Christmas Eve has a mix of excitement, chaos and always a little panic about losing a present that I hid so well. For me it's the day where everything comes together, the food, the gifts and a day when I feel like I never sit down. Every year I make a Christmas Eve to do list. Not because I’m that organised but because it keeps me from getting swept up in the flurry of glitter and mince pies. My family do help but this year it's just Ellie and I home today. Eek!
On my to-do list today is:
Cook the meat!
As soon as I get up I get on with cooking the meat. This year I am cooking a turkey, gammon and beef joint. The hours it spends cooking are worth it just for the smell wafting through the house. It might seem like a lot of meat but we all don't like the same things and the joints are not huge!
Visit the farm shop!
Every year I visit the local farm shop for the vegetables! Somehow, the carrots, parsnips and sprouts taste better from here than anywhere else, the farm shop is way better than the supermarket as they never run out and everything seems bigger and fresher! I always say that I am just going for veggies but always end up buying chutney's, pork pies and sweet treats!
Prep the veg!
Back home and it’s time to get the vegetables prepped. Carrots, parsnips, sprouts, potatoes and so on. I will peel and chop everything ready to cook on Christmas day. This is where I feel organised but at the same time slightly overwhelmed.
Make party food for tonight!
While the turkey is doing its thing in the oven I think about tonight. It’s Christmas Eve which means picky bits and snacks for tea. Mini quiches, pizza, cheese straws, chicken on sticks, corndogs, all the usual suspects. I will cook it all in the air fryer. I like to keep it simple and maybe sneak a little taste of everything along the way because I never make time to sit down and eat lunch.
Make a trifle!
I don't know how this tradition started but as a child there would always be a home made trifle in the fridge over Christmas and a big one! A layer of jelly with sponge fingers, custard and cream are essential for a proper trifle. Making it is as much fun as eating it. I always think of the trifle from the TV show Friends, mine won't have the beef or peas. hehehe
Wrap the last of the presents!
This isn't my job, it's Stu's. There are a couple of bigger presents which need wrapping and some extras that I recently bought that never made it to my pile when I was wrapping.
Tidy a little!
Before the festivities truly begin, I like to do a quick tidy. Not a full on spring clean, that can wait until January but a little decluttering to make the house feel festive and welcoming. It’s amazing what a few minutes of putting things in drawers, fluffing cushions and wiping surfaces can do.
Drink fizzy wine!
This deserves its own step because it’s basically my Christmas Eve fuel. Whether I sip it while prepping vegetables or just standing there like I waiting to do something, it makes everything more festive and by this point I’ve earned it.
Set the dining room table!
Christmas dinner might be tomorrow but setting the table early gives me one less thing to worry about. I like to go all out with festive napkins, the best cutlery and of course Christmas Crackers. This will be a job for Ellie but I know I will go and rearrange everything to how I want it. Oops.
Have a soak in the bath!
After all the running around I take some time to relax. A long soak in the bath is my Christmas Eve treat for myself. I throw in a bath bomb and will put a face mask on.
Put on Christmas PJ's!
After all the prep I finally get to slip into my Christmas pj's and make my family wear theirs too. I will spend the next 10 minutes trying to get a photo of us all.
Bring the presents downstairs!
I try to bring all the wrapped presents downstairs tonight and put them all in piles for everyone to open in the morning! Seeing the piles makes me so happy!
An early bedtime!
Finally, as the clock creeps closer to bedtime I do something I never do and go to bed early!
What do you have planned for today?
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