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I should probably say right off the top that the Boesing family Christmas is a big production. What this means is that growing up, Christmas started a week early and lasted through December 26, my brother’s birthday.

What were we doing a week early? Secret Santa. A week before Christmas, our family would gather around the kitchen table, put numbers in a hat and, with great ceremony, each person would pull a number from the hat and make a big show of destroying it (i.e. eating the slip of paper) so no one would know their person. The rules of Secret Santa weren’t hard. Basically, you were supposed to do something nice each day, with as much stealth as you could muster, so no one would see you. Then on Christmas day, we'd reveal Secret Santas, but not before everyone got a chance to give his/her best guess of whom was gifting for whom. Secret Santa gifts weren’t purchased. You could draw a bath, make a bed, put out slippers and nightclothes, make a snack of crackers and cheese, etc. In this way, we learned about thoughtful giving — you know, coming up with simple ways to show someone that he/she is loved. Our Secret Santa game went the way of the condor as we got older, but our Christmas celebration has stayed pretty much the same over the years. Now that children are in the fold, we still do it big, just in a slightly different way (and Secret Santa will surely be reinstated once they’re all old enough to play).

On Christmas Eve, all 13 members of my family, including four children — Jonah (4), Maclain (7), Rachel (9), and Clayton (11) — gather around and watch as my mom pulls the crèche off the fireplace and tells the story of the Christ child. On Christmas Eve, the kids are allowed to open ONE present and, by this age, they all know what it is…matching pajamas! Then, each kid tumbles into the arms of an adult and my mom reads ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Each listens as if hearing it for the first time, but by the last line, we’re all ready to say, “And to all a good night.” It's a cozy event, complete with tea, hot chocolate, hot toddies, or some other sort of festive beverage to go along with the reading (I think a Keurig is in order).

After the story, and with all kids in their pajamas, we prepare the snack plate on something pretty, like a Lidia Bastianich plate, for Santa and the reindeer. Santa usually gets cookies and milk, while the eight reindeer usually get carrots...big ones! Each child, fully primed for the next day, goes directly to bed without any hesitation because the next time they wake it'll be Christmas!

Christmas morning dawns bright and early and we wake each person with a rousing rendition of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Christmas day is really one long, present-opening ceremony. The stockings are first, and the kids squeal with delight as they open colored pens like the 48-piece gel set, assorted writing tablets, cool race cars like Twister Trax, miniature dolls, and tasty candy snacks.

Then, it’s on to the presents. In our house, each person opens a gift with the entire family watching. You have to spend some serious time oooh-ing and aaah-ing over each gift and actually play with it. This means that paint sets will be used, race tracks will be constructed, dolls and assorted tea sets will be played with, and books will be read (or at least a chapter) before the child moves on to the next gift. It’s a relaxed day, and about four hours into the process, we break for a big, hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, juice, and assorted fruit. By the afternoon, every adult has played all games and/or done some sort of arts and crafts with each child. Christmas music is playing, something is cooking in the oven, and a crackling fire is raging in the fireplace.

When the kids (finally) finish opening their presents, it’s time for the adults to exchange gifts. We do this through a game. Some call it the "White Elephant" game, or "The Pile." Here’s how it works. Each adult brings a wrapped gift and puts it under the Christmas tree. This is done in a stealthy way so no one sees who placed which package. At the start of the game, there are nine wrapped gifts sitting in a pile and no one knows who contributed what. We then pull a name out of a hat to determine who goes first, and we go clockwise around the circle from there. The first person picks a gift from the pile, opens it, and keeps it. The second person has the choice of taking the first person's opened gift, or one from the middle pile. This continues so each person can choose an already-opened gift or a new one from the pile. Once all the gifts are open, there's a final opportunity to “put the right gift in the right hands.” Basically, the whole family colludes so everyone's happy in the end. Once the final switching of gifts is complete, we all go around the circle and make a guess as to who bought which gift and why. This is fun because it’s an opportunity for us to get into the psyche of one another and dish about why we think someone bought this or that. I’ve found that the perfect gift for the game is either one that's specific to a particular person, or one that'll be loved by all.

Each Christmas ends with a HUGE feast. We sit down to my mom’s dill bread, my brother’s turkey, my dad’s green beans and almonds, and all sorts of other assorted sides. This is my favorite dinner of the year.

I’m thrilled to be at QVC this year because I can do all of my holiday shopping here at the Q, and I can send my gifts directly to the Bay Area where we all convene for the Boesing Christmas! Not only can I find everything I want, but I also won’t have to carry my gifts on the airplane anymore!!!

So, here’s my current gift list. Shhhhh, don’t tell…

I buy for my nieces and nephews, and I get a couple of extra kid gifts to give away to organizations for the holiday season. Feel free to use any of my ideas:

My ribbon-barrette maker,Lil' Turbo Twist stunt vehicles, Little MissMatched Disney crew socks,31-piece flex-track system with cars, and Disney watches.

Here’s my list for the people in my life over 11 years old:

HoMedics shiatsu pillow, Houdini wine opener, Fireman’s five-pattern hose(don't tell my dad!), Malden Mills Polarfleece blanket, and a Best of Borghese gift set.

—Rachel Boesing

Ps. Don't stress out this holiday. Black Friday is so chaotic at the malls. Here at QVC we go by the motto, All of the Deals, None of the Craziness. So join us this year, we'll make shopping easy and you'll still score those 4am deals..just from your couch at any time of day Sweet deal huh?