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

mandco

apolgies If i've missed anything important as I haven't read back yet 

kdalwayskint welcome 

Princesskitty Its awful being ill close to xmas really hope you feel better soon and don't have to change your xmas plans too much.with their health its obvously important to do what you can to protect them even if that means not visiting but it must be so frustrating that yet again covid is putting your family xmas in doubt. Sounds like you've been run off your feet with the school pta so stepping back next year is definitely the right thing to do.

coxy lovely that they still included you and bonus xmas gifts are always a nice surprise. a slow start is often a good thing as it gives you time to get into the swing of things.

spendless wow at your dad still going down the garden after his surgery he must be a real worry at times but you can't make them change. Don't you hate it when they need a last minute gift and just assume you can sort it you understand dd's circs but it doesn't make it any easier especially when things are tight for you too. fingers crossed you can find something with little hassle/expense. Whenever dd is after a drink for friends its always vodka of some sort so I get where dd is coming from but its a far more expensive option.
sorry to hear the interview was unsuccessful fingers crossed you find something soon 
DD used to love goodluck charlie when she was little so will check the films out - 

we had a fantastic trip and I'm a little sad to be home but looking forward to xmas though feeling woefully unprepared despite tying to organise as much as possible before we left plus need to finish unpacking/do the post holiday washing ect . I didn't end up buying much while we were away but did get some lovely knitted xmas stocking, dd's favourite B&BW stuff you can't get here to make a hamper with and some of the kids favourite us snacks/sweets. 
popped into town last night as needed to go to the pharmacy and pick dd up - couldn't believe how little xmas stock is left already primark literally had just 1 shelving unit of  xmas stuff mostly plastic tumblers and a few random bits plus some xmas teddies. was hoping to fit in a trip to home bargains/B&m for last minute bits/stocking fillers as realised I have virtually nothing for those but woke up this morning feeling lousy - sore throat cold cough ect so not sure if I'll get there in which case they'll have to make do with a stocking full of snacks/sweets though Im sure the boys won't mind.
luckily I did a post holiday food shop yesterday and picked up the basics for xmas meat/veg as its all on offer and the dates were long enough so worse case senario I can put together a xmas dinner.
also picked up scratch cards for the xmas crackers  I'd been putting it off in the hope they'd have the £1 ones at some point but never found any only seen £2/£3/£5 xmas themed ones this year so went with xmassy coloured ones instead.

Coxy11

Hi all,

Am joining @princesskitty29 in the ill corner as tested positive for Covid last night after a few days of heavy cold symptoms. Thought I'd better test as was meant to go to DSis's tomorrow and Mum will be there - she's anti-vaxx..... So all plans for the weekend now cancelled - have put off ILs coming on Christmas Eve with SIL offering to host on 27 December instead. Had a disturbed nights' sleep so hoping to hunker down and rest today and over the weekend. Luckily everything is bought bar the turkey and veg - so DH is on SM duty today and will do doorstep drops of gifts tomorrow to the wider family.

Glad you enjoyed your trip @mandco, those knitted Christmas stockings sound nice.

Right, more tea needed (although it doesn't taste like tea.....) 
Coxy

Spendless

The trip to buy DD's friend a last minute Xmas present cost more than anticipated. I even queried at the till at B&M if the total amount (£34) was correct. Going through it, it was, £8 worth of stuff was DD. a specific water bottle style I know she searches for and also a drawer organiser to make her stuff tidier (I wasn't going to refuse that!). A further £5 was for items for friend's 21st birthday which is early Jan, which meant £21 had been spent on friend's xmas gift. It was more than I'd initially anticipated mainly caused by a £10 item which wakes you up gradually by light. I know when I was younger I longed for something like that as struggled with dark mornings (nowadays I struggle being asleep!) so said ok, aware of the difference it could make to someone. The rest was little bits, mug, socks, face pack (think was only £1 in there so not worth a trip to Boots  and using my points) to bulk out the hamper. I just don't think I added it all up (think we've been here before with the Lush Boxing day sale last year!). DD said DH had had the same reaction at  the till in Tesco the previous night when he just went to buy a few groceries. Think CoL crisis still taking us by surprise. 

 I did talk DD out of a nice looking wicker hamper cos it was £8! She agreed to go and look in nearby Poundland instead, but down another aisle saw a plastic one for £3 so got that. DD had asked me didn't we have any baskets at home, but this year I made it my mission to use up what we had in instead of it lingering over year to year looking for it's 'perfect moment'. That is the disadvantage of doing so! Back home used the cellophane to wrap up.  Girls then went to cinema and on return DD unwrapped what friend had bought her - she only ever leaves family presents until Christmas day and there was some truly lovely and thoughtful items including a mini gin and glass and gold (coloured) fashion hoop earrings. DD had put these on her stocking list and it's one of the items I hadn't bought.  I've now learnt my lesson though and will set a little money aside in December for any last minute gifts.

The tree is now decorated. Took a couple of times of me digging in my heels over it all, DH saying he'd do it himself and DD alternating between sulking that it was going to be done without her and then not sparing us the time for a conversation about it. The compromise settled on was that me and DH sorted out all the tree trimmings into different colours/categories which then made it a simple task for DD to decorate once back from her cinema trip. 

This morning I have a chiropody appt - booked when I was in last job as one of the few dates I'd be able to get (they weren't generous with AL and then you also had to save 5 days for Xmas shutdown). Then i need to pick  up DD's Swedish currency for her going away. DiL asked for a 2nd Christmas at our house but with DD going away can't fit it all in. Me and DH have come up with the idea that DS and DiL come round on morning of 27th to exchange gifts and then we do sausage butties. We'll then take them back to their house around lunchtime so DD can pack as later that day DH is driving her to Heathrow where they'll stay o/night before DD's flight the following morning. In addition we are hosting NYE. It's not our turn as we did it last year but now I'm not working on Jan 2nd it doesn't matter.

DD has a Drs appt tomorrow afternoon - 1st she was offered despite initially asking on Tuesday! DH going to take her and I intend using that time to wrap the remaining presents. 

Peppa537

@princesskitty29 & @Coxy11 I hope you're both feeling better soon. It's horrible when you get ill at Christmas and plans might have to change. Last year my DH came down with a temperature and bad cough and cold Christmas Eve night and we weren't able to see anyone on the 25th or 26th. This year so far we're all ok but my Mum (who was staying for a few nights) is poorly and probably can't come, this will mean she's on her own though so we're hoping to convince her otherwise as it isn't anything contagious for us. 

theoldmansmrs

@princesskitty29 & @Coxy11 - I hope you both feel better soon. An early Christmas "gift" you neither want or wish to keep! 

Sb84

I am a little late to the game this year as everything is done for Christmas 2023, however i have begun thinking towards Christmas 2024!

I don't tend to buy to much until August/September as my children are now almost 13 and almost 11 and their interests, wants and needs change so much throughout the year.  So what I am starting to do is make money in various ways and putting to the side for Christmas (and their birthday which are both in January!).

For Christmas 2024 I currently have:
£26.15 in prolific
£154.22 in TCB
£6.50 in my amazon
£12 in jam doughnut
£55 in save the change

Hope all those that are feeling poorly feel better soon.

Spendless

Welcome @Sb84 Good idea to save money instead to spread the cost if you're unable to buy in advance. I had to do the same wiith my DD (aged 20) this year because her needs/wants change so much. Only recently did she say I ask her around October  for ideas (yes because I aim to be finished or close to by Dec 1st)  and at that point she doesn't know but then it gets to a week or 2 before Christmas she can think of things she'd like by which time it's too late and I've bought. I'm not overly similar with some of your savings schemes eg  what is jam doughnut? 

I've just wrapped DD's stockings. Had a canine helper! His presents bought yesterday remain in DH's car because he would just want them straight away. Only stocking presents not wrapped are DD's false eyelashes and it's going to depend on whether she goes out Xmas Eve whether they end up in the stocking or Christmas Eve box. 

Longer term what is everyone doing about wrapping paper? I have (just!)  enough scraps left to do DD's stocking for another year but after that, continue to buy paper  for all gifts or look for alternative ideas and what?

 Also I know I've mentioned on here before that my own stocking filler presents as I grew up  were all  wrapped and under the tree, which gives me no childhood memories of how to do stockings to fall back on, is there a better way to fill them. I've had DD's stuff out 3 times re-jigging them  to look better which with a present obsessed dog watching was ermmm interesting.  I did think he'd nicked the Sellotape but it had just fallen on the floor (was wrapping on my bed, my preferred place) but he did pinch a small piece of wrapping paper and then when I told him off for it, ran into DD's bedroom for sanctuary and woke her up!

Anyway stockings - smaller presents at the bottom or the top?. I put chocolate coins in the  toe. This is the only unwrapped present I put in and stems from a year I didn't buy them as put other confectionery   in there instead. DD told me she'd purposely reached into the toe to get them and discovered they weren't there and wondered why they'd been missed. So every year now I ensure that I buy coins, don't wrap them, put them   in the toe and  they can be easily found but what about the rest ?

Yesterday evening me and DH were having a light hearted conversation about which things he'd struggle with without me .He asked me to guess which one chore has he never done (married 24 years) I gave him some tongue in cheek answers of tasks he always ducks out of - peeling onions, catching spiders, putting the bins out,  remembering details of kids education when they ask for help with CVs before he said it was buying Christmas presents for all the family and said he'd still buy everyone something - it's just that they probably wouldn't like what they received - lol. He'd have to ask DD to help, God help the family finances! 

As DD is going to Sweden with friends for New Year I went and got her some Swedish currency. This is the remainder of the  money I allocated to her from my Nan's will which I was a beneficiary of.  Really old fashioned looking notes and in smaller denominations then I would have thought eg there's a 20krona note that's worth approx £1.60. DD isn't good with maths at the best of times. Her college tutor fetched up with her recently  how she's one of the best readers outloud  in class but when it was a passage of figures she struggled with it, so I think it probably better that I tell her that 100kr = £10 rather than the more accurate £8 rounding up might also help with not overspending.

 Have a good weekend everyone - it's nearly here.

princesskitty29

Hi all, I hope you are all well and not too frazzled in the lead up to Christmas. Unfortunately I am still feeling quite ropey, I’m really trying to get into the swing of things for the boys but it’s definitely more of a struggle this year! I do feel marginally better each day so I’m definitely heading in the right direction, but I’m finding this virus very stubborn. One of the hardest things is I’ve got an underlying nausea, I am able to eat but it always tends to be there. Two whole days until Christmas – hopefully I’ll be feeling a lot better by then! We’re all going to do a test on Christmas Eve, if no one else is positive then I think  my in laws are going to come over on Christmas day. My really contagious period should be past, so I think they’re willing to take the risk to get the reward of spending it with family. They’ve both had it before so know what it entails. Luckily we weren’t planning on seeing my family until the 29th, my dad ended up in hospital with covid in August so we’ll need to be ok by the time we see them.

Anyway I’ve got a few things to get done over the next couple of days, a bit of cleaning downstairs and a few last presents to wrap which I should get done today. The elves delivered letters to the boys from Father Christmas overnight so they were excited about that this morning! I watched the Christmas special of All Creatures Great and Small yesterday which I really enjoyed, it really is my favourite TV programme! I’m surprised it’s on so early and not on Christmas Eve/Day as it’s a very popular programme. I know Call the Midwife is the big Christmas special on Christmas day but I’ve never followed it, I did briefly start watching it when I was pregnant with my first child but swiftly stopped – probably not the best thing to watch when you’re about to give birth for the first time! We are however really looking forward to Tabby McTat on Christmas day, we love the Julia Donaldson adaptations.

In terms of planning for next year, like Sb84, I too am going to do more little things to make some money for Christmas on the side. I’d stopped doing surveys etc for most of this year, it just went off my radar, but picked it up again in October and the extra pennies proved really helpful. So I’m going to do more of that throughout the year and save towards next Christmas. Like you said Spendless, I think the cost of living has taken me by surprise a few times this year too!

Spendless it made me smile when you said the only person not bought for was the dog, I think I got our dog finished before anyone else and she doesn’t even know what Christmas is! I need to get my priorities sorted next time.

mandco I’m so pleased to hear you had a fantastic holiday, it was much deserved. I’m sure everything felt overwhelming when you got back but it will all come together in the end, it always does.

Coxy oh I am sorry to hear you’re poorly too! It’s rubbish isn’t it. I’m sorry you’ve had to cancel your plans, I hope you manage to catch up with everyone once your better. Let’s take our funny tasting tea and chocolates to the ill corner and put our feet up!

Peppa Oh your poor mum, I do hope she manages to come and see you all and isn’t on her own.

Theoldmrandmrs thank you for your well wishes x

Sb84 hello and welcome! As I said I am going to do more of these side hustles to save for next Christmas, I hadn’t head of a couple of the things you listed so thank you for those.

princesskitty29

Spendless our posts crossed! To be honest I don't give a great deal of thought to filling the stocking, I always put an orange in the toe then just fill it with heavier/bulkier items first. I don't think they particulalrly notice anything either! I still have wrapping paper left that I can carry over to next year.

AUERVO 30 Pcs Christmas Paper Bags,Flat Bottom Party Bags,6 Christmas Elements Themed Design with 30 Pcs Stickers for Xmas Party, Birthday and Classroom : Amazon.co.uk: Stationery & Office Supplies

I saw these on Amazon recently and thought they'd be good to put gifts in if you don't like wrapping, you can get bags in different sizes.

Spendless

The dog has just unwrapped both of FIL's presents whilst our backs were turned. We were moving some of DD's stuff from the conservatory to the spare bedroom in order to create more downstairs space. DH had put his Dad's presents inside a gift  bag on the coffee table in anticipation of taking them round to him and the dog got hold of them and opened them. FIL's t-shirt was found behind the sofa, the tea had the cardboard box chewed. Have had to throw the box the tea caddy came in and re-wrap both gifts! 

Thanks for link princesskitty - it was more from a recycling pov I was thinking. I don't mind wrapping. Stockings I knew it all fitted but wondered whether putting smaller or larger items in first made it possible to get more in; or not have it bulge awkwardly in the middle.

Hope you and coxy start feeling better soon. 
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