Jingle All The Way - It's the 2023 Christmas Chatter Thread!

mandco

spendless  its def strange that all the easter stuff just disappears esp as it happens before the day itself   
Not sure if your dd is into beauty/make up products but some companies do a limited edition set that comes in an easter egg shaped container around easter. Some can be a on the expensive side but if the contents are things/brands they like or use it can be good deal compared to rrp 
maybe get a large refillable egg and decorating it with 21st themed stickers(cant think of the word) to put smaller gifts in rather than wrapping them?  

Crazycatlady hope you have a great time at centre parcs. its hard work travelling with a child who has disabilties but hopefully it won't be too stressful 

Princesskitty Glad you had a lovely time the hotel & resort sound ideal and memories of the boys 1st trip abroad are priceless.
I'm with you on the flying - I hate it and its incredibly stressful with Taz so dreading it when we go away later this year but know it'll be worth it when we get there
I was really surprised to find weekend break that cheap esp on a bank holiday so snapped it up and looking forward to going somewhere different for a change the last couple of years we've just done butlins.

Ordered a few travel based bits from shein for dd's birthday - I think I'm going to make her a little hamper of different holiday essentials as her main gift will be spending money or tickets for something she wants to do while we're away. Debating getting her an apple tag for her luggage too?

cbsexec

I hope you don’t mind a lurker on your thread?  Just an idea for birthdays or Christmas - the national lottery have an offer for £25 off certain theatre tickets which goes live tomorrow.   It is an extension of an offer which has just finished and I have used. You can book tickets far ahead so pantos are included.   There are loads of theatres in the offer.  

Coxy11

Hi all,

I've just been away on my charity hike - this time from Lockerbie to (almost) Lancaster. We were very lucky with the weather

In the true spirit of sourcing gifts at reasonable prices we hit the charity shop mecca that is Penrith with gusto - bear in mind we were carrying everything we possessed! I found a little wooden carved bulldog for DS1 for Christmas - £2. I also went to the outlet at Gretna Green and found a boxed set of 3 Origin face masks for £7.53 which will go to DD for Christmas.

I found a couple of items to Bay of E for my charity fundraising (Whittard mug £1, a BNWT M&S Snoopy fleece 99p, a Nobody's Child dress £6, Clinique boxed Take the Day off £1) - so a fruitful trip in many ways 

Glad you had a good time away @princesskitty29 - not easy flying with children. We used to give ours Calpol mwahahahaha.

Thanks for the theatre ticket tip @cbsexec - will take a look!

Spendless

You fall on those charity shop bargains coxy. Think I'm most envious of the £1 Clinique take the day off.

I like the idea of buying re-fillable eggs to put DD's 21st presents in and will also look out next year for any beauty related ones. I do have one to start me off because I saved one from a couple of years ago that had a mini ghost perfume in it.  I'd already thought of Lush doing an Easter range too..

Have the theatre tickets gone live now? I did look but could only see the previous scheme. I think I'm likely to make use of this promotion.

I got to 5 treasures again at TK Maxx (because the dog chewed the original coconut bowl I got DD so I replaced - sigh). The choices were a back exfoliator type thing or an  incense stick which I thought looked nice, so I googled a bit more and discovered you have to light it (I was thinking it would be more like a diffuser) and thought the likelihood of DD (who would be the recipient) setting fire to something else was high and dismissed it, but also I was on my phone and having difficulty  putting my address in so waited until today, when the incense sticks have been replaced by hand creams which I already have several of and am trying to work my way through, so back scrubber it is.  Not entirely sure who it'll be for yet, but likely to go with other toiletry items. 

cbsexec

Looks like the theatre vouchers may all have gone now. ☹️.   It was an extension of the previous scheme - apologies for raising hopes 

Spendless

cbsexec said:

Looks like the theatre vouchers may all have gone now. ☹️.   It was an extension of the previous scheme - apologies for raising hopes 

No worries. I looked the day you said they were going live and couldn't see anything, so I suspect it was just aimed at those who had participated  before, which unfortunately I'd missed. 

It might come back for newbies at some point. 

 

Coxy11

Hi all,

I have today ordered a book for FIL for Father's Day, and in true frugal style it's from a second hand site. Did see it on Big River site for £6.99, but rather than lining Mr Bezos pockets, I chose to order the second hand one. It was £5 plus postage of £3.85. I ordered a second book for me at the same time, so both delivered for £12.60. Budget was £10 for Father's Day so taking that as a win. This second hand site is run by a YouTuber I follow and she donates profits to McMillan.

Nephew is 15 in a couple of weeks. I got a Fil@ 3 tube shower gel boxed set from the Boots sale for £3.75 and will also give him some cash. Will be seeing him for a Coronation Party just before his birthday and have a card for him so just need to wrap the shower gels up. 

After that it's DSis's birthday followed by DMum the following week. We are actually away for DMum's birthday. Will probably get DMum something for the garden so need to keep my eyes peeled.

Spendless

I bought these for DD yesterday at The Range.  Metallic Peg String Lights (therange.co.uk)
She loves small photos of herself with  friends and also likes little  lights around her room. This combines both. They'll go in her stocking. I'm unsure if I'll continue stockings for DS and Dil2b. This year they will go to her parents at Christmas and they celebrate in a different way to what we do, so thinking I might now stop, it's been difficult for years finding something for DS anyway. Then I can make it a rule that as and when DD moves permanently out the stocking also stop then. (Though that might be as successful as me stopping the Xmas Eve box and the present cupboard was -lol) 

We're currently trying to decide whether to make the money we are gaining from a cashback CC to go towards Xmas. I've saved my Boots loyalty points so far with just one blip when DD hit me with another thing she needed when home and I was trying to use as little actual cash as possible as I was saving for her student rent.  

mandco

Coxy some great cs bargains 
Spendless stopping the stockings for ds & dil2b going forward sounds like a good idea as their circumstances have changed - they can always start their own if they want to continue the tradition. 

Not much happening on the xmas front at the moment as saving for our big holiday later this year & ds 18th 
I'm away with Taz this weekend and its going to be another budget break - we have cooking facilities so no eating out other than the obligitory seaside ice-cream/chips and sticking to free activities but looking forward to it.

sammy_kaye18

I am so jealous. 
I hardly ever venture to town anymore but I am itching to go CS hunting after readying all your bargain finds! 

I am currently trying to sign up to survey sites to get a few extra pennies or vouchers building towards christmas. Which reminds me I should check my boots card too to see how much is on there. It wont be much but every little helps. 
My son does help though by getting his lunch and bits in Tesco though and using my card fob when he checks out so he is helping that build up slowly. 
I have seen on another thread though about putting money on giftcards ready for christmas so I think I might do that to get christmas bits covered.