Last Minute Preparations
By Juliaacv
@Juliaacv (51389)
Canada
December 22, 2024 8:31am CST
My husband brings the twins to an Early Ontario playgroup 5 days of the week. They play with other children, paint, do crafts, have a snack, read books and sing songs. There is a group of parents who, along with my husband, do some other things together with the children.
On Monday, the playgroup is closed. The 9 parents have made reservations to bring their children to an indoor amusement park.
I have been busy making up little sweet boxes for each family.
Yesterday I made white chocolate almond bark, peanut brittle, milk chocolate candy cane bark and this morning I am finishing up 1 more item to add to the little boxes.
I am making little pecan snowballs. They are in the oven baking, once they come out I will roll them into the icing sugar and then get ready to do up the little boxes.
That leaves me just 2 final preparations before Christmas. On the 24th I will bake the cherry-pecan loaf but use the bundt pan and do up the baked French toast, as that needs to sit in the fridge overnight to enjoy on Christmas morning.
How are your preparations coming along?
6 people like this
6 responses
@AmbiePam (93934)
• United States
6h
That’s so cool. They are going to love all of that. You certainly put a lot of effort into it!
I’ve got to put everyone’s presents in their gifts bags. It’s going to be quite a trick getting all the presents down my stairs. Besides the kids and my sister and brother-in-law, I have the small gifts I bought my aunts. I was hoping to make one trip down the stairs for the sake of my back, but I don’t think it is to be. Maybe I’ll wait for my dad to come by.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (93934)
• United States
3h
@Juliaacv Oh, I hope you start to feel a little more rested. We want you feeling better for the big day.
Our Christmas together is still Wednesday, but I wanted to pack the car before that so no one feels rushed. My dad, Diana, and me are exchanging gifts Tuesday though so we can have a little get together also with a lady who has been staying with them for the past few months (she’s an older lady trying to hide from a family member threatening her). Hopefully, she feels like she got to celebrate too. She said she’d feel out of place going with us to the family Christmas.
Our Christmas together is still Wednesday, but I wanted to pack the car before that so no one feels rushed. My dad, Diana, and me are exchanging gifts Tuesday though so we can have a little get together also with a lady who has been staying with them for the past few months (she’s an older lady trying to hide from a family member threatening her). Hopefully, she feels like she got to celebrate too. She said she’d feel out of place going with us to the family Christmas.1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (51389)
• Canada
3h
@AmbiePam I am watching the Lions/Bears games with my hubby right now, and myLotting in between.
I did up a nice little bowl of spinach and lettuce so that we can add the rest of the ingredients for salads for next week. I have to put the ham in the oven soon, it is really small, so it won't take long to bake, since I always boil it for an hour to let it release the sodium.
I have not done much at all today, which isn't like me.
Tomorrow and Tuesday will be very busy days at work, and I need to be on my a-game, Christmas Day will be busy and fun, and I want to remain healthy and rested.
I would discourage you (strongly) from keeping gifts in your car until you leave. There are so many without anything today, that you would hate to have someone break into your car because pretty wrapping paper tempted them. We don't even leave our phone charger cord in the cars anymore, we don't want to tempt anyone.
I will put up my Christmas post later this week. I have a pm that I need to do to a dear myLotter who doesn't post so much anymore, but I have to wish him my best.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (51389)
• Canada
5h
I hope that you do wait for your Dad to come along to help you, it sounds like you have alot of things to get outside without anything getting dropped or broken.
It sounds as if you are celebrating Christmas today, if you are I wish you and all of your family a very good time, I know that you have alot of fun when you gather.
The goodies are all in Christmas decorated ziplock baggies except for the foil wrapped chocolate balls and the candy canes. I put some red tissue paper into the nice plastic storage containers and then filled each box and snapped the lid on, they will be able to reuse those containers for leftovers. I put all of them, except for 1 into a large tote box for hubby to get it out the door safely. One of the families left last week to spend Christmas in Florida, so the mother will receive this when they reconvene in January.
I must admit that I did a bit too much yesterday, as I still feel over-worked physically, something that you only feel when you have a sit down job, today. But I napped earlier so I should survive.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (182191)
• United States
7h
That is really nice of you to do the boxes. I bet the families will love them. Yesterday, I made some Christmas cookies, but I haven't prepared anything else yet for our "feast." I have more cookies though I will make maybe today. Presents are wrapped etc.
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@Juliaacv (51389)
• Canada
5h
When they have their parties and gatherings, they always invite the children, and their parents, but they are generous in the fact that they always want Grandpa and Nanny there too. We always feel so honoured, especially me as I don't know them as well, and we attend, and bring gifts.
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@Juliaacv (51389)
• Canada
5h
I hope that they enjoy the goodies.
It is nothing fancy, just little things that we would have at our gatherings.
As you know, they are very generous to invite him and I to their childrens' parties, as well as the twins' parents. He really has made some 'true friends' by attending the playgroup.
Most of the parents were born in other countries, and it is fun to learn of other's cultures.
But I did not keep any of it for here, Ron packed a baggie of peanut brittle in the fridge, but I saw it, he can munch on it over the holidays.
@Tampa_girl7 (50524)
• United States
8h
The cookies sound delicious. We are ready.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14694)
• Hong Kong
8h
The sweet box you prepare sounds good.
My elder brother and sister-in-law just came back from a cruise trip. We'll have a family gathering on Christmas Day. I'll bring some smoked salmon and a chocolate cake to his place.
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