* I wish it could be Christmas every day * - It's the 2017 Christmas Chatter Thread

mumof3plusoh

Hi everyone and a belated Happy new year.
I've been a lurker and would really like to join in please.
Christmas 2016 was lovely apart from DH being on nights....same for his rota this year. DM had a heavy cold so mum and dad went about 5 same as my in laws.

I really need to be more organised. Still wrapping presents Christmas eve, vow every year I will have a lovely Christmas eve but am usually manic
Got wrapping paper in the sales and only a few personal cards...usually get all personal ones in the sale but nothing left this year as mostly naff ones. I like wordy cards.

Have so many birthdays within the first 4 months of the year too.
DM 24th GodD 18 on 24th, godD 31st, DDad 2nd Feb, DD1 9th Feb, godS 7th March, DS 19th March. April uncle's 70th and DD2 28th April.

No wonder I'm skint lol

Sending best wishes to all x

3forholidays

Welcome to the thread mumof3plusoh. What a lot of birthdays! Not worth buying personal cards in the sales if they are not your taste.

Peppapig

Welcome to the thread MUMOF3, now you've delurked you have to stay

MURIE I wasn't sure if we've sorted the theme for this month either, I think it's because 0462 hasn't been on much this month to confirm. I must admit I haven't done anything towards it yet, I just completely forgot. Must get my thinking cap on 🤔

I haven't been to the shops at all or even online so no sale Bargains for me ☹️. Had a lovely day with DD2 and DGS and DD2 suggested that next year we do a type of secret Santa for the adults and all do a list of things that we'd like (within a price limit) and then draw the names out so we all buy one thing and all get something we'd really like but can't justify buying ourselves. I'm thinking it might be a good idea, mainly because DD1 has a degree in buying the most random pressies that tend to find their way to the charity shop. If we did SS with a £30 limit we'd all save about £60 as opposed to the £10 per person limit (so very MSE) plus we'd be buying people something they want and getting something we want. Does anyone do it this way and if they do does it work?

CazD2008

Hi All
Happy New Year!
I've been a member for years now but since DD was born in Nov 2015 I haven't been able to keep up with the threads (I have been lurking though!)! For the last two Christmases I've been pretty unorganised (including presents being delivered as soon as they are wrapped on xmas eve - arghhh!) so this year I want to be super organised and all done by the end of November my DD will be 2 in November so getting all done will ensure I can spend more time with her doing festive things!
DH mentioned the other day that as a kid he always used to look forward to receiving their park food hamper! Does anyone do this kind of thing anymore? Would be great to do it for him as a surprise this year. Don't really fancy trying to save the money myself in a jar and make up my own as I will either spend the money or won't have time to make the hamper lol!
XxxX

mandco

Peppa I think its a great idea you all get something you actually want and its save the stress on trying to find something for those harder to buy for people. If you do a list of ideas each for the other person to pick from it would still leave an element of surprise. I do something similar but instead of buying gifts for the others we just buy something for ourselves as we don't often actually manage to get together around xmas and saves on the postage costs.

welcome mumof3 we have lots of birthdays/anniverys ect close together a couple of times a year and it can be so expensive aug-jan is the worst but I have 9 between the end of this month and the end of feb :eek: luckily we mostly do cards only for non immediate family unless its a big one.

All the xmas stuff boxes have finally been packed away in the attic had to wait till someone was around to do it for me as I'm not going up there but its done now and I finally have some space back.

mandco

Caz we used to get a hamper from the milkman and as a kids it was always exciting to open even though it was mostly normal stuff. I have often considered getting one but they are often over priced and full of stuff we probably wouldn't chose to buy. I'm always a little wary of pay now get it later too as while not common in the past companies have gone bust and you lose what you've paid in. However I can see the appeal and if your happy to do it then why not.

System

Good morning everyone,
My sales bargains was one single Boots order ! nothing else caught my eye, I am concentrating on DDs birthday in April which is almost sorted . She is planning a Kenya holiday next Jan with the supported holiday company and wants to learn basic Swahili[sp] so I have bought her a travel guide and phrase book , should be fun listening to her !

Christmas prep my mum and dad are almost done and I will deliver them in October when I go home for my brothers wedding.

Re Park hampers someone on fb worked out they had paid around 35% more than buying the same goods in the shops and had they downshifted brands it was almost 50% more.

Hugs to anyone having a rough time at the moment,

msgigglewick

hey... i'm like most of you not much going on sale wise.. the pressie cupboard is rather bare compared to this time last year :O wilkos have started their 75% off sale today but nothing really grabbed my eye. i did get 3-4 items in m&s sale and 4-5 items in the wilkos 50% off toy sale. other than that nothing.. Had a wander around boots to see what was left and there isn't really much there i think ooo that would do for so and so.. so really debating if to bother fighting the madness or not when they reduce down more lol

I think with having mostly older girls this year the piles of pressies doesn't really need to happen... even my youngest will be 8 this year and shes started to ask for certain items so i think i shall wait until the summer for her to start mentioning items. (dh did get her a lil laptop for the xmas just gone but we never gave it her so thats her main pressie for this year so she can play minecraft on there on her sisters server)

Considering getting the other girls either new laptop or the new nintendo switch consoles. We shall see how much saving spree goes lol.

Nothing much planned this year. Got some big bdays happening, my mums 60, i'm 40, my oldest daughter is 21..... not a clue what we're doing for any of them lol (nothing for mine, im in denial lol)

hugs to all those who need it and left over xmas chocs for everyone!

LMG1305

Hi All

I love seeing this thread moving along. Even if I don't get to read everything and don't often reply, I'm always in the background trying to catch up with what everybody has been up to

I didn't find anything worth buying in any of the sales this year. Even all the reports of Asda/Tesco/Sainsburys selling off christmas stock was annoying me because everybody seemed to pick up bargains and in the stores that I go to they had nothing. I actually went to Tesco a few days after Boxing Day & saw a staff member actually taking christmas stock off the shelves, putting them in boxes and taking them back into their warehouse at the back of the store.

I did treat myself to a new pair of boots though. I have been after a nice pair of brown boots for a while after chucking an old battered pair out a few years ago now, but I'm quite fussy with shoes so couldn't find any that I liked. Well I thought I'd have a little look online just in case anything caught my eye & I found a pair in Dune, 60% off! So they have been ordered and I just have to pick them up from store when they arrive.

I actually ended up keeping a few presents back that I had bought for my daughter for Christmas. I've kept them in the attic and going to give them to her for her birthday instead because I didn't realise I had bought so much!

Peppa - I like your SS idea. We have tried doing SS previously and it didn't work because me & my sisters felt bad that we weren't buying for each other so bought stuff anyway! I did try suggesting last year that instead of buying gifts we all put money together for a day out or something, but nobody really seemed interested so I left it. I might try & suggest it again this year. In fairness last year I suggested it in September so maybe people had already started buying, but if I suggest it now they have no excuse http://static.moneysavingexpert.com/images/forum_smilies/laughing-smiley-014.gif

x

freespirit66

Afternoon everyone, i have finally finished my December craft challenge (christmas tree) i dont remember seeing anyone elses photos?? I ran out of ribbon but managed to get the last 2 rolls in the shop on saturday. I also got the stuff for this months challenge.



PEPPAPIG i thought about doing secret santa with my lot but it didnt seem fair that DD2 and her other half would be paying double from their household IYSWIM and DS likes to have his themes for everyones present so it wouldnt work but i think it is a great idea, less stress and less money