OS Christmas Support thread & timetable

se999

My two used to love Hama beads too, but they got everywhere :eek: , and it wasted tons until I got a couple of large trays from a discount shop. Sat them with a tray each at the table with beads etc on their trays.

The tubs of beads lasted longer, and there were minimal escapees!! :j

So it's worth trying Moggins, if you don't do it already.

moggins

Great Idea se! I'll pick up a couple when I'm in town today.

squeaky

moggins wrote:

I doubled up yesterday, I amused the kids and did something towards christmas. I had them all making christmas decorations with their Hama Beads! We now have a snowman and a santa and an egyptian(?).

One of the three kings? A shepherd?

Chris25

Loadsabob wrote:

This is lovely. I hadn't considered tree decorations as presents...but now you mention it, a friend gave me a gorgeous little papier mache star from a craft fair two years ago, and now when I put it on the tree, I think of her. I'm sentimental about decorations, too, and like the things on my tree to remind me of something. I have my favourite childhood bauble and velvet bird from my Mum, and a lot that I made when I had my first tree in my own place. Lots, too, that I remember where I bought them. Perhaps anyone going off abroad before Christmas would be able to find unusual decorations to pass onto loved ones as gifts? Or Christmas markets? I know I'd appreciate decorations from countries I haven't visited. What a lovely thought!

Each year, my Aunt who lived in the US used to send us a personalised tree decoration. Everyone has a brass one with their name engraved. If we moved house in that year, we would get one in the shape of a house with the address and year engraved on it. All the pets have had them too - all in their appropriate shapes. We've also had them for births, birthdays, anniversaries or special events.

She died a few years ago and it makes it both sad and joyful when unwrapping them to dress the tree.

But our tree tends to look the same each year - out comes the fairy from when I was a little girl; the old battered Christmas bells, the once glittery snowflakes and the felt stockings held together with just three stitches that the children made at Infant School etc etc. It's traditional that we take turns to put them one-at-a-time on the tree (well that's the theory). We always used to let the children each pick one new decoration every year but we
have so many now. Plus, as the children get older all the family glass ones can now be brought out without fear of them getting broken.

Mind you, I was relieved to get rid of the cracked and hideous day-glo petit filous fromage frais pots with Rudolph and friends painted on the sides that hung on our tree every Christmas for eight years!! The children had made them at Playgroup and a couple of years ago, they thankfully decided that they really were passed their best.:D

se999

Loadsabob & Chris25 it was super hearing about your Christmas tree decorations and the memories behing them.

Chris25 , we too currently have lots of decorations, and have even 'deliberately' tried to get more than one copy. Our sons are older teenagers who at some point will be leaving home, and they love the Christmas tree & the memories the decorations hold for them, so we're expecting at some point to have to 'share our memories' & the decorations when they get trees of their own.

Zziggi

I don't actually celebrate christmas but we've got a religious festival shortly before christmas and as i want to make some homemade gifts for that so i thought i'd join the thread anyway (if that's OK with you all).

I only buy for family and 3 (adult) friends. For the adults i wanted to make them a number of homemade things. i have already made some concentrated mint sauce in little (ex cow&gate baby puree) jars. I also had a go at making some anti-pasti last weekend from a recipe i found in a sarsons recipe booklet i have. looks quite good. I always make the family christmas-type cakes and decorate them as this is my hobby. I'll be making them nearer the time. I want to make a number of little gifts using stuff i have grown or made. I've loads of lavendar in the garden and wondered if i could do something with that - any suggestions? Other than this i'm still looking for inspiration.....

squeaky

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=67463

Loadsabob

Well, potential turmoil for me. We may be going to Norwich for Christmas with my brother and his family! It would be lovely, as my nephew will be 2 1/2, and that would make Christmas SO exciting! But in my head I was going to be at home for Christmas! Will discuss it with my boyfriend this weekend, but it will mean some of the last minute baking presents I wouldn't be able to make and give...Ooh, tricky! Now I have to be even MORE organised, and perhaps have a re-think of some of the presents. Aargh!!!!

Edit to say welcome to the thread Zziggi, and please do feel free to join in!

angelareid1512

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one to be organised - my family think I'm nuts thinking about Christmas in the middle of Summer.

Have already got the cards and paper organised - bought in bulk at the sales.

I save £15.00 a week though my work, which the accountant hold until I need it (I should be putting it into a savings account to get interest, but might be tempted to spend it)

I make a lot of my presents for the personal touch, which the aunts love, so I am cross stitching a sampler for one of them (started in May so I am nearly finished).

My parents have suggested doing a secret santa this year, which will be a good idea, as every year there is always another present to buy, and they are suggesting a £25.00 spending limit.

Cheers for all the other ideas that everyone has listed!!

:beer:

se999

I don’t know about you, but at Christmas I have felt guilty when I’ve not been able to give much to charities, because the cash hasn’t been there.

But there are ways around it:

Firstly, charity clicks. It’s a bit like how cashback sites work, except that the charities get the money when you look at the advertisers adverts. There’s a sticky on the freebies board http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=18726 It costs nothing, I use http://rainforest.care2.com/ which has a a range of charities you can click through to, and http://www.thehungersite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CTDSites.woa/57/wa/gotoSite?destSite=HungerSite&origin=lstab&wosid=dI0000oq300d360041&revisionCode=ON_LS_THS_TAB
Which again has a range of charities. It takes a couple of minutes each day once you’ve put them on your favourites.

Secondly, if you pay tax think before you donate! Last year for the Tsunami appeal the company my husband works for said they’d match donations, but we needed a receipt. So we nipped into the Oxfam shop, on the receipt you tick the Gift Aid box, and the charity uses their copy to reclaim the basic rate tax. So you give the same, but they get more. So pick a charity and check if they are registered for ‘Gift Aid’. I think higher rate tax payers can reclaim the difference between basic and higher rate tax too on donations.

Thirdly, can you make something? I have a friend who makes patchwork quilts for the local childrens & maternity hospitals. I think hospitals also like donations of knitted clothes, so if you don’t have young relatives to practice knitting skills on, check if the maternity hospitals would like some baby items (baby clothes are an ideal size to start knitting, it’s not too daunting, and you get quick results, also doesn’t use much wool). If friends know you’re knitting for the hospital, or making patchworks, it’s surprising how wool and fabrics appear from all directions.

There are probably lots of other ideas too!