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Yikers! Anyone Christmas shopping yet?|pad patter 10.24

I just about have my daughter's all bought. Still need to order her some new books. And I have no idea what to get for my husband. He is very hard to buy for. Books for sure. We are all avid readers at our house. We also have two of our three gifts for our big gift exchange game we play on Christmas Eve with our kids and grandkids. I'm excited to be almost done.
 
I've ordered and paid for photos which will be part of one gift, found the supplies the 2nd part of the gift but need to order them as it takes approx 3 weeks to get them. Figured out the gift for my mum and then it will just be gift certs for the other two. Biggest thing for me is I have to spread it out over several weeks due to finances.
 
We celebrate St Nicholas day on Dec 6 so I am basically done. St Nicolas they get toys and things. Christmas is all homemade gifts and that is when they get scrapbooks and usually a homemade Christmas ornament representing a big event(s) from the year.
 
Me, me!! I tend to poke around clearance racks and sales year-round and see what I can find that I know someone on my list would love. So far I've stacked up some Legos and Duplos for my niece and nephew along with a pile of stuff out in my shop that I really need to go through and catalog so I can see what else I need! I love getting gifts for people!

And, @knclark - your avatar!!! I LOVE it!!
 
I'm almost done. I have to get a few small things for my oldest. We already gave him his 2 big presents because he NEEDED them. He got a new phone and $250 in cash. He's 19 and is still learning how to budget. I only need to get one or 2 more things for the 16 year old. I need a few more ideas for my 13 1/2 year old. She is SO hard to shop for this year. Hubby is pretty much done. He's also a PITA to shop for. Then just the GCs for our parents, DH's brother, my sister, and my kid's stocking stuffers. My sister owed me money, so instead of paying me back, she's going to use it to buy the gift cards I would have gotten my nieces and nephews. Aside from not knowing what to get my daughter, it's been a fairly easy year to shop :)
 
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I am , seriously, thinking about shopping for a ticket..... somewhere. I haven't decided yet. MY preferred destination is always South America but that maybe not an option as first I don't have a spare £1000, and Sarita with school/uni & work can't travel for more than 2 weeks (and one of the reasons I would like to travel is that she is driving me insane so I am not very sure I want to spend New Year Eve with her LOL)
...and I need at least 6 weeks to be able to make it to the family as the flight kills me and I need a week at least to recover....
but I am thinking somewhere Europe, I am also trying to get my British resident card so I can get a visa for the USA, but wont be soon that I can go there yet. Now I need to decide: Spain I have tons of friends living there plus the girl who worked 14 years for my parents, she is like a sister to me, had a daughter and I still haven't seen the baby (she is 2 now!!!) , France ...so many Lilypaders to meet!!!! @Ga_L ma petite!!!! - The Netherlands? so many of you there too!!!! and I would be able to complete my absolute dream : meeting @mirjam in person .... plus @berniek !!!! and I can bring you back with me for your visit to London!!!! oh so many Dutch people I love it would take a day to name... or maybe Belgium, also lots of loved scrappers to me....
I need to decide soon, because if I don't travel , I need to start shopping NOW- the way things go up in price these days or disappear from the shelves is pushing me to shop earlier!!!!
 
Nope.

I don't shop until after Black Friday. I try to get as much as possible on Amazon, and then I pick a day and get the rest. It's not stressful for me at all as long as I avoid the mall. :)

I am a super duper decisive shopper and not usually tied to any 'must get' gifts for my kids so if I see something they like & it fits in the budget, I get it & don't second guess myself. Santa only brings one gift to our house so as long as they get that specific thing, the rest is icing on the Jesus birthday cake.
 
I've got ideas, but nothing purchased yet. I need to get one album finished as a gift for my sister. Lots of my shopping happens close to Christmas, but I try to get ideas ahead of time.
 
tkradtke said:
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.
Click to expand...

Tracie - smart idea to add in something extra when you're already placing an order. I need to remember that one. I also tend to buy necessities and lunch gift cards and itunes cards for my teens.

AnneofAlamo said:
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!
Click to expand...

We do that too... kinda...
  1. a want
  2. a need
  3. something from Santa
  4. a stocking stuffer - candy, new toothbrush, gift card or small toy
  5. something from Mom and Dad
  6. and something from each sibling
  7. and a few extras usually get added in because we're soft and can't seem to stop buying for our kids.... hehe

When our kids were little I used to be finished with all my Christmas shopping by the time Halloween came around and just pick up a few things if there was a killer Black Friday Sale. Fast forward to now and the past 6 years or so since I've had teenagers, and I'm never ready for Christmas. Seems like they're still adding or deleting things from their Christmas lists right up until the end. It drives me crazy. I don't know how many times, I've had to go exchange something at the last minute because my teenage daughter has changed her mind and wanted something different instead. And my hubby is notorious for just going out and buying stuff for himself, not knowing that I had already bought it for him as a present. Thus, more exchanging for me.

I'm really not looking forward to the Christmas gift shopping as it's become such a chore. We're hard to buy for because we really don't need anything, and just buy what we want when we want it. This year, I'm just gonna wrap up the gifts as soon as I buy them, and if they change their minds or buy it themselves, they'll have to go wait in line to exchange it. I'll be too busy watching all the sappy Hallmark Channel Christmas movies, I DVR... haha.
 
@AnneofAlamo Hush Your Mouth!!!!!!!!

Actually, our gift buying days have been over for quite a few years. The grandchildren that get something almost always get money. I may look for some clever card ideas because I usually make ones for the teens. I know this year the younger ones are getting a Lego thingamajig from Dick's satellite project. One teen is getting an August fishing trip to Alaska with him (that's Christmas & birthday).

Then for us? a vacation to England. Otherwise, we both just buy what we want during the year, and fortunately we don't want much. Though I was in the Apple store Sunday...
 
I ordered a couple of things... trying to spread out the expense. And when I see something that would make a perfect gift for someone, I can't pass it up.

I just ordered these for the hubby. Fun hey?

il_570xN.1091353931_ehr3.jpg
 
I did see some things on Etsy already and I think I should just order already. One of them is handmade, so it may be good to order ahead.

And @MrsPeel that is such a great plan to travel somewhere for Christmas! I would LOVE to meet you one day too! I am kinda thinking about a London holiday this year around springtime? That would be nice. :)
 
@berniek you mean next year right?
unless you have the time machine, in which case,,,can we travel back to when Sarita was 2?
:giggle

of course, it would be a pleasure to receive you!!!!! :heartlub:heartlub:heartlub
 
AnneofAlamo said:
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!
Click to expand...

I have loved this for a few years now, but we are never able to stick with it, lol. My daughter is also very bad at choosing something she is actually going to want for more than 5 minutes, not quite old enough to pick sensible long-term things.

This year we are getting the kids a swing set (with a slide, trampoline and basketball hoop) and then a book each and a little toy. Then they are both getting bikes for their birthdays (December 31st and February 15th). We have the bikes already and the small things for Christmas, but the swing set is still being paid off, plus it means we don't have to store it until Christmas, lol!
 
Hahaha @MrsPeel yes you're right, next year. As a teacher, my years go a little different in my mind. And sorry but I don't have that time machine..
 
berniek said:
Hahaha @MrsPeel yes you're right, next year. As a teacher, my years go a little different in my mind. And sorry but I don't have that time machine..
Click to expand...

of course..... to us, the school year starts in March & ends December, but I understand the train of thought there!!!
 
Nope.... when the kids were smaller I used to start shopping in the summer and each paycheck I would buy one gift. That way by time Christmas came it was all done on cash. It was simple as we always did 3 gifts for each child.
Now that the (most) children are grown we usually do one gift. simple. so we can wait closer to Christmas and me and my husband go out for a day shopping that will include breakfast/lunch/dinner out for us, so I really found I enjoy that and it is something to look forward too.
 
No! If I start this early I forget what I already bought and the boys end up with WAY too many presents. :giggle
I start on Black Friday and even then do most of my shopping on Amazon. ...or Bass Pro Shop for my hubby :)
 
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