Christmas shopping!

[Gemini]

I know Daisy!!!!

Have you started, have you finished?!

My GS1 has his birthday today, and I usually don't start any Christmas shopping before then.

However, I saw lovely little bag in Majorca in August, which DD2 will love.

This week I successfully bid on Ebay for a Fisher Price Jumperoo for GS3. They are £80 to £100 new, so used ones in excellent condition are the way to go!

Yesterday I ordered a pretty and warm blouse for my mum from Cotton Traders.
I have also ordered some nail varnish for OH's Christmas stocking. She likes her toes painted in summer but unlike me refuses to pay for gels (£15 and look pretty and last me weeks, worth it in my opinion )

That's it so far. I need to find out what the other 3 GC would like.

[Plantaholic]

Goodness me Gemini, I need to get my birthday and holiday over first. They sound like very good presents, I usually ask the parents of the GC what to buy and I ask the adults what they would like or their partners give me ideas. I think Daisy is hiding in the cupboard.

[Oma]

We haven’t even started yet , usually we are well on the way but we are doing things different this year .
We sort of started last year and it was a great success,

We are doing secret Santa for the Adults ,
DD friend has all our family names and chooses who will buy for who , puts the names in envelopes and DD deals them out .

Last year I had SIL to buy for and B had SILs Mother , we had such fun getting surprise gifts and not knowing who bought them .
We set a price of £25 per gift
So little stress and less expensive .

We are waiting to hear what the GC want , we still buying them gifts ,
although we are cutting back on how much we spend on them this year ,

GS 1 is a Adult now and mostly wants money
GS2 at 14 will most likely want the same
Lord knows what GD wants , she’s into fashion now so maybe clothes 😁

[Gemini]

I think the Secret Santa idea is a good one Oma.

[Nanto2girls]

I have got a few Christmas presents. Lynx sets for the men and Dove sets for the ladies.

This morning i spent about 2 hours on Amazon looking for gifts.
We have accumulated quite a bit of money in there and i thought i might as well use it.
I looked at boxes of chocolates but a few reviews have said they were out of date,or very close to their date.
I will have to check with the sellers and find out about the dates.

[Lizzie48]

I am in the cupboard with Daisy, The key thrown away!

[Grauntie Mag]

😆 @ Lizzie.

I have decided we will do ‘make it or buy from a charity shop, £5 limit.’ The cheapest and worst gift is the winner. We have done this in the past, and it was very funny, but it drifted back to proper presents. The children will all get proper gifts as usual.

[Daisy]

Lizzie, it's nice in our cupboard, isn't it! Far less stressful with our seasonal bottle of Egg Nog and a big chocolate Santa.

I don't know about you, but I shall cautiously slip out sometime after 1st December to dip my shopping toe in the water!

As far as ideas go, I like Grauntie's best for the grown-ups.

[Gemini]

I have now done most of the present shopping. I still need something else for GD, which may have to be a voucher.
A couple of bits for OH's stocking and a couple of small things for the 3 boys, then I am done I think.

[Oma]

We bought last presents today for GS1
The two youngest are getting cash in envelopes , GS2 is like GS1 just wants clothes so he can go buy his own ,
Same with GD she wants To go buy her own stuff so they were easy ,

We have done our secret Santa B got our DD to buy for, I got James SILs Dad , and his Mam got SIL so we have sorted that for her , All my Food shopping is done apart from perishables and a few treats we want .
Now we don’t host like we used too we don’t need the stuff we used to buy . A much easier and cheaper Xmas this year 😁

[Daisy]

Well done to those who have finished or nearly finished their shopping. Extra brownie points if you've already got wrapping paper but the major trophy goes to anyone who has wrapped and labelled Every Thing.

I've got a present for GS2, because DIL ordered it for me and had it sent to our house (I have paid her for it!)

OH wants something for wood turning, but he's allergic to buying new and is looking round for a second-hand (sorry, pre-loved) whatchamacallit. He will have to point me in the direction of it as and when!