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

mandco

Abbafan glad to hear the results were clear like Spendless said always better to get these things checked out but the waiting is always so stressful /worrying.Trying to get a doctors appointment is ridiculous it’s almost always a 4-5 week wait at my surgery unless you need an urgent same day one. last time I needed bloods taken there was an 8 week wait so had to book for the hospital instead which was still 3 weeks for the earliest appointment.

spendless sounds like you found a suitable alternative which works better at this time - it might not be what you really wanted to do but worth everything you have going on and all the uncertainty its probably for the best right now and it’ll be something to look forward to when things settle down.
hotel price increases when there’s an event on can be crazy - it’s there somewhere a little further out that might be more affordable and save driving home the same night? 

Thanks for the heads up on the Lego I’ll have to check that out and see if there is anything in my local stores.

Not really much happening here lately as life has been revolving round appointments & waiting for appointments to be scheduled so cant really make any plans and have had a diagnosis of FND so been feeling a bit low. Finally got an appointment to get my gall bladder out in july (had 2 trips to a&e with it this year)so hopefully that will help though at the moment I’m just worrying about having surgery which is silly as it’s pretty routine. 

did order a few stocking filler bits from shein but otherwise Xmas prep is virtually non existent so far this year and I feel like I’m so behind- anyone else noticed there’s a major shortage of real offers /deals around and even when the “sales” are on it seems to be the same old stuff?

Did manage to do a couple of boots recycling drop offs so that’s another £10 worth of points added 

Sortingmyselfout2024

Good afternoon, It’s been a while since I was last here seemed to get lost in life !

Christmas planning is underway but not bought much .

we have had a major change here , my daughter has been gluten sensitive for around 7 years but it’s resolved itself, she’s eating “ normal “ food without a single issue.

I am having a steroid injection soon so hopefully my knee pain will end sooner rather than later. 

Spendless

I've thought that about stores stock since the pandemic mandco, limited items available both in terms of availability and choice. When DH revamped his WFH space (aka garden summerhouse) a year or so ago, I wanted to get him some cushions to give a pop of colour to the small sofa he'd bought for the dog to lie on whilst he worked (yes - you read that correctly!). I ended up buying online as nothing in the shops other than neutrals. 

Welcome back sortingmyselfout - that's good if your daughter's food issues have been resolved. I remember my DD then vegetarian going on a bland diet in an attempt to 'reset' as she was struggling with reflux, they was barely anything she could eat, strangely she then went on a drinking session  with an ex workmate consuming vodka and cranberry all day and then it improved??!! Hope your knee pain is better soon.

This weekend DH went to see DD, I stayed home with the dog. She had got herself overwhelmed due to it being the end of her 2nd yr last week, having to say bye to the many exchange students she'd made friends with, her closest flatmate moving back home for the summer and being spiked the other weekend with a drink bought for her by a woman (which is why she was off her guard!). Fortunately she  wasn't alone and had only become separated from friends and they took control of the situation quickly and safely. She was in desperate need of rest, respite and a reset. I'm in awe that Mr S managed to achieve this is just over 24 hours of visiting  A good comfy night's  sleep, a meal at the hotel he was staying in, washing sorted out (and some returned here - lol ,for me to deal with), coursework caught up on,   a grocery shop, a tidy up, fresh bedding on and a trip to drop some CVs off at retailers, cafes, pubs so she can find summer work which will mean she can stay in her accommodation which she would prefer to do.  This also included Mr S doing the application for DD's student visa for studying abroad alter this year. He submitted it with the evidence needed, got a couple of confirmation emails back about the interview giving a 2-3 weeks timeline for the likelihood of when it would be  and then hours later came the news that Trump has halted all international student visa interviews. Jeez- you couldn't make this up!  I'm only glad the application had already been submitted so she is already 'in the system'. 

When I woke in the early hours I found my mind turning to how we would manage Christmas this year, in the event that this all gets sorted. DD's ideal choice is to still be in the US on NYE and fly home early Jan. I am fine with this but the term will have finished a couple of weeks earlier, her other course mates already flown home and said I really didn't want a phone call from her 10am Xmas morning crying cos she's alone in a bedsit with a pot noodle. She told me she'd been invited to stay on these holiday dates inc Thanksgiving with a friend's family. They are a different religion to Christianity so I think that is ideal tbh, somewhere to go for company but not intruding in another family's Christmas. Then I started thinking about presents and realised anything main/big is really going to have to wait till she returns, but it would be nice for her to have something from us to open and since DH is scheduled to go out to the same place for work related reasons only a couple of  weeks before, my thoughts are to send him with her stocking but with higher value gifts in it than I would normally put in. So am now on the lookout for anything that will fill that criteria, thinking things like higher end cosmetics, have already got a smaller size of her fav perfume cos I found it duty free whereas have never seen that size here before. 

My 2025 giftlist now looks like this

June
FD - my Dad, plus parent's WA - theatre tickets bought as joint present
WA -  Ours - unlikely to be a gift, I can't even decide what to buy with my £20 love2shop voucher -lol, prob eating out or take-out
FD - FIL - I will remind Mr S about this, but I leave it to him to sort. 

Birthdays for rest of year. In order they are 
Nan's 100th - Really think this is going to have to be decided on and ordered nearer the time
Mine -
DH - Not a clue at this stage for either him or what I'd like.

Xmas
FIL - Leave till nearer time (also for DH to sort)
Nan - Also need to leave till nearer time but the jumper I bought her last year was well received so may repeat that.
My parents - prob an experience as a main joint gift and then just smaller individual items. Mum is easier to buy for and has been enjoying copies of books I buy her which were ones I enjoyed when younger, so possibly upon those lines. Dad admired a flat cap DH bought when we were at one of the European Xmas markets so that's a possibility.
Son - Other than knowing I'm going to do a repeat of the 'basic toiletry hamper' I did last year for both kids it's likely to be a combo of needs/wants that cover electrical/food/clothing categories.
Daughter - As prev mentioned, anything big/main will have to wait till her return or she could have money for an experience whilst she's in the States.
DH - Still not a clue - lol

PennysIntoPounds

Meant to mention from the MSE newsletter a couple of weeks ago that some people are eligible for a fiver off at amazon so no harm in checking if you're likely to get something from there anyway

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/amazon/#7vfF0MIcdOyHK7sQC57RYC

Coxy11

Hi all - sorry for the long absence on here. Life has been getting back into a routine since our hike. Not a lot done in terms of Christmas prep although DH and I were in Herne Bay a few weeks ago and bought DD an Amy Winehouse artwork - basically her beehive hair contains the lyrics to 'Rehab' - so that will go nicely in her soon to be finished bedroom.

DSis gave me some ideas for nephew's 17th Birthday which included deoderant, dry hair shampoo, hair clay, elnet hairspray and sun in! I got everything apart from the Sun In and also got a phone cradle for his car and a pack of car cleaning cloths (he has been bought a car). Added in some Cadbury choc and a funky party hat as otherwise looked a bit 'functional' which is okay when you're an adult, but might be a bit disappointing as a teen! Anyway that little lot cost me £35 which was more than my £30 budget but it is what it is. Got everything in B&M which felt a bit naff!!

Next birthday is DSis's which is next week but we no longer buy for each other. We are both away the weekend after her birthday and then our Dad is visiting from abroad for three weeks, so will suggest a meal with partners in July sometime.

After that it's DNiece's 18th - she's based in Eire but is coming to study at uni in London. We will gift £50 cash - usually give her Euros but £'s this time. Then it's Mum's birthday - DSis and I have got her tickets to see Mary Beard in Canterbury. DSis has got her a book and I've bought a pair of earrings from a bijou shop in my local town which has loads of lovely bits and pieces. Will be going back there for sure.

Sorry to hear of your medical issues @Abbafan1972 and glad the biopsy was clear. How did the appointment go for your aches and pains yesterday? Has anything been decided about Christmas Day at Toby Carvery?

Did you get a date yet for your surgery @mandco? Hopefully you won't have to wait for long.

Take care all
Coxy

Spendless

Well I never knew Sun In was still around., My mum (a hairdresser) always hated it. She'd approve of it being omitted Coxy. It shows how much things have gone up if a trip to B&M for gifts usually a source of bargains has you going over your budget.   At the risk of sounding like Meghan Markle, at Xmas when I did toiletry bits for my kids I put them all in a hamper to 'elevate' it  with the result that both kids took the items and left the hampers behind -lol. My own fault I spent so many years collecting them and then saving them for their 'one perfect moment in time' that the only one who appreciates them is Mum, Nan would bin them and kids don't want them!

  

mandco

Coxy life gets busy at times we’ve all been there
I agree with Spendless that shopping in supposedly budget stores and still going over budget show how much prices are still increasing- toiletries especially seem to have gotten so expensive. The chocolate & hat were a lovely touch to make it seem a bit more special.

my surgery is scheduled for July 4th The hospital is a lot further to travel it’s an about an hr away which I think is partly what making me a bit more nervous- I’ve never been there and it’s obviously a lot further coming home post op if I’m not feeling great but they said I’d be waiting till probably dec/jan to get an appointment at my local one so it’ll be worth it.

Spendless me & dd constantly swap the same hamper back & forth - it’s a lovely wicker one but quite big so really no use beyond being used for gifting and a pain to store. What I tend to do now for hampers I’m gifting is to find a container/gift bag that can be used by the recipient afterwards - last year I did one in a fancier looking laundry basket 

Booked a break at Butlin’s for me & taz for just £36 next week- very last minute so this weeks going to be a bit hectic trying to get everything sorted but with medical appointments & my surgery being sooner than expected it’s the only time I could fit in a few days away before the schools break up for summer and at that price it’d be mad not to plus I could really do with change of scenery.

Spendless

DD came home impromptu this weekend. She'd had a date that ended abruptly and before either anticipated,  neither s fault due to circs beyond their control. She then found herself at a loose end and decided to come home. Needing various bits and pieces we went to our shopping outlet for her to pick up random beauty bits and a scrapbook. The Beauty outlet  usually has lower end priced items in. This time they also had a few more brands in.

I picked up a Morphe eye brush set for £6 and also a  Technic make up sponge and holder for £5


https://www.beautyoutlet.co.uk/products/morphe-all-the-look-5-piece-eye-brush-se?srsltid=AfmBOoqlqR2ac4BHLJN2rdAJ2Mr_7rpbRDSGNAkzivVFHqbVKstA9iV6

https://www.beautyoutlet.co.uk/products/technic-makeup-sponges-holder-set?srsltid=AfmBOopUUyG0bqtfRXwhUavD0tyemTGr_Sv_u1o3vBFWsEodWl6-REKz

Both of these will go in DD's stocking. I have spoken to her about Xmas day gifts when (if!) she is in NYC on Xmas day and she was happy with my suggestion. 

No more update on what is happening with International students, though I'm expecting a more 'bolshy' country towards him (I'm looking at you France!) to start retaliation with US students soon! 

mandco

Spendless must be very stressful not knowing what’s happening for dd all the time & planning you’ve put in and now it’s all basically in limbo waiting for them to decide if/when they going to allow international Students to get the visas they need 
some great bargain at the beauty outlets I’ll definitely have to keep an eye out of offers on line 

argos have added a bunch of teddies & squishmallows to the toy clearance section today - not much in stock local to me as usual but might be worth a look. I did pick up a couple of the squishmallows that were in stock 1 will go to dgd her birthday the other on my Xmas donations box as they are always a popular item.

PennysIntoPounds

The MSE email this week flagged up M&S summer beauty box and a Father's Day toiletries gift set, both of which could be split up and used for future gifts so worth checking out if the contents would suit people you buy for