Reduced Tat Christmas!

My children are getting older, will be 14 and 11 (almost 12) at Christmas.

This year we are trying to do a Christmas without as much plastic tat and rubbish, but still exciting and fun for them.

* We have booked to go to Harry Potter studio the weekend before Christmas. They know about this.
* We are going to see Matilda in May. They don't know about this, I will find some way linked so they have something to open. A couple of years ago we went to see Charlie and the chocolate factory, I made WONKA bars, with golden tickets inside.
* I am organising a lady to come to the house in January to give them some makeup tuition and cleansing routines. She is going to give me a voucher, which I will wrap around some lipstick or similar.
* I have bought them each a pin art set (they both love this)
* I am going to do a photo album for each of them, choosing biggest page option online, then doing birth to end of primary (means we can do similar when they leave secondary) selecting our favourite photos over the years.

Anyone else got any any thoughts or ideas?

Their stockings will be smaller than usual and have useful stuff in:

* smellies
* bath bombs
* hair bobbles
* face wipes
* cotton pads
* new hairbrush
* new toothbrush/small toothpaste

Comments

  • No suggestioms but they sound lovely presents x
    Mortgage started 2020, aiming to clear it in 2026.
  • chanie
    chanie Posts: 3,317
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
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    practical items - drinks bottles, stationery for school, pjs, hot water bottle, slippers

    Low cost vouchers for things to do with friends - cinema, bowling, Starbucks.

    Milner type jars filled with dry ingredients to make biscuits, flap jacks etc.

    Favourite things hamper - I made one for a relative and it was a box filled with their favourite biscuits, sweets, chocolates, crisps. Really cheap as I was just normal grocery items, but I think its quite nice to see a box full of stuff you like.
  • MrsM1982
    MrsM1982 Posts: 33 Forumite
    What lovely gifts! Maybe a couple of hampers, film night hamper or a family games night one?
    I always fill my kids stockings with their favourite sweets and chocs!
  • StokieBecks
    StokieBecks Posts: 4,997
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    For the Matilda tickets maybe buy them both a copy of the book and put a card inside saying you are going ? Then maybe save that present until the end so they open them at same time
    £2 Savers Club for 2022 #12
  • Nightowl
    Nightowl Posts: 234 Forumite
    Hi jackomdj,


    I came across this thread as I was looking for ideas to reduce plastic and be a little more ethical this xmas.


    I think your ideas are great, things that will be used and are needed. Have you thought about taking it a step further and getting bamboo toothbrushes (Holland and Barrett), a wooden hairbrush, and smellies from somewhere like Lush?


    I'll stop being a Grinch now and suggest a voucher for the cinema attached to a bag of popcorn (nice and big to help fill the stocking).
    New knickers and socks used to go in my girls stockings and pyjamas if they didn't get them xmas eve.


    Have fun.
  • Spendless
    Spendless Posts: 24,111
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Forumite
    edited 28 October 2018 at 9:00PM
    You've got some fab presents for them.

    I'm to lose my job at Xmas, when this also happened 3 years ago at the same time of year and took me almost 6 months to find something else, I found I struggled with my kids needing the 'extras' that my wages had previously provided. So with that in mine, I'm looking at quite a lot of my 15yo DD's presents being things she'll 'need' in the year ahead. This is what I've bought so far.

    I've got her some new underwear. She's a big cup size so cheap options usually not available. I waited till an offer came thru from Victoria's secret. They currently also have an offer of 7 pants for £25, so around £3ish each. It's quite a large outlay for me for just 1, but if I was buying for more I'd split them.

    Her stocking fillers I've got so far, a dry hair spray, for the days when she wakes up and realises she hasn't time to wash her hair before school. Boots are currently giving the No7 vouchers out (unsure how much you have to spend to get it). I used the £5 off skincare for some eye make-up remover (another 'have we got any....'). Didn't bother using it for the face wipes as she says she personally doesn't find them any better.

    Your eldest especially is coming up the age when they're into how their eyebrows look (if she isn't already!). Not sure if your make up lady does treatments or just make up, but if she doesn't maybe a voucher for that and some eyebrow kit make up.

    My eldest was once bought ice skating lessons from my parents. He just did the block of sessions that were paid for him, as he wasn't interested in going up the grades, just wanted to know how to skate backwards that sort of thing.

    Other things are doing the Polar express (wish I'd done that when mine were younger). My DD is going to winter wonderland in Hyde Park for her friends birthday in Jan.
  • jackomdj
    jackomdj Posts: 3,073
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    Spendless wrote: »
    You've got some fab presents for them.

    I'm to lose my job at Xmas, when this also happened 3 years ago at the same time of year and took me almost 6 months to find something else, I found I struggled with my kids needing the 'extras' that my wages had previously provided. So with that in mine, I'm looking at quite a lot of my 15yo DD's presents being things she'll 'need' in the year ahead. This is what I've bought so far.

    I've got her some new underwear. She's a big cup size so cheap options usually not available. I waited till an offer came thru from Victoria's secret. They currently also have an offer of 7 pants for £25, so around £3ish each. It's quite a large outlay for me for just 1, but if I was buying for more I'd split them.

    Her stocking fillers I've got so far, a dry hair spray, for the days when she wakes up and realises she hasn't time to wash her hair before school. Boots are currently giving the No7 vouchers out (unsure how much you have to spend to get it). I used the £5 off skincare for some eye make-up remover (another 'have we got any....'). Didn't bother using it for the face wipes as she says she personally doesn't find them any better.

    Your eldest especially is coming up the age when they're into how their eyebrows look (if she isn't already!). Not sure if your make up lady does treatments or just make up, but if she doesn't maybe a voucher for that and some eyebrow kit make up.

    My eldest was once bought ice skating lessons from my parents. He just did the block of sessions that were paid for him, as he wasn't interested in going up the grades, just wanted to know how to skate backwards that sort of thing.

    Other things are doing the Polar express (wish I'd done that when mine were younger). My DD is going to winter wonderland in Hyde Park for her friends birthday in Jan.

    We did winter wonderland a couple of years ago, Charlie and the chocolate factory one day, stayed overnight with a meal in china town, then winter wonderland the next. We asked all our friends/family that give presents to give them cash that year, it meant they could 'waste it' on all the games there and we weren't getting cross about it. They knew if they didn't spend it all they would have money left at the end.
  • jackomdj
    jackomdj Posts: 3,073
    First Anniversary First Post
    Forumite
    Nightowl wrote: »
    Hi jackomdj,


    I came across this thread as I was looking for ideas to reduce plastic and be a little more ethical this xmas.


    I think your ideas are great, things that will be used and are needed. Have you thought about taking it a step further and getting bamboo toothbrushes (Holland and Barrett), a wooden hairbrush, and smellies from somewhere like Lush?


    I'll stop being a Grinch now and suggest a voucher for the cinema attached to a bag of popcorn (nice and big to help fill the stocking).
    New knickers and socks used to go in my girls stockings and pyjamas if they didn't get them xmas eve.


    Have fun.

    We all love lush, youngest had a lush birthday party which was amazing.

    I will definitely go down the cinema voucher route, as we do like a good film.

    We always get them new PJ's, for all the photos! Found some lovely ones in M&S, Unicorn onesie and think the other one was a reindeer. They chose them, but put away until 24/12 (they get their pj's on Christmas Eve)
  • Glad I found your thread. I'm trying my hardest not to buy tatt, or buy them things for the sake of trying to make Christmas look bigger and better

    I'm trying to stick to
    a thing they want
    a thing they need
    a thing they wear
    a thing they read.

    It kind of draws me back to necessity rather then buying just because.

    I've gone overboard on reading for my youngest 9, but all books were on great deals and are her interest.

    The problem is my 2 oldest 16 and 22 - they both want cash which is not a problem but I'll wrap some stocking fillers associated with wear, need, and read. So lots of toiletries and essentials and a good books ( good job we are big readers)
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