How many presents have you got yet?

[lovinglongerdays]

I like to be super organised for Christmas - I actually hate shopping so like to get it all done early so I can enjoy December rather than stressing re presents and food. I live by my many lists to ensure I have no last minute panics.
So far I've bought:
DH - a shirt. Hopefully he'll like it but it's very ...different!
DS1 football shirt of his team, a northern light led lamp
DS2 football shirt (same team as DS1) and PJs.
DMiL - bracelet
Still got away to go. Aiming to be completed by early Nov.

I start Xmas shopping in June/July when the mid-year sales are on. Get most of it done by October. So glad it's not just me! Found my tribe lol

I bought my first Christmas presents today. Mattel have released Wednesday Addams Monster High dolls, had to snap them up on their release day because they'll sell out and then people put them on eBay for insane prices.

My DD will lose her little mind when she gets them

My autistic son hates Christmas or birthday presents, as in will not open them and hates the routine changes. So I have just bought him
clothes yesterday for Christmas
I also got Christmas Eve pyjamas for everyone except me and DH.
This is very organised for me but now I'll probably stop and be panicking 23rd December.
My two teenagers won't give me any ideas what they want anyway.

I've wrote a list of ideas for who I'm buying for and so far I've got DS a Manchester united onesie , some umbro football shape bath fizzers and an umbro shower gel thing with a football shape sponge. DSisIL has a bottle of pink gin (on clubcard offer and paid for with points) DBro has a bottle of spiced rum also on clubcard offer. Said DBro get's married in October so should really sort that out first.
Would have done more but the shops here are full of Halloween tat and not much Christmas stuff.

I've ordered Monster high Wednesday too! She has no idea these even exist yet.

I've also got all 3 advent calendars sorted

Our autistic son doesn't do surprises. Especially present related, he has to know and have full involvement with what is purchased for him.

Unfortunately this has now led into needing to know what his siblings have.. which would be fine if he wasn't telling them what they have 🙈

Yess mam brownie points to us. Mine doesn’t know they exist either, it’s her two faves combined - Wednesday and Monster High. I’m so excited to give them to her 😁

Joining because I really hate all the December stress… I have bought one but I didn’t really mean to until September!

i usually start in october as there are always sales/toy sales on

summer is expensive enough
can’t be buying xmas presents yet
and my husbands birthday is november so i have to sort that out first

2! Feeling very happy about it. 1 present and 1 stocking filler. Put more money into the Christmas savings pot today too

I bought my first three this weekend. Craft kits for our young great nieces and a bottle of Peaky Blinders Irish cream for my aunt and uncle. The aunt and uncle will also get socks, as per our longstanding tradition. 😁

The only issue is that now I've started, I've got the urge to finish. 🤣

Bought more today. Got my DD a new Disney Descendants Bridget doll she’s going to be so excited! Also bought her a 2nd hand Disney Princess Christmas Cape

Got all DDs new Christmas PJs and slippers. DD7 also bought herself some bright pink tinsel to add to her princess themed Christmas tree 🌲

I started today… begrudgingly but with three kids if I don’t start now I’ll never get it done!

Ds 8, a Funko Indominus Rex. He has no idea what he wants for Christmas (other than a goldfish) but Jurassic World is always a hit with him.

Dd 6, Polly Pocket llama playset. This was a really good offer on Amazon.

Dd 2, My Little Pony flying truck playset.

I have also bought them all advent calendars. I normally do basic chocolate ones but this year I’ve pushed the boat out and got them toy ones. Ds has Jurassic world, dd1 has Polly Pocket and dd2 has My Little Pony. I’m sensing a theme here!

@BloodyWolves DD (almost 5) had the Polly Pocket calendar last Xmas and hasn't stopped playing with the bits since. You probably need somewhere to out the tiny bits (there ate a fair few), though, as we kept losing some of the smaller pieces...

I have bought :

2 hair products (M&S 25% off )
Ring

for DD (she approved of both , she's 22 )

DD wants to go shopping next week fir a winter coat , not a Christmas present she'll want to wear it the minute it gets cold !

@Flubadubba Is that the doll house one? I've been eyeing it for dd, who is a bit young but would love it. But she has a peppa pig house already...

The one we had wasn't that one (it was a bargain from a previous year). I wouldn't bother with PP before 4 or 5 tbh, as it can be a bit fiddly and frustrating!

@Flubadubba and @Nightmusichelp and @BloodyWolves

We've had both Peppa Pig and Polly Pocket, they are great and go with all the other playsets. Peppa has all been packed away now, everything is still in great condition so I’ve decided to keep it and pass it on to younger family at some point.

The Poly Pocket toys are still well played with by my 7yo. She’s very good at keeping all her PP together in a specific container with the tiny bits in a compartment lunch box. As the 3rd girl she’s been playing with them since forever so hard to say on age range as they have always just been there for her. my older 2 DDs10 & 12 will happily play Polly Pockets with her. The only incident we had was another child pulled a leg off one of the dolls.

Would absolutely recommend Polly Pocket.

You can also pick cheap mini sets up throughout the year with extra dolls in if they go missing.

Thanks @ITSSSSCHRISTMASSS it’s good to know Polly Pockets are good quality! I’ve never bought Polly Pocket toys before. My daughter is 6 and has an obsession with mini dolls. She’s also autistic and has always put things in her mouth but I’m going to trust her (with a lot of supervision!) to not try and eat them!

I’m on the hunt for one of the Wednesday monster high dolls. I may have no chance and I refuse to pay double on eBay but I live in hope! If anybody sees them come back in stock somewhere reputable I’d really appreciate a heads up 😊

@BloodyWolves If I see one I'll post. Cheapest currently is Amazon, amazon eu import £46 . I had one in my basket and never took it out . It keeps changing price. Worth keeping an eye on Very, Smyths and Argos too as they did have them in initially, they are bound to come back in stock before Christmas.

Keep an eye on the bargin sites, lots of MNers will help you.

Push comes to shove you can try dupes off sites like Aliexpress. Because my DDs aren’t into for want of better words the popular avalible trends, I’ve used them a lot for things they like. It was the only site I was able to locate a must have gift last year, retailers sold out more than 10 years ago and eBay were selling the item at more than quadruple the price and the chances were it was bought from aliexpress anyway.

It may not be the specific doll but you might get other merch as a substitute until your able to find one in shops.

As a family we do lots of cosplay and I do get a lot on these sites. We’ve also found a lot of the stuff sold from “official merchandisers” are actually the same as the stuff sold on sites like aliexpress, so I no longer feel guilty buying for them.

16 presents bought so far. Got a bargain game for DD at £6, it’s back to £23 now.
mum just keeping an eye out for good bargains currently

I just bought 15 things for DD12 from the Claire's 5 for £10 sale including Pusheen stationary, body mist/body wash, makeup, Harry Potter umbrella, card holder, hair clips etc so that's a good start on her stocking fillers. I already got her Harry Potter trivial pursuit for £2.99 from home bargains, a Ron Weasley pez dispenser and a golden snitch pen. I'm really hoping she's still obsessed with Harry potter by Christmas 😅

Very little. We do a little gift (£1-2) or a sweet each day in the advent calendar so I've ordered a few bits off Temu and bought a couple of things from charity shops to start us off, but nothing beyond that.

DD is 4, her tastes change quickly and anything I buy now she'll have lost interest in by December. She's also just started school so she may be ready for some early reader books by then, or she might not take to reading as fast, so I'm waiting to see.
SD 14 is picky and only wants what she's specifically asked for- she usually gives us a list after her birthday in October.
DH always says he doesn't want anything and then suddenly remembers a lot of things he needs/wants halfway through December.