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

PennysIntoPounds

Sorry to hear about the no kittens and emergency 3k surgery @mandco, hope all goes as well as it can 

HouseMartin567

Terry’s Chocolate Orange (original) are £1 in Tesco with clubcard.

Coxy11

Oh @mandco that’s so sad. I hope you’re all doing okay x

Spendless

Youre right coxy the lindt tin isnt on 3for2. Id looked at the wrong shelf edge label (jetlag!).
Might still get it anyway cos with DD away at Xmas I was wondering what 2 other gifts Id find in there!

However today in Boyes (is this a national chain? ). I did see a box of different lindt chocs inc small sticks (not sure how else to describe) for £10. Depending on what else I can think of to get Nan, I might buy them.instead. 

Hope puddy cat ok mandco. Eeek to the bill! 

Beshki

Spendless said:

Youre right coxy the lindt tin isnt on 3for2. Id looked at the wrong shelf edge label (jetlag!).
Might still get it anyway cos with DD away at Xmas I was wondering what 2 other gifts Id find in there!

However today in Boyes (is this a national chain? ). I did see a box of different lindt chocs inc small sticks (not sure how else to describe) for £10. Depending on what else I can think of to get Nan, I might buy them.instead. 

Hope puddy cat ok mandco. Eeek to the bill! 

Im sure you have already done this or considered it but with our ‘olds’ a mini hamper or Christmas stocking goes down well with things like M&S tea bags, fudge, mini fruit loaf, champagne jam, some cheese straws etc - from a ‘posh’ shop. Could add a little box of Lindt in there too. 

Spendless

Beshki said:

Spendless said:

Youre right coxy the lindt tin isnt on 3for2. Id looked at the wrong shelf edge label (jetlag!).
Might still get it anyway cos with DD away at Xmas I was wondering what 2 other gifts Id find in there!

However today in Boyes (is this a national chain? ). I did see a box of different lindt chocs inc small sticks (not sure how else to describe) for £10. Depending on what else I can think of to get Nan, I might buy them.instead. 

Hope puddy cat ok mandco. Eeek to the bill! 

Im sure you have already done this or considered it but with our ‘olds’ a mini hamper or Christmas stocking goes down well with things like M&S tea bags, fudge, mini fruit loaf, champagne jam, some cheese straws etc - from a ‘posh’ shop. Could add a little box of Lindt in there too. 

That's not a bad idea tbh. Though Ive done similar before, this year Nan has had to have her cooker disconnected, following an incident at the end of last year which had her hospitalised following a fall and almost had the (uninsured!) house on fire. Uninsured because its owned by my parents and Dad hadnt realised the implications and buildings insurance was in Nans name not his! Rectified as soon as I found out with the correct landlords insurance in place! Anyway Nan is now reliant on 'meals on wheels' a few times a week, microwave and things like sandwiches and toast. She might appreciate a hamper fully of 'nibbly bits' to eat. 

Coxy11

No Boyes down here in the South East I don’t think? Shame about the Lindt tin @Spendless but glad you may have found an alternative. The hamper of ambient goodies sounds like a plan for Nan. 

I have made a snowflake - will make more to suspend with fishing line in our tall (10ft) window along with some battery operated lights. I was so overwhelmed with the house move last year that I just stuck the tree up, so this year I’m determined to make more of an effort. 

(For some reason I can’t add a photo, so will do it later)

princesskitty29

Hi all, there’s me saying I’ll post very soon then going AWOL again! We’ve had a few ongoing things with DS1 but I was also lucky enough to spend 2 nights at my parents during the week which was just lovely. DH went away with friends for two nights in the summer holidays (!) so I was due a break too. My parents live about 100 miles away, usually we all go together so it was really nice spending some time with my parents on my own without the chaos. I do get sad sometimes that I can’t just pop round for a cup of tea or go shopping with my mum. But if we had moved there DH would have had the same problem, we live in the next town to his mum and dad which is literally only a 5 minute drive.

Despite having a lot of challenges and lots of things going on here I have still managed to make massive headway with my present shopping! Several people are practically finished. I’m hoping to have everyone except the boys finished by the end of this month, this is literally the most organised I have ever been so I’m keeping my promise to myself so far. I’ve also started wrapping as I said I would, I sat at the dining table and put some carols on and it was lovely. I don’t normally listen to Christmas music this early but it was nice to have something festive on whilst I was wrapping. I always think I love wrapping but I usually end up resenting it, I now realise it’s because it becomes overwhelming and stressful with a deadline looming. It was lovely to just take my time and I had the capacity to add ribbons etc – something I always want to do but end up running out of time for any faffing! One year my in laws gave me a Christmas box filled with little gifts, I loved that, it was like a box of delights so I’m thinking of doing that for a couple of friends I’ve bought bits for rather than wrapping them all individually.

@mandco oh I am sorry to hear about your cat and the kittens, I hope there’s not too much suffering.  What a bill though!  I literally can’t believe how expensive these things are and i'm sorry it's happened at this time of year especially. On another note I feel like you’re my online Butlins buddy, we’re going again in a few weeks! We’ve decided Butlins is a good place for us as DS1 really enjoys it and is comfortable there so there are less meltdowns. As devastating as it was not being able to go on the cruise I think right now we need to stick with tried and tested things so everyone has an easier life and actually enjoys themselves.

@Beshki are you still looking for stockings? I was sorting through my boxes the other day and came across two stockings I bought in Poundland a few years ago, I used them one year for my in laws and they always give things like that back to me to use again. I have kept them in case I needed them again but I’m trying to be strict with myself and I came to the conclusion I probably wasn’t going to use them again so I was going to pop them into the charity shop bag. If you haven’t already got some I can post a picture on here and if you think they’re suitable I’m happy to post them to you? For free of course, postage won’t cost much at all. They are still in great condition.

Spendless

princesskitty - I love having my xmas shopping done by end of Oct. The year I to saying it's a handwashreally felt 'thank goodness I acheived it' was 2020 when we went into 2nd lockdown from beg of Nov and shops reopened early Dec and I thought 'thankfully I don't have to shop with the crowds'. Doubt I'll acheive it this year though as well as a reccy  needed of the 'damage' done to our finances with the hol (don't regret a  minute) we are now about to have our bedroom redecorated, starting with a plasterer coming next week, so my present cupboard is out of action for a few weeks. Will have to nail it by end of Nov though cos I now work in retail and have no idea what my shifts will look like. Love the idea of gift wrapping as xmas carols/songs play. 

I have twice missed the delivery of my Tripp luggage and now need to pick it up on Monday! This is the website. 
https://www.tripp.co.uk/last-chance/c253 and if you look on last chance there's prices as low as £7.50 for a small holdall. You do need to spend £45 I think for free delivery otherwise you pay for p&p.

I need to look thru my bday freebies too as didn't get a chance before going away. I notice Rituals have changed from 'open up see what you got' on their email to saying it's a handwash and only available when you buy something. I got it last year and it smelled divine which I would expect considering it costs almost £14 to buy! 

Spendless

Forgot to say this was the company I used for DH's cufflinks. Went for the sixpences with silver (colured) mount purely cos he has more shirts that will go with these. I did dither a bit about the threpenny ones though.

https://www.headsandtailsjewellery.co.uk/product/1965-lucky-sixpence-coin-cufflinks-gift-silver/