Perfect Christmas Eve Gifts

Our family follows the popular tradition of the "Christmas Eve Gift" shared by many across the world. All children get one present on Christmas Eve, and the one who says "Christmas Eve Gift" first prompts the opening of the gifts. Nearly every year growing up, the oldest of our cousins remembered first, but I think we might have had a year or two in there where we got to them first!

Some popular Christmas Eve gifts are Pajamas, especially for little kids. Christmas Journals are fun for teenage girls, and Boys like novelty T-shirts and caps to wear and act goofy in front of the camera with.

We started a tradition of getting a Nutcracker every year, with the idea of having a "collection" for our son, but he's worn them out playing with them so much. So his Nutracker gift on Christmas Eve is usually a replacement for the poor fella that bit the dust last year! Oh well, as long as he has fun! They are toys after all!

Christmas is meant to be enjoyed! So let's celebrate a little early with some of these special Christmas Eve Gift finds!

Our Christmas Eve gift was always a new gown or pair of pajamas. To me the crisp new material, even though it was a little scratchy sometimes, meant Santa was really getting close!

I recall the excitement of curling up in Nana's big soft feather guest bed (if I was lucky enough to snag it!) in my new pajamas as I lay awake as long as I possibly could. Counting every stitch on my new duds as I listened for reindeer. Always listening...... listening....

Celebrating Christmas Eve - I love it!

very sweet and touching, and a little bit funny!

Try a board game!

The best thing about being with cousins only during the holidays is less time spent squabbling! One sure way to get us focused was to sit us down with a brand new game to play. Competition was fierce, but only for a little bit!

This is a new game from Discovery Channel based on the popular series "Deadliest catch".

It is geared toward kids, but adults are allowed too!

Now you can be the captain of your all-time favorite Deadliest Catch ship: Time Bandit, Wizard, Northwestern, or Cornelia Marie and compete for the most "red gold" aka Alaskan King Crag. Survive the hazards of the Bering Sea as you race to drop your crab pots and return to port with the largest crab count. The board game that recreates all the winning show action! Game includes quad-fold game board, 18 navigation cards, 20 crab pots, 6 hazard chips, Coast Guard chip, and 4 ship markers. 2 player or team, ages 10+.

One of the best ways to quiet a child is to give them candy (at least temporarily!)

The nice thing about these beautiful ribbon candies is that they last a long time! Almost as exciting as peppermint candy canes on Christmas Day, the ribbon candy we got to eat Christmas Eve was a special treat all its own!

Thin Ribbon Candy - 7 oz box assorted flavors

Sevigny's is the thin ribbon candy you remember. Each strip measures 4 inches long and 1 inch wide. It's one of our favorite Christmas candies.

When we found ourselves in between things, waiting for others, or were up too early, (or too late even) there was always a jigsaw puzzle going in the front room. It was usually a really tough one, so that it lasted all through the week we were at my Papa and Nana's house. The cousins and aunts and uncles would eventually each take a stab at it. It was great fun watching the image gradually materialize, and a twinge of sadness when it was all done, because that usually meant it was close to time to go back home.

Opening up the puzzle though, on Christmas Eve (or even before) was always a bit exciting. We all wanted to see the challenge ahead of us this year. I remember one year it was a crazy zigzag pattern, and another a plain white board (I'm not sure if we ever finished that one)