This is a Guest Post by Sarah of Champagne & Petals

I love Christmas, it’s my favourite time of the year. I have always loved Christmas, my parents always made it a special time of the year. I have wonderful memories of waking up on Christmas morning to see that Santa had left us giant stockings full of gifts, playing games eating chocolate for breakfast, going to church, a wonderful roast dinner before the Queens speech and then presents from under the tree. It was so important to me that our children have magical Christmas’ and they can look back like I do and have enjoyed Christmas.

Over the years we have picked up many different traditions in our house. Some from when I was little, and some we have just adopted over the years. My hubby always said that Christmas for him when he was little wasn’t anything extra special and other than gifts and Christmas dinner they really didn’t have any traditions. Other than having a bowl of sausage meat with the Christmas dinner. Which to me seems odd, but it’s the only thing he really had as a tradition so of cause I always cook up a bowl of sausage meat for people to have with their dinners.

Decorating

Our Christmas traditions start at the beginning of December, with putting up the Christmas tree and all of the decorations. I like to do it as early as possible into December, ideally the 1st but sometimes its not always possible with my Hubbys working hours. I go all out with my tree, I have a faux tree that we bought the first Christmas we lived together 11 years ago, and it’s in fabulous condition and looks amazing. 

I wire on decorations to the tree, so they stay perfectly in place. I have been collecting decorations for years, I now have a nice collection of large boxes full of different items. It’ very exciting this year because it’s the first year in our forever home that of course I will need some new items. I cannot wait.

One thing we do is each year buy the children a new tree decoration each year, my plan is that when they have their own trees they will be able to take a nice little collection from our tree. 

Visiting Santa

For the last few years we have always had a special trip during December that involves a trip to see Santa. We have visited some amazing places, Polar Express in Durham along with the York Christmas markets. Winter wonderland in Hyde Park, the amazing Lapland UK (if you have children it’s well worth every penny), Disneyland Paris and Lapland in Finland. Lapland in Finland was the most magical place I have ever visited and loved every second of our trip, we would love to take the children back again one day. This year we haven’t made any plans as yet but looking at the Light Festival at Longleat. 

We have been fortunate in being able to afford these trips, often it would mean reducing how much we spend on gifts of each other or for the children. Having a special trip each year has become our own tradition, it wasn’t someone we did as children. Of course we visited Santa but just not going away.

Christmas Eve

I love Christmas Eve, for me it’s the day of getting things ready and knowing there is nothing more you can buy all the presents are wrapped. I always set a day aside for wrapping up Christmas presents a couple of weeks before Christmas. 

Christmas Eve in our house, we always build ginger bread houses, which always go horribly wrong and the dogs normally end up eating when we are not watching. The children love it and it so much fun. 

I always do all of the vegetable prep, get it all ready. I go all out for Christmas dinner so there is always far too much and so many different items but I love it. I then prep the turkey ready for roasting. We do keep it traditional with a roast turkey, sometimes we have the whole bird and others just the crown. I cover it with bacon, if it’s the whole bird I will add in onions.

Setting of the Christmas table is always done on Christmas Eve. I have table cloth, charger plates, cutlery wrapped with bows, candelabra, fresh holly, wine glasses, napkins, crackers and then gifts placed on each of the charger plates. For the adults I always place two scratch cards in a box tied with a bow then the children have a smallish gift something that each of them will like. I just love having a luxurious Christmas table.

We always have hot chocolate and watch a Christmas film before bedtime on Christmas Eve. I then read the Night Before Christmas to them. I just love that story, I had my own copy when I was little and for both of the children’s first Christmas I bought them a copy of Night Before Christmas.

I just love Christmas and I’m already getting excited for this one.