Right need to save money this christmas would you be really annoyed with...

[mamadiva]

charity gifts or home made things?

Not like random tat like photo calanders or things like that?

[mamadiva]

OOh that looks like I hate photo calanders, I meant I want to make things like calanders LOL

[Tommy]

of course not! Nobody would - or, if they did, they wouldn't be on your christmas list net year!

[mamadiva]

true Tommy I think christmas has got far too commercialised and because I'm skint I have just noticed how materialistic my family ahs actually been at christmas

I want to start teaching my DS who is 2 that you don't need lots of things. I'm not saying I hate toys I don't I've bought him one big thing from ebay at half the retail price and I'm looking out for other things he likes whether it be toys or whatever but I refuse to spend alot.

[mamadiva]

Does anyone know where I can buy an A4 sized blank calander with space to stick photos?

[Flamesparrow]

By charity gifts do you mean a goat?

I would rather you saved the money than gave a goat tbh

[Flamesparrow]

try looking on photobox

[NoBiggy]

They had some calendars in Lidl the other week.

Other than that you can print out the pages from your pc, and make them look however you want.

[mamadiva]

LOL Flame no I'm more thinking like adopting an animal or like the NSPCC do a gift it'd be good for my 3YO sisters, you give a £5 doanation and you get a handwritten scroll letter from Santa and I think they'd love that. Although it's a tennner between them so I'm not sure. Just feel as though every year mny money goes to random crap which is never used or given up on by the end of January.

[Flamesparrow]

Hmmm, a 3yo wants stuff tbh. They would probably prefer £2 spent on cheap tat from a cheap tat shop.

I'm all for charity, but through MY choice iyswim

[Tommy]

have you tried Baker Ross

[mamadiva]

WOW Tommy tney ahve loads of fab things especially stocking fillers but I wanted to cut down on stuff. Although it is cheap and I suppose it will be good for stockings etc... Hmm youv'e got me thinking now LOL.

I wanted to get a dolls house for both of them (twin girls) but can't afford more than £40 for them.

[Tommy]

toyr r us used to do a lovely wooden (plain) dolls house. We got it for DS2 when he was about 3. It was £40 IIRC and we asked other people to buy the furniture for him

Baker Ross do lots of crafty things - like fridge magnets and glass painting etc. You can get yout children to make/decorate etc them for presents

[expatinscotland]

tbh i'd prefer a food gift - something like fudge or a nice bag of coffee from Whittards or summat like that.

[Elloeise]

I went into my local pound shop yesterday and they were selling calanders with seprate paper for you to print a photo on and put in each mth of the calander

[sameagain]

Wilkos have small terracotta plant pots for 29p. All our female relatives (and the teachers) will get one decorated by Dc's and planted with a hyacinth bulb this year.

TBH the important ones will love it and the others.....

[PortAndDemon]

Tesco are doing a dolls house for half price (£40, normally £80) in a sale at the moment, if you have a big Tesco near you -- I was in this morning and noticed it (but DD is only 6 months so I thought it was a little early ).

[ProfYaffle]

Ooh, I like the hyacinth idea, when do you plant them?

[ProfYaffle]

And I've got the Tesco doll's house, it's fab, includes the people, furniture etc. I ordered it online.

[Howlingbellyofbeelzebub]

Oh bugger, have just spend quite a lot more on a doll's house and it's from ebay so can't cancel the order, that tesco one looks lovely. - i spent weeks looking at wooden dolls houses on line but failed to look at tesco of course..

[HappyMummyOfOne]

I dont personally like charity gifts, i like to choose my own charities to support.

Some home made presents can be lovely.

[Flibbertyjibbet]

I would prefer edibles if it was homemade. Otherwise you end up with a house full of things made by little johnny that you can't get rid of
Fudge is easy to make and you can get some nice giftboxes from ebay cheaply.

Trouble with calendars is that unless you get together with all others in the family the gps may end up with a different one for each room - like il's did last year

There is a donkey sanctuary near us (Only Foals and Horses!!) where you can adopt a horse or donkey for £15 a year which I think would be a fab gift for a horse mad little girl. Unfortunately I don't know any

[sameagain]

Prof - I plant hyacinth's at Oct half term - they won't be out for Christmas, but there will be enough of a shoot to make a present and then they flower once the Christmas decs are down

[ProfYaffle]

thanks. Been out and bought my pots and bulbs this morning.

[BCNS]

I love home made gifts.. the hyacinths sound lovely and I love the smell of them.. great idea!

There is something about the homemade that shows somebody has really out time and care into it for you.. which really means the world.



all adults in our family will get a homemade gift from us.. and no doubt I get a few back!

Dc's have ask me to make them a new fleecy blankets each.. I'm serious.. DS1 ( 13) console gadget loving teen suggested that he wanted a new snuggle blanket .. and the others then wanted one!!

[Lilyloo]

mama dolls house here £49.99 half price i got it for dd last year and she loves it includes everything so pretty good deal i think!