* Driving Home for Christmas * - It's the 2021 Christmas Chatter Thread!

princesskitty29

It’s been interesting reading your comments about the seasons, I think a lot of us will have seasons we thrive in and seasons we struggle in. Although it seems more like autumn today looking out of the window!

 

I haven’t actually bought any Christmas presents recently (like you say mandco there haven’t been many deals around) but I have come up with lots of ideas for people and have got quite a good list going which is a good start. I’ve been doing an online beginners sewing course to finally learn how to use my sewing machine and we made bunting the other evening, I couldn’t believe how simple and quick it was to actually make! So I thought it would be lovely to make some Christmas bunting, some for myself to decorate but I also thought it would make a lovely gift for some of my family and friends so I’m very excited about that idea.

 

Spendless we’ve booked Haven for the summer holidays this year and it’s all we need. To be honest the boys get so much pleasure out of going to places like Haven/Butlins etc that we haven’t taken them abroad yet, we just don’t think they’d get any more out of it at the moment.

 

Treasurequeen I’d like to get some bars of soap for Christmas, they definitely do last ages! I’ve been meaning to swap to bars of soap upstairs for ages and my friend finally got me into it when she bought me a bar of mango soap for my birthday!

 

boazu it is NEVER too early to think about Christmas! I actually seek out Christmas things in the summer, I think because as I’ve mentioned before I tend to feel a little unsettled in the summer and it makes me feel better.

 

Crispianne3 I don’t blame you, you don’t need any negativity at Christmas!

 

mandco glad to hear you had a good few days at Butlins, any change of scene is so precious at the moment. I hope the online welcome session goes well for your DS tonight, it’s such a shame all of these things still can’t be done in person at the moment. DS2 starts school in September and they’ve had to cancel most of the things they had planned due to the delay in relaxing the rules.

kerri_gt

@mandco glad you had a nice break away.

I'd love to get aboard atm but not keen on the faff of tests and quarantine getting home, takes the shine off a holiday for sure. Oh, that and DH passport has run out and he's not renewing until we can travel normally again. 

Sort of looking forward to xmas shopping this year with most of my presents not bought. Haven't got the usual stuff I pick up in the sales and felt cheated last year when we got flung into lockdown before xmas last year so this will make a change (I may think differently come Dec  )

@princesskitty the bunting sounds fabulous. I'm sure it will be wonderfully received. 

Spendless

CRISPIANNE3 said:

The first time we had to endure the mother in law for Christmas 2020. Never, never again. So negative and never stopped moaning. Well this year I have said to my partner if she comes again I'm off.

Oh dear. I'm guessing this was due to covid reasons, as it was very restrictive last year who you could see on Christmas day and when and based on where you lived and changed very last minute. I was in a situation and area where it was more lenient/favourable , but I still remember my panicking posts about it in last year's thread and that was with people who I wanted to spend time with! I can imagine it would have been very stressful for you all, especially if it's not something you usually do. Fingers crossed we're all in a different situation by December!

The cancelled events of last summer, had made me forget how much of a football widow I become at this time of year and DH hasn't left the house! . He forgets to concentrate during any games on anything I say or ask of him. So, I start thinking idally to next summer, hoping any covid restrictions have gone by then and wondering if I should just take off for a few days with a friend or one of the kids if their Uni course hass topped by then. So, with these thoughts taking form in my head, I just query with DH about the World Cup next year. That's when I get the answer that it's taking place in December! Cue alarms setting off in my head about how distracted DH will become. So I say in that case, I want all presents, bought and wrapped, cards written out, xmas items like crockery out of the loft and the tree up in NOVEMBER!  

As to this year. Still haven't bought much more and when I do still seems to be for DD! I always measure how far I am away from finishing Christmas shopping by asking myself 'If the Government said Christmas Day was tomorrow' would there be enough for everyone, padded out with alcohol/chocs/flowers bought at the supermarket, some cash gifts to the kids and me and DH accepting that we'll get each other something at a later date. I'd say I'm close to that point. In the Boots 90% off sale, I bought some of the solid bars (eg shampoo, shower).  with no clear idea who I would eventually give them to, but since they were just about the only things left and cost between 45p -65p, far less than their liquid equivalents I got them. I was thinking of digging them out for DD's holiday as she's taking hand luggage only but as her flights have just got cancelled for the 2nd time, am now wondering when or even if she'll be able to get away! 

Spendless

boazu said:

I was thinking of Christmas yesterday and got out my Christmas cookery books and read through them, then I thought NO don't be daft woman it's only June...it appears I'm not alone and therefore not daft!  It isn't too early to start thinking of presents for the family and planning some of the food is it? even if it is nearly high summer.

Back in 97. I was completely single and living in my own (mortgaged) house with a car loan when I got wind that it was highly likely I'd be made redundant at the end of the year due to a buy-out of my workplace. 

My family had always made a great thing of Christmas, more so than birthdays even when I was a child. So, I decided the only thing I could do was to buy all family and friend presents in advance of the inevitable.

I've done the same ever since and on several occasions it's proved to be the sensible thing to do and not always for money saving reasons. That includes last year when we went into a 2nd lockdown during November, and non essential shops only re-opened in December. Having avoided Christmas shopping in the last few weeks before Dec 25th for many years, I knew how busy they were likelyu to be. Instead I could stay home and just wrap, happy I'd completed my shopping on Oct 31st. 

Don't get me wrong, you need to be organised and for some recipients it may not be possible until shops get their Christmas stock in. It was easier when my kids were little and my extended  family younger as there was more scope to buy as they were more mobile and less housebound. I detail on here how frequently and easy I buy for my DD and have duplicated items before in error, only stocking filler stuff though, I'm more on the ball with large items. There's also the hard to buy for relatives that you might not be able to buy much in advance for. My Dad is one of them. Having a spare new still boxed Alexa, we gave him it for Father's Day recently. I was reluctant as I thought it would make a better Xmas present, but stuck to what to get him instead, went ahead. What I hadn't thought of but DH pointed out, this now opens us up to buying him  gadgets that he uses in connection with that. 

kerri_gt

@Spendless i was just going to say the world cup is in winter next year as it's in Qatar. Will be interesting how that works with the usual Dec club fixtures. I guess it means the domestic season will be extended past May. Luckily I'm a big footie fan so looking forward to that, been thoroughly enjoying the Euros, esp after the delay from last year. 

kerri_gt

@Spendless i was just going to say the world cup is in winter next year as it's in Qatar. Will be interesting how that works with the usual Dec club fixtures. I guess it means the domestic season will be extended past May. Luckily I'm a big footie fan so looking forward to that, been thoroughly enjoying the Euros, esp after the delay from last year. 

mandco

Looking for birthday presents and came across a couple of offers 
Argos have a magic card set reduced to just £1.50 & a magic hat set reduced £5 which I got to put away for Taz so picked up an extra of each for the xmas donations stash.
Disneystore have sale on and they have some stuff reduced and then 3 for 2 as well - if you select the summer 3 for 2 in the offers section https://www.shopdisney.co.uk/offers
it brings up everything included as most of it doesn't say its 3 for 2. I got some frozen bits for Dgd 1 and a couple of mugs to go in the xmas donations stash.

kerri_gt

@mandco thank you,  i was out shopping today, first time proper shopping for me in 18mths and I couldn't remember what a store used to be that is now a bank, it was a Disney store, then a pop up shop. 

Shopping was interesting today. Did get a bra fitting where basically i seem to be any one of 3 sizes...argh helpful.
Lost the will to live in some queues and frustrating not all stores have changing rooms open meaning i was less likely to take a punt on items as I then may have to return them,  and pay for parking again. 
Still, bought a few things, found Primark have changed the trainer socks i like for running,  but did get an item i was going to get for my aunt / uncle last xmas. They will either get it sometime this year or it will be this Xmas' present. Nothing that will go off.

Of course I'm going to have to go back shopping in the next few weeks to do returns.

mandco

Kerri  Its frustrating isn't it I much prefer to shop in person as you have a much better idea on what size to get but half the time you still need to try things on to be sure. With things the way they are at the moment its so much hassle to have to take it home to try on then take it all back again its a bit like still doing online shopping.

Popped to the outlets yesterday as needed to return something I brought last time only went to 2 shops but did manged to get some ridiculously expensive even at a discount under armour clothes for ds birthday. He turns 16 soon and its the first time he's actually asked for branded stuff but wow its a pricey brand.  On the plus side it gives me something else to get him for xmas just need to keep an eye open for any decent deals/reductions.

kerri_gt

@mandco its totally like online shopping...except you even need to pay for parking, at least when I'm online shopping I usually order enough for free delivery (either with free returns,  or if you pay via PayPal you get 12 returns 'on them' per year so I use that too).

I did actually order some shorts online from Zara whilst I was shopping and stopping for a coffee break. I'd seen them in store but really wanted to try them on, then with the queues in store being super long too (except the mens section right upstairs) i decided it would just be easier to order online. Which is sad, becasue if we all do that there will be even less on the high street.

I see Gap is closing high street stores. Actually wondering if there will be any sales,  got 2 * DN to buy for for xmas (10 & 11). That said Gap is expensive regardless. 🤔

For UA stuff,  have a look at M&M Direct and also Sports Direct has some. I bought an UA sports bra from M&M last year,  it even comes with it's own workout everytime I have to get in / out of it