I've just finished all my Christmas shopping except for DH!!!

[soapbox]

I did it all on line!

Used Boots for most of it - and got £600+ of stuff for around £300 in total! Used a combination of there 3 for 2 offer and the discount codes from Hotdeals. DD got a camera that was £99 reduced from £240 and DS got a football table reduced from £67 to £31.50 and then was 3 for 2! Got him some magnetix and lego too!

I did a bit TK Maax shop a couple of weeks ago and that's me finished now!

DH wants some tools for his carpentry hobby so will tell me what he wants, and I've already got his stocking fillers

I hate shopping round christmas time with a passion, so lovely to get it all out of hte way!

(pointy finger emoticon) See the sad gt,
see the sad gt.

I like to get some of the christmassy feeling started to inspire me to Christmas shopping, altho I will probably do most of mine online this year.

Not sad git Easy - smug git

I do love Christmas but by getting the shopping out of the way I can concentrate on all the nice bits!

I am in planning mode at the mo. Getting the kids to research what daddy wants, watching them when they are watching tv adverts!! etc etc

Between now and then I have my mum's b'day, dh's b'day, our wedding anniversary, 2 x neices b'day, my dad's b'day, my brothers b'day, 2 x SILs b'day, most in December. Also Chanukkah so I am getting organised already

I have got 10 empty hamper baskets for all the mums/mil things and jams/chutneys/jelly's are under teh stairs. The kids will make spicy nuts, sweets and biscuits nearer the time. That solves loads of grown up's.

I need to start a list though, and check my present cupboard before I start buying in loads of new c**p there muct be presents that I have collected sitting there. Also at work we will have a beauty sale (we are a magazine company and get LOADS of stuff in) so I will get a few more goodies there.

I have a few extras this year as DD will be leaveing pre-school and she has about 20 various helpers (I have 20 pots of apple and blackberry jam for them!! just need to print a nice label!)

Oh well list writing needs to start!!

soapbox, it's not big and it's not clever

Oh yes it iiissss, oh yes it iiiiissss

I managed to pick up some lovely Penhaligon's scented candles in TK Maax for £5 reduced from £16, which will do for all the teachers and helpers etc, and some left over for other small prezzies. They are all beautifully gift boxed as well[smug][smug]

Crunchie - you sound very organised to me- all that lovely homemade stuff - do you need any new friends

Question abouts boots online do you get points and can you use points

You get points but I don't think you can use them online!

I save mine and buy all my makeup during the year with them!

I am only so organised as I have a HUGE apple tree in the garden and we had so many apples I didn't know what the to do with them all. Also a whole hamper of goodies will cost less than £5 a head, so I am saving money, and the teacher pressies cost less than 50p each

I just need to pop into my local fabric remnant shop and buy a few m of gingham, a few elastic bands and pretty them up a bit If I do stuff like this NOW I am enjoy the main shopping more IYKWIM

I only really have weekends free and most of them seem booked up already- weekends visiting friends, weekends with friends here, sleepover parties for DD, fireworks displays, dancing exams, MN night out, couple of short breaks, christmas fairs, christmas parties, trip to lapland etc etc etc.

I find the present buying the least Christmassy bit of Christmas - I love just being able to do all the nice bits without having to worry about trecking to the shops!

I strive to be as organised as you!

Soapbox - are you coming to the SE London Mum's Christmas Curry Meet-up on 19th December? Probably Blackheath. Would be nice to have a proper chat.

Stop bumping this thread...........................It is depressing

The run up to Christmas is a bit of a mare- but if I can fit it in I will do!

Ive been worrying about getting the chrsitmas shopping done due to me being in plaster.
What a great idea soapbox...m just looking at the Boots site now..can you give me a link to the hotdeals you used plaese?

hotdeals

You can only use one voucher type once. So I did my order in £100 pound lots and got the £15 off, then the 1500 points, then used the £5 off 25 on my next one etc!

Key thing is to make sure you make the most use of the 3 for 2 (keep prices similar for 3 items and you get more off - so e.g. £24, 25 and 25 - get 24 off rather than 24, 25, and 12 - only get 12 off)!

HTH

I agree that it is depressing,, GENUINELY depressing! Christmas shopping is the last thing on my mind.. can't even afford food shopping!

I hate you.

Nuff said.

And I have my entire family (parents, 2 sisters with assorted husbands and fiances and 3 nephews and one niece) all coming here!!!!!

Aggh, I'm normally pretty organised - I have to be as I have one ds birthday at end of october, a plethora of friends' birthdays in Nov, my dh birthday and mum in early dec and my other son's birthday on Dec 23rd! BUT this year I have cocked up, forgotton about the time and done nothing!
Crunchie - how do you fill a hamper for £5? Like the sound of spicey nuts - care to share a recipe??

Ive so far bought Jess 2 xmas presents (a puzzle and a book) and that is it.... and only because they were cheap.

Pop this baby first - THEN i can think about xmas!!!

Fullmoonfield. I have been making Jam like a demon. Bought about 100 jars off internet for £30 (so 30p each) Apples are free (my tree) as are blackberries. So Sugar for jam is about 10p a jar. Each person will get Apple & Blackberry Jam, Spicey apple Chutney, Chilli apple jelly. total cost £1.50 for 3 jars. Hampers were £17 for 10 on ebay, I am buying about 100 little cellophane bags off ebay (£2) to fill with homemade sweets/biscuits/nuts.

Big ribbon and is done That will do for My mum & Dad, and my two DB's and SILs (we only buy token pressies anyway) DD1 teacher will get one, as will Godparents.

Spicy nuts I can't remeber recipe I use, but I know it has spices and also herbs like rosemary. I am sure I have the recipe at home in my Christmas stuff!! There are loads of american recipes online which sound good too. Nice for kids to make as it involves mixing nuts in herbs/spices, spreading on baking sheet and cooking. Easy peasy.

OMG soapbox - I feel sick!! I don't even know what to get yet, never mind start shopping!

Well done you!