Thread 4 - the one with our Guylian best before fate

[Reastie]

It was a toughie to pick the thread title this time!
Thanks to @RainbowZebraWarrior for the title For those interested, our fate is best before June of next year and the offer was regarding Guylian choices at B&M.

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)

I placed my Whistlefish order Sunday. I have just had a dispatch email plus a refund for £1.60 so I await to see what arrives. I ordered 3 sets of cards at 10 4 £10 and got the free wrap got free p&p and stacked with a welcome voucher so it was £25 ISH. At that price I'm not too bothered as my card box is fully stocked for a fair while now.

@DirtyDensDog if you're happy to PM me your address I will send you my set. I ordered one out of curiosity but tbh I'm struggling for anyone to give it to and have a feeling it will just end up in a cupboard otherwise as everyone in my family uses specific brands!

The Aldi ones are really awful but the Lidl ones in the white and see through box are even better than the real thing!

@Timelass how about a book? I’m thinking about an adult textbook or the reptile equivalent of Audubon for birds, with lots of serious illustrations and zoological notes.

I just googled ‘herpetology textbook’ and lots of serious study books come up.

The Lidl ones! Those are the ones! I couldn't quite remember, but yes! So very good! :)

Apparently so, the PP poster got me curious and I couldn't help but have a little Google.

Sorry for the confusion, I knew Snickers was previously Marathon but it just didn't cross my mind as it was before my time 🙈

My son is more into insects and we have bought him insects like scorpions encased in resin blocks in the past. He’s asked for a hornet this year.

@mummydoris2006 hello I have sent you a PM

For those into bones etc., e.g. @Timelass The Edible Museum sells chocolate curios including a crow’s skull, fossils and beetles. Plus very realistic human organs!

Her own website seems to be down but here’s the link her Holly Co page: Chocolate artefacts and organs

@MulberryPeony crocodile skull is going to take some beating as my favourite present request this year.
Some of us had owl pellets a few years back from a sanctuary that must have wondered about the demand surge. A stocking filler idea maybe?

How fantastic are they @HerInfiniteVariety ?

They look creepily real and come in packaging like you might expect a museum to use, with paper ‘straw’! I haven’t dared eat my heart yet but I know she uses good ingredients.

Boots have half price on FCUK gift packs and on brands, there are some hand cream gift packs for £2.50. link

Ah the site works now, and 10% off for signups. She supplies the chocolate toads stocked by Fortnums, good for wizardry fans!
Edible Museum

Wow @HerInfiniteVariety those are really quite something!

My DC got a chocolate fountain last year for Christmas and it's a lot of fun to roll out on high days and holidays (as well as hormonal days!!). You don't need oil if you use high quality couverture chocolate.

Hey Duggee fans, I've just got 10% off at Roy's boys when I bought the pjs, dressing gown and slipper socks. No code needed. The Duggee bobble hat and gloves are in the sale too.

Also 4 children's socks for £10 and lots of matching socks in adult sizes too. I got a Bluey set for our stockings.

They also do loads of Julia Donaldson characters.

I got a pop up for £10 off my first order over £50 but you can't use it with other discounts.

I went large on the gurked-up owl pellets and they were a yuge hit in my family...

I've been lurking for a few days but have popped out of the cave to say orghhhh those chocolate gifts. If I had tonnes of money you bet I'd be swapping a double decker for a chocolate crows head

My daughters got to remove bones from owl pellets at a class over the summer. We bleached the bones in a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water and then places them in tiny plastic cases like these. Would he enjoy excavating them himself before sketching them maybe?

I have these. Lovely slippers!

As It’s nearly Amazon Prime day, I will share my little tip for making sure I don’t miss out on a bargain when I’m not 100% sure about it. I will order it, but set my Prime delivery day for a week ahead, it means I have time to really think about it without risking it going out of stock. Just in case it helps anyone

does lidl do the nice seashell chocs that are like guylian?? thanks

@Timelass if you are interested in the owl pellets I believe I got them from the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary www.owl-help.org.uk/

Apparently so! But confusingly not the marathon bar now known as a snickers in the UK. I always get lots of requests to bring a suitcase full when I go back!