A Jolly Holly Christmas - It's the 2022 Christmas Chatter Thread!

mandco

Spendless wishing you a speedy recovery abcesses can be incredibly painful 

MrsRyan sorry to hear the London trip didn't go as well as hoped but you still managed to get some great bargains. You are going great on the xmas shopping front even if you are struggling to see it - having to rein it in compared to other years is a big adjustment which is probably why your finding it stressful rather than enjoyable but try and stay positive

I did find £1 xmassy themed scratch cards in Asda so that's another thing ticked off 

I'm currently watching a few bits waiting to see if they go on offer for blackfriday 
superdrug have 1/2 price & 3 for 2 on a small number of gifts  +  1/3 off other selected gifts online
smyths have a pre blackfriday sale on - they have the santa scramble game down to £9.99 so might get that as it was oos last year

I've taught dd well I saw the gift set she wanted to get for her Bf was on offer in  superdrug. She saw they were also doing £10 worth of points when you spend £60 so asked if I'd pay for a gift set she wanted and give it to her for xmas to make up the spend threshold bagging her the extra points 

its November already  - I'm def finding it harder as the kids get older as a lot of the stuff they'd like can't really be brought that far in advance so I feel like I've not got much sorted yet. I am pretty much done apart from a couple of items for everyone else I buy though

Coxy11

Hi all,

Well done on all the bargains @MrsRyan you certainly made the most of your London trip.
So sorry you're in pain @Spendless - I do hope you get some relief soon, sounds so awful x

I picked up a couple of Yankee candle tins in £land at the weekend. They are £2.50 and smell divine. Great for stocking fillers. I got a yellow one with mistletoe on the lid and sides - the candle is gold glittery and smells floral. Also a red one with reindeer pattern, red glittery candle and smells of gingerbread. There was also a green one. Has anyone been to Home Bargains for the jar candles this year? I still have a large gingerbread one half used from last year! 

I have started crocheting DS2 a blanket for his uni room. Hoping to finish it for Christmas but it's 168 rows big plus 4 times around the border! 

My mum had a fall on Saturday - blacked out at the bus stop and her face took the brunt. I spent most of Saturday at A&E with her and then brought her home here for observation. She's 80 but not your typical 80 yo - very active and goes out a lot! Hoping this isn't the start of a decline..... Found out she'd taken her 1 yo puppy to a stud recently! A dog's gestation period is 9 weeks so given she's coming to us for Christmas I just hope there's not a Christmas miracle on my newly laid floor! Could not make this stuff up! 

Gettingtherequickly

Ooh Mrs R, where did you get the Irish bits? I love Tayto also, although as my brother is going home in a couple of weeks and will take his car, I may tell him that a trip to buy a box is in order, as is a tin of Afternoon Tea biscuits!  My aunts friend had an Irish shop locally for donkeys years, but unfortunately she was diagnosed with MS, so closed it and retired back to Ireland.

I am trying to get my head into gear with regards shopping, but have not had the inclination.  This has been a very tough month, it was my dad's anniversary, my sister arranged the engraving of my mums details on the headstone without discussing it with my brother & I, so we have a complete dogs dinner of a headstone.  We were so angry, my immediate thought was that it is coming down and being replaced with a new one, but for various reasons that is not possible, although the memorial company that did it will get a very strongly worded email from me.  I can't blame them, they did what they were told, but I think that it should be standard practice that unless it is a spouse or only child arranging it, there should be a check box that all agreed on the wording.  The hospice mum died in had a remembrance service on Saturday, but the hardest part of the month was hearing the devastating news that my cousins 16 year old nephew committed suicide.  He was an only child, adopted and I know the hoops his parents had to go through to finally get that bit of paper that said he was theirs. I happened to be home the day they flew home with him (Russian adoption) and everyone was so so happy for them.  They are beside themselves, and if we can't understand it, we cannot even begin to understand what they are going through. I watched his funeral online and the body language of the kids, not just his cousins, but those he went to school with simply said it all.

I will get my act into gear!

cbsexec

Suicide is so devastating for all concerned.   So so sorry 

Mrs_Ryan

I’m so sorry to hear that GtQ ❤️
The Irish bits were from a shop in Willesden called O’Farrells. It’s actually a butchers shop but all their produce is Irish- and they sell loads of ambient bits as well as the fresh meat and veg. 

Done a bit more shopping today. I collected OH’s shirt and I went to Boots to pick up some stuff in the 3-4-2. I’m gutted I didn’t get the half price Jack Wills stuff- it was back up to full price, as was the Nivea. I bought the Jack Wills boxers set anyway for OH, and the beautiful Radley candle for mum. I got OH’s razor gift set free. I put it on Zilch so it cost me less than what I was intending to pay outright, and I paid some off with the remainder of the money and the money I was going to use to buy mum a candle. I always like to get OH some nice shaving gel and while I usually get him something like Clinique, I got him a Nivea for men and a Gillette sensitive, both of which were half price- 2 quid something. I also got some socks for my mate in Primark- I wanted some to go with her pjs but I got her some plain black thermal socks- her pjs are black and white but I thought she could wear the plain black ones for work too. 

I was feeling quite pleased with myself until I got home and discovered that OH’s work have incorrectly docked his pay. Fortunately mum bailed us out but I’m having to take back the Christmas present that OH bought me in order to pay her back. It’s not really the end of the world- I can replace it before Christmas but I’ve really just had enough now! 

Sorry to complain. I know my posts seem a bit doom and gloomy and there’s people in worse situations than we are. Love to you all xx

Spendless

Thanks for the good wishes. It is slowly improving so I've been able to do a few more hours this week. Very grateful that I can WFH.

That's so incredibly  sad  to hear GTQ.

Coxy - Apologies but that story give me a much needed distraction laugh. I started reading about your poor Mum and the fall, then I read about the dog and thought 80yo and a 1 yo pup and thought ok then, then I read on about her taking it to stud so it has puppies. I'm becoming more convinced that the generation above think of  ways to pay us back for when we were driving them nuts in our youth.

Mrs Ryan - That's frustrating. Is there no alternative to paying your Mum back than to return your Xmas present? I know you've said you'll buy it back but what if they've sold out by then or the price shoots up? You know you're feeling down about how finances are affecting your Christmas and I wouldn't want you to feel worse if you've sacrificed your present.

Ds started his new job and is liking it. They are in their new house. Due to him spending 4 years as a skint student and barely coming home after the first 18 months, he lacks so many basics. He can walk to his new job which is a huge advantage. I suggested  to  my parents they bought him a rucksack for Christmas  to use for work. Looked up one in  Boots and it's currently on 'better than half price'.  Rang them to say go look at it, they set off but due to roadworks my Dad decided he wouldn't continue down the road, which is around 10 mins drive from where we live. They're retired so why a 20 min journey instead of a 10 min one was an issue is beyond me. They then looked it up online and said they weren't sure it was a man's one because 'there were toiletries in it!'  By now because I was in pain and feeling drained, they stuck so much doubt in my head, even though I'd already looked the rucksack and toiletries  up and was aware it was aimed at the male market that if they'd told me my dog was really a cat, I'd have started to believe them. So much so that I had a friend check it and she confirmed it wasn't me who was being nuts. So it was ordered online  and it should arrive in store on Friday. The same store my Dad wouldn't drive to!  

Coxy11

Hi everyone,

@Gettingtherequickly - so sorry to hear about your cousins DNephew. My heart goes out to all involved. Also sorry about the headstone. I'm not sure of protocol here but would have expected a sibling to check with other siblings before going ahead. Families can be mighty strange at times - I speak from experience!!

Glad I gave you a laugh @Spendless! DMum is a law unto herself. I've been investigating POA for both health and financial as DSis and I need to get that sorted before she loses her marbles completely - we may be too late......

That's rubbish about DH's pay @MrsRyan - hope you can find a solution to get through the month without returning your gift. 

Good that DS is enjoying his job @Spendless and agree that the rucksack sounds the perfect practical gift. I too despair at retired relatives who moan they don't have time for things. I work FT and still manage to get stuff done! They say if you want something done, ask a busy person - too right!!

I'm off to a fundraiser tonight - it's a bring and buy sale, so I'm taking a Woodwick candle, some Clarins cleanser, a journal and the gingerbread house tealight holder - last two items only cost £1 and the others from my stash. Will donate £20 and bring something/s back.

Mrs_Ryan

Hi all 
Thank you ❤️my mum has said she’s happy to wait. It was just a Victoria’s Secret Pink tracksuit but it’s a long term offer- 2 for £60. Mum told me not to take it back though and she can wait until I’m paid at the end of the month. 

Im hoping to order OH’s main pressies off Amazon soon- the study is this afternoon. I have some bits and pieces to get him at Costco at the weekend then I just need to get his calendar which is out at the end of the month. I’m done for everyone else- just need some cards now which I will get next week. 

I could in theory start wrapping as I’m off today but I need some tags first. I’ll pick some up tomorrow hopefully then I’m off on leave again a week Wednesday so I’ll crack on with it then. Then it’s done and out the way. 

Spendless

Glad your Mum has said she can wait till payday Mrs Ryan. 

Months ago I made a spreadsheet with the family members I buy for, ideas for Xmas presents and the status they were at, eg if I already had it in. Yesterday I updated it, removed some ideas, added others, put down things I'd bought and then colour coded each item differently according to whether I'd now bought it, it was on order but not delivered or I had yet to buy.

This identified that if I was to buy my Nan the photo frame and get something for my Dad, the extended family was pretty much done bar DH sorting out the photos plus I might add tins of biscuits here and there but nothing difficult or expensive to get.

If I can get this done over the next few days, I can concentrate on what I dub 'household members' which is DH, DD, DS and Dil2b. 
I can also start wrapping what I do already  have,. 

I did look for a photo frame when out yesterday, but the nice one didn't have 3 frames. I need this as I need the middle pic to have Nan at a younger age with both kids as she didn't recognise DS when he visited a few months back with his fiancée and I think she probably only recognised DD on a subsequent visit because I went with her (still only 2 visitors allowed at any one time).

I'm not so sure that I will buy Dil2b the perfume set for Xmas. I'd really like to buuuut it's so expensive everywhere and I'm reluctant to pay it, especially because last year I picked up the exact same set in Boots on Boxing day for half price  and I think I could do that and give as a gift 'for their wedding' or she could borrow mine, the only things she's likely to use any noticeable amount of is the shower gel and I could probably buy that for under a tenner. I might wait and see if there's any black Friday deals first before making a decision as to buy at full price will take up or exceed my budget for her. 

I went in my beloved TK Maxx and was pleased to have picked myself up a Michael Kors coat on clearance for £58. They had quite a bit of their Xmas gifts out and a better range I've seen for the past 2 years. At one point I ended up in their sunglasses bit, where they were less than a dozen pairs left all with a reduced sticker on. I started looking through them for a bargain as they all said £5.  I  moved some French Connection ones into my basket, whilst I continued to look through, the very last pair said Gucci. I got really excited thinking I was about to grab the bargain of the century, looked at the price tag, and yes they were reduced but to £67, the only pair that wasn't a fiver, still a good price for the brand - think they were down from £99 but not what my imagination had hoped for - lol. DD laughed like mad when I told her that I'd hoped they'd marked down Gucci so much. I kept quiet that I'd bought FC ones for her. These will be saved until her birthday in Spring as I now prefer to give her holiday/summer items then.

Coxy11

Another spreadsheet fan here @Spendless. Mine is very blank atm especially for DH's family. I mentioned that after 'theatre-ticket-gate' when SIL forgot we'd bought her and her DH theatre tickets, I'd make DH buy for his family from now on. Trouble is, DH is crazy busy at work right now and I don't think this is going to be possible. 

So far I have some Jack Wills body sprays for DH's niece (18) that I got in the Boots sale in January. We usually give £20 cash, something small to open (usually a Boots 3for2) and some chocolate. So effectively she's done. 

For nephew (aged 3) I have the baby yoda nightlight and egg cup/toast cutter set bough in the HoF closing down sale, so just need to get some chocolate for him. For nephew (aged 5) I bought some Lego in Aldi, so just need to get him some chocolate.

I bought a L'occitane shower gel and body lotion gift set on offer the other day. There was a gift with purchase of mini soap, hand cream, and shower gel x 2 in a little pouch. I plan to gift the big set to MIL and keep the GWP for me as I love L'occitane.

So still to buy for are: FIL, BIL and his wife, 2 x nieces (aged 15 and 14), SIL and her husband, and 2 x nephews (22 and 15).

I still have the £50 ticketmaster giftcard that SIL and her DH gifted us for Christmas last year. It runs out on 31 December and there's literally nothing I can use it for. You have to book a ticketmaster event in order to use it - it can't be a partner event that happens to be advertised on ticketmasters website. Does anyone know if I can donate this anywhere?