Years ago, Brett and I did the typical exchanging of Christmas gifts for a bit. Gut then we realized, we were - I’ll admit it - getting bored with the monotony of it all.

“What do you want for Christmas?” “I don’t know, what do you want?”

I started seeing the tradition of the Christmas Eve Box for kids and that got me thinking: could we do something similar to that? Then I loved the something they want/need/wear/read gift rule and I was like, “Could we do something like that, but make it our own version?” Soon after I was infatuated with all the “Year of Dates” gift ideas and I was like HOLD THE PHONE CAN THIS BE INCORPORATED TOO.

So we made our own spin on the Christmas Eve Box. Although it’s not actually a box, the name has lovingly stuck, and regardless of its misleading name, we just love love love this tradition. The big thing is that we do the same three categories of gifts every year in our Christmas Eve Box. And the contents get us SO excited for the upcoming new year.

Side note. We open the box(es) Christmas Eve. We’re hoping we can continue this with kids - something to do just us two after the kids are in bed. And yes, I buy all the gifts for us. Brett likes that he doesn’t have to mess with it, he likes that he gets thoughtful surprises, and he likes that I’m thrilled with our gift choices since I’m picking pieces that benefit us both. Some people may think it’s strange that we’re not getting each other gifts, and instead I’m getting us items we could both use - items that may not necessarily be put on an individual wish list, like bath towels and date nights. My mom growing up always said, “Because every day is Christmas for me!” when asked why she and Daddy don’t exchange gifts. And I feel that.

Our three Christmas Eve Box categories:

Something(s) to increase the comfy + cozy factor of our home
- Oftentimes during the year, we think, “Oh, wouldn’t it be nice if our home had XYZ?” Like, a tiny change. That becomes a passing thought and sometimes never acted on because important things (like HOA dues! and groceries! and toll road bills!) need to be paid. I love this category in our Christmas Eve Box because it gives us permission to intentionally indulge in something that makes our home that much more enjoyable and cozy. A new kitchen toy, upgraded linens, cozy home clothes, etc.
  - The first year I grabbed us some robes and good, legit bath sheets.
  - Our second year we got a space heater and heated blankets (our house runs on propane and even THINKING about turning on the heater, I swear, costs a painful amount of money).
  - Our third year I snagged some affordable, awesome weighted blankets from Target and an electric warmer/cooler for our bathroom to keep wet, warm washcloths at hand.
  - Our fourth year I got a grill table for our weekly Grill and Chill tradition. And two more of my beloved produce keepers.
  - Our fifth year I got comfy new slippers. And, if budget allows: a few grilling tools for our weekly Grill and Chill tradition, like this basting pot and brush, new spatulas, a new serrated knife, and new dishtowels.
Something(s) to strengthen our marriage + cultivate intimacy
- It’s so much fun having a gift category specifically for this - it allows me the yearly reflection of asking, “What do we enjoy as a couple? When do we feel closest and most connected as a couple? What would I like to do more as a couple? What new thing would I like to try as a couple?” and from there, I choose a few gifts.
- I won’t bore you with what I bought in the past years - you can use your imagination and because I don’t want my answers to limit the possibilities of this category, as every couple is different - but know I love love love this category. So does Brett.
- ALSO! There can definitely be overlap between this category and the next, as dates can arguably/definitely strengthen a marriage + cultivate intimacy.
Something(s) to do together in the coming year
- I literally get giddy thinking about this Box. The last part is all about indulging in some sort of adventures and experiences for the New Year. Could be for KK-friendly adventures for Sunday Grill and Chill, could be for adults-only dates, could be for things we can do at home. This is especially good about holding us accountable for going on dates - because let’s be real, sometimes we get so consumed with adult stuff and home stuff and work stuff, that we’ll look up and realize it’s been a hot minute since we’ve done something outside of Netflix and dog walks. Enter this category of The Box. SO MUCH FUN. Even better, a whole slew of stuff goes on sale between Black Friday and Christmas (gift cards and memberships in particular). so that also inspires what we might grab.
  - I think the first year I grabbed concert tickets, a few restaurant gift cards based on our Google Sheet of restaurants we were wanting to try, a gift certificate to the local massage school (read: cheaper massages by students), a new puzzle, and a Cocktail of the Month subscription.
  - The second year we did tickets to a show, tickets to a local food festival, a pack of these to enjoy the rest of the year, a small firepit for our patio, a Tea of the Month sampler subscription, and tickets to a cooking class.
  - The third year I got new tea strainers to continue enjoying our Tea of the Month Clubs (this club and this club - would also be good to add to a Christmas Eve Box!) together. I also got this guy for our evening puzzles, given that we love to puzzle on the exact table I need cleared off to convert into my floral design space. And, let’s be real, with this new baby, we might be home for a hot minute and could reallyyyy get into some puzzling.
  - Our fourth year was the year of a pandemic and a baby, so I got things we could do safely and with or without a baby in the coming year. (Here’s a full list of things we like to do together, all baby and pandemic friendly.) A Texas State Parks Pass, a child carrier for hiking, a hiking book, another hiking book, hiking socks, and hiking shoes for Brett. An online massage class because we’ve been dying to learn. A parenting course for us to take together. Looking forward to this next year!!
  - Our fifth year we got a Texas State Parks Pass (again!) and a membership to our Wildflower Center, because both of these are dates we can easilyyyy do with or without KK and dates we can easilyyyy do for our weekly Grill and Chill tradition. We’ll also get two Yeti cups because sometimes we like to bring fun beverages with us on our evening walks. And, if budget allows, we’ll get a decaf tea Advent Calendar or sampler to enjoy nightly tea as a New Year ritual.

There ya have it! Our Christmas Eve Box. You could go bigger, you could go smaller, you could make entirely different themes - make it your own!

Did you enjoy this post? I’d love if you said hi on Instagram! I share allll the innerworkings of my routine-and-tradition-loving heart there. (Along with quite a bit of dinner ideas. Woo!)

Other blogposts you may love: