Christmas Shopping '09

[Terry36]

Thanks I just check the Nintendo website and it isnt even listed on their site.... there goes a stocking stuffer for me.

 

[aharbin88]

Cool! I have that coupon, thanks!

You're welcome!

Also thinking about getting all 3 kids an IPod Nano for Christmas. My 10yr old really wants a red one.

Here's the newest nano (with video) for $139. That's $10 the Apple website. They don't have red, though.

Here's a great freebie. It's a FP Precious Places DVD. It says to allow 12-14 weeks for delivery, which means it probably won't get here before Christmas. It's free, so that's not a big deal. No shipping, no tax, nothing!
http://www.fisher-price.com/pages/v6/default/preciousplaces/landing.asp

 

[Deffenm]

Thanks for the link to the free DVD. If it does not get here for Christmas I will just put it away for Easter.

 

[maggieusa]

thanks for the info on the free dvd

 

[mommyof2princesses]

More shopping done today! Got the Sims 3 game for DD14 on amazon since it was $10 cheaper there than anywhere else. Still need the fisher price loving dollhouse for DD6. It was $69.99 on amazon the other day, now it is $72.99. I am hoping it goes on sale at TRU when they send out there holiday catalog.

 

[maggieusa]

I don't know if this will help you out but here is coupon you have to spend
http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=9500&e=infantcoupon&code=infantcoupon&refcode=homepage

toyrus has fisher price items buy 2 get 1 free

 

[mommyof2princesses]

I don't know if this will help you out but here is coupon you have to spend
http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=9500&e=infantcoupon&code=infantcoupon&refcode=homepage

toyrus has fisher price items buy 2 get 1 free

We did get all the furniture at TRU through that sale. The coupon doesn't work for the house, but thanks! We ar going to wait it out!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Hello faithful shoppers!!! Ha!!!
Happy Friday! I know some of you will be so glad that the weekend is here!! We are suppose to have some beautiful weather here...hope you all do too!
Okay...so, the lists we are all working on are Christmas gifts...hopefully by now you have that part done at least. Next of course is actually shopping and marking stuff off of said list!!! I know lots of you here are on your way to being finished with at least your kids...gotta work on the adults now...which is usually the most difficult. I was thinking about that the other day...why it's so hard. I wonder if it's because we truly don't NEED anything at this point and feel bad to tell people what we would LIKE to get. Crazy, huh? When I was a kid I had a list a mile long...now if someone asks me what I would like, I sometimes just go blank!!! Or maybe we feel things that we would 'like' to have are too expensive....just a point to ponder..feel free to chime in at any time and help me out with that!!!!
List #2...holiday baking!!!!
List #3...gifts for friends outside of family.
Lists 2 & 3 go together for me..because of the baking and giving of Tins with the goodies inside!! YUM!!!
Well, I usually do peanut butter fudge which is totally unbelievable!!! It is soooooo rich...a few tiny pieces is usually all you can handle at once. I make two 9x13 pans each year..and have about a half of a pan left, so we eat this for dessert with our christmas dinner. Dang...it makes me want to go make it right now it's so good!!! And every year we bake dozens of cookies.....my kids love helping with that... but last year I was soooo tired when I got through with all that baking that I thought "I am NEVER doing this again". But, of course it's another year and the kids are all amped up about it. But... I have made a few changes (mentally...they don't know yet)...to make it easier for them to help and less 'work' for me. I want this to be fun..not me baking for hours and them wandering in and out and helping as they can. SO..what is the change....well, instead of cookies, I had the bright idea of doing different chex party mixes!!!
What do you think? I think this would be more hands on for them...and since they have so many mixes you can make, each kid can make one batch of whatever kind we choose and it won't be so hard or messy!!! Of course, I will still make the fudge...they can't really help with that yet....but man...it's sounding better to me all the time!!!! And of course, this year I think our list will be shorter. Don't think I am being a Scrooge or anything.. but do any of you have those friends/family that you 'do' for all the time (their kids too) but when it's your turn....nothing in return? Now, I am all for loving people and being kind...but dang...I have given some of our friends these tins, every year and they don't even send us a Christmas card!!! I am most definitely NOT doing this to get something back.. but, this is really one of those things that I think....how lopsided is this? And we have been doing the tins for about 4 years now!!!
Also, we are REALLY busy this year at Christmas...aside from all the Thanksgiving and Christmas hustle & bustle...my mom's bday is Friday(after T-day)..then the next Friday (the 4th) is my older sons bday-The next morning we leave for our Disney vacation!!!! I won't be back until the 13th....and I don't want to spend my next week running around like a crazy lady!
It always takes me a day or so to get back in the normal-life-routine after Disney anyway!! Ha!! so that Mon and Tues I will be totally worthless
Okay..well that got a bit long and rambly didn't it? Sorry...just had to vent some of that!!! Well, are you ready for our weekly reminder? Good news, we are into single digits for this week!!!!

9 WEEKS!!!!

 

[mommyof2princesses]

Can you make the fidge and cookies early and freeze them? I always make so many cookies it takes me days and I never get anything else done. I would love to make a batch here and there and just freexe them until I need them, Is it possible? How about the fudge? Can you freeze that after its made?

Most of my adult gifts will either be homemade (sewing) or from the Southern Christmas show wich begins in about 3 weeks. YEAH! Cn't wait!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

I am pretty sure you can freeze cookies...don't know about the fudge..my Granny used to freeze stuff cause she made sooooo much... but I am not sure what the no-nos in Cookie freezing would be. Maybe we should ask a local baker? Or an older lady who bakes!!!!! They know everything there is to know about baking!

 

[Perditamarie]

Disney Mommy 3, you are going to be busy....not sure how you are going to get out of running around like a crazy lady!!!!! Consider making up the cookie dough and freezing it...then bake and decorate a different day. I wouldn't freeze fudge....unless you make up a batch to test! Also, there is nothing wrong about only making goodies for people who appreciate it!

I just wanted to share that when we went on a Disney trip a few weeks before Christmas, my goal was to have all the kids gifts wrapped BEFORE we left.......I was so glad I had that out of the way when we got back!!! That left time for last minute stuff...which there always is...and enjoying the season w/o a huge chore hanging over my head!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Disney Mommy 3, you are going to be busy....not sure how you are going to get out of running around like a crazy lady!!!!! Consider making up the cookie dough and freezing it...then bake and decorate a different day. I wouldn't freeze fudge....unless you make up a batch to test! Also, there is nothing wrong about only making goodies for people who appreciate it!

I just wanted to share that when we went on a Disney trip a few weeks before Christmas, my goal was to have all the kids gifts wrapped BEFORE we left.......I was so glad I had that out of the way when we got back!!! That left time for last minute stuff...which there always is...and enjoying the season w/o a huge chore hanging over my head!

I am not sure how I am gonna do it either!! ha!! See why I had to start this thread!!!!!!! I too plan on having all our decorations finished and the gifts under the tree by then. I used to wait till after T-day, or that weekend to put up the tree... but you are so worn out, that ain't gonna happen!! So.last year I put the tree up the week of T-day..did a little each day and it wasn't so bad. So..this year my goal is to do it the week of Thanksgiving again..my mom, stepdad, uncle and 2 cousins will be coming for dinner that day...when they leave I will put all wrapped gifts under the tree.
I also plan to buy all the stuff for the Chex Mixes,tins, and fudge stuff before thanksgiving...then we can work on it when we get back...not have to be shopping for it as well!!! Other than that...not much I can do! I will still have a few days of running around like a chicken with her head cut off...but not too many!!

 

[MelAnderson]

I like the Chex mix idea! You could do the muddy buddies and the traditional Chex Mix. www.pioneerwomancooks.com has a Chex mix recipe that I'd like to try. I decided to severly reduce baking for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. After the chex mix, then I just plan to make pioneer woman's cinnamon rolls (absolutely wonderful) for Christmas morning. No cookies or candy if I can help it.

 

[Deffenm]

I just bought dd's big gift! and DH finally gave me his list. So I only have to get Dd one more item, and each of the boys 2 more gifts. I still have stocking stuffers but that is easy. I hope to get DH done in early Nov. and then work on rest of family members in late Nov/early Dec as I have to ship them all out.

Why does it seem like Christmas is coming fast this year? I thought I had plenty of time but it is already almost Nov.

I still have to plan 2 birthday parties in Dec as well. At least I have those gifts bought and some of the party supplies already done.

I need to stay focused and on task! No more waiting until next week.

 

[HDCooper]

Well, I usually do peanut butter fudge which is totally unbelievable!!! It is soooooo rich...a few tiny pieces is usually all you can handle at once. I make two 9x13 pans each year..and have about a half of a pan left, so we eat this for dessert with our christmas dinner. COLOR]

Will you pretty pretty pretty please PM me your fudge recipe?

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

I like the Chex mix idea! You could do the muddy buddies and the traditional Chex Mix. www.pioneerwomancooks.com has a Chex mix recipe that I'd like to try. I decided to severly reduce baking for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. After the chex mix, then I just plan to make pioneer woman's cinnamon rolls (absolutely wonderful) for Christmas morning. No cookies or candy if I can help it.

sounds like a good idea...I am gonna check into that!!!

I just bought dd's big gift! and DH finally gave me his list. So I only have to get Dd one more item, and each of the boys 2 more gifts. I still have stocking stuffers but that is easy. I hope to get DH done in early Nov. and then work on rest of family members in late Nov/early Dec as I have to ship them all out.

Why does it seem like Christmas is coming fast this year? I thought I had plenty of time but it is already almost Nov.

I still have to plan 2 birthday parties in Dec as well. At least I have those gifts bought and some of the party supplies already done.

I need to stay focused and on task! No more waiting until next week.

Definitely!!!! FOCUS!!!! It'll be finished before you know it!!!

Will you pretty pretty pretty please PM me your fudge recipe?

I sure will!! I can't promise it'll be today...maybe tonight if I get a chance..if not I will try to do it Sunday night!!! It's really good!! Marshmellows, choc chips, peanut butter....sugar(like 4 Cups!!!) YUMMY!!!!!

 

[mercydisney]

Any ideas for ds 12?? He wants a laptop which we have gotten! But, I would love some ideas for inexpensive things so he has some stuff to unwrap! We dont really do family exchanges, so he really only gets stuff from us, so we would like him to have stuff to unwrap (but, he only says he wants a laptop)! Any ideas????

When DD was 12 she also got a laptop. We also don't do family exchanges. What I did was I wrapped a big box and inside the big box was smaller boxes and so on. She was sure this was her laptop. Well the last box was really small and the gift in that box was COLE!! Her expression was priceless. It took her a while to get to the last box so it was time consuming. She still remembers that Christmas. I did not bring out the wrapped computer box until the end. I knew she was waitng for it and she really thought Santa didn't bring her the laptop that yr.

I did get her small amounts of giftcards to her favorite book store, Stabucks, Claire's, Itunes cards. A boy I would do Target, Sonic, Itunes Cards, you can wrap them up in a nice box and put under the tree. Their is also a lapttop stand in Ikea for about $20.

 

[aharbin88]

I sure will!! I can't promise it'll be today...maybe tonight if I get a chance..if not I will try to do it Sunday night!!! It's really good!! Marshmellows, choc chips, peanut butter....sugar(like 4 Cups!!!) YUMMY!!!!!

You had me at marshmallows!

That sounds yummy! I would like to get that, too, if you have time.

 

[Terry36]

Me too please!!!!

 

[sl_underwood]

Outside of stocking stuffers and a cute sort of money holder (maybe a stuffed animal) for each of the girls, I am done. Any ideas on a cute idea for a money holder?