Back in 5th grade my two girlfriends Corinne and Emily and I started a tradition we called Christmas Eve Eve (a name I thought was so clever but have since learned is not original at all – thanks social media). Every year they’d come over to my house and we’d exchange gifts, make and decorate cookies, eat my dad’s famous nachos, and watch Christmas movies. It added an additional layer of Christmas festivities to the season, prolonging the holiday and giving us an excuse to have a sleepover with friends during a time traditionally reserved for families. It’s been several years since we’ve been in the same city on Christmas Eve Eve, but this year we were able to get together for a nice lunch the week beforehand (with two additional girls new to the gang) at Queen of Sheba, a delicious Ethiopian restaurant in my neighborhood.

On Christmas Eve Eve itself, Corinne came over to my house with a tasty dairy-free casserole (Penny has a milk allergy so I have to be careful to avoid all dairy) and we sat around with Penny for a few relaxing hours before the holiday crazy set in. We exchanged gifts: I bought her a Resistance Kit for the modern suffragette designed and created by the amazing Beth Mathews. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to get one for Corinne – she’s been the epitome of the modern suffragette since we met in 4th grade. Corinne got me the ultimate gift: a casserole that I can re-heat for a few meals (hallelujah no cooking for me!) AND she did my Costco shopping for me on Christmas weekend…my head spins just thinking about trying to take Penny there in this madness!

That evening we went over to Gretchen and Brandon’s house for friendsgivingmas, or Christmas Adam, which is Brandon’s name for Christmas Eve Eve. Dani and Chris weren’t able to make it to town in November for a friendsgiving dinner so we combined both holidays into a pizza-chocolate-Christmas music-Shrek-The-Halls-extravaganza with all of the kiddos (we missed you David and Sarah!). I really love how Christmas Eve Eve has turned into a day devoted to friends, and it’s especially fun getting the next generation involved. I can’t wait to see how it evolves over the years – although I imagine it’ll be out of control once the kids outnumber the adults! Does anyone else out there have any Christmas Eve Eve (or Christmas Adam) traditions?