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

pixtotts · 19 January at 8:19PM

Coxy11 said:

There’s a Bird and Blend tea shop there too, so I’ll have a look and see what they’ve got. He will also get some hard cash as he’s still just working 15 hours/week at Morrisons until something else comes along. He does, however have an interview this morning for Camp America to go and work there this Summer. I’m not sure how I feel about that - guess it’s good to travel whilst young and without any ties, but worried about how that country is atm.

I adore Bird and Blend!!

One of my uni housemates did Camp America, she absolutely loved it! Made friends for life

Hello @princesskitty29 good to hear from you, aren't human brains just the worst, I'm so glad to hear you were able to enjoy Christmas! x

In other news - I bought a diary!! I'm not sure if it's "the one" the paper quality isn't up to my usual fussy standards... but it will do for now and was 70% off in whatever whsmiths is now... All their diaries and calendars have good discounts if anyone is looking!
There was lots of gift wrap - none spoke to me, and family Christmas cards, didn't get any of those either but noted them there just in case anyone is looking.

I'm currently frogging a jumper I started this time last year, but I've left it so long between doing any I need to learn to knit again, one day I will have turned this wool into - something - I'm still hoping for a jumper currently x

Spendless · 20 January at 2:17PM

I need a calendar to put my work rota on. Im just using a mini diary at the minute. I'll look tomorrow as Im in the city centre tomorrow going to watch Hamnet. My DD watched it at the weekend and it reminded her of her elderly classical drama teacher who installed a love of Shakespeare and an understanding of rhyming couplets (DD has a poetry 'channel' on SM with a few that have gone viral with views). Anyway at the same time DD was watching the last scene, this teacher popped into DH's head, he googled her, discovered she'd died before Christmas (we'd not heard of her in a couple of years) and that we'd missed the funeral. We were 6 hours away in the US at the time with no idea what DD was doing. I sent her the link, she knew what she was watching at the exact time I sent it as they'd queried the run time just in case they could also fit in watching another film.
Im normally in 2 minds about this sort of thing but on this occassion I really think it was teacher reaching out to DD to let her know she'd gone.

In other news, we visited the most disorganised Walmart we've encountered, couldn't get everything we wanted to fetch back - though later found them in Sephora.

I got Dad a big bag of sugar free chocs (hes diabetic) that you cant get here. This will form part of his bday present which is the next one in Feb. Other than that and an item at the airport which we managed to get back in 1 piece, there wasnt much to stock up on. Still managed to.spend $175!

princesskitty29 · 24 January at 8:52AM

Thank you for your kind words @Spendless and @Pixtotts, it is good to be back! I’ve had a good read back to see how everyone is getting on so I’m up to date.

@Spendless I am so sorry to hear about your Nan, I’m glad it didn’t drag on too long for any of you but Christmas must have felt a bit different.

I’ve managed to make a good start on my shopping for this year and have got the following:

DS1: bath football £1 from £2

DS2: bath hoopla £1 from £2 and a cute snacks mini puzzle stocking filler reduced to 75p

Auntie 1: a book £1 from £3

Auntie 2: an adult Christmas colouring book £2 was £5, a snowy double walled mug £2.90 from £4, Body Shop sugarplum hand cream £4.90 from £7, fabric string bow lights £4.50 from £15, weatherproof thermal socks x 3 £3 was £9

Friend 1: Gingerbread candle £3 from £6, Christmas book £1 from £3, reuseable face pads £1.80 from £4

Friend 2: Pink striped bow decoration £3 from £6, Estaban berries candle £11.37 from £18.95, Barbie fluffy socks £3.25 from £6.50

Friend 2: Cath Kidston candle £6.00 from £12, Cath Kidston notebook £5.99 from £12.99, Cath Kidston foldaway shopper £2.40 from £3

Friends daughter: Christmas baking set £2 from £3.99

FiL: Murder by Christmas puzzle book £3 was £12.99

Sorry for the long post! I quite like seeing what other people have bought for inspiration so thought I would pop mine on here. As I said before being organised early was invaluable last year so I hope to do the same again this year.

Off to a playdate with DS2 this morning and DS1 has a football match tomorrow morning but other than that we’ve got a quiet weekend. I do quite like that in winter though, just hunkering down in the warm with a cup of tea.

Talking of that we found a hedgehog under our bush during the week, our hedge is very sparse at the bottom so he wasn’t covered at all really. Thankfully the Hedgehog Preservation Society gave us the number of a local lady who looks after them so we took him to her, she has updated us to say she removed a few ticks and he has put on weight and is looking healthy. She’s going to release him somewhere more suitable as we live on a fairly new estate with a lot of brick walls and tarmac. Having said that we do seem to get a fair few hedgehogs here. Hopefully he will find somewhere warm to see out the rest of winter.

Coxy11 · 24 January at 10:01AM

Hi all,

Good to see you @princesskitty29 - sounds like you’ve had a rough old time of it. I’m glad that due to your hard work and prep you were ahead of the game with Christmas. You’ve made a great start for Christmas 26 too - I haven’t bought anything yet!!

That’s spooky about the Hamnet film and your DD’s former tutor @Spendless x

I went to Canterbury yesterday as wasn’t needed at work. Our car has an issue - it’s drivable but there’s an issue that needs sorting. I used the park n ride which is £4 for the day - about 1/3 price of parking near the city itself. Buses are every 15 mins so it’s a no-brainer.

I did a B00ts scan to recycle and bought 2 Dr Squatch bars - no travel box unfortunately. They were £6.99 each. Also had a look at the 50% off sale. Still a fair bit of stock. Got myself some Champneys well-being candles for £2.50 which I’ll use when WFH. They smell lovely.

Didn’t see anything for DS2 in Bird and Blend so left it and have ordered him an A3 print of the Abbey Road Beatles album to go on his bedroom wall. Will need a plain black frame from The Range or Dunelm to finish it off. He will also get some cash.

I popped into Fenw!ck and their sale had little crackers with either silver tone necklace or earrings for £4.99 which I thought was good value if you have table settings to organise. Also good stocking fillers. Clar!ns and C!inique also had sales on their skincare gift sets but I left it as was feeling a bit overwhelmed at that point trying to get DS2’s birthday sorted.

Flying Tiger had a lot of reduced stationery. Daily and weekly planners, bullet journals and diaries all for £1. I LOVE stationery and could quite happily have cleared the shelf BUT I already have loads of lovely stationery and I’m trying to use it!!

DS1’s birthday is early Feb so I’ve asked DDIL what he wants/needs. She’s suggested new trainers, black loafers or a tracksuit from Zara so I’ve asked for links and sizes as have no clue.

I’m dropping DH and DS2 off at the whisky distillery tour today and DD and I will go to the adjacent outlet mall. May get some inspiration there 🤞🏻

Coxy11 · 26 January at 10:36AM

DS2 and DH enjoyed the distillery tour on Saturday and sampled both whisky and gin. DS2 bought a souvenir glass in the gift shop too.

Whilst they were there, DD and I popped to the adjacent mall. I got an A3 black frame from The Range ready for DS2’s poster. Also got Mum a necklace in The Gift Company for £5 - loads of lovely items in there - diffusers/candles/phone bags/stationery… but I only bought the necklace for now. Not sure if it’s a nationwide brand? This will be for Mothers Day or Christmas.

DS1 sent me a link for some trainers so I’ll order those today and use a cash back site. He will get the remaining budget as money.

Spendless · 26 January at 11:39AM

Theres a gift company where I live. Its in one of the out of town retail outlets like so many things are here. It makes it difficult to get to without a car.

Nice necklace a gift or keeping for yourself?

Dads bday is next on the agenda mid Feb and Im stumped. He and Mum are spending much of each day down at Nan's house emptying her 75 years worth of stuff, so Id like to get him something that takes him/them away from doing that. I know that probably means a gift card for them both to use. I did Nandos last year and they like it (and understand what theyre ordering since we took them there first). Struggling to think of something similar.

Spendless · 26 January at 11:57AM

Oh I forgot to say you know Mr S and taking friends/family to airport over Christmas period and how I wasnt impressed - well he got the biggest "I told you so" going with a £60 fine for forgetting to pay for car parking (which would have been £5) by the allocated time.

This impacts us as a household because when things started going awry end of October with everything I took my eye off the ball (so appreciate what youre saying with how helpful it is to be prepared in advance princesskitty) and we're still playing 'catch up' from then. I could have quite happily gone into a rant about it but decided it made far more impact to not do and let him stew over it. Telling my Mum she said he'd already told her about it and how he won't do it again, which when he confides in my Mum it does make me feel for him that he has lost his.

Coxy11 · 27 January at 11:37AM

Necklace is for Mum for either Mother's Day or Christmas. Will decide nearer the time. I loathe MD and think it should be a bunch of daffs or bar of chocolate really. Given Mum has been on a permanent diet since I was born 50+ years ago, and still attends WW every week, I will probably gift daffs!

How annoying about the car parking fine @Spendless - that's the sort of thing my DH would do. Seems he's getting very forgetful lately. He's now doing a much more physical job than before and regularly falls asleep mid afternoon between the yardman role and the school caretaker role. He's only 52!!

I ordered trainers yesterday for DS1. They should arrive tomorrow. Annoyed that despite paying £80 I was still charged £4.99 postage. I hate paying for postage if I can help it!

DS2 is working on his birthday this week, so we planned to get a takeaway and visit the local pub tomorrow. DH however had a recommendation from his parents for a small, family-run Italian in DS1/DDIL home town, so we are off there. Will probably cost the same tbh. I agree with you @Spendless about 'use it or lose it' regarding small local businesses. Pubs are hit especially hard in January due to Dry January and people on health kicks or lack of funds after the Christmas blow out. I'm going to suggest to DH that we visit our local pub on Saturday for drinks.

I was meant to visit a NT property with a friend today. It's an hours' drive away and due to many local lanes flooded here plus the car issue, I've cancelled. The property itself is shut as it's being set up for the next exhibition, so we'd planned a walk and a coffee, which then due to the weather was cut down to just coffee. A long way to go for just a coffee! Will rearrange for a few weeks' time.

Car issue needs specialist VW support and is likely to cost £800+ it's also due an oil service in 500 miles and MOT mid-February. I've asked DH to speak to the specialist garage to see whether they can do all of these whilst they have it as it's 40 minutes drive away. We plan to change the car before the summer anyway so annoying about the specialist issue, but what can you do?

DS2 went to the Camp America expo on Saturday and has had a private camp contact him. It's in NY state. He's looking at the T's & C's and location, but it's a day camp so hopefully he will get the evenings off and be able to have his phone!!