Christmas 2018

There are years where it seemed that this blog only existed for coordinating Christmas.

Well, we did a little better this year, but then it all kind of unraveled. And here it is, two weeks before Christmas, and this is the first organizational post. Oops.

So – here is the plan, as I see it. I’ll amend the post as people correct the plan, which is either keeping things simple or revisionist history. Your choice!
*** The editing has begun.  Comments that no longer make sense will serve as guides towards reverse engineering the original post.

 

The plan

  • The family gathering will be Monday – Christmas Eve – at the Neafie house.
  • Target arrival time is around 11 – 1.   There will be finger food – more than just snacks, but not a formal meal.
  • Gift opening will be first – around 1, if everyone is here.
  • There will be games and such, including the Christmas Eve exchange, till around 5
  • Dinner is at 6.
  • Then everyone goes home

 

The activities

  • Jigsaw puzzle
    • Mom is bringing a 1000 piece puzzle.
  • Cookie frosting/decorating.   Roll-out sugar cookies dough is made; will be making the cookies this weekend, probably.
    • Mom is bringing different colors of frosting and tips.  I have tips, but only 7 connectors.
  • Board games.  We will have a selection out and take requests.
  • Photo scavenger hunt.  Bring your phone, make sure you have space for photos.
  • Gift game:
    • Everyone who’s participating bring three separately wrapped gifts with tags.
    • These gifts must be inexpensive and of the utmost practicality.  Think a single can of olives.  Toilet paper.  A dish brush.
    • Wrap them all beautifully.   Calculate the cost of the individual item and write it clearly on the tag.
    • Hopefully hilarity will ensue.   Prizes will be awarded.
  • “How well do I know my family?” quiz
    • There are three sort challenges.
    • Books for Ramona & Joseph.  Tools for Nelia & Luke.  Terminology for Christina & Chris.
    • Write out your guesses.   Even better prizes will be awarded.

 

Christmas Eve gift

(GASP) We skipped this last year?    Well, Mom says I can have it this year, either by right or fiat.

OK, so we’re doing lots of games this year.   Therefore, the Christmas Eve gift will be white elephant.

 

Oh, no; not a white elephant exchange.   That would be far too pedestrian.   It has to be a white elephant.  Or as close as you can get – white, or elephant, or near to both.   No price point, but this is just for fun, so keep it reasonable.

Not drawing names.  Also, no wrapping.    If you want to do some decorative presentation, ok, just as long as the gift is not obscured.  I have a game concocted for this, too.   Mild hilarity will ensue.   Prizes will be awarded (hint: they’ll all be whitish elephants!)

 

Christmas gifts

We are not drawing names this year.   Gifts for all the people!!   However, all the gifts are given jointly; ie, Luke & Nelia jointly get something for everyone individually.     Each family unit gets gifts for 4 people …. each individual ends up getting 2 gifts … urgh; I feel like I am doing this horrible job explaining this.  Everyone knows what I’m saying, right?    I think this is what we did last year.

 

The food

Say which you’ll bring in the comments.  I’ll attach names.

Standard lunch munchies:

  • Chick fil a nuggets & wraps
  • Veggies
  • Nuts
  • Cheeses
  • Crackers
  • Punch?

Dinner – I haven’t decided how formal or informal this is.    Informal might be more relaxed and more fun. But there is something rather delightful about the formal dinner experience.  Anyone wish to voice a preference?

Food

  • Ramona – ham
  • Nelia – sweet potatoes
  • Christina – rolls (bought or made; they’re delicious either way)
  • need lots of greens.   Open to suggestions.   I want something with brussels sprouts, but that’s likely just me.  Someone can make a side dish just for me, though, I don’t mind.
  • the mashed cauliflower?  Or the baked cauliflower?   (oh, there’s a place in Austin that makes this seasoned baked cauliflower … wish I could figure out what they’re doing)
  • With ham, we often do potatoes au gratin.   Anyone up for that?
  • What about glazed carrots?    Would be nice to bring in some other root veggies too.

Drinks

  • What do folks want for drinks?    Hot tea/iced tea?   Milk?   More punch?   This is such a mixed crowd for wines we’ve avoided that in years past.  But if folks want a formal dinner, we could have wines, in which case everyone bring what you want to be drinking.
  • I have ordered mulling spice from Penzeys.  If it arrives in time, we will attempt the mulled cider Penzeys suggested.

Dessert

  • Probably some of the sugar cookies, but I was also thinking those were to go home with everyone.
  • I’m planning on making a cherry pie and a white cake with cranberry filling.  It’s a new recipe and might be a disaster.
  • There’s another bar cookie type recipe I am eyeing, but haven’t decided.
  • Mom, by all means feel free to make the toffee cookies. We just made a batch of the Andes mint cookies here too :)  But they bear repeating if you want to make those too.   Would you like to do any baking while you’re here as another fun activity?  Eleanor loves making cookies.

2 comments

  1. Glad you are making sugar cookies. I had thought I would make cookies to frost at the party, but now you have taken care of that. Woohoo! I can bring colored frosting in bags with tips, though. So far as size is concerned, I prefer small to medium, perhaps medium/large, depending on how you gauge size. The large cookies I made last year seemed more likely to break.

    I also have the makings for Andies mint cookies and Toffee Bars. I can bring those.

    I have an unopened 1000 piece puzzle, 20×27. It is a cartoon style farm scene with lots of activities going on. Should be a good group puzzle, the only drawback being its small pieces. I could also bring a card table and 4 sturdy folding chairs if needed.

    I looked up the gift plan from last year. We did the same, families giving to individuals with no drawn names, but we did not have a themed gift. In 2016 I chose coloring books. In 2015 Chris named it Something Inky. If we want to do the themed gift this year, and it is named by a couple, it could be Ramona and Joseph’s turn. You could name it 3 small practical gifts and we could play with them. 🙂 Or you could name it something else and we could draw names.

    Ham sounds good. You can go many ways with the sides when you have a ham. I will happily bring whatever side you tell me, or you could tell us to bring 2 or 3 sides and make it truly pot luck. I do want sweet potatoes and could make them.

  2. OK, when did you change the original post??? I have been looking for updates but not for a revised original post, though that does make more sense.

    Anyway, I plan to bring:
    – 2 or 3 salads.
    Right now I am thinking of either a wilted or a not wilted spinach salad that includes apples and cranberries, and possibly bacon; a Brussels sprouts salad, to be decided once I know if the store has them fresh; a broccoli salad, something different than the one I usually make. I was looking at one that has broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. These are all untired recipes…. and actually undecided yet.

    – Veggie plate.
    I am going to try to restrain myself on size, but no guarantees. It seems like I always fear there will not be enough and bring too much. I have a large container of hummus, the kind with pine nuts, and I will probably bring a ranch dressing, hopefully the one with bits of spinach.

    -Sweet potatoes.
    I could bring the one with pecans and sweet crumbly on top or I could bring a salad with sweet potatoes that I saw when I was looking for salads that are different from my usual. Any input on that one?

    -Cookies
    Toffee bars, chocolate chip maraschino, and Andes mint. Also, of course, colored frosting in bags for the cookies.

    So you want roasted cauliflower? I could do that, but it would not be the same as what you are thinking…. though roasted cauliflower is good no matter how you do it. It’s good with nothing but salt and pepper.

    I am not good at potatoes….. Could give the carrots a shot. I made some once a long time ago and they turned out well. Let me know.

    Tea is nice. I think punch is festive and Luke likes it. He likes the usual cranberry and ginger ale one. Do you want me to bring something for that?

    Preference on the evening meal… If there is enough room around the table, I like formal. If the table would be crowded, informal is fine.