OS Christmas Support thread & timetable

apple_mint

We've decided against an expensive, mad rush Christmas this year. I bought cards in the January sales and a few presents (now hidden away, but have already proved useful for emergency birthday presents).

We plan to have an OS Christmas - so no cake from M&S, but a nice home made fruit cake. No doubt I'll be able to get full details on when to make and a recipe from this OS thread I'll be doing the same with the sweeties, cakes etc. Last week I picked up some little metal Christmas moulds in a charity shop ... I think they are for making chocolate decorations.

I plan to cut down on the number of presents for daughters on Christmas morning, but to instead get them a large present each plus just a small number of pressies for their stockings (and yes my offspring are adult but EXPECT to sit on our bed on Christmas morning ripping the wrapping paper off their presents!). We have budgeted in our monthly budget for the money to buy them something they really want or need.

Rage_in_Eden

i have always insisted on christmas stockings (even though we will both be 40 this time!!! :eek: ). Mainly though we have little silly presents off the teddy bears and the budgie (I'm not joking here - budgies are human too ) but the stockings are filled with toiletries that we both use - oh, dental floss you really shouldn't have

Liz19

This is the first year that I have actually done anything about Christmas before November and it is all down to this site. I have bought loads of designer aftershave and perfume gift sets from Boots clearance section using discount codes. I also have all my cards and wrapping paper - bought after Christmas in the sales. I am so chuffed!

Queenie

Thought I'd like to some slightly older threads which might provide some inspiration .... (don't think squeaky has had time to link to them in the Index Section yet )

Homemade Gifts

Christmas Thread Links

If anyone is thinking of putting their sewing machine to use but have lost the intructions, need beginner sewing lessons, or looking for project ideas - check out this older thread too

Hobbies/Crafts and Moneysaving ..

Hope that helps

cozzie

What a great thread.:T

Just today I bought loads of mens frangrance sets from boots clearance section and I commented to OH that we could stash them for crimbo.

We then got to chatting and realised that in Jan sales we bought loads of childrens bubblebath figure things as well as wrapping paper, tags, cards, ribbon etc that are stashed in the attic, but, we also wanted to be quite frugal and make most of the presents this year so we have decided to do a hamper for each household that we know with a small pressie per person (bargains bought throughout year), and then make homemade jams, christmas cake, biscuits etc etc.

It's now all here in one section!! How stress free (and cheap) is this crimbo going to be or wot?!!

greenlogo

I dunno, I'm offline for three days and you;ve started christmas already!?!

Brilliant idea - I'm a bit of a christmas addict... luckily I have a friend who shares my obsession (when she came to my new flat for the 1st time 7weeks ago she said - ooh, you HAVE to do christmas, it'll look fab! ).

So far
#I've started my pressie drawer (any freebies, pressies I don't want, extras from bogofs, yadda yadda)
#I have 2 and a half rolls of paper (bought 2 years ago in a uberpoints-buy-3-for-£2 boots extravaganza and still going strong through two house moves...)
#I have about 20 cards left and have looked out all my festive stamps and so forth and once my baking obession's worn down a bit I'll get on with some card making

Cozzie - the hamper idea is brilliant... I can think of some households that might like that

I've always been a fan of the slightly assembled present... after all the high st make a fortune out of selling boxes with 3 (small) bottles and a lot of air in them as gift sets! So I've ordered a couple of rolls of cellophane and some tissue paper (gold and bright pink(for birthdays)) to make fabulous baskets and boxes of little things. I'll be trawling charity shops for the baskets and freebies here I come!

I now declare this thread my new home :T

Pat__3

Yes great thread Loadsabob.

I mentioned this a couple of months ago and I think people had thought I'd lost it, the idea about a christmas thread etc see I knew I wasn't going mad Squeaky and I think Judi was still BG'ing then.

Great to be organised.

AussieLass

I have my xmas paper & cards bought from the January sales to last me through. I usually am pretty organised but don't really want to start projects & store pressies at present when I don't know what stage we will be in with the big move. I think I will resort to giving store vouchers this year & have already started to save for them. Dvd vouchers, book, chemist etc. Will keep the paper for next year. It won't be too heavy to pack.

Lillibet_2

Last night M-i-L & S-i-L announced that in order to save me hassel this Xmas & because there is nothing they really need they would like Garden centre vouchers. Now, I appreciate that they are trying to think of me & a first Xmas with a 4 month old & I am grateful for the thought BUT.....firstly, vouchers don't come cheap. You can't buy them in the sales or cut costs on them, you have to give the full amount 'cos everyone knows exactly how much you have spent (anyone know if can I use Boots points etc to buy vouchers?). Secondly, I LIKE finding/making the pressies!! it is one of the big joys of Xmas for me, I lke giving gifts!! Plus I have already got some of them:eek: Bu88er!!

Oh the trauma of it all:rotfl:

tootles_2

I have all my Christams presents made, wholeclothe quilted cuhion covers for home and abroad, they are quite light to post. I buy the large rolls of Christmas paper in the sales and enough cards for 2 - 3 years at a time. Have always saved my tesco vouchers for Christmas, this year, thanks to a friend having a 60th birthday and wanting 30 cases of champagne I will have enough by the end of November to do a months shop with my vouchers.

Last year I bought turkey crown frozen from Aldi, it was delicious and did 5 of us for lunch, I cut enough meat off it for my daughter to take home for lunch the next day and we had 3 further meals from it ourselves, at £8.99 very good value for money.

My eldest grand daughter is now 21 and earning good money so this year she falls off the present list, I give the grandchildren cash, she will get a small handmade present, but not cash this year. As we pay for our gas and electricity by direct debit the cash for the kids comes out of the heating allowence we get in November, the rest gets transferred into our savings account against our holidays.

I make my mincepies early in december and seal them in a biscuit tin, just warmed through with sugar on the top they are great, even better if you take the lid off and put a blob of whipped cream or advoccat in (or both if you are feeling reckless)

I no longer make Christmas cake, usually buy a small one, the same with puddings, years ago when the kids were small and we had big Christmas lunches for all the family I made them..... not now.