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

kerri_gt

@Spendless do they have the set online where you can check for stock updates? I'm sure they'll get more in stock between now and Xmas. Do you have any other stores nearby? 

StokieBecks

I managed to get the B&M afternoon tea set today Spendless. Our store didn't have them last weekend so should imagine yours should get more stock all being well for you. 

Also picked up a Simple gift set (never seen Simple in  a set before I always put together my own as step daughter only uses that), a couple of frixinet wine mini and lovely glass sets (they had a choice of prosecco or rose), a scented candle and a hot water bottle - all gifts! 

Hurrah finally feel as though making some small headway even if i am only getting the small bits

princesskitty29

I’m so excited all of the Christmas bits are creeping in everywhere! I feel more motivated than ever to get things early this year as I keep reading about possible distribution delays. We ordered DS1 a Hornby train set in July for his birthday in August and we’re still waiting for it.

 

I haven’t done any more shopping yet – unless you count getting a packet of McVitie’s Christmas Pudding biscuits with my Tesco shop! I've had a little look online but i've really lost my mojo for online shopping. I’m planning to do a tour of B&M, Home Bargains, Poundland and The Range this week to see if there’s any bits I can pick up. I find they quite often have stuff you can’t find anywhere else, especially food gifts. I’m also making Halloween goody bags for the boys, it’s not something I usually do but I feel now more than ever that they are growing up so quickly and I want to really enjoy these things they get excited about – one day they won’t be bothered.

 

mandco Oh I’m sure it doesn’t get any easier as they get older, I think I’m sad as for 7 years I’ve had a baby or toddler at home with me and now suddenly I’m going to be on my own! Glad you had a good time at Butlins, family holidays are tiring though! Also glad to hear your DS is settling in ok, you get treated more like an adult when you go to college.

 

GTQ every year I say I’m going to make shoeboxes then time runs away from me, I’d actually have to try and get some shoeboxes, I only get kids ones these days!

 

kerri good idea to buy your Christmas dinner bits early, I think it’s definitely the way to go this year. I have a Christmas spreadsheet with about 15 tabs for various things!

 

Spendless wow big events are happening in your house. I’m bad enough with mine starting school let alone when they leave home! Hopefully the lead up is worse than the reality, like you say everything will be where you left it and your home will be your own again! I’m sure your DD will be back to visit lots too.

kerri_gt

@Spendless i was in B&M today (first time for ages...the fact i came out with pop tarts and Reeces cups reminds me why I have stayed away  ) 
Assuming the tea sets were in a pale blue box, I saw 4 on a top shelf in the xmas food aisle. There was also a nice looking conserve and crackers one for £3 in a yellow box too.

Looks like they are just putting xmas stuff out,  xmas paper in nearly every aisle (was torn about getting some as I do have lots in the loft I could/should use), the xmas food aisle looked like it was either just being stocked or just decimated...but given the decorations aisle still has planograms taped to the shelves i assume they are just filling them. Exciting but also a bit sad as Halloween is being rather overlooked.

I needn't have worried about the Slush machine earlier this year, a whole end cap of them has appeared but at least I've already spent that money and that's done.

Bought OH a littlr spiced rum miniature set, seemed to be randomly on it's own on a shelf,  no others, no price and didn't even scan on the B&M app. Thought it might cause an issue at the checkout but it scanned ok, thought it might have been about £4-£5...£7.50! Nearly keeled over when i checked the receipt. 

Picked DN up some glow in the dark pjs whilst there. I'm not 100% sure as I (we) got him a glow in the dark blanket last year and might be too much of the same. That said I'm planning nightwear for his sisters so we'll see. I wanted to get onesies or bath robes but might be pjs and poss socks instead.

Beshki

What is in the B&m afternoon tea set please?  :-)

StokieBecks

Beshki said:

What is in the B&m afternoon tea set please?  :-)

Hi Beshki there is a fruit cake bar (plain not iced but not a bad size), a pack of teabags, a jar of blackcurrant preserve and some shortbread fingers. The dates are into 2022 (all items have their own best before date on back of box) 

I have picked one up for my Grandad as he is hard to buy for and he will use all those bits.

kerri_gt

StokieBecks said:

Beshki said:

What is in the B&m afternoon tea set please?  :-)

Hi Beshki there is a fruit cake bar (plain not iced but not a bad size), a pack of teabags, a jar of blackcurrant preserve and some shortbread fingers. The dates are into 2022 (all items have their own best before date on back of box) 

I have picked one up for my Grandad as he is hard to buy for and he will use all those bits.

Just to add - the smaller conserve one has two jars (I think one prob chutney and one jam) and some crackers. It's not bad for £3 in a nice little box. Store was a bit busy on Sunday when I was in and the queues were spilling into the aisles so it was quite tricky to look at some things properly. 

I did also buy myself and advent calendar - OH is no longer allowed one as he just eats it all in one go. Last year I got myself a Hotel Chocolat one. This year it's a Reece's one. 

StokieBecks

Thanks for that Kerri. Will look out for that one too but didn't see it this weekend.

Bit annoyed this morning. Waste of time doing a months worth of overtime as I have instantly lost almost half of my extra in Tax, NI and Union. Hoping the tax side of it will balance back out next month.

Spendless

Cheers for the info about the B & M Set, will try today see if I can get one.

We are back from dropping DD off in Scotland. I was a wreck last week much to her annoyance. At one bit she did ask me if she was getting the shedload that I'd missed with her brother, because I never felt this way about him going. Regular readers on here though will remember that at the time we were going through school strife and I was relieved to only have one to deal with. DS comment was 'you never got this upset about me going, you just replaced me with an animal'  this is because we got a dog the first year he'd left, me having refused to get one before (not because I dislike dogs but because I highly suspected I'd be left doing the majority of caring for it) but I thought it would be beneficial for DD and that's proved true. Anyway the closer it came to leaving her, the better I became. I told myself it's a 6 months course and she's due to be back in March! And if she becomes more independent in that time, that's a good thing!.

Then when we came home, I checked my emails (as internet service had been poor whilst we were away) and discovered a recruitment agency had sent me an email a few hours earlier asking me about a temp p-time job, so I contacted them and they're ringing me back today. In my excitement I forgot to tell them that we are away in a couple of weeks just for a few days so not available then. Just hoping this doesn't mean I lose the opportunity.

DS and gf are still here. They came to dog sit and have decided to stay until Friday evening, when they are going to gf's house for the weekend before returning to Uni. I highly suspect that finances are playing a part as student finance doesn't come through till Monday, but nice to not have my empty nest just yet.  

I'm another one concerned about distribution issues. I'm going to try and get most of my shopping done soon, so it's out of the way.  

squirrelchops2

Hello esteemed MSErs!

I am looking for a train to run around the base of my christmas tree but a lot I am looking at seem very cheap (ie not quality and rather naff). 

Does anyone have one and can point me in the right direction please?