Christmas and Winter Prep

[FlatteredFool]

If there's an ready a thread please let me know and I'll get this one deleted.

Has anyone started prepping for winter and Christmas? My brexit stash is now my everyday prep stash and needs some additions especially baking ingredients. I've bought/ordered a few Christmas presents and am thinking about starting the decoration making.

Please share your tips for prepping.

Yes, well under way, it's partly for prepping reasons and partly stress relief! I did it last year & it was brilliant. I'm well into gift buying, already got cards/wrap/books/DVDs/jumpers etc. Food & drink wise I try not to go overboard & focus on those specific bits that feel like Christmas - Twiglets, Turkish Delight, shortbread, something fizzy etc. I also stocked up in early autumn things like marzipan, peppermint essence, all the baking bits.
This year I've bought craft stuff already, and new books, and various other bits!
Morriso's posh Turkish Delight had a relatively short date this time last year - ihad to eat the first try, unfortunately.
Winter-wise I get boots & coats now ish, and I'm picking up a few little activity toys to bring out occasionally if we get runs of bad weather (& potentially restrictions, just in case).

I try and buy small bits throughout the year so have some things already for the DC's I keep an eye out for alcohol offers and try add to shopping (not crazy but a bottle every so often) I always have paper left over or buy it on the sale just after Christmas. Also try stock on soft drinks before Dec just to try and spread the cost.

I’ve started thinking about Christmas. This week is mostly about getting the ideas together and sorting the budgets - and some I won’t be able to get until closer to the time, but plenty I can do now. I prepped early last year because I suspected lockdown would come - but it was nice to be organised!!

Food wise, I will not need loads, but am planning to get some bits once they cone into offers in the shops.

Winter preps - already got my cold/bad weather things, like for the car or if there is a powercut etc.

I love Christmas prep. My favourite is the Christmas chocolate stash. I posted under another name on the brexit prep threads and showed off my stash. Sadly it never lasts long!
We don't drink alcohol very often and I still have a bottle of Knock off baileys unopened from last Christmas and a bottle of wine from the Christmas before. We drank one bottle of wine on Christmas Day and I threw away at least half a bottle of baileys.
I didn't need to buy paper last year but will this year.
Food is never much more than normal as I always feel underwhelmed by the reality compared to the anticipation. As long as there's stuffing and cranberry sauce we're good.

There’s some good ideas on the Christmas board, great tips for bargains.

Must get new winter shoes. All my shoes ‘dissolved’ during lockdown, shoes split underneath, straps broken etc…. Have replaced sandals but need good waterproof shoes for work and some trainers too. A good reminder that prepping is not all about food and water. Luckily I don’t have small children to shod anymore, they are both old enough to purchase their own 🤣

And hopefully we will get a proper Christmas, with our families this year.

I’ve started. I managed to snag some Sanderson fully lined curtains for the front door from eBay for £17. We live in an old house and need something in the door in the winter. Last year I hung a blanket up but I thought I would treat myself this year.
I also managed to get some leather winter boots off eBay. They were brand new Clark’s chelsea boots. They will look smart enough for work and will keep my feet dry.

I will start with the food shopping in September. Not really much to buy apart from the extras - cranberry sauce, trifle mix, crackers, etc.

My gifts are slowly being made. 95% of the adults I gift to are crafters so enjoy homemade gifts. I have been crocheting throughout the year and have made washcloths and I’m going to have a go at making soap to go with them.
For my teenagers, I have picked bits and bobs up throughout the year but they will mainly have a budget and send me links to what they want.
I used the last of the wrapping paper last year. In January I purchased a 50 metre roll of brown paper. I will use that with ribbons.
I do need to think about getting the garlic in, planting bulbs in October and making sure we have our winter preps in.

One thing that has saved me a fortune is buying the too good to go boxes from lidl. As soon as I get them home I chop and flash freeze on a tray and then pop them in bags in the freezer. In this weeks box I had 11 peppers, 2 cauliflowers, a punnet of tomatoes, 9 plums, 8 pears and 6 bananas. A bargain at £1.50.

Am not in Uk so summer Christmas prep here! I was very glad to have put in orders for ipads two months back as they are taking forever (think it's something to do with chip shortage) - a very extravagant gift for kids but due to the pandemic, they missed out on once in a lifetime trip this year. i only gift consumables to anyone (other than kids/partner/younger children) and its generally champagne/wine/spirits/fancy foods, so have collected bottles throughout the year so thats ready to go. bought extra wrapping paper last year. will finalise gifting list in the next week or two.
bushfire season prep for us, so testing boundary sprinklers, water pump and evac plans (hate all this but nessesary)

After my parents rancid turkey disaster of last year I'm going to get some back up meat for the freezer. I'm thinking some steaks and some duck breasts that I can defrost.

Other than that I'd like to come up with a power cut proof plan for Christmas day

I want to start ordering things but we are trying to sell our house, if it sells we’ll be moving around the end of October 🤦‍♀️

This was mentioned on the Christmas Bargain thread www.theguardian.com/business/2021/aug/15/toys-could-be-in-short-supply-this-christmas-so-get-buying-now-industry-warns

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Grr, sorry. I'm done for ds. Thankfully he's not into the latest things and dds are teens and not wanting toys anymore. That article is worrying for those with little ones who do want the most popular toys. Due to Christmas shopping I have no money for general prepping but I'm making use of my stash of food and running it down ready for restocking. I have 3 winter birthdays and I find prepping a godsend especially as I always have birthday cake ingredients in stock.

I try and spread the cost of Christmas by buying gifts early, restocking household non perishables (tinfoil, detergent etc) in the September/October shopping, restocking non perishable foods (pasta, spices etc) after that.

From November I’m paying closer attention to the freezer, and eating up the things that have been sitting too long (though we’re not as guilty of this anymore). I batch cook meals that I freeze in single portions so I can cope with unexpected guests descending on us at some stage, as well as planned dinners. What doesn’t get used gets eaten in January.
I consciously try to shop less in December and January and rely on our stores.

By March our diet will shift away from roasts and soups and stews so the freezer gets filled up again but differently.

It’s not really prepping in the Armageddon sense. It’s just the annual cycle of housekeeping, but it means that I’ve checked and replenished backstock and we’re not caught short at Christmas which is busiest for entertaining. It’s driven by chronic disorganisation and forgetfulness (and adhd) I find it easier to buy different things in bulk at specific times. I’m absolutely hopeless at managing all this on a week by week basis.

Last year, I pulled my restocking forward to the summer period in anticipation of lockdowns and restrictions. I’m not as concerned this year (I hope I’m not being foolish).

I need to look at coats, kids shoes and do a check of light bulbs .

Marking my place for ideas. Last year I was so organized and I want this year to be the same.

I've just started my annual preps this week. Various jobs around the house and starting to make lists and replenish both household stocks and buying presents etc.

I’ve just ordered the kids Lego advent calendars, should be delivered tomorrow (last year I left it too late and the Star Wars ones had either all sold out or were selling for 4X the price online so not letting that happen again).

There is a M&S Christmas diffuser that I start using at the beg of Nov, I think I’ve seen them in store from end of Sept so will definitely pick one up then.

I’ve just added dried fruit and other ingredients to this weekend’s shopping order for the Christmas cake even though I don’t make it until late October. I also make toffee apple muffins for Halloween/half term week so I’ve also added some of those ingredients to the order.

DS needs a new winter coat, but the rest of us are fine. DD will probably need new wellies at some point so may just buy her next size up ready to fit into.

Ordered advent calendars, Bonn Mammon this year. It’s always been Lindt calendars but now they are in Uni I thought this would be better.

Not sure what to buy for presents. I’ve bought biscuits and biscuits for cheese this week. Crisps and other nibbles ordered for next week.

We have advent calendars and a Christmas pudding which I bought in the January sales.
I saw a nice joint of beef at the farm shop half price so have bought that and its in the freezer. If we don't use it for Christmas then we can have it another time, but its there just in case Turkey is unavailable.
I haven't actively started shopping for gifts yet but there are some things I've bought over the year when I've seen them.
I alsl have a cupboard full of things which I see on offer and put away for DDs little friends birthdays etc, so if needs be I will dip in to that for the kids stocking.

Need to start looking for stuff for stockings.

I was decluttering at the weekend and found some Boots gift cards that turned out the have £50 on them. I have no idea where they came from. DH thinks they might have been from his Aunt as a gift for our DD's that he forgot about.

(His Aunt passed away quite suddenly just before lock down started so it's all a bit muddled in our minds).

Anyway, I went to Boots today and was able to spend them to buy some beauty bits and pieces for the DD's stockings.

I am also planning a trip to the "Big Tesco" this week to stock up on Xmas baking ingredients and some frozen veg.

I am now a bit worried about this plan though as I have heard the queues for the petrol station there are huge and there's only one way in and out. I might wait till the week after and just shop on foot locally this week.

I'm doing little and often. I've picked up advent calendars for the kids today. Left it too late last year and everywhere had sold out by the end of November so gone the opposite way this year! Also picked up three small boxes of Lindt chocolate for stockings as they were part of three for £10 offer at Morrison's

I’ve just bought my Christmas pudding. The main Christmas presents have all been bought. Now it’s just the last few stocking fillers, and Christmas food. This year I’m planning to cook as much as possible in advance.