Xmas presents for Boy 8, Girl 10 - ideas & recommendations?

kingfisherblue

I've almost finished my Christmas shopping .

Once the kids are back at school, I'm hoping to wrap the things I've bought, and then sort out the few things that I need to buy. I get a lot in the sales, so it works out less expensive. I've even bought the Brownies and Rainbows presents, but my mum usually wraps those for me

zaksmum

kingfisherblue wrote: »

I've almost finished my Christmas shopping .

Once the kids are back at school, I'm hoping to wrap the things I've bought, and then sort out the few things that I need to buy. I get a lot in the sales, so it works out less expensive. I've even bought the Brownies and Rainbows presents, but my mum usually wraps those for me

OMG!! Or am I just disorganised??

meer53

zaksmum wrote: »

OMG!! Or am I just disorganised??

No, i'm the same. Xmas shopping is for December. Stuff changes so much in the run up to Xmas. If i bought my daughter something now, you can bet that it will be out of fashion by December. Especially clothes !

lindseylocket

Have a look at Fashion angels design sketchbooks on amazon.

My daughter , who's not really into "fashion" , but loves art , adores these and has spent many , many hours "designing".

Also nice and easy to store.

Janepig

lindseylocket wrote: »

Have a look at Fashion angels design sketchbooks on amazon.

My daughter , who's not really into "fashion" , but loves art , adores these and has spent many , many hours "designing".

Also nice and easy to store.

They often sell these in Home Bargains where I've managed to pick them up quite cheaply.

Jx

kingfisherblue

zaksmum wrote: »

OMG!! Or am I just disorganised??

No, and I'm not super organised either. It stems back to when I was a Saturday girl, many moons ago

I was at school Monday - Friday, and worked all day Saturday. Late night shopping meant that the supermarket was open until 8pm on a Thursday and Friday, and Sunday traading hadn't even been thought of. As I worked in a shop, I wasn't allowed any time off in November or December, and was also asked to work extra days once sixth form had broken up. The only time to buy presents was earlier in the year, so I got used to buying whenever I saw something appropriate.

This also spread the cost, and now I buy lots of things in the sales. I keep a note of everything I buy and store the stuff in boxes inside my wardrobe.

The only thing that I leave until later in the year is my youngest son's present, as he changes his mind on a daily basis. I refuse to discuss Christmas with him until October

OP - the fashion angels mentioned by lindseylocket and janepig are great. They are about £4.99 tops in Home Bargains.

You could also consider a day to a pottery making place, so that she can make something different that she wouldn't make at home. An alternative is pottery painting, but this is quite expensive for what you get, and you can buy porcelain for painting from Crafty Crocs, Baker Ross, etc. Wilkinson's have just bought out a new porcelain painting range, with prices around £2.99-£4.99. They have a clock, cup cake trinket boxes, and other things that I can't remember!

mrs_sparrow

Thanks for the ideas, they are most appreciated. I am going to have a look at those tonight.

I did not get the message about 'keeping up with the Jones'. Was this about clothes? I worry that my DD will get picked on for her lack of fashion sense because I was bullied terribly over it. I do not want her in high heels and mini skirts but it would be nice if she had something nice to wear for a party instead for leggings and a t-shirt she wears for playing in the garden.

She has spent all of her free time today cutting pieces of material up and using it for making things, she loves crafting so I will look at the Fashion Angels that were mentioned.

And in regards to saying 'it's only the summer', I do not like to get to December and then have to rush around like a maniac trying to find stuff in stock and then have to rush around getting it wrapped. My friends think it funny but for me, I like it done. I also like to be able to spread the cost - £50 here, £50 there and it is done slowly. But mainly, when the 75% sales are on you can get some absolute crackers of bargains and it means I can get more, but for less. Nearer Xmas I'll buy a couple of 'current' presents. But this year I am struggling. My son does not have any interest other than Lego and Hot Wheels and we have no more room for those.

I think a massive sort out is in order.....

The other thing I will struggle with is just giving her smaller expensive presents - she certainly has some ASD traits like her brother (hence the sensory issues) has and there has to be 'fairness' about everything. If he has more xmas presents it'll lead to massive tantrums. And I can really do without it on Xmas day if I am honest. Picking battles and all that.

DD does not look after things she gets so I cannot consider buying her something like an Ipod or Pandora bracelet - she has a silver Charm bracelet and charms from her last birthday and she has already lost it. She has 'lost' her 3DS - but it's OK as she expects I'll just be buying her another.

She will also draw on her things with make up and marker pens and does not look after them - and yes, they are 'her' presents but it is really disappointing to spend a lot of money on something to have her draw on it or lose it so I will save that kind of thing until she is older and can appreciate the gift and until she learns to look after her things, she will get cheap things.

Oh, I forgot, I am sending her to an afternoon of Sugarcraft and cake making for her birthday.

jellyhead

mrs_sparrow wrote: »

Thanks KFB, My daughter is still not fashion concious at all - I am trying - but I am also trying not to have her grow up too quickly. She has sensory issues too and clothes are a huge issue so all she wears are leggings, skirts and certain tops. I take her shopping but I have boxes (literally boxes) of clothes she has liked in the shop but will never actually wear once back home as they are too tight/baggy/etc... so for a present, I think I need to wait a bit more for that.

The pens sound good - can I ask what CC is please - is this a website? Craft Crocodiles? I have never heard of them before so I will certainly have a look at these. Thanks.

Books - hmmmm, hit and miss, I love the book people, we have hundreds of books but yes, that is a good idea. My son LOVES rollercoasters, he is obsessed by rollercoasters but it is quite hard to find things around that topic.

The brainbox games sound good so I think I'll get a few of those - they both have very good memories and they memorise Top Trumps cards within 30 minutes.

Day out - we already have annual passes for all the things they like to do.

I realise that my kids sound spoiled but we do not go out a huge amount because of DS disability so we stay home quite a bit.

Have you got annual passes for a theme park? Or you could buy tickets for a day out at another theme park they haven't been to. Maybe you could make it seem more of a 'present' by putting things into a box and wrapping it, like people do with a 'movie night' box filled with popcorn etc.

New baseball cap or t-shirt perhaps (alton towers, or a particular ride?), keyring, etc. and maybe some suncream, chocolate, tiny cans of fizzy pop, top trumps cards to play in the queuelines, unless you get disabled access.

My husband got a marble-run rollercoaster for christmas last year. I thought it was k'nex, but it doesn't look like this http://www.knexusergroup.org.uk/constructionkits2enjoy/marble-run-sets.html#aQ6430

jellyhead

it was this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thumbs-Up-SPACOAS-Space-Coaster/dp/B00447RXGY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345397124&sr=8-1

mrs_sparrow

Thanks Jelly.

We got the AP Merlin offered half price, not sure if we will renew again for another year because we have another big holiday nest year with theme parks, there is also the possibility that she may be going to DLP to sing with her choir which will cost £££.

We have a glow in the dark marble coaster but my son is not really dextrous enough to use it and if anyone dare knocks it he goes into complete meltdown. We got Knex rollercoaster and a big light up ferris wheel but again, he is not very dextrous and if they get knocked over and he cannot cope with stuff like this so we have to hold fire on stuff like this for a couple more years. Again, it's just picking battles I suppose - it's not worth the tantrums over a toy.

I've not found any other year a problem, just this year, I could get more Sylvanians, Lego, cars etc... but they already have so much of that stuff I thought I would ask for some new ideas.