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

Auti

I lurk and find all your postings really good. Just had to share that my lad has just sat and sewed a Christmas decoration for his aunty - finances are small but believe giving of ones time is priceless . He said, when finished, that was quite good I want to do more…….. this is good as he has 3 more to do for his uncles . All are themed to each person‘s interest so are very personal. I am so pleased he is learning giving his time is a gift in itself

Spendless

Thanks for well wishes re Nan. Hopefully this week will go somewhere towards a resolution being found.

On our whirlwind trip to see DD, I was able to pick up some more Xmas bits. Only in Home Bargains but we know from on here that not all discount stores carry the same bits. This year my Dad one of the most difficult people to buy for (even my Mum struggles!) I ended up with 3 different ideas, without the budget to buy the lot!  In HB I saw a tin of shortbread with 2 dogs on that look similar to their dog and mine. You'll never find exactly my dog as it's a mongrel and a mix of 3 dogs, so the one on the tin is more a representation. Buying this made it more sense to go with one of my ideas more than another. It keeps coming up on my FB feed a place where I can get a mug and personalise it with pets. I'm going to get one with all the dogs my parents have had since I was a child. That sort of fits in with the water bottle I already got.

Though she saw them I also picked up some Juicy Couture make your own bangles for DD. Can't remember exact price, but around a fiver I think. She loves this brand. That might be an idea for some of you who struggle with the tween/teenage girls Iif your store has them of course!   They were like this Make It Real – Juicy Couture Chains & Charms. DIY Charm Bracelet Making Kit for Girls. Design and Create Girls Bracelets with Juicy Couture Charms, Beads, Velvet Ribbon, Gold Chains and More : Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games

It's a long story as to why  but me and DH have set an exact £50 budget for each other. The rules are it is up to the gift giver to decide whether we buy 1 gift that cost £50, 10 items that cost £5 or any other combination. You are allowed to maximise your allowance by sending off for freebies and p&p doesn't count in your allowance nor does any gift wrap/packaging. Yesterday I also picked up in HB  a 'rola cola' set of mini 'baileys' for £2.99 (we're rounding things up if prices end in 99p). That takes me up to £47 with what I already have. On asking DH on the drive to Essex it appears he hasn't even started -lol and when I told DD the plan she wanted to help. She's very competitive so if she gets involved it's likely I'll end up with the better presents hahahaha.
  

mandco

haven't read back yet as missed a few pages- I'll try and catch up later
life's been totally hectic for various reasons and then the others came down with  covid again last week- pretty sure taz had it too but he wouldn't do a test so can't say for sure - really hoping I don't get it now as we're away in a couple of weeks- only butlins but could really do with a break

ordered ds main present - memory for his ps5 it was £40 0ff and I used £40 of nectar points so it worked out about 1/2 price very happy with that. DD saw an air styler in asda that was 1/2 price I had £25 of reward vouchers so used those meaning it only cost me £10. Also ordered a few small skincare bits she's asked for -I was going to put them in her stocking but I've seen a couple of other bits she'd like so might put them together as a hamper instead. DD's boyfriend has a fragrance he likes and I found a mini spray which was on offer down to £10 it came with a 1.5ml sample so thinking maybe I could do personalised crackers as table gifts this year and use that for his? 

asda had galaxy & maltesers selections boxes for £1.50 so picked up a couple of those 

put the tree up(not decorated)mostly to work out where its going to fit as we rearranged things this year and wasn't sure if we'd need to move things around so it would fit and somehow one of the legs snapped off. Managed to salvage it with copious amounts of duct tape as really don't have the budget to buy a new one and the tree itself is fine but will need to find a proper solution for next year. Probably start decorating it this weekend so its all done before we go away and tbh could do with a bit of xmas cheer.

Spendless

My other Nan (the one not in hospital), her presents are finished. Tesco have clubcard price of £8  on 70cl Baileys and clubcard £2.35 on a mini xmas cake. Them plus the snuggly blanket are now all wrapped and in one of the supermarket Xmas bags ready to be distributed.

Mum's is finished and in a gift box but I'm going to switch the items all over to another gift box/hamper. That's purely because the box it's in though suitable for men and women isn't overly 'girly' so I think I' d rather save that one for one of the menfolk because they can be more difficult to find things for.

Speaking of difficult things, this year I'm struggling with finding wrapping paper., last year it was gift tags which are in abundance this year!  For years now I haven't written gift tags out for family members just wrapped in a specific paper to them. Then I have wrapping paper that isn't allocated to household members for the extended family and this is where I've hit a problem. This year my only leftover paper is enough for the household members, DIL2b included in that. I've looked and barely anywhere has any. Today I eventually bought in Poundland for Nan's present, when I unwrapped it, it was more like brown craft paper just with a printed design on one side. I'd think this was to save the planet if it wasn't that I'm seeing loads and loads of foil wrapping paper, which I really dislike wrapping with. 

Spendless

Dil2b present is sorted. She changed her phone over and we think it's caused by  moving addresses several times but she failed her credit check. We offered to pay for a year as her Xmas present, which she said she'd like. It's a 2 year contract so we've said in a year's time we'll make her the same offer again and she can either accept or take over paying herself. This solves me what to get her as I was struggling with her main present. Easier now to just pick her up bits, which like DS will be focussed on helping them stretch their budget and keep costs down. 

Due to a medical appointment later (yes yet another one) I am working 2 half days, today and tomorrow. Hoping to use this time to  get more wrapping done.   

Peppa537

Hello everyone, this is my first post on this thread as I’ve only just seen it. I love the build up to Christmas and I’m usually so organised by now and bought all the presents, however this year I’m a bit behind. Then again, as many, we’re not spending as much this year and I’m waiting for good deals. My daughters are 19 & 18, and I’ve got them some presents. For their main ones my youngest wanted a pair of Nike trainers, and my eldest some Converse (I used my blue light card discount on these). My husband is the one I’m really struggling with, I’ve bought him a few food things I know he’ll like but that’s it. We have said though not to buy just for the sake of it, and as we both could do with new phones we’ll look out for Black Friday deals for these as usually get a sim free phone and put our contract sims in, it tends to work out cheaper overall. I’ll put the tree up with lights during next week and have it decorated over the weekend afterwards latest (this may happen this weekend though). I’ll probably start putting a few other things out this weekend anyway, and start using the Christmas mugs out. I can’t wait.

Mrs_Ryan

Hi all
Well- I’m all done! Everything is wrapped, I’ve ordered cards from Moonpig (apart from, bizarrely, OH’s card and his family’s cards) 

OH’s tree lopper and shredder arrived, however I’m not wrapping them as they’re too big and we’re not taking them with us to mum’s. I also got his calendar. I got him a shirt from Next to wear on Xmas Day as we’re going out for lunch; I bought a posh dress in the Next sale so I thought I might as well make him look presentable too. I also got him some boxers from Next as well- his are starting to look tatty and a lot of them are baggy as well. 

I got the pack of toothpaste from Costco to go with his toothbrush and ordered the brush heads from Amazon as they had a deal on. I also got his razor blades and belt from Costco. 

We’ve also bought each other the holy grail- Peter Kay tickets! I paid for them but his ticket is my gift to him and my ticket is part of his gift to me and he’ll give me the cash for it. There’s an offer on some straighteners at Boots for Black Friday at £20- so we’re going on Friday to hopefully grab them and then I just need to get my perfume. 

I really want to get my mum a jumper but she’s so fussy- I was wandering around Sainsbury’s in London where I was the other day at like 10pm looking at their 20% off but everything was either too short or out of my price range. It just seems like her bag of gifts is pathetically small. She told me off and said she told me to only buy one thing but I couldn’t do that. Especially when I’m up against my brother who doesn’t work and seems to have pots and pots of money. Then he makes me feel bad because he boasts about how good his presents are and I just simply can’t match it. Last year he bought my mum a huge bottle of Chanel perfume and I sat and cried because I could only afford the body lotion (and that was a struggle) My mum gave me a hug and told me not to be so daft but my brother is her favourite- the golden child- so all I can do is hope that he doesn’t go too OTT this year. 

Tree is going up this weekend! That’s at least something to look forward to. 

Spendless

Mrs Ryan - If your brother likes boasting about how good his presents are in front of you  and especially when you can't even work out how he affords them then I don't see that as a positive trait about him. Your presents sound lovely and it's not always the most expensive item that stands out the most. My 2 children are only in early adulthood, DD is a skint student with tastes above her income and DS has just started in his first f-time job since graduation but has rent and bills to pay and his gf isn't currently working. I've no idea what their future prosperities will be, but I'd be cross if one of them was making the other upset over gifts to me.  I expect banter and wind ups between siblings, DH still does it to his sister, but not to the point it's distressing one of them. 

mandco - Fingers crossed you're all ok for Bultins, me, DH and DD have all never had covid, so it will catch up with us at some point! 

Auti - That is lovely of your DS. I am not the slightest bit good at crafts to my frustration. I think that's why I'm good at picking up on what people like/need/want instead to balance it out. Personalised to someone's tastes is always a special thing to have.

Dil2b asked about going and buying something for DH and DD yesterday.  Said I'd take her at the end of the month, it'll be black Friday weekend so hopefully some bargains to be found as she has a limited budget.

Mum took a couple of phone calls yesterday one from CQC(care quality commission) who are looking into Nan's case and the other from Nurse on her hospital ward saying she'd had a fall but was ok. 

Peppa537

I had to go out this morning and was driving past Sainsbury’s so popped in and got 2 of the £10 bottles of Baileys. I get my main shopping delivered from Tesco but can’t be bothered to wait and see if they drop the price. The same 1 litre bottle is currently on a clubcard price of £13. I was hoping to go into town today and get my ILs presents but the weather here is atrocious so that will have to wait until tomorrow or Sunday.

Coxy11

Hi all,

That's lovely @Auti that your son has made something for his auntie. I hope he doesn't lose interest before the uncles gifts are also made!

@Spendless - some great buys there in HB and how lovely that you're paying for the phone for DIL2B - that's a really practical gift.

@MrsRyan - sounds like your gift giving is both thoughtful and kind. It's not a question of how much things cost and maybe your DB will realise that now things are starting to bite.

@Bakey72 - thanks for the Baileys tip - I've just been and got some from Sainsbobs.

In present buying news, we got some personalised tree decorations for DS2 and GF (gonks) and DD and BF (elves) at The Range on Sunday. I also bought some York jelly fruits in HB for MIL plus some JD peanuts for DBIL and his wife for their hamper.

Have messaged DS1 who was wanting ideas for us for Christmas. Last year they bought us a Nespresso with copious pods, and the year before an Echo Show. He said did we want an airfryer? I have replied saying please just buy a token gift for us both. Their mortgage is going up in the Spring and I just don't want them spending money on us. Might send him the Martin clip.

I'm going to a local Christmas craft fayre tomorrow so will look for some nice one-off decorations to add the SIL and BIL hampers plus MIL/FIL present stash. They want for nothing however my idea one year of doing an ethical gift was shot down in flames. Families!!

In other news I have to spend Sunday sofa shopping again as the ones we had delivered last month need to go back. We queried why the armchair looks nothing like the sofas or the photo on the website and apparently the photo is wrong (wasn't one in the shop when we were shopping). So now have to order something else. Hoping they honour the 20% discount that I received when I ordered back in May!