* Walking in a Winter Wonderland * - It's the 2015 Christmas Chatter Thread

Crowdpleaser

Our Christmas is just us four. Dh s family don't celebrate (jw) and my mum, brother and grandparents are in Devon so they spend it together there and mum comes here for new year.

Anyway, Xmas eve I work in the morning. Then we usually go to our friends round lunchtime for an hour. Then hone and some activity in the afternoon, Xmas crafts or the like. Then normal tea and a bath quite early. The elves leave an Xmas eve box under the tree with new pj's in. Into pj's. New Xmas film from the box and usually some sweets or chocs and hot choc for all. Hang stocking, carrot and bucket water for rudolph. Mince pie and glass milk for Mr c. Then bed. Then I prepare veg.

Xmas morn kids are allowed open stocking in their rooms or sometimes they go In each others rooms for this.

Downstairs for the lounge present haul reveal. They then go present fondling lol!

Brekkie is always croissants, sm salmon for me and cereal.

Then it's on to presents. I used to get really annoyed about them ripping them all open quick. I don't now. Just chill out!

Dinner is around 1ish and in the meantime we usually Skype my mum. Playing with toys all afternoon and picky tea of sarnies etc with new board game. Kids go to bed and me n Dh watch Downton.

Boxing day Dh usually works as it's panto. He goes off with a leftovers dinner. Me n kids have tradition prlf choosing whatever you want for tea. Lol. Then it's a day of eating and playing with toys etc!

Not overly exciting but it's what we do!

Clumsy42

Afternoon all! Went in Booths (the local Northern equivalent to Waitrose) today and noticed they have a Christmas 'Book' out. Not just a brochure for their christmas food but an actual book! Looked so pretty but didn't get one 'cause we dont buy food from them at christmas. Bit pricey.

Pixtotts - Those are really nicely wrapped gifts! I especially love the Marvel paper!

Our Christmas has been the same these last few years. I live with my parents and my sister comes over for a few days. Christmas Eve after me and my sister have gone up to bed my mum spends ages arranging presents under the tree (she's mastered the art of present organisation!). Christmas day we get up around 8, my parents maybe slightly earlier, and then wait for everyone to be ready to go in the living room. Mum goes in first to turn on the tree lights and more recently turns on all the individual tea lights in my christmas village (Takes ages! But it is soooo pretty. I collect white houses). So when we walk in the room is only lit by sparkly lights. So magical!

We open presents and after that we sometimes have breakfast (sometimes have chocolate...) but we basically use/read/look at our presents until christmas dinner at 1ish. After dinner we might watch a film/amuse ourselves until about 6.30ish when it's time for turkey sandwiches and telly. The Doctor Who christmas special is a very important part of the day for me . We have a nice few days not doing much until our family party. Mum does an amazing buffet and bakes cookies, biscuits, mini cakes etc. I look forward to the party sausages all year! :rotfl:

elliew8

It's so nice hearing everyone's traditions...we're a little untraditional as there's no young children in our family but it starts with a Christmas eve curry local to my parents, then drive back our way to the pub with our friends, I leave after one and go home and watch Polar Express with some hot, hot, hot, hot chocolate! Then I go and pick up the drunken OH and wait for Father Christmas
Christmas day is always hectic for us as it's round my parents for Terry's chocolate orange breakfast and opening presents then the men head to the pub whilst I help my mum and nan with the dinner. We have to alternate having dinner though and usually we head to the in laws for presents round there and lots of different boardgames.
Boxing day is with the in laws too round the SIL's playing more boardgames and the others get drunk whilst I'm the official chauffeur!
It's a blessing and a curse because we really get on with my parents and the OH's so it's always tricky trying to please everyone...plus there's usually always a disaster - car breaking down, sitting in A&E!
I still love it though, to be honest I don't even think Christmas day is the best bit, I love the build up watching Christmas films and having a festive feeling for almost 2 months

mai_taylor

Our Christmas's vary quite a lot depending on who's around and what we are working. This year we have a bit more time off than usually so I'm really looking forward to it.

Christmas eve will be spent doing a bit of food prep, then in the evening we'll go out for dinner or have drinks with friends then Christmas day morning will be bucks fizz and smoked salmon for breakfast (hopefully in bed made by H). Then we'll open our stockings from each other.

I'm not sure whether we'll be eating at our house or my mum and dad's this year as she hasn't confirmed yet but I'm hoping they will come to ours, open presents, eat about 2pm, then it's usually cold meat sandwiches and picky bits if we have room. Rest of the day will be spent watching films and relaxing on the sofa.

Boxing day we will probably have oh's mum and brothers round for buffet food, then the next day oh is a work so I'll probably sneak into town to have a look around the sales and then spend the rest of the day being lazy!

kaya1991

Awww, I'm LOVING reading about all your Christmases

I suppose I should get involved too!

It's just my mum, brother and I on Christmas morning, so my brother usually wakes us up painfully early (the only day of the year he's awake first - he's nearly 23!), and normally gets sent back to bed for an hour (I repeat - he's nearly 23!) so we can sleep. Then at about 7am, my mum gives in and we go downstairs. We're never allowed in the living room until my mum says so, so the second we get the green light, my brother's in like a shot (he's nearly - you get the picture ).

We always put on the most festive thing on TV at that time so we have something jingling away in the background, then we do stockings. After that, it's onto the main presents - I don't think we're especially fast or slow, we're a pretty average family! After that, it's the cleanup operation, and then I make breakfast. Last year, I did Nigella's Christmas morning muffins, and smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on croissants... and maybe a chocolate or two.

Then we potter around until Christmas lunch, sometime around 1 or 2, dipping in and out of the kitchen to orchestrate everything. Our relatives often drop round for a bit, so we have to be dressed in time for that! After lunch, we generally watch films and graze until we're fit to burst, before falling into a semi-sleep in front of the Christmas specials in the evening.

I never used to like Boxing Day when I was younger as it meant it was all over for another year, but I quite enjoy it now. Any excuse for an entire day of guilt-free slobbing!

Peppapig

Been awol for a few days - got sideswiped by a cold, can't believe how it's knocked me off my feet, I even felt too drained to read and post on here so you know it must be bad because I normally don't function without coming on here at least once every day! Anyway, feeling more with it now and had almost all day without paracetamol so feeling very positive.

Loving reading about everyone's Christmas routines. Ours hasn't really changed a lot since we were children although I'm no longer the one who wants to get up early. I can still remember having to wait for my sister to wake up before I could start to open any pressies . Also, whereas we used to go to my Mum's now we split the day between my sis and me as Mum isn't up to catering for all of us now.

We all have Christmas morning in our own homes (except DD2 and DGD who come to us from Christmas Eve) with pressie opening for the children (only the pressies from Santa though) - then about mid-day everyone comes to us and it's bedlam until we sit down for lunch at about one o'clock - can't do it much later as little ones get too hungry and my mum (81) normally has lunch at about half eleven so she can't wait either lol. After lunch everyone decamps to my sister and BIL's (just round the corner) as they've got more room. We have a quick clear up, load the dishwasher and then join them for the main pressie opening session followed by games until my sis does a buffet tea which usually doesn't get eaten because we're all still stuffed from lunch and the chocolate we've been eating since our eyes were open in the morning lol. I always remember that as a child Christmas Day was the only day of the year that we were allowed to eat chocolate before breakfast!

Boxing Day is usually quiet TV watching for us as everyone has the 'other half' of the family to visit. Day after that the decs come down and I start getting the urge to start planning for Spring.

Feisty, I know it all seems too much at the moment but things will soon sort themselves out and as soon as you can move furniture in you can say goodbye to the storage charges - just remember to make sure the house and contents are insured even if you aren't actually living there. This time next year it'll all be ancient history and you'll just remember the good bits.

freespirit66

Evening everyone, fgs will i never learn i have just lost a massive long post :mad: yesterday ended much better i learnt i had won a yankee candle halloween comp :T:T so i have a medium Candy Corn winging its way to me!! And this morning i received a cheque from the A1 compensation scheme :money:did the templates for i was only expecting about £75 and received £240 so i can pay my credit card off (i have been putting all the christmas extras on it for the last few weeks just to get them out of the way) so needless to say diet has gone well today!

Thankyou everyone for sharing your christmases i love hearing what everybody does because we all do it differently. Ours starts with a special breakfast christmas eve, then we prep the veg and cook the turkey for the following day, watch christmas films, in the evening we get our traditional Maccy Ds and then hot chocolate and christmas film, since i have been on mse i buy them new pjs and they unwrap these. Christmas morning the kids open their stockings on my bed (we are talking 24 and 26 here but they wouldnt have it any other way! Then we get dressed, put all the lights on in the LR and some christmas music, we always have croissants and bucks fizz, then we open the presents under the tree. Until dinner we read our new books, fiddle with our new gadgets and watch tv etc We eat a traditional turkey and all the trimmings dinner then in the afternoon we play games, then we have turkey sandwiches, cheese and crackers, mince pies and cake for tea and watch the christmas episodes of soaps etc on tv in the evening. Boxing day we just have a pj day now its just us and snack and watch tv/read etc. Lunch is always cold ham, mash, salad and pickles and then trifle and then in the evening i cook a load of buffet foods for everyone to just eat as and when!

FEISTY i know it is so hard to not worry about money but try not to stress it will all come together in the end!

STARLET glad you are feeling better about the other day now

MRSMONEYPENNY happy reading with the books

ELLIE i love that you load your baskets up and then wait for the discounts

KAYA thankyou for starting us all off about our christmas days! I am loving your blog, and am loving hygge even more now i know there is a word for it, i always think people think i am weird for having candles burning during the day but it is just one of the comfort things that make me happy as well as my 6ft led tree in my front room all year round, i always have a throw over my legs even in summer and love lots of cushions! I keep hearing the word now for some reason

PEPPAPIG glad you are starting to feel better now!

FeistyFidget

Thank you everyone for all your kind words! Because DH is medically retired, it means I am the only income earner and knowing our income is going to drop by 3/4 is really sending me into panic stations. Because Jr will be an only child, and with DH being so poorly, I really don't want to have to return to work full time for the foreseeable future at least. I'm getting in a muddle as all the benefit calculators take into account your earnings for the previous/current year and all our savings have been spent on the house so although we were fortunate enough for me to earn the equivalent of minimum wage for two people, we are starting maternity with nothing (besides a huge tax bill looming around my due date!). I really am trying to focus on our beautiful home that is (slowly) coming together, the dream of parenthood (6 years in the making!) finally about to be realized and the wonderful support and love we have from friends and family, but when I'm not sure if we are going to physically be able to pay the bills without me having just two weeks of maternity leave, it is making me feel quite sick.

princesskitty29 wrote: »

Oh fiesty I know it's easy for me to say but try not to get disheartened, try to focus on the positives. I know it's not easy when it comes to money and I'm sure it's frustrating having to pay for storage. When do you hope to move in? Sorry I can't remember!

As soon as the bathroom, kitchen and flooring have been finished and the bathroom and kitchen are due to be started 2nd November. I'm being optimistic and praying for mid-November, but DH is thinking it will be closer to December. If you look on my blog, you can see the condition of the house when we first moved in. I really need to do a work in progress post as we are well and truly over half way lol

Dumpling, I am loving the Christmas pillowcase game!

I've really enjoyed reading everyones Christmas schedule and I guess it is only fair I share mine

Christmas Eve (embarrassingly) consists of me rushing around like a loon finishing last minute gift wrapping, present delivery, present making etc. I usually don't get to sit down and start to relax until about 5pm (which is why I probably end up ill over Christmas each year!) Our tradition is a wonderful take away (to start off the naughty food!), if there is room we may enjoy a hot chocolate with squirty cream and start tucking into the christmas chocolates and usually a Christmas movie (or two) before bed. I will admit that as much as I love giving presents, I am a huge fan of getting surprise presents too, so I usually get the child like anticipation when it comes to trying to sleep on Christmas eve!

Christmas day starts at whatever time I am awake (depends on how manic the Christmas run up has been) and then we grab our furry babies for a few minutes cuddles in bed.
I am always in charge of breakfast and we started the tradition a few years ago of cream cheese and salmon bagels (I've learnt to stock up on these ingredients early as they sell out!). Last year my fur babies were treated to salmon and scrambled eggs for breakfast and I think this may be a new tradition for them
Photos are taken throughout the morning of breakfast (I LOVE instagramming food :rotfl:) wrapped presents, present haul etc. Once the food and cuppa have been finished it's time to start the present unwrapping. DH and I alternate between opening one to make the magic last longer and to fully appreciate what we have both given and received.
We usually find something festive on telly and loll about for a bit. Then we have to start getting ready to be at the in-laws for 12.30ish. I always try to make a bit of an effort with clothes, make up and hair on Christmas day, but some years I'm too ill to mange anything more than just being dressed!
We go to the in-laws every year for Christmas day and on the way we will either stop in to see my Mum (depending on her working shifts) or it used to be to see my Nan
Once at the in-laws, I am transported back to being a child where I can loll around napping and eating all day. whilst the mummy in law takes care of everything!
Lunch is about 2.30pm and everyone sits around the big table in the kitchen for a traditional meal and crackers after, then it's back to the TV.
The presents are never opened at the in-laws until after 6pm which would have driven me mad when younger, but I love stretching it out now! As I have been with DH since we were 15, I am treated just like one of the children and I'm thoroughly spoilt! My mother in law has set the same budget on us all for pretty much the last 11 years and her presents are wonderful! She gets us a few joint gifts, a few big individual gifts and lots of small meaningful gifts too! The lady should teach classes in present giving as she is so thoughtful!
Then we have a few cold cuts and bread/snacks (this was an eye opener for me as my family always used to go all out for the Christmas night buffet!) an finally roll home to find room for our huge present haul and to sleep off the food!

The rest of the Christmas holiday usually consists of food and TV with a few family visits too

With Jr on the way it is all set to change and I am so excited about seeing some new traditions!

Right, I suppose I should summon some motivation for the orders that need finishing

Gettingtherequickly

This may be of use in general, but Sport Direct have an Adidas sale on until Tuesday. Kids trainers are very cheap, Egyptian family thrilled at cost so I will have to get some to take with me the next time I go.

freespirit66

Afternoon everyone, i have finally found the recipe out for the Crispy Marshmallow Bars that some of you lovelies requested:

150g chewy toffees
50g butter
150g rice krispies
200g marshmallows

Gently melt the butter and the toffees, then add in the marshmallows, when they are melted and everything is mixed together add the rice krispies (it can be quite hard mixing in especially if you double the mix but it will come together) then put into baking tin, flatten down and leave to set. The best bit - lightly and evenly sprinkle on the edible glitter, the prettiest are the white or silver glitters (if i remember rightly i think they are called hologram something) and cut into squares. ENJOY!!!