Santa Baby - it's the 2026 Christmas Chatter Thread!!

mandco

@spendiess sdd has always had champagne tastes on a Lemonade budget but the asks are really getting out of hand. Obviously we’d never see the girls go without essentials and don’t mind getting bits here & there but it’s getting to be £100’s of request on the regular and sorry but it’s not happening. She doesn’t work but they have a decent income and she manages the finances so not kept short but guessing ( don’t know for definite) they have quite a bit of debt as I’d say they live outside their means. They have multiple weekends away uk and take the girls abroad. a little while ago she was complaining she was skint as she spent £300 on team their dad supports football kits for the girls 🙄they don’t even play so there’s lot of wasteful/unnecessary spending. Both kids are school age and pretty much every weekend and most of the holidays they get fobbed off on one family member or another whoever’s not working as they need time to themselves. We don’t see them as much as others mostly as I won’t have them overnight so it’s not convenient to her and because of this she’s always trying to guilt trip her dad with the but their your grandkids as you dont see them as much you should buy them stuff instead. I offer all the time to have them but she rarely accepts as they can’t stay over and she’d rather send them to someone who will let them.

I’ll definitely have to check out tkmaxx for packing cubs they were so helpful when we were away and dd borrowed mine to take away at the weekend - she currently in Spain with her bf so getting her some would be a great idea.

Taz currently has his eye on a racing game and steering wheel so that’s a possibility for his birthday

Coxy11

Gosh not an easy situation to be in with SDD @mandco. Really not fair of her to ask for the holiday wardrobe - don’t understand why that’s your DH’s responsibility when they’re her children, jeez!

We went shopping for holiday clothes yesterday as have a week in Majorca booked, leaving next Tuesday. Neither of us are shoppers so find the whole experience really draining. I had shorts, linen trousers, and tops on my list and happy to say I got everything plus a lovely pair of soft chambray jeans that I will have for the Summer here. DH can’t do multiple shops, preferring TK Maxx as everything on one rail! He got pants, socks, sliders and 6 T-shirts. Total spend IRO £300 which I didn’t think too bad.

We looked at those packing cubes in Primark and TKMaxx @Spendless but not sure why we’d need them as we roll all our clothing. What are the benefits do you think?

It’s DSis birthday tomorrow. We just do cards now but BIL has asked as to go for dinner at a nice Italian. Mum’s birthday whilst we are away - we still buy for Mum. I got a necklace at an outlet mall earlier in the year so will top this up with event tickets - yet to be decided. Will take a look after work later. DNiece also has a birthday whilst we are away, but that’s just a card as she’ll be 19.

Spendless

Definately sounds like a tricky situation re SDD mandco.

I love my packing cubes and wouldnt be without them. DH often packs whilst Im at work, partly cos he has more fexibility partly cos we dont see eye to eye on what needs doing and when! The kids when younger dubbed the phrase 'Mum is in her holiday mood' as we prepped! So its easier for him to pack when Im not around. At the same time I know Id be returning from a shift to ask 'did you pack my <insert item> like I asked and getting 'dont know' as an answer. By the same token, I cant pack DH stuff, the last few years my hols have been accompanying him on work trips to the US and Ive no idea about him taking certain suits cos a business meeting on x date is more formal than the one on y date. Easier to leave him to it.

Packing cubes for me solve that, I prefer the mesh ones so I can see what's in (downsides of them are that they will snag more easily than closed in ones - hence me happily passing some on to DD. They are also supposedly more likely to absorb any smells in the suitcase - never had an issue personally). I put say knickers in one, bras in another, t shirts/shorts in a different one, same with dresses. Then with all my cubes done and zipped up, it's up to Mr S to put them in the cases, I know my clothes are in the cubes and the cubes are in the cases.

Then at the other end they are the simplest things to unpack. Just unzip the packing cube, pop into a drawer and keep your stuff in it like that - unless you have any hanging items. There were a godsend last year when we took DS away with us and had a tiny room. I kept my cubes piled up within the bedside cabinet and could easily see and find my clothes.

Today Ive booked tickets for me and DH to go and watch a tribute band next week. DH is a fan of the music, the singer of the originsl band died many years ago. I booked them via a discount site and only paid £15 , would have bought for parents too but I got the last 2 discounted tickets and full price is out of budget. These are for our WA which is a week later but by then the world cup will be on and past experience tells me to not expect much sense during that time! Not sure now what to do about parents WA. I did Nandos voucher for Dad's birthday, considering a coffee shop one instead.

Coxy11

OOoh I love a tribute band @Spendless and besides, I can’t justify ticket prices these days! I saw so many artists in my teens/20’s but not any more!

Hmmm well not sure I’m able to get any cubes now as we depart on Tuesday. Maybe The Range have them? Or Dunelm? Will check.

Forgot to say - DH has had a beard for about 8 months but has shaved for the summer. He uses Cade by Loccitane so we went there on Tuesday. His 2 items cost £40 (shave gel and balm) and I picked up a pillow mist for £25 which I used every night and a bottle lasts a year. Total of £65 spent and not one freebie sachet given. I’ve spent half that before and received a couple of sample sachets of face/hand cream etc. I guess they too are cutting back??

Got a bunch of peonies (6) from Co-op yesterday for £6 but had a £4 MOC so these will go to DSis for her birthday today. Bargain!

Spendless

To my astonishment parents have decided to go to a wildlife park for their WA and have booked tickets. Well more accurately DH booked their tickets cos Dad 'couldnt get the website to work'.

Theyve never been before. We went earlier this year but didnt ask them to join us cos I worried about them walking round it, Mum has had 2 hip replacements, Dad has angina. Just them 2 they can choose their own pace though.

I looked at the website earlier. You can get gift vouchers to spend anywhere onsite, doubt they'll want a trip to the gift shop but if I get them a £20 one it'll cover cost of a couple of coffees there. How easy peasy is that. Will order over weekend, with that, our tribute band and gifts for Dads already in the cupboard, that's all birthdays and celebrations over for this year. Next up me and DH in Autumn but we are away for both birthdays so may choose an experience instead and then it'll be on to Xmas shopping.

Speaking of parents with health issues. Is there any update on whether you Dad can come over @Coxy11 ?

mandco

@Coxy11 I’m with Spendless on the packing cubes in addition to the points made it’s super easy to rearrange/find things once in the cases if needed without having to pull everything out and repack - this can also come in handy with tsa should they feel the need to check your luggage for any reason. We did an overnight stay at a different hotel mid break and I packed cubes specially for this stay and left so it was literally a case of grab the relevant cubes in the morning and off we go no trying to figure out what I need to find/make sure everyone had everything they needed. There various ways people pack them I know parents who do set outfits for each day per cube again but however you chose I definitely think it makes things easier overall.

@spendless brilliant news re your parents gift gotta love it when a quick and easy idea falls into your lap

Pandora currently have a sale on so ordered a bracelet for DD’s birthday reduced to £35 her current one is pretty much full as she spent a small fortune on charms while we were away. Also got a charm reduced to £17 but Might keep that for Xmas.

Spendless

The concert universe Gods must have been reading these posts. My friend messaged me and out of the blue asked if I wanted to go to a concert with her next week. She'd found cheap tickets though we'll be sat in the Gods (fine by me will still hear). I like the music though wouldnt really call myself a fan, singer is an icon and older so mindful that this is an opportunity to watch an OG.

DH got a love2shop voucher from work. Last few either didnt work or I spent on others, this one Ive kept for myself and bought some new packing cubes. Tempted with various different ones in TK Maxx but went with the ones that gave me the most cubes in the largest sizes, was reduced by £2 also cos the cardboard outer packaging had detached.

I also checked TK Maxx Treasures yesterday and there was a refillable perfume atomiser so have sent for that. Possibly keeping it or giving it Mum, will decide when turns up.

mandco

Primark have some reductions online I ordered(click & collect) some character pj’s reduced to £10 from £22 & matching slippers £4 1/2 price for dd to put away for xmas.

picked up youngest gdd a couple of cotton summer dresses in m&s today an absolute bargain at £4 each full price can’t buy one in Primark that cheap. Argos have Rainbocorns Eggzania Frozen Mania reduced to £5 in the clearance section they are £15+ elsewhere so got 1 each for the girls for Xmas plus 1 for the donations box.

Dds Pandora bracelet came today it’s actually prettier in person than it looked online 😀

suprisinglynice

How is it June and I've only just found this thread!

I've just made a coffee and I'm going to sit and read the 16 pages that I have missed out on 😊

suprisinglynice

People are so organised!

I found some Lego bargains on Very last week, they are now in my cupboard. I picked up some stocking fillers from The Works yesterday (Unicorn stamps and paint by numbers for £1 each)