Old Style Christmas Preparations for Christmas 2013

carlamarie_2

Thanks irishrose for your suggestion. A tin of something would not work as they don't live together. My brother who btw is 14, lives with his mum and stepdad. My dad and his gf, although they've been together for six years live apart.

A little background on my fathers present giving. He stopped buying us lot (me older brother and sister and our kids) in 2008 as my wedding was coming up. Yet he didn't get me a wedding present, got a lift everywhere on the day, in my car and family members fro one place to another and he wore a suit he had a few years. So I can't really see what his big outlay was. But that's fine, his choice.
At christmas he buys for his girlfriend, my brother. I have no issue with this. However he also buys (and asks me if I think they'll like the gifts) his girlfriends daughter, 2 kids and partner. He hates her partner and hasn't spoken to him for the past two years, yet gets him gifts (last year it was a izzy myake gift set) his reasoning, because they haven't got anything because he hasn't got a job. The few jobs hes tried getting, he's been turned down for because he has a record for burglary!
My husband hasn't had a job for the past two years after been layed off. We have struggled through life and last year my daughter was stillborn and my husband became severely depressed. With the help of a shrink and pills, my hubby has finaly come out the other side. And thanks to my sister, he starts a new job tomorrow (yay). But we are now about two grand in debt, because of the time hes off.
So we are in the same / worse situation then them, yet we've not so much as had a selection box from him. But buying for them lot keeps my dads gf happy.
My brother I have seen twice in the last 5 years at my wedding and at my nanas funeral. On the odd occasion my dad visits, my brother never comes and when I visit my dad he knows I am there, yet doesn't come round even though he lives 5minutes away.
My dad's gf, I have met about 7 times in them six years. Now she is a lovely woman and I get on really well with her, but should I bother spending my money on her when I never see her?

In the case of my older niece and nephew, my sister, as I said has gotten my hubby a job. She is the kind of person who I can count on whenever I need help and her kids who are older teens always see me whenever they can. My kids also love them to bits. Also understanding how hard times have been for us lately she has bought my kids really good presents which is much more then the £20 I have always spent on hers. She doesn't expect me to mirror her gifts spend, she just wants to help us out.

[Deleted User]

Finalised another couple of pressies this weekend. Will wrap later tonight - I hate wrapping so if I wrap as I go it is more bearable than wrapping all at once and facing a mountain of things to wrap!

whitesatin

Watched a YouTube clip on making my own Christmas wreath and felt really inspired. Got me thinking about drying my own orange and lemon rings as well as collecting pine cones and greenery nearer the time. Does anyone know of a cheap online supplier for the wreath metal rings, ribbon etc. Also, can you buy the moss in garden centres at this time of year or can anyone suggest where I can get hold of some.

I rediscovered this thread which I found useful but didn't want to just post on the bottom of it in case there is something more up to date.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2136423

bossymoo

We usually agree to not bother with gifts for the adults. Then someone will mention closer to the time they got xxx for someone and then everyone feels like they have to buy for everyone too. It all ends up a bit last minute with stuff you didn't really want to give or receive :mad:

I'd rather just spend the few days together to be honest.

Also, with my friends who are also parents of young kids, we agree not to buy for each others kids. They all get so much stuff that they don't miss out, and it makes life a lot easier.

So this year, my kids will get presents from Santa, grandparents and uncle. They then get 2 presents each on Boxing Day from the aunties (my cousins) and the grannies (my aunts).

In turn, I put money into the pot for my cousins children's "aunties" gift and I will do something for my nieces (tricky as they live overseas).

Santa is streamlining this year too they will have one main present each, a couple of smaller gifts and a stocking, plus a couple of board games to share.

There have been years where they get so narky from not knowing which toy to play with, this year, less is more!

hobbitfancier

Apologies if I've missed something in previous posts but I'm organising an event this year and need to make my own decorations that won't take up too much time, with minimum cost. Something a child could do! Any website suggestions?

Broomstick

How big is the space? Xmas Tree? Home? Village hall?

One really easy thing (and very OS) is to make paper-chains. It's fast to do if an adult pre-cuts the strips of paper: bulk cut many large sheets using a long ruler and a craft knife on a safe cutting surface. Very young children can manage to put chains together with a glue stick.

B x

hobbitfancier

Broomstick wrote: »

How big is the space? Xmas Tree? Home? Village hall?

One really easy thing (and very OS) is to make paper-chains. It's fast to do if an adult pre-cuts the strips of paper: bulk cut many large sheets using a long ruler and a craft knife on a safe cutting surface. Very young children can manage to put chains together with a glue stick.

B x

I made some for the market a while ago and decided against it - might go and buy some cheap red and green paper and do it again. Its in a large building, with 3 different rooms, so a lot of ground to cover on a tight budget.

carlamarie_2

Was going to say paper chains too. What about paper snowflakes? A pack of printer paper and scissors and jobs a good un! Could even give to kids to make them.

Or you could (if the ceiling isn't too high) hang baubles on string from the ceiling at different lengths. If you did this you could go for mismatch, buy multi packed boxes which have ornaments as well as baubles (like them icicle ones, stars etc) and even ask around friends and family for an old ones.

Or them crepe paper balls can look lovely in red green and white. Very easy to do and you can bulk buy crepe paper sheets from amazon quite cheap, I got 50 sheets of orange (Halloween) for about a fiver, from memory. They were big sheets too. Then you'd just need pipe cleaner or twist ties, scissors and string/cotton to hang them.

Cheap table mats (the disposable ones) could be hung on any walls as wall coverings. The square ones usually have the same design printed twice (so the design runs over the edge of two table sides) they can be cut and you have two wall coverings in one tablecloth

Any window sills could be draped with holly(or any kind of leaves really) if your have a bush that suitable for foraging, like wise with berries.

carlamarie_2

Oh and for website suggestion Pinterest is a treasure trove of inspiration

hobbitfancier

carlamarie wrote: »

Oh and for website suggestion Pinterest is a treasure trove of inspiration

been looking through it with little luck - mostly complicated american craft projects! Some of your suggestions above have been great, I'd forgotten about the holly