Christmas Eve to us is just as important as Christmas day is with all the prepping and last minute wrapping once Blake is in bed. There is also making the day fun for Blake which is why we do the Christmas Eve box tradition every year. I thought I'd share with you how we prepare for Christmas and what are must haves for us.
Setting the table
We don't have a dining table as our flat is too small however I do like to set up our coffee table. I like to make sure we have a great centre piece which at the moment is a christmas tree ornament that we got last year. Crackers at Christmas are a must and we tend to usually buy cheap ones in poundland. However this year we have these stunning eco friendly reusable crackers from Keep this cracker. These crackers are great for the eco conscious and are flatpacked ready to pop into shape and fill with your own fun treats. They do bang when pulled but don't tear. To reuse them, simply replace the snap which is shown in a video on the website.
The personalised wreath plate from The personalised gift shop makes the perfect Christmas table decor for displaying them yummy treats on. Whether serving starters, crackers or cheese the plate makes a perfect accessory to your festive table.
Food and drink
Every year for dinner on Christmas eve we have a buffett it's become a tradition. We tend to opt for both hot and cold buffet food and a mixture of both savoury and sweet treats. We mainly get our food from Iceland as they do such a wonderful selection. As for drinks I usually go for J20 and hot chocolate or if I fancy some alcohol I opt for a glass of rose.
Peter's yard have some yummy looking cripbreads I'm looking forward to trying this year. They look ideal for dipping and I'm hoping to make my own dip this year too. I'm also going to be trying the crisp breads with my favourite cheese and maybe some pickle too. When it comes to sweet treats london bakery Konditor & Cook have a delicious looking range of mince pies and cookie selection boxes to dig into which will also make a lovely gift for a foodie this Christmas. Last of all I'm looking forward to indulging in the mixed vegan treat box from Yumbles. The treat box contains 2 giant Oreo brownies, 8 mini donuts and 2 chocolate chip cookies. I'll be certainly tucking into the treat box whilst doing some last minute wrapping.
Last minute wrapping
There always seems to be something I end up forgetting to wrap up and end up having to do last minute. So I always make sure that I've got some wrapping paper left over just incase. This cartoon Rudolph and Santa wrapping paper from Dom and Geri is not only super cute but can be personalised too with a name of choice. The wrapping paper is going to add a beautiful personalised touch to Blake's Christmas presents this year!
Games
Christmas is all about having fun with the whole family! There are two new brand new hilarious games out that are sure to be popular this festive season.
The first is by Wowwee called What's that Smell? What's That Smell? is the new scratch & sniff party game that totally stinks! Guess the scent on the card correctly to win or you could be suffering the reeking ramifications of one of the deadly Stank Cards. With over 50 smells from nice to downright nasty, What's That Smell? is a breath of fresh (and not-so-fresh) air in the party game category!What's That Smell? includes 48 Mystery Whiff Cards, four Stank Cards and scent-barrier bags, six cardholders, a sheet of Whiff Strips, scorepad and instructions for 2-6 players ages 14+.
The next game is by Megablu and is the Guinness world records Do try this at home game. Put your knowledge of the world’s most famous Records to the test and challenge your opponents to demonstrate some nifty record- breaking skills using everyday household items! Players compete to answer some of the 600 Guinness World Record question cards, but the real fun comes with completing the challenges… breaking your opponents’ records. Skills involve spoon balancing, wearing the most pairs of socks, flipping a bottle of water and many more! Cross the finish line with 3 challenge cards in your possession to be the winner!
Christmas Eve Box
The Christmas Eve Box has to be my favourite Christmas tradition to do for Blake. This year we have a new box a personalised one from Babyblooms. This beautifully personalised wooden Christmas Eve box comes complete with a luxury, cloth bound version of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ and a personalised Christmas Eve plate for Santa’s snacks and Ruldolph’s carrot. Both the wooden box and bone China plate can be personalised with up to 25 characters and the set is a fab way of make christmas even more magical.
I can't mention the Christmas Eve Box without mentioning some of the must have items I like to include in ours each year. First up as well as the plate and book a new Christmas DVD is a must to add to our growing collection! The littlest reindeer is a cute animated film featuring the voices of Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games) and John Cleese plus other known names. When Blitzen suddenly announces his retirement from the reindeer team, Santa needs to find a replacement, and fast! Against all odds, Elliot and his best friend Hazel set out to prove that he is the little horse for the job. Busy with the North Pole reindeer try-outs, Hazel and Elliot don’t realise that a sinister lady has turned up at the ranch and their friends are in serious danger.
The Personalised gift shop sell some cute Christmas Eve essentials which I like to add to our Christmas Eve Box such as a personalised Santa's glass milk bottle which comes with 2 red and white stripe straws and can be personalised with your child/rens names (up to 15 charcters). Hot chocolate is my favourite Christmas eve treat before I go to bed and the personalised gift shop sell a range of adorable designed Christmas mugs. My favourite has to be the Santa Claus is coming to town design which you can get your name personalised inside the lip of the mug.
I like to also add a pair of pjs into the box along with chocolate, crafts and things to get up during the day on Christmas eve to keep us all entertained. Cookie crumbles sell a range of baking mixes and this year we will be making some delicous gingerbread men the set makes 18 to 20 biscuits and all you have to do is add butter and golden syrup. The posibilties are endless when it comes to adding to your Christmas eve box for example you could add a Christmas CD, festive cuddly toys, socks, more books and I've even added a bath bomb one year.
