O/T Christmas!

Hmmm... I should be starting to get organised but ...

This year is the first year in a long time where Christmas is going to be something to look fwd to I think. So i do feel more inclined to make the effort....! But if that includes present shopping in Oct I don't know!!!

I know that the floristry work is going to get silly busy in December so I won't have time to be preparing for xmas then, so I suppose I'd best start early this year! Bloke is quite handy in the food dept tho' so I think lots of home made goodies this year!!!

I haven't started yet but have been thinking about it. We have decided this year only to get presents for our nieces and newphews and our parents as it gets out of control and we end up buying someone something they don't want just for the sake of it. I do like getting my parents something nice, like your mum, they don't like spending money on themselves, just other people!

This Christmas will be a first for us too. Being in the financial situation that we are in, there will be NO Xmas pressies for anyone this year and everyone knows. My OH is doing drawings and photograph calendars for immediate family and I will also do handmade stuff or write... Just using our talents. Xmas dinner will be humble as weekly food budget is £70 maximum for both of us and ickle Georgie the tom, so...all we will have is love and each other...

Hmm im at the 'trying to get my head around it' phase at the moment...... i used to be good at choosing gifts but old age is really getting in the way of coming up with new and original ideas!

I think, well I hope, that this year will be the last I can kinda splash out hence a Radley bag as hopefully next year we'll have a little baby on the way or maybe even her if we are lucky enough to conceive soon.

I really want to be able to give my mum and dad a photograph of a positive pregnancy test as that present would be better than we could buy them but that would mean a near miracle happening but hey we might be lucky.

Viking - handmade presents are just as nice and have much more thought put into them which I love. I'll make all the girls I need to buy for jewellery as well as my mum just loves my magnetic clasp necklaces so she is tickled pink with necklace after necklace that she can finally close with ease.

I like the idea of using ones talents!!! Teehee - surely you could make some bits and pieces? Suppose I could too! I think everyone thinks they'll be getting floooo's this year! Bloke has a good artistic streak in him which I think he should use more. And we both really like taking photos (we're not experts tho'!) so maybe we could come up with something from shots taken locally - we do live in a beautiful part of the world.

But I think like others, this year it'll be minimum main pressies only - Bloke, Mum, Dad/Stepmum ... and just wee tokens for other folk. : (

You know I have Lynsey- I bought my first one's off you ?

Yes although I don't have much confidence that you won't steal them for yourself ?. You are a magpie for sparkly things so I think you should wrap the boxes up now and then put them somewhere safe....out of your jewellery box! x

Nope haven't started yet. I am rubbish with ideas. Especially for the men! If all fails I'll be making jewellery on Xmas Eve for everyone... I'm sure hubby will love a necklace. Blue is just his colour!

Are Debenhams due a sale soon or have I missed it, they usually have a really early one for xmas?

Debenhams sales in on now Lisa!!

I started mine at the weekend, didn't intend to, i usually wait until OH's birthday next week but we were in the disney store and they had a bargain for our 5 neices so couldn't refuse!

I started mine a while back - my "to-buy for" list in an A5 page long, and most of the things we have brought have been a good deal / reduced.

We have sorted OHs niece and just got the nephew to do.

Me and my brother have decided to not buy for each other as we're saving to get married / buy houses, but we've brought for my niece - a huuuge barbie car half price!!

Like you PG it's my mom who costs me a fortune - she loves debenhams and last year I got her a very expensive coat (which she does love and never gets off her back) but still, we can't justify that this year.

OHs dad got an Ipod (which we aquired for free) and we still have OHs mom / sisters / nan to do.

Then I had 2 other (step) sisters and a brother, my dad, stepmom..

Plus me and my friends all still buy for each other (this will be the last year, as babies / settling down are on the cards for all of us, and once they come we;ll just buy for them).

I got some Chapneys gift sets for £5 from sainsburys at the weekend - they were half price, and I got a mini-set for me for £2.25 - Bargain!

I started in August ?, as i have a 19 month old who is spoilt rotten, the downfall was that we booked the wedding about 2 weeks after i started so the xmas shopping was halted and wedding have been buzzing round my brain since, but as of this week paying for wedding stuff is on hold so i can concentrate on the wee ones xmas, we have decided with both familys that xmas is cancelled for adults so thats great just my little prince 2 concentrate on.

Sxx

My hubby refuses to cancel xmas, even during wedding planning he said NO! Christmas is christmas and thats that lol. This year he wants a PS3 or some other gadgety thing but thankfully hes happy to settle for second hand. We are also hosting Xmas dinner this year for the first time ever!

Im waiting for Primark to open in our city centre, lots of stocking fillers to be had....

parents, partners, inlaws, siblings, friends, neices, nephew, arrghhh list is a bit endless....

I have bought one thing so far - not very organised at all, however, i have put the feelers out to fam members to see what they would like and so far only one has gotten back to me. At least its a start i suppose. I dont want to be running around on the 22nd DEcember getting last minute things. If i havnt got it by then you aint getting nowt!?

Your accurate assessment of me is quite scary! You are absolutely right..

*Removes gorgeous sparkly jewellery from sight..*?

I start my Christmas shopping in the January sales. My mum does this, so I picked up the habbit from her.

I am now finished, and anything I buy now will be an extra present, or go up for next Christmas, or Birthdays.

I have a big family, so it spreads the cost, and I am very guilty of spoiling my son.

I also save food stamps throughout the year to do a big Christmas goodies shop.

Oh goodness, dont remind me!! I have OH Birthday end fo november, then my mums, then SIL2b, then FIL2b all within a month!

Can I be nosey and ask: are you and your OH doing Xmas pressies?

It's our first one "together" in the sense of actually being physically together - he was working away last year so we are going to be making a big fuss in terms of having our own Xmas day the day before Xmas eve, going to the Xmas market, but we haven't decided to what extent we're buying pressies yet.. I just don't know if we can justify what I spend on him last year again knowing we're saving for a wedding (although obviously he is 100% worth every penny!)

glad it's not just me then. My mums birthday is end of Nov, my sons is 2nd Dec, step sons is 8th dec, OHs 24th Dec, then got some just after Christmas.

all this is part of the reason I'm so organised at this time of year.

I started this morning! I popped into town and bought a couple of things for my eldest from the works. I also found some toy story wrapping paper which I got a tad too excited about! x

We are. It's also our first one "together", and are going to make it epic. We're also saving for the wedding, and now news of a new bubba, but we're definitely doing pressies for each other. Doesn't have to be something big, maybe just a token gift, and just make the most of being together at that time of year.

I can't wait to go round the xmas markets with OH and the kids, maybe even the German market in Brum.

ah, see, theres my downfall ebony rose!!lolololol

I have made a fairly substantial start on the Xmas shopping but new car is meaning finances are low this month (didn't stop me buying new shoes earlier though!).

H has got a Tokyo Flash watch ("Grr" to whoever it was who introduced them to me last week!) and an Ecko Unltd jumper (reduced from £60 to £15).

The ladies in the family have got a Crabtree and Evelyn hand cream each.

Goddaughter has a set of 10 books which are probably a little too old for her now but should be good for in a few months time.

For family, I am going to get some Happy Christmas ribbon and attach it to some candles we have (bought lots to try out on centre pieces and never used them!). Lakeland have some lovely Xmas cellophane to wrap them up in.

Also have a nice wash bag and a clutch bag ready for someone but haven't decided who yet!

Ebony Rose - Congrats on the baba!

We are also going to be going to the Brum market - my brother puts up all the Xmas lights around new street, the bullring etc (obviously not singlehandedly) in Brum and so we are going to make a good day out of it!

I actually can't wait for Xmas this year - like a small child in a candy shop - but I think it's because last year sucked so much without OH.

I have bought xmas cards! But they are also my place names for my wedding.

I saw in Waitrrose they had a load of xmas stuff up already, got me sooo excited. This xmas I'll be a wifey!!!

I haven't even bought a babuble yet!

We have agreed to a £10 max pressie this year & we are all going out for a Christmas Meal. As the kids are grown up now & have their in-laws it is hard to please everyone, my Sis will be in Gambia so it will be very low key this year.

We are keeping it very low- like £30 each, as the wedding will only be about 4 weeks away

I have started quite late with the crimbo shopping this year, i just seem to be so so busy with poesh at the minute which is great and i will not complain, the new gifts are going down really well so its all good.

looking forward to some relaxing time over christmas, not going to go stupid this year with prezzies though, normally go way over the top. I just love christmas and spending time with my children and husband.

its exciting counting down, cannot wait.

We always blow the budget set prior to Christmas which is really bad when we are trying to save up but I'm such a big kid that I just love Christmas too much.

I think this year we will try again to say about £100 each but whether we stick to it is another matter. I've got a feeling I might get a DSLR which is much more than £100!

I went Christmas shopping this morning. I got most of them in, here goes:-

Sister - sweet treat chocolate body pamper set £8 Boots.

Brother in law - Gillette travel set (he travels a lot) £5 Boots

H2B Top gear DVD triple box set £10 HMV (Stocking Filler)

H2B *** Body scrub (stocking filler) £8 Boots

Boots have a three for 2 offer on at the moment.

My dad i have one present in for him so far. War book set £10 WHSmith.

Perfume for my sister (DKNY) £10

Celebrations tin for a friend.

Need to get my dads main present/my mum main present and stocking filler.

A couple more stocking fillers and Main present for H2B.

This is the first year i've been so organised. x

Not got anything yet.....planning on getting started at the end of the month

Me, kinda - I bought some Yankee Candles which are usually part of people gifts. Haven't really thought about much else. Well done Lynsey - don't know how you get the time in between all your orders!!!!