What's new

Yikers! Anyone Christmas shopping yet?|pad patter 10.24

No. Ugh. No.

We have big gifts to buy this year... so there won't be a lot of gifts. At least they are a combo want/need. And... I will be done shopping faster. There is that!
 
The closest I've gotten to Christmas shopping is updating the kids' wishlists on Amazon. I feel like I need an extra month this year. Just stick it between October and November, and I should be able to get everything done in time.
 
ME! Hubby gets an extra paycheck in October (due to the way the calendar falls that long month) so we've always used the majority of that for Christmas. It's tough not to shop when the $$ is already set aside! ;) I have started getting the kids little things- stocking stuffers & a few books. I honestly do 99% of my Christmas shopping on Black Friday- so I'm starting to gather my list & look at ad scans! :)
 
I am starting!
I too have been updating Amazon wishlists, and will start scanning black Friday ads. I am determined to do the smaller list this year: something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read.... I've seen a few graphics on Pinterest that also add home-made and something else (can't remember off hand), and I may do those, too. But... mostly....
Christmas will be books, clothes, busy box updates, and legos (we've decided this is the year to bring some home finally - we've avoided it all this time!). I am focused on making Christmas memories over the course of the month this year, more than I have in the past, and have made my "lists" of different activities to do and things to see.

hubby is hardest to shop for, so i've been working on lists/ideas for him, too.
 
Me!

We started last month. My son has off campus lunch at school and one of the splurge places he likes to go every once in a while is Noodles & Co. Those gift cards aren't usually found at the grocery store or Walgreens where they have the wall of gift cards. So, when my husband and I walked past one last month, we stopped in and picked one up for him.

I've done a lot more recently too. I will admit that our kids get a TON of presents each year BUT I tend to wrap up every necessity I would have gotten otherwise and call it a gift :-) Lately, every time I need to order something specific, I add in a gift or two. Last week I had to order Clara a new pair of dance shoes, so I added a new leotard that was on sale. I had to place an Amazon order this week for a Halloween costume piece, so I added a few things... a set of phone charging cords for each kid and a family board game. Today I need to order hair supplies (dance performance buns) from Sally's so I'll order some extra hair nets and hair pins for Clara's stocking.

And I've been taking advantage of coupons as they come up. Last week I got a 50% off your entire order coupon from Lands' End, so I used it to order my daughter a set of winter school uniform shirts and a couple button down shirts for my son for church (they were on sale and it still took the 50% off!).

Most of my early shopping isn't fun stuff... mostly necessities I would have bought them anyway. But it sure is fun seeing all of those boxes under the tree!

Oh and I started using a new app to keep it all organized. I had used the same one for years, but it's not been updated in a long time and is even no longer in the app store. This new one, Santa's Bag, has worked great so far.
 
Our family is small, so I am able to do the majority of my shopping on Black Friday wkend. I start watching flyers and making a list of a few things but for the most part, I just wander and grab what looks good at a good price. I usually get some awesome deals on clothes and a few things for the kitchen and for Ella, lots of clothes and toys. I'm one of the crazy shoppers who go all night, dragging myself through the mall until early the next morning, then I go back to our trailer (we stay in WA) to sleep most of the next day before heading home.
 
Not yet. The subject has come up, and we are looking at doing an experience again instead of a lot of presents. Last year we did Aquarium passes, and we loved it! We also did a few things under the tree because the pass was not too pricey.
 
bestcee said:
Not yet. The subject has come up, and we are looking at doing an experience again instead of a lot of presents. Last year we did Aquarium passes, and we loved it! We also did a few things under the tree because the pass was not too pricey.
Click to expand...
A few years back we started a cool thing
Something you read,
Something you want
and something your wear;
Something you need.

It has really been fun!

I admit to going a bit overboard on the read theme...
but it is really fun!
 
AnneofAlamo said:
Something you read,
Something you want
and something you wear;
Something you need.
Click to expand...
Yep. This is what goes under the tree, in theory. The problem is mom picks a book or three, Dad picks a book or two. And instead of arguing about which toy we want to give him, we end up each picking out something from the want that we want him to have. Lol. It multiplies fast with an only kid!
 
I've been looking, but haven't started yet. I have a couple of little stocking stuffers for the youngest and DH, but that's it. I have a savings account that I keep through the credit union at work and $$ goes in at the end of the month on pay day, so I usually wait until the end of November, take all that $$ out and use it for Christmas. I have most everything chosen before then, so it's just a matter of grabbing or ordering it :)
 
Well, I shopped for my mom because I wanted to get her a new bird feeder and we went to the store anyway for seed. But otherwise, I have no ideas. For me that is hardest part, coming up with ideas, especially for people we only see once a year.
 
Noooo. I just can't bring myself to Christmas shop before Dec. 1. My MIL texted last week, though and wanted the kids' Christmas lists and I had to tell her I'd get back to her because I haven't even started thinking about it yet.

We try to be pretty minimal when it comes to Christmas shopping and almost everything is purchased online, so it doesn't get overwhelming.
 
Oh I can only handle one holiday at a time this year. I'm an Amazon shopper all the way except I was going to make fleece blankets. Waiting to see if Zane is really coming here for Christmas and then it's negotiating what we can do, each one of the kids, etc. Just getting Zane to update his Amazon list is a chore in itself.
This is our first Christmas where everyone is adult and has a job and needs to contribute. And mom and dad aren't spoiling that much. Oh boy there is a lot of talking ahead! Presents? We'll see.
 
I just did a Christmas list for my mom. And I bought one shirt for my son. That's about it.
 
if it's the thought that counts, then yes.
if it's measured by what i've actually purchased, then no ...
(the thinking and figuring stuff out is sometime the hard part - i've thought but not really thought of anything specific - it's an ongoing process of elimination at this stage - not sure what to do when i've ruled out the whole of toys r us )
 
I'm almost finished Christmas shopping. DS is done and DD is almost done. I know what I want to get DH but I want him to pick it out (he wants a waffle maker cuz ours died about a year ago, but he is SO PICKY about the kind he wants. There's no way I'd get it right cuz he keeps changing his mind lol). DH picks out his parents' gifts and I pick out my parents' gifts, which are usually related to the kids. This year I'm going in a different direction: a side table made with a 2-inch thick slab cut from the tree that DH and I got married under--it died and I asked my parents to save some of the trunk for me). Anyway, IDK if the table will be finished by Christmas, so perhaps that'll be a gift for next year. :)
 
We have started - don't really have many to buy for as hubby and I don't exchange gifts ...
Earlier this year we decided we were not buying our grandbabies toys, because they have SO many of them (at their house and at our house!). However; Saturday, we ended up buying Greyson a big John Deere tractor and a large dump truck and bought a couple Disney Fairy Dolls for Harper. And then this gramma came home and shopped on Amazon and bought a bunch more toys and books for them!! :-) Seriously though - what kind of Christmas would it be if the kiddos didn't get toys from Papa and Gramma? They will obviously get a few more toys and other things - the big gift for them is another iPad. I bought one for them when Harper was a year old - now Greyson is getting to the age of wanting to play games on it. We also decided rather than having Christmas at our house this year (we have one son, a DIL and 2 grandbabies) we'd spend two days at a water park, I just booked rooms last night. It is going to be a new tradition for us each winter (I hope).
 
I have almost all of it done outside of my hubby and kids, but that's because I purchased most of my family's gifts when we were in Scandinavia this past summer. Made it easy that way! DD usually gets some sort of skating stuff, and who knows what DS will want. Probably computer stuff, so I'll let my hubby take care of that!
 
Back
Top