One thing you just have to have and cant live without at Christmas!

[Babymad4num3]

As I've decided to do Christmas dinner for in-law's, just trying to get into the Christmas mood! ! I would love to know what other's just have to have/eat at Christmas, what makes it Christmas for you?

The Sound of Music on Boxing Day

Homemade chesnut stuffing when it's been roasted in the neck and sticks to some of the crispy skin sneekily eaten in the kitchen when carving the turkey. No one else in the family knows it exsists!

oh god Enid that sounds familiar! She still goes missing on occasion (v rare thank god!)

Cheesyfeet - the Brie and Cranberry butties sound FABULOUS - I will be adding them to my Xmas must haves.

My own are:

Heaps of Asda Cava on Xmas morning.
SMoked salmon gateau (which I make with cream cheese in layers like a cake - yummmm)
This year as I will be having a baby at end of Nov - lashings of extremely smelly blue cheese.

millions of chocolate coins
sprouts
silly games
port
"The Night before Christmas"

Before we had ds: case of fizz (a couple of which go to make bucks fizz on xmas morning), some comfy pyjamas, a fridge full of huge prawns, gateaux, nibbly stuff from the deli and other "too pissed to cook" type stuff, and a large box of scalextric. No rellies. Lots of phone calls to everyone while still relatively sober then phone off hook. Marvellous!

Now that we have ds: the 3 of us running around like loons on Xmas morning in our pjs singing daft carols and opening pressies. All our favourite foods. Some fizz for me and dh for evening after ds has crashed out, and a visit to grandparents thrown in in the middle of the chaos somewhere! Lots of fairy lights definitely, and last year our black cat went for a nap on the dining table where I was making cards with glitter and was sparkly for days. It was very festive, we might try and recreate the accident this year! (only kidding, please don't ring the RSPCA!!!)

Oh, and lots of things that smell of Xmas, I think Boots did a room oil frangrance thing last year that smelled of satsumas and spices, really Christmassy! And you can't beat the smell of a real pine tree.

chocolate before breakfast

I'll 2nd that Furball !

I didn't what to do Christmas last year as my dad died and it's also his Birthday on the 27th Dec, if it wasn't for my DH 25th wouldn't of been Christmas! Deck's didn't go up till the night before but we did Christmas and it was okay, this year I want a big doo! So I said to the in-laws (and i have a 10 setter table and chair set that i want to show off ) I'll do Christmas dinner and then brought a v.big pork joint as I love pork and it's my Christmas too, !

Thanks for all your help and advice!
I've always wanted to try that honey roast carrot thing what do you do, never tryed anything like that before?

marina that music looks fab

I can never get our music quite right

have the rat pack and phil as well as carols

trifle
barf
go d i hate xmas threads

im gonna go for cheese here and say...my family.

I really cannot imagine a christmas without seeig my family. we argue non stop, its completley manic but it just wouldnt be the same otherwise

my hubby's home made gravy. Delish!

vom

Oh my God will you all stop it, reading this is just getting me too excited. I bloody love Christmas !!!!!!!!!

Chocolates
Alchol (I'm t-total all year except at Christmas)
My Mum getting merry on sherry whilst cooking the dinner.
Arguing over a game whilst waiting for dinner to be cooked

Oh and telling Mum we will be round stupidly early (6.30am ish) and her then telling us they will be in bed and don't bother they will be really angry (this goes on for weeks before) and then Christmas morning the phone rings at 6am and they are asking where we are as they are to excited and have been up ages waiting to open presents

PLEASE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> its september

NotABraBurningOtter lol only for 2 more days, yes okay it's 12 week till chirstmas but what the hell it's great time of the year, anyway where ever you go now there christmas stuff everywhere, cant bet them join them!

Cant beat them join them!

but they way this year is flying by. it be here before we know it.

have just made my christmas damson gin- a must have in the alex house .

I don't think there's really anything that I can't live without at Xmas, other than my OH. It was strange the yr he went on holiday with his family at Xmas (this when we were under 18 but still!)

Although I do love the non traditional Xmas dinners my mum cooks!

Chocolate tree sweets!!
Sausage meat wrapped in bacon.

deffo sausages in bacon (kids do this), bread sauce (yummy), turkey as is the only time we eat it, decent whisky as is only time of year I buy it, running out of batteries, older 2 kids pretending they believe in Father Christmas to please mummy and daddy, loads of crappy chocolate stocking filler sweets like Simpsons or Scooby Doo which taste foul but the kids love them. And ds1 adores his Terry's chocolate orange