Find out what users favourite family moments are in the home with IKEA

[AbbiCMumsnet]

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From snuggling on the sofa and watching a film, to reading your child a book before they go to bed, the home captures hundreds of small moments in day-to-day life that often bring a lot of joy. With the Christmas season coming up, it’s these kinds of moments that play an important part in the festivities, whether it be making mince pies in the kitchen, or ceremoniously putting the star on top of the tree. With this in mind, IKEA want to hear your favourite family moments in the home, and what makes them special.

Here’s what IKEA have to say:
“Incorporating playful elements into any room creates an inviting space for a whole host of indoor activities. Whether you’re a kid – or a kid at heart – it’s easy to turn your living room into a place for lighthearted fun! Whatever space you have to play with, planning a space where children are free to express themselves boosts their confidence.
Read your favourite book on the sofa, while the rest of the group turns dining room chairs into a game of musical chairs. Or, turn display cushions into an impromptu pillow fight. Simply add matching seating for kids and adults, then the little ones get to imitate grown-ups. Role play is great for developing their social skills. Who wouldn’t feel twenty years older sitting enjoying a cup of tea in a POÄNG chair?”

What are or have been some of your favourite family moments in the home? How have these changed as your children have grown older? Which rooms in your house remind you of the fond memories you’ve created in them? With the winter months closing in, which Christmas traditions in the home do you do as a family - and which are you most looking forward to? Perhaps you have a favourite festive film you watch every year without fail?

However big or small, share your favourite family moments in the home with IKEA on the thread below, and you will be entered into a prize draw where 1 MNer will win a £300 IKEA voucher.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

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We've only been in this house a couple of years and the boys' bedrooms were somewhat water damaged so we started very much from scratch with them. Enjoyed choosing colours and furniture with DS1 for his south facing room with a massive window and we have started collecting cacti, together, since he's been in the room. He loves them and they thrive in that room.

It was lovely when we recently went camping in Holland, we sat around in the evening cuddled up looking at the stars cooking food on the bbq. No phones or technology just us.

I love weekends. My partner has weekends off work so it's the only time we spend time as a family. We love waking up and spending an hour in bed together, reading and enjoying each other companies!

I am a single parent to a son and my favourite times are when we bake cookies or cakes and when we snuggle under blankets on the sofa and watch a film with lots of snacks and treats close to hand.

Getting the paddling pool out in the summer. We all have a go, even the dog!

Weekend lazy breakfasts all gathered around the table together.

My favourite moment is when we are all together watching a family movie, it’s the only time little ones are quiet and we can enjoy each others company without a whole lot of noise & bickering between the little ones

I love story time with DD at the weekends which we make up as we go along, one sentence each, it is so much fun and it always end in so much laughter...

Putting up the Christmas tree and watching Christmas movies :)

Bedtimes are best. The girls get told a well-known story, but suddenly they feature in it too! The girls cuddle up with their favourite characters, snuggle up in bed, and fall asleep to fairy tales.

Sitting watching my kids play with their toys

It's still bath and bedtime.

Even though the kids aren't tiny they still love to sit on the bed whilst I read to them.

Whether it's the younger ones choice or we do s chapter of a book they both love snuggling up under the duvet or blankets to hear stories.

Sometimes when I'm exhausted from a day teaching, it's hard to raise the energy but it's completely worth it.

Settling down together to snuggle up and watch tv/ family movies together. Family time is so precious and my children are at an age where they are running around making a lot of noise playing so it’s really nice to have some peaceful time together - and the cuddles are lovely too.

My favourite part of the countdown to Christmas is our own tradition. Elfis the elf visiting through December, leaving little treats, or a note reminding our son about good behaviour!

He sneaks teddies from my sons bedroom to have midnight picnics with & my son is astounded in the morning to find his toys that he knew were in his bedroom, sat in a circle with the crumbs of their feast on a plate.

We even have some accidents that Elfis gets the blame for. In the middle of the night one December there was a huge crash. We all ran downstairs, bleary eyed, to see that a kitchen wall unit had literally fell off the wall. Our son sighed knowingly & stated that Elfis had been up to mischief, climbing all over the kitchen lol!

Then on Christmas Eve, Elfis leaves him a treasure hunt to keep him busy on this most exciting day & the prize is always an activity that will keep our son entertained for the rest of the day, making Christmas day come quicker for him & giving us a chance to get the chores done

My favourite room is the kitchen when we're all mucking in together after we've finished our dinner, the little ones wearing their special aprons and doing the drying up, DH washing up and me preparing hot choc for when the clean-up's finished. Warm, cosy, lots of hugs and laughter - bliss!

Waking up my children to see if 'he' had been
rubbing tired eyes, to see the festive scene,
Running to a their Santa Sack "I can't believe my eyes." [santa] [santa]
how did you know I wanted that?" and "What a lovely surprise!"

I love the happy times that advent seems to bring.
The infant class nativity, the songs that children sing.
The being good, the closing eyes tight making Christmas wishes,
It's a good time to get them into drying the dishes.

Be kind and good the elves are watching was often said to me,
I use this on my children, will I get my Christmas list - ''Oh we'll see'' I always had a white Christmas, least that's what I recall
Making memories and Christmas, it's not forever they are so small

[santa] [santa] [santa] [santa]

My children are older now, but my favourite times were always when they were ready for bed and we snuggled up and I read to them, so cosy. Putting the Christmas tree up together was great too, we used to put some Christmas music on and let the kids decorate, enjoyed seeing them so excited.

I love those evenings where the whole family is present and we all sit around the floor on the rug playing board games. Somehow all the cushions end up on the floor as everyone makes themselves comfy and hot chocolate and biscuits is the perfect ending

It has to be playing board games at Christmas time with all of the family over on our IKEA coffee table

My hubby and I have been together just under 5 years and have lived together for just under 4 years, so have been developing our traditions recently. We have a tradition where we buy a new christmas decoration each year for our tree. I also have made some knitted ones and plan to do more this year. We have developed a tradition of having both sets of parents and brother in law over each year too, where we will make a lovely buffet and have board games and jigsaw puzzles out.

Everyone together on the sofas, chatting, playing games or reading. Preferably after a long walk...

Christmas morning, smelling freshly made pastries and opening stockings around the Christmas tree. Also lazy Saturday mornings in PJs snuggling on the sofa.

Sitting on the sofa when it’s freezing cold, raining or snowing, turning all the lights off and all of us snuggled under blankets watching a film.

youngest makes his own christmas cards just for his grandparents and he loves getting creative with gitter and paint, it's lovely that he still wants to do this for them and they really enjoy receiving their cards.