Making a budget Xmas a bit more exciting- ideas please!

Androcles

Get them to write a thank you letter after opening each present?;);)

red_devil

spendingmad wrote: »

wrap everything in miles of sellotape, boxes within boxes within boxes, a treasure hunt for the pressies, instead of a selection box individually wrap each choccie bar! .....I will keep thinking!

that will cost more on wrapping paper. Treasure hunt is a good one.

cleggie

Thanks for all of the ideas.

As it happens, i have managed to get everything i need for less that £600!
All i need now is the food shop, which i am doing on Saturday.

I didnt pay full price for ANYTHING, except the stuff in poundland (tinsel and lights etc).
I got them their most wanted presents, DSiXL's, a new skateboars and scooter, so they will be happy!

tomd0801754

This thread has given me some great ideas!

Whilst I have no children (I am only 20!) My girlfriend may as well be (she often gets up at 4am, as I have been told by her mother). Its our first Xmas together and we have both recently graduated, so money is a little tight. No I think i have enough suprises to keep the day fresh and exciting. I especially like the Gingerbread house idea, and seeing as we are both big kids: result!

In reply to the time of children being allowed up: I have two younger brothers (11 + 12) and we have never been allowed to get up before 7:30. The lads usually bang around and chat loudly about Santa and if he has been. But do not leave the room for fear of recieving the wrath of my Step-Mother. This does not phase them and if anything builds excitement.

superflygal

My husbands family do Christmas like this:

Cheapo stocking 1st thing in morning, with little puzzle type games in. Main presents kept under tree.

Morning spent putting on christmas outfits, playing with puzzle games etc from stocking, and eating little chocs etc.

Aperitifs and Lunch at 12ish

Champagne (fizz) and presents at about 2pm, this stretches out as each present has a riddle on the gift tag, to help recipient guess contents of parcel. Each person opens present whilst others watch/help solve riddle. There is also a designated "christmas fairy" My DH looks so gay when he has the role!

Then cold bird and rolls at 6ish. followed by games.

I was skeptical of this method originally, as in My family, we have a mad scrummage of tearing open presents, have lunch at 2pm, and play games from 4.30ish, christmas songs on stereo and basically sink a lot of alcohol!

Both are awesome, I am glad I tried out the inlaws christmas too, as both are nice and very different.

SFG x

cleggie

Superflygal- i LOVE the idea of putting riddles on the gift tags so that they can try and guess what it is before they open it!! That'll kill some time!

PixieDust

My Mum began a tradition of making a Pinata for the children which they open on Christmas Day evening. They don't hold an awful lot, really, and they generally do not merit much artistic praise (by her own admission, Mum's now legendary "Snowman" looked demonic in the extreme!!!) I think the paint and glue on the "Christmas Tree" caused all the colour from the green crepe paper to run, and the "Bauble" was pretty unrecognisable as such - but none of that mattered!!!! The "pinatas" don't always hang...."Snowman" kept going wrong and "grew like Topsy" until it was 3ft tall....we bopped his head off with wooden spoons

After much discussion, this year she's attempting a "Yule Log"...I have told her that I shall be taking away points for the more it looks like a turd!

Stuff that goes in them....pack of party poppers (opened pack, so they're individual)...balloons ditto....paper curls and confetti (both are made of chopped offcuts of wrapping paper and stuff)....cereal bars (less than 80p for 6 in A$da kinda thing)....sachets of hot choc, maybe.....any sweets, lollipops, crappy toys, written out jokes/silly books from charity shop (all dependent on the size of the opening on the pinata)

victory

Bumpmakesfour wrote: »

Ohhh I LOVE the idea of a treasure hunt!!!I'll have a week or less old baby at home so was looking for ideas to occupy the kidlets a bit more than usual.My guys are up far far farrr too early..DS with his aspergers was sooo wound up and got up at 1.30am last year:eek:So trying to think how to resolve that one too.
Anyway!! can anyone who does the treasure hunt elaborate a bit please,re the clues you do etc and I can try to get my baby brain in gear and sort it out.Thankyou xx

http://www.treasurehuntclues.org/

victory

http://www.instructables.com/id/Christmas-Treasure-Hunt/

http://www.treasurehuntclues.org/christmas-treasure-hunt.html

victory

http://www.scavengerhuntclues.org/ HTH