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

princesskitty29

Thank you all for your lovely words, it’s so nice to log on and have amazing support here. Now DS1’s birthday is out of the way I’m thinking more about Christmas now, even though we still have MiL’s, my dad’s and brother’s birthdays all before Christmas! I need to focus on those too as after the summer I have tunnel vision for Christmas and always end up scrabbling around to sort their birthdays as they’re not on my radar! I’ve favourited some Christmas pyjamas on Vinted for the boys, I still like to buy them matching ones while I can. I’ve found some Elf ones (as in the film) I think they’ll like and I’ve made an offer on one as I think the price is a bit too high, so will see what they come back with and will hopefully buy them.

Things have calmed down a little bit here now, DS1 is still having some meltdowns and being difficult but it’s not as frequent so I hope he’s just easing into the holidays.

@CrazyBee787 thank you for your kind words, that made me feel much better. 😊

@Spendless yes we just haven’t seen anything about the 10 year passport rule, and we’re not frequent travellers so just weren’t aware unfortunately.

@mandco yes that makes sense with puberty and hormones. What a fun rollercoaster this is going to be! Funnily enough we don’t have a school change as we live in a rare area that has a three school system, so it’s lower school age 4-9, middle school age 9-13 then upper school age 13-18. So even though he’s just tuned 11 we don’t have a school change, which is good with how things are at the moment. Sorry to hear you have to have a colonoscopy, it’s great we have these things available to us but they are awful, if only there was another way! I’m sure the fire walk will be great!

@fionadphil thank you for your kind words. The one positive to come out of our failed cruise saga is that it’s making everyone we know check their passports!

@Abbafan1972 thank you for your kind words and like I said, I’m glad my story is making everyone check their passports! I’m so sorry you have to have another colonoscopy, how awful for you, could you plan a little treat for afterwards to give you something to look forward to? Actually I’ve just thought my friend had to have a second one and was sedated the second time if I remember correctly, could this be an option?

@Coxy11 It sounds like you’ve done well with presents but it’s so hard when people have few interests or only seem to like expensive things! I’ve seen brand new gift sets for sale on Vinted which would make it cheaper, I guess the only downside is not knowing how old they are. You did the right thing with your job, there is nothing worse than dreading going in. Fingers crossed you can find something more suitable. Your holiday in Seattle sounds fabulous, I hope you have an amazing time!

@PenniesIntoPounds it’s always great when you find little gems you already have to gift to people!

Spendless

I saw a nice basket for a hamper yesterday in a CS. I dont need any but thought Id say this is possibly the time of year to look when everyone is still concentrating on their sunmer hols (and yes double check your passports everyone) and not thinking towards Christmas. Baskets at a reasonable  price can become thin on the ground later on. 

Bdays here dont start till next month  which are the only ones left this year then   and over within a 3 week span. One is my bday, the other 2 are big 0 ones, Nan's 100th and DH's 60th. Got some ideas for both, just little bits for Nan such as a water bottle and shopping list pad, practical things she needs and add some treats. DH mentioned some cuff links he liked but also thinking of some nice garden furniture. He WFH from a summer house which has a verenda, this area could do with sprucing up. Considering getting a nice chair so he can take a break and sit outside with a coffee. 

mandco

@princesskitty29 it can definitely be a roller coaster but you will get through it. I think that’s a way better system for the school years as the usual change at year 7 often comes at the worst possible time all the change on top of the hormone fluctuations can be really hard on any tween- hopefully by time ds changes schools he’ll be a lot more settled.
Im actually really looking forward to the firewalk - it’s on my bucket list so doing it for charity too is a double win 

@spendless good reminder to check now for hampers/baskets they get ridiculously expensive once the Xmas stock appears 
I think the garden furniture for the summer house so dh can take breaks from work in extra comfort is a lovely idea 

@Coxy11 while it probably wasn’t an easy decision if you weren’t happy in the job then leaving can be the right thing to do nothing worse than dreading the day. Hopefully dh will start to appreciate how much effort you put into shopping for gifts - I know it is a generalisation but in my experience so many men seem to think present buying is easy as they aren’t actually involved in the process. 

Hope you have a lovely holiday 

@PenniesIntoPounds it’s great when you find bits you can upcycle or had forgotten about 

DDs birthday next ended up using some of my boots points to get her an air up bottle she asked for - personally I think it’s a pointless fad but it’s what she wanted. Going out for a meal at the weekend and then booked an escape room for the following weekend (next week it’s only £10 each vs £27 each this weekend)
ordered a couple of parts for ds pc build which will be his birthday present so he’s sorted too I just need to work out what I’m getting taz then I can focus fully on Xmas.

A few restaurants locally have start to advertise their Xmas/festive menus - we don’t do Xmas/Boxing Day but will do at least one get festive get together - currently leaning towards the carvery as they have the best desserts so far. 

Spendless

Sorted Mums Xmas present, or at least got the bones of it. Someone local was advertising hand made  reading cushions, the ones that have a pocket at the front for a book. Ive ordered one, got a slight discount for being one of the first to respond. I'll order one of  the series of books, Ive previously read and believe Mum will enjoy and if when I see it all together think it lacks something will add a soft blanket.

That leaves me able to get my more difficult  to buy for Dad an experience as his gift. 

lazysheep

Spendless said:

Sorted Mums Xmas present, or at least got the bones of it. Someone local was advertising hand made  reading cushions, the ones that have a pocket at the front for a book. Ive ordered one, got a slight discount for being one of the first to respond. I'll order one of  the series of books, Ive previously read and believe Mum will enjoy and if when I see it all together think it lacks something will add a soft blanket.

That leaves me able to get my more difficult  to buy for Dad an experience as his gift. 

can you show me a reading cushion?  My mum reads loads and often in bed so thinking this might be a future idea I can shamefully steal!

Spendless

lazysheep said:

Spendless said:

Sorted Mums Xmas present, or at least got the bones of it. Someone local was advertising hand made  reading cushions, the ones that have a pocket at the front for a book. Ive ordered one, got a slight discount for being one of the first to respond. I'll order one of  the series of books, Ive previously read and believe Mum will enjoy and if when I see it all together think it lacks something will add a soft blanket.

That leaves me able to get my more difficult  to buy for Dad an experience as his gift. 

can you show me a reading cushion?  My mum reads loads and often in bed so thinking this might be a future idea I can shamefully steal!

Like a cushion but with a pocket at the front to store the book in. Other ideas for readers Ive used before is bookmarks either ornamental or one I bought Mum had an electronic dictionary as shed read a book that had a lot of unfamiliar words. I bought that at Waterstones. Heres a link for what I mean by reading cushion. 
 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/981320459/adultchild-reading-book-pillowcushions?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_uk_en_gb_d-home_and_living&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQjwnovFBhDnARIsAO4V7mCujI34tOGyrYHdcParcOgdN6QNiwSRIBamec-ZA3WEbZbpSNB5SacaAvjIEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_22230387119_176511378444_732865666751_aud-2080357863802:pla-303628061699_m__981320459engb_102858184&utm_custom2=22230387119&gad_source=4&gad_campaignid=22230387119&gbraid=0AAAAADutTMe6Y-dIFb06HvO3aBtb2G0vT&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnovFBhDnARIsAO4V7mCujI34tOGyrYHdcParcOgdN6QNiwSRIBamec-ZA3WEbZbpSNB5SacaAvjIEALw_wcB

princesskitty29

DH is off today and I’m having a day to myself – my first since the summer holidays started and I’m enjoying the peace! I went shopping this morning and I’m going to make some gravy (I’m testing a Jamie Oliver make ahead recipe) and chill out a bit this afternoon! We also had a lovely week away visiting my parents in Gloucestershire last week.

My focus is turning to Christmas now and I’ve got a few goodies to stash away in the past week. I got a bumper haul when I visited a few charity shops near my mum, mostly clothes for me which was great as I don’t always see things but also got DS2 a small make-your-own wind up dinosaur for £1.25 to go in his stocking.

I went to the local retail park this morning and picked up the following:

In Home Bargains I found a travel neck pillow for DS1 (he likes using mine which is 12 years old and a bit flat now) for £4.99, Simple face moisturiser for my mum for £2.49 and a Coca Cola glass for DS1 for 99p and I will get a small can of coke to go with it.

Matalan had big discounts on Claire’s accessories stuff so I got a few things for my friends DD; a snowflake jewellery set £8.00 but went through the till as £2.00 reduced to 50p! So along with the unicorn Beauticology bath salts I got a while ago reduced to £1.75 her whole Christmas present comes to £2.25! For her birthday in November I got a 3pk nail varnish set £12 reduced to £3, a pink pendant necklace £6 reduced to £1.50 and a pink satin eye mask (she wears one every night) £10 reduced to £2.50. So that’s her birthday sorted for £7. Christmas and birthday done for £9.25 – can’t complain!

In The Range I got a grow your own dinosaur themed plant pot for DS2 £2.49 reduced to £1.74. He has been enjoying planting some things with me this year and loves dinosaurs so hopefully he’ll like it. I also got two make-your-own Halloween wreaths for £1.99 to pop in the boys Halloween bags, I always like to do a craft with them then we can use them to decorate.

I also got an email from Quidco offering me £10 on top of any cash back for any purchase I made as I haven’t been on there in a while. I ordered a digital dart board for the boys for Christmas from Argos which came to £23.95, but then I saw one in The Range for £16.99! I was tired and hungry at this point and decided I couldn’t bothered to return it etc so left the one in The Range, I’m kind of regretting it now though. I don’t know if Quidco will still pay out the £10 if I return the item.

Any way I hope you’re all well!

mandco

@Spendless I don’t think I’d heard of a reading cushion - probably due to the fact we’re not really physical book readers - my lot mostly read on tech 
does sound like a great idea for someone who is into books though and it’s always nice to support local/independant/smaller businesses.

ordered a couple of bits for the boys birthdays & have a couple of ideas for Xmas for bits to go with what they are getting. 

Did see a couple of random Xmas themed bits in the shops at the weekend if it follows previous years won’t be long now till it starts appearing in bulk.

@princesskitty29. Our posts overlapped 
Hope you enjoy your day - me time is so hard to find even harder to actually use it to do things just for yourself 
some fantastic bargains in your haul 
Pretty sure Quidco don’t pay out if you return - really should try signing up again as my account disappeared it got hacked and I gave up trying to sort it out as got stuck in the cycle of the info you supplied doesn’t match our records so we can’t help you - Duh someone hacked my account and changed them how am I supposed to know what they changed it to?? 

PennysIntoPounds

The MSE email this week was pointing out bank holiday deals on wines and fizz in case anyone was wanting to stock up for gifts or Christmas (or rewarding themselves for their hard work on both counts!)

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-wine-deals/

Spendless

Thats a good discount on wine. Have to have a think about whether to stock up.

Thats what Claires accessories prices at our outlet store used to be like princesskitty. I remember filling DD's stocking with 10 items for £10 and my friend, Mum to 3 boys being envious cos there was no equivalent bargain for lads. 

B&M have their selection box/xmas chocs out and also their toiletries range. I definitely dont remember stock being out this early before because I normally struggle to find something for Nan's mid September bday.

I picked up Mum's cushion today. Its well made and the lady who made them did so as a charity fundraiser. I had a couple of ideas for books, based on sets Id previously read.Ive seen one lot on  a deal so will order. Once I see how that looks, I will add cookies (preferably caramel flavour - her favs) and maybe fluffy socks and/or a soft blanket

Parents said they think Nan will predominantly receive flowers, alcohol, chocs for her bday. I told them.I was thinking of a water drinking bottle and they thought that a good idea.