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

Coxy11

Sorry haven't been on here in ages 😕

You are a saint to be looking after the puppy @mandco! Great to have the hoodie coming in time for DS's birthday and the Argos bargains sound good. I'll admit to buying a Colin decoration last year a week before Christmas for HP in M&S. The Percy face one is awful (I loathe glitter anyway) and the others are just really odd and cheap looking,

We had two family birthdays last week - BIL (just a card - new rules!) and niece was 18 so she got Euro50 as lives in Dublin. Did get to see her briefly to hand it over.

I went to a National Trust place last week with Mum for her birthday in June! Has taken this long to find a suitable date - for her, not me! I bought a nice cherry flavoured rum in the gift shop for DS2 for Christmas.

Have ordered a couple of bracelets from Etsy for DD and DDIL who share a birthday. They are a paw print with name of pet on. DD adopted a kitten this summer - well we all did actually as DD lives with us. But she is the miaow-my so pays for everything. Have realised that DD doesn't own a toiletries bag as she took mine to Crete with her a few weeks ago. Will probably get a nice one for her for Christmas.

For my birthday next month I've asked for a garden kneeler, a yoga mat and some cleanser from my three offspring. Not very exciting but much needed!

mandco

@coxy11 how’s the kitten settling in? They’re cute but so much work The bracelet sounds lovely. Practical gifts might not be exciting but worth it if yiu need /use them anyway and saves wasted spends on things you appreciate the thought of but aren’t really what you’d chose yourself. the kids get quite a few of these type of gifts as what I call padding presents at Xmas.

The boys have floated a few possibilities but typically every thing they like is on the expensive side and/or needs shipping from abroad which hikes the costs significantly. I’ve told them if they make a list of items they’d like over the next month or so we’ll look at what if anything is possible- one item Taz was looking at they wanted over £100 for p&p which was more than the item cost so that’s definite no. I’m happy to spend more/most for their budget 1 item if that’s what they really want but it means there won’t be much else other than some padding presents.

Sainsbury’s have selected pouches of chocolates 1/2 price at £1.10 maltesers reg & white, various m&m’s, galaxy minstrels & Milky Way magic stars I picked up a few different ones for Xmas stockings & hampers fillers.
xmas themed stock is also slowly appearing they had festive edition labelled cinnamon spice nice biscuits, tiramisu filled creams & spiced chai biscuits today.

mandco

Ds hoodie arrived with a couple of days to spare 😁 size wise it’s going to be a bit loser than he’d like as they had to swap for the bigger size but tried it on taz and it’s not as bad as I expected as I’d say the sizing is definitely on the smaller side.

The toy drive I donate to have updated their website and drop off points are due to open on 16th November

Ds1 has decided on what he wants for Xmas I’ve told him I’m happy to get it but he can’t change his mind later as it’s limited edition that won’t be restocked so I’m going to have order it soon to make sure i get it before it sells out.

Coxy11

Kitten is (mostly) well behaved. Litter tray trained and eating well, but around 9.30pm every night it's the Witching Hour and she goes crazy, leaping about, biting, eating my hair by climbing along the back of the sofa! Little minx. Hoping she will grow out of it as she's only 13 weeks. DD needs to get her jabs done - has registered her at the vet and taken her for flea/worming plus check ups, but no mention of jabs to be able to go outside.

The two bracelets for DD and DDIL have arrived - really happy with them. They are from Etsy and were only £11 odd each and gift-boxed! Link here:

Personalized Paw Print Bracelet, Custom Pet Name Bracelet, Minimalist Dog Cat Paw Jewelry, Pet Lover Gift for Women - Etsy UK

I realised this week that I booked theatre tickets months ago as part of DD's birthday present. It's an evening with Jon Ronson and I booked 4 tickets for her birthday week. Thinking she could go with her BF, DH and DS2 as I'm not interested! Will need to go if DS2 is working though.

I see the start of September as my shift to Christmas planning properly. Will have a much reduced list this year thank goodness. Family get togethers (DH's family) are going to be a bit awkward as BIL (the one having cancer treatment) has pipped my ILs off big time, and they are not currently speaking. Hoping things will improve at some point!

Great that the hoodie arrived in time for DS' birthday @mandco but OMG to the postage prices for the other items. Did the items arrive from Tokyo Toyz okay?

mandco

@coxy11 aww sounds like she’s settling in well - ours still does the crazy witching hour lunacy occasionally moon cycle & weather seem to be her main triggers now but it can hard work when they are little and its every day. Vacations are usually done around 8 & 12 weeks so I’d definitely chase that up.

That bracelet is very pretty

Hopefully the family issues will settle enough by Xmas

The bits from Tokyo toys came really quickly - 3/4 days. I’ve actually ordered some more bits since as they have some ideal stocking filler bits for Taz.

Ordered ds1 main Xmas present found a 15% off code so that saved a little. Taz has changed his mind and wants something else for his birthday and what he was getting is now going to be his Xmas present as he still wants it but decided he wants the other thing more and didn’t want to wait till Xmas for that - thankfully I hadn’t brought the original gift yet. I also ordered him some cheap Funko pops of a character he like off vint@d they’ll be ideal to pad out his present pile - I’m finding it’s not been great for sales lately but that means a lot of prices have been really low - loads of Xmas stuff on there already too.

M&S Xmas food hall treats list has been announced due to start appearing in stores from sept 2nd they’ve gone big with pistachio again - not my thing but there are a few bits I’ll probably get. Used the £10 back on £50 spend across clothes over the weekend offer they were doing on the reward scheme so that’s a nice boost to my Xmas savings - I’ll have £19 on there once it clears.

Coxy11

I’ve been out today and Home Bargains have 2 aisles of Christmas bits already. One aisle of decorations, gift wrap etc and another of gifting chocolate, advent calendars etc. there’s a nice hot chocolate one I spied. Didn’t get anything as I haven’t got anywhere to put it and don’t want to use the garage as we occasionally have mice!!

Noticed that M&S have 30% off beauty atm and have some gift sets included so might be good if you have ladies to buy for.

mandco

I’m going to hb at the weekend so hopefully my branch will have some Xmas stock. I do like buying early when possible, but storage space is always a bit tricky I usually end up trying to jenga bits away until the Xmas donations drop off opens in November.

ordered dgd2 main Xmas present today & a Lego set for dd as had a 20% off offer - I’m happy with that as not seen either any cheaper especially the Lego which it was already discounted before the additional 20% off

Taz birthday card from Etsy came today very impressed with that as it’s only been 2 days . His present has also finally been dispatched so fingers crossed that will come in time though he’s aware it might not as he left it rather late to decide he wanted it for his birthday rather than Xmas.

Spendless

I have to admit Id be lost without my present cupboard to store items but nowadays my gift list is all adults and limited. It was different when kids were younger but back then I could store large/bulky items in my Nan's spare bedroom.

DD has spent the weekend technically homeless and sofa surfing. An experience she didnt overly enjoy, having to live as a guest and out of one bag. Couldnt come back to us due to work shifts, which were subsequently cancelled either by herself or her workplace, but by then she'd already committed to staying elsewhere.

Shes going elsewhere for Xmas day, so I need to go thru my larger (size wise) presents as she wont be able to transport them and gift at more convenient times, thinking of some part house warming (she moved into new place yesterday) and some given as a graduation gift. Then I need to ask.her for small item ideas. I too like the paw print bracelet.

I asked parents if they were coming to me for Xmas day dinner. The reply was 'we'd not even thought about it' Well unless they wish to host, their choices are accept my invite, dine alone at home just them 2 or dine out. Theres no other family for them to go to. I dont mind which they want to do.

mandco

matalan have Xmas stock online they've gone heavy on the leopard print & associated colours browns/copper/black this year lots of deep burgundy rather than the more traditional brighter red too.

Spendless I’m kind of dreading the time dd finally decides she won’t be home for Xmas at all the last couple of years she’s split the day between here and her bf’s and they’ve come here for dinner Boxing Day but then I’ve not seen her again till the new year so trying to make the most of it while I can.

I think I’m actually ahead with the planning so far this year which is a pleasant surprise -I have ds1 main gift sorted and I know what I’m getting Taz for his. I also have a selection of smaller bits/padding presents for Taz and a couple of bits for dd already stashed away. Pretty sure she wants more Pandora charms as her main present just waiting on her to send me a list of which ones she’s after to chose from ready for any offers - they usually do a 3 for 2 before Xmas.
Dgd2 I’ve ordered her main present & I know what I’m getting for her birthday too so she’s pretty much sorted. Dgd1 I have an idea of what if I can source it as it’s currently oos everywhere and set to be a Xmas must have toy not sure sdd was overly keen but she didn’t say no and didn’t have any other suggestions so as it’s what dgd asked for if I can get it then that is what she’s having.
Thanks to Coxy I have a few stocking fillers for Taz so I think his will be sorted ok and dd is always easy it’s just finding bits for ds1
do need to sort something for DD’s bf but that doesn’t really require much effort on my part as I give her a budget and they’ll give me a list of things with links within that to chose from so he won’t know exactly what he’s getting but it will be something he wants same as DD Pandora charms - work for us

waiting for the Xmas themed treats for the pets to come out so I can sort those - they each get a small stocking. did have a couple if toys for the cat I got the sale recently which I’d forgotten about and I’d left them in the bag of rabbit treats - I been wondering why she was showing so much interest in the rabbit stuff. Put the bag on the sofa to answer the door came back and she’d raided them 😂

Spendless

I dont mind DD not being here, though Ill miss her. We're a small and top heavy with older people family and despite living in a city there's not a great deal to do nor has she friends here. I can see the appeal of elsewhere plus I did get used to having 1 offspring missing when DS was with his ex and alternated Christmas.

I walked thru Boots on my way to work this morning and wondered how long it would be before their Xmas stock is out on the shelves.