A fellow blogger suggested chronicling Christmas as a ‘day in the life’ post, which I thought was a fun idea.  So here’s how I spent Christmas 2011, hour by hour.

 

10:35 AM – Following a not-so-restful night in my in-laws’ guest room, I finally actually open my eyes and consider waking up.  Listening to the house, I can tell that most of my family is still asleep, although the Husband is missing in action.  I check and answer emails and blog comments on my iPhone for a while.

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11:00 AM – After a workout, the Husband returns to the guest room, and we exchange gifts.  He gave me a poem, and I gave him a love letter.  Our anniversary is January 3 so we tend to save the big gifts for that holiday.

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11:15 AM –  We wander downstairs to discover that my sister-in-law Sophie and mother-in-law Rosalind are prepping breakfast.  Sophie has an actual spreadsheet that details the items for every meal this weekend.  I check the list and discover we’re having hashbrowns, so I begin to cut potatoes while drinking an orange juice.  No presents have yet been unwrapped.

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11:25 AM – The potatoes go into a skillet and there’s nothing else for me to do, so the Hus and I take the dogs for a walk.  We talk about how this is our last Christmas as a family of two!  Also, probably the last Christmas for ten years that we’ll get to sleep in.

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11:45 AM – We return and the kitchen is still a madhouse.

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11:50 AM – I ask how long it’s going to take for breakfast and am told we’ve got another 30 minutes.  I’m starting to get faint from hunger so I have a snack – Greek yogurt and a banana.

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12:00 PM – I check with the chefs and there’s still nothing I can do to help, so I take a shower and get dressed.

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12:30 PM – Yipppeee!  Breakfast time.  Guess this is more like lunch now.  Sophie and Rosalind made scrambled eggs, homemade Hollandaise sauce, spinach, mushrooms, and hashbrowns.  Worth the wait.

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1:30 PM – We decide to open presents.  We do a Secret Santa exchange every year to help reduce the financial burden of the holidays.  I bought a gift for my father-in-law and received a gift from my mother-in-law.   Even the doggies get presents!

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2:30 PM – My brother-in-law and his girlfriend arrive. Yay!  They drove up from Florida.  We all go for a walk together.

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The dogs come, too.  Between all the relatives, there are five dogs and three cats in the house.

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4:00 PM – I heat up leftovers for my brother-in-law’s girlfriend and myself.  No one else seems hungry except for us!  On the menu:  veggie bake and salad.

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4:30 PM – I decide to take a nap.  It is glorious.

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5:30 PM – The Husband wakes me up to say that the starter is being served for Christmas dinner.  It is a lovely carrot, lemongrass, and ginger soup.

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5:40 PM – While eating dinner, we begin to play a Murder Mystery Game.  Everyone has a part and a script.  No one knows who the killer is and we must act out our roles to discover who the culprit is.  I play a guy named Ralph Rottinggrape.  The Husband plays a German businessman and does a horribly awesome and over-the-top accent.  Everyone is laughing through dinner.

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6:40 PM – I help bring out dinner.  Sophie has prepared a huge spread similar to Thanksgiving.  I have seconds of everything, especially the roasted potatoes.  We continue to act out our roles in the Murder Mystery and then take a break to discuss possible baby names if our baby is a boy (we have a girl’s name already).  We also do Christmas Crackers again, put on our paper crowns, and read the jokes aloud to everyone else.

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7:30 PM – I clear the table and help start the dishes.  I pour dirty dish water all down the front of my shirt (whyyyyy).

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8:15 PM – We go into the living room to finish the Murder Mystery Game.  I was NOT the murderer, although I was an unwitting accomplice…

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Meanwhile, I eat my weight in After Eight chocolates.

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And now… it is 9:30 PM on Christmas, and the family is winding down.  Some people are in bed, others are playing drinking games.  There’s pie warming in the oven, though, and that’s my next stop – DESSERT!

 

What did you do on Christmas 2011?

{ 44 comments }

 

  • Jennifer@ knackfornutrition December 25, 2011, 9:51 pm

    Ah what a lovely Christmas day! My family came to me this year in DC so we spent it breaking in my apartment. Lots of laughs and family bonding. It was perfect.

  • Kimmy December 25, 2011, 10:01 pm

    I did exactly what I do every day that I am away from my horrible desk job: EAT, sleep, watch a lot of movies, and breathe.

    I’m glad you had a good day. I will say this: I’ve accepted the fact that I might put on about 15 lbs this winter since it is cold, I eat a lot, and I’m fully sedentary by nature. And I’m okay with that!

    P.S: Hash browns should always be a part of breakfast!

  • Kath December 25, 2011, 10:02 pm

    LOVED this – thanks for sharing your day! I love how your family celebrates 🙂 Reminds me of mine growing up when we’d visit my grandparents.

  • Rachel Starr December 25, 2011, 10:03 pm

    Merry Christmas & happy early anniversary, Caitlin! 🙂 I ate my weight in food & haven’t even started on dessert. Best. Day. Ever!

  • Sana December 25, 2011, 10:11 pm

    I loveeddd the format of this post 🙂

  • Luv What You Do December 25, 2011, 10:13 pm

    What a great way to share your day!

    I spent my morning at Christmas brunch and my afternoon with Hanukkah happiness (the Bulls game and Chinese food…yum!)

    Enjoying some mint tea (helps sooth the tummy after all the sugary treats) and the Bears game. Love days like this filled with family fun!

  • Tara December 25, 2011, 10:14 pm

    My friends and I did the exact same murder mystery game, and I was also ralph rottinggrape!! definitely was surprised by the real killer. merry christmas!

  • Gina @ Running to the Kitchen December 25, 2011, 10:38 pm

    This was fun to read! We had a very untraditional Christmas this year in comparison to other years and it was weird and hard to get used to. I hate change!!

  • melissa December 25, 2011, 10:47 pm

    We are not British but we do christmas crackers on christmas eve and wear the crowns/read the jokes and trivia. It’s something we have done for 20+ years. So cheesy and fun 🙂 my sister’s prize was “the mystery calculator” must be said in an over the top sinister voice haha

  • Megan @ Loving the little things December 25, 2011, 10:53 pm

    Very cool! Sounds like a great day!

    Where did y’all get the murder mystery script?? I think that would be fun to have at a big family get together! Please share!!

  • Brooke @ sweats & sweets December 25, 2011, 11:17 pm

    Wonderful day! I had breakfast with my dad and stepmom at my aunt’s house, then spent the rest of the day with my husband and mom. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas. So blessed that my family is so wonderful.

  • Jess December 25, 2011, 11:26 pm

    Sounds like a very relaxing christmas!

    I had bacon and eggs on crisonts for breakfast, pressies with my family, then over to the in laws for a lunch of cold meats and salads, followed by a swim. Xmas in summer rocks!

  • Jen December 25, 2011, 11:59 pm

    Haha, we did Christmas crackers tonight, too! And it was so weird, because my family is of a British background so we ALWAYS have crackers, but tonight we were with hubby’s family and their background is Ukranian. I’m not even sure how the crackers ended up on the table or who bought them, but hubby and I had to explain to everyone what they were and how to work them, lmao. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their tissue paper hats 🙂 I hope your Christmas was as fun filled as ours was!

  • Khushboo December 26, 2011, 12:30 am

    I love this idea for a post! Sounds like a wonderful Christmas! My day involved a lot of food and family time- perfect!

  • Lee December 26, 2011, 12:41 am

    I saw a movie (Like Crazy), went to tour my husband’s office with my mother (he works at a news station so it’s kind of cool), went bowling, got takeout Chinese food and watched several episodes of House Hunters.

  • Carin December 26, 2011, 1:44 am

    LOVE the After Eights…. and they’re not actually bad for you, as although they’re chocolate coated, they are actually filled with toothpaste.

    Think you should consider the name Ralph Rottingrape for your firstborn, if he turns out male!

    We didn’t make it to the beach on Xmas Day, but have had a swim today (Boxing Day) – lovely weather here in Auckland.

  • Emily B December 26, 2011, 3:19 am

    Wow that is a very eventful Christmas – I LOVE your blog!!! This Christmas it was pretty quiet, just an immediate family lunch with our grandmother, and there was a thunderstorm as it’s summer in AUS:) Have a happy new year!

  • Karlee @ BringingBackBalance December 26, 2011, 4:08 am

    Sounds like a fabulous way to spend Christmas day 🙂 Enjoy your last year without kids!

    Merry Christmas!

  • Elisabeth December 26, 2011, 5:36 am

    Looks like a wonderful holiday with family and I love the format of the post! I came home from Christmas morning (worked 3rd shift Christmas eve night) and made breakfast & opened presents with my mom. I then took a 4 hour nap & went to my great aunt’s house for the annual turkey dinner with most of my family. It was a wonderful, restful holiday spent with the people most important to me. I’ve got one more celebration today with my good friends from high school.

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin December 26, 2011, 7:16 am

    Your last Christmas of sleeping in for 10 years? Try 20. I’m 22 and I still wake up my family before 7 am on Christmas LOL!

    We opened presents in the morning, then had a big brunch and spent the afternoon playing puzzles and doing board games followed by our turkey dinner!

    It looks like you had an amazing Christmas. That’s such a fun idea to play a murder mystery game! 😀

    • Amy S. December 26, 2011, 1:30 pm

      I was thinking this same thing, my 17-year-old SIL made sure to wake us up bright and early Christmas morning!!

  • Kate December 26, 2011, 8:07 am

    I, too, was the only one who seemed to be hungry for regular meals yesterday! I was snacking all day long! (And hit 14 weeks Saturday!)

  • Mica December 26, 2011, 8:28 am

    This post was totally awesome and made me smile and laugh. Thanks for sharing, and merry Christmas!!

  • Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife December 26, 2011, 8:52 am

    SO fun!! Merry Christmas!!

  • Hillary December 26, 2011, 8:54 am

    Chinese food and a movie with my brother, like the good Jews we are : )

    Merry Xmas!

  • Kelly December 26, 2011, 9:21 am

    I love this! I’m so glad you did the day-in-the-life thing, its fun to see what someone else’s day looks like!

  • Katie @ Peace Love & Oats December 26, 2011, 9:47 am

    That looks like a very relaxing Christmas! Mine was similar, but started much earlier in the morning! Breakfast was at 9 and then the presents began!

  • Alett December 26, 2011, 10:12 am

    Sounds like a fabulous day!

    AFTER EIGHT CHOCOLATES!?! Oh how I miss those! Thank you for the reminder and Happy Boxing day!!

  • Sarah@The Flying ONION December 26, 2011, 10:24 am

    Such a beautiful Christmas day!! A nap would have been ideal for me yesterday. I was so burnt. Thankfully I feel totally refreshed this morning. 😀

  • Lauren December 26, 2011, 11:38 am

    I expect you’ll be woken up on Christmas for longer than ten years . . . I’m 21 with 2 sisters aged 18 and 11, and were up at 7am yesterday 🙂 My dad has started imposing a “no earlier than 7:30” wake-up call, but we sneak out early and eat breakfast together 🙂

  • Emily @ Perfection Isn't Happy December 26, 2011, 11:38 am

    Sounds like a great day! I’m 23-years-old and my family still doesn’t sleep in :). We were up by 8am to open presents, haha!

  • Jacalyn December 26, 2011, 12:13 pm

    That was a great post. I really like “day in the life” format. My sister and her family (hus and 2 kids) came and spent the week with us. Christmas morning was much different than when I was a kid. None of the kids assaulted the stockings when they woke up. They all wanted to eat, first. After they got a morning snack, we opened stockings and then gifts. I made breakfast and after cleaning the kitchen, I took my husband outside for a 10K run. It was nice since we had been feeling stressed with the house full of people and trying to “host” a memorable Christmas for our guests. As soon as we got back, I began cooking dinner. The in-laws came over for dinner, so it was a nice night with family, food and wine.

  • Nena December 26, 2011, 12:22 pm

    I love this day in the life post! Awesome! I spent my Christmas with my boyfriends family and my sister came along. It was nice. My first Christmas with them. I love the game idea! My family and I usually play a board game later in the night, but the continuing murder mystery thing, I love! I must get details on how that works! 🙂

    Happy Holidays!

  • Sarah December 26, 2011, 12:38 pm

    I love the idea of secret santa instead of buying gifts for everyone. Christmas can get wayyy out of control. Looks like you had such a nice Christmas!

  • Amber K December 26, 2011, 1:21 pm

    What a wonderful day! And it doesn’t involve any driving…I’m jealous! We always seem to drive for about half the day to the various family functions. I keep saying one year we’re going to Scrooge it out and stay home! lol

  • Lexi @ A Spoonful of Sunshine December 26, 2011, 2:11 pm

    Mmm I loved this post! It’s so interesting to see what other people do on Christmas because each family has its own special traditions 🙂

  • Laura December 26, 2011, 2:19 pm

    Apparently the British forces shipped 30,000 After Eights out to Afghanistan as part of their Christmas dinner spread!

  • sarah @ sarah learns December 27, 2011, 9:30 pm

    it sounds like a great christmas! i spent my day between 3 different family celebrations with my and my husband’s families!

  • eatingRD December 29, 2011, 7:16 pm

    What a great day! hehe love those Christmas crackers. Since my stepmom is of English descent, we usually have those too. I got to sleep in till 7, made breakfast, relaxed a bit and went for another bike ride 🙂 Pretty low key this year. Happy New Year!

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) December 29, 2011, 7:43 pm

    Loved this day in the life post!!!

  • Emily December 31, 2011, 1:14 pm

    Wow, your Christmas looks wonderful!

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