Christmas Shopping '09

[sskem96]

I don't know what I'm going to do this year because I will be at WDW on Black Friday! My girls will be 13 and 10 at Christmas. The older one's b-day is Dec. 19. I always get them each a new pair of pajamas that they open on Christmas Eve. I always say I'm not going to buy much, but I start so early that I end up going overboard.

We've always gone to DH's grandparent's on the 24th for a huge family party, then spend the 25th at home. This year is the first time his grandparents have decided not to come home for Christmas (they winter in TX), so we don't even know what Christmas is going to be like this year.

I'm thinking we give the kids mostly cash and stay a night or 2 in Chicago over their Christmas break to go shopping and stuff. They're at the point where it's hard to buy them any clothes without them trying them on first. I think I'd rather just take a trip and make a memory than spend a bunch of money on more "stuff" that they don't really need. I always tell them they can ask Santa for 1 thing in the $20 range, so they will get whatever that is, and maybe a couple gift cards to the movies or something.

Disney Dollars won't be fun this year because we go in Nov, so the following trip won't be til around Feb 2011. I guess Disney Dollars will be a great option for the following Christmas!

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

yay! early shoppers! I already have a list going too...

My kids are older, and truly have every plastic and electronic thing IMO, so we went to WDW last year for xmas and will go again this year.

Really cuts back on shopping! Will give them some Disney $ I think - did I hear you can get it from a Dis Store?

As far as SIL, Sister, etc., we have been making things for each other lately. Last year I gave my sister a calendar with my wishes for her on each page, (spa day pic, country cottage pic, chocolate, etc.) I got a template online from Microsoft word, found pics online, printed it out and stuck a ribbon on it. No $ except for paper and toner used!

This year I was thinking about giving her a recipe book or box with the recipes from our family, etc.

I shop Goodwill and clearance racks and it's hard to go back to full price retail after that.

Oh, we also have done lottery tix for brother in laws, etc., very cheap per person and a little fun - sometimes folks win a couple bucks!

More $ for travel

 

[kymmyk13]

I am done shopping for DD4 from hoho(the big red guy with a beard), Kmart had a big toy sale last week. Just have to pick her up clothes and things from Mom and Dad. Now Dd18 is another story, I have no idea what to get her, she says that she want to money...ummm we will see. I got the early shopping from my mom, I was the youngest of 7 children and she had to buy throught the year.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Wow!! Some of ya'll are really gettin' busy!!! Way to go!!! I like getting finished shopping early so that when they start putting out all the little extras that are only out at Christmas, of just all the extra nick nacks...I can breathe deeply and know I am FINISHED!!!! I put our tree up early too...so then everything is wrapped and ready to go under there. This year they want Disney wrapping paper....so I am on the hunt for that too. DS 13 is gonna be my stumper this year. Especially with his bday falling right before our vacation....I may get him some Disney $$$$$. He always finds cool stuff he wants over there. Then what he doesn't spend he can convert back to cash before we come home!!!!

 

[spare+a_pair]

Well, I got a start on the shopping. TRU had an additional 20% off clearance, so I picked up a few things for the kids. Since we have Nov borthdays, I am shopping for that as well

For Birthdays -
DS1 is done! TRU had an MP3 player for $11 after the discounts


For Christmas I found -
DS1 - electronic Yahtzee ($4), Spy Circuit game ($8), Magnetex tubes ($4)

DS 2&3 4 board games ($4 each)

So it is a start!

 

[Monny2AE]

Well, I got a start on the shopping. TRU had an additional 20% off clearance, so I picked up a few things for the kids. Since we have Nov borthdays, I am shopping for that as well

For Birthdays -
DS1 is done! TRU had an MP3 player for $11 after the discounts


For Christmas I found -
DS1 - electronic Yahtzee ($4), Spy Circuit game ($8), Magnetex tubes ($4)

DS 2&3 4 board games ($4 each)

So it is a start!

I feel like the biggest idiot right now. It took me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to figure out that by DS1 you meant he's your first and not that he's a year old. My silly brain was wondering why you were getting your one year old an MP3 Player

Must be getting close to my bedtime!

 

[amberg@eastlink.ca]

since were going to dis in october it will be a small christmas for us. keeping that in mind, i'm almost done!!! i always shop early, like the day after boxing day here!!! i think the kids are almost done and with the exception of hubby (and we only do one gift and stockigns) im done!

 

[mama2mulan]

I remember my first makeup set I felt so grown up. Although I remember it had lots of blue eyeshadow but then again I was a product of the 80's and the blue went well with my jams. C'mon don't act like you don't remember jams.

Oh my gosh Jams! You are a product of the 80s! I haven't thought of those in years. I had a pink pair and I thought I was the coolest thing ever.

me dh dd (7) dd (5)
First trip to Disney 11/1 - 11/5 It's a secret!

 

[mama2mulan]

My girls will be 13 and 10 at Christmas. The older one's b-day is Dec. 19.

My daughter's birthday is the 19th also! Is it Emily? Because that is my 12/19 baby too!

Julie dh dd(7) dd(5)
First trip to Disney 11/1 - 11/5It's a secret!

 

[mama2mulan]

I am so glad I found this thread! I always start early and everyone makes fun of me. But I am not the one running around like a chicken with my head cut off at the last minute and spending money on junk that no one wants just to have a present! So now I at least have somewhere to come to hear from my fellow early shoppers.

My dh is near impossible to buy for. He wants nothing and is genuinely happy with getting nothing. He says he has enough and what more could he need. Ugh! Try telling that to two little girls who want to buy him presents.

DD#1 (7 yo) is a total brainiac and tomboy. She loves books and science projects. Anything space or soccer is her thing. Buying for her is easy. Books, books and more books are what she is getting. Maybe a Wii game.

DD#2 (5yo) is the total opposite of dd#1. She is a girlie girl to the core. Princess and Hannah Montana are her thing. If its pink and sparkles she is going to love it. So I am thinking of getting her some really girlie clothes and princess books.

That leaves my mom, dad and brother to buy for. Mom is into sewing. Dad is a big antique collector and brother wants the gift that keeps on giving - Cash!

And for everyone that is thinking about a Wii, get it! It is worth every penny. I was too keen on the idea of having one. But after my brother got one for the girls for Christmas (single uncle with no kids = awesome gifts) I was addicted. I love it. Cooking Mama is my favorite.

I can't wait to hear what everyone is finding. Thanks Shawna for starting the thread.

Julie dh dd(7) dd(5)
First trip to Disney 11/1 - 11/5 It's a secret!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Julie!! and thanks for joining in!!! I loved the description of your girls!! Ha!!! My dd is a mix..she's a girlie girl and loves cutesy stuff, but she has two older brothers and a daddy that she has to hang out with, so she can do anything they can do. She's actually tougher than my boys...and she's petite,, so that's funny to me. Lord knows she didn't get the tomboy thing from her mamma!!! I am such a bookworm...who has time to play outside and get hot and sweaty when there are books to be read? So you think the Wii is great, huh? hmmmm If I thought they would gladly get rid of that dang Play Station, I would get a Wii for Christmas this year.

 

[phins_jazy]

Gasp! I haven't started christmas shopping yet! But this year I have an excuse.....we'll be at disney over christmas! We aren't doing gifts for everyone this year as the trip is our gift. So whatever santa gets for the girls has to be small enough to fit in the suitcase. I'm thinking I'll get my 10 year old a MP3 player, the 5 year old something with ariel and the 2 year old I dunno. She'll turn 3 two weeks after our trip so I have to get her a bday present too. Maybe a new baby doll.

 

[The1EvilQueen]

Love the idea of those rag quilts!! Do you have any pictures of them!! I am sooo envious of talent!!!!!

As soon as I get one done I'll post pics for you!

 

[rainydayplay]

Good morning! I just stumbled across this thread and love the idea, so I thought I'd sub and share!

My DD5 wants EVERYTHING. As soon as a commercial comes on for something, she wants it...and it doesn't have to be things that are geared towards young children, either.

The biggest thing she seems to want is "people" for her Little People house. She's had that thing for roughly 3 years and has only just now really started playing with it. She puts it together with her Castle that Mom bought her for Christmas last year. DD looks for everything she can with Little People and saw the bus and the airplane in Walmart a few days ago and started begging me to buy them right then. (No...)

When we returned from WDW three weeks ago, she started wanting a monorail. She was pulling other things around to be the monorail, which had me thinking that maybe I should buy her one to go with her castle.

I've also been thinking about a My Twinn doll. If you aren't familiar with it, you send a picture or two of your child, choose the skin color, eye color, and hair color/style, and they make a doll that looks like your child. You can get matching outfits and accessories and all that. (If there is anyone here who has experience with a Twinn doll...please let me know.)

Beyond that...I'm clueless. I did manage to buy an Eeyore shirt for Mom while we were at Disney. I made her ride Dumbo with my DD (because I'm terrified of heights...in October, I'd only let DD get Dumbo about halfway up to his full soaring height.) Last year, I'd bought her a mug, and then we got home and she was upset because she'd wanted a blue 2008 Disney shirt and didn't get one. How awesome it was to have her giving me a suspicious look at Christmas and ask when I'd gone back down to buy her one...I still don't think she knows that I had found a place to order it online...)

My grandparents will be the most difficult to shop for, followed by Dad, then my brother (who thinks at Christmas everyone should set a certain amount of money and exchange cash in equal amounts -- where's the gift?), and my sis-in-law. By then, I'll also have a secret pal at work that I will have to buy for.

First objective, though: get through buying stuff for DD to start school. Still working on school clothes, then I have to finish buying school supplies for her and classroom supplies for me. The list her school wants for her is outrageous! Then, maybe I can start Christmas shopping.

Question: when you buy early, do you go ahead and wrap it up to help you hide it? Or do you just find a good place to stash it? Where do you hide stuff? I've seriously thought about putting gifts in the storage unit across town that I rent just to make sure it can't be found.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

As soon as I get one done I'll post pics for you!

Thanks!! I think we would all love to see it!!!

Rainydayplay~ So glad you found us!!!That is too funny about your little girl!! I know my boys had the fisher price airport...they didn't play with it as much at 3 and 4 as they did at 5!! It was crazy!! I always stash my stuff unwrapped---just keep it in the bags from the store. I have a cabinet over my fridge...I have been putting stuff in it forever....i don't think they even realize that it opens!! That's really a great place once things do get wrapped too...keeps it from shifting and the paper doesn't rip. This house has a good attic too, so sometimes I just put it in dark garbage bags when I get home from shopping and stick it in the corner. My oldest son knows about the attic...but he would not dare look....he is like me....we LOVE suprises and would be sick if we found out what we were getting!! I do love Fisher Price stuff!!!!! We had the bus and the minivan!!!!
For your grandparents, have you looked at Harry and Davids? I don't know if you are familiar with them-they have the most awesome fruit baskets!!!! You can get any amount and in any price range. They also have chocolate and snax.....got that last year for my grandfather and his wife. He's 80 and doesnt want anything, he has it all!! He is very health consious and has always been a fruit lover....his wife of course went for the chocolate! Ha!!! They delivered it pretty quick too. You can pick a card on line and print your own message into it. It's very convenient!! If you want to they can just deliver it to you and you can give it, but I thought he would like the surprise....and I asked my mom and my uncle(It's their parents) and they went in with me and we got a pretty big one. I am definitely gonna do that again this year!!

As far as the Twinn doll--a friend of ours got her daughter one...it does kinda look like her, but it mostly looks like the mother! ha!!!

 

[TiggerD]

I am all for early Christmas shopping. I like to get it all done before December 1st so I can enjoy the festivities instead of shopping in crowded malls and fighting traffic. I start shopping in August. Usually start at the craft fairs and find unique things to give to family members and friends. In October,, my Dil, her best friend and best friends mother and I head to Maine to all the factory outlets and to LLBean and we spend a weekend of Christmas shopping, eating, and of course having a few drinks, and then the shopping is almost done. I pick up a few gift certitficates for relatives who are hard to shop for and then I wrap everything right after Thanksgiving and I am done.

DH and I are heading to Disney in September and I will get a few things there for the grandchildren, which is increasing by 1 any day now and also things for my youngest DS who is a Disney fanatic and the one going to be a first time dad.

Happy Holidays to all and Happy shopping...

 

[sk!mom]

(If there is anyone here who has experience with a Twinn doll...please let me know.)

My DD13 got a Twinn doll from her Grma when she was 3. We joke that it would more accurately be called "my cousin" as there is a family resemblance but it is far from being a twin. My best advice is to order early as it takes a while and then the first one they sent us was so far off that Grma sent it back. The second one at least had the correct eye and hair color.

All that being said, it was a hit with DD. She loved her and loved dressing like her. She recieved several matching outfits that Christmas and updates the next couple of years. She played with her a lot, named her Kimmie, and pretended that she was her little sister. My DD loved dolls and her Twinn was among the faves in her LARGE colection. She's now carefully packed away. (This is making me all misty eyed- thinking of my sweet doll playing little girl who is now a grown up 13 and away at camp- she's still just as sweet as can be!)

Chimed in on this question but I'm actually amazed that so many are Christmas shopping.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

TiggerD...congrats on the upcoming grandbaby!!! Sounds like you have fun with your shopping!! I agree about enjoying the whole season...not spending days shopping!!

A few years ago, I started a tradition with my kids.......We make cookies and fudge, and put them all in tins. Then we give them to our special friends-their best friends families, so we don't have to buy gifts!--and to our neighbors, or people in our community who are special to us. Or people that we just love dearly!!! Every year, I think, I am exhausted, after all that baking and delivering, this is the last time. Then, about Halloween the kids start asking if we are gonna do it again, and can we start our list. It gets longer every year!!! Last year, I just had to set a limit.But, it's fun, and we teach them that love doesn't have to be in a store bought gift...it's something you DO for those you love. Which of course, is the whole reason for Christmas anyway...God GAVE us the ultimate gift in love!!!! AAAAHHHH the Joy of Christmas!!!!

I like to be finished by Oct 1...that's my goal every year. That's when they start crankin out Halloween and Holiday stuff and our stores start getting really nuts!!!

Happy Planning & Shopping Ladies!!

 

[skip323]

I'm in on this one!!! Usually I am close to done with shopping by now but I was saving up all of our $$ for a WDW trip (a month ago) and a 3 day Carnival cruise since we were already in Fl. We had a wonderful time and it was well worth it but now I feel a bit...behind!!

Last year I purchased....on DEEP DISCOUNT....the AG stage from Molly's story line (I think) it was ridiculously inexpensive (from what I recall). We also, at that time purchased 2 of the AG costumes (an irish dancer costume and, I think, a ballet dance costume) so that is our big gift for the girls to share (yeah)!

Some time in the past few months I purchased a bunch of Old Navy sweatshirts and those go to dd's and nieces (so I am done with them). I also purchased Old Navy tops for all of the nephews (all siblings and cousins from one side and their kids get together once a year...we all live in different states around the country so this is our one time to see each other and we do grab bag type of stuff)

for:

DD10 : She wants Rebbeca Rubin AG...she already has Ivy and Addy and I just don't know about getting another...I'm still pondering that one. She will definitely get AG outfits. She wants a camera (will probably buy for her bday). She LOVES legos and we did the fill a "bucket" at DTD this summer. I also purchased some for her bday but will get some for xmas too. She will get a game or 2 for DS Lite and they will get a Wii game to share. Plenty of Books and maybe an IPOD Nano (so I can stop carrying around our dvd player when we travel) (it is between the Nano and AG doll...we shall see). an outfit also

DD8: She wants the Sonali AG doll. She already has Josefina and bitty twins. I don't think I can handle anymore with her either...don't know. She will get AG outfits. A DS game or 2, Wii game to share, books and maybe the IPOD Nano. She will probably get something else for her bitty twins...she LOVES the bitty twins and is quite the little "mommy". She'll get an outfit too.

dsd (stepdaughter): is a grown woman. I usually give her a gift card for MAC or something

dss (stepson): grown also. We usually give him a gc as well. They both live, now, in different states.

DH - we usually don't exchange because we have to fly to meet the rest of the family members.

Parents: I usually buy clothes for my mom and my dad I used to do a wonderful wine of the month club (though I actually did wine of the every 3 months club because I couldn't afford more than that). I may do that again for him.

 

[PrincessPeyton]

Hi Everyone. This year I have a second baby and my husband will be home with the kids to get those get mid-week deals for me so my resolution for this Christmas/Hanukkah is to be done by mid-October!

I usually get done my shopping on Dec 24th about 10 minutes before the mall closes. And I have been known to stop for the occasional last minute gift card at our 24 hour CVS! So this thread is for me and I am going to need all the help I can get!!

I have 2 kids and husbands that I will be shopping for most on but a huge family I am shopping for as well. My DD just turned 3 is in into the princesses, crafts, and a huge Olivia the Pig fan. Unfortunately Olivia is mostly only available online but I am hoping more will be available now Nick Jr. has the cartoon. My DS is only 5 weeks so he won't get much but we will see.... My husband will be hard! I want to get him that Toys Story Mania Wii game since that was his favorite ride at WDW and that's should hold us over until my DS is old enough to take to WDW! My daughter informed me this evening that she wants to get him a Transformers shirt as well!!!

My hardest people to buy for are my 2 nephews, they are 18 and 14. Anyone that has boys this age, I welcome any suggestions!