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Yep, we do this! PJ's, The Night Before Christmas book, a movie (I just got A Very Merry Muppet Christmas, or something like that)...last year it was the animated Grinch movie, because it was my favorite Christmas movie growing up), bag of popcorn, and cocoa (last year it was just a special Christmas straw cup from Target that we filled with milk. This year I'll let him have the cocoa). This year I'm thinking about putting in a bag of cookie mix and cookie cutters. But I'm due on Christmas Eve so a lot will depend on when she shows up...

I think I got a box from Michael's? Maybe Big Lots. It's nothing super fancy, just a heavier gift box (it has little metal handles).

I love this idea! It sounds so cozy I'm going to try to remember to do this when we have a LO.

I could even see adding some Christmasy books too.

We do PJ's and pretend it's from the elf on the shelf (since he leaves that night anyways) and that's why they can open it Christmas Eve. I don't do the book/movie bc I would rather enjoy those the whole season. But maybe we could include some fancy hot coco or a Christmas mug/cup for the kids.

I also love that it means coordinating PJ's for Christmas morning pictures

I want to incorporate something like this into a tradition for our boys. I think we'll just have them open up one gift each Christmas Eve and that will be their jammies. We do other things that night so the movie tradition doesn't work for us.

@littlejoy: I'm even thinking there are opportunities here to streamline my parents gifts. Make them boxes (with their spouses) fill them with special treats to enjoy christmas eve, a new ornament from my kiddos and little packages to fill their stockines (i.e. have my step dad put my moms in her stocking - etc). I have always been bummed about my parents stockings being empty now that we are no longer there to fill them!

@Mrs D: I love it! So fun and festive

My mom does this every year (we celebrate Christmas Eve their house) and she always did it for us growing up!) matching PJs and a movie to watch

We do pjs and a Christmas book. DS is only two, so once he gets older we might add the movie/popcorn/hot cocoa part.

Such a cute and fun idea. I would love to incorporate something like that into our holidays this year.

Random q thkugh - if you get them Xmas pjs for Xmas Eve, do you wear the PJs throughout the year, post - Xmas? I always thought you would wear them leading up to the holidays ...

@Mrs Green Grass: love the dog treat...great idea adding that! And the cute mug...I think this will give me a reason to splurge on the Santa mugs j want from PB!!!

Anyone found any great santa cookie plates?!

@pinkcupcake: sometime I buy Christmas specific Jammies and its her outfit for Christmas day...and sometimes they are more "winter" jammies that are just fun and new!

So, I really like this idea but I have a few concerns.

You get jammies every year, which is great! Kids always grow. Snack, yay! Those are delicious.

However! What about stuff like cups and movies and all of a sudden you have 10 of these cups, from 10 christmases and where do you put them? Or do you get rid of one? When do you get rid of it? Do you keep the movies put away during the year and bring them out during xmas? Or are the kids allowed to watch xmas movies all year long?

I have so many questions about these boxes.

@.twist.: yeah, we just do pjs - everything else we have from previous years

@tinyperson: Yea, I could get behind this. So, every year they kinda know what they're getting, but it's tradition, so it's exciting?

@Adira: I like the cookie plate idea! That's cute, I may do that too.

@.twist.: We have a special cookie plate we'll reuse, a new movie (but we'll probably rotate through a few movies during the year....last year it was the animated Grinch, this year it's a new Muppet one, and we'll probably age them up as the kids get older (maybe...I still watch the Grinch every year ), the same cup from last year (which I'll upgrade to a proper mug when he's older), popcorn/hot chocolate, and Twas the Night Before Christmas (the last of his advent books).

@.twist.: I'm doing one box for both kids. I got this 14 x 14 box from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-Jumbo-Scrapbook-Storage-Box/dp/B0014EADVM/) and decorated it with their names and snow flakes. We'll open it as a family on Christmas Eve and then make the cookies and change into the PJs, watch a movie (not in the box, just on Netflix) and read the book (in the box).

@Mrs D: I saw a cute one in the Christmas display at the front of my Target the other night. It was the size of a dinner plate that had pie-shaped sections broken down into "Cookies for Santa," "Milk for Santa," "Carrots for Reindeer" and I think there might have been one more, I don't remember. But it seemed convenient to have everything on one plate!

@littlejoy: I'm going to copy you, because, duh. K and I would always fight over slippers Christmas Eve too.

@.twist.: I plan on having a special mug for each person and a special plate for the Santa treats...not a new one each year. They will be stored in the box all year - only making appearances on Christmas Eve!

I found my box at Hobby Lobby and my cookie plate and mugs at Walmart.

New Each Year: Jammies (kids and maybe some years us too), treats, Book/Movie - though I may just rotate these, Bottle of wine for DH and I, doggie treats for Lola

Same YOY: Plate, Mug, Box

The box I have is festive - so no wrapping necessary. I am toying with several ideas as my LOs get old enough:

1) Making the box a part of a scavenger hunt
2) Making the box a donation box for Dec 1-23; the better they donate gently used toys they are through with the better the box will be filled Christmas Eve.
3) Years where we do special gifts - maybe we will consider letting them have them Christmas Eve...maybe...