Thread 9 - the one with Spider willy warmers

[Reastie]

Welcome one and all, see post two for links.

This Christmas we will mostly be watching the children spinning in bilibos with their head torches on and we will be drinking pact coffee in our Emma Bridgewater polka dot mugs

I’ve used Wish recently. Bought 3 different things. Took a couple of weeks to arrive as you’d expect but all were in good condition and as I’d expect them to be (and before estimated delivery). I’d guess it’s like a lot of those sites though in that there are probably some better sellers than others.

Somebody on the last thread mentioned stuffed toys for the top of stockings...

Santa I also do that here for stockings and for the last few years, ds2 has had one of the Kinder egg soft toys that comes in a box around with a couple of bags of kinder treats. He now expects one every year.

The RRP on them is about £10 but for the last few years they've been cheapest at Morrisons for about £4-5. They're cute, usually quite festive (think polar bears, moose, husky dogs, reindeer, fox etc) and when it's time for a clear out, they seem to sell for about £6+ on ebay...

This is what they look like (looks like this year's new character is a racoon - ds already has the bear and reindeer) - could only find a picture of them on the John Lewis site but they are usually cheaper as I said in Morrisons, maybe Tescos. Sainsburys don't usually have them (which is handy as that's where I usually shop when I have the dc with me, so they don't notice them in the run up to christmas )

Trying to outdo the bargain hunter in me (and also adding in a couple of cheeky referrals)

Zeek have 17% off vouchers for Beer52 so a £24 voucher goes down to £21 but you get £3 back if you use a referral code such as my own - Use invite code 2CU7VC73 or go to nv63b.app.goo.gl/31PK

That’s £18 for a £24 voucher. But if you go through topcashback they have cash back at £5.25 (with an extra free £5 amazon voucher if you’re a new customer being referred such as my link - www.topcashback.co.uk/ref/undrawnline

£24 voucher for a months case of beer52 for £12.75 (and a £5 amazon voucher for new TCB customers) not bad!

What is everyone buying their 10/11 year old girls this year? I am really struggling for ideas for DD, and she is being NO fudging help! She's adopted a series of pre-teen grunts and groans, and these now amount to 98% of our daily communications. Which is just...awesome

Her stocking is finished, and I've got £96.62 (sales and bargains amount!) worth of under the tree presents, which are:

Gold high top converse shoes
Nails Inc unicorn beauty box
Mermaid makeup brushes and makeup bag
The bargain amazon light box
Harry Potter pj's from Primark
Glitter unicorn head for hanging on the wall
Butterfly scarf
A couple of lovely books
A couple of daft, cheap Harry Potter bits off eBay

It's a lovely wee bundle so far, but falls massively short compared to previous years. I don't get hung up on needing to spend loads, she's just always wanted something, I don't know, more substantial in previous years. We've now hit a wall where she has any tech bits I will currently allow for her age (iPad, kindle, iPod shuffle, prime tv stick and a tv) and has all the other 'big' things she could ever need, like a bike, etc.

Any ideas you wonderful lot? I'm wondering if she would maybe like some Heelys...

That nightie is lovely!

After the Hush debacle they are still sending me catalogues. I write 'return to sender' on them in Sharpie and put them back in the postbox but they are Still Coming!

NotPennysBoat With regard to robots, do you think your dd wants one that does something or a toy that's robot shaped but doesn't particularly do anything?

ds2 had a small wooden robot when he was about her age in his stocking - the red one of these. Several years later, it's still loved, it's a sort of fiddle toy I guess and if it's out, it's very unusual for people (of all ages!) not to have a fiddle with it and change it's position when they walk past it

Alternatively Asda have a plush robot cushion at the moment for about £7-8 which is very cute.

And if you can bear hunting through some of the earlier threads, there were other very cute robot soft toys mentioned.

Can't be quite so helpful on the robots that do things front though, sorry...

Book lovers should check out The Locket Library. Ordered from them in the past - make great gifts, which you can personalise too!

Vino does she have a camera?

Either a 'real' one or a go pro (or cheaper equivalent!) - both offer fun opportunities for dc of that age.

ds1 had his first proper camera when he was 4 (he's always loved photography and it was as much about reclaiming my camera as him wanting his own!) and was on to a much better camera when he was 11.

ds2 didn't want a camera until he was about 8 - we got him a nikon waterproof rugged one that had a kid's mode (which meant that dh was also able to use it - he doesn't do photography usually!) with fun features like turning things into cartoons or being able to create time lapse sequences. Partly it was because ds2 is quite cack handed so things get dropped unintentionally so we figured we would preempt any problems but also because it was something a bit different from his big brother's and and it was handy to have one waterproof/rugged camera in the family!

His model has now been replaced by this one - nikon w100

There's an excellent camera price comparison site (my John Lewis will match to the best price on it for the big name shops, without doing further verification which is handy - when I bought ds's they matched it to a price at Boots - except the local Boots didn't have it in if they'd checked!).

www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/ - @Reastie this would be a really useful link to add to your summary list of useful links in case anyone needs to get a camera...

Ooh thank you PippaTiggy those book necklaces are perfect for my sister!

@VinoTime - watching suggestions with interest as were in a similar boat here w 12 yo dd!

Is your dd into crafts etc? We bought a sewing machine a couple of years ago which we’ve had to upgrade to a ‘proper’ one as dd has made chair covers, cushions, pencil cases etc etc and is currently having a go at quilting-with the help of her lovely ex-TA from primary school, who is fab.

Also had my EB dispatch. But no one will be home tomorrow which is annoying!!

Thanks for the new thread Reastie

My 10 year old has suddenly developed a lego obsession which is fantastic and has made it much easier this year but I have thought about getting her a polaroid style camera, yellow Fuji could work out expensive for film though.

Elf on the shelf £2.89 on eBay. Not a fan of him myself but a bargain that might help someone - elf on the shelf

Thanks Pippa, those necklaces are adorable.

Just checking in and posting my TopCashback referral if anyone wants to use (includes £5 amazon voucher offer - think you get once you’ve earned £10 cash back)

link

Also a quidco referral (we’d both get £10)

Vino DD(10) will get an echo or dot from us as she is really starting to to be interested in music.
She's interested in science so going for some books, a science experiment set and lots of the things you already have in your list. Including the mermaid make up brushes!
It's a very tricky age, still a child but wants to be grown up.

Little live pets puppy only £45 in Asda

DS2 has asked for Batman Lego (or Lego juniors) if anyone spots a bargain would really appreciate it.

Ooh. I now need a Christmas nightie. Who knew?! 😂

Another quidco referral - we’d get £10 each www.quidco.com/user/1187949/2521286/

Debenhams blue cross sale starts online today