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

Spendless

Aren't Wilko one of the shops that have remained open? I thought they were?
I'm finding it hard to guess which way stores will be. One one hand shops that have had to close and don't do click and collect are going to have to have a hard push in December to sell their stuff. On the other there's a lack of stock anyway in them, so maybe high demand for what little there is. 

Beshki

Spendless said:

Aren't Wilko one of the shops that have remained open? I thought they were?
I'm finding it hard to guess which way stores will be. One one hand shops that have had to close and don't do click and collect are going to have to have a hard push in December to sell their stuff. On the other there's a lack of stock anyway in them, so maybe high demand for what little there is. 

Yes Wilko are open. I’m not sure why they aren’t doing click and collect, it just says unavailable at the moment. The item isn’t stocked in our nearest store & as it isn’t essential it wouldn’t be sensible to make a special trip elsewhere to check other stores. It’s back out of stock this morning, so at least that decision has been taken out of my hands - lol!

kerri_gt

Wilko stopped their Click and Collect previously too. I think it might be the faff of the collect process (well in our store anyway) where it seems to take an age for the ordered item to be located and then you have to sign the book to say its been collected. 
Is it an item specific to Wilko?

Spendless

It also might be to do with staffing levels. I was told by someone who works at Next, this is the reason they aren't allowing customers to try stuff on. They don't have the manpower to spare people to clean down the changing rooms all the time. I've now lost count of the items DD has bought, she hasn't liked or it hasn't fitted and we've gone passed the deadline date to return.
Expect some bargains on-line or at car boots next summer or beyond as people try to re-coup some of their money. 

Beshki

Yes, all understandable of course If I can’t get it, it’s ok. I said to my OH that if this is a problem to me, I am really very lucky - especially in light of everything going on at the moment. I will keep an eye out for it coming back into stock once click and collect is back up and running I think

kerri_gt

Spendless said:

It also might be to do with staffing levels. I was told by someone who works at Next, this is the reason they aren't allowing customers to try stuff on. They don't have the manpower to spare people to clean down the changing rooms all the time. I've now lost count of the items DD has bought, she hasn't liked or it hasn't fitted and we've gone passed the deadline date to return.
Expect some bargains on-line or at car boots next summer or beyond as people try to re-coup some of their money. 

That's the exact reason i have barely bothered clothes shopping since March. In fact I've bought 3 sports bras, a pair of leggings,  a pair of trousers (if i ever get to travel with work again) and two pairs of joggers. I just can't be bothered with the faff of sending stuff back.  It's all very well people saying 'try them on at home and return to store' but when parking for the local places I'd go to shop can easily be £8 a time, i don't want to pay that twice over.
Good shout about the car boot sales though, something to look forward to.

skogar

I agree that I like practical presents and often if it is a practical present it is something better quality than you would have bought for yourself. Spendless - I liked your example of the tweezers - a really good present because it was something much better than your Mum used and she used it regularly so really appreciated it. Its a really good example and sometimes things jump out like that and often they are difficult to spot because the person hasn't even thought there is anything better to ask for. I keep lookkinng but have not spotted anything like that for anyone  this year.

Vulpix - in answer to your question about the best present it is very difficult to say - is the best present something you have said that you wanted that is really nice, a wonderful surprise or a luxurious item you wouldn't buy yourself?

In the first category - when I was a student many years ago, every student house had rubbish pans - usually very poor quality and very old so I asked for a good set of pans - so each of the next few birthday and christmases I got a pan. My lovely pans are still in daily use 25 years later  and are a joy to cook with, the only one that has been replaced is the frying pan as it was a non stick one and after 21 years the non stick coating had deteriorated too much. So that Christmas I asked for a replacement good quality frying pan.

In the second category - my sister had asked me what I would like for Christmas and among a few things I had suggested were dark chocolate cherries (cerisettes) from the posh chocolate shop near where she lived. These were my absolute favourite - cherries with a stalk soaked in brandy (the ones without the stalks in the boxes are not he same) and as a very very rare special treat I would buy 4 or maybe 6 chocolates (between the 2 of us) and they would be rationed  only served as a special treat with coffee and only 1 each. She bought me a box of them. She apologised that as they were expensive she hadn't bought me anything else. I was delighted. I was expecting 2 or 3 if any. They were delicious and were eaten as before as a special treat 1 each with coffee. That was the only time, she has bought me other chocolate cherries as a part of a present but never those ones again.  I don't think she was happy that all she had bought me was a box of chocolates, she loves to buy presents and I think likes to give a selection of things to unwrap but that box of cherries was the best present she has ever bought me. That one was both a wonderful surprise and  a luxury item I would never have bought for myself.

skogar

I'm not sure I should admit to having to ask this question on  what is a seriously christmassy forum - but obviously hot chocolate stations are "a thing". I'm afraid my childhood excitement re hot chocolate is limited to when we discovered options hot chocolate where you could get different flavours like  mint and orange - very exciting. I can see that there are marshmallow sprinkles and maybe cream for the hot chocolate and different biscuits to accompany them from people's descriptions but how does it work in practice. Is it something that goes in and stays there over the christmas period - maybe a kettle, hot choc sachets (maybe a selection of different flavours), or is it something that appears from time to time and the hot chocolate is made in bulk, possibly kept warm or just served quickly. Please tell. If it stays there how is it that it is not just demolished at the first go?

nic2075

Spendless, hope your daughter gets the help she needs. Sending her hugs. Being a teen is hard enough, but when you get cowards who bully others too, it makes life hell for them 😞 I have a teen with anxiety who I have to keep a close eye on and try and help. I also suffer from anxiety so I understand her well.  

I love the idea of a hit chocolate stations. I see all sorts of lovely pics on Pinterest, but my kids would have it gone in a few days.  I do have beautiful big Rae Dunn Christmas mugs that we always have hot chocolate in. I have a cupboard full of candy canes, mini marshmallows and cream in the fridge, my eldest an I plan to try and make not chocolate toppers this year. With crushed candy canes, crushed cookies, marsh mallows and one more we haven’t decided on. We seen some in home bargains that looked lovely. But it will give us something to make together in a December. 

I have finished all my shopping for DD (15), she asked for some Nike Air Force 1 trainers. Using top cashback vouchers and discount codes for Nike, I got them from £90 down to £47. She also wanted clothes from Shein, she had added everything she liked to the basket for me to filter through. I had already bought her a small grey fake fur rug for her room and stocking fillers. DS (13) is mostly done too. Just waiting in a Black Friday deal for a tv. Other than that he got some clothes and a guitar looper pedal. My youngest DD (9) has a list of craft stuff. Felt tip pens, sketchbooks, notebooks etc. Oh and a tub of pringles is on there too 😂. Ive picked up a few things as I’ve seen them.  She is easy to buy for, I could shop all day for her.  Both my girls are. Teen boys are so hard though. 

For my Dad I am getting him a brick with his name on for the path at his favourite football team stadium. Not sure what else. My sisters and I were talking about getting a brick with my Mums name on it too. They both went to all the games together when she was alive. Then both their names will be there forever. 

kerri_gt

nic2075 said:

 

For my Dad I am getting him a brick with his name on for the path at his favourite football team stadium. Not sure what else. My sisters and I were talking about getting a brick with my Mums name on it too. They both went to all the games together when she was alive. Then both their names will be there forever. 

I did this for my OH a number of years ago - it was great going to the ground and looking for his name. He's also got a piece of the pitch from last time it was fully re-turfed.
I think that's a lovely idea to get a brick with your Mum's name on too - definitely do it at the same time otherwise they most likely won't be together. You may also be lucky and if you message the club and give them the story, they may be able to have bricks in the stand where they watched the game.