❄❄ Let It Snow ❄❄ :: Christmas 2012 Chatter Thread

Snugglebunny8

oh and those little block houses, the shape sorted ones? mine loved those at that age too

icemice

BBTHREE wrote: »

Hi All

This weekend rather than buying xmas bits and bobs, hubby and I have been discussing things we would like to do during December.

This is based on the fact by 1st December I hope to have all presents bought, wrapped and ready to deliver (though I am making such good progress that I hope to be done by 1st Oct) and as hubby and I both work full time it would be good to have the weekends in December freed up for family things.

We have categorised it into, things we always do, things we want to do this year that we have done previously and new things to possibly try.

1) Things we always do...

Put tree up as a family with xmas music on on the 1st weekend of Dec.

Buy this years Disney bauble (usually late Oct/early Nov)

Go to the school xmas fair and spend far too much money on the homemade cake stall

Go to Mcr Xmas Market (Gluvein/bratwurst etc) then come home and all watch 'ELF'

Give the kids a hamper each on xmas eve, and stay in watching xmas movies, till teatime then go out for tea at Pizza Hut (We have suggested other places and the kids say No!)

2) Things we have done in the past that we need to do again this year.

Get DS a lego advent calendar

Make own mince pies / chocolate log etc

Go to a pantomime

Go to an outdoor xmas themed event (Gullivers World? Tatton Park?)

Have a boxing day party for all the family

3) New things to try

Book the snow room at the local ski place (to do snow angels etc)

Then I draw a complete blank and can't think of anything else, Any ideas???? We probably do, or have done previously, more than this but this is all I could think to write down.

Apologies that this is such a long rambling list. You have probably noticed I haven't put 'see santa' on the list. DD is 13 and DS in 9 so neither of them ask to see him, but he does always seem to pop up in some of the places we go anyway

Another one maybe depending on where you live - I took my cousin and her two boys to West Midland Safari park for their Santa Safari for Christmas last year. The grotto was excellent and after seeing Santa and having photos, the boys could pick their own presents from Santa's workshop. Everyone (even the cleaners) was dressed as an elf. We fed the reindeer, adults had complimentary hot mince pies and hot chocolate. The seal show was Christmassy and the shops and park were great - plus of course the safari itself. We spent the whole day and had a really great time. The boys were wide-eyed and loved everything. Money well spent. Highly recommended.

icemice

pinklady1985 wrote: »

Ok now I'm stuck! What would you put in a stocking for a 1 year old? We don't buy things like party bag toys, crayons etc as they always get left to one side so far I thought socks, small teddy, choc coins or a bag of buttons and that's it, it's so much easier buying for our older children xx

I still have the little snowglobe that I gave my son on his first Christmas - he will be 25 in September - how frightening is that?! And even the same stocking.

A special little teddy would be a wonderful idea - a keepsake for later, and any small Christmas-related items can be put away for later Christmases, so won't get trashed.

lunar

BBTHREE wrote: »

Hey Nanamia - another local, we can share ideas : )

OMG I can't believe I forgot to add Bents Garden Centre to the list. We went last year for the first time and I think I just spent the whole of the time in there just saying WOW! It is a truly amazing place and we were in there for about 4 hours totally entralled. The only downside is we all wanted to buy EVERYTHING!

Another garden centre that used to have a good xmas area (though we haven't been for a few years) is Barton Grange. There's also that garden centre that has the little traintrack in Stockport, I wonder if they do anything christmassy with it?

Another local here, I practically live in bents i go so often. I have spent a small fortune on one of their themed trees, fairground attraction over the last couple of years. Last year a member of staff spent an hour teaching me how they decorate them. I posted a pic earlier in the thread but i have a new tree this year and lots of decs from the sale so am hoping it will be really similar to theirs.

Maybe we should have a north west Christmas nutters meet up at bents, not very MSE though!

Pips_Mum

pinklady1985 wrote: »

Ok now I'm stuck! What would you put in a stocking for a 1 year old? We don't buy things like party bag toys, crayons etc as they always get left to one side so far I thought socks, small teddy, choc coins or a bag of buttons and that's it, it's so much easier buying for our older children xx

This year I will have Pip who will be 3 and Pea who will be 3 months (yes, yes I know a 3 month old doesnt need a stocking but I figured it was mean for "it" not to get anything!!) anyway I bought 4 Christmas rubber duckies for £2 on Ebay going to have 2 each, they are both going to get some buttons, I also got 10 finger puppets from Ebay again £2 going to get 5 each, Pip has a Bob the builder DVD on sale from Play, and going to get some bath crayons and bubble bath foam like I did last year for him. Both will get a small bear, got one from Ikea last year for about 30p. Pea has a reindeer hat and bootees that I got in the clearance book of Avon.

Just keep it simple really as they will be more enthralled by the wrapping paper anyway!!!

BloomingTasty

Only 147 days to go !!

chirpychick

My baby will be a maximum of 3 1/2 weeks old lol he has a stocking!
cloth books 3 for £3.49 from Argos, 2 cuddly toys sooty & sweet free from past times, Liverpool Dummies, Sophie la Giraffe £7.99 (I used a £5 off M&P voucher) Wrist rattles £2.20, activity mat £3.96 and a money box.
I know that he wont know anything but it's my first baby after 5 years of trying so it gives me immense joy planning to give him something little for Christmas

What DO people do at home together in December? apart from watch films?

BloomingTasty

chirpychick wrote: »

My baby will be a maximum of 3 1/2 weeks old lol he has a stocking!
cloth books 3 for £3.49 from Argos, 2 cuddly toys sooty & sweet free from past times, Liverpool Dummies, Sophie la Giraffe £7.99 (I used a £5 off M&P voucher) Wrist rattles £2.20, activity mat £3.96 and a money box.
I know that he wont know anything but it's my first baby after 5 years of trying so it gives me immense joy planning to give him something little for Christmas

What DO people do at home together in December? apart from watch films?

We tend to bake and make sweets, that sort of thing. The kids like to make decorations and of course there`s all the wrapping. Catching up with friends is always good. Mince pies and mulled wine :T:T

carlamarie_2

with the kids around, we bake, make up xmassy stories, tell them a great big pack of lies (christmas related ones of course!) we spend a lot of time feeding their imaginations like that:D make cards/gifts/pics/anything crafty! and christmas movie marathons of course!

when theyre in bed, i spend most of the night trying to remember where everything is hidden:o, dh spends most of the nights looking in all the places i suggest the gifts are hidden:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
wrap a few gifts per night. and mainly chatter about our childhood xmasses, last xmas etc!
i chat a lot to my friends on the phone about our xmas trees/wrapping paper/gifts weve bought etc!

basically we do a lot of talking! ooh and eating :T

here is hull there isnt that much to do to my knowlegde at christmas time! ive already booked the panto tickets for the 15th and were at a xmas party on the 16th:).
other than that there is usually the german 'style' market in town. i put style in commas as its the same as all the other markets we get throughout the year although at christmas we are treat to the stalls being in wooden huts
they also sell the german gingerbread which none of us like!

one of our sports arenas changes into a christmas wonderland which apparently is a train that goes around the inside where it is all done out in xmas scenes (think giant inflatable penguins to a backdrop of cotton wool) and a meeting with santa and some bouncy castles at the end!
we havent been yet but hear its good so will get booked into that this year if its happening again!

welcome to all newbies and well done on everyones bargains:)

LalaGomay

chirpychick wrote: »

What DO people do at home together in December? apart from watch films?

Dunno, but a lot of babies are born in September...