Frosty the Snowman - it's the 2025 Christmas thread!

Spendless

Thank you all for your messages of condolences.

Yesterday we did  big 'everyday' grocery shop so that next time Christmas groceries can be concentrated on. Picked up bits like stuffing, prawn cocktail &  cranberry sauce. Bought family christmas cards and crackers. a tin of confectionary each for the kids to add to what they have under the tree .SisIL called with HM mince pies and a fabric pencil case/small bag she'd made for DD and myself and some small hand towels like my late MIL used to make us, but these are Christmas themed.. I'm going to use my case in my workbag for some bits. I was hoping some items I've bought  might fit into DDs  but they didn't so think I'll wrap and put in her stocking instead. I have one more item to add to the stocking which is a freebie  that my friend got with a Sephora purchase, expensive nonsense but something 'the kids' think cool. Any of your older girls still do the 'Instagram haul?'   

DH ordered his Dad some t-shirts which is very much a 'rinse and repeat' purchase but so little you can get him in his care home. He also has a mini Xmas cake and maybe will add some chocolate. 

Glad

Very sorry to hear about your Nan @Spendless

mandco

@Spendless. So sorry for your loss  .  It’s never easy but feels like it hits a bit harder this of year.

Coxy11

Was coming on here to report that I’ve finished buying bar a little something for nephew 17. He has an H&M gift card but I need something to go with it. Possibly chocolate or sweets. However when I came to wrap a pair of Vans for DS2 that arrived last week and I hadn’t opened, I realised they were a US10 not UK10. So have arranged a return and had to buy another pair for £70 (others were £46 in a BF deal). So annoying and really hoping they arrive in time. 

We visited Canterbury Christmas market yesterday and took the park n ride which is £4 for all day parking (bus free for up to 7 people per car). This is a bargain as 3 hours parking last week for the panto cost us £12.40. Got the last few gifts and some jeans for me, plus a couple of jumpers and a pair of sparkly earrings on sale. Earrings broke last night when I tried them on! They were £2 reduced from £10 in H&M so mustn’t complain. 

I have wrapped everything this afternoon including all the gifts for my 3 adult children and DIL. Started off with Mum’s gifts - she has a wheelie case which she can take to nieces at Christmas, so will need to open early. There’s also a book, jigsaw and mug inside to open on the day itself. Also needed to wrap youngest nephews gifts who will get theirs delivered by DH on Monday after work as we aren’t seeing them until 28 Dec. 

IL’s photo of DH and his two siblings (recreated from a photo from the 1980’s) was finally printed today at the fourth attempt. It was the only thing I’d asked DH to sort. First attempt yesterday he forgot the camera. Second attempt this morning our SD card is so ancient there wasn’t a corresponding slot  in the Boots machine. So DH emailed the photo to himself and went back to Boots only for it to be shut between 2pm and 3pm. Ended up at Snappy Snaps in another town. Still needs wrapping!

All the offspring’s gifts are now in a cupboard in our bedroom. Not now sure if DS1 and DIL will be coming over on CE  - he has taken a second job delivering pizza and is due to work that evening. In preparation I’d got them stocking gifts to open on Christmas morning - awaiting confirmation on Saturday when we are at the panto.  They are having Christmas dinner with DIL’s sister and BIL plus her Mum. 

We got some wine today in Sainsbury’s - buy 6 bottles get 25% off. Also spent £50 on cheese at the Christmas market - this after spending £40 a week ago somewhere else. Luckily we like cheese but crazy that we’ve spent more on cheese than the free range turkey…..

Spendless

That's annoying about the shoes coxy. 

I keep getting ideas for Xmas presents coming up on my SM feed. I was particularly taken by this vase.

https://bibliobloom.com/products/a-christmas-carol-acrylic-book-vase?variant=46901103296751&country=GB&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_source=google&utm_medium=&utm_id=22945571653&utm_content=&utm_term=&creativeId=&adgroupid=&targetid=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22945573093&gbraid=0AAAAA-Mee6sQObkEJHXHs52oEiTO6MjDD&gclid=Cj0KCQiAjJTKBhCjARIsAIMC448fhZ0Ils8sCl-S2LVj4AvLmol2eNk6wZiLHqqkwoQwYpvPOgXKrS8aAlebEALw_wcB&_atid=mWKZvSaLCburOdZ8hpFG8U8TzOzDNc

Thinking of ordering it for Mum for next Christmas. If I buy her an unrelated Xmas one out she'll put it out initially and then forget about it, if it's a Christmas one she'll pack it with her ornaments and fetch it out each year. In the event I prefer something else by this time next year, I'll keep it for myself. 

Have a couple more stocking fllers to wrap, hoping to get most of the Christmas grocery shop tonight and finish off sorting out house tomorrow ready for DD's return. 

PennysIntoPounds

That's lovely @Spendless, I'm adding that to my future gifts I might accidentally keep list too 😁

Spendless

Most of Xmas groceries bought last night. We have a 2nd fridge so the surplus 'it's for Christmas' (lol) items have gone in there. We still need a turkey (fresh crown to be picked up next week by DH), pigs in blankets, we did buy somein Aldi, but I know the butchers ones will be better, but they've sold out fast before so got the Aldi ones as back up. They'll become part of a picky tea if we can get butchers ones, a pork pie also from the butchers as it has cranberry and stuffing at the top and is handmade by them, we have regular pork pies for the other days and a lettuce cos I'm not sure that the one currently in my fridge will still be at its best on the 25th.

We bought my Dad a present on behalf of both kids last night as DD was struggling to find something for him both luggage permitting and also because he's difficult to buy for, so I said leave it with me and I'll sort.  We found a better than half price bag with toiletries in. I've already got Mum a travel bag so this will go well and maybe next year they can start planning trips. Yesterday from the flower stall opposite where I work they were selling jugs with a santa on them for £1, got one for myself but going back later to get another for Mum that has got a plant in - they cost £2.

Curiousity question for those of you who have young adult kids with their own income source either  from employment or student finance (or even mid teens with an allowance)  do they buy their own Xmas presents for the family either immediate or extended?. As a child with pocket money from age 10/11 I was expected to buy presents for family.. As a lot older adult reflecting I do think this put me under quite a bit of pressure because there were a number to buy for, I had all 4 grandparents, both parents, a sibling, then if I had a boyfriend (which my first one was from ages 16-21) there was him and his family and later if my sister had a boyfriend then him too. It's not pressure I put my own kids under. As I got older and had more disposable income  I didn't mind at all, I was literally about to buy my 100yo Nan a Xmas present when I got a call to say her health had worsened and we came home, I do feel I got put under pressure to gift  to family at too early an  age when I should have had my name included on my parents gift tag to others until I was older, so just wondering what others did.

Auti

My child (11) has an allowance and he buys for who lives here - he is not expected to spend much but rather choose a present on something he has noticed they like. Has been a pen when someone lost theirs, a special chocolate bar, some felt pens for a colourist and so on. The presents he gives are always appreciated and makes him happy to give as well

Happy_Kitties

Jumping over from the other thread, growing up I was exactly the same as Auti. I was given an extra £10 pounds at Christmas to buy token thoughtful presents which worked really well. 

With my own DD, she is 26 with her own income source from employment, and her own house, while I put her and her partners name on my Christmas cards, she buys her own Christmas presents for family and any extended family, she is 26 and I would get some major kick back from her if I tried to buy over her for family. She is 26 and an adult, with her own life, pays her own bills and is more than capable of making her own decisions and is always picking up ideas. 

When growing up again I did the same as Auti with DD. She used to copy me with her own budget book, had an allowance and was given some extra at Christmas and I would take her shopping. She has turned out to be a ruthless bargain hunter and saver. Has a good income source, is not mean with her money, still buys thoughtful presents, but loves a bargain at the same time. Duncle used to say ‘that child is ruthless with money’! But it has served her well

mandco

@spendiess with mine I always had them involved with buying gifts for immediate family but never made them pay out of their own money - I gave them a small budget say £5 each and they would help pick a gift - I think it’s a good skill to learn and makes them think about other people rather than just their own wants especially at Xmas. This year ds1 has actually paid out of his own money again just a token £5 each budget brought 1 a month over the last few months as he doesn’t have a lot of money and I’ve helped him source said gifts but its the thought that counts and he offered to pay. Once dd had a job again out of choice she took over buying her own again starting with the £5 token gift and while there’s never been any pressure from us to buy anything more than a token gift she now she budgets about £50 each and like me saves throughout the year and looks for bargains/offers to get the best value/more gifts within the budget.