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

Redredrobin

Spendless said:

Awww sorry Redredrobin. Was the place you were going to also in Tier3 or have the cancelled due to your address? 

They have cancelled due to my address.  We were going from South Yorkshire to North Yorkshire.  

Looks like a quick trip to the wildlife park instead . 

Spendless

Redredrobin said:

Spendless said:

Awww sorry Redredrobin. Was the place you were going to also in Tier3 or have the cancelled due to your address? 

They have cancelled due to my address.  We were going from South Yorkshire to North Yorkshire.  

Looks like a quick trip to the wildlife park instead . 

Do you know what the nonsense is there. My daughter attends college in North Yorkshire, travelling from our South Yorkshire address to attend! This is what irritates me about restrictions. I can send my daughter there to mix with people who live all over North and West Yorkshire, that she doesn't know that well,with what they do,  yet her boyfriend who we know far more about can't come round. I was due to meet friends next week, we changed it from a pub lunch to pub lunch outside to not being able to go but I could still meet them in a park. I've  had these friends for 40 years so trust what they say about where they've been. Enoy the wildlife park anyway. It's about 20 minutes drive from me. 

Redredrobin

Spendless - we must be really close as the wildlife park is about 20 mins from us too . I’m in S66 area . 

Spendless

Redredrobin said:

Spendless - we must be really close as the wildlife park is about 20 mins from us too . I’m in S66 area . 

Opposite direction. Wildlife park must be in the middle. 

Flugelhorn

StokieBecks said:

Do shops not check designs before sending them into production? There will be shelves full of these across the country that are pretty useless 

Our Xmas will be the same as ever - except might buy a few more decorations this year (ahem have already put some lights up in the garden)

Spendless

Yesterday I bought a bottle of whisky to finish FIL's present off. We have bought him one of those novelty bottle holders to put it in. He also is getting  some Bournville chocolate in a big pack we bought from one of the Cadbury shops.

Last month on her 95th birthday one of my Nan's discovered she liked gin as I'd bought her a little gift pack. After she'd rang me to ask how she drank it -lol (it had a little pack of botanicals in it) she later rang back to say how nice it was. So I've expanded on that with a few different minis and some bottles of tonic. I've also got her the more traditional tin of biscuits and a box of Lindt chocolates that I bought yesterday, so she is also finished. The only adult Neice I still buy for also has a gin and tonic gift set, but I may also add her some bodycare/cosmetic biits from my present  stash.

 My other Nan is 96 and in a nursing home with dementia. No one has seen her since Mid March. We can't go tot he window and wave because it would distress her that we wouldn't then go inside to see her and she wouldn't understand. I can only buy her something closer to Christmas and will be very limited in what that is. 
I'm awaiting something I bought from Avon for my Dad and then he too is finished. Every year I find my Dad difficult to buy for but this year I've hit on something. He mentioned sufferring from hard skin on his ankles and liked a product I'd bought that helped with that, so I've just expanded on this to create a 'footcare hamper' 

This leaves my Mum who I have a dilemma with. Her main present is a Radley bag, reduced to £18 in TKmaxx (daughter refused to let me leave it!). But I've also bought her a new make up bag after noticing hers is far too small for the contents and I thought I'd put a few bits and pieces inside. Mum mentioned a bodyspray I'd once bought her that's her favourite and always gets comments and she's never found another. On investigation it turns out to be a Hollister spray (she'd not known Hollister was a clothes shop, so no wonder she'd never found another!), it was discontinued quite some time ago BUT I have found a new and unused bottle on ebay, quite dear for what it is (more than the radley bag cost!). I was thinking of buying it because it's the last I'll ever get. However on sorting out my present stash the other day, I re-discovered a small set of make up brushes, bought in last year's Boots sale initially intended for DD, but DD has a better set of make up brushes coming her way, so pointless giving her these. So, I could forget about the bodyspray accepting that once Mum has used her current bottle they'll never be another and add the make up brushes instead, which would be a cheaper option. Or since I barely own any make up brushes (only wear make up for nights out etc) keep them for me even giving them to DH to say give me them back as a present from the kids. Not sure which to do. 

C_J

Do you know what the Hollister body spray smells like? If you could work out what the perfume notes are in it, you might be able to find something similar that isn’t discontinued and then your Mum could have a new favourite.

If you really want the makeup brushes, then treat yourself! Otherwise I would put those in the makeup bag for your Mum rather than the body spray (as it is discontinued, it might already be quite old).

Another suggestion for makeup bag fillers is to buy a one-off beauty box from Look Fantastic or Birchbox or the like. You don’t have to take out a subscription, and you generally get about five items so it’s good value.

Beshki

I don’t think I would pay over the odds for the body spray, either. The other gifts you have bought her sound lovely. 

I had a quick potter in some of the home bargains sort of shops this morning & sorted out my ‘difficult to buy for’ couple. B&M had a lovely little dip bowl set for £5 & a cheese board for £3 - both of which look really nice for what they cost & will make a lovely little gift set along with some nice wine & treats to go alongside them. Unfortunately we don’t have the money for much else this year (they will be getting money as their main gift) so I’m hoping they’ll appreciate and enjoy these. Feeling pleased that I found something, anyway

Also my OH loves old Jamaica Chocolate and it’s Reduced at the moment to £1 a bar in B&m, so I pop a few bars in each time I go. I’ve never seen it so cheap before and often find it difficult to get hold of. 

I was hoping to find the ‘friends’ themed plasters in Poundland but no such luck. Along with the friends tea towel set that has now sold out in wilko, I’m not doing quite as well with that gift!

Spendless

I think B & M have had the best gift range this year and out the earliest too. I did go round 5 the other week trying to find the chilli sauce advent calendar but with no luck. 
Yes, I looked up the Hollister spray fragrance, which is described as mango and starfruit and no-one does the same! Victoria's secret has a mango spray, but the nearest to me is at Meadowhall and since Sheffield had worse infection rates than where I live I'm reluctant to go. Their online delivery charge is £8! I did wonder about if the smell would be gone on the ebay one but Mums is  still ok and hers is opened. DH has suggested keeping the make up brushes for myself. 

C_J

The Body Shop do a mango body spray for £8 - might that work?