Thinking of Christmas

[NYEmomma]

DD's birthday is the week after Christmas so I try to start looking for good deals & acquiring things early. Makes the bills not so painful! I found a Loving Family dollhouse on sale for less than half price at Walmart so she's officially got her first gift hidden away.

DH & I have recently been contemplating getting her an ipod touch. She'll be turning 4 this year... we got her a Leapster last year and while she likes it and plays with it often, it just seems to be old & outdated when we compare it to the stuff she likes playing on our phones, the computer & the Wii. But I'm still on the fence. We won't be getting it unless I find a fabulous deal on it either.

We'll also have two 6-month olds to buy for this year and that's stumping me a little bit. DD was a year when it was her first Christmas so we got her actual toys to play with. These girls will have all of DD's old toys and baby things to play with and I just don't know what 6 month olds could really use (besides diapers, lol!).

 

[Bethislucy]

I have. I got my 2 niece's gifts this weekend thanks to the disney store sale. They will be very happy and I'm thinking on things I would like to get the rest of my family.

 

[Jerseyguy's Wife]

Ooh, ooh, me, me! I love Christmas! I'm usually done shopping by August. This year, however, I am not shopping. I am making some bath/body products for most of the people on my list. I just graduated from massage school and am about to be licensed, so some people will get massages with their products. In massage school, we did a visit with an aromatherapist. I thought that she, personally, was an idiot, but it got me interested in the use of essential oils. So I bought several and have been using my book to make stuff to try on myself; turns out the oils I've tried work really well for some of my common problems.
So, this year, I am making lotions, massage oils, foot soaks, sugar scrubs, etc. and putting them in pretty boxes or baskets for my family and friends. The kids will still get toys (I haven't even started on that yet cause they change their minds every day). Oh, and a couple of the girls on my list are getting Mickey Mouse earrings/necklaces that I got from Avon. Those are so cute I actually bought a set for myself.

 

[threecrazykids]

Ooh ooh me! I get so excited for Christmas I can hardly stand it! I listen to Christmas music year round at work. For some reason Christmas carols get me motivated...at home and at work. When I clean the house I listen to Christmas carols as well.

I always say I'm starting early and I never do, so this year I am just going to wing it. I now have 2 nieces to buy for so they should be ones I can mark off fairly easily with toys.

Everyone else is just hard. I never know what to get people and it makes me angry. I hate having people know exactly what they are getting so it takes a little work to come up with new ideas. I don't like doing gift cards (other than an add on) so I better get some ideas soon!

 

[Zhoen]

Then some lego stuff. He loves legos.

Are you signed up for the lego store mailing list? They send out a little magazine at least once per quarter with a 10% off coupon on the back...

And, actually, I just bought my first official Christmas presents just now. The Paragon is having a huge sale, and I found small gifts for my daughters and nieces, as well as my FIL, who's always tough.

I wanted to post and recommend anyone thinking "Nintendo DS" check out the site (google "the paragon" and you should find it) because they selling these nifty little game-keeper notebooks and they claim that you can't take out one game without putting another in, so it's supposed to keep the games from getting lost all over the place. I bought two... I'm ALWAYS finding DS cartridges in the weirdest places...

So, that's SIX gifts, for four individuals, shipping included (plus a pair of PJs that are maybe for a fifth person, unless I decide to keep them ) for $70, shipping included.

I'm happy! I like to be done early so I can spend the time focusing on the people and the season.

Oh, and also on their site is this really cute jeweled hair brush set... At $20, it's actually not a rotten deal, but I saw that and thought I can knock those off for wayyyy cheap and make jeweled hairbrushes for everyone for Christmas... so I have an idea for beautiful, cheap teacher presents!!! YAY!!!!

Father-in-law and teachers, DONE. Stress level, wayyy down... what a happy feeling!!!

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Are you signed up for the lego store mailing list? They send out a little magazine at least once per quarter with a 10% off coupon on the back...

And, actually, I just bought my first official Christmas presents just now. The Paragon is having a huge sale, and I found small gifts for my daughters and nieces, as well as my FIL, who's always tough.

I wanted to post and recommend anyone thinking "Nintendo DS" check out the site (google "the paragon" and you should find it) because they selling these nifty little game-keeper notebooks and they claim that you can't take out one game without putting another in, so it's supposed to keep the games from getting lost all over the place. I bought two... I'm ALWAYS finding DS cartridges in the weirdest places...

So, that's SIX gifts, for four individuals, shipping included (plus a pair of PJs that are maybe for a fifth person, unless I decide to keep them ) for $70, shipping included.

I'm happy! I like to be done early so I can spend the time focusing on the people and the season.

Oh, and also on their site is this really cute jeweled hair brush set... At $20, it's actually not a rotten deal, but I saw that and thought I can knock those off for wayyyy cheap and make jeweled hairbrushes for everyone for Christmas... so I have an idea for beautiful, cheap teacher presents!!! YAY!!!!

Father-in-law and teachers, DONE. Stress level, wayyy down... what a happy feeling!!!

FYI, anyone looking at those game cases, it's true that you can't take another game out unless you put one in, but 3DS games do not fit in them, only regular DS.

 

[AntePrincess]

I was pretty tempted to buy a birthday or Christmas gift today when I was at Costco picking up the usual groceries: they had these great little "treasure boxes" with up to three books, a poster, stickers, bookmark, an activity book, and a journal, for $10. It would have been a gift for later... if my littlest hadn't seen the Mouse & Friends set (as in "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie") nabbed it and hugged it and asked to spend her allowance on it. Done and done. I'll keep my eyes out for more things like that in the future, though.

Alternately, I'm probably going to use my Disney Movie Reward points to get some of the jumbo floor puzzle rewards for my little one, especially if I get her one of the movies that the puzzles go with (and use the points to get the puzzle, of course! ).

 

[Zhoen]

FYI, anyone looking at those game cases, it's true that you can't take another game out unless you put one in, but 3DS games do not fit in them, only regular DS.

Good to know, thanks! DD8 has a DSlite, and DN has a DSi, so hopefully they should be fine.

 

[canadianjovigirl]

This will be the first year we wont be home for Christmas as we are spending 16 days in Grand Cayman so our shopping will be minimal, just a few stocking items to take with us for the kids as the vacation is what they wanted instead of gifts.

 

[Zhoen]

I am making lotions, massage oils, foot soaks, sugar scrubs, etc. and putting them in pretty boxes or baskets for my family and friends.

If you don't mind a suggestion, it's not too early to be thinking about that packaging you mentioned above. Yard sales and thrift shops are great places to find baskets and jars and bottles for cheap that can be decorated up, and now is the time to be saving your pickle jars (the smell WILL eventually wash out, and the lids can be painted or decoupaged)... And that easter basket you buy for $.25 at a yard sale now will look gorgeous at Christmas prettied up with white or gold or silver spray paint.

Also consider putting out an "ISO" on freecycle for baby food jars (well, all kinds of jars, really...) just the right size for putting into gift baskets, and -most people with babies end up just recycling (or trashing) them.

I worked as a teenager at a craft store, and planning ahead and re-purposing can save you SO MUCH MONEY. I always cringed when the ladies would come through with dozens of new jars and bottles and baskets and spend hundreds of dollars on things that can be found for cheap or free if you spend a little time to find them... and they thought they were being so clever and saving money...

Oh, and check if there is a county fair in your area... a lot of them have categories for "herbal gifts" as well as a "christmas corner"... at ours, there's even a "christmas" category IN the herbal competition... if you have your products made up far enough in advance, you can enter your things in as many categories as you're eligible for, and not only may you win a few (like 1-5) dollars to offset your materials cost, but you can put "award winning herbal products" on your bio for massage *AND*, how much spiffier will your baskets look on Christmas Day if there's a fat-'ol "best in show" ribbon hanging off? (Though, honestly, I would KEEP the ribbon if I were you, maybe include a photo of it in the basket... )

If you need lavender, let me know, I have an embarrasment of it blooming right now in one of the gardens I tend, plus a ziplock of dried flowers (about 2cups, maybe?) at home that I put up for soaps a while back and haven't ever gotten around to using that you're welcome to have if you'd like.

And last, but not least, there's a book called "Jazzy Jars" that you may be able to get through your library. It has BEAUTIFUL ideas for packaging...

Congratulations on your graduation!

 

[4 Ears]

Right there with you all. Our first grandson will be 19 months at Christmas. A couple little things for him and have started spme crafts and purchased my blank cards and thinking of ideas for them.

 

[Priorityonecb]

I just placed my first Christmas gift order! I was buying the mini hipster that is on sale at Vera Bradley for myself, and shipping was one flat rate of $5. So, I got dd15 a laptop cover, MP2/earphone holder and pen/pencil set all on sale! Three gifts down!!

 

[ilovejack02]

DH and I will be buying ourselves a camera , already planning on it to be 700.00 or more . No more than 1k ... we haven't bought ourselves a nice camera in 15 years or so.

DS9 wants the new Wii handheld thing that comes out in November I think . That will be all he gets besides stocking stuffers .

We are planning on a trip to Universal in November that we planned to surprise him with , but just got an estimate to have a tree removed. Looks like we are looking at 4k . The trip may have to be cancelled . : ( It was going to be part of his Christmas . We may just plan ahead and give him tickets for a January trip to Universal .

DS23 and live in girlfriend will get a check . Easy peasy .

 

[ShortStuff]

Christmas is going to be hard this year. We were a two income family, with my daughter, son in law and grandmunchkins, living with me. My son in law moved, long story, so now it is my income that supports the house, the 'family car, the 'economy car' and all the household bills.

I will admit my grandmunchkins have been very, very spoiled, so this will be the first 'hard candy christmas'.

We have each other, our health and the things we need, just not much extra. In fact, sometimes, no extra. I do feel 'rich' though, in many ways. I wouldn't give up my grandbabies for anything!!

They are used to game system, disney trip, toys galore Christmas. But this year, there will be a lot of love and a couple of things under the tree.

I just hope Kmart has it's great markdowns next month, as I should be able to pick up a thing or two for them!!

 

[kimmyann]

In the past week I have actually decided the two oldest will be getting new t.v's since theirs are the old big ones.(something they can take with them when they move out ) The youngest is wanting a Kindle, but we will see about that. I'm really hoping for some good deals on Black Friday.

I'm also planning a trip up to D.C. Last year they decorated the zoo with lights, then the following night do Busch Gardens Christmas Town. We could do that with only one night in a hotel since we are pretty close to Williamsburg.

 

[AntePrincess]

Also consider putting out an "ISO" on freecycle for baby food jars (well, all kinds of jars, really...) just the right size for putting into gift baskets, and -most people with babies end up just recycling (or trashing) them.

Seconded. I'm probably going to make my daughters a pile of homemade playdough for Christmas (probably with washable, non-toxic tempera paints for the dye, but maybe food coloring), and I know I'm going to need the jars already.

DS23 and live in girlfriend will get a check . Easy peasy .

Cash is a fantastic gift.

I will admit my grandmunchkins have been very, very spoiled, so this will be the first 'hard candy christmas'.

We have each other, our health and the things we need, just not much extra. In fact, sometimes, no extra. I do feel 'rich' though, in many ways. I wouldn't give up my grandbabies for anything!!

TBH, those are my favorite kinds of Christmases, and - thanks to the economy - those are the only kinds of Christmases I've had with my daughters. We make a lot of nice things for our loved ones, mostly consumable, and the focus is on making origami ornaments for our potted tree (which has so far survived since last year!!), we do the carols around the piano at least once, and all that sort of thing. I'm not sure yet if there will be any money for my husband and I to have gifts for each other that are in any way material, but we'll have something. I agree that we have our health and we have each other, and after the long Christmas fast (kind of like Lent in winter and, for me, so much harder), anything special is good enough.

 

[ORDisneyfans]

Best ever homemade playdough:

1 Cup Water
1 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Salt
1T Oil
1 Pkg Unsweetened Kool Aid

Bring water to a boil, add flour, salt, oil and kool aid. Stir until thickens. Turn out on floured surface and knead until smooth! Cheap, colorful, non-toxic and smells good too.

(I taught Kindergarten and have made 100's of batches of this over the years!)

 

[charming23]

I have started to do a little shopping. I have two of my uncle's taken care of. I work in a men's clothing store and we had a huge sale plus I get a discount. So I got them some nice tops for super cheap.

 

[dreamin_disney]

Christmas is going to be hard this year. We were a two income family, with my daughter, son in law and grandmunchkins, living with me. My son in law moved, long story, so now it is my income that supports the house, the 'family car, the 'economy car' and all the household bills.

I will admit my grandmunchkins have been very, very spoiled, so this will be the first 'hard candy christmas'.

We have each other, our health and the things we need, just not much extra. In fact, sometimes, no extra. I do feel 'rich' though, in many ways. I wouldn't give up my grandbabies for anything!!

They are used to game system, disney trip, toys galore Christmas. But this year, there will be a lot of love and a couple of things under the tree.

I just hope Kmart has it's great markdowns next month, as I should be able to pick up a thing or two for them!!

I'm sure it will be a nice Christmas. Now that we dont go overboard dd actually apprciate what she gets. and we try getting her one main item she really wants and several smaller items she wants. When she was lil we would go overboard and she would play with toys once or not at all and she never touched it again.

 

[MapleGirl]

I've done a little Christmas shopping. I have some ornaments and a small fake tree for my mother that I picked up at Target last January. Last week I got a bunch of things at the Bath and Body Works summer sale. I'll give those to friends, step-mom and sister. Shopping is pretty easy these days. Mom collects the table-top Christmas trees and will tell me what she wants. Step-dad gets a chicken/poultry cookbook every year. Dad, step-mom, sister and brother-in-law all have amazon wishlists so it just a matter of clicking the items I want to purchase and then I'm done! Not sure what to get DH. I'll deal with that in December since I'm terrible at keeping secrets.