Waiting for the groans ...but Christmas.....

[winnie1]

.... is not that far away and I've got so many birthdays in between have decided to start thinking about it now. I have done a search here and come up with some website ideas but have decided I am doing almost all present buying on line this year. Please tell me all your favourite shopping sites. Am particularly stumped re: men and people who seem to have everything ... Help.
TIA

For children, definitely Urchin.co.uk and Letterbox - I think I bought everything for all children from those two last year.

Oh winnie, me too! I hope you get some good ideas as I'd like to do all mine by the end of the summer holidays ideally, since my due date is 21 Nov. You could try iwantoneofthose.com for men who have everything, great brick shaped lights that change shape, they really are very cool and lots of other stuff too.

hawkins or iwantone of those

is suggesting amazon too obvious?

Gadget Shop for men/kids (same thing!). Ditto Urchin and Hawkins. ALso posh shops like Halycon Days and Liberty, gift magazine subscriptions, gift memberships such as National Trust and Eng Heritage, museums usually have online shops and original gifts........

ditto - am trying to get it all done before November (due at the end of Nov). Although when I say am trying - I haven't done a thing yet but I plan to.

Try the book people - great for books and they have free delivery when a certain amount is spent on-line.

A good toy site if you're looking for standard things but a huge range is Mail Order Express . They have everything you can think of; I was looking everywhere for Feltkids- thay have tham. Large sets of Geomag- thay have them. Endless Playmobil stuff. No cheaper than the high street, but worth it for the scope. A place I've found useful for adults with any interest in technology and cameras is 7 Day Shop . They have lots of cheap bits and pieces like CD holders, mini-tripods and so on, and are also a good source of cheap printer paper and cartridges.
I wish I could just put my "Favorites" file on here!

I can really recommend 'Iwantoneofthose' and 'Firebox' for men.

I've done quite a bit of christmas shopping already, I'm trying to be really organised this year.

I've ordered quite a lot of clothes for my nieces from Kays, they've now got a discount zone and I got some really good bargains.

I also ordered quite a bit from \link{http://www.bakerross.co.uk\Baker Ross . They have some really cheap craft stuff and loads of pressies for party bags etc.

New Era do all the Hama Beads and I've got loads of these. We're making christmas decorations with the glittery ones!

Oops seem to have totally messed up those links.

www.kaysnet.com
www.bakerross.com

Next time I won't try to be clever!

You must stop this thread now, you're spoiling my summer

winnie - for men, definitely firebox.co.uk (or may be .com). full of incredibly useful things that men can't live without. like table football and remote control stunt cars and god knows what.

saved my bacon last xmas!

oh sorry nursie, you already mentioned firebox. I second nursie!

Happy Puzzle (can't be bothered to look up the exact name or website - probably just .com) - got everything for everyone from two year olds up to 96 last year (cos I was too pg to do anything else)

Oh god. You've just reminded me that I've got to do everything by the end of november (due 3 Dec) - which effectively means during maternity leave whilst 36+ weeks gone.
Does anyone else absolutely hate this charade of buying yet more stuff for adults who already have everything they could possibly wish for? Or worse, being expected to come up with ideas for your own presents, when you already have everything you could possibly wish for?? Bah, humbug!!
Maybe this year I will fulfil my fantasy of making home made sweets and other goodies for everyone - might even have the time being maternity leave....or maybe I'll just say 'sorry, too busy having a baby'

Anyone got any ideas for edible treats I can make 4-6weeks in advance?

Vry funny CAM and at first I agreed but now it's got me thinking.
Elliot - these aren't really edible treats but last year I made my own piccaliiy and bottled it into lovely jars with nice labels and gave them to step-father & FIL as stocking filler presents - that was't all they got from me, I'm not that tight. One of my best mates also makes her own pickled onions and stuff too.
Just an idea thrown in to be thrown out again!

message withdrawn

edible treats in advance - what about homebrew? No, stop laughing.... we make beer and peach schnappes; dh is quite happy with the beer (get a decent kit not 'bargain beer' and the Prohibition kits for making liqeurs are brilliant - the peach schnappes tastes exactly like archers, but you make 6 bottles for about £10 (you have to buy a demijohn and siphon etc the first time, but then you just keep doing it) - put them in nice bottles with personalised labels for presents.

OMG - Homebrew! DH's grandpa gave us a bottle of his homebrew every year. I have no idea how to drink the stuff and usually mix with lemonade as it is lethally alcoholic. Delicious. Unfortunately he died earlier this year so I hope DH's gran keeps up the tradition

People who have everything always like champagne IME! Amazon for all books & abebooks.com for unusual books,first editions and out of print volumes. I am gradually persuading more and more people not to give me presents! There's nothing I want except possibly wine or book tokens. Don't want more knick knacks in my already cluttered house and don't want more stuff that's quite nice but not what I would have got for myself IYKWIM. I'm sure others must feel the same. Instead some of my friends agree to go out for dinner together as our presents to each other and to ourselves. Even my stepdaughter doesn't want presents this year (!!!!) and ds is too young to realise.

Are book tokens a good idea? I LOVE getting them. So does everyone else I know.

Thanks everyone... I have been away for the weekend and was rather dreading returning to this thread (am embarrassed) but hey... Mumsnet does it again Glad I am not the only mad soul thinking this far ahead. A Christmas present arrived this morning and I had to stop myself buying wrapping paper at lunch but really want to avoid Christmas Eve wrapping presents so may just get on with it.

Cam. all I can say is 'sorry'.

I have absolutely cut my gift list to a very, very few presents as I agree that most of the people I know are in the lucky position of having everything they want. I give gift tokens to my nieces & nephews, nothing to brothers/sisters/BILs/SILs - I send my parents a hamper (they send us one - we choose exactly the one we want!!) - I have no PILs - & I exchange small, frivoulous (usually foodie!) gifts with two close girlfriends. DH & I choose something for the home ie: a picture or go out to the theatre; DS is only 2 but I put a few things on one side that are 'passed down' to him throughout the year!!

Like robinw I get a lot of pleasure out of doing shoebox schemes and buying for our local church scheme which gives to the women's refuge.

I am horrified by the amount of gifts DS is given each year - a lot of them get given away as he is too young to notice but I suppose that won't last for ever.

Am I mean or just realistic?

Good thing about not speaking to horrid family is that I don't have to buy half as many presents as I usually would - my llist is going to be about 20 people long as opposed to the usual 50!!

AM taking down all of these sites and am starting buying now - have little money each month so this has spurred me on.