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

Spendless

I'm struggling with DD leaving home not helped that she split with her boyfriend of 2 years last weekend, only a week after they'd said bye and promised nothing would change. They had a blip last month but thought they'd worked it out. This means that some of the presents I'd bought her in anticipation of her holiday with him next year are now pointless and painful to look at, so I can't sort the present cupboard yet. 

princesskitty29

I slept really badly last night and I’m not feeling great today, so just having a little rest in-between jobs. I’ve put a Vicar of Dibley Christmas special on to pep me up! I bought my brother a patterned polo shirt from Next in their sale half price at £10, it was delivered yesterday and I’m really pleased with it so that’s gone in the box. Just going to have a little browse online to see if I can get anything else on my list, also going to check out Cath Kidston as they’ve got a 50% sale on at the moment.

 

kerri oh that’s interesting about the charity shop gift cards! Good to know, thanks.

 

Spendless first I just wanted to say HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY for Tuesday! I meant to add that into my message yesterday but totally forgot. Gosh it sounds like you’re having a tough time over there with these big changes, in time it will get easier but it’s always tough in the moment. I hope your DD is doing ok after the break up. Sending big hugs. x

Mrs_Ryan

Hi everyone

thanks for the warm welcome back. It was payday today and I had some codes for some places so I cracked on. I’ve just discovered outlets on EBay- uh oh I bought OH an absolutely gorgeous Jack Wills hoodie (he loves them) it’s a really unusual colour and a bargain price. I also got him a waterproof Regatta coat from their outlet as I’m sick and tired of watching him get wet at the rugby as he doesn’t currently have a waterproof. I got him some Jack Wills pj’s as well but I bought them off the website. I bought the top and bottoms separately, but the top was reduced to £8- always good to get a bargain. I ordered him some Dove for Men from Boots as well as it was on offer- I don’t bother with the sets as they’re a rip off. I buy him loads of bottles of the shower gel and cans of deodorant- he’s always grateful for them, I can generally find them on offer somewhere (it was Boots this time) and they’re way cheaper than paying for packaging! 

I got my brother’s partner some Molton Brown shower gel and some orange gin from Amazon. I cleverly signed up for Subscribe and Save as you got a hefty discount, I set it to six months for the next delivery which coincides nicely with her birthday. I can cancel the delivery then! The gin had a good offer as well- £19 for same day delivery or £16 if you waited a couple of days. Of course I’m in no hurry so I got it for £16. I also got my best friend a car care kit (she’s just bought a new car and is very proud of it) This was a bargain at £8 and a lovely cafetière- she’s obsessed with coffee and I always try and source posh coffee for her when I go away, but posh instant coffee can be very hard to find! The cafetière was a tenner- I paid 3 times that for OH’s so definitely a bargain! 

I ordered OH’s main gift- a shredder- from QVC. I also ordered a bargainous (and roomy) Radley bag for my best friend, and a brooch, some Molton Brown and a dressing gown for mum. The Molton Brown was on today’s special value and had a hefty discount. The dressing gown was in the clearance section. Finally, I also ordered a fleecy tartan throw from the Clearance section for my sister. She loves tartan and really feels the cold. 

I then ordered a pair of pj’s each for mum and sister, and a teapot for OH. He constantly goes on about how he wants one of these infuser teapots and I found a very stylish one on the M&S website where I ordered the pjs from. 

I finally got my student loan sorted so I just have a few pressies left to buy. Mum wants a hair styling thing from QVC for her main gift, I need to get OH’s rugby polo shirt and his tea, and some perfume and Lush Snow Fairy for my other best friend. 

I went way overboard last year and every year I vow no, not this year, but I’m really trying my best to mean it this year. I’ve got far less money this year as I’m only doing one module so my student loan is half what it was last year- so I’m bargain hunting (and doing, I think, quite well!) and determined to stick to my guns. 

princesskitty29

Wow Mrs Ryan you really are cracking on and it sounds like you're getting some good bargains!

I popped into Tesco after dropping the boys off at school and picked up some festive tubes of After Eights and Munchies for my dad. He loves chocolate so i'm going to do a little bag of chocolate treats as one of his presents. My mum's treat bag is going to have McVitie's Christmas pudding biscuits, festive shortbread and a small box of Yorkshire Tea inside - she is very much a tea and biscuit person! Tesco had a lot more Christmas treats in store today.

Beshki

Ooh, everyone is steaming on with their ideas & buying now. I think this year is my best/easiest year for ideas, so that’s half the battle! As much as I would like to crack on and get everything bought, it would leave me short on ££ so I’m trying to be sensible and split my buying down through the next few months. Really trying to be regimented though and buy only one token present unless it’s a multi-part gift (say I’m thinking of buying my grandma some comfortable lounge trousers, cosy socks and a nice soap). My OH will be the last person I buy for and I have a long list of ideas of things he really needs, so depending on how much money I have left after buying for other people, that will decide what he gets from the list Currently trying to think of a suitable family gift for a mum/dad and two teen kids. Done the movie night etc ideas, so need some new inspiration!

kerri_gt

Beshki said:

Ooh, everyone is steaming on with their ideas & buying now. I think this year is my best/easiest year for ideas, so that’s half the battle! As much as I would like to crack on and get everything bought, it would leave me short on ££ so I’m trying to be sensible and split my buying down through the next few months. Really trying to be regimented though and buy only one token present unless it’s a multi-part gift (say I’m thinking of buying my grandma some comfortable lounge trousers, cosy socks and a nice soap). My OH will be the last person I buy for and I have a long list of ideas of things he really needs, so depending on how much money I have left after buying for other people, that will decide what he gets from the list Currently trying to think of a suitable family gift for a mum/dad and two teen kids. Done the movie night etc ideas, so need some new inspiration!

Depends how old the teens are but we did Charades one Christmas as a family with my cousins / aunts / uncle etc. DM acting out 'Flash in the pan' to my DU brother is still the stuff of family legend 

C_J

As a gift to a large family (with teens) I once made an ice cream basket - I found an inexpensive book of recipes for home made ice creams and various ice cream based desserts, and included a set of sundae dishes and sundae spoons, and lots of little tubs of toppings (sprinkles, sauces etc). It was very well received 😀

princesskitty29

Beshki I'm making someone an ice cream hamper like CJ's idea above, you can put a note in there that says 'Just Add Ice-Cream'. Do you know if they particularly like a specific cuisine such as Italian, Indian or Mexican etc? Or a 'family games night hamper - it could include a cheap board game, snacks etc? Or a 'cosy winter' hamper including a blanket, slipper socks, mugs, hot choc etc?

princesskitty29

squirrelchops2 said:

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?

I kept meaning to reply to this but kept forgetting! We don't have one here and I only ever seem to see ones in the shops that are not great quality. I'd like to get one too so I had a quick look online and Hornby do a Santa's Special, it's a bit pricey but they're generally good quality and you can probably get spare parts and have it repaired if necessary in the future quite easily. I might do some more digging though - there's got to be some nice quality ones out there somewhere!

Mrs_Ryan

Hi everyone  

I’m almost finished  

I went to Bluewater yesterday to a book signing (Pepsi and Shirlie if anyone remembers them?!) It was a bit stressful though. I was due to travel on the day but thanks to last minute engineering works I had to travel down Friday afternoon and stay over Friday night. I was going to go to Oxford Street and get some tea for OH but I decided I was going to go to bingo instead, as I occasionally do when I’m down in London as it’s not too far from where I stay. 

I’m glad I did- I won £500! I had fully intended to do a bit of shopping while I was at Bluewater but I was so exhausted from standing in the queue (I have chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia and use crutches) and my shoulders and back hurt so much from lugging round a rucksack stuffed with multiple possessions that I bought a t-shirt to wear for the Steps gig I’m at with my sis next month, a hoodie for myself and some perfume for my best friend for Christmas and just gave up. My brother has been a massive Wham fan from the start though and asked me to get him a copy of the book signed as a Christmas gift, which I did and I also bought him a copy of Wham The Final on CD which is a quite funky DVD too. 

I got an email from QVC on Friday which had a code for easy pay on everything so I ordered the hair styler that my mum wanted. The parcels are turning up thick and fast now- It’s quite fun playing guess the parcel When I get the money in the bank on Monday I should be able to hopefully order the last few bits. I’m in London again next weekend so I’m hoping I can somehow find the time to go and get the tea from T2. I’m in London again just before Xmas but I don’t really want to leave it that late as Oxford Street will be the stuff of nightmares