need help with xmas eve hampers and stockings for toddlers

sammy_kaye18

xacesx wrote: »

sammy_kaye18 I absolutely love your letter from Mrs Claus!!! I hope you dont mind but i'm going to borrow it for my little, will have to wait a year or two as she'll only be 8 months at xmas lol!
Such a lovely idea, I love christmas but we're always a bit skint so i'm looking for ideas to make december special on a budget, so thank you so much!

Also what are no-sew blankets? I can sew but I'm also looking for a break

x

http://www.instructables.com/id/No-Sew-Fleece-Blanket/

This is for no sew fleece blankets - they seem fairly easy to make and im going to have an attempt this year at two - to be made into lap blankets for my grandparents - one each.

Also I'm on a budget this year so will be making decorations like rag garlands etc and having a more home-made traditional Xmas instead.

Hoping to make some dried orange slices to scent the house with as well. Although im sure i remember a tale of someone's littlie getting hold of the mixed spice and redecorating the living room with it and that was meant to have a nice festive smell to it. Wont be using those air wick freshener Christmas one - my mother in law had a mulled wine one and she nearly killed us all with it it was so strong!

Mrs_Ihenetu

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

but im stuck on smell so far - he's only 5 so smellies doesn't really work for him but might see about getting him some spiderman / starwars / ben 10 bubble bath. or failing that ill find him a character mug and make him some snowman soup - nothing better than the smell of hot chocolate.

How about making some scented play-doh? My little boy absolutely loves playing with the scented play-doh as it smells so delicious i have to watch him because he sometimes tries to eat it :eek: though i doubt you'd have this problem with a 5 year old.

yippee_kye_yay

i love that letter sammy, i think im may pinch that too!

STUPID QUESTION ALERT!!! how do you do dried orange slices? and how long do they last?

bluestarrz

I love the idea of a hamper but think instead of doing a new hamper every year and buying different treats, that I'll maybe make a box. I'll spend loads of time and effort decorating it and it can be brought out every year. I was thinking of including a Christmas blanket - every year this can be used on Christmas eve to snuggle up to movies, Christmas cookie recipe - we'll make these every year for santa, recipe for reindeer food, pad and paper to write note for santa, special Christmas mugs (for snowman soup) and Christmas plates to put cookies on and nibble while we watch the films..
I'm looking for new traditions to start with just the three of us and this seems perfect. Plus, can add maybe a little crafty set or something each year and the traditions can grow!

sammy_kaye18

yippee_kye_yay wrote: »

i love that letter sammy, i think im may pinch that too!

STUPID QUESTION ALERT!!! how do you do dried orange slices? and how long do they last?

Slice oranges thinly. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and place evenly on sheet. Preheat oven to 200F and bake for about 2 hours, or until dried. Remove from oven and set aside to dry for a few more days. Then they are ready to be used for your holiday decor!

Not sure how long they last but I'd imagine a fair while as they get thoroughly dried out and you can bin them later on or add them to pot pourri. x

yippee_kye_yay

thanks for that sammy-kaye.
is the smell strong then, do you know?
me and ds cant eat oranges as our lips sting and swell up like angelina jolie lol! but i love the smell!

i am now planning to make a coule of no sew blankets to the hamer. i have had a try with some old fleeces and am quite impressed with the results

louby-lou-lou

I am going to do a xmas eve family hamper for us all this year. My baby is due in dec before xmas day and i am having a section so prob will be out of action for a while after so i am trying to slowly get it all sorted, I have several birthdays also in dec and i make all my own xmas cards so there is lots to do.
I want to make this year extra nice for ds i don't want it all to be about the new baby. I want him to feel invloved more in xmas and there is some great ideas on here thanks.

What time do you all open your xmas eve hampers? Hubby will be off that day so i am thinking maybe open it at 4.30 to start the movie.

I think i will get ds baking in the day and maybe wrap a present for the baby from him. Is there anything else i could do with him during the day? Hopfully we will stay at home xmas day although it is our turn at in laws. Hubby is going to do a bit of a cheats xmas dinner, then nice walk and then a snuggle under the blanket and watch tv.

sammy_kaye18

What time do you all open your xmas eve hampers? Hubby will be off that day so i am thinking maybe open it at 4.30 to start the movie.

I think i will get ds baking in the day and maybe wrap a present for the baby from him. Is there anything else i could do with him during the day? Hopfully we will stay at home xmas day although it is our turn at in laws. Hubby is going to do a bit of a cheats xmas dinner, then nice walk and then a snuggle under the blanket and watch tv.

Louby - I am planning to have the hamper ready for when Ben wakes up, but hoping I can trick him into having a bath in the morning to be nice and fresh (or warm him up) and then it can magically appear under the :xmastree: then he can go and open it up and find all the goodies. Like I said Ben (5) is having in his
*A pair of new PJs
*A no sew blanket
*A packet of biscuits
*Maybe a special Santa plate + cup to leave for him
*Some hot chocolate sachets
*bag of sweeties
*A festive mug (although get a feeling it may be spider man for Benjamin!)
*Maybe a few pennies (so they can get some milk and carrots for Santa and
Rudolph) nice and fresh that way and it is his special job!
*The Snowman or Santa Claus DVD/Video
*Santa Key cos we don't have a chimney
*Some reindeer food
*The night before Christmas book
*A New Stocking
*Santa Stop Here sign

Most of those then can be done in the later evening for a film with him but hoping instead of biscuits to make some twinks hobnobs instead with him in the day.

I was thinking the Santa stop here sign i might also get Ben to make himself. With a piece of paper and ill write the words 'Santa stop here' written on it and he can put it on his bedroom door before bed.

Chances are we will probably have a few DVDs/videos we can sit and watch with him in the day too and his Christmas helper will be here by then too so no doubt he'll leave a little task for him.

Only thing is too he will need it fairly early so he can go and help me get the last Christmas bits and he needs carrots/biscuits/milk for Santa from the shop and if he's not quick he wont get them!

jackomdj

We do ours after lunch.....they "magically arrive" onto our pillows whilst we are having lunch!

It means we can do some arts & crafts from the hamper in the afternoon, before settling down to a DVD.

Nicky

yippee_kye_yay

my plan is to have the hampers in the kitchen when we get back from shop so,,,,
11am find hampers and have a nosey through
11.30 start making the cookies
12.00 colour santa some pics to leave him whilst cookies are in the oven.
12.30 lunch
1.00 my mum and stepdad come around
2.30 snuggle on teh couch to watch the dvd (im thinking of the polar express) with their new no ssew blankets, cookies and snowman soup
4.00 early tea for the kids
4.30 bath time using new flannels and xmas bath goodies and into new pjs, slippers and gowns (if i can persuade ds to wear his)
5.30 will be dark by then so will get out the new torches and scatter the reindeer food in teh garden, hang the magic key on the front door. then sit down for abit to talk about how good they have to be in bed to make sure santa comes!!!
6.30 kids in bed early with their nosew blankets, door hanger in place. but not before leaving santa a glass of champagne, the cookies we made and pics we've coloured. oh and rudolfs carrot of course!

our plan for the rest of the night will be
7.00 in laws come around bearing a chinese takeaway and the kids presents.
7.30-8.00 in laws leave
the rest of the night is spent with me wrapping the presents and dh putting together any big things (this year a shop and kitchen) whilst drinking champagne (a tradition for us) before finally crawling into bed aching from sat on the floor for so long. i tend to have no hair left on my arms from the sellotape! and dh usually has 4 fingers that are a whole lot fatter then when he started becuase he tends to hit himself with the hammer a lot!!!