Christmas Eve 2016

A couple of days ago I blogged about what we got up to during the Christmas season as we did a lot in the run up to the big day. I also have two more posts to write on the matter as I love to keep a log to look back on. I have a post to write about what we did on Christmas Day, and then today’s post which is all about our Christmas eve.

Before starting I loved that I was able search for the post about Christmas Eve 2015 and I had a little bit of a giggle to see that Christmas Eve 2016 followed a very similar pattern. All family, all food. Just how Christmas should be.

We of course started the day with Little Miss getting up to her Christmas Eve box which was awaiting for her under the tree. Like with last year’s box I followed the same logic when choosing what to go in it. A Christmas book, this year I went with The Jolly Christmas Postman and it ended up being such a big hit, so much so I’ve picked up the original for her birthday this month. Something to wear to bed. A Tsum Tsum, this year it was Christmas Tink, I’d picked it up for about £6 from a Facebook selling group, she’s from the advent calendar but someone didn’t want her! Reindeer food and a letter from Santa is a must. I also picked up a box mix for gingerbread this year as we do always bake cookies on Christmas eve to leave out for the big man but as I had a cheesecake to make I knew I wouldn’t have the bowls to weigh everything from scratch. And of course some chocolate coins. This year however LM was convinced the box was left by Libby, as she was one of Santa’s elves haha. It was rather cute!

After we got dressed we hit the kitchen to make the gingerbread, which turned out to be a lot harder than I thought with a four year old. A lot more hot pans than I’d anticipated. Oh well, we live and learn! She did enjoy rolling the dough out, cutting the shapes and then decorating after they were baked.

The box mix was definitely a success in that she loved the fact it came in her Christmas eve box, then she made the cookies for Santa. We filled a tin with them so that the left over ones could be taken to my parents house which is where we headed in the afternoon.

It’s becoming a tradition to have a meal together on Christmas eve, a Chinese take away in fact. It was more important this year as my sister wouldn’t be joining us on Christmas day as she was celebrating with a friend. For me, the reason for the season is family. I’m not religious so I am teaching LM that Christmas is a time for giving to the people you love and spending time with family. We all sat around the table and watched The Muppets Christmas Carol while we ate.

Back at home it’s the traditional bath, put out the offerings to Santa, hang the stocking then hit the hay. It was so cold and windy this year that LM just stood at the door and sprinkled her reindeer food, Elsa tried it but she wasn’t keen (hay and oats aren’t exactly her favourite dish). LM also put out a carrot just in case the reindeer didn’t like the dry stuff along with milk and gingerbread for Santa Claus. She hung her stocking up and then we read The Jolly Christmas Postman.

I’m always so blessed that even on Christmas Eve when she’s most excited she always goes to sleep. No one needs a child running around while they’re working the magic!

How did you spend your Christmas Eve?