What have you got so far?

[ToddlerSAHM]

I’ve got my 2 year old:
A HappyLand Cottage
A HappyLand Tree House
A HappyLand Train Set
A Shape Stack Puzzle
A Clock Shape Sorter Toy
A Velcro Ball Dart Elephant Thing (For his stocking)
A Mini Role Play Fast Food Tray (For his stocking)

I’ve got dp:
A Wine Book
Totes Socks
A Build Your Own Kit

I've got my dad:
A Book

I’ve got my mum:
Totes Socks

I’ve got my friend:
Snow Fairy Showel Gel

We’ve got dps mum:
A Mini Yankee Candle
A Ted Baker Bath Fizzers and Soap Tin

We've got dps brother:
A glow stick cap
A Car Book
A 3D Jigsaw Car

Most of these presents are from Facebook Marketplace, eBay, charity shops and things that were on sale so it’s definitely good to start early when you’re on a budget as all of that has come up to £91 which is so much less than it would have been new!!

Saw today a mermaid tail blanket in TK Max so might go back get that tomorrow when I don’t have kids with me. Dh saw an insulated cup he liked so will look at that. He just told me he loves wham bars so I’ve added those to the list to get nearer time. He has his birthday too so I’ll put away a few bits for that.

Picked up a gorgeously fluffy blanket with matching hat for baby dd and a set of lovely socks for her for presents.

Nothing. It's the beginning of September. A friend told me in JUNE that she'd got my present. I just thought "What an idiot". I'll get hers, and everyone else's, in November/December

You sound like a nice friend.

I'm feeling quite chuffed today; I have a list of stuff I want to get for Christmas for DDs and every few days I check the Amazon list and a couple of other websites to see if anything on the list is on sale. Today one of the games I wanted to get DD1 was 25% off! So that's purchased at a nice little saving.

Hmm I can see you're enjoying this forum @TooOldForAllThisNonsense seems right up your alley.

I have gotten a Lego set for dh. I have some ideas what to get for dc but waiting for Black Friday.

I love Christmas & have seen quite a few things come through my till that I can add to my pressie list but I haven’t bought anything yet. It is a bit early,

I actually picked up a few things in January in the sales🙈
I have a drawer under my bed that I put things in that I buy throughout the year as I hate paying full price for anything, I collect then decide who gets what in December, so far I have soap on a rope vw camper and another shaped like a wooly hat with bobble, Christmas decoration, mens socks in Xmas baubles, female xmas socks all half price from fatface, transfers that look like tattoos for a 12 Yr old friend's daughter, paint your own pots, make your own friendship bracelets, box of mixed hand cream, faith in nature soaps and shampoos when on offer, xmas t shirt for one son, boxers, socks all half price from asda after xmas, hand knitted scarves for three plus one wooly hat. Probably more but can't remember🤔

Not sure how you happened upon the Christmas board, but I think you took a wrong turn!

I’ve made a start on the kids as on a tight budget this year.

dd10
Large Squishmallow
Necklace
duvet set
harumika

dd3 nearly 4
squishmallow
unicorn dress (charity shop)
barbie blocks
lol dolls (her sisters)
barbie doll

My 15 ye old:

An oodie dressing gown
Pandora charms

Only 1 thing so far. For DS - cuddly Big Ben cushion that makes the Big Ben chimes when you squeeze it. (DS has autism and has VERY niche interests! So if I see something that hits the brief I tend to snap it up!)

I don't tend to get his presents until late as he has a tendency to change his mind quite a lot in the run up to Xmas. But I'm planning on getting his stocking done this month. Stocking gifts will be:

Uno
Packet of Oreos
Mini tub Pringles
Packet of Haribo
Fidget toy of some kind
Bath bomb
Christmas socks
Pencil case and pencil crayons

I’m hating this heat, so I’ve turned to thinking about Christmas to feel cooler! I just bought my best friend some Nuxe things with a free gift set on a great offer on M&S.

I normally have loads by now, but this year I’ve only got lots of the small bits so far. So - I’ve got most of the little gifty things for DD’s friends, relatives’ and neighbours’ children, teachers/TAs, and so on, plus lots of DD’s stocking items and other small gifts.

What I haven’t got this year yet is all the usual gifts for my siblings, nieces and nephews and my parents. But this year I have decided that I’m taking a year off from sourcing carefully considered lovely surprise items that they all love — and just getting vouchers. I’m a bit pissed off with my siblings (for various reasons, including me having to do all the care/hospital appts for an ill parent this year with no help from them), so I don’t feel like spending the usual time and effort on carefully getting things that the recipient will really like. Vouchers all round for once! Will be delightfully easy!

I’m also going to get DH to pull his finger out and get presents for his mother. Usually I do it, but his mother is always rude to me, and I cannot be bothered to put in the effort any more to get her nice gifts that she then thanks DH profusely for, whilst ignoring me 😬

DH has also had a pay rise, so I’ve decided that he can sort out DD’s main presents this year, too — I’ve run out of inspiration and I’ve done all the Christmas presents for every bloody year for ten years!

I am going to do most of the Christmas cards and wrapping though, but only because I quite like doing it.

I’ve already booked a Christmas night away to see a show, and also need to book the usual winter lights trip we go on, but this year I’m promising myself that I won’t get all stressed and bothered about it all as Christmas approaches, as I usually do. Instead I want to enjoy it for once!

I bought DS1 a where’s Bowie puzzle, and his girlfriend a cookbook. DS2 a t-shirt.

They’ve had them already because I’m crap at keeping things for special occasions.

These weren’t going to be their only presents, but I daren’t buy any more until nearer Christmas.

A few random things Ive picked up on sale:

• A colour reveal barbie (dd 8)
• A 2 foot long, skinny hot water bottle with furry cover
• A make your own cat treats kit (my animal loving dd 9)
• A lie detection kit (dunno)
• A box of fake poos (5 yr old DS)
• A carnage action figure (5 yr old DS)
• A plastic bubble blower. Something between a bubble and a balloon.

This is where I'm up to.

Dd1 (12yo)
Ticket to Wicked
Head band headphones
Notebook and calligraphy pens
Towel fake beach oodie
Hunger Games book set
The new Heartstopper book (pre-ordered)
Nano block red panda
Borgins and Burkes t-shirt
A watch
Shelf for crystals
Mushroom house fake Lego

Dd2 (10yo)
Ticket to Wicked
Head band headphones
Notebook and calligraphy pens
Towel fake beach oodie
Ivy and Scarlett book set
The Christmas Lottie Brooks book
Nano block koala
Flourish and Blotts t-shirt
Stitch toy
Japanese house fake Lego

Dp
Pizza axe

Just to add those long skinny hot water bottles are brilliant. I use mine a lot in the winter

So dd8 present pile has gone down by 1 axolotl squishmallow.

Dh and I were in the loft where DD’s presents are kept so she can’t reach or see them. She has a lot of her toys up here as I rotate them. She shouted to us to throw down a surprise teddy for her from her old toys. I don’t see what he does. Tonight I’ve gone in her room and she’s cuddling the new squishmallow I got her for Xmas. Like wtf you get that. She’s no clue where it came from but happy she’s got a new toy.

Sooooo much thanks to the bargain threads.

For 1st Dec box - The Wintertide Bear in hardback £2.49

Dad - Agatha Christie jigsaw whodunnit £3.93
Snakesssss board game £9.49 (bloody things reduced even further now)

DD3 stocking - My little pony Izzy tea party £6.32

DD3 - Fur Real cinnamon pony £30
Magnetic tiles £13.97
Polly pocket unicorn set £16.79

DS15 - Gruum hair and body set £3.95

DS3 - Hot wheels shark muncher thing £11.99
Magnetic tiles £13.97

DH - Logo board game sports edition £5.98
Ralph Lauren joggers and socks £34

DTwins also have their kiddizoom cameras from last year, which they opened, clunked each other round the head with, and so got removed from them, so I'll re-wrap this year.

Which totals so far £152.88 and is an absolute bargain compared to their usual prices. Been buying since July, so that's been spread out and haven't really noticed the costs. On DH, DTwins, DS, DM, DF, DNan it tends to come to £1000 all together, which I don't think is bad for 7 people. DTwins tend to get about £50 of stuff, then a big something from FB for sale, this year I'm eyeing up a Paw Patrol tower set for about £30. This is balanced by DS15 who gets more because he's a stroppy teen that only wants tech. Everyone else gets a big present around £100, and 3 or 4 smaller things (forming the list above). The kids will all get about £25 of fun things like torches, gold coins, wind up toy in their stocking too. Having looked at my purchases written down, I did think I was further ahead than that. Nothing as yet for Nan, Mum, or anything really for eldest DS.

I've got a gift planning app where I add things all year, so I know what to get nearer the time. Smaller gifts I get throughout the year, but the large gifts I leave till December to double check it's still exactly what that person wants.

OP you are a genius!

I'd forgotten about the Happyland sets I'd saved from my eldest. They might be good for my youngest.

@TooOldForAllThisNonsense if you're too old for all this nonsense then surely you are too old for bitching. Have you not learnt any manners over the years?

This is the Christmas board.

Just got colouring pens, sketch pads, jigsaw puzzles and a craft kit each for my kids in the works sale and some Christmas books - now I really am stopping until October as I'm skint!

I bought a few things in the Prime Day sales and one of my DDs has a concert ticket as her main present so I had to buy that when it went on sale.

I'm waiting for a Sparks offer for some M&S undies for my DDs.

nothing yet. my two eldest only want high value items and my youngest is 20 months and house is full of toys he doesn't play with. I might buy him some saucepans 🥴

I've got a few Dec 1st Box things for DD (21) and DS (will be 24)

DD will get a box of hair and beauty products (all cruelty free)
So far some nail polish , lip balm, face wash .
I have Lists of what to buy nearer the time .

For DS - Tshirts and loungewear for night time

I have fabric Christmas stockings for them.

Booked some days out
Bought DD an ABBA TShirt for ABBA Voyage (from the official website)
Bought her a coat for work but that'll be a pre-Christmas present .

DS is hinting for an iPad , his birthday is Dec so buying his presents needs more planning ! He usually asks for cash ,(which is a heck of a lot easier tbh)