the children were younger but now they are all adults it’s even better.

I'm going to avoid it for as long as possible. Come November, I'm going into hibernation effectively. I hate the run up to Xmas & Winter with a passion. I do like the day when it comes but, prior to that, the pressure & the commercialisation is absolutely unbearable.
I put my decs up on xmas eve & take them down 12th Night.

@Oldwmn
This thread is clearly not for you!

I make a wreath with holly and Ivy.

I make cupcakes and decorate with Xmas toppings. Look at Pinterest for inspiration.

I paint fir cones we collect earlier in the year. Then pick a few branches from garden and spray them silver and gold and make a big display with some holly too.

I go with whole family to the paint a pot and we all choose a Xmas bauble to decorate. They fire them in a kiln and we collect 2 weeks later. I've done this every year for over 10 years and my DGC come too now.

We go ice skating and have hot chocolate with marshmallows afterwards. I take DGC to this too.

I usually try to go to a Xmas market.

Last Xmas I took DGC to visit Santa while we ate a Full English breakfast at Beefeater.

Some years I've been to the ballet or the theatre to see Twelfth Night.

I actually enjoy hand writing Xmas cards and posting.

Knitting a Christmas Jumper, Knitting some Christmas crackers so you can fill them with your own gifts, Liberty advent calendar. You can make your own cake, mincemeat and puddings on stir-up Sunday. Making this https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/winter-spice-jelly.
No special plates I this house but certainly Christmas place settings.

The last couple of years I went to Christmas markets abroad. They’re not for present shopping, more for ‘getting in the spirit of’. Having said that, I bought Christmas decorations both times and tonnes of chocolate.
I’m not English and I celebrate St Nicholas on the 6th of December and Christmas on the 24. 6th is special to my DD and she still thinks St Nicholas is better than Christmas. She gets small presents, like chocolate, a game, a mug. When she was little it was chocolate, a DVD or a game and a Christmas tree decoration. And my brothers still call her and ask her what did St Nicholas bring (if you’re naughty, you get a lump of coal or a twig) 😂. Last year she got an electric blanket and sheepskin slippers, she is an adult, but I’m not allowed to stop.

I have been making my own wreath for about 10 years now. I go foraging with friends, come back for soup and homemade bread and make our wreaths together.

I also make German Christmas cookies at the beginning of the month, and store them in tins, they taste so much better after a few days.

I always go to my work’s Christmas party, I love it, we get to dress up a bit and dance.
Then there is the book club Christmas party. The allotment Christmas party. Various friends’ Christmas drinks. I like choosing outfits well in advance, and because I’m yet to own a Christmas jumper, I’m getting one this year!

Ever been to an aprés ski party? They’re fun!

24th it’s just me and DD these days. We go for a walk on the beach, have an Indian take away, watch movies, open our presents. I never went mad with the presents, always 3, something she wants, something she needs and a surprise. We don’t go mad.
She spends 25th with her English side of family, I usually work 25 and 26.

Christmas tree goes down on the 2nd or 3rd. The first weekend of January I have always organised a walk followed by soup at mine’s. It’s nice to go out and still see people, minus the tonnes of food. It’s a chance to catch up with friends I haven’t seen over the holiday period.

Sounds great!

That’s a shame @Oldwmn. it really is possible to enjoy Christmas without succumbing to commercialisation and putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. This is partly or even mainly why I like to enjoy the run up, not just having the focus on one day.

I do usually flick through those and will take a look neater the time. I’m not particularly after ‘poncey’ though - but I expect there will be some good ideas for me on there too. Thanks for the reminder

I always aim to add (at least) one thing a year - usually some kind of decoration . TKMaxx/Homesense has been a great source of good quality but reasonable decors over the year , althougb not seen anything I’ve liked tbe last couple of years. I really like the idea of cross-stitched napkins mentioned upthread

Yes Christmas does change when your children are adults and they have spouses:partners and their families to accommodate too. The one year we thought we were going to be on our own on Christmas Day, friends who we don’t see much of during the year mentioned they were going to be on their own so they came to stay with us for a few days and we had the best time. Before than I’d been planning taking a Christmassy breakfast up to bed; going to the pub; buying all the nibbly bits we like and some really good cheeses (which we normally wouldn’t do with the DC around as it would be wolfed down and not apprediated) And lots of chocolates and fizz, obviously.
We still had the good cheese with our friends but as an evening snack aftwr a traditional dinner. I was almost disappointed not to have that indulgent lazy day, but it will be there another time. I think you just have to start new traditions, as we all have to when children stop believing/become teenagers tben adults

I love this idea. Not sure how easy it would be to find a time we could do it as a family, but I’ll definitely see if we can try to do that.

Lots of lovely ideas tbere thank you