ok ok, i will think about christmas.... NOW, stockings. last couple of years i went to hawkins bazaar and got all stocking fillers in one hit for all 4 dc, but i noticed that was all the ame stuff second time round. am i going to get away with doing ...

[NappiesShnappiesPANTSgalore]

[there is no emoticon to convey my face right now]

yes, choc money. right. and satsumas. and walnuts.
and half a ton of plastic toot.

Plus, looking at the Hawkins Bazaar site i became ver excited. How fab! I'm thinking of starting a freecycle stocking filler swap in my local group.

Plus, looking at the Hawkins Bazaar site i became ver excited. How fab! I'm thinking of starting a freecycle stocking filler swap in my local group.

oops

vagely recollect that local preschool does yellow moon, so will go through them so they make the money if i do that

v good glam. you and pirate are on same wavelength.

yes if i had a local group i'd def do it. My dd is 5 now, and tbh, close people i would dream of asking are mum's of friends, and dd5 would have prob played with said tat on play dayes.

No getting past their beady peepers is there!!!

Message withdrawn

new toothbrush
snack bar and carton of juice (to stave hunger pangs for a bit longer)
Chocolate bar / sweets
new socks
New pair of pants

Notepad
colouring pens / pencils / crayons
Novelty pen of some sort (eg. biro that has 4 colours, something with a nasty pink feather etc)

Stick on side burns (joke shop / ebay)
Plastic glasses with moustache
whoopeee cushion (£1 from joke shop)
Plastic sick / dog poo (again from joke shop)
hair band / grips for girlies
Lipstick (girlies) - blue if possible
Stick on side burns (joke shop / ebay)
Plastic glasses with moustache
Key ring

I'm off to charity shop strip for stocking fillers this year. I might be offloading last year's stiocking fillers while I'm there too! how can I lose?

terrible thread title btw

I think Hawkins Bazaar is great the first year you find it but thereafter, I would only get maybe one thing per child from it. Last year, I got a thing that fires foam rings out for ds3 and it is still played with now which I reckon is pretty good going (mind you, it is a nightmare finding those bloody rings!)

I go more for the practical things: pens, bathroom stuff, small items of clothing, eg glovs, socks, etc. Oh and always something to eat and some sort of puzzle/gimick (which might be where Hawkins comes in).

Oh and this year's theme has been buying CDs from ebay. Each child is going to get at least 2 each and they hardly cost me anything.

I do a sweep of tescos and woolies for tat tasteful gifts, usually comprising of colouring books and pencils/crayons, small tubs of play doh, a book to read, small lego sets, small cars, bouncy ball, polly pocket small sets, choc money etc.

I think last year's total cost for stockings was about £30 for 3 children.

ok.
thanks eople.
i feel bouyed by the specific instructions on what to put in the stockings. all looks entirelydo-able.

now if i can just pull my head out of my arse quite soon and get on and get some of it in and sorted, that'll save me sticking it further up there the closer it gets to christmas without having done a thing about it (gentle, hopeless, fatalistic agggghhhhhh)

like your thread doodle. bravo.

NOW.
could you please sell out exactly what i should get/do for dp, m mum, dad, bros and sisters, cousins and bf's? hmmm? the extended rellies are sorted; variety boxes and a fiver for each child-cousin and a box of biccies and a card for each household. see, how organised is tht??

Has anyone ever bought the £15 ready put together stockings from Hawkins. Are they any good? I normally fill my own from there but if it saves me time...

hah. i never noticed those.

nah, i like making the stockings. tis one of the only bits i do lke anymore

IM A GRUMPY OLD WOMAN AT 31!

Lol me too and i'm also 31. I normally like doing it but i'm very pregnant and somewhere between now and Christmas have to buy ds's Birthday present, everyones Christmas presents and also things for the baby which is due just after Christmas and who has no clothes and nowhere to sleep atm. Oh and the bathroom is also getting done before Christmas so I really need to save time.

suffering suckertash woman, you dont have take on a lot at once!

where are you? do you want a crib?

LOl! I'm in Liverpool. I've actually got a Moses basket I just need to buy a new mattress and get the stand back from sil. Thanks for the offer. I have definately taken my nesting to the extreme this time round. Since September we've remortagaged, had the whole house double glazed, put solid oak flooring in downstairs and fitted a new kitchen oh yes and i've painted dd's bedroom, the living room,dining room and hall , stairs and landing. Now only the bathroom to go. It's a good job I don't plan on having a fourth because I fear I may knock the house down and build a new one!

ledodgy - take it from one who knows (I had my ds2 on 21st December): get everything done by the end of November because you won't be doing anything after that. Just the thought of negotiating Christmas shopping crowds with a heavily pregnant bump makes me break out in a sweat.

Mind you, in my day, we did not have the internet (well, I didn't anyway). I guess you can do lots of shopping from the comfort of your chair if you prefer.

I actually spend quite a lot on stockings but they do include useful things. DD has a years worth of new pants to go in hers. I take them out of the packs and use them as space fillers. DS has 3 pairs of pants so will buy some more. So far for DS I have got:

3 pack football pants (Matalan)
1/2 pack of felt tips (Woolworths)
1/2 pack of cheapo gelpens (Asda)
expensive Cars gel pens (Disney)
New cup - Disney Cars
Electronic football game on a keyring (Boots 3 for 2)
Football photo frame (Asda)
Power rangers note pad/pencil/rubber set (Tesco)
Hot wheels car
Couple of Disney Cars that he hasn't already got

For DD I have got:
10 pack of Tinkerbell pants (Disney)
4 pack of Princess pants (Asda)
1/2 pack of felt tips (Woolworths)
1/2 pack of cheapo gelpens (Asda)
expensive Sleeping Beauty gel pens (Disney)
New cup - fairies
Lip gloss
Hair clips
Jewellry from Claire's
Princess note pad/pencil/rubber set (Tesco)
Polly pocket car
Couple of Disney Cars

Will also get choc coins, a knight for DS, a princess for DD, a small book each, maybe a farm animal each, maybe a small playmobil bit each. Might get DS some top trumps.

Thanks DG that's what I intend to do and I always shop online for presents now. Thank God for tinternet!

on the XMas theme. I actually need to buy stickings this year. Any recommendations where I can get some, preferably online.

meant to say stockings!!