Christmas 09 Let's Get Organised!!

irishgirl62

ebaybaby wrote: »

Do you have any pics of them irishgirl?

no I did not take any last year but will take pics of them this year hope to make them tomorrow as the numbers are printed, scallops all cut out and papers cut just a matter of sticking them all together and putting sweets in them, for my 3 other kids i do traditional red and greens waiting for the papers to arrive from ebay

wendywitch

I'd like to have a little rant please . . .
I thought I was doing quite well but I'm still stuck on presents for my nephews (20, 17, 14). (I have another nephew of 11 but I've done his presents.)
I don't see them very often which doesn't help, I spoke to my sister and she said didn't really know either (the oldest 2 don't live with her). She suggested clothes for the 20 year old and said the 14 year old was really into his x box.
I wouldn't have a clue what clothes to buy and when you start talking x box it normally equals ££££ which I don't have .
I mean how much money does she think I have!!:mad: There is 6 of them to buy for and I know this will sound rude but there's only me and my 2 girls.
Just one x box game would be about £30 so if I spent that on each of them that would be £180, I don't have kind of money. Especially when she doesn't spend £30 on the 3 of us in total.
I would never say to her "oh my DD2 is really into her ds (hint, hint) and DD1 only wants itunes vouchers"
It's been the same since the kids were little. Her boys would give me a list near enough ripped out of the Argos book and she would be telling me how skint she was so I'd just suggest cheap things to get my girls, craft stuff etc.

Ok rant over . . . Thank you:o

Claire_Bear

You can buy good quality second hand x-box games from places like CEX and Game etc for quite cheap I think, depending on how popular and new they are. Primark do some quite good T-shirts which would be suitable for a 20 year old for about a fiver, they can be similar to the designs you see in Topman so that might be some help. Kids can be quite into their computers, and if you asked for some ideas maybe it was the only thing she could think of that he'd want? Don't spend tons and tons of money on them if you haven't got it, a small token gift would probably be fine, she can't expect you to go out buying expensive games and the like for them all?

karenccs67

wendywitch wrote: »

I'd like to have a little rant please . . .
I thought I was doing quite well but I'm still stuck on presents for my nephews (20, 17, 14). (I have another nephew of 11 but I've done his presents.)
I don't see them very often which doesn't help, I spoke to my sister and she said didn't really know either (the oldest 2 don't live with her). She suggested clothes for the 20 year old and said the 14 year old was really into his x box.
I wouldn't have a clue what clothes to buy and when you start talking x box it normally equals ££££ which I don't have .
I mean how much money does she think I have!!:mad: There is 6 of them to buy for and I know this will sound rude but there's only me and my 2 girls.
Just one x box game would be about £30 so if I spent that on each of them that would be £180, I don't have kind of money. Especially when she doesn't spend £30 on the 3 of us in total.
I would never say to her "oh my DD2 is really into her ds (hint, hint) and DD1 only wants itunes vouchers"
It's been the same since the kids were little. Her boys would give me a list near enough ripped out of the Argos book and she would be telling me how skint she was so I'd just suggest cheap things to get my girls, craft stuff etc.

Ok rant over . . . Thank you:o

What about JD Vouchers, all teenage lads I know love sports shops. Maybe you could do £10 - £15 each, its not an insignificant amount. My sister in law and I agreed years ago to stop buying for each others children once they reached 21, maybe you could do this with your nephews and this includes their birthdays too!

Ang2664

Claire_Bear wrote: »

I'm having a tree dilemma, I quite fancy a black tree and because I have loads of cute girly pink ornaments I don't think it would too gloomy and gothy. I saw some lovely black and silver baubles at work today but can't decide whether they'd just get lost on the black branches or if I'd have to buy all pink baubles but then would it look too pink? We already have two green trees in the house, but I can't picture a green tree with black and silver and pink ornamnets looking very good. Does anyone else have a black tree, and if so how do you decorate it?

Hi, My friend has a black tree. She just has white lights on it and a very dramatic big black and silver angel / fairy on top. It is a bit goth but it does look really good. She has a more traditional tree in another room.

Claire_Bear

Oooh that sounds lovely! I just remembered about the silver heart tree decorations I got in the Ikea sale last year too, they'd look gorgeous on a black tree. I think I'm talking myself more and more into it, especially since Wilcos has some really nice glittery black snowflake decorations this year too.... We'll also be having a 'traditional' tree to go with my girly one, although not quite sure where we'll be putting them both!

wendyphant

wendywitch wrote: »

I'd like to have a little rant please . . .
I thought I was doing quite well but I'm still stuck on presents for my nephews (20, 17, 14). (I have another nephew of 11 but I've done his presents.)
I don't see them very often which doesn't help, I spoke to my sister and she said didn't really know either (the oldest 2 don't live with her). She suggested clothes for the 20 year old and said the 14 year old was really into his x box.
I wouldn't have a clue what clothes to buy and when you start talking x box it normally equals ££££ which I don't have .
I mean how much money does she think I have!!:mad: There is 6 of them to buy for and I know this will sound rude but there's only me and my 2 girls.
Just one x box game would be about £30 so if I spent that on each of them that would be £180, I don't have kind of money. Especially when she doesn't spend £30 on the 3 of us in total.
I would never say to her "oh my DD2 is really into her ds (hint, hint) and DD1 only wants itunes vouchers"
It's been the same since the kids were little. Her boys would give me a list near enough ripped out of the Argos book and she would be telling me how skint she was so I'd just suggest cheap things to get my girls, craft stuff etc.

Ok rant over . . . Thank you:o

How about getting them all the same.
I am getting all my teenager family the same
they are having a giftcard from the local cinemas with a large tub of popcorn and a tub of haribo sweets it looks great. The younger teenagers like the independence of going to cinema with mates
and the older ones get a free night out:T

SugarSpun

Iffyton has a free Tshirt offer at the moment - £3.80 postage but it's an air guitar shirt totally suitable for a 20 year old.

pretzelnut

wendywitch wrote: »

I'd like to have a little rant please . . .
I thought I was doing quite well but I'm still stuck on presents for my nephews (20, 17, 14). (I have another nephew of 11 but I've done his presents.)
I don't see them very often which doesn't help, I spoke to my sister and she said didn't really know either (the oldest 2 don't live with her). She suggested clothes for the 20 year old and said the 14 year old was really into his x box.
I wouldn't have a clue what clothes to buy and when you start talking x box it normally equals ££££ which I don't have .
I mean how much money does she think I have!!:mad: There is 6 of them to buy for and I know this will sound rude but there's only me and my 2 girls.
Just one x box game would be about £30 so if I spent that on each of them that would be £180, I don't have kind of money. Especially when she doesn't spend £30 on the 3 of us in total.
I would never say to her "oh my DD2 is really into her ds (hint, hint) and DD1 only wants itunes vouchers"
It's been the same since the kids were little. Her boys would give me a list near enough ripped out of the Argos book and she would be telling me how skint she was so I'd just suggest cheap things to get my girls, craft stuff etc.

Ok rant over . . . Thank you:o

I know how you feel. When i was with my ex hubby, his sister had 5 kids. Back then i only had 1. When it came to november one year she said to me

''Can i have the kids xmas money so i can go and buy them their presents''
''Scuse me'' i said as i almost choked with the cheekiness.
''Oh xxxxx always gives them £50 each, each year for christmas, as he's not good with buying presents he's always given it to me so that i can get them'' she said.

I bet you can guess what i told her she could do. In the end i went to primark and bought them all an outfits and a pair of Pyjama's and a board game that they could all play together for about £60. As they never seemed to have any decent clothes on as there mum really couldnt be bothered with them and was just using the kids a s a source of cash.

No way was i handing over £250 we had just got engaged to be married.

Would she have given me the same amount for my son, no bloody way she would have. All he got for his birhday 2 days before she asked for the money was a cheap plastic toy from poundland. And i know it was from there as i had seen them on sale a few weeks before hand.

So buy what you can afford, leave the xbox stuff to his mum. You can never go wrong with gift vouchers if your stuck for ideas but then you cant hide how much you spent.

liloandstitch

Hi, I dont think Ive posted before, but I read and lurk everyday, being a christmas fan too! Im half way through my pressie buying, and thanks for all the tips and ideas you have been giving me.

Black christmas trees are fab! I have a 7ft one which I put in my hall every year, It looks superb - I keep it fairly simple with just lights and baubles, I have goldy/pink balls which I put on there, also some glass ones, which look spectacular. I would say keep the decorations fairly simple, and have a colour on there, rather than black decorations. But obviously this is what I like, you may have different views!!!

I hope you decide to get one, you wont be disappointed!

Lilo