* Step into Christmas * & 2020 - It's the 2020 Christmas Chatter Thread

Redredrobin

I can’t remember who posted about the Costco hand made Christmas cards but thank you , we went and bought a box they are stunning , so much so Dd has picked one she wants from the pooch ! Didn’t realise he could write .

Apart from the dog and a few bits we are done , I have started adding a few treats to my shopping each week and although I say it every year and have so far failed I’m NOT going to buy the tubs of sweets . They look even smaller this year .

I was planning to start a gentle exercise regime but have managed to pull something in my calf just walking the dog ! No idea how but it’s hurts big time to walk . Why is it these things never happen at the beginning of time off work always just before you go back , will be glad when tomorrow’s shift is over .

I have to wear either a mask or visor at work , I find masks difficult so opted for the visor but after 4 hours my forehead looks like someone has tried to scalp me .

Stay safe x

Oops - just ordered the dogs toys will be ready to pick up from pets at home Wednesday ,would be rude not to have a quick look in The range too .x 

girlinayellowdress

Hey, finally finding time to post (not that I've been busy over the past six months). Just been finding life mundane and decided to shake this rut off. Spending most of the spare time reading my kindle and doing jigsaws. Going to try and get back into writing and doing some competitions. 

It will be ds and me for christmas and very laid back and just a couple of treats each and I am looking forward to just that.

Have been enjoying reading everyone else's plans though and looking forward to the whole atmosphere even if it is mainly online. 

Cannot get Sony Christmas movies on our TV anymore but have been watching the odd Christmas movie on amazon.

Would like to ask for recommendations on Christmas magazines, some are so expensive and have little content. 

Anyway thoughts are with everyone who had been effective by this horrible virus whether in illness or employment. Luckily it has not caused any major upheaval here but my heart and thoughts are with those it has touched. x

princesskitty29

I bought a few Christmas presents last week, two Lego t-shirts for the boys and a nice little Cath Kidston hand sanitiser for my friends stocking. I saw that Next had some cute Christmas pudding toilet roll covers, they keep going out of stock before I can buy any! I thought they’d make a fun gift for some of my family and I’d quite like one too for the downstairs toilet. I added some Pringles and salted peanuts to my food shop order due to today for Christmas, I now have to hide them where DH won’t find them, he would eat the Pringles in a heartbeat!

 

I’ve got a hearing appointment in town on Tuesday morning when Squeak is at pre-school so I thought I’d brave a few shops too, apart from going to Tesco I haven’t mooched in any shops properly since the beginning of the year! I hope it’s going to be fairly quiet and that I can pick up a few bits to squirrel away. Does anyone know if Primark has any Christmas bits out yet?

 

Thanks for those of you who are interested in the Christmas card exchange, if anyone else would like to join in please let me know!

 

3forholidays good to hear from you, I was thinking recently that we hadn’t heard from you in a while. Yes Christmas is going to look a little different this year I think!

 

CookieMonster glad you’ve come to join us, those Wilko bargains sound fab it’s a shame I haven’t been able to get to one!

 

CJ thanks for the heads up about Rex London, there’s some lovely bits on there!

 

Sammy Kaye sorry to hear that sad news about your friend. How about doing her a stocking? I have made stockings for people in recent years like our parents who haven’t had one for years and they’ve absolutely loved them. I think no matter what age you are it’s always exciting to get a stocking! My friend told me last year that she hasn’t had one since she lived at home 16 years ago so I’m making her one this year.

 

Beshki we have only been given food hampers in our time and we love them! It’s actually just lots of supermarket food put in a festive box but I actually love it! I know what you mean though, sometimes you can spend a lot of money and it doesn’t look as special as the fancy hampers you get in the shops, but I’m sure whoever receives it will really appreciate the thought and effort.

 

mandco oh no! You poor things that sounds awful! What a shock. I do hope you’ve recovered some more now and are feeling more yourself.

 

Redrobin it must be really hard for anyone in a job like yours where you have to wear a mask or visor all day, it’s such an adjustment to make and not a very pleasant one.

 

GIAYD good to hear from you! In terms of magazines, I have just bought ‘Simply Christmas’, I haven’t read it properly yet but it is quite thin. I always find every year the best magazines at Christmas are the Christmas editions of normal magazines like Good Housekeeping and Woman & Home, they have lots of good festive content. The only thing with those is that you have to wait a little longer for them to come out!

 

Peppa we haven’t heard from you in a while, I hope everything is ok?

chanie

Beshki said:

Trying to pre plan a hamper before I start buying for it, as I always find that they work out expensive compared to what they look. Has anyone received a hamper as a gift? Did you like it? X 

OH’s work give him a homemade hamper for xmas.  I must admit, I do love the surprise of opening it.  Last year, they bought most of the items from Lidl and without wanting to come across as ungrateful, I was a bit Meh about it.  We do our main food shop in Lidl, so it felt a bit like getting items from the weekly food shop.    When I left my job, I got given an M&S hamper and I enjoyed that, because I normally don’t buy food from there and it felt a bit more special.

I think there are two ways to approach hampers, depending on the person:
1) people who may appreciate a ‘posher’ version of what they normally buy.  So, if they normally shop in Tesco buy items from Waitrose.
2) those who like what they like eg they have a particular brand and they wont want a different one, no matter what.  They may just appreciate getting that item.
the trick is knowing the preferences of the person you are buying for.

Im making up a few hampers for Christmas.  They are going to be an extra surprise rather than a main present, though.  I’m just buying whatever is on offer and will shop anywhere and everywhere.  I’m thinking chocolates, cordials, nuts, crisps etc.

rachsecret

I have almost finished my Christmas gift buying. Just got a few bits to get. Today I ordered from snapfish a calendar with photos we have taken on all our local walks this year, a mousemat with photos of butterflies he has taken this year and a mug to match. We had a mug amnesty last week and binned all the ones that had gotten chipped; there were more than I thought! 
Also got him a waterproof walking coat and some gloves for when we go walking. this has been something we started during lockdown and have loved. We see deer at least once a week on our walks and lots of wildlife and have pledged that we will carry on the walking.
Thanks to those of you who suggested ideas for DS's advent calendar. I have ordered several of the items suggested. 
In terms of hampers, I think many of the ones that are ready made in shops are not to my taste , but if the items in it were home made or filled with handpicked items and a bit quirky then that makes it lovely and much more personal. I have made some mini-hampers for family with a few jars of HM jam, chutney, sloe gin, blackberry vodka etc which are always well received.  
Saw something int he news this week that advised people got Christmas gifts now rather than wait as there may be problems with deliveries closer to Christmas. 

Beshki

Thanks for the feedback on the hampers. Decided to go ahead as I had already got a few bits for it & don’t want to waste them. So far I have a book, nice hand wash, soap, fancy tea bags, biscuits, coffee, posh jam and some other bits that I can’t quite remember. Not sure if anyone can think of anything else I might have missed that would help pack it out? I purposely bought quite a small basket as there’s nothing worse than giving something that looks half empty!

chanie

Hot water bottle
cozy sock 
book mark 

Beshki

chanie said:

Hot water bottle
cozy sock 
book mark 

Thank you, book mark an excellent idea! 

CookieMonster_

Done a few more bits, made my list for dd8 after asking what she wanted this year. Am I the only one who tries to ration out their Christmas shopping? 😅 I know exactly what I'm getting her but don't want to get it all now as then I'll have nothing to do for the next few months. Plus we normally do a lovely Christmas shopping day in Newcastle in November but with the current situation it's really hard to anticipate if that's even going to be possible this year 😕 I think I'm going to get everything that's only available online now and hold off on other stuff like pyjamas etc 

Mrs_Ryan

Hello everyone
I hope everyone is as well as can be given the current circumstances. Bit of a worrying time. 

I was away on holiday last week and had the most lovely time. It was a bit of a worry start of the week as I was worried in case Boris was going to lock the country down. However thankfully that didn’t happen and we had a lovely week. My mum came on holiday with us for the first time and we all enjoyed ourselves. We ate some lovely food, saw some lovely places, and even had a win on the bingo! I need another holiday to get over that one now I think! 

We went to the Clarks Outlet Village on Tuesday and both myself and mum managed to pick up some bargainous extra gifts and wrapping paper. 

I got: 

A Superdry hoodie for my niece (I was actually rather jealous, it was very nice, grey with a sparkly print. This was reduced to £19 in the Superdry outlet. My niece is very petite and they had loads of tiny sizes on a sale rail in the back) 
A Superdry backpack for my nephew (He’s just started uni so I thought that would be helpful. Also from the outlet, also £19, bit of a bargain)
Calvin Klein pj’s for my other nephew (£27 which I was really pleased with. I was going to buy them for OH but OH has enough PJ’s)
Star Wars shower gels for my brother (£3 from M&S outlet and they’re quite cool) 
2 Crew Clothing polo tops for OH (one was reduced to £9 which was very bargainous) 
2 rolls of wrapping paper from M&S (50p each and it’s really nice stuff) 
Individual Christmas cards from the Hallmark shop 
Then when we went to Bath on Thursday- 
3 in one Snow Fairy bath bomb and 1kg bottle of Snow Fairy shower gel from Lush (for best friend, Snow Fairy is all she ever asks for- I’ve also got her the large gift set from Lush online as well) 
Doro mobile phone for OH (I had ordered one online for him, but on Wednesday night his current phone stopped working. He needed another urgently so I bought him it, then he managed to get his current phone working so I cancelled the other one and put this one away for Christmas) 
Ive also got him some Dove shower gel and deodorants. The prices being charged for the sets are ridiculous and it was cheaper to buy him the shower gels and deodorants loose. 

I also ordered a diabetic food hamper for FIL and bought a tub of sweets for OH’s family. Just a voucher to get for them. 

I’ve also booked me and OH a meal out for Christmas Day. OH is on board with it as I said I don’t much feel like cooking this year. Still struggling to motivate myself for Christmas. One thing keeping me going though is that Dad would have wanted me to enjoy myself and not mope around as he wasn’t there.