Christmas Eve is my favourite day out of the whole year. The anticipation reaches its climax and yet you still feel the best is yet to come. I always book Christmas Eve off from work well in advance and plan it with military precision. But I only plan what I do not what everyone else should do. Making fixed plans that involve other people is probably not the best idea for a stress-free day as you are relying on people wanting to and being able to do what you have planned and that is neither fair on them nor easy on either party. Plan your day and hope that others will join in if and when they want to.
I usually plan Christmas Eve and Day based on the fives senses.
Sight:
In my ideal Christmas Eve everything should already be decorated, having started on December the 1st, and the whole house should be tidy and clean. We always have a traditional red, green and gold theme with a very strong Victorian, turn-of-the-century style.
Watching a Christmas DVD at night and having the TV tuned to festive programming during the day if it is on is also a plus.
Sound:
This is simple, carols and hymns playing softly throughout the day really helps make the day feel special. You could even turn up the volume for a rousing sing-song if the mood takes you.
Smell:
Baking mince pies and mulling wine will make the house smell like the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future are all milling around your home. Baking fresh mince pies with pre-made, homemade mincemeat is a lovely activity to pass the time.
Touch:
Warm, soft pyjamas, thick, wool-lined socks, faux-fur blankets and a log fire will help make the evening feel as cosy as it is possible to be in the middle of winter.
Taste:
Good food such as fresh mince pies, a roasted lamb shoulder with roast potatoes, parsnips and all the trimmings washed down with snowballs, egg nog and mulled wine will finish the perfect day off perfectly.
Now the ideas are in place it is time for a comprehensive timetable.
Morning:
Hot croissants and pain au chocolat along with some hot tea or coffee is a lovely way to begin the day on a cold Christmas Eve morning. Put on some Christmas tunes at a low, ambient volume and allow people to wake up at their own pace.
This is the best time to make the cranberry sauce and brandy (or Bailey's) butter for the next day. Defrost any homemade vegetarian options or other pre-made frozen foods for the next day including the turkey (if you have a frozen one) in the fridge.
We order our turkey, gammon, beef and steaks from our local butchers and pick them up on Christmas Eve. The queue reaches outside of the door of the tiny butchers and we all stand in line together to pick it up and take it home. It is a surprisingly nice outing on a cold Christmas Eve morning. Inside the butchers they have wooden shelves filled with paper-topped glass jars filled with various sauces and preserves and we usually pick up some interesting ones for the cold meats and bubble and squeak on Boxing Day.
Lunch:
I will post recipes for the days surrounding Christmas soon but this is a good meal to gather the family together before the evening. Even if people live in different houses or have plans for the morning, planning a family lunch on Christmas Eve is a nice way to gather everyone together before nightfall.
Afternoon:
The baking of fresh mince pies and biscuits is a lovely activity for all the family to get involved in. The house fills with the smells of cinnamon, nutmeg and brandy-soaked fruit. Festive films are often shown on the TV at this time or perhaps a Christmas puzzle could be attempted or maybe a traditional game of Charades or Monopoly could be played. Now is the time for the family to gather together and bond over silly games or heart-warming programmes. Begin mulling wine and cider now to get the fullest flavour.
Evening:
Now the fun begins, sit down to a hearty roast dinner and drink the mulled wine and cider you prepared earlier. Egg Nog and Snowballs are also fun, festive drinks. Now you are full and merry, settle in for a cosy, warm night filled with laughter and chatter. Play games, watch TV, do whatever makes you happiest and enjoy the night.
Put out a mince pie and a glass of brandy or milk for Father Christmas, a carrot or a little hay will suffice for the reindeers. Send the children off to bed with new pyjamas and stockings and read the smaller ones a Christmas story. The adults should try not to get too merry lest they wake the sleeping children. Go to bed and sleep while you can. The excitement of the morning will wake you sooner than you ever plan.
Sunday 25 August 2013
Saturday 24 August 2013
Christmas Eve Parcels
Every year for the past few years I had developed the family tradition of getting new festive pyjamas on Christmas Eve a little further. In 2010 I simply used a little ribbon to tie up a set of pyjamas, a pair of cosy socks and a mini box of chocolates. The next year I packed the pyjamas, socks and sweets into decorated brown paper and ribbon with a large candy cane tied into the ribbon which I then sat under the Christmas tree until Christmas Eve Evening.
Last year I pulled out all the stops and along with some fetching tartan pyjamas, Scandinavian-style slipper socks and a gold topped glass jar of traditional sweets I included a copy of 'The Jolly Christmas Postman' which was a childhood favourite among all of us despite the range in ages. Other surprises were included on Christmas Eve including a Hot Chocolate Station in the kitchen (which I will recreate this year).
For my parents, biscuits, whisky, Christmas tea and Indian sweets replaced some items. I wrapped all the parcels in some beautiful decoupage paper sheets I found in Paperchase and finished with some embroidered East of India ribbon and fabric tape in red and white polka dots.
I also made a family parcel including a DVD of 'Miracle on 34th Street' and a giant red faux-mink throw (not pictured...it was enormous and the single cosiest thing I have ever touched and only £16!!!!!)
This year I wanted to do something a little different just to keep it interesting.
I decided instead of parcels I would fill personalised hessian sacks which then could be used as the sacks they leave out for Father Christmas to fill. I bought these Harrow & Green sacks (the larger ones in the picture) in January this year as I just missed out on them last year.
Last year I pulled out all the stops and along with some fetching tartan pyjamas, Scandinavian-style slipper socks and a gold topped glass jar of traditional sweets I included a copy of 'The Jolly Christmas Postman' which was a childhood favourite among all of us despite the range in ages. Other surprises were included on Christmas Eve including a Hot Chocolate Station in the kitchen (which I will recreate this year).
For my parents, biscuits, whisky, Christmas tea and Indian sweets replaced some items. I wrapped all the parcels in some beautiful decoupage paper sheets I found in Paperchase and finished with some embroidered East of India ribbon and fabric tape in red and white polka dots.
I also made a family parcel including a DVD of 'Miracle on 34th Street' and a giant red faux-mink throw (not pictured...it was enormous and the single cosiest thing I have ever touched and only £16!!!!!)
Here is the finished product under the fake tree we have in the smaller living room.
This year I wanted to do something a little different just to keep it interesting.
I decided instead of parcels I would fill personalised hessian sacks which then could be used as the sacks they leave out for Father Christmas to fill. I bought these Harrow & Green sacks (the larger ones in the picture) in January this year as I just missed out on them last year.
Instead of opening them at 6pm on Christmas Eve as we usually do these are designed to be taken to bed with them. Of course they can open them any time on Christmas Eve evening but they should be taken up to bed with them in their entirety.
Inside I plan to include;
A set of soft, festive pyjamas and socks
A book to read themselves to sleep with
A bag of lavender to help them sleep
A small Christmas toiletries bag with miniature toothpaste, toothbrush, mouthwash, lavender soap and a flannel.
A bag of treats only to be opened the following morning.
An early Christmas present
and a miniature hot water bottle-shaped hand warmers
And that is just what is INSIDE the sack...just wait for my Christmas Eve Evening plan post!
Primark makes really lovely and cheap Christmas pyjamas and socks so I will be heading there as soon as their festive stock comes in and I will post pictures. A brand new set of pyjamas is a lovely thing to go to sleep in on such a special night and the socks can be worn overnight or just in the morning to shield their bare feet from the ice cold morning wooden floors.
This year's book is going to be another childhood classic, 'Father Christmas' by Raymond Briggs. It is an amusing and yet distinctly Christmassy book that can be appreciated by a wide variety of ages.
Lavender helps people relax and sleep so a bag of lavender by their pillow will be a sweet addition to the stocking. These little lavender filled organza bags are incredibly cheap at only £4 for 12 and available in a variety of coloured bags.
The toiletries are going to be in a miniature version of the Harrow & Green sacks where you can choose the letter of the person's name to go on the sack. I will then fill it with the miniature toiletries including a lavender soap to aide with sleep and relaxation. This is more of a novelty than a necessity as they will have their own toothbrush and paste of course.
The small bag of treats only to be opened on Christmas morning is detailed in the previous post.
The early Christmas present will be just that, simply one of the presents that I have bought for them for Christmas that I will place in the stocking rather than their giant present box (yet another post to come on that too). They can choose to open it early or wait 'til the morning if they wish.
The miniature hand warmers in the shape of hot water bottles will help warm their toes and fingers when they first get into bed. Our central heating never works so the house is always very cool in winter so this is a much needed addition.
I will also be recreating a family Christmas Eve parcel with a DVD to watch and a giant blanket to sit under but this will be explained more comprehensively in the Making of the Christmas Parcels post.
Once I have collated all of the pieces I will make another post on how I put it all together and finished it.
Mini Traditional Stockings
In England, certainly during my parents and grandparents generations, Christmas stockings were filled with simple treats and a toy if you had been good that year. For my siblings this year I am going to recreate the simple Christmas stocking of previous generations, although it certainly won't be replacing their sack of gifts.
I plan to include this in their Christmas Eve parcels (which I will talk about at a later date) but they are not to be opened until Christmas morning.
First I needed to find a suitable but cheap stocking. Stockings are surprisingly expensive so I settled (very happily) on this adorable little personalised sack from SnapDragon which is currently being sold for £3 a bag on notonthehighstreet.com. You can choose your own message and they will print it on the bags which are 100% natural cotton. They ship internationally.
I chose the message "(Name), Don't Open Until 25th December". It seems the perfect size as a larger sack might have looked a little empty while this will only require a few treats to make it look stuffed with exciting gifts.
Now with planning what to put inside of it. Although I have purchased the bags I don't plan on buying the treats until November/December so they are as fresh as possible. I plan to include:
A candy cane
A clementine
A sugar mouse
Chocolate coins
A guardian angel
The chocolate coins are simple as they are sold everywhere in England at Christmas time. We used to attempt to hang the bags from the tree every year but they would inevitably fall through the branches and get lost or eaten by an apparently suicidal dog. But here is a cheap online buy on Amazon at only 70p a bag. I only plan on scattering some coins in each stocking rather than putting a full bag in so I will only need a couple of these.
Again clementines sold with their pretty green stems and leaves still attached are commonplace around England in the build up to Christmas but make sure you get them before they sell out.
Sugar mice are a little harder to come by but quality old fashioned sweet shop Hope and Greenwood do some very pretty pastel coloured sugar mice at 3 for £3.99.
As for candy canes in previous years I have opted for the American import of Hannah's Natural candy canes as they are satisfyingly thick and have a variety of interesting flavours but I can't currently find them on sale on this side of the pond yet.
And finally a guardian angel. These are tiny handmade clay angels which are a sweet little protection charm which while not holding any real powers can be used as a good luck charm for the year ahead and beyond.
These mini Christmas sacks are a lovely way to start the day especially for impatient children waiting for their parents to wake before they can open their presents.
Once I have collated all of the pieces I will make another post on how I put it all together and finished it.
I plan to include this in their Christmas Eve parcels (which I will talk about at a later date) but they are not to be opened until Christmas morning.
First I needed to find a suitable but cheap stocking. Stockings are surprisingly expensive so I settled (very happily) on this adorable little personalised sack from SnapDragon which is currently being sold for £3 a bag on notonthehighstreet.com. You can choose your own message and they will print it on the bags which are 100% natural cotton. They ship internationally.
I chose the message "(Name), Don't Open Until 25th December". It seems the perfect size as a larger sack might have looked a little empty while this will only require a few treats to make it look stuffed with exciting gifts.
Now with planning what to put inside of it. Although I have purchased the bags I don't plan on buying the treats until November/December so they are as fresh as possible. I plan to include:
A candy cane
A clementine
A sugar mouse
Chocolate coins
A guardian angel
The chocolate coins are simple as they are sold everywhere in England at Christmas time. We used to attempt to hang the bags from the tree every year but they would inevitably fall through the branches and get lost or eaten by an apparently suicidal dog. But here is a cheap online buy on Amazon at only 70p a bag. I only plan on scattering some coins in each stocking rather than putting a full bag in so I will only need a couple of these.
Again clementines sold with their pretty green stems and leaves still attached are commonplace around England in the build up to Christmas but make sure you get them before they sell out.
Sugar mice are a little harder to come by but quality old fashioned sweet shop Hope and Greenwood do some very pretty pastel coloured sugar mice at 3 for £3.99.
As for candy canes in previous years I have opted for the American import of Hannah's Natural candy canes as they are satisfyingly thick and have a variety of interesting flavours but I can't currently find them on sale on this side of the pond yet.
And finally a guardian angel. These are tiny handmade clay angels which are a sweet little protection charm which while not holding any real powers can be used as a good luck charm for the year ahead and beyond.
These mini Christmas sacks are a lovely way to start the day especially for impatient children waiting for their parents to wake before they can open their presents.
Once I have collated all of the pieces I will make another post on how I put it all together and finished it.
It's That Time of Year Again.....
That's right, it's finally August so obviously it is time to begin preparations for the happiest time of year. :)
Christmas in my house is genuinely the most exciting, cheerful time for all of us and here I am going to show you little things we do to try and make the build up as well as the day itself as special as possible and you won't need to rob a bank to do so.
Christmas in my house is genuinely the most exciting, cheerful time for all of us and here I am going to show you little things we do to try and make the build up as well as the day itself as special as possible and you won't need to rob a bank to do so.
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