The Days before Christmas

undercover_angel

This year I actually have the Whole Christmas period off work, from the 19th Dec to the 5th Jan. I am over the moon about this as I usually only get Christmas Day off!

My question is and this may sound very silly,

What do you do on the lead up to Christmas, those few days before?

I want to make Christmas really special and cosy and my partner and I do have some lovely traditions for the day itself but we've never had a run up to do as we please before.

I obviously will want to make the house look lovely, clean up etc

We actually spent the most of Christmas day out at my mum's so it's not like I have any actual cooking or anything to do,I would like to just make a few tasty treats to take with me (not sure what though??)

We don't have children and I think I'm at the stage in my life now where xmas has lost it's magic for me and I'm ready to have a family of my own to bring the magic back.

Anyway, what a load of waffle- sorry!

What do you do on the few days before Christmas?

xxx

hulagirl79

Hi
I always have christmas eve off work and like to do all the washing and cleaning in the morning, then rlaxing in the eve ready for the next day.
This year though i have the day before christmas eve off so i think a nice slow walk into town doing some last minute shopping. The idea is that we have nice quite relaxed christmas.

Triggles

There's a number of things I like to do in the lead up to Christmas:
- an afternoon or two of baking goodies
- an afternoon of wrapping family/friends presents with holiday music playing
- an evening (actually a number of evenings) curled up with fleece on sofa with mug of hot chocolate watching Christmas DVDs (you'd be amazed what can qualify as a holiday movie - i told DH that Die Hard was a holiday movie - after all it takes place at Christmas!:rotfl: )
- a day of shopping for literally nothing in particular or just one or two items, so no pressure - can just browse and chat and then relax over a nice lunch or coffee in town
- going for a long walk and being on the lookout for nice christmas decorations (and laughing over what we want to do on our house outside decorating in the future years) - this is fun either during the day or in the evening
- sit together with large bowl of popped popcorn and whole fresh cranberries, stringing them on heavy thread with needle, and watch holiday television or movie - then hang them outside for birds
- an afternoon or evening decorating the house
- relaxing for a glass of wine with holiday music or dvds or just sit and enjoy candlelight
- sit cozy together and read through christmas stories
- good dvd to watch at christmas is "the christmas box" - an excellent story - the book was good too

Always nice to pick something that sometimes can be viewed as a chore (such as putting up holiday decor or wrapping presents) and turning it into a fun afternoon with holiday musics, christmas cookies, hot chocolate or glass of wine.

Have fun! Hope that helps!

Norma_Desmond

We have a rather traditional and totally uncommercial Christmas; we visit far-flung relatives etc. in the days leading up to it, and then on the day before Christmas Eve we decorate our old house with greenery and candles, get some good food and drink in and attend the wonderful male voice choir concert in the village.
Most important of all (!) we start a huge jigsaw puzzle which lasts into the new year - friends and neighbours often pop in to help us armed with festive drinks. It's becoming a bit of a tradition now!
Oh and I nearly forgot the long bracing walks on the cliffs and lonely beaches - great for blowing the cobwebs away!

specialK

As soon as the kid's break up from school, we get the christmas music out! They are just left on in the background to get you in the festive mood whilst doing all the usual stuff!

*Louise*

I will do all the cleaning the day before Christmas Eve, I don't like feeling as if I have too much to do on Xmas Eve itself. I love having the christmas music on to listen to while I clean.

Will spend a couple of evenngs wrapping. Family presents are done during December (so they can be displayed under the tree) but the kids ones are done in the couple of days before.

This will be the first year that OH has managed to wangle Christmas Eve off to spend with us. We will probably take the kids out for a few hours in the afternoon - there's such a lovely atmosphere on Christmas Eve (and a few last min bargains in the shops)

I have a christmas eve hamper for the kids, so after tea they can open that up - new pyjamas, bubble bath, colouring books/crayons etc also a pack of cookies to decorate for santa. I will have everyone bathed and changed earlier than usual then we will spend some time playing games and relaxing before bed.

Then once they are asleep - I love setting out all their gifts and OH and I will sit on the floor with just the Christmas lights on and celebrate with a small drink a job well done :beer:

undercover_angel

Thank you for sharing everyone.

I've just spent an hour or so searching for some nice recipes for Christmas Muffins and Mulled Wine etc so think I'll do some baking.
So maybe I'll do a BIG clean on Monday, then some baking and wrapping on the Tues (with Christmassy Music of course!), then on Christmas Eve itself, we can just go over the cleaning and make sure everything is beautiful and go for a walk into town to soak up the atmosphere (hope it's as lovely here as where you guys are). Then I think we'll go to the Carol Concert in the evening and back for a Christmassy Film and nice warm chunky vegetable soup and crusty bread. (We usually do this last part anyway)

I'm just thinking aloud now, thank you everyone for helping me with my plans

sandy2_2

This is my recipe for mulled wine, everyone loves it
MULLED WINE
½ pint water
4 oz. Sugar
4 cloves
2 inch stick cinnamon
2 lemons
1 bottle wine
1 orange
Boil water, sugar and spices together. Add the lemons, stir and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Pour back into the saucepan and add red wine. Heat but do not boil. Strain the wine into a bowl and serve hot, decorated with orange and lemon slices. Makes about 1 ½ pints

undercover_angel

Thanks for that Sandy, now please excuse me for being not all that bright but cloves? I just had to google, what exactly do you do just bung them in with the cinnamon and then just strain that out at the end? They don't dissolve or anything do they?

I told you I was being dumb! lol

elle_gee

I always go shopping for a new outfit for xmas day a few days before. I get all my own shopping done, then like going into town when it's busy busy and the music is playing, but I can just go browsing leisurely whilst everyone else rushes around.

When I was little, we always opened our presents in our PJs then got clothes as presents to put on later. From when we got older and were told to get dressed before opening presents it didn't seem so good - don't like putting "old" clothes on on xmas day!

SeaBee

I have only been with my OH for 5 years so we are gradually building our Christmas traditions

We hand deliver all his family Christmas cards during December - it gives us time to catch up on what has happened throughout the year

We always go for long walks to the local garden centre to see their Christmas display and around the local area to look at all the lights (we take his mother out in the car to see them one evening when we have spotted where all the best ones are). We also "holly spot" so we can go and pick some nearer the time

We visit Lincoln Christmas market (this year we are doing Leeds too)

We have a trip to the local shopping centre (about the only time we do go) to see their lights and watch all the people rush around looking for pressies

Christmas eve we put on Christmas music, watch old Christmas films and eat mince pies (although this year I have decided to make us a hamper with some new (old) dvds such as Holiday Inn and White Christmas, some snow man soup etc

Oh, and as a special treat this year as OH finishes work the same as me I have booked us a mini cruise to Brugge for their Christmas market the weekend before Christmas.

Sorry for long post, but I am sooooooooooooo excited as I lurve Christmas!!!