OS Christmas Support thread & timetable

moggins

I've had some fantastic bargains over the last week and DH has now made me a spreadsheet so I have to get all the presents out and work out what is going to who. I want to get the house cleaned this week so I can concentrate on christmas, there is so much I want to do to make christmas last a little longer because of DH working over christmas, it's not going to be the same without him so I want to make it extra special this year. We don't have too much money to spare this year either so I don't want it to be all about the presents.

KatrinaC_2

katieowl wrote:

What age do kids stop having stockings? One of my friends thinks mine are way past the age they should expect one, and another friend still does them for her late 20's kids?

I effectively lost mine when I had my son - not because I was too old, but because my stocking was recycled by picking my name off and sewing his on instead. My sisters who are 19 and 25 still get stockings though. Now that I've read through this thread I'm thinking about insisting that parents in the family get stockings too

katieowl wrote:

What can I put in a stocking that will fill it up and come in at under a tenner say? DD is music mad...playing not just listening any suggestions?

Nuts; satsumas; pens and pencils, erasers and note pads; bags of chocolate money (Wilkinson's and Sainsbury's have them on offer at the minute); toy cars; costume jewellery; bouncy balls; any thing from the pound shops; sachets of face cream, cleansers and cosmetics; a magazine rolled up (depends how long your stockings are I suppose!); mini products from Boots or Superdrug; bargain basement CDs or tapes from supermarkets etc; sheet music rolled up; mini sewing kit; mini tool kit; Chocolate orange; batteries; deck of cards; charity "trolley pound coin" key ring things; nail clippers; pocket calculator; small change purse; lavender bag, mini torch, sweeties; pen knife; packets of seeds; hair slides/bands/clips; ...

My family are getting USB memory sticks that I wheedled out of a sales rep and then removed the company logo from - most of the freebies I've gotten from work or online have gone in a box for this sort of thing

Kat

nicki_2

I've seen my first non-shop Xmas tree with decs!!!!! :eek: On the way into Barrow-in-Furness there is a cattery (is that right?) and they had all their decorations out when we went up on the 18th November!!!!! :eek: Last week I spotted a house in a nearby road with some decs in the window and today there was another one! I'm not planning on doing mine until Thursday and that's why I'm here...

Anyone have any ideas what I can use to paint my windows with? I'd rather not use the spray snow (its a pain to remove!) but I'm worried about getting whatever I use off come 12th night! I was thinking watered-down poster paint or similar - something I can either wash off or if it comes to the crunch scrap off without damaging the window too much? See I'm fed up with "leading" (read - black electrical tape on the windows to look like old-fashioned ones) as it takes so long to get the lines straight and evenly spaced. I don't want to go down the route of the stickers either as from my experience they don't always come off properly.

Ah well, off to play with Microsoft Money to try and sort out how much pocket money we have this month after allowing for extra petrol and the cost of gifts...must update debt spreadsheet as well

nabowla

I have a confession to make. I haven't bought any of the main presents for my family yet and I really don't have a clue what I'm going to get them. Luckily it's only my parents and my sister but that's still three presents too many. :eek: My sister's tastes have changed so much recently that I have no idea what she does and doesn't like. As for my parents.........they're utterly impossible! They don't 'want' anything and, on the rare occasion that they need something, they go out and buy it for themselves.

I'm having a huge panic right now. Somebody pass me a large hot chocolate, please!

MrsB_2

I've bought my parents 'nominal' presents - ie not spent much at all on them!! But am also giving them hm 'vouchers' for stuff I know they'll appreciate.

Eg Mum - she's got terminal Leukaemia, and while she's not on her death bed (if that doesnt sound too contradictory ) she cant stand the thought of getting loads of 'Stuff' that in her words she 'wont get the use out of' so for mum I'm doing:

1) Voucher for her fave salon for an eyebrow wax (£7.00 and she's being going on for ages about wanting them doing).
2) HM voucher for me to clean all the insides of her windows and wash her nets.
3) HM voucher for a 'girly shopping trip' with me - coffee and cake included.
4) HM voucher for a pedicure and leg massage - provided by me!!
5) HM voucher for a promise of her chosing - within reason!!!

HTH!!

squeaky

If you haven't already done your own vouchers there is a site mentioned further back in this thread... and the one in the link was posted elsewhere some time ago.

Fun vouchers

scuzz

Fruit for the Christmas Cake's in soak

Yorkielass

nicki wrote:

Anyone have any ideas what I can use to paint my windows with? I'd rather not use the spray snow (its a pain to remove!) but I'm worried about getting whatever I use off come 12th night! I was thinking watered-down poster paint or similar - something I can either wash off or if it comes to the crunch scrap off without damaging the window too much? See I'm fed up with "leading" (read - black electrical tape on the windows to look like old-fashioned ones) as it takes so long to get the lines straight and evenly spaced. I don't want to go down the route of the stickers either as from my experience they don't always come off properly.

I got some window markers free recently - think they were crayola ones - were fantastic for drawing on our patio doors in our old house - list of things to do etc. They dried really easily - didn't drip like paint might - so the pictures and words looked great (well as great as my drawing does ) and it all came off with just some water and kitchen roll.

arkonite_babe

I'm going to attemp to make mince pies this year. How soon can I do them as I'm not freezing them? I won't have enough room in the freezer.

squeaky

My mum used to always do those on Christmas Eve - part of the rituals of christmas - including a thorough sampling of the christmas booze!!