Planning ahead for Christmas

[rhubarbhandsoap]

I love this Christmas board!

Fellow Christmas lovers - this is my first year of super-early organisation and I am loving it!

Please share, other than gift buying, what else do you do / buy / plan / organise ahead, and when do you do it?

I think they do food to order and collect and the slots open around 25th September!

@Hedjwitch I’m so sorry for your loss and that you might not have all your DCs at home, sending you a big hug ❤️

I don’t know if it’s any help but I remember last year a thread by a lady who was going to have Christmas alone and asked for suggestions of what to do, and the replies were so heartfelt with lots of good ideas.

@HelpMeDrRanj I love it! I just asked DS10 (also a big Christmas fan) what your DC might like and he said: lights to make it cosy, decorations, something on the table you can help yourself to (like roast potatoes), something interactive “like one year we all had party poppers” (I had completely forgotten that) and lastly to hold back a Christmas present and surprise them with it at the end. I don’t have anything better to add 😂🙌💖

Oh how lovely! Crossing everything for you both! 🤞🏼🍀

Has anyone bought any wrapping paper yet?

I'm starting to think I'm wanting wrapping paper for santa presents that aren't seen in shops if that makes sense 😂 my 6 year old noticed everything and I know fine well she'll be like "that's the same wrapping paper as santa" 😂

Aww that's lovely! Oh yes if you can start sorting the room now. I thought I'd still have lots of time even when pregnant and I didn't 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

@PumpkinSpicedTea buy from a shop you don't usually go to?

Or she can be still doing up the room to try and induce labour when the time comes 🤣

Yeah that's what I'm thinking, need to think of places.

@PumpkinSpicedTea if I buy any more wrapping paper my DD will disown me. I literally have about 40 rolls in storage. Last year I decided on a vintage theme so got some old (mostly used) sheets off Etsy from the 70s. I honestly cannot not buy anymore.
Funnily enough I kept waiting for the 'why does Santa use the same paper as us'. But actually it was 'does Santa also shop at Tesco'? that led to the scales falling from my son's eyes. My DD claims she asked me outright and I told her the truth and she tells me now (19) that she wished I'd lied for and couple more years!

My kids are grown up now but we all still have stockings filled with all manner of useful..nonsense and funny little gifts. I shop throughout the year for these and get some bargains in the process.
Starting in about April I start buying extra items in my weekly shop and storing them away.. loo rolls. Baked beans..pasta etc.
I make cottage pies casseroles tagines and fishcakes ready for eating during December.
All through the year we put a set amount of money away in a bank account each week and I save all the change and add that too.
I also 'doctor ' the Christmas crackers. The gifts in them are always naff anyway so I pop in something small that the particular person will like. Re- tie the cracker with fancy ribbon and write the recipients name inside one end so everyone gets the right cracker

I'm already half way through Xmas shopping too I'm always early and best to be!! Most of the very expensive things I'd be buying eg consoles and accessories are all on offers which would be double price and out of stock come November 😄

Yeah that's what I'm thinking, need to think of places.

Tesco
Sainsbury's
Asda
Lidl
Aldi
Waitrose
WH Smiths
Boots
B&M bargains
Home bargains
John Lewis
M&S

This is how I discovered he wasn’t real as a kid! So FC deliveries always have Santa themed paper and we definitely don’t!

Last year I bought too much so I’m risking that I’ve got enough to do the stockings this year!

Love it! 🎄

Amazing well done!! 🥳🥳

I’ve got a few specific things in an Amazon wish list I’m hoping for a price drop on and then it will just be waiting to see what DH wants (at the last minute) 🙃

I’ve had big rolls of Santa paper from primark before. Not sure how early they’ll be in stock!

Yes same with the Amazon list too always waiting for the drop in price ;)

Thank you 🎅

That's my worry haha. I'm sure I got Primark santa paper last year, it was kraft paper with santa heads on it.

Oh the vintage ones sound right up my street!! Going to have a look now. Thank you!!

We avoid this because Santa only does stocking presents and they aren't wrapped

@Hedjwitch can you just nominate another day and do Xmas when they can all be there? That's what we have to do with all our adult dc. We have 6 between us, 4 of them are over 18 and working and living elsewhere so we are doing our big family Xmas on the 21st as that's the day we can get all of them together.

@HelpMeDrRanj we got some table clothes from John Lewis last year that were very Xmasy (and not very expensive) - those wipe clean ones so no one was worried if they spilt stuff on them (they would probably make some stylish people wince but they were perfect - light green with Xmas trees on and a paler one with robins on). I put some scented candles down the middle (but obviously judge if your kids are too young for that!).

I remember a thread on Mumsnet where people had these 'table bombs' for the party table. Not really my thing but I bet some Xmas versions exist!