to ask if anyone here wants to talk about christmas?

[knittedbreast]

i really want to talk about christmassy things ...anyone else want too?

i did some shopping yesterday-i bought a tardis!

anyone?

hello?

No shopping done yet, but I save in a Christmas club every month. Christmas dinner is my fave meal of the year, just awaiting an invite from the inlaws I have loads of people to buy for, but don't get my money until late November, I will start buying stocking fillers before then though!

Oops, pressed post too soon, I'm having a quiet Christmas this year, last year was bloody mental, we travelled too much and I was exhasted by the time I had to go back to work, this year I'm staying here, anyone who wants to visit can provided they come with wine :o

i had been thinking about switching things up, i really really dont like the mad rush to open pressies all in one go. id also quite like to have xmas dinner on the eve to. its tradition in our family to have fish on christmas eve though.

there are 2 dr who tardis`s you can get both from adsa and the play set one that opens and comes with a free cyber man is on sale instore for about £23 down from £40.

Heres the link

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3885370.htm

thinking of getting it?

I don't like the rush to open pressies all in one go either.
This year, I think I will let the dc open ours in the morning - then I know they will look lovely under the tree , and they can enjoy those ones during the day, then open others from family late afternoon.

take it to the Xmas section and don't pollute AIBU for the rest of us. Its fucking July!

YABU

I was just thinking the other day I needed to make a start on my Christmas shopping. I normally have it all done by the end of October because I fucking hate festive hell so it's easier to do it before the shops get such that I want to murder the rest of the human race brutally with a piece of tinsel.

Dreading this year's for a variety of reasons - whichever set of parents we go and see will be emotionally fraught - it's the delightful toss up of new baby of almost the exact age to within a month of when my miscarried twins would have been Vs my family with a gaping hole where a very dear friend who was a permanent fixture of our Christmases died over last year's festive period.

Am considering hibernation till about February, waking up AFTER Valentines Tat Day.

I also colour theme my wrapping paper. Did it for a few years and now everyone EXPECTS the colour co-ordinated fancy twirly ribbons shite on everything and hubby will drip about trying to use an entire roll of paper to wrap one present by scrunching it up and assaulting it with sellotape until I give in and do it for him... even my own prezzies. Mind you I'm used to that - there was one year my mum was really snowed under and I was about 11 when I ended up wrapping my own presents and under orders to act surprised when I opened them all! Oh the joys of being the person that's good at wrapping!

i love wrapping pressies. If people would pay me to do it for them id be a happy woman. sod the UN job lol

Love Christmas!

Have bought a few stocking fillers for DC1 already. List of presents for other family is nearly complete and I'll start buying the bigger toys and gifts from next month onwards to split the cost.

Have menu's decided as follows, as parents will arrive from 23rd to 27th;

23rd - Steak & Guinness Pie (homemade)
24th - Curry Night (homemade in advance)
25th - Turkey & trimmings (with optional beef for Dad)
26th - leftovers
27th - big full cooked breakfast before depart to airport
and lunches on each day will consist of homemde soup, toasties and/or salads.

As we get a real tree this year I'm going to leave it until Friday 16th, as it tends to have the needles falling off by Christmas if bought earlier.

I need to start looking for cards & wrapping paper - might do a web search now, I'm in the mood!

knittedbreast me too would love a job as a professional wrapper

i too am super excited by the time xmas comes this year DS will be 2.7 so should be able to understand and get excited etc, i'll also have a 2 month old daughter by then and love the idea of co-ordinating the kids special outfits for santa/mass etc.
we're having dinner at the inlaws but i don't like non traditional, processed crap so we will be having official xmas dinner on boxing day with kids.

i've started planning kids outfits and writing out lists of ideas for DS pressie's but we are cutting back a lot this year so only really buying the kids in the family.
haven't done cards/wrapping paper etc yet, but think i might dress DS & baby up in festive outfits and get photo cards printed this year
so glad i'm not the only one thinking about this in july

what kinds of things have you bought the children?

ive done more!

At last, I can confess my shameful secret of having been excited about Christmas for months. For years we've always had to drive down south and stay with one, then the other set of parents/sibs, and while it's always been fun it's also a lot of work, lots of stuff to bring down and take back etc. We never bothered decorating our house as we were never there over Christmas.

BUT for the first time this year we are living within striking distance of both families, so we get to have Christmas morning at home with our DC before popping round to visit my folks. Same for Boxing Day with the ILs. DS will get to decorate a tree for the first time in his life, we can have a big lazy breakfast in our pyjamas...bliss. And DD is due in a couple of weeks so hopefully it will be our first Christmas as a family of four (and I can have a drink and eat runny cheese, unlike last year ).

So yes, I'm excited. We're skint though so present-buying will be kept to a minimum.

I've nearly got christmas paid I'm another fan of Park vouchers, they also do Amazon vouchers as well now so I can take advantage of the free P&P.

I've already got one present for dd, sometimes it's just easier to get something when you see it - I bought it at Easter in a sale.

Emptyshell, so sorry for your losses. Do whatever you need to to cope this Christmas, remember those who aren't with you, but celebrate with those who are.

For inept DH, get him an assortment of gift bags to put gifts in. Much less mess and trauma all round! Plus you (he) can re-use the bags next year from the ones he gives you.

It's July. I'm still looking forward to summer but Christmas may be nearer.

SCROOGE - The best character in English literature until Dickens spoils him in the last chapter.

HUMBUG!

I have had a letter today for an OVERPAYMENT of £77.00 on my Simply Be account. They do all sorts as well as clothes so that will go toward Christmas.

I know what I'm getting the children, DH is difficult I asked him last night what he wants and I got the same reply as always NOTHING !

I know what to get people but it's just doing it

I have 3 presents in and know pretty much what else I need to get. I prefer starting early and getting what I want in the sales

I get told 'don't talk about xmas till at least mid december' at work, so have to blab about it on mn intsead. I have checked out the xmas thread a few times to see if anyone has started yet but nothing much there yet

I have got ds a couple of presents already and bought our panto tickets back in February so we'd get seats in the firing line at the front.

I don't enjoy xmas day itself because my family is so crap and so we spend it just me and ds on our own, but I love the build up too it and looking for the perfect gift for everyone. I have a lot to buy for and to post abroad too, so I have to start budgeting and buying early.

Also I encourange ds to make homemade gifts for his grandparents and aunts so I have to think about what and get it all sorted and ready for him to do before the mad december rush as I need to get things posted by beginning of december.

I've been thinking I'm a bit late this year getting started, so I bought a few small gifts for the dcs today. I always start early, then forget what I've bought, and buy too much in the end!

I like Xmas, of course - but in JULY???!!!! I am seen as the organised one in our family, but even I don't think about it til end october at the earliest! I just think if you get everything now, what is there to be excited about in December? Surely the excitment is partly about shopping, cooking and wrapping???!!!! If it is all done now.......? Also, how do you know that your DC will still be into the pressie you have got them now? Kids are fickle - you may think they LOVE Harry Potter now, but in 5 months when all the hype has died down, they'll be into the next big thing and your present will be one big FLOP. I speak from bitter experience.

Lets have summer first, please.

I am feeling very christmassy right now coz it is winter and freezing where we live and I always feel like this in winter!
Cant get my head around a summer christmas.
I have done my shopping for my kids ( mid year half price toy sales are on) and I have ordered a few other christmas bits for my niece and nephew and new bubs that are on their way.
Thinking of having a christmas in July dinner on Sunday with SIL and her kids. Should be good fun.

My Mum used to buy for so many family, she would take all their presents and deliver them at Autumn half-term when we went to visit the rellies! It must have saved her a fortune in postage, as we were going there anyway. She used to give the childrens gifts to their Grandmas to put away out of sight.

She also had to buy 26 gifts for the elderly patients in the nursing home where Dad was Matron. For some, it was the only Christmas present they got, so it made sense for Mum to get some of the presents sorted before the next round.

shiney if tour dh wants nothing then give him nothing... Wrap up a great big empty box, a little tiny box (think jewellery size) and write on the front 'concentrated nothing' or 'extra special nothing' or something similar that will make your dh laugh. Also an empty box of chocs/sweets - relabelled as 'nothing chocs', empty bottle of 'nothing wine', blank cd labelled as 'sound of nothing'...

You'll end up with some nice looking presents under the tree, everyone will have a good laugh and if dh gets disappointed because he was hoping that xxx was going to be in the parcel then you'll be able to go and get in the Christmas sales. He'll also learn his lesson about asking for nothing if that's what he then gets!

zipzap that is wicked. But also very funny!