Preparing for Christmas 2011

Anglea

budgeteer wrote: »

I know it's already almost June and many of you are all set for this years Jolly Holly Christmas :rotfl:, but I can't see a thread for those, like me, who are lagging a bit behind on our planning.

There are numerous Christmas planning threads on here which are all year round e.g Thrifty and Santa challenges - these cover birthdays etc as well as Christmas and we start talking about planning the following Christmas on 26th December!

There are other Christmas ones as well, I know that unless you write specific words into the search, you don't always get the right results. Good luck with your thread. I love Christmas discussions and planning.

lizalloareds

Great thread, our local focus will be closing soon and a B&M will be opening up so plan to look there for some prezzies
also planning to do some Homemade prezzies

elysia2003

Anglea wrote: »

There are numerous Christmas planning threads on here which are all year round e.g Thrifty and Santa challenges - these cover birthdays etc as well as Christmas and we start talking about planning the following Christmas on 26th December!

There are other Christmas ones as well, I know that unless you write specific words into the search, you don't always get the right results. Good luck with your thread. I love Christmas discussions and planning.

Thanks Anglea - and just incase you are short on pennies, it's not too late to join in the Thrifty Gifty Money making thread. There more the merrier we say.

We do surveys, ebay, reviews and such like, and there are challenges to keep us on our toes and the money coming in. If anyone wants to join in, we are here. See you there.

mr_knight

I wouldn't have started so early if it hadn't have been for the Lloyds pharmacy B1G2F on the grabit. I did most of the little bits on there. Then the Superdrugh 40% off helped me buy some more bits so I am virtually done.

Just as well as I recently found out I am PG and due just before christmas so I will need to be super organised. I don't live near any of my family so things will have to be posted well in advance.

Just got 2 sets of parents to buy for now and some "family" gifts (OH family is massive so last year I just bought each family a tin of roses with an extra gift for the smaller children as most of his neices and Nephews are over 18 now)

I am hoping whittards do some fantastic deal like they did last year and I can do a hot chocolate hamper for each family instead of Chocolates again.

candie_gill

I love planning for Christmas, its my favorite time of the year. My planning started as soon as last years decorations came down! Usually i bung them all in a bag, but this time i boxed them all perfectly and in order and stored them away in our huge boiler cupboard.

Then i hit the sales, got all my wrapping paper for next to nothing, a couple of stocking fillers and bits for my little ones xmas eve hamper, all my cards really cheap and lots of red xmas decorations for my new colour scheme next year.

Lists have been made, so far i have all my little ones presents apart from his main present which is a vtech computer for kids. All my festive candles purchased in the sales, book of 24 second class stamps put away with my cards, £40 on my Asda Christmas savings card (hoping to get it at £200 for food)- cooking for 9 people this year so i need to be prepared!

There is also a fab thread on here called preparing for winter, i joined that as it has some fab ideas for keeping that festive time of the year cosy and stress free. So far to prepare for winter as soon as it was too hot for winter hats, scarfs and gloves i stored them in a seperate shoe box labelled for each family member. Collected up all our hot water bottles and washed the covered- then stored away. Not an awful lot you can do until the weather starts to get colder, but its a good idea to put the winter essentials somewhere safe as there is nothing worse then not having them to hand and buying again, only to find the old stuff!

System

well ive finally made a start ! ive just ordered a freebie personalised pen [freebie board] to start my dds writers hamper and ive got a pre printed canvas from ebay for an are set other bits will be from the £1 shop [paints/brushes etc]

SparklyClean

Had another Christmas present arrive today ordered 2 pet pillows for my DDs, and made a start on the cards I'm making for my aunty's Christmas present,
I now know what to get my uncle, so am going to get started collecting things for that ~ bird feeding/seed related
And when the farm shop near us start the pick your own, I'm going to have a bash at some jam for my dad's gift

sammy_kaye18

Ive been thinking the last few days about just what I could put in the good life hamper

so far it is set on
- a big basket from poundstretcher that Ive seen (although I was debating a trug for a while) and I might line it with hay for authenicity!

- a 'beware of chickens sign

- 'sue and giles live the good life' book

- the local farmers market here sell some fab preserves and honeys so
will get a few of those nearer to Xmas to add to them.

- a few seed packets for peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, and maybe peas
(as read these are not poisonous to chickens and they enjoy them too)

- embroidered gardening gloves each.

- embroidered gardeners toolbelt - with blank plant tags, twine, and
maybe some secaturs in

- was thinking a bottle of homemade plonk but they both like white/red wine so may see if I can find a local seller again on the farmers market for an after a day in the garden tipple.

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EDITED TO ADD

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OK so Ive been away and my gift list was for 12 people = 6 kids, 6 adults

2 of the adults at the minute aren't receiving gifts after some of their recent antics. most unamused! although to be honest its my mum and sister and if they dont get Xmas presents its not the end of the world and they wont appreciate a homemade gift anyway - rather turn there noses up at no designer label!

so so far I have decided for the remaining people

dad + step mum = good life hamper
nan + grandad = scrapbook of the kids

step brother (16) - pot of gold with £10 gamestation card
step sister (18) - pot of gold with £10 new look card
cousin (8) - pot of gold with £10 toys r us card
cousin (10) - pot of gold with £10 toys r us card

niece (6) - christmas eve stocking and pyjamas
niece (3) - christmas eve stocking and pyjamas

so thats pretty much my Xmas stuff sorted bar the animals which are easy enough done. Now off to update my word document with what I need for each gift so I can keep an eye on sales through the year and will make a similiar list on my phone so I can keep track of what I still need to hand as well incase I spot something.

Claire_Bear

Hello all, I just started picking up a few pressies here and there Got loads of wrap and tags and ribbons etc in the sales after Christmas last year, have a bag full of cards which I've had forever but hardly ever send any, just close family and I tend to buy the special ones anyway.

So far I've bought a Doctor Who Big Brilliant Book 2011 for OHs son, £1 in a local bookshop
Mock the Week 'scenes we'd like to see' book for OH, £2.99 in The Works.

Today I'm going to sort out a big pile of things I want to sell on eBay, including an iPod nano, and probably wait for the next free listing weekend. Everything that goes into my Paypal from that is going to go back into getting Christmas pressies online. Plus I'm watching some things on eBay and am already making lists and having ideas of what to get people. I'm expecting our first baby early December so this year forward planning is essential! Hoping to have most stuff done by the end of October so I can put my feet up and relax!

aplaceinthesun

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

Ive been thinking the last few days about just what I could put in the good life hamper

so far it is set on
- a big basket from poundstretcher that Ive seen (although I was debating a trug for a while) and I might line it with hay for authenicity!

- a 'beware of chickens sign

- 'sue and giles live the good life' book

- the local farmers market here sell some fab preserves and honeys so
will get a few of those nearer to Xmas to add to them.

- a few seed packets for peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, and maybe peas
(as read these are not poisonous to chickens and they enjoy them too)

- embroidered gardening gloves each.

- embroidered gardeners toolbelt - with blank plant tags, twine, and
maybe some secaturs in

- was thinking a bottle of homemade plonk but they both like white/red wine so may see if I can find a local seller again on the farmers market for an after a day in the garden tipple.


.

The hamper is sounding great ! You can get the blank plant tags and twine in the 99p stores, plus they also sell general purpose plant food, etc in there. How about some small pots for seedlings too ?