8th Annual Christmas Thead

I love this thread. I'm new to the whole posting thing. I have really never read many of the posts other than trip reports. I'm glad to find this one as i want to be involed! Christmas is such a hectic time of year but it is special when you have younger ones and that special Christmas magic will be over before you know so i really try to slow down and enjoy it. My family suffered a horrible tragedy in Jan of 2013 when we lost my cousin in a car wreck. She was a mother of at the time 6 year old boy and a 6 month old girl. We are a close family sunday dinners at Granny's so it has been extremely hard the past few years to get in the spirit. But we knew we had to for her babies and the other grandkids. My DS b.day is the day after Christmas. Yes i spent Christmas night in 08 in the hospital in labor. As he gets older it is harder and harder to make his b.day special so this year we are going to WDW in Nov. as a surprise for his b.day. I am struggling to keep it a surprise with him. He fully buys into all the Magic of Disney and Christmas. I would like to start making a list soon! May do some shopping at Disney!
 
I have been dubbed the family photographer and last year i was trying to think of how to share my photos with the family. I made a photo book for everyone with all the best photos i had taken all year including a pics from bdays to our family trip to TN. I waited for some buy one get one 50% off coupons and other coupons to come out by snapfish. It was a big hit. Everyone loved them and are expecting another this year! I have really got to start working on it! Just thought i would throw that idea out!
 
Go Big Blue said:
I have been dubbed the family photographer and last year i was trying to think of how to share my photos with the family. I made a photo book for everyone with all the best photos i had taken all year including a pics from bdays to our family trip to TN. I waited for some buy one get one 50% off coupons and other coupons to come out by snapfish. It was a big hit. Everyone loved them and are expecting another this year! I have really got to start working on it! Just thought i would throw that idea out!
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I may have to keep that in mind for next year! That's for that! Can do it for the adults in the family at least which makes things SO much easier.

And WELCOME to the thread!!!!:welcome:
 
Okay, the new weird stocking stuffer most folks are now getting: a good nit comb. We just had head lice hit our family from DD's summer camp experience and after finding out how prevalent it is, everyone is getting a nit comb. :P Also giving out some argan oil to help as well.
 


We received two $5 off birthday coupons from Build a Bear this month so I went to the mall this morning and bought a R2D2 shirt for one bear and a girl scout uniform for another. That's two presents done. I'm ready! Looking for some deals!
 
I received a $10 off coupon from a local boutique for my birthday. I used it to buy my DD the Lamp of Lighy Alex and Ani bracelet. She will be super excited!
 
weluvjasmine said:
Is anyone planning to make any gifts this year? I'm working on a few projects have my kids. For my 4 yo son, I'm making a mustache disguise kit, a felt car mat (with different locations for him to use is Hot Wheels on), bow ties, teepee, and a marshmallow construction kit. For my almost 10 yo daughter, I'm making a spy kit, prayer box, Minecraft potions, essential oils beauty kit, fairy garden items.

I've already bought play-doh kits and a Puzzleball for my son and the Minecraft book set, American Girl Baking with Grace activity book, Alex & Ani bracelet for my daughter.
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I am going to make DD12 a ballet bar for her "dance" room. We redid the "playroom" for her birthday and turned it into more of a hangout room, but put big mirrors on the wall and bought a portable tap floor so she can practice up there. She's waffled on wanting a ballet bar attached to the wall, so thanks to Pinterest, I found instructions on making a portable one with PVC pipe. That's going to be my project once she's back in school!
 


100AcreWood said:
I'm not getting notifications from this thread. I unwatched and clicked watched again to see if that would fix it.

I ordered a few things from American Girl for Christmas. It's a good start!
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I'm not either! Did that work for you?
 
Pesky said:
Okay, the new weird stocking stuffer most folks are now getting: a good nit comb. We just had head lice hit our family from DD's summer camp experience and after finding out how prevalent it is, everyone is getting a nit comb. :P Also giving out some argan oil to help as well.
Click to expand...

UGH. BTDT. Tea Tree oil works too. Get a small travel size spray bottle and put 10 to 20 drops of tea tree oil in it and spray around the hairline. I did this for MONTHS after the incident. You can also put some drops in your shampoo. Or, Trader Joe's make a mint tea tree oil shampoo that we all use.
 
Just a head's up for anyone that might be ordering from Marley Lilly for monogrammed items. I just got the fleece jacket I ordered for DD and I'm SOOOOOO glad I bought a size up. They run small!
 
Well I've got two small gifts ordered. Both from shutterfly using their free treat codes and only paying shipping costs. I'm still not sure what to buy DS for his "big" gift. I'm going to buy him a subscription to runners world since he seems to like cross country so much. Maybe some extra compression clothes too for track in the spring. He's got bare minimum stuff currently (which is what he needs). Why are soon-to-be-teenage boys so hard to shop for?
 
Hi Guys! well so far I have bought 1 gift, A stuffed Jesse doll for my DD6 who loves Toy Story, but have one gift in mind idea for my DD10 an Apple mini Nano so she can listen to music while riding the bus to school, it will be fun downloading Disney park songs on it, happy shopping guys!
 
w00t so happy to be back!

This Christmas has to be considerably smaller than previous Christmases. We are saving to buy a house, and we can't afford a ton on Christmas presents.

So with the kids, we are going the route of "Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read". Between that, sibling store, and stockings, they should be all set.

My younger sister will also have a smaller spending budget.

I'm hoping to make a ton of gifts this year. I'm trying to figure out what I can make that will ship well! I already have started making a ton of apple butter to go in boxes for parents/surrogate family members. I'll probably have to make and can more though.

Any other gifts that everyone has made in the past that people like but don't cost a fortune in supplies?
 
My updated list. Things in red are purchased already. Things in green will be last minute gifts due to what they are.

Dad: T-shirt and/or hat (cars or sports) and a Hickory Farms gift box
Aunt #1:
Uncle #1:
Grandmother: Crossword puzzle calendar
Cousin #1: Sandwich maker (hey, that's what she wants)
Cousin #1's husband: A pair of tactical work gloves that are reinforced (since he is often sticking his hands in narrow places for work lol)
Nephew #1 (2.5): Board game, art supply box, and books
Nephew #2 (4.5): Board game, art supply box, and books
Cousin #2: Pedicure set and polish
Nephew #3 (7): Board games to share with siblings (2 games for the 5 kids), book
Niece #1 (9): Board games to share with siblings (2 games for the 5 kids), book
Nephew #4 (10): Board games to share with siblings (2 games for the 5 kids), book
Niece #2 (12): Board games to share with siblings (2 games for the 5 kids), book
Nephew #5 (13): Board games to share with siblings (2 games for the 5 kids), book
Aunt #2: Ornament and something from Harry and David or similar
Uncle #2: Will share the item from Harry and David or similar
Friend #1 and her family: Something from Harry and David or similar plus something special for my friend
Friend #2:
Friend #3 and her husband: Something food related, maybe some wine, wine stoppers, and something else.
 
Got some more doo-dads and figured out more (green is bought and red is to buy):
DH: Hogwarts t-shirt
DD (8): rock band (to share with DS), Clue game, Roald Dahl book set, mouthman shirt, Harry Potter ornament, to do cards
DS (6): rock band (to share with DS), Apples to Apples Jr game, books, mouthman shirt, guitar ornament, to do cards
Mom: puzzle, magazine subscription
Dad: book
FIL: book, gift cards
MIL: dress, cards
BIL & Sister wine, blanket, book, notecards, coffee, nit comb
DNi #1 (10): Anne of Green Gables book and DVD
DNi #2 (6): Dress up fun stuff -- headband, fake nails, bracelet, sticker earrings, ring
DNe #1 (8):
Brother & SIL: liquor, lemon oil, game, nit comb
DNi #3 (19): Cash (she's a college student so this is her preference); hoodie for her bday right before
DNi#4 (12): Wolf hoodie from mouthman
BIL & SIL #1: coffee, nit comb
DNi #5 (12): cow picture, book
BIL & SIL #2: coffee, oil, nit comb
DNe #2 (2): dominoes, book, cooking set

So far, so good. Goal is still by end of Thanksgiving weekend to be totally done except for candy for stocking stuffers. I still need to get cracking on the homemade ones (each household gets a conversation jar and some are getting bath salts). I think the kids and I will hit Ikea to look for some cheap jars with the scoops.
 
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lyncecelia said:
w00t so happy to be back!


I'm hoping to make a ton of gifts this year. I'm trying to figure out what I can make that will ship well! I already have started making a ton of apple butter to go in boxes for parents/surrogate family members. I'll probably have to make and can more though.

Any other gifts that everyone has made in the past that people like but don't cost a fortune in supplies?
Click to expand...

We are doing some and did some last year. Last year we did for the ILs and DH a "love" jar where the kids wrote or drew on slips of paper what they loved most about that person or loved doing with that person. How else would I know my MIL was so good at "raping" presents? Yeah, I kept those.

This year we are doing conversation jars. Jars with slips of paper and you take one out at dinner or whenever to start a conversation with the family. Things like "if you could invent one thing, what would it be and why". You can google it and there are kits with downloadable conversation topics. Only outlay is the jar and the paper (and time!). Plus it doesn't weigh a lot so that helps with shipping.

We are also doing bath salts for my niece who has to soak her feet after dancing en pointe. We are doing rosemary for her but are considering doing some lavender or chamomile as well for my SIL. Heavier so not a shipping friendly idea.

You can do a bean soup jar -- put all the dry ingredients in for a bean soup with the recipe attached.

Infused olive oil! Get some good EVOO and put sprigs of rosemary, cloves of garlic, etc. in there and let it sit for a while.
 
PrincessKymm said:
Well I've got two small gifts ordered. Both from shutterfly using their free treat codes and only paying shipping costs. I'm still not sure what to buy DS for his "big" gift. I'm going to buy him a subscription to runners world since he seems to like cross country so much. Maybe some extra compression clothes too for track in the spring. He's got bare minimum stuff currently (which is what he needs). Why are soon-to-be-teenage boys so hard to shop for?
Click to expand...
I just ordered that magazine for my daughter a week or two when one of the blogs posted it for free. Maybe the offer is still valid.
 
My favorite thread every year!!

Have bought a few things for my girls. DD11 is getting (so far): Hogwarts pillow, Hufflepuff banner, cute set of bangle bracelets, and I think her big gift will be an iphone. Have a 5 that just needs the power button repaired, and my fiance is already paying for the second line (for no reason) so it won't cost too much.
DD9 so far: Poop emoji pillow (Ty to the person who posted about this lol), harry potter candy (can't remember which kind), and I think her big gift might be a new ipod touch. Both girls have old ones, but the memory is full and some new apps won't load on the older ios. $169 refurbished from Apple right now, but I might get higher memory.

Usually I'm getting close to done by now, at least knowing what I'm buying for everyone if not done shopping, but it's been a hectic year. New baby coming right after the new year (or maybe before??!!), new house a few weeks ago, still trying to sell the old house. Plus my girls haven't been with their father since April, and that's when I do my shopping - when I don't have to hide things in my cart. Baby shower is coming up soon, and I'm lining people up to visit with the girls on occasional weekend days so I can get shopping! Now to figure out where in the new house to hide their gifts....
 
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