Christmas Bargain Prequel Thread 2

[Sideorderofchips]

6 months to go!

Thank you. Is that whitefoxboutique dot co dot uk?

Hamleys have some reductions on Jellycats up to 20% promotion.

We do them. We go to the pantomime and out for a meal on Christmas Eve and then when we get home at about 5pm, it’s waiting under the tree for them.

They all get:
new pyjamas (not Christmas themed)
dressing gown
slippers

and they share:
a hotel chocolat fondue kit
a bath bomb
a new Christmas story book
a board game

We play the board game and eat the chocolate fondue for supper then it’s bath and bed in their new bedtime stuff and their Christmas story.

DS is only 3 but last year I did a 1st December box - because I wanted to get him a Christmas songs yoto card and didn't want to listen to it in January.

He got his advent calendar, the yoto card, PJs, a Christmas book and some little Santa chocolates (his calendar wasn't chocolate!). This year I have a little Christmas oodie from HoF bargain, and an elf drinking cup. He'll also get an advent calendar and another something to eat and something to read. So vaguely keeping to want/need/wear/eat/read, if you class the advent calendar as a need 😂

This ninjago build and stick dragon looks like a good deal for £5. LEGO® NINJAGO® Build and Stick: Dragons (LEGO® Build and Stick Activity Box) amzn.eu/d/3eOCOqX

The code New10 stacks with the discount for 10% off over £40. Unfortunately no delivery to ROI

This Melissa and Doug dinosaur wooden stamp set looks good for £6.60.

My children love their Christmas Eve box! That and their stocking are their favourite bits of Christmas I think. They get matching Christmas pj's, a new book and a film suggestion. I've put a game in sometimes too. Then every year they get their spwcial festive mugs, a plate for FC's biscuits, hot chocolate, marshmallows and popcorn. And I write a poem from the Elves each year, reflecting on their achievements, any big events that have happened and wishing them a fun evening. I've kept them all, and it's lovely to look back on. We don't do 1st December, North Pole breakfast or the dreaded Elf on the Shelf though!

We do a 1st December box - they each have their own painted wooden crate with their names on and they get:

Christmas pyjamas (bought in the sales the year before)
a new Christmas outfit (see above)
the relevant Christmas books for their age + a couple of new ones (keep in loft the rest of the year so they can rediscover them)
advent calendar
hot chocolate bombe

so nothing that they wouldn’t already get iyswim. I make quite a big deal of the 1st of December, so when they get home from school, all the bedding has changed to the Christmas bedding, all the toilet rolls have been changed out for Christmas themed rolls and the various diffusers / candles have changed to Christmas. The kids absolutely love it - it creates a real ‘advent’ feel that gets everyone excited!

deffo don’t bother with the elf and Christmas Eve is exciting enough as it is.

Just got an email from Whistlefish saying they have their Summer Bundle offer on this weekend only. You get 20 cards, 5 wrap, a notelet tin and free delivery all for £25.

I bought all of my next year's cards from them in their last offer a couple months ago and they are absolutely gorgeous cards, really lovely quality.

Thank you. I always love browsing for a new decoration for the tree each year.

CarrieMoonbeams
Seconded! Just had the e-mail - the quality is superb.

@HelloItsMeAgainHello we are another family that don't do Christmas Eve boxes/1st December boxes/elf on the shelf. I LOVE Christmas and we do loads of festive things together but DDs already get lots on Christmas day.

If you wanted to keep the Christmas Eve box but not have too much hassle personally I would keep the same things in there for every year. Stockings to hang up, a nice plate for Father Christmas's mince pie and Rudolph's carrot, a copy of Twas the Night before Christmas to read and a festive tablecloth to put on the table in preparation for Christmas dinner.

We do a 1st dec box here. In it goes an advent calendar, 24 Christmas books which we read one each night ending with the night before Christmas (these get reused each yeah), Christmas cutlery/plates etc (again reused each year), Christmas dolls (again reused) new pjs (not Christmas themed they are for the whole year) and that's it for now. My littles are only 2 and 3 so the box will remain the same for at least a few years then as they get older I anticipate adding in hot chocolate bits and a game/film where the plan will be to all play/watch together at some point in December. I plan on adding very few 'new' things to the box each year and some years I imagine it will only be the pyjamas that are new.

https://www.jaqueslondon.co.uk/

Great sale for wooden toys, beautifully boxed. 10% off with Summer10.

We have a huge pile of Christmas books and odds and ends we have amassed over the years. Mugs, Crafty bits etc. Each day over December I put them out and that's the book we read that day or craft etc. They like seeing the same books appear though oldest now 10 so may need to dump some of the very young ones. Every Christmas eve they get maching PJs, sometimes Christmas themed (if I was organised enough to get them in January) sometimes not, but always matching. They also get a pair on their birthday- just a wee tradition and they need a couple of pairs so it works out. I'd say do the odd tradition, but try not to succumb to buying loads new that they don't need. Keep things like books and Christmas themed tat (headbands, pens etc) and reuse them- they are delighted each time to see it again. Husband is very strict about the Christmas things all going away in January so they are only out for a month and are novel. Don't buy a new Christmas mug each year etc- remember your bargainous roots!

In keeping with the bargains...

Blue light cards bow available for teachers and school staff (I know people on here get some good discounts with these) and

This lego patches set looks good for £12.50 at argos.

here

Just seen this on Matalan’s FB page:

Just making that Summer holiday shopping trip a bit easier 😉 Be quick - ends today* 🏃‍♀️

*T&Cs apply: Free TY cushion with every in-store purchase of £30 or more when using a Matalan Me card. Products in giveaway may vary. Exclusions apply. Offer available in Matalan stores only during opening hours between Friday 9th August - Saturday 10th August 2024. Subject to stock availability one toy per customer. Subject to Matalan’s returns policy at spklr.io/6189sPxW. Ask in store for more details.

I’m currently all in on the Xmas stuff so we have

One 1st December box with the M&S multi buy pjs and some warm slippers, a game, random festive bits and the advent calendars put out

Christmas Eve box each with their stockings in and various bits and bobs - what I love about these though is they’re plain white card, and my husband draws a little picture each year of the thing our children are really into that Xmas (Winnie the Pooh/monster trucks/muppets etc) and the year underneath. Always makes me nostalgic.

we also do the book advent, and the Christmas dinosaurs bring them a craft or activity.

I explained that there is no elf on the shelf as the dinosaurs ate them

Bloody love these threads. Just ruined my own Xmas shopping by having a daughter in Australia who has just outlet shopped me loads of Ugg slippers

When my son was younger I put in Xmas craft stuff, hot chocolate home, Xmas pjs, colouring book, bath bomb etc.

Now he’s older I try to find a Christmas book which isn’t too babyish and I still put in hot chocolate bomb, bath bomb, Xmas pjs (he wears them all year round), key for Santa to get in the house and maybe some kind of gingerbread kit. Last year I got a reindeer one after than a gingerbread house.

i normally get the pjs from Primark as they do nice matching ones but have previously got some from Morrisons which were lovely quality and last year from Dunelm. I also got him a lovely fluffy Grinch hoodie from H&M last year.

Lots of the box ideas sound like things I put in stockings. That said I don’t have much storage so don’t want too much Christmas specific homeware. We do have a book advent and then some. Mine are teens now but a Christmas book in each stocking over the years has added up to a decent collection. We keep them all as we still enjoy reading about mog etc once a year. I think last year we added the hogfather.

Can someone post here if you see Lego wild flower bouquet on offer somewhere. I think cheaper to grab now than in November or December.

Tiger who came to tea puzzle is back down to £1.50

I don't do them, but I would just reuse items from year to year e.g. Christmas books.

@Sleeposaurus I do something similar except they get their Christmas pyjamas on 1st December to get a month's wear out of them! The Elf used to bring them with an advent calendar.