Its that time of year again... XMAS

[misscutandstick]

I only have 5, and have started the xmas shopping - otherwise we wouldnt have time or money to get it finished in time...

How does everyone else do it? when does everyone else start? Have you changed toy buying habits as the numbers increased? AND most IMPORTANTLY, what sort of budget do you set, and can you stick to it???

AND OTHERS:
When do you start? during summer - but all year if good offers are on.
Stockings? YES - budget £15
MAIN plus extras? Yes
Shared toys? some, but not many.
CASH? NO
Total budget per child? about £300-£400 (ish!) but babies dont get anywhere near that as they dont really need it.
Toy buying habits? have had to scale down as A)no room for as much! B)same amount of money has to be shared between more children. I HAVE LEARNED TO BUY WHT THE CHILD MIGHT LIKE AND NOT WHAT I THINK THE CHILD SHOULD HAVE!

We spend very modest amounts at Christmas unless they happen to need something around that time (eg, if they need new bikes).

I find with five kids that the sheer amounts of 'stuff' is overwhelming, so like to limit it to 2 or 3 things each.

I usually start thinking about it in December.

Our Christmas priority as a family is not about getting things, and I think the children's expectations are very appropriate.

{hugs} Bree - DH and the kids love the snowman too!

Marslady - I dont know if you've seen the 'Eee Pc' (using linux) its cute as a button, and only around £179... BUT its an absolute bugger to type on so i really wouldnt touch it with a barge pole . DH is the one with PC's and stuff, he recommends www.ebuyer.com and his was a HP laptop, its a better brand than the cheaper ones from stores such as tesco etc. Keep your eye on ebuyer, they have some brill deals coming and going, delivery costs is next to nothing and arrives safe, secure and quick.

We have parcels coming and going all the time (between AVON, and others, and i used to do ann summers) so theres always been boxes hanging about - plain sight hiding is the best! They got bored of looking at shampoo and knickers and dont even notice boxes anymore! tho it has to be said that by the time xmas arrives it looks like a warehouse around here!!!

Hawkins is good, have bought a few things from there - and often if you scout around the voucher codes websites you can get a few quid off.

Thanks Miss. Was thinking of getting him one for his birthday which is in December. Will bookmark that site (esp as I promised to get my mum a laptop for her birthday)

im sorry Juule - i think i may have unwittingly offended you - "bah humbug" was meant as an off the cuff remark, not a direct attack on how you feel about xmas. apologies for this miscommunication. It was meant as if i was being tutted at for mentioning xmas in August.

You are buying your mother a lap top ??

Does she know to use one ?
Is she still here ?

Has she sorted out your garden yet ?

Yes, with my sisters. She's just completed a computer course but she'll be going back to JA in a couple of months and needs something that she can take back with her. It's when she's mastered t'internet that I'll faint with shock.

My garden is still a wildlife paradise. We have many blackberries and have lost a fair few balls. Love my garden!

Have visions of her standing over a PC that has not not been switched on, shouting Mars girl is you ignoring me.

At christmas my little ones get 3 or 4 small presents each, what with gifts from family for each of them there is no room, plus I think the getting together having a nice meal watching the tv together etc is more important than the present opening which lasts all of 5 minutes!!!

i have been reading your posts, riven {hugs} and know have read what a thoroughly crappy time you are having at the moment. It really makes me feel so lucky, when i read how tough it has been and continues to be for your DD. Im sorry, ive been so insensitive and really didnt mean to make you feel so bad , i just get carried away - and forget to consider other people before opening my mouth and putting my size 12's in it. sorry

Stop apologising,MN is about debate and discussion.

Just think, this would have been a very short thread, if you had posted and no one replied because we all agreed with you.

Yes

And there should be robins posing cheekily on a spade, with it's head cocked to one side.

jade - we get together every evening for a nice homecooked meal, 3/4 evenings we play family games (rapido, uno, WII games). Dh projects at the moment include making short films (usually sci-fi) with the kids. bike riding (wether permitting) and Dr Who nights are also a firm favourite. I am not trying to 'buy' my children, i dont need to. We enjoy xmas the way we do it. We dont have much family, but the children look forward to seeing them at christmas, to give them presents. My children enjoy seeing what their siblings get too, and squeal with excitement for them - so its not a case of having it just for themselves either. Stockings are opened in me and DH's bedroom, then when we are all ready, we go downstairs to see what father xmas brought. They are very patient when the younger ones get over excitable and open theirs too!

Ours is not a perfect family, there are squabbles too - just like any family, but i enjoy that i can 'spoil' them at christmas, and they enjoy that too.

misscutandstick - size 12's??? shoe's must be a bitch

RIVEN - ahhhhh yesssssss those were the days... well actually i only remember one christmas where it did a decent snow (easily a foot in snow!!!) I think i was no older than 5 (OMG some 30yrs ago ), but i remember it vividly - fantastic!

BREE - we have the odd robin around (i understand they are very teritorial and attack other robins), but they do tend to pose nicely if you point a camera at them, they are nearly as bad as seals and dogs!

Not forgetting the xmas cards 'as-many-as-you-can-carry' for a quid (and im not talking the nicer ones from poundland! god alone knows where these ones come from), that dont even stand up! with the baubles on the front with half melted candles... whoever invented them surely needed shooting!

riven i just bought a preowned gamecube from either game or game station (cant separate them in my head) for £5 with controller and all cables needed. pre owned games start from 99p, you can get 4 decent ones for £20. i know its not the most up to date thing but my kids love it! they will remember the little things, put reindeer food outside, fill the room with balloons. make a special tradition like hot choc and marshmallows on xmas eve while you sniggle together.lots of things make xmas special for kids, its not just the presents.

i will be starting xmas in a few weeks, get the last birthday of the year out of the way and then xmas shopping begins. my 4 are all under 10 and quantity is the main thing for them. i usually get them about 15 items, several of those will be from the pound shop. main present for oldest 3 (who know what is happening) might be anything from £10 - £40/£50, i try to make it look equal but i dont spend the same amount on them. 1yo ds might get £20 or thereabouts. no real plan, just get them something nice. i do stockings aswell (or rather father xmas does), they get filled with party bag type stuff and chocolate coins. i also have many lists and dh is banned from looking in carrier bags any time after september. anything on special offer is snapped up, if i buy too much i save the rest for birthdays.

i am just finishing knitting ds birthday pressie and then i will start making xmas presents, i did it one year and now they expect a handmade present, its nice to be appreciated

i love xmas!!!!

sniggle? [hmm}

insert your own word there

o fgs.

i am just getting to that point with my eldest, i warned him that his xmas pile would start looking small compared to the others because everything he wants is now tiny but expensive. he reckons i should keep the piles the same size and just spend more on him. i guess its worth asking but i hope he doesnt hold his breath

I only have 3 children, but Ive got a box under my bed of things I have collected through the year already.

I spend up to about £40 on each of them (they are all under 5yo) and then stockings from father christmas (actually my dad!)

THey get gifts from family and friends, so by the time the day is here there is no room to move.

Got 4 birthdays before christmas though, mine, DH, DD2 and DS!