Essentials for occasions?

wiggywoo9

Hi

I know xmas is coming up and I'm getting bits already- does anyone have a list of stuff for occasions that I need to get? This is my first flat so had no tree, etc., would appreciate suggestions!

I'm a single mum of a 2 year old and starting from scratch so any MSE ideas welcomed for pricy things!

I bought a xmas tree in March already (the delivery guy was v bemused!) but other occasions?

Halloween?
Xmas?
Stock for birthdays?
Easter?

twofishes

Do you mean for presents or for decorating? For decorating, Poundland and other pound shops are pretty unbeatable imo. I'm lucky in Northampton though, we have a Poundland, a massive 99p Store and a Pound World so I use all three and can shop around for the best deals. Also Home Bargains and B&M. All of the above for Halloween trick or treat sweets - massive packs of haribo mini packets and mini maoam for £1.

Chris25

Loads of Easter stuff, too, you can get in all the different poundstores.

I wouldn't get too much b'day beforehand - for decorating I only use balloons and have giftwrap,ribbon & a few cards stored and top-up when necessary. I have a few pressies too.

You could make Christmas ornaments, a cardboard Nativity and a wreath as Advent activities with your child. Lots of activities for all ages here http://www.kinderart.com/seasons/christmas.shtml but loads on the web for specific age groups - & on youtube too.

wiggywoo9

Hi thanks, I meant things I need for each occasion in a list?

Like for xmas, I've got baubles, stockings, etc.

For Halloween, spooky decorations, a treat or treat bag for my son to go out, etc.

notanewuser

I'm confused. I'm nearly 36 and DD is nearly 3 and neither of us has ever needed anything for 'occasions'. We got our first Xmas tree last year (only because DD loved the one at a local hotel) - that's now planted in the back garden so will have done outdoor lights on it.

Have never bought more than a bag of sweets for the local kids who do come round at Halloween, never needed anything for Easter, and I just buy rolls of wrapping paper and cards as I need them. I get DD a big helium number balloon each birthday and that does for decorations.

Nothing is needed for any of these things!!!

(ETA as atheists we don't really do Xmas or Easter - but others do but presents and eggs etc for DD. we don't go overboard for birthdays - don't want to fall into that trap, and we certainly don't do Halloween begging.)

For birthdays we try to stick to 4 things for DD - "something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read".

Take it easy while your son hasn't discovered the art of pester power!!!

Spendless

Christmas you have sorted, with a tree and decs. Something for you to hang cards up with? Does LO have a stocking?

Halloween - an outfit for tot if you take him out trick or treating, you don't need a 'loot bag' a carrier will do. If you want trick or treaters to call, something to indicate that they are welcome. I only let my kids call at a decorated house. A pumpkin would be the most cost effective item as you could eat all the hallowed out flesh.

Birthdays - you don't need anything specific, since it's likely you'll be buying card/pressie/wrapping paper. Candles for the birthday cake.

Easter - again you don't need anything. Don't think I own anything Easter themed related, even with daughter's birthday falling on Easter Sunday this year.

You'lll pick up bits and pieces over the years. Leftover stock is usually reduced a lot after the event which is a good time to pick anything up.

maman

If I were you I wouldn't deliberately go out and buy 'stuff' just for the sake of it.

Your post started me thinking about what we actually have for 'occasions'.

I have accumulated Christmas decorations over the years. Many are hand made by my children, others given to me as gifts or I've bought myself on holidays as a sort of souvenir. So almost all my decorations mean something.

Why don't you buy a minimum set of baubles and lights for this year and then get your LO making things nearer the time?

The only other 'occasion' stuff I have is a tin of candle holders and decorations for birthday and Christmas cakes, again accumulated over the years.

wiggywoo9

Thanks for your replies!

I guess I just want to be prepared, if say, I don't manage to get all gifts by the time it comes, I don't want to worry about not even having basic decorations too. Our family liked to put a wreathy thing along the bannister, wreath on door, decorations on mantelpiece etc. I like the happy vibes that come with a nicely decorated house

Plus, if I get things now, when my son is bigger and I've got uniform costs, etc, I don't need to worry as it'd be in the trusty attic!

The thing I could think of were:

-sledge
-gloves/sturdy boots
-tree decorations
-lights

Oh and need to find a nice tree topper- we used to have an ancient santa that I put on top since I was 2.

I think I'll make paper chains and things with him a bit further on.

belowtheline2013

You and your little one can have fun making things when the time comes.

My DD is 2 and loves arts and crafty things. At Christmas I will spend £5 on some paints, glitter, glue and paper and make whatever we can - toilet roll angels, homemade cards, santas, etc. Last year we only had a few Christmas tree decs so we made loads from saltdough - we got star, circle and heart cutters and cut the dough out, made a hole for a tie then hardened them, painted them and added glitter and they were perfect and very unique. Sadly I didn't realise you had to varnish them so they have gone mouldy but will remember this year.

For Easter DD got a chocolate egg and I hardboiled 6 eggs which we painted and rolled down the slide in the garden - was great fun.

Halloween we will dress up and go trick or treating. Maybe we'll splash out on a pumpkin to carve!

hollycupcake

Hi

For Christmas...
Tree
Basic selection of lights and decorations but add to these each year with some homemade ones with your little one
A stocking each (probably sell them in Poundland)
Homemade advent calendar (just buy some chocs/sweets each year to fill it)
Stock of wrapping paper & gift ribbon (procured in January for about a quarter of the price!), scissors, sellotape, gift tags (made out of the previous year's Christmas cards)

For Halloween...
Make a black cloak out of some plain material - very versatile! (witch, wizard, Dementor, grim reaper...!!)
Make some black paper spiders and get a pumpkin a few days before

For Easter...
We don't normally do much for Easter. I get my boys a small choc egg each and they get some from grandparents.

For birthdays...
I buy a packs of greeting cards from the supermarket (blank inside, usually about 10 in a pack)
I also buy the £1 rolls of wrapping paper in plain pink and blue or with some sort of simple pattern, like dots or something, that would be suitable for anyone of any age.
When my boys were of the age where they were still going to friends' parties I used to have a few toys/gifts in "stock" that I would buy from Boots in the January sales or on the 3 for 2 gift promos.

miss_emmajane

As people have said - decorative things for each occasion aren't necessary but if its something that you like there is a MSE way of doing it I love to have our house decorated for things like Easter, Halloween, Christmas etc but all of my items have been build up from purchases at pound shops, charity shops, car boots and reduced sections of places like M&S & garden centres after the occasion has passed.

Simple things for the mantle like an Easter tree are lovely, I found some little hanging decorated eggs reduced to 50p in a garden centre a few years ago, a green vase for 20p in a charity shop and just pick twigs from the garden to hang the eggs from.

I think if its something you enjoy, but don't want to spend loads it can take some time to build up - but its also nice to get a few new bits each year Here is a little list, though obviously I have gotten my stuff cheap so take what you like from it/what won't cost a fortune!

Christmas
+ Advent candle [I got the holder really cheap in a charity shop and my candle from ALDI]
+ Advent calendar - you can get the choc ones or one that you fill yourself. I got a gorgeous wooden one reduced in Laura Ashley which I fill with sweets year after year.
+ Tree, lights and decorations [we have gotten gorgeous decorations from garden centres and department stores in the Jan sales, and personalised or vintage ones from eBay, also received some handmade ones as gifts]
+ Candles, festive soaps/smellies [also bought in the sale]
+ Festive blanket [I scored a beautiful Christmas scene blanket from 50p from a bootsale]
+ Wreath [I bought a beautiful false wreath from TK Maxx which we will use for years]
+ wellies, sledge, hats/gloves/scarves [I got our sledge for 99p in the Tesco Jan sale this year]
+ Christmas plates, cups etc [I have bought mine reduced, and mainly in charity shops - nice to have your hot chocolates in Christmas mugs!]
+ Giftwrap, cards [buy in Jan sales for the next year]
+ Presents [buy in sales, reduced throughout year so it isn't one big spend]
+Themed pyjamas - my family (and best friend) like to wear matching themes pjs, its a fun little tradition for Christmas Eve [we get them in the Jan sales for the following year so I get the children's next size then]
+ Stockings/sacks [we have handmade ones received as presents and stockings bought from charity shops that are decorative on the mantle]

Easter
+ Baking cases, cookie cutters etc [bought mine reduced/second hand, I got an Easter themed cake stand for 99p in The Range this year]
+ Easter tree
+ Easter basket [gorgeous ones reduced in TK Maxx and can be used to put decorations in, chocolates for guests or for an Easter egg hunt]
+ Decorations [reduced/second hand]
+ Childrens easter egg hunt items, crafts and toys [Pound shops are excellent for these and things like plastic easter eggs for hunts can be used for years - they even have lovely easter hunt garden plaques for £1!]
+ Easter napkins [cute and always found cheaply reduced!]

Halloween
+ Hanging decorations such as 'happy halloween' signs, pumpkins etc [I got mine reduced for 50p a piece in M&S but can also be found in £ shops etc]
+ Childrens dress-up [great to look for in sales, charity shops and £ shops]
+ Children's halloween crafts, books, trick or treating carriers and table wear such as table clothes, themed paper plates etc [£shops again are fab for this, and reductions after]
+ Bowl for trick or treaters candy [I bought a fab big, plastic bowl from a £ shop that has lasted well and I fill it with smart-price sweets and toffees and allow the children to take a handful.


FYI I know this isn't everyones cup of tea so please don't comment telling me I have been sucked into mass consumerism from non-excistant events as I enjoy it and do it on a budget that suits