CM CLUB:Do you buy your mindees presents?

[SweetSnowflake]

i have but i fel a bit stingy..this is what i bought

Mindee H= interactive disney book £5 (1/2 price)
mindee A= stacking bob builder game £5 (1/2 price)
mindee K a camera with film and photo album £4 (half price)
Mindee m and mindee L = Craft kits from woolies 2 for £5(one of those each)
Mindee O Rag doll £5
Mindee C(who is also leaving) Disney princess dolls(3 of them ) £7.50 (1/2 price)

i dont expect anything from them, but some of them are so cute, i jsut want to spoil them!?
is this enough or would you get a few selection boxes as well?

I am spending about £5 each too PC and nothing for mummy and daddy - the kids are making a hanging photo deco for the tree that I stole off that lovely site I think you posted.

aw thats nice, yes it is a fab site[fmsile], well for parents i dont bother!, we have made them chdriatmas tree decs, paper chains, snowmen, crackers, snowglobes with message and pic of their dd/ds in, christmas photo frames with dd/ds's in, loads and loads of cards and christmas pictures , so thats their present..one mum took the time to write in her ds's diary this week how grateful she was for the presents and to see what her ds could actually do without her help, she was sad but happy i was keeping her in mind..

I buy books from the book people, and give them as presents (well Santa does when he comesto our CM,s Christmas Party next Tuesday)

I never spend more than £5.00 for Christmas, There are just to many Mindees (I have 7 now)

But fr birthdays I spend about £10.00, unfortunatly one year I had 4 children whos birthdays were in December as well!

I buy for mindees, usually as nice book or craft kit, but never more than £5, couldn't not buy them anything, long term ones become one of the family, I always try to bag a bargain too so I look like I have spent more than I can afford to!

Sometimes I've only had a few to buy for and have spent up to £15, looking out for half price & 3 for 2 offers.

This year I had 11 so had to stick to budget more closely than before. I shopped at amazon, ordered various annuals, the fireside book, board books, michael morpurgo's Born to Run, Enid Blyton's The Secret Island etc about £3-5 each.

Last year I made a DVD (with parent's permission) where all the mindees who wanted to performed a sketch - had 1 short play, some jokes, juggling, singing & playing various instruments. Haven't had time this year unfortunately, wanted to make that an annual thing. Will have to start in January compiling material for next xmas!

So about £5 is ok then?

i held a huge Party at local soft play centre Christmas last year for local school(dd's nursery) and friends and family as id not long been trading and it was a "xxx(my business name) launch party/christmas party"...this year, i will be doing a party in the house, as one mindee is leaving the last day and i have all but one on the friday so will be doing it then and giving them all thier presents then...i was gunna tell them tot ake them home, butt hink ill let them open them..only prob is like i said ive spent more on the mindee who's leaving so hope they all dont get a cob on!?

24 to buy for & I spent about £5 each

24!??, god i dont envy you..(p.s i was reading your thread earlier, i thought you only ahd 3 on at the minute?, or am i getting totally mixed up?)

In the summer I went down to 3 F/T equivilants but I'm up to 6 FTE and in Feb it goes up again

That's KaySammuals you're thinking of!

I spend about a fiver too and I also buy selection boxes for 2 mindees that I used to have, because I still have their siblings.

my new mindee (3 yrs) told me this morning while on way to nursery "i've bought you a present you know"!.. isaid "ooh have you what is it?"..he said "i bought you a huuuuuuuuuuuge Homer simpson"!!???..am confused now..will mention to mum tonight that im not really a simpsons fan and given a few extra dohnuts dp wouldnt be far off anyway!..

oh bugger, one of my mindees mums was picking her own dd up tonight and said are your still after xxx(my dd) some nice p.j's for christmas Eve?, i said yes and she said oh well can dd buy her them cos shes said she wants to as shes her best friend!OFFS, i only spent £2.50 on her dd's present..do i need to buy something to go with it to save face?
thing is a selection box wont suffice as she doesnt like her dd to eat choc much as shes had probs with her teeth!

sorry but its a pet hate of mine i hate selection boxes i just think it is a very lazy gift to buy

i have 17 mindees and spend between 5-10 pounds on each child (normally buy books)

well i think you are all VERY generous -

i have 4 mindees at the moment(wish i had more) and i bought a job lot of dora cups of ebay very cheap and will fill them up with boxes of raisons and lidls sweeties thats for the girls for the lad i got him a diecast thomas the tank's friend train as he is train OBSESSED!!!!(he will have raisons and sweeties too)

feel a bit tight now

oh and i bought my mindee who left in october a lovely book (ebay again) as he is ds best friend and we miss him so which means i have to buy something for his sister too

I wouldn;t expect my CM to spend more than £5 on DS an dreally wouldn't have a problme if it was less - it really is the thought that counts!

yeah i didnt want to go downt he selvction box route..however ive just realsied i bought some books a while ago and they have a story disc with them..stories like cinderella and red riding hood etc..think they will make a nice little addition?, its just that cos her present was £5 but on BOGOF i feel stingy

My mindees got:

Mindee1 hat and scarf set...£5
Mindee2 got the same
mindee3 trousers and top....£6
Mindee4 Diary and pen set...£6
Mindee5 Gloop science set...£6.50

Mindees1,and 3 also got santa presents for minees party at £3 each.