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

Peppapig

Welcome FREEBIRD. 👋

Beshki

I was about to order this for my Dad https://www.flavourly.com/l/FB24G which I’ve ordered before, it’s reasonable value and he does enjoy them. However at the last minute I’m now wondering whether to make up my own. It would be cheaper as I would do less bottles, add a bottle of wine & a few snacks, more personalised & I could buy a bottle with my food Shop each week which would spread the cost nicely. I find bottles hampers difficult to make look nice, perhaps because I have the time to do it I could try and fashion something that stands the bottles up. 

princesskitty29

Beshki you could try something like this instead of in a hamper? I'm sure people on here have bought beer crates from Poundlound/Home Bargains or somewhere similar in the past?

murie

Bekshi- most of the larger suoermarkets have cardboard wine carriers in the alcohol aisle, You could pop one of those in your trolley (assuming you do a supermarket shop rather than online). It could be decorated  in the same way as PK suggests . You would probably be able to get two bottles of beer in each section as they are large enough for a bottle of wine.

princesskitty29

I got a few extra bits with my shopping this week and now have a tub of Heroes, a chocolate orange and sausage rolls stashed away for Christmas. I did a Lakeland order and with it I also got a lovely set of Prestat vegan mini chocolate bars and a migraine gel beads headband for a friend, a tin of oat biscuits with a Ponsettia design on it for MiL, a tin of Christmas pudding biscuits for FiL and another tin of oat biscuits with a snowman design on for my auntie.

 

vulpix I generally don’t mind having my blood pressure taken but I was a little put out when I was in hospital and had just had Squeak, he cried all night until about 2am when he finally fell asleep, then literally just as I dropped off the midwife bustled in with the blood pressure machine! I just said PLEASE DON’T WAKE MY BABY!

 

mandco oooh you’re going to be the first with the tree up! Are you decorating it with Halloween decs? I also do a ‘North Pole Breakfast’ on the day that we put the decorations up. I printed out some stuff from Pinterest, decorate the table and we have pancakes shaped like snowmen and strawberry milkshake in mini milk-style bottles! I also usually put out a little table present for the boys, always a craft or activity book. I think some people do this to mark the arrival of the elf on the shelf but we don’t have that in our house so it’s just a festive breakfast!

 

Hello and welcome freebird! I’m also trying to be a bit more mindful this year of buying presents from smaller businesses etc and trying to avoid Amazon! The problem is in the past I’ve done a wishlist on Amazon for the boys and sent it to the family for ease, they really like this and I’m sure they’re going to ask again this year.

decorativer

I hope 2021 will not be like 2020

freebird09

Thanks all! I have the same problem re: Amazon wishlists, princesskitty! I've tried to use Pinterest to save online links, but it's nowhere near as convenient (especially as I've got tonnes of books on mine). I've been trying to encourage people to get books second-hand and the like, which is much cheaper, too! 

I've started putting together a beer advent calendar for the OH, Beshki, for similar reasons: more personalised, certainly cheaper, and there's a great local craft beer shop that I'd like to support. I also struggled with how to decorate it, though I was thinking of wrapping a cardboard box in wrapping paper  Very glamorous! 

chanie

freebird I’m making hampers and am wrapping cardboard boxes!!!  I think that’s the most practical solution.

Last year, I decided to make a point of shopping more locally. During lockdown,  I found that the local independent corner type shops seemed to be better stocked than the supermarkets.  It isn’t practical for me to do all of my shopping locally,  so I try and spread my money out, when shopping.

Mrs_Ryan

I’ve started my wrapping! I’m going home to Newcastle this weekend for my birthday (mum, myself and hubby are in a support bubble) and I’m stopping off at my friend’s house to collect my birthday present (all socially distanced and outside) and she’s going to give me my Christmas present as well so I’ve had to wrap hers up. Luckily it was a big box so easy to wrap but blimey it’s heavy! 

Bought more presents! I got a Jo Malone English Rose and Freesia hand and body wash for my mum and a Red Roses one for Step-MIL. They arrived this morning, beautifully gift boxed. I’ve also ordered some Bewley’s Irish Breakfast Tea for OH as it was on offer and quite bargainous. I’ve ordered a gift to myself as well- the Broons and Oor Wullie books. My dad loved them and I inherited his collection as I too love them. I thought it was nice to keep the tradition going. 

One thing I will say is that I’m better organised than I thought- although the spare room is a jumble of gifts I know roughly where everything is. When I went in to pick out my friend’s presents to wrap I pretty much found everything straight away. I did realise however that I had no gift tags- quick browse on Amazon solved that and a book of sticky gift labels arrived today. 

Beshki

Thanks for the great ideas re the bottles/hamper - I am definitely going to have a go at something similar, and I certainly have time to have a play around so there’s no excuse not to, really! Especially as it’ll save probably a third of the price I would’ve paid & look a bit more thoughtful. Thanks again, very helpful. 

Going to add some Christmas chocolate as gifts for people to my online shops over the next few weeks, does anyone know where the tubs are cheapest at the moment please? Thank you