Thread 3 - The one with the Grim Giftsets

[Reastie]

Thanks to @SpottyBumPony for giving us such a grim code

I've spent the afternoon going through the Christmas list and feeling very overwhelmed about how much to get and how much it'll all cost. I need to get control and organised.

Greetings and welcome one and all to a friendly and joyful corner of mn - the Christmas bargain thread. Here, we share Christmas present purchases, ideas, links and discount codes, with the aim to spread the Christmas magic and joy and reduce the financial stress.

It's a very busy thread, so see the tips below for helping everything run smoothly and avoiding repetitions of Cookiegate etc al. It's a lovely, friendly bunch and I'm so grateful to each and every one of you for building such a warm, fuzzy and generous spot on mn. I know I've save so much over the years and am so grateful to all of you for sharing.

Pull up a sleigh and relax with a mulled wine and mince pie, for Christmas has nearly arrived!

@ me if you need anything or you want to let me know anything - the thread moves so fast I can't always keep up so this really helps

A few pointers to make everyone’s life easier and the thread be as useful as possible:

• It’s handy to put in bold the bargains so they’re easy to spot
• No affiliate links
• No need to place mark or post messages of hello or thanks at the start of a new thread - use the ‘watch thread’ button
• Be nice or leave

The current referral thread for sharing referral codes https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/4940918-4940918-bargain-referrals-thread-6 . Please use this rather than this page to share referral links to make the sharing fair.

To make clicks links, you set it up like this only without any spaces apart from between the website and the word(s) you’re writing: www.bargainsahoyeveryonecomehere.co.uk

Thanks @RainbowZebraWarrior for the instructions below.
To make something bold, put this star * either side of the word you want to bold (with no spaces in between)

So starhellostar would look like this.

hello

Obviously use the * not the word star

Some of the below is copied and pasted from previous years, so do @ me if the links don't work

Stock informer is a handy site http://www.stockinformer.co.uk/default.aspx?fullsite=1

Camelcamelcamel is a great amazon price tracking tool http://uk.camelcamelcamel.com

The following links compare price products including postage
www.find-book.co.uk
www.find-cd.co.uk
www.find-dvd.co.uk
www.find-game.co.uk (as in PS4/xbox etc)

Bit random but I was in Ikea last night & they have a few bits that would be nice stocking fillers
...milk frother tool £1
...chair to stand your phone on.....got one to go away for my tween but she spotted it & nabbed it!
Sweets, cute bedside lights, lots of Xmas bits coming out

I bought this make up set yesterday in Boots for £5. They had few bits at half price as special introductory offers but you couldn’t use the 3 for 2 offer on them.

Thanks to @Someaddedsugar’s recommendation yesterday of photo advent calendars. I bought six yesterday morning and they’ve already arrived this morning with a cute little freebie too! Didn’t realise they are a small biz but I’m genuinely really impressed. I ordered the cotton bird ones a few years ago which were bigger but more expensive £18 each I think. These https://porkypenguin.co.uk/collections/christmas-gifts ones are smaller but stand up like a card would on a mantle piece etc.
It was really easy to order just using the photos on my phone and I like that you can say who the calendar is for and they’re packaged individually in envelopes with labels.

(Cotton bird just threw them all in together and told me to open the back when I said I didn’t know which was which but that ended up ripping one of them as the adhesive was so strong)

I ended up getting one for us and one for each set of grandparents and some aunts etc.

The QVC Molton Brown offer is available for pre order.

For any beer lovers Vocation Brewery have free delivery until the 13th October on orders over £20

Just picked up a couple of bits in the Regatta sale, there are a few bits which may help with stocking fillers or a main gift for an outdoor person. I've bought a fold up BBQ for a very awkward BIL who goes on fishing weekends! Also, 5% cashback on Quidco

I have a weird request 🙈 Can anyone recommend a gift for our lovely neighbours who are into gardening and hiking and are age 80+? We've done the booze and chocolates gifts and I'm really stuck this year. They are the nicest people, though we don't know them that well they always get DC Easter / Xmas gifts. And I just want to get them something lovely ♥️ Budget isn't huge - max £30

https://www.thetoyshop.com//baby-pre-school/2-3-years/Happyland-Bath-Time-Boat/p/540368?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuc2tiKjviAMVu4dQBh3SYgC3EAQYBSABEgKsj_D_BwE

This has been our longest lasting and most played with bath toy by miles! We've had it about 5 years and both of mine have played with it loads. It's quite easy to clean so has lasted longer than everything else. 20% off at the moment but happyland always seems to be on offer

Flask? There’s great stuff on the ordnance survey website, I got some really nice walking books on there last year. I will find the name of them.
they’ve got 25% off some stuff at the moment

shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Nice wooden sound blocks which are well reviewed and would make a great gift for a 1 year old reduced to £5.77 on amazon

here

@Amazonmulu something like this?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crystals-Garden-Kneeler-Gardening-Green/dp/B0B82P1JHB

@Amazonmulu

https://shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/cambridgeshire-40-town-country-walks/

it’s these ones, they have loads of different areas. They are small though so more of an add on than a lone gift

Grandson had those and he loved them, played with them for a couple of years. A bargain at that price.

8 lip smacker coca cola flavoured (Fanta, sprite coke) etc lip balms £7.50 in amazon

here

Yes, I made two orders last month. One had half the stuff cancelled before dispatch despite still showing as in stock on the website, the other had items on the invoice but missing from the parcel. Took them three weeks to reply to my email!

posting this in case it helps anyone - money off at The Entertainer

doh! would hep if I attached the pic 🤦‍♀️

@Elpheba these look fab. Did you find a discount code for them?

@Amazonmulu I really like these bird baths, feeders and other wildlife/garden related items from the National Trust:

https://shop.nationaltrust.org.uk/garden/garden-decor/birds-wildlife.html

I think smyths tend to do a 'spend xx save x' rather than a sale.

OHS look good .
4 items in basket .

I think I need Hot Chocolate help !

Selection box /different ones in a set ...sort of thing .
Person loves hot chocolates and would be nice to try out different flavours maybe ?
Or brands if the advent hot chocolate thing exists !!

@issantahereyet someone bought us foam alphabet and numbers set which has been brilliant as the DC are learning to read and write. We've had them since they were tiny, so started off playing with the numbers, then introduced their name, now the oldest is at school they're all sorts of fun. They also act as a whole host of other things, from floats for the plastic animals which swim around at bath time, to pretend food when they want to play 'burger shop' ala Bluey. Good for years.

Hobbycraft currently have some paint by numbers for adults sets half price, £5.25 down from £10.50. They are lovely pictures. Might be a good gift for an arty/crafty teen or adult. Buying a couple for my hard to buy for aunt!

Also had problems with Claire's online.

Where possible I try to avoid this shop and find alternatives that are massively cheaper!

There are posts upthread for a £2 gardening book, and some cheap seed packets - would these be a suitable gift? You could make a hamper with them, and then get an afternoon tea set or something as well