Where are you with your Christmas planning?

[BatFinksWings]

Figured I can ask this in here without being lynched 😀

I've started buying the kids gifts - they're 23 and 14 so hopefully their tastes won't change too much in the next couple of months.

I've made a start on food. I predict issues come December so I've already got my joint of beef, chicken and turkey crown in the freezer along with sausage rolls, vegetarian mains and other bits and pieces

I've bought most of my chocolates/ Percy pig goodies / tins of sweets/ cheese biscuits tin. I've also bought wax wrapped cheeses as they're dated so well

Soooo .... am I the only nutter who does this?

@Holothane your husband was smoking £70 a week on this thread last week so that's an improvement!

I've bought nothing. We still haven't decided where Christmas will be hosted yet.

DC are teens so DD quite specific with items like clothes, but I know she'll change her mind so not buying anything from her list yet.

DS never knows what he wants but as it's his birthday in a few days he's getting what he wants and needs then.

@Cherryjones some weeks it’s £70 some 60 depends wether it’s cigars or cigarettes I’ve given up.🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Fab idea for a thread!

Bought presents for all my nieces and nephews. About halfway through the presents for my DC. Have quite a bit of wrapping paper left over from last year so only need to buy a couple of rolls to wrap the Santa presents in.

No ideas what to get DH or our parents.

I will start planning in maybe mid November when the family all establishes where we're going to be for Christmas. Get a couple of advent calendars. Start present buying in December. Tree up mid December. Cards sent about Dec 10th. Food shop on the 23rd or 24th.

Booked and paid the panto tickets, Ordered the m&s food, bought presents for my friend and MIL. Written lists for the kids. Got a m&s order done of pjs and stuff . Still looking for advent calendars, decorations and want to buy some specific charity cards xx

@Perfect28 I enjoy planning Christmas activities and buying gifts for my mum, husband and children. We also enjoy nice food at the time.

Part of the fun for me, and I'm sure for others on here, is the anticipation and the enjoyment of the whole season. You're right; Christmas Day is just one day, but there's also the whole of Advent to enjoy. It's not necessarily about throwing money around, it's about planning nice things and relaxing with loved ones.

I don't go out for meals or drinks or to the cinema or anything else actually. I have a one year old and a two year old and no family help. Please forgive me if I want to look forward to a special time of year.

Booked grotto and panto. DD wants to go ice skating so need to book that but will wait until Nov - give the credit card a rest!
Bought Lego advent calendars.
Bought fruit, nuts and spices for Christmas cake. (I’ll make it later this month).
Ordered turkey, ham and Yule log from M&S.
Bought Christmas/winter diffuser. I’ve bought two, usually start using them the beg of Nov to end of Feb.

Start making present lists and buy them.
Need to buy cards, wrapping paper and tags.
Need to order radio times.

I’m running our second freezer down now so in Nov I’ll start buying/making food for over Christmas to go in freezer.

Pick up real Christmas tree on first Friday in Dec and then we can decorate it on the Saturday afternoon/evening.

Have bought for 5 nieces/nephews, part of Santa for Ds and have ordered my Christmas dinner from a restaurant which will feed us for 3 days.

The majority of kids shopping is done the stuff I havent got yet is all planned and on my gift list app, still getting ideas together for OH, parents, sis and bro in law.

I've started to squirrel away some snacks in the weekly shopping. And looking out for Xmas Dinner ideas as the oh is pescatarian.

Tomorrow we are going to book up a santa visit for dd.

Other than that I'm just hoping to enjoy Xmas this year. Last year I had awful pnd and post natal anxiety so I just couldn't get into it at all. This year I still want to take it easy but I also want to make the most of it x

We have bought Fosterling No.1 a climbing frame as their main present but other than that I have done nothing. I can't begin to get my head around Christmas at the moment.

M&S food ordered.
Some Xmas chocolates bought

Watching out for advent calendar coming into stock

Got a couple of bits in amazon basket, and a small list of possible presents for ds(17).

I know it's on the 25th this year!

Santa visit and christmas day out booked (ages ago) and 2 out of three children completely done other than a few stocking bits. I wanted to get ahead with toys because of predicted toy shortages.

Adult relatives I will do nearer the time, because they can have gift cards if necessary and I've spent all my money on very early toy shopping.

@BatFinksWings

No you are not

Presents and wrapping all
bought.
Good all ordered

@BatFinksWings

Meant food all ordered

I've bought a turkey crown and made a start on the kid's presents.

Nowhere. Don't even know where we'll be or whether anyone's coming to us which is unusual as at least that's normally sorted by now.

My DS (birthday in Dec , he'll be 22 ) is very non-pesent esque . He'll get his Dec 1st Box - underwear , socks , pyjamas, loungewear .
I gave him his new robe early .
He usually asks for money (which is fine , I don;t want to waste money on "things" ) but he's asked for a new guitar .
And we might buy him some driving lessons . He's been making vague mutterings about lessons .

DD(19) will give me a list . I have some of her Beauty advent fillers and some gift bags .

Bought a few new decorations , alll Cat Proof

I haven't bought any food yet , I have last years Christmas Pudding
Not making a cake (doesn't get eaten)
I do write a meal list for the 24/25/26 and some very plain meals for the week between .

I have a big notebook to add things as I think of them.
Waiting for The Snowman toilet paper to go on sale .

I always think It's Never Too Early To Plan

I don;t want to over buy , but I don;t want to be panic buying on the 23rd Dec either .

@AGreenerShadeofKale

I've written a vague list. Mostly names with empty spaces besides.

Same here 😄

Bought a box of celebrations last week and hid them. It’s half empty now.
But have bought beauty advent calendar as DDs main present and like PP bought wines in Sainsbury’s 25% off. Hoping they’ll not get opened just yet. That’s part of the problem of doing it too far ahead!

I'm loving this thread and determined to get the shopping done (mostly) by the 1st Nov!

I've booked all the days out, a Christmas photoshoot, ordered some bits for Christmas dinner from M&S and have my Christmas Ocado slot booked. The main thing is I'm well over 50% done with the present buying which is amazing for me as I have a lot of people to buy for. I've ordered loads of wrapping paper and have tons of ribbons and bows left over from previous years. I'm planning on wrapping and card writing in November and really really hope I can have December to just enjoy it all. I want to do lots of baking and watching Christmas films and enjoying days out rather than being knackered as I usually am having stayed up far too late to get things done. That's the plan anyway and so far I'm on track. Now to keep the momentum going...

Cards done.
Bought and wrapped 5 presents.
Got an idea of how we'll be spending the day.
That's it so far.

@PoshWatchShitShoes - we're hoping to go with Cook this year.
What did you opt for please?

Our planning has gone out of the window before it's even started! Quite extensive building works are overrunning substantially so I expect to be still living in a building site rather than enjoying my lovely new kitchen
We debated going out for xmas lunch but have decided to make the best of it at home and it will be remembered as the year we cooked Xmas dinner in the campervan
I have ordered Advent calendars for dh and I, Joe and Sephs popcorn and L'occitane. I picked up a few stocking fillers a few weeks back when I saw them and I'm sure we'll cobble the rest together at some point !