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

Coxy11

Have just ordered a couple of band t-shirts for DS2 - Foo Fighters and Gorillaz plus a Sleeping with Sirens hoodie for DD. Band t-shirts are from a store in Notting Hill and are coming directly here. The hoodie is from the big river site as all merch for that band seem to be based overseas and I can't take the chance of it not arriving. I will collect this from a locker in town.

Mrs_Ryan

Thanks everyone. Much appreciated ❤️

Well, we’re all finished now! I had to go and pick up my new boots from Next today so we went to Boots to get my straighteners. They didn’t have the ones I wanted so I got some slightly more expensive ones but they seem nice enough. 

And the Perfume Shop had 15% off with an £80 spend so we got my perfume as well- gift wrapped with a personalised ribbon. 

I went into Clinton’s to get cards for OH and his family and while I was in there I picked up a fab mug that said ‘a pint of tea’ OH loves his huge mug that I bought him from Boots at Christmas a few years back but it’s chipped and tatty looking so I thought this was a perfect replacement. It was only £6 too which was a bit of a bargain. They had some of his favourite Irish breakfast tea on Clubcard offers when I went to Tesco to pick up some shopping a bit later so I got a pack of that to go with his mug as well. 

Just got a couple of bits to wrap and that’s it- all done! Tree is going up today as well. The news of the new strikes aren’t helping and I’m still really stressed and crying all the time. However what will be will be and I’ve done my best. 

Spendless

I've also gone and bought the £10 Sainsbury's 1ltr Baileys. Thanks for the tip. It was £13 at the beginning of this week as I checked out the prices when I bought Nan's 70cl which is £8  with Tesco clubcard. The 70cl at Sainsbury's is also £10 so double check you're picking up the 1 litre size as it'll not flag at the checkouts that you've got the smaller size by the price.

This is for DH, but from DS and Dil2b. The latter contacted me a few days ago asking for ideas for DH and DD, saying they had a £10 budget for each. I think this is a really good present for the price. It did mean though that I decided to pull my 'rola cola' mini flavoured  baileys and just put them back into general 'stock' into the present cupboard. This is why I can pull things from there for other presents thru out  the year as I'm always adding to the items into there. However I did find some (to be) frozen cocktail bases in there  to add, so this means my budget stands at £49, so £1 left to spend. One of DH's presents is a money box in the shape of a squirrel. Each year I save any special 50p designs I get for DS stocking, but I think I have a duplicate, so am thinking of putting one of these inside the money box and then buying something however daft for the remaining 50p, as I think it'll be amusing.

I wrapped up a lot of presents the other evening when I was on my own. The dog that is part Spaniel with the sniffer nose that goes with it. It  also adores presents. It came in the bedroom, stuck his nose in the air and wandered about smelling. Some of you might remember last year he got into my Mum's spare room and nicked and opened one of his toys. He was disappointed though as I haven't bought him anything so far. 

Coxy11

We went to the big shopping mall today and got:
M&S orange and clove fragranced candle for MIL and FIL - they are now done
M&S sloe gin for nephew and gf - done
S&G candles for DNiece 
Lynx Africa wash bag set for DNephew
Fat Face socks set and wash for DNephew
Nandos sauce set for DS1
Bulldog set for DS1
Measuring spoons and salt set for DS1
Dressing gown for DH
2(!) bottles of M&S port - just for us!

Took advantage of the 3for2 for niece and nephews but each item was £14/£15 so will just add some chocolate. Usually they get cash too but not this year. 

Mrs_Ryan

I swore no more presents- gah! I broke that rule. I ordered a mug for my mum from a sporting store in the north east that does north east gifts. She already has a mug from there that says ‘canny North Shields lass’ and she absolutely loves it but it’s looking pretty tatty. I got her a similar style of mug but it says ‘Mam, you’re my Angel of the North’ I got a box of her favourite cappuccino sticks from Amazon to go with. When I get paid I’m going to get her a coaster I’ve spotted with her Scottish family’s clan tartan on. 

I also made a photo calendar on Funky Pigeon for my friend for her birthday which is next week. 

Definitely no more presents.. honest….

princesskitty29

I was lucky enough to have afternoon tea at Claridges yesterday, it was a throwback to my 40th earlier in the year as I had wanted to go then but didn’t book in time. It was really lovely, they have decorated it beautifully and there was a children’s choir singing throughout. We even saw Floella Benjamin hanging around looking like she was there for an event. As lovely as it was though and probably a one off experience, I was lying in bed last night baulking a bit at how much I had spent! As much as I adore going for afternoon tea and I know you are paying for the experience, you can’t help but think the price you pay and what you actually get – a few sandwiches and cakes – is mind boggling! Anyway they did send us home with a goody bag, in it there is a lovely tin with Christmas cake in it, I don’t like it so trying to think of someone I can gift it to.

I went to a local garden centre during the week which has lovely displays, we’re taking the boys there today and they will love it! I’ve bought DS1 a Switch game he wants in the black Friday sale and they have decided what they are asking Father Christmas for so I will start scouting around for any deals on those gifts. DS1 wants a Mario Kart steering wheel, they’re quite pricey so hoping I can find one on offer. I said I was going to get started on my cards and wrapping but we’re running a Christmas shop for the children at school so my time has been spent wrapping the presents for that!

Auti that is really lovely of your son to sew those Christmas decorations as presents, how nice that he wants to spend his time doing that and it would be a lovely thing to receive.

mandco I really hope you don’t get covid, keeping my fingers crossed for you! We went to Butlins in October half term and had a blast as usual, it was our best trip yet to Butlins as the boys are slightly older and easier to manage.

Hello and welcome Bakey! Good to have you here. Husbands aren’t always easy are they? My husband doesn’t do ‘stuff’ and would rather not get anything if it’s not needed, but I can usually think of a few things he needs when it comes to it. Despite buying bits through the year I always get to this time and still have lots to buy, usually because I’m waiting for extended returns policies or good deals.

Coxy I hope they honour the discount on your sofa too as it really adds up when you’re spending that much. How frustrating it wasn’t right! Enjoy the port!

Mrs Ryan just remember you cannot change how other people act or feel so you have to focus on yourself and know you’ve done your best with what you have. It’s incredibly unkind of your brother to make you feel that way, don’t let it spoil your Christmas.

Spendless

That afternoon tea sounds fab princesskitty and how festive to have a children's choir sing during it. I looked it up online and  it appears the choir is from where my DD currently studies. I might tell her to contact them about any adult groups they may do. As for the price, my sage friend always thinks that a few weeks/months down the line you no longer fret about what you spent on a particular day, you get over it because by then 'you'd have spent the same amount of money on something else anyway'

Today we have a day of tying up various loose ends. For me that means going to some shops when they're open. It came to light last week when I went shopping with Dil2b how very little she has. For that reason, I've switched some toiletries around in order to give her the larger of any product, just so it lasts her throughout next year, whereas I know Mum and DD don't lack alternatives should the one I give them run out.  However this means that some of the items no longer match as a set so need to get something that does. My collection of 'stock'  of handcream in  the present cupboard is growing as a result! 

I'll update tomorrow but thought I'd share before it disappears, earlier DD sent me a Tiktok. It  shows a Mum and reads 'Texting my adult children to tell them Christmas will be small this year and not to expect much, knowing full well I'll go completely overboard at the last minute worrying it's not enough and then I'll sit and drink my coffee while my husband repeats "you're welcome. I picked that out" everytime they open a gift. 

Hahahahahahaha

Beshki

Planning a mini/slimmed down version of a hamper for the few elderly people I have to buy for. Their pressies are sorted in the main, I just want to help them out a bit and make sure they have a few nice M&Sparks bits to hand over Christmas. So far I’ve thought of tea bags (weirdly these were so well received last time we bought them for one of the ladies!), mini Christmas pud/cake, couple of packets of biscuits, jam, savoury biscuits…not sure what else? 

ETA. So I decided to set a loose £10 budget per hamper, and going over by £2 pp, this will get me some tea bags, strawberry & champagne jam, 2 x posh packets of biscuits, box of cheese twists, and microwave sponge puddings. Not much, but enough. 

Gettingtherequickly

Just a quick one while it crosses my mind, any suggestions on what M&S "treat" I can take to Canada with me? Would like to introduce them to M&S food, but need to consider luggage etc?

mandco

seems like everyone's making good progress - just over a week till dec 

not tested positive for covid but have some very similar lurgy major sore throat/ headaches/muscle aches and totally wiped out so not done much last week didn't even decorate the tree but its been a good excuse to watch xmas movies and at least I've got it now so hopefully I'll be feeling better by next week.

this year it seems the news is full of awful news about kids being stabbed and that hit home hard this week when a boy around ds age was stabbed(in critical condition) in the middle of the day virtually outside his college  - he said they could see all the emergency vehicles from their class window     

picked up new controller for ds in the BF sales and ordered a few more small bits so its coming along - waiting on some pre ordered items that have been delayed and really need to sort out bits for the kids xmas stockings but overall doing ok I think

My local xmas toy appeal is now open so hoping to get the things I have for that dropped off this week