We were sent a mystery box from the Christmas Shop Holt for purpose of review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.
I love all things Christmassy. It is the one time of year me and Steve go all out and I think that is because we were brought up with festive loving families too. I remember having Christmas at home with my mum and Dad (and my brother until he moved out) and then heading to a Boxing Day party at my Nan’s the next day. After my Nan passed away and as I got older, Christmas wasn’t Christmas if we didn’t go to my brother’s house on Christmas Eve for a festive tipple before heading down the road back home to enjoy Christmas Day together and then heading to an uncle’s on Boxing Day. Christmas was totally a time for family, as it should be.
As an adult, our Christmases have been spent sometimes with my parents, sometimes with Steve’s parents and since my Dad died, my mum has always spent it with us, even if we were at Steve’s parents! This year, hopefully, should be no different as thankfully she can bubble with us if restrictions continue after the current one month lockdown.
With that being said, I really wanted Christmas to be even more spectacular this year. We’ve all struggled with the impact Covid-19 has had on our lives and I want to ensure Christmas is truly magical. We were recently sent a mystery box from the Christmas Shop Holt, containing fun and festive goodies.
This particular one retails at £20 although they range in price from £10 to £30. Each mystery box will be worth more than the price you pay e.g the £20 box contains items which come to £30 or more altogether. You can let them know themes you like (traditional, modern etc), colours and even likes and dislikes – or you can choose a complete surprise. I chose a complete surprise! So what did I get?
The items arrived well packed and individually wrapped which I loved. Could it get any more festive if it tried? We loved unwrapping each bit to see what we had received!
We received seven items with five being different as the owner was aware I had two kids so they made sure not to leave either out! We received a North Pole Arrow Light Up Sign (£19.99), a Santa’s Workshop door (£7.99), 2 x elf letter kits (£3.99 each), Santa air freshener (99p) and 2 x Christmas Eve activity sets (£2.99 each). As you can see, you are getting much more for your money with the box costing £20 and the light up sign on it’s own almost making up the whole cost!
I was really rather impressed with the mystery box from Christmas Shop Holt. There are a variety of different items – some for the whole family such as the sign which the kids are ever so excited to put up and the door, some for the adults such as the air freshener and the letter sets and activity kits for the kids too! The shop has really thought of the whole family and it shows.
With that in mind and the fact that we could all do with a festive boost, the team at the shop have kindly offered a £20 mystery box for one of my readers! How exciting is that? To enter, just fill in the Gleam widget below. This giveaway is UK only and ends on the 15th of November 2020 at 11.59pm. Good luck!
On Christmas eve after getting Santa’s treats ready the kids choose 1 present to open 🙂
I think this year we will need anything to make christmas a bit more magical
Every year I decorate the christmas tree with my kids . They take a turn each year to put the star on .
I watch gremlins every year
I love to play Christmas music in the morning while everyone is opening presents and we also love to play some christmasy themed games and we watch the queens Christmas speech 🙂
We have to wait for the 12th December to put up our tree as it’s a family tradition which my children try to challenge lol x
North pole christmas eve breakfast 🙂
only that my two sons take it in turns each year to put the star on the tree
We always have a full English breakfast in bed on Christmas Day.
This would be lovely for my 3 year old!
Watching A Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve
I make boot-shaped templates and put them on the floor from the fireplace to the gifts under the tree and sprinkle talc around them. It looks like Santa’s snow-covered boots have walked from the chimney and put the presents under the tree. The kids love it.
we add a dec to our tree each day of december
I especially love the North Pole sign, it’s so cute! I’ve been sent a box by the Christmas Shop Holt too, looking forward to seeing what’s inside when I open it later today 🙂
We play Christmas Carols when decorating the Christmas Tree
My son and I watch Muppet’s Christmas Carole every weekend and sing along the whole film. It doesn’t feel like Christmas without it.
My son and I watch Muppets Christmas Carol at every available evening and we sing along the whole film (except I always excuse myself when the ghost of Christmas past is on the screen because she freaks me out).
When my kids were little we always did the glass of milk, carrot for Rudolph & mince pie for Santa, bit now they’re older we don’t bother with anything on Christmas Eve. Everyone does come to ours for Christams Dinner though.
New pajamas for Christmas!
We always put our tree up on the first weekend in December as a family
I put the same decorations up each year
I don’t really have any Christmas traditions, although I would absolutely love to incorporate some fun little traditions to do with my two boys. I like the idea of new PJs, maybe the Christmas Eve boxes and a movie to watch together. Also maybe making party foods on Christmas eve, a little buffet. I’m gonna have a look for some ideas now! 😀
Our main traditions are on Christmas Eve. We go to the carol service at church then home for a pizza takeaway before sprinkling the reindeer food and getting new pjs on
We do Christmas pjs, no tree until 1st Dec as my youngest daughter’s birthday is on the 28th Nov.
Watching “ELF” on Xmas eve
Oh my gosh, this looks SOO good. I love that each item is individually wrapped, I’m definitely going to enter your comp. 🙂
We don’t actually have any traditions, I think we need to come up with some.
New pyjamas on Christmas Eve
My daughter always does a North Pole breakfast on Christmas Eve.
Our Christmas Eve tradition that we do every year since having children is after tea we all go for a walk on the beach. No matter what the weather we get wrapped up and have a lovely walk under the stars. We come home for a bubble bath and new PJS. We make hot chocolates and settle down to watch a Christmas movie all toasty and warm under the throws with the fire going. Once the kiddies are in bed me and my hubby get all the magic ready for the morning. Then we celebrate the evening with a glass of fizz and a cheeseboard. I love Christmas Eve just as much as the big day.
I reuse all my old and treasured decorations each year
Baking cookies for Santa whilst listening to him talking to the children on the radio
New slippers all round!
Buying my kids and grand-kiddies a new tree decoration every year, so when they leave home they’ll have a box of decoration for their tree with all the memories attached. We also love Christmas Eve – usually a cinema trip, McD’s then home for new PJ’s and getting ready for Santa
we go out a walk round the village to look at all the houses that have lights and decorations up we started it when first born was a toddler fresh air always good to help with sleep on such a exciting night
A real tree is our tradition
On Christmas eve we always put our Christmas pjyamas on and watch Christmas films and eat nibbles and lots of chocolate!
We always go round to mum and dad’s and have a proper family Christmas, probably not going to happen this year so I’m going to try and make this Christmas as memorable as possible!
we dont have many the main thing is we put our tree up 12 days before christmas and take it down 12days after. Christmas day we have party food rather than a cooked dinner so that noone is stuck cooking or cleaning on christmas day – we then go out to a local pub for a full christmas dinner with all the trimmings on boxing day
We like to wear matching pj’s and sprinkle reindeer food outside on Christmas eve
We open up a bottle of Bucks Fizz with breakfast
We always leave a mince pie & milk for Santa, and a carrot for Ruldolph.
We have a Xmas eve buffet as our tradition . Have done since the kids were tiny , can not wait for this years
We always give the kids some new pyjamas to unwrap and wear on Christmas Eve
Listening to Carols from Kings – love it
We usually have a family theatre trip on Christmas Eve, such a shame this wont happen this year. We do Christmas Eve boxes too but just with really cheap bits in to make it even more exciting for the children.
We have loads – we didn’t have a lot of money growing up, so Christmas was more about what we did than what we got!
My favourite was opening one present on Christmas Eve – always pyjamas, which my dad had chosen!
our granddaughter puts the star on our tree every year!
Traditionally we go to Mum’s at Christmas.
I love tradition, my favourite one is our Christmas Eve, we have a jigsaw puzzle we do with the children each year and then getting ready for bed with ‘The Night before Christmas’ story and all the excitement.
We have a few traditions…. we watch Home Alone on 1st december every year. We have visits from the elves during December and then we do christmas eve boxes the morning of xmas eve…..a tradition i seem to have gained is making too much mashed potato on christmas day lol
We have a few. I made an advent calendar when we had our first Christmas in our own home. I fill all the odd numbers and my husband fills the evens so neither of us know what is in there. I also write out activities for us to both put in there so we have something to do each day. We still have stockings and when we put the decorations up, we always cuddle up on the sofa with nothing but the tree lights on, and put The Polar Express on and drink hot chocolate with all the trimmings.
Hanging Christmas stockings up on Christmas Eve 🙂
We always do a Christmas Eve box with hot chocolate, sweet treats, a magazine and new christmas pyjamas in!
Christmas Eve we spend the night in together as a family, watching lots of Christmas films eating lots of Christmas snacks. I love Christmas, it’s a shame what’s happened this year during covid. The children do not understand. This is very thoughtful Thankyou for the chance
We always watch Muppets Christmas Catol on Christmas Eve because afterall there’s only one more sleep til Christmas!
I just can’t wait for Christmas this year. I can’t wait to put the tree up with my family, we always put on cheesy Christmas music and end up wrapped up in as much tinsel as the tree!
We used to go to the pub with my family on Christmas eve but now we have little ones we are forging our own traditions this year and doing a Christmas eve box, film, hot chocolate and putting out the plate for santa! All things I did when I was little though so still carrying on tradition Christmas day we see both sets of parents, play games, eat too much, watch TV and have a buffet tea (and of course a Christmas lunch) and we go for a walk on boxing day
we play games after dinner then go for a walk
Yes, we do elf on the shelf in the lead up to Christmas. I love seeing the looks on my daughters faces when they see what the elf has got up to.
I do my Christmas baking on Christmas Eve, then change into new nightwear relax and watch TV
We put the Christmas decorations up as a family and have elf on a shelf
On Christmas Eve we always choose one gift from under the tree to open!
We let the kids open one present after their stockings in the morning then we all get washed and dressed before doing the rest of the presents. By the time they get reasy they are fit to burst with excitement!
A long walk on Christmas Day
Always leave a mince pie and a glass of sherry out for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph of course x
We always put up the decorations as a family at the end of Nov/
We all have our Xmas eve box’s new pj’s and a gift to open hot chocolate then we all ile in my big bed to watch films and fall asleep
we put rainbow dust outside on christmas eve and I jingle bells outside the kids window just before they go to sleep to heighten the excitement
would love to be lucky please
Every Christmas eve for the last 11 years (minus 1 when when my husband was serving in Afghanistan) I have spent the evening wrapping presents, drinking Baileys with my husband DJing the night with Christmas songs, and watching and chatting to me whilst I wrap. Its one of my most favourite things of Christmas. This year will be different as we finally have our baby.
Christmas dinner with all the trimmings
My little boy has a Christmas Eve Box with new pyjamas, a bath bomb, dvd, book and cookie. We usually have a walk on the beach first so it makes for a really snuggly end to the day.
Ice skating in Bristol
We always have a full English breakfast before opening gifts
We always put the decorations up after my daughters birthday on 15th December and always have the same tatty angel on the top of the tree
We always go for a family walk after the main Christmas meal.
We like to have one special gift to open on Christmas Eve
I love seeing all my family for drinks and board games on Xmas Eve
Reading A Christmas Carol in December always finishing on Christmas Eve
We have loads, making gingerbread houses, christmas eve boxes, making mince pies and christmas cookies
My favourite time of the year
Normally all the family come here but this year will be different but I am going to try and win extra presents to send to them.
The four of us always get in matching PJs and play board games on Christmas Eve!
We eat fondue before opening all of our presents on Christmas Eve! 🙂
We buy a new Christmas tree decoration every year, we try our best to buy ones that means something or represents an important time or event for us in the year…..this year we bought a Father Christmas fishing on a little boat. It represents our holiday to Dorset this year where we tried sea fishing for the first time with our 10 year old son.
We put the decorations up with a nice bottle of M&S Bucks Fizz!
On Christmas Eve, we always have cheese and crackers and party food instead of a meal. There is usually way too much there and we are still eating the leftovers on Boxing Day!
New PJ’s for the kids every year, snuggle together and read The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve and tuck the kids in. Then go downstairs and sample Santa’s whiskey that we have left out to make sure it is good enough for him! :):)
need to think a new one this year as not sure whether we can travel to wales yet
New pjs for everyone on Christmas Eve and a film to settle down with, usually muppets Christmas carol.
We always open one present on Christmas eve x
Every year my daughter and me make a Gingerbread House. Every year we have ideas of grandeur – every year we fail miserably!!
We do elf on the shelf for our kids age 2, 4 and 6.
My favourite is always watching santa Claus the movie on Christmas eve then going to church. ❤️
When my son was born we started the storybook advent, this will be our 10th year, my children love it and it’s always nice to have some new books x