Your official Christmas plans

[Deleted]

Our holidays will be quiet, which is nice.

We are spending Christmas Eve with my parents, Dad is making paella and my stepmom's brother is coming down. I haven't seen him in forever, so I'm excited about that.

Christmas Day is at the ILs. I have no idea what she's making, but I'm bringing an antipasti platter. I'm hoping MIL is in a better mood, she was scolding FIL when we were there on Saturday because he put the tablecloth on backwards. It's really uncomfortable to be around that.

[drloretta]

Christmas Eve I'm singing at a bank in the morning, then singing a choir mini-concert before Mass at 6:30. Miraculously, DH has agreed to bring DD and stay for the whole thing.

We will likely go home and open some of her 1923847 presents before calling it a night.

Christmas Day we will open the rest of the presents and lounge around as much as humanly possible.

MIL comes the 28th or 29th, we'll do 3 days of gift opening from her when she gets here.

[mbcdefg]

Christmas Eve Mass with my mom, brother, and sister, and then we'll all go back to Mom's house to hang out. I don't know what my mom is planning for dinner - usually she makes a bunch of little appetizers, or orders a pizza. I need to call her and ask if she wants me to bring something. 

On Christmas morning we go to my mom's house so the four of us can have breakfast and open gifts together. Sis's boyfriend may stop by; I don't think Bro is bringing his new girlfriend but he may bring the dog, lol. Then we'll drive an hour away to the maternal in-laws' to have dinner with them and watch them open gifts. Wwe just bought for the 10 kids in the family - hopefully nobody's bought us anything. The paternal in-laws also invited us over but we said we'll make plans to see them another day because it's just too much travel for one day (nobody lives far enough to justify us spending the night). 

On the 26th we'll go an hour south to my aunt and uncle's house. Then the 27th-29th is our usual long weekend trip for just the two of us. 

[steamboat185]

Flying across the country and dealing with everyone's crazy and then flying back on Saturday. I hate the holidays, but really want DD to see her extended family.

[msmerymac]

We always spend Christmas eve with my dad, which is a bit crazy, because there are 5 kids, 7-9 adults, and a 1050 sq ft house. Christmas day is really low-key, with just my mom and stepdad. My brother isn't coming this year, but I'll see him for lunch on the 24th. My mom wants to see Star Wars on Saturday.

Oh, and my parents live about 5 hours away, so we're going tomorrow and staying until Sunday. We only go there 2-3 times a year.

[MNH2013]

We have had 2 Christmases already and M has so many toys! Christmas eve I will cook a fancy dinner and we will make santa cookies.

Christmas morning we will wake up, do presents and eat cinnamon rolls. Then we will get ready to go to my dads side. I think the day after we are going to my husbands grandmothers.

[v]

Our families are local.

This year we'll do Christmas Eve with my husband's family and Christmas Day with my family.

Then a bar crawl with friends the day after. Day drinking away the horror of the prior days is a time-honored tradition for us.

[audette]

Our official Christmas is done. It was on Sunday. We only buy for the kids, and then we have "Santa Sacks" for each person that my mom usually organizes. My sister and I usually sneak an extra thing or two,into mom's so that she is at least surprised by something in hers. Now we get to relax for the rest of our time here in Canada. We have almost one thing planned for each remaining day here...

[konapoppy]

Christmas Eve: Prep as much as I can for Christmas day. Maybe attend candlelit service.

Christmas: Coffee cake for breakfast and open stockings. Then host my parents, sister, and H's BFF (well, he doesn't have to go far!) for a big meal. I have one gluten free person and one vegetarian, but it actually hasn't been that bad to figure out. H requested a buche de noel, so that will take up most of the day

[spunkarella]

We are getting up an hour before butt crack early Christmas Eve morning and driving two hours to have breakfast and open gifts at my grandfather's house with my aunts and first cousins.

He's the one with the health scares, and I'm beyond thankful that he will be in his own home for Christmas.

Then we are staying at the ILs until Saturday and visiting my other family here and there, nothing specific except a big Christmas dinner with the same grandfather and more extended family.

[SJ]

Christmas Eve: head to my parents' house with my brother after DD wakes up from her nap. Dinner there (I think they are doing tons of heavy appetizers?) Put DD to bed there (we aren't sure if we are going to wake her up to move her or leave her for my parents to bring back on Christmas morning)

Christmas Day: Christmas morning at our house with my parents & brother- stockings (just for DD), breakfast, gifts. Then in the afternoon we will all head to my grandparents' for a big meal & more gifts.

IL's arrive on Sunday and we will do Christmas with them (meal & gifts) next Mon or Tues.

[cajunmom]

We really don't have Christmas Eve plans, other than staying home and baking.

Christmas day we're staying home. Kids wake up early for presents and we're doing dinner at 1 pm here with my mom and sister and H's dad and stepmom. Lots of food but low key and relaxing.

We'll probably go to a movie in the evening.

[womet]

Thursday: take the dog to camp, wrap presents, make my grandmother's coffee cake, do some more unpacking, go to my dad's for our Christmas with them
Friday: sleep in with H, have a leisurely breakfast together, exchange our gifts to each other, go to my sister's house for Christmas, and move the last of H's things out of their garage apartment.

We've been apart since the end of August making the transition to MD, so we are excited to be spending it together and to have some time just for us.

[Deleted]

Christmas Eve we're home with just the two of us. We probably won't do anything Christmas-y. I'd like to go to the Christmas Eve service in the church we got married in, but it's 75 minutes away so I doubt we will.

Christmas Day we'll exchange our own gifts then head out to his parents' house (where his grandparents will be too). We'll exchange gifts, eat the ::cough cough:: delicious meal my MIL will prepare, and overall it's a pretty low-key day. We're staying overnight at my ILs' house since they don't want us to just show up for gifts (which I respect and understand).

Bonus day off work on Monday! Then I'm the only person in my immediate area working Tuesday and Wednesday next week!

[magic]

We celebrate in the traditional Jewish manner with Chinese food + movie

[Deleted]

Thursday- Nothing really. Probably an informal dinner with the family of pizza or something equal exciting. At bed time the kids will open their new Christmas pajamas and we will watch a movie and hang out.

Friday- Gifts and breakfast at home with the kids. 10am we head to the IL's and open gifts with them. 11am BIL will Skype in from Florida. He is serving a mission for our church and he is able to Skype on Mother's Day and Christmas so this is a fun time for all of us. We will do dinner around 2pm and then hang out, play games, watch movies, etc. for the rest of the day.

Saturday- My parents are coming in to town to spend the weekend and we will do gifts and dinner with them that day and they will stay until Monday morning.

[orangeblossom]

Christmas brunch with my family

I may go to visit my mother's grave, but I haven't decided yet.

[explorer2001]

Christmas eve - leaving work however early the office closes, taking gifts to my mentee's family and playing Santa. Then home and nothing.

Christmas - hanging out at home with the pup and boyfriend. Dinner around 5 with my parents.

I'm so over the holidays. I just want to say fuck it and cancel everything, curl up in a corner and cry, and try to get the motivation up to call my therapist and make an appointment.

[sarapocalypse]

Visiting my family in Charleston. My sister's birthday was yesterday so we'll have a party tomorrow night so we can all celebrate together. She is planning on getting a dog soon (my mom is paying the adoption fee as part of her Christmas gift) so we're doing a surprise puppy shower theme!

Christmas Eve, we're planning on going out to brunch followed by Star Wars.

We'll probably have a low-key Christmas Day with opening gifts and dinner.

[Deleted]

I have the day off!

I will be sitting on my ass drinking wine while my boyfriend cooks.

I'm very much looking forward to it.

[Deleted]

If my date tonight goes well then we are going to look at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve. If the date doesn't go well, I'm ordering pizza and watching movies. Why did I start seeing someone at the holidays?!

Christmas day I'm meeting my parents for lunch, then going to a movie that evening.

[Deleted]

Christmas Eve is DH's birthday, so I'll make his annual birthday of Italian food and cheesecake.

Christmas we will drive a few hours north to visit with my family.

Super exciting, I know.

ETA: We'll also swing by the in-laws and quickly leave. I'd give it 15 minutes, tops.

[spunkarella]

Dec 22, 2015 13:30:39 GMT -5 magic said:

We celebrate in the traditional Jewish manner with Chinese food + movie

This reminds me...the owners of our very favorite Chinese restaurant have invited us to their Christmas Eve party the past couple of years. I haven't heard anything yet, but that's not unusual. Fingers crossed! They do an awesome buffet of restaurant favorites and a few specialty items.

[shell403b]

Get up in morning.
Make coffee cake (we used to make it from scratch, but now we use a mix b/c I swear, it's the same damn recipe).
Open presents.
Have breakfast.
Call the parents/brothers.
Watch E play with his new toys.
Have lunch.
Try to take a nap.
Make the fancy dinner.
Our friends are coming over for Cocoa and Cookies in the evening after dinner (basically a small dessert party).

Should be a good day.

[insominac]

Day 1 over.
The good: H and MIL went to the store and bought food for Xmas eve dinner and prepped a bunch of stuff.

The bad: MIL brought us a motion sensitive ornament. Every time you walk past the Christmas tree, it chirps. I seriously want to smash it against the wall.

[explorer2001]

Dec 23, 2015 11:40:54 GMT -5 insominac said:

The bad: MIL brought us a motion sensitive ornament. Every time you walk past the Christmas tree, it chirps. I seriously want to smash it against the wall.

Can the dog/cat/kid knock it off the tree and break the sound?

[ally]

I just finished some baking for the holidays and need to go to the grocery store for food - both Christmas related and we just seem to be out of everything!

Christmas Eve we will stop at friends for cocktails and then go to my SIL's house.  It ill be low key and fun and DH offered to drive so I can drink this year!

Christmas day will be just us.  We will make a fun breakfast, drink mimosas, unwrap gifts.  And we have tickets to see Star Wars at noon.  Not sure yet about dinner, if our favorite Chinese place is open I could get behind that for a late lunch/early dinner!  Then some home, watch Christmas movies, maybe have more wine...

We will see my parents when my brother leaves their house.  Interestingly my mom has not even brought up making alternate plans.

[Pom]

Christmas Eve-Stuff Stockings and Cooking. Finishing touches on the house. Family (sister, 2 nieces, great niece and one BF) arriving, dinner of heavy apps, everyone stays over for a few days and we open presents, play games (probably CAH), and watch Elf.

Christmas Day- Breakfast and Christmas Stockings. We all cook together and have a big dinner, British Christmas Crackers and then watch the Doctor Who Christmas special.

Dec 26th- Doing a big celebration lunch out an an old military outpost/restaurant that is pretty cool...celebrating new jobs for both nieces (and likely Mr. P) and my sister's birthday.

[jerseyjaybird]

Today is my last day in the office, but I'll mostly be freelancing for the next ten days, trying to catch up on several projects. At least I'll be in my pjs!

Tomorrow, I'll take a break to meet friends for Chinese food and possibly a movie.

[insominac]

Dec 23, 2015 11:51:30 GMT -5 explorer2001 said:

Dec 23, 2015 11:40:54 GMT -5 insominac said:

The bad: MIL brought us a motion sensitive ornament. Every time you walk past the Christmas tree, it chirps. I seriously want to smash it against the wall.

Can the dog/cat/kid knock it off the tree and break the sound?

It will not make it into the new year, I can tell you that. I've gotten about 10 kitschy decor items from them. Thank god we have more storage space. All items will be put in a box on Dec 31 with MIL Xmas on it, just in case we do a repeat of this.