* Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas * - It's the 2019 Christmas Chatter Thread

mandco

GTQ congrats on the win :j sorry to hear you can't get away earlier at xmas fingers crossed it all goes smoothly and there are no serious delays.

MrsI good to see you RL gets in the way sometimes but I hope you've been doing ok

Beshki what kind of budget do you have for your Grandma?
does she have anything like the amazon dot??


M&s stag shortbread tins have an extra £1 off so are currently £4 down from £10 they also had the musical xmas tree tins for £5

Got the elf icecream from asda they also had various xmas baking kits and sprinkles. Picked up the xmas, holly/berry & snowflake sprinkles for our xmas baking

Ikea have the gingerbread dough in so picked up some of that too

Lots of smaller bits being ticked off my list lately but its good to see it getting smaller.

Got the zoomizooz tree house for gdg £15 off in argos plus 500 nectar points cheapest I've seen so happy with that. Picked up a couple of the animal sets to go with it in the sains toys sale too so that is her finished.

Was going to get a couple of bits in the george 25% off but the offer has crashed the system in my local store and it wouldn't go through this morning so they were having to do it manually at customer service and I didn't have time to wait.

Popped into the range this week and wow they have so much xmas stock some really pretty decorations too.

Beshki

Thank you to those who have responded to my question re my Gran. I don’t really have a budget for her - she is poorly and I’m really aware that I won’t have her forever so I don’t mind what I spend on her, so long as it’ll be used or enjoyed. For one of her presents I really want to get her some sheepers slippers as I know she would really love them - but they’re sheepskin and I’m vegan and it just doesn’t sit right

bunty109

Beshki wrote: »

Thank you to those who have responded to my question re my Gran. I don’t really have a budget for her - she is poorly and I’m really aware that I won’t have her forever so I don’t mind what I spend on her, so long as it’ll be used or enjoyed. For one of her presents I really want to get her some sheepers slippers as I know she would really love them - but they’re sheepskin and I’m vegan and it just doesn’t sit right

Lakeland do a lovely heated foot muff: got one for my MIL last year and she loved it. I would think they're not sheepskin either

alja

Beshki .. I hope you find some nice alternative ones! Slippers sound like a lovely idea! I'm trying to incorporate more vegan options into my life at the moment. I'd love to know what your go-to vegan options are for Christmas!? I'm hoping to pick up the M&S chocolate and coconut drink soon!

I've changed up what I'm giving my friends this year. I was going to do the "senses" theme, but was finding it difficult, so I might save that theme and the ideas so far for OH's birthday next year maybe! I'm going to get them all different presents now. I'm trying to get some beauty/foodie bits and then a little something for each of them that really personalises it for each of them. E.g. cats for the cat person, bunnies for the bunny person, gin for the gin lover etc.

Picked up some funny named beers for my dad at a local garden centre the other night, along with a bookmark for a friend.

Just need to get cracking on ideas for OH's mum. Don't know where to begin just yet... so will get thinking this evening

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!

freespirit66

Evening everyone, I’ve spent enough on Christmas and Foodbank food so no more for this month. But have got lots of bargains and only 3 more items needed for the foodbank reverse advent, so a big chunk done. The ladies who said about the pjs I bought for DS, do you remember the song from LMFAO with the lyrics ‘everyday I’m shuffling’ ? Well it’s pjs covered in Brussels sprouts with the words ‘everyday I’m brusselling’ I love the song so it completely tickles me and I know DS will do the dance moves

NIC I’m so glad you are still feeling brighter, and well done on the Brexit Box you sound more prepared than me atm

GETTINGTHEREQUICKLY oh I’ve always wanted to go to Canada, wow they will feel the cold! Congrats on the lottery win. I’ll keep my fingers crossed the weather will be good for you on Christmas Eve

BESHKI what about a nice shawl, my Nan always felt cold around her shoulders and neck even when watching tv

MRSINVISIBLE lovely to hear from you, I have been thinking of you. Hope your family are all well

MANDCO that’s funny we were just talking about the ikea gingerbread dough today

VintageHistorian

I went in to town yesterday and managed to get some things ticked off.

First, Waterstones. Had a good look around their fiction, crime and history areas and took some photos of book covers for ones I think my Mum or Dad might like. Need to sit down and check them out this week before ordering them from the local book shop. Staff almost certainly thought I was doing it to buy them off Amazon XD

Then I went to an art shop for some inspiration for my sisters. Couldn't find anything for the eldest, buy the youngest is doing Fine Art at university at the moment and I spotted some small tubes of acrylic paint in really bright colours, so I bought a selection of those for her. Eldest sister is proving to be the hard-to-buy one this year!

And then in TK Maxx I found a lovely set of mini handcream tubes for Mum. The plastic casing they're in is a bit rubbish so I might decant them in to a nicer box if I can find one the right size. There's 6 or 7 tubes in it, all with different scents, so she can have them in the cars, in her handbag, in her bedroom, in the bathroom, in the kitchen - anywhere where she might want a handcream really! Also managed to get two nice scented candles there for her too.

Need to sit down and sort out my totals now. And rethink my ice cream sundae for my brother and his girlfriend as they've split up! So it's just a present for my brother on his own now. He's not a book person, and I don't know if he plays many video games or watches many DVDs any more. I could still do the hamper for him but since I did one last year when they were together I don't want to look like I'm reminding him of the break up. Will have a harder think!

Oh and me and DH have sorted out our London Christmas trip. We've booked tickets to go to the British Museum exhibition on Islamic art, and then we'll have dinner in Cote Brasserie. We did similar last year with another exhibition and had a lovely time so I'm really looking forward to it.

Mrs_Ryan

Has anyone started wrapping yet?!
As I’ve gone back to work now time to wrap between now and Christmas is going to be few and far between so I’ve spent most of today wrapping, to add to the stuff I wrapped the other day. I’ve used 10 rolls of wrapping paper :eek: :eek: however I’m pleased to report I only have one bag of stuff left plus OH’s teapot. That said however I’m sure I will find stuff I had forgotten about
I’ve just given up counting what on earth I’ve bought. I’m very worried about the sizing of some things I’ve bought (OH- Lyle and Scott polo shirt, my brother said they come up small. OH- Jack Wills PJ bottoms- Extra Large but they don’t look that big. OH- Ben Sherman shirt- I usually get him XL but I’ve got him XXL as they seemed quite a narrow fit) Im probably worrying over nothing the polo shirt looked plenty big enough to me, I just hope the shirt isn’t comically massive!
Definitely, definitely, definitely not buying anyone anything else!

StokieBecks

I keep meaning to start wrapping as my storage cupboard is very disorganised so I think if I wrap it will be easier to manage haha but always find something else that needs doing. I also need to get myself sorted making the Christmas cards. Feel very behind on that front this year.

Hope all your sizes are ok Mrs Ryan. I won't buy clothes for anyone apart from other half unless they specifically tell me as I am always so worried about getting sizes wrong.

Think the Tu clothing 25% off starts again tomorrow in Sainsburys. Typical as bought a few bits last week from there.

I have one thing left to get my Dad and then I think I am done! Although I usually end up buying more anyway :rotfl:

Might do some wrapping today after I have been to the post office. Time is going a bit too quickly and days off are going to become fewer and far between in the run up to Christmas and don't want to end up struggling to get it done

aimeemum

I don't like to wrap until it's closer to the time I'm due to give the gift - otherwise I forget what I've bought! lol This year I'm going to need to be a bit more prepped than usual as I've got my first family get-together on the 1st of December!

Friends and neighbours I do mid month, then I do the kids and the rest of the family in last week of the school term lol.

I wish I could be a bit more organised but I do love to shop for gifts when the decorations are all up in the shops, the festive menus in the coffee shops etc

Gettingtherequickly

I'm going to start wrapping this week, I tend to wrap a family at a time, then all go into a bag, which is named, I find it easier to keep track.

Well, my plan on writing my cards went to pot at the weekend, either picked up a bug or food poisoning, once I had stopped being very closely acquainted with the loo, I developed a strange relationship with my bed! Not spent that much time in bed ever. Hopefully will manage to eat something this evening, for first time in 3 days, going to have to be something bland. On the plus side, it has to be some weight loss:D

Only 2 months!!!!!!!!!!!