It is June and I have finished the stockings for dh and kids

[ridingsixwhitehorses]

Ha! Mainly by going to museum ships me and the baby while on mat leave with the older kids at school and nursery. Not got the bubble bath, pants, chocolate components yet. But have got the toys.

Wind up slinky crocodiles
Cake shaped bath squirters
Dinosaur eggs that hatch a baby dinosaur
Cool pens
Glow in the dark planet stickers

(they will be 6, 4 and 1. 1 year old has just the bath squirters)

Just showing off...

And in DH's:

Silly Union Jack nail clippers
One those stainless steel things to wash hands with after chopping garlic
Kitchen knife sharpener
Usually also an unusual magazine and some cheese.

Oh my god. I HATE you ( joke!!)
How on earth is anyone so organised?????

Brill list. I am always stuck for dh.
Thanks and well done you for getting ready! B

It's because my older two are dec bdays so I wanted to get it all done last year before the new baby came along so I wasn't trying to do it with newborn so I had it all done by July - Xmas and bdays - other than the big Santa present I needed to know what they wanted - and realised how brilliantly easy it was. So now I just buy stocking type things as and when I see them. Keep everything in one big locked cupboard

Wasn't actually coming on this its to show off. Wanted to ask about Santa trains. Must start that thread now.

FFS! How do you know the toys won't have gone off by xmas? Dry felt pens, stickers that won't stick?!

Typos. Museum shops. Obv. Can v much recommend Natural History Museum shop though Transport museum and Science museum been fruitful in other years.

Risk I am prepared to take cocktail queen? Does that happen? I imagine it's all on shelves for longer than that!
won't tell you about the Xmas hotel chocolat treats I got in jan sale with sept 2016 best before that I am hoping still look good for dh stocking. Am sure they will taste nice regardless - chocolate doesn't go off quickly. But need them not to look old!

Cheese! Like that's gonna last til the end of next week

I have already started Ponsing for my Ponstastic Christmas: making wrapping paper sheets (rectangles) out of fabric, to be bound by ribbon, and drawstring bags in different sizes. I bloody hated wasting wrapping paper last year.

I have already made 4 'sheets' and one bag. They look bloody great!

And I am €80 into my €2 savings bank already this year DS wants a Lego trainset which is eyewateringly expensive, so may use the savings for that.

Funnnily enough, I started my Christmas 2016 notebook today, where I scribble random ideas and put recipes in.

Oh I will buy the cheese in my last
minute dash to buy knickers and bubble bath and the rest of the stocking stuff!

You're giving him chocolates that are (or will be) three months out of date?

Yep! If they've not gone weird. In clear wrapping so I will be able to see. It won't taste weird - is not ok one day then bad the next just because best before says so. It's not meat... And it is dh. Not a stranger!

www.canitgobad.net/can-chocolate-go-bad/

Ah, fair enough

I've bought almost all DD's presents - she'll be 19 this Christmas so I'm resisting the temptation to go overboard as I always have done, buying so much stuff it takes over an hour to unwrap Just a few nice clothing bits, some very fancy shoes and a new iPod. I've also sorted her stocking. Guaranteed I'll be twitching come November though! Also bought a few things for DH - I bought him a beautiful silk and wool jumper in the January sales and have picked up books, whiskey etc over the past few months.

So pretty organised, not much else to do!

I buy stocking stuff as and when (not food though!) and realised earlier in the year I had bought enough before christmas 2015 to not need anything this year!

They're getting:
Little colouring pencil sets
Make your own character box kits
Socks
Funky biro
Lego blind bag
(in december I will buy chocolate too)

This is great to do when the kids are young, but I found as my son got older, his taste changed from one week/month to the next, so I couldn't do this any more

Reading this has reminded me that a few weeks ago I did in fact buy a stocking present. It is unlike me to start so early but it was one of those situations where I knew I wouldn't find that thing again ......trouble is I'm buggered if I can remember what it was I bought or where I've put it

Well done! I got a few bits during the boxing day sales. I need to do a stock take

My DC are going to have brilliant stockings this year as my local Hawkins Bazaar closed and had massive reductions. No-one outgrows fart putty.

We don't do a stocking but have these sorts of things in Christmas Eve Box. I have bought one thing and have the rest on amazon list- I am held up by DS's August birthday.

Marking my place to start doing this. I've already bought a couple of presents, should make a stocking list.

That is very true Ovo. Puuuuurt!

I start buying Stocking gifts in October time , not specifically looking but if I see something they might like.
My DD is a June birthday (so anything I buy now goes in her Birthday pile)
My DS is December but likes money,games and more money (he saves everything he gets)

So things like Hawkins Bazaar bits (I got him a Zombie Mask last year), quirky stationary, books, jewellry for DD, bath bits.
Things that are useful, not expensive and no plastic tat .
He'll be 17 she'll be 14.6 this Christmas. Still not too old for Stockings.
Or Christmas Eve Hampers

Oh my, I have found my people

I bought loads of stuff for DD's stocking last year and in the Jan sales. To be honest, I probably have enough for some for 2017 as well I love love love Christmas shopping and organising, and last year's Christmas was a bit grim for various reasons, so I guess I was distracting myself by shopping early in the sales. I always buy bits throughout the year, too (only yesterday bought some navy, red and sparkly gold hair clips, £2.99 in H&M, for DD's stocking).

Obviously I'll need to get choc nearer the time, but so far, I have:

• aforementioned hairclips;
• wind-up dinosaur in an egg, Paperchase sale
• sparkly bubble bath that looks like a snow globe, Boots sale
• an actual mini snow globe, Primark
• finger puppets from IKEA
• mini snowman soft toy
• light up disco wand from Tiger
• novelty pencil and mini notebook
• sparkly hair bobbles, John Lewis sale
• Christmassy stickers, Paperchase sale
• tiara-style alice band, mothercare sale
• plus a spare Charlie and Lola Christmas magazine that I bought last year and forgot to give DD (she won't notice the date!)
• fish game, Tiger
• penguin fingerless gloves, John Lewis sale

I'll also get some small bits of edible stuff nearer the time - choc coins, satsuma, apple and a couple of mini choc items. Wow, I have more already than can probably fit in DD's stocking Maybe I am going a bit overboard with this early Christmas thing

I've also got a Snowman and Snowdog book and toy, a couple more Christmassy books for advent, and DD's Christmas dress in the sales! Father Christmas will bring a tree present of reasonable size (possibly a bike this year). She'll probably get a few other small bits and pieces, like some clothes, a DVD or two, and some more chocolate from us, plus a larger present. We don't spend too much, and this year we are going to be skint, so part of my early present buying is to spread the cost throughout the year, as for various reasons connected to DH's job, we will be worse off in the winter than we are earlier in the year.

I've also so far got loads of things (also in sales mainly) for relatives' and friends' children - great Christmassy books and small gifts for pennies in some cases. Eg. in January The Works had Alfie's Christmas and some other nice Christmas books in their 10 books for £10 offer - I ordered a stash and they will make perfect toddler presents, along with with some Christmassy choc like a choc Santa or coins, and only costing £1 each!

Only problem is storing all the bloody stuff between now and December

You are efficiency personified, georgette