Christmas Eve Afternoon Alone

[Shambles123]

So, I will have approx 5 hours of Xmas Eve alone as DH taking kids and ILs into London for an activity. I can't go as will be working till about lunchtime Xmas Eve and there are two dogs to consider. After work and dog walk I will have 5 hours alone Xmas Eve.

Am wondering what I can do, has anyone done this before and have any good ideas? Am assuming lots of places not open and my friends are likely to be with their families!

Pop open the wine, Carols at Kings, prep dinner so the big day isn’t hectic

Definitely cooking, wrapping, and enjoying the peace and quiet before it gets chaotic!

You can make decorations, fancy cookies, home made crackers… or sit with your feet up enjoying a decorated house and some Christmas songs!

Bliss , baileys and a book !
( do a bit of prep for the dinner the next day if you have to )
5 hrs ! Brilliant

That sounds lovely.
I'd have carols on, wrapping presents, long bath, and watching a film later.
Or just sitting in peace for 5 hours.

I’d just stay in with a glass of wine and festive music or a film. At least that would be my dream, in reality I’d run around preparing, cleaning, wrapping presents.

Sounds ideal to me, pop on a movie, wrap gifts, prep food, nibbles and drinks. TBH 5 hours will fly by…

We go to local cathedral carol service on Christmas Eve afternoon (we’re not religious but love the festive vibe and it’s a lovely reminder that Christmas is not just about commercialism)

Alternatively have a nice long bath, into PJs, open wine, watch Muppet Christmas Carol :)

Walk the dogs, eat lunch, watch a film. 5 hours will fly by! God I’d love it- I’ll be rushing around, feeling stabby!
Do you not want to be on your own OP?

Cook something that I like, watch something that I like and have a drink or 2 and cuddle up with a dog, but in reality, would probably end up cleaning, wrapping last minute presents.

Apart from...

wrapping presents
filling stockings
last minute baking
prepping the veg for Christmas day
making marzipan fruits
Listening to some carols
calling family members that you won't have time to speak to the next day.
having a festive coffee with neighbours or friends
testing this year's sloe gin
sampling your mince pies
relaxing, lighting a fire and watching a Christmas film

😊

Another "how do I enjoy myself alone" thread. There have been a few recently.

As a sociable introvert, I have to carve out masses of alone time to keep myself sane!

A Christmas eve to myself (bliss!) would see me doing some food prep in the kitchen, with music blasting and a glass of port in my hand. I'd then watch a christmas film (my new favourite is Krampus) and have crackers, Stilton and yet more port (or champagne) for dinner, with the Christmas lights twinkling, the woodburner lit and a Christmas scented candle.

Sounds blissful! Finish your wrapping, peel the veg etc then settle down with cheese and biscuits and a film - The Holiday would be my choice.

I would love that. I would get some prep done, any little bits of tidying up, all with a wine or baileys and listening to whatever music I want. Then maybe have a snack and watch the snowman. Or a long bath.

Cleaning, preparing, wrapping. But if I managed to be organised then a lovely dinner, a wine and a book 😍

Lots of people assuming you’re responsible for the Christmas meal the next day. I’m not so if I had 5 hrs to myself I def wouldn’t be prepping or baking.

I would go into my local town for a mooch around the shops - check out last minute reduced food bargains, maybe coffee and cake. I might even teke myself to the cinema if there’s something good on.

Dreamy (you can tell I have young kids 😂).

Or if you are organised/ not cooking then Christmas film or carols at kings on TV? Crack open the baileys?

if you’ll be woken at 4am by children with stockings part of it would be a nap for me.

I always send DH off to play golf on christmas eve so I can lay the table, prep all the veg, make puddings etc and then I sit down with a nice glass of something and watch a christmas film. My favourite part of Christmas. I tried going out for last minute shopping once - that was no fun.

Most stuff will be open Xmas Eve I think - pubs, cinemas etc. The shops (though will be very busy). I also wouldn't assume all your friends will be busy, so if you would prefer to be with people, why not ask someone if they would like to join you for a drink/a film. Especially if there is anyone you know who is single and doesn't have much local family - they might be really grateful!

The prospect of 5 hours alone on Christmas Eve would give me an incentive to get every single bit of prep that I was responsible for done. So I could sit by the Christmas Tree with a glass of wine and a mince pie or two watching Christmas films. Absolute bliss.

I meant get everything done before the 5 hours began obviously so I could have 5 hours of uninterrupted peace.

If you are anything like me your wrapping will be finished and housework done, I treat waking up on Christmas Eve as part of the festivities.

If I was working until lunchtime I would pop to M&S or Waitrose etc for completely unnecessary reduced bargains, then into my favourite independent coffee shop. A wander around the shops, home for a nice bath with candles and then full blow dry, skincare and into new pyjamas ready for everyone to appear home hopefully with a take away.

Minced pie, mulled wine with added brandy, and one of the either ancient or modern bbc Christmas ghost stories (mr james usually). Me and my dad do that while my sisters, nieces and mum go to a local panto.

Assuming I didn’t have chores to finish, I would take the dogs to a beach and let them go crazy for a bit.

Then when we got home, I would shower them off, then shower me off and we would all snooze, cuddled up together. In my fantasy Xmas eve, my old boy is still with us, snoring gently by my side.

No chores...I'd go to a nice bar for a couple of hours. Then come back and read