Thread 13 - I do not need a baby for Christmas! I do not need a baby for Christmas!

[Reastie]

Thank you @Barbarara for the title!

Just a reminder you can watch the thread by clicking on ‘watch this thread’ at the top of the first message. It’s much easier for everyone than so many place marking every time which can use up a fair chunk of each thread to scroll through

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Like this
[[www.amazingbargains.com bargain ]] but with no space after/before the brackets.
If I do it again without the extra spaces only the word bargain will appear in blue

For more links etc see message 2

Photobox up to 70% off photo book and calendar credit

Plus an extra 10% off with code: EXTRA10

Buy now and get up to three months to create

@ZIGGY911 and others struggling with teenage Christmases - I know it's not a board game but what about Mean Santa for a bit of family fun? We started playing it when ours were in their early teens and still playing it every year and the eldest is 43. [Happy to explain for the uninitiated!]

Splendor is also a fantastic board game. (And Cities of Splendor expansion pack is great once you’ve got to grips with the game) It’s a real favourite of my teens and is enjoyed by adults equally as much.

Aldi had thin Christmas books in yesterday for 99p. Good for Christmas Eve boxes.

@PinkJam I can only see 40% off am I doing something wrong?

what's the bailey's offer?

Secret Santa idea please for a man. £10, but not tacky novelty presents. He doesn't drink alcohol or coffee, is a total workaholic, he vapes, and that's pretty much what I know about him.

@Tigger83 my son got a kitchen walker from ELC for his first birthday that was a massive hit. But I’d be wary of buying from them at the moment with their connection to Mothercare.

This activity walker from Wowcher.
walker

Thanks cankles off to try that now

@Tigger83 It depends which products you are wanting, but there are a few photo books at 70% off. I clicked through from the main page and it showed a list of products on offer and at what discount.

recklessgran - I have no idea what this is? can you explain for me xx

@rockabye what about the Scotland Yard puzzle book?

Build a Bear have 25% off selected bears

@rockabye fleece hat / gloves / scarf / neck tube for when he's outside freezing whilst vaping? Mountain warehouse have done for a few pounds each.
They also have this amazing Santa hat but you said no novelty items.

If anyone is looking to buy from the official Harry Potter 9 3/4 online shop, sign up for their emails first as I was sent a 10% discount code to use which reduced the price of the personalised trunk to a more palatable level!

@Tigger83 around the 1 year mark my son got a ride on toy and he is nearly 7 and still tries to go on it. His brother now uses it and it was one of our best buys.

Bigjigs do a cute wooden animal train.

We also got a lot of use out of a wooden bricks trolley /walker thing

Or there are the wooden car ramp things. John Lewis have a nice one called wooden ramps racer

Other ideas are the leapfrog scout dog or fisher price laugh and learn dog

@ZIGGY911 first of all you get a Santa sack [we've got a tatty fleecy one] and a large dice. Then you raid your present/regifting drawer, visit Primark, the pound shop etc and wrap as many fairly crappy but useful things as you can manage and put them in the sack. Then add a couple of really desirable things such as a ten pound note, £5 amazon/nandos/costa gift card.
To play everyone gathers round with the sack in the middle and takes turns to throw the dice. Throwing a 6 entitles you to take a present from the sack, open it and place in front of you. [Cue much faux ooing and aaahing!] Throwing a 1 entitles the person to steal a gift from another. Obviously at the beginning of the game if nobody has yet thrown a 6 there isn't anything to steal so that throw would be a void]
The game continues and can get really funny as the young ones "steal" all the desirables backwards and forwards. The game ends when the sack is empty and everyone gets to keep their spoils. There are usually about 8 of us playing and I have a couple of dozen things in the sack. When the girls were younger I'd give them each a fiver and let them loose in the pound shop to buy their contribution to the sack. Give them some cheap wrapping paper when you get home so they can wrap their items privately and add them to the sack. They all loved doing this and it's something to do in the lead up to Christmas that the teens actually want to participate in. Nowadays of course ours are all grown and flown but they always come armed with a few bits for the sack. In fact when asked "Anything I need to bring?" I just say yes, please can you bring something for Mean Santa. It can be a VERY funny game especially now we're all adults here and there's a bit of Christmas alcohol consumption going on.
Phew! Sorry for long post but hope it helps some of you.

If anyone is spending a big chunk at John Lewis, If you go through VoucherCodes, they have a reward of JL vouchers for £150/£500/£750 purchases.

Also wanting to buy cinema vouchers for some families with children for Christmas and ideas where is the best value deal? Pulling together a little cinema box for each of them!

Oh that's so much @OdeToAutumn great ideas

Thanks not that's!

Should be fine buying from ELC - it's part of the entertainer now not mothercare.

Reckless gran, that sounds amazing and a great new tradition now Santa has gone in our house.

Lurker here, discovered this thread a few weeks back and I'm hooked, it's been an amazing help in discovering new things and finding brilliant bargains. Everyone so friendly too!

Thanks also for the Mean Santa idea, I think my family will love it!

Also, I can vouch for the Ice Cream Cart. My boy got this for his 4th birthday, it's the only thing he really asked for and he loves it, has played with it non stop. He doesn't want his baby brother to play with it though and wants to get him his own 'smaller' ice cream toy for Christmas (needs to work on Sharing haha)

Will try share some links as soon as I figure out what I'm doing...

@XmassyMumsy. Neom do a little boxed kit that includes a lavender oil you put on your wrist and a spray for your pillow. That helped me when I had problems sleeping. Failing that, if you know someone traveling to US, melatonin is sold as a vitamin over the counter. That helped me a lot too.

@ZIGGY911, yes, it's quite difficult to explain but it really is a lot of fun and God knows it's hard sometimes to make the teens happy. Hope you enjoy it. Nowadays I just pick up bits and pieces as I go along. I try to make sure that the contents of the sack are either edible or useful in some way. Saves waste.It's surprising sometimes to see what is the most coveted gift. One year it was a tub of Playdoh [retro], another it was one of those tin money boxes containing a pound coin. [Funnily enough the girl that ended up with that used to save pound coins to help her with holiday spending.