OS Christmas 2014 thread!!!!

springdreams

Solstice_3 wrote: »

Ah Christmas, I always get a bit stressed at this time of year because I love Christmas and I like to treat people and give everyone a little something but I have a rather large family (for me) and have about 20 people on my gift list - even at £5 a person that's £100 which I didn't have last year on maternity pay and I won't have this year. So I am going to make some gifts.

I'm making Delia's Christmas Cranberry Chutney (4 jars - 3 for gifts and 1 for us), I want to make some homemade sweets or macaroons for my Godmother as every year I ask for present suggestions for my Godfather and she says homemade sweets, I think maybe she would like some lol. I might make some other preserves and I've spotted some £3.99 books from the Book People which suit some family members perfectly for token gifts. I've already got my Mum and Sister's presents earlier in the year. I tend to buy the Children's Birthday and Christmas presents in the Boots 3 for 2 sale which starts in October roughly and then I can use the points I get for token presents for other people.

Talking of decorations, I love the idea of bringing the green into the house but I have a DS who is 3 in October and a DD who is 1 in December and I don't feel it's safe to have such things in the house until they are older. I have already decided we can't have a Christmas Tree this year as the hassle of stopping 2 children pulling the lights off and the tree over is too much but I want something. I've asked DH to come up with a way of displaying Christmas lights above the (non fire) Hearth as I love Christmas lights, and in the kitchen. I have pine cone and ribbon decorations for high up.

Will be watching this thread for ideas

Edit - forgot to say I make my own Christmas Cards each year so no expense there, I still have plenty of Christmas papercraft stash ^_^

You could use a Christmas tree wall sticker instead. Amazon sell them amongst other places

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Advent-Calender-Tree-Stickers/dp/B009RT258U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409991953&sr=8-1&keywords=christmas+tree+wall+sticker

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scene-Setter-X-Mas-Tree-Decoration/dp/B00EFY8XPG/ref=sr_1_36?ie=UTF8&qid=1409992186&sr=8-36&keywords=christmas+tree+wall+sticker

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scene-Setter-Christmas-Tree-Toy/dp/B000GKW80E/ref=pd_sim_kh_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0KCJPPCGT42K3HYSXAPH

Solstice_3

That's a sweet idea, our tree goes in the bay window though as we have no empty wall space but thank you I think my hearth will be the centre piece this year with some greenery and candles

I now have 3 jars of Chutney ready for Christmas gifts, they should be mature by Christmas and will go nicely with cold meats. Kept 1 jar for us and the other jar will go to my Mum to say thanks for the veg (which made 75% of the chutney lol).

I guess I am going to have to start thinking about making cards soon as I have a few extra people to make for this year, I have some pen pals that I would like to send cards to as I have recently started writing pen pal letters Want to make some Halloween stuff first - where is the Halloween thread!

pigpen

Solstice.. put the lights elsewhere and just baubles on the tree.. I gave up caring a long time ago and tbh mine are pretty good about the whole tree harassment thing.. 2 of mine were 2 and 3 last Christmas and took all the balls off on a daily basis and played 'eggs' with them.. I got cheap unbreakable ones because I thought they might. They don't touch the lights though never have. This year my 1 year old will be harassing the poor tree.. its part of the fun in here. I just make sure it is stable so they cannot pull it over..

Now I need to know how to keep the cats out of it!!!!

Uniscots97

Any ideas what I could get as a small present for Christmas for a baby boy 3 months and a baby girl 1 year? Trying to keep cost down.

[Deleted User]

I may have been a little hasty in saying that Marguerite Pattens Wartime Christmas Cake wasn't going on the menu this year. It's much nicer a week on than it was new. I still think it needs more fruit to make it moister but the texture and flavour have improved beyond belief in a week. I might try another one and add an extra pound of fruit, then leave it in the tin for a couple of weeks before we sample it. I'm quite impressed with it today!!!

Islandmaid

Hi all,

Loving the ideas - thank you all.

Went to Ald! This morning and must of looked like I have alcohol issues with 2 x gin and 2 x vodka as well as 2 bottles of wine.

The gin and vodka are to make sloe gin and skittles and toffee vodka I explained to the cashier, who had raised an eyebrow at half 8 this morning - luckily I also has said sweeties there too.....

I have a number of k!lner bottles ready for Christmas, will make it all in old lemonade bottles first then strain off and pour into the pretty bottles in December.

I can,t remember who posted the receipe (big thanks) but will also be making chilli apple jelly as prezzies too.

I,ve ordered a lovely make-up caddy for DD from Lakelandzzz which I will fill with beauty freebies I have collected throughout the year - hope she likes it, I,m sure she will.

I have a brand new fresh notepad for all the christmas ideas - I love that new pad feeling LOL

Islandmaid

Mrs LW - one of my fav books is Marguerite Patten - we,ll eat again, some great food ideas plus I love the social history side.

emmi31

hi
ive just joined the site so i can join in lol
im emma my baby girl is due in january so i need to be prepared this year i also have my little boy who is autistic and has hypermobility he is 3 and started special school this week and loved it.
i love xmas i drive my fiance mad with it lol my little man loves the lights he goes nuts over them i love the whole season i make my own cards love wrapping presents etc
ive been doing swagbucks and have earned 50 pounds of amazon vouchers to use and ive been collecting presents all year

i would like to try making a xmas cake and some other baking and home made gifts so here i am

emma

candlelight_2013

Welcome EMMA you are more than welcome to join in with your ideas. Most of us on this thread love Christmas, and I expect you will want it all sorted before December with the iminent birth of your daughter.

Candlelightx

Islandmaid

Uniscots97 - i,m not too good with small people, but I love the 'Elf on the shelf' idea that alot of parents have strted to use as a family tradition.

Its bloomin expensive, but if your good at crafts you might be able to make one - google him

To be honest kids of that age wouldn,t know what they had, but I,ve known parents to get 'jolly miffed' if their darlings are missed out

NB I must get more organised with my replies to threads rather than the scattergun approach