sooO far behind sooo much to do! **EVERYTHING IS WRAPPED AND DONE!**

[amylw1]

(i will add to this until xmas!)

hi,

due to being pregnant and haviing to buy everything for baby as got rid of it all i am soooooo behind this year. i am usually soooooo organised etc.

i usually start shopping as soon as the sales start - whether thats boxing day or day after!!! i buy all my cards and paper at this time as its soooo cheap. AND i buy any gifts that i can instantly work out who will get them as well.


normally by sept 1st everything apart from the sweets/food/drink is bought - i usually spend about £400-500 on gifts for my 2 kids, OH, sis, grandparents, neighbours son and best mates 2 girls, but that money was used to gete baby stuff.

BUT

i did buy all new tree decs in browns/golds in the focus sale (less than half price for a 150piece set) as i have had blue since i left home at 17. i do have some stuff stashed away, that was got in sales etc. the stocking fillers are bought for all 3 of my kids (yes blake will have a stocking).

the eldest asked for a DS and we managed to get 1 in jan sales with 2 games and case for half price. middle son asked for simpson scalextric, again got in sale.

 

[amylw1]

there are only a few ppl that we now buy for as we dont have dealings with OH family. this does mean more money to spend on those we like. there are few problems for this year though - Blake will only be 4months old and as he is so tiny we cant get what we had planned of a baby walker (sit in type) as he will be too small, and mackenzie has only asked for 1 thing!!!

to buy for -

peter (OH)
jarred (eldest)
mackenzie (middle)
blake (baby)
sister
my grandparents
neighbours son
best mates 3 daughters (will be 3 at xmas)


what asked for/want

OH - boxers and socks, twilight books and dvds

jarred - ds, spiderman bits, pjs

mackenzie - simpsons scalextric, pjs

blake - ???

sister - mini perfumes, slow cooker

grandparents - ???

neighbours son - likes transformers

best mates girls - hair bobbles, dolls etc


bought so far -

OH -
twilight books
deodrant set (umbro) - on offer at £3 instead of £7
car seat belt pads and matching steering wheel cover (dragon design)
new watch
angels & demons dvd
tinkerbell dvd


jarred -
ALL stocking fillers
ds
9 ds games
few books
r/c bubble car
monster note books and pens (£1 for 10 books and £1 for 3 pens)
2 spiderman character toys
bag for DS £2.50 new, charity shop!
hat/scarf/gloves
5 spare stylus for DS
protective case for DS
kung fu panda dvd


mackenzie -
ALL stocking fillers
simpsons scalextric
r/c bubble car
hot wheels monster truck
hot wheels mini cars
pirate play set and boat
simpsons hat/scarfe/gloves
stretch homer simpson (half price £8)
2 leappad games
assortment simpsons mini figures
8 more hot wheel cars
3 hot wheel lorries
bowl em over game
rory stunt racer set
rory car launchers
sponge bob squarepants movie


blake -
tomy stacking rings
fisher price soft hedgehog
bath books and toys
set of 3 baby einstein soft shapes
feely animal book
2 water teethers
soft car toy that squeeks/rattles
morgan monkey by lamaze
all stocking fillers and stocking


sister -
diary
slow cooker
10 or 12 mini perfumes
receipe cards of slow cooker meals (hand mmade)


grandparents -
hankies


neighbours son -
mechano set


best mates girls (eldest 2) -
hairbobbles
girly diary set

best mates baby -
fluffy winter coat



the stocking fillers have ALL been bought for all 3 of my boys, i just need to get blake a stocking to put his bits in. the bits have come from ebay, the works (bookshop), mummy martins website (party bag fillers etc), hawkins bazaar, £1 shops, tesco

none of the items have cost more than £1 - and that is the bigger bits like bubble bath and socks and pants. loads came from mummy martins and were from 25p - £1. the items include -

flashing balls, clackers, catch bubbles, car in egg, pez dispensers and sweets, books, stickers, notebooks, pens, finger monsters, dinosaurs, colouring book set and pencils, pocket puzzles and games.

blake - teething ring, buggy book, soft ball, bead maze, rattles



i do normally do OH (and myself) a stocking BUT there are only so many mini deodrants/bubble baths a person needs that i dont think i am doing them this year. last year OH got a design-a-beaver (not the animal) magnet game and a doodle pad (part outline of woman - he filled in the rest) as abit of a joke. BUT i cant find anything different.

IF anyone has ideas as to what i can put in 1 then please let me know.

updates as to what has been bought are in blue


me and OH ARE having stockings!!! got OH a few bits and he is "working" on mine.

 

[amylw1]

spent ages looking for ideas for the kids but got no joy.

it doesnt help that my sister and gradparents have asked what all 3 kids want!!! grandparents said they will get clothes for all 3 IF i dont let them know. thing is they dont need clothes!!!

 

[amylw1]

found 2 more toys on ebay that i intend to get for blake. luckily sellers are shops and have more than 1 as i need to wait until tuesday.

 

[amylw1]

just got blake 2 more toys!!! but i think these are what my sister is going to pay me back for.

 

[amylw1]

i have got the cd i want and a gold charm 4 bracelet - i got them but paid for from OH wages as shops are shut when he finishes work.

 

[amylw1]

my sister has said that she is paying me back for the 2 gifts for blake i got yyestterday as she hasnt got time at moto go shopping.

 

[amylw1]

started buying food! LOL! tesco had tubs of twiglets and mini chedders at buy 1 get 1 free. so got some. they also had pringles at 99p BUT only just occured to me i should have got some.

snack type bits are always on table and its only time the kids can help themselves too food.

 

[amylw1]

still to buy:

food
chocolates/sweets including to go in stockings

for kids -
crazy stunt rory racing set got
rory die-cast launchers got
lego adveture game NOT getting as too old for kids
bowel 'em over game got
bag for ds and games to go in (local market do nice 1s cheap)got £2.50 charity shop
pez sweet refilsgot
pj's and slippers grandparents getting

for OH -
angels & demons dvd got
dan browns books not getting - got watch instead

for sis -
mini perfumes got some
socks
calendar (making this with pics of all 3 boys)
slow cooker got

for grandparents -
hankies
calendar (see sis)


what i want -
clothes
vouchers for clothes shop (if no clothes)
gold "b" charm cant find 1 like
baby building block charm got
3 wise monkey charm got
disney beauty & beast dvd (always loved this film and my video broke!) got

 

[amylw1]

6 more gifts have arrived today. feels like xmas already!!!

 

[amylw1]

i really need to get sorted! i went into the loft over weekend to move stuff (having the tank moved this weekend). and there doesnt seem half as much as usual! i cant really afford to get more gifts b4 we go away oct half term. but i maybe able to get some cheap bits at the coast!

 

[amylw1]

blake's stocking arrived today so thats 1 more thing to cross off list. (had the bits to go in it for weeks!)

my new purse has arrived as well (the only snag with me and OH sharing a paypal account, parcels come in my name). (oops!!!)

i want/need brown/gold ceiling decorations! all mine are blue and silver, but i have changed the tree decs to browns and golds for this year.

 

[amylw1]

i managed to get some brown iceicles (sp) and a box of 60 mini gold parcels off ebay, so got my brown ceiling decs now.

2 of the last 3 things for mackenzie were reduced in argos so have got them (Well got all 3) so he is now done EXCEPT for sweets for stocking and selection box BUT i wont get them until week b4 xmas as likely to get found and eaten like last yr!!! all i need to do with his is work out what needs batteries - size and how many and remove the plastic strap bits and WRAP THEM!!!!

blake is also sorted, again need check for batteries and remove plastic straps and WRAP THEM!!! (i think i'm going to be a bad mummy and buy him a milky bar for xmas )

jarred hasnt got as many gifts as the other 2 BUT his have cost the same due to getting him a DS. i do still have a couple of bits to get like a bag for the ds and games (getting 1 off market). again he needs sweets and chocoaltes, batteries, plastic straps removed annd WRAP THEM!!!

OH - still need to get the books he asked for, some new boxers, celtic sweets for stocking, sweets and chocolate and WRAP THEM!!!! (i'm waiting on few bits to arrive for him).

sis - the slow cooker i was going to get her is no longer available so have got to go on a hunt for 1. also got to get her some more mini perfumes.



i cant wait to start WRAPPING!!!!

 

[amylw1]

the 1st of "santa's grot-shops" (as me mum called em) opened in town on wednesday - selling cheap paper/cards, silly gifts etc. i did buy some lovely black and gold paper at £1 a roll with rrp of £3.99.

they are also starting to put the xmas lights up in town center!


i'm thinking of wrapping each of the kids gifts up in same paper - eldest in 1, middle in another and blake in something different.

 

[mrsraggle]

You're so organised!

 

[amylw1]

You're so organised!

thanks. not as organised as previous years, as i put on 1st page i usually have everything bought and wrapped by september. but due to finding out i was pregnant and haveing got rid of all baby stuff i had to spend my usual christmas money on baby stuff.

i'd say 85-90% is now done. i've still got few bits for sister and OH and my grandparents to get, plus OH has told me to go shopping to get some clothes for ME for xmas, also got the calendars to make, sweets/chocolates to buy.

i did actually wrap some last night!!! i cant do as i planned and wrap each of the boys in same paper as my rolls are all half used from last year and i'm not buting more rolls when i have about 12 part rolls. was a good idea but not going to work.

 

[amylw1]

***MOAN***

whilst we were away there was a BIG factory outlet store and they had slow cookers hlaf the price of the same make in argos and mens boxers 5 pairs for £2.99. told OH we had go back b4 we left and guess what???? we forgot!!! the 2 local stores are both really small and dont do hardly any household stuff.

never mind will have to pay loads in argos for slow cooker for sis unless i can find 1 elsewhere.

 

[amylw1]

went to big tesco shopping for food (and any halloween bits reduced!) and they had slow cookers same size as the £30 argos 1s reduced to £10. BONUS!!! sis nearly sorted for xmas

 

[amylw1]

2 of the kids stockings are wrapped, just need to get bags of chocolate coins for them and milky buttons for blake.

managed to pick up a small bag for eldests DS and games £2.50 new in a charity shop. BONUS!!!

got a free mini bottle of baileys in post that can go in my stocking!

 

[amylw1]

bertie the magical elf sent the kids an email today saying thta he has been watching them and they are not being very good therefoe he may not be able to come and stay this year, they have 3 weeks to do as told.