Old Style Christmas Preparations for Christmas 2013

kboss2010

This year I'm making a point of not buying the kids gender-specific gifts anymore. When I was young I hated being bought dolls, make-up and pink things yet I've fallen into the same predictable trap of buying the things shops tell me that little girls and boys should like.

I went to a first birthday party for a little girl the other day and a two year old boy there started playing with a pink pig toy and a Minnie Mouse teddy - just shows you that kids only develop biases when we influence them.

So from now on I'm buying them something a bit different - books, construction-type toys, gender-neutral colouring unless they tell me they like a specific colour, homemade gardening sets with herb and strawberry pots for the older ones, anything that is a bit unusual and less stereotypical.

happytails

HI all,

On a major budget so im making things for most of the family however im stuck for my own kids!! I have 3, at Xmas they will be 13m, 3 and nearly 5. girl, boy, girl.

Its difficult because the youngest has a Nov birthday and the boy is 3 on 27th Dec!! We have a max budget of £50 each this year. The older ones have bikes/scooters etc and we have loads of toys (happyland, cars and garage, play laptops, books galore, lego, kitchen stuff, dress up etc so really cant think!

Was going to get them a bilibo each (they are an imaginative creative shell shaped thing) -

http://www.play.com/Toys/Toys/4-/12160581/550915302/Bilibo-Pink-Balance-and-Imagination-Play-Toy/ListingDetails.html?_%24ja=tsid:13315%7Ccat:12160581%7Cprd:12160581&$$ja=cgid:7025512497|tsid:48121|cid:130773777|lid:54129129777|nw:g|crid:22604476497|rnd:1695585344380481609|dvc:c|adp:1o3

All family will be asked for clothes in the next size or money for their bank.
any suggestions? Ill be making them something as well, probably a dress and bag for my 5yo, a toy dinosaur for the boy and a little dress for the youngest.

Sarah

Uniscots97

happytails wrote: »

HI all,

On a major budget so im making things for most of the family however im stuck for my own kids!! I have 3, at Xmas they will be 13m, 3 and nearly 5. girl, boy, girl.

Its difficult because the youngest has a Nov birthday and the boy is 3 on 27th Dec!! We have a max budget of £50 each this year. The older ones have bikes/scooters etc and we have loads of toys (happyland, cars and garage, play laptops, books galore, lego, kitchen stuff, dress up etc so really cant think!

Was going to get them a bilibo each (they are an imaginative creative shell shaped thing) -

http://www.play.com/Toys/Toys/4-/12160581/550915302/Bilibo-Pink-Balance-and-Imagination-Play-Toy/ListingDetails.html?_%24ja=tsid:13315%7Ccat:12160581%7Cprd:12160581&$$ja=cgid:7025512497|tsid:48121|cid:130773777|lid:54129129777|nw:g|crid:22604476497|rnd:1695585344380481609|dvc:c|adp:1o3

All family will be asked for clothes in the next size or money for their bank.
any suggestions? Ill be making them something as well, probably a dress and bag for my 5yo, a toy dinosaur for the boy and a little dress for the youngest.

Sarah

What about Lego (or equivalent) from Home Bargains? This is something they can all play with. DVD's from Poundland or Charity Shop (I got Disney Brother Bear for £1). Board games, craft kits. Poundland had paint your own piggy bank kits.

One thing my Mum did for me when I was little was to put together a dressing up box. This needn't be expensive, necklaces (CS), scarves (can be used be a pirate or whatever), cheap bangles etc and all put in a nice box.

Smoosh

mandco wrote: »

if thats the Baylis & Harding Beauticology Cupcake Cosmetic Bag def work for a 12yr however you may not get the bag as none of the stores local to me had the set pictured they gave an alternative set with 3 dif products.

for the baby I would def go with something from the lamaze range they are slightly dearer but you can usually find them on offer around the £5-£6 mark

for the 1yr old - something from the thats not my book range or any hard back type book / wooden puzzles

That's the one. I read some reviews on the website saying people weren't getting the cosmetic bag too.

Great ideas

Still sort of browsing around at the moment! I picked up the activity books today, £2.99, they look really nice, so that will do for the 3 year old probably. I also got some OPI nail varnishes in the 99p store, I'll probably give one each to the 13 year old and 12 year old (along with other bits that I'm yet to find!). I'm really bad for starting my Christmas shopping too late usually, so I'm very happy with being prepared this year

mum2one

I have just spent this afternoon getting all the xmas prezzies into one place, the surprise i have about 4 carrier bags worth of stuff that i haven't got listed on spreadsheet - some brought from hols others found that I had put up safe from last yr..
So next big job weekend - pulling everything out, then put each persons up speadsheet looks full, so should have some spares to carry to 2014....

Got tins of marmalade ready to make up nearer xmas

Thick cut orange marmalade with whisky
Regular orange marmalade with brandy
Lemon marmalade with vodka (open to ideas for other alcohol)
Rhubarb and Orange Marmalade

xx

Florenceem

I got some bits in Body Shop today - they were doing buy 1 - 50% off 2nd item.

Smoosh

mum2one wrote: »

I have just spent this afternoon getting all the xmas prezzies into one place, the surprise i have about 4 carrier bags worth of stuff that i haven't got listed on spreadsheet - some brought from hols others found that I had put up safe from last yr..
So next big job weekend - pulling everything out, then put each persons up speadsheet looks full, so should have some spares to carry to 2014....

Got tins of marmalade ready to make up nearer xmas

Thick cut orange marmalade with whisky
Regular orange marmalade with brandy
Lemon marmalade with vodka (open to ideas for other alcohol)
Rhubarb and Orange Marmalade

xx

Ooo, they sound yummy! I think I may make marmalade instead of jam - feels more Christmassy!

I'm having a good browse at the Argos clearance again, love it!

I'm thinking one out of these for the 6 year old girl: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9111495.htm
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9111512.htm
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9331062.htm#pdpFullProductInformation

And apparently the 10 year old is into Justin Bieber, so I might get this, I think it's a great deal! http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9063093.htm

mum2one

Smoosh wrote: »

Ooo, they sound yummy! I think I may make marmalade instead of jam - feels more Christmassy!

I'm having a good browse at the Argos clearance again, love it!

I'm thinking one out of these for the 6 year old girl: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9111495.htm
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9111512.htm
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9331062.htm#pdpFullProductInformation

And apparently the 10 year old is into Justin Bieber, so I might get this, I think it's a great deal! http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9063093.htm

I cheat with the orange and the lemon marmalade, I get the prepared tin from Lakeland, just add sugar and water!!

Out of the gifts for the 6 yr old, I like the walking puppies the best out of the three, and wow to that price for the JB bag that is a bargain and a half.

---

Digressing completely, the adults Hello Kitty dressing gown is reduced from £25 to £8.99 - great for any adult presents xx

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9062331.htm

Smoosh

mum2one wrote: »

I cheat with the orange and the lemon marmalade, I get the prepared tin from Lakeland, just add sugar and water!!

Out of the gifts for the 6 yr old, I like the walking puppies the best out of the three, and wow to that price for the JB bag that is a bargain and a half.

---

Digressing completely, the adults Hello Kitty dressing gown is reduced from £25 to £8 - great for any adult presents xx

Great idea! I made my first ever marmalade and jam this year and was quite pleased with how it turned out! Although the strawberry jam took a lot of patience, wasn't easy trying to make it set properly. I need to make 10 jars for Christmas presents, so it may take me a while!

I like that one best too I reserved the bag, will run down and pick it up tomorrow, let's just hope she still likes him come Christmas time :rotfl:

Great spot!

twofishes

Mum2one, what about doing lime marmalade with rum and mint to make mojito marmalade?

Poundland have Batman, Superman and Disney Fairies branded things at the moment - various arts and crafts activities, colouring books and lucky bags etc.

Charity shops are great for soft toys and dressing up things.