Christmas

[rose2008-2008]

I cannot believe how Christmas is upon us already. All the gifts are out in Boots today. cards everywhere and the shoppers are starting in their droves already!!!. This weekend it really feels like shoppers are out and about a lot. I was glad to get home today!!!. I do like Christmas but its a bit much at times!!!!!. Wilkos have got masses of Halloween and Christmas things in!!!. And sweets and food too!!. Too tempting!!. What do you think about The season of Goodwill being almost here?.

[m25jet]

I'm dreading it.  Personally I think it would be better to just say "Hey kids, guess what?  Santa Claus doesn't exist - it's just a fairytale!  You're not getting any Christmas presents from now on so get used to it!"

[bitsnknots]

When I was in town this morning, they had Halloween and Christmas things in one of the £1 shops.  Christmas will start in January soon.  Well I hope not anyway.

[captainbovine]

I love Christmas but the shops spoil it by ramming it down our throats too early!

as I get older though, it loses some of it's magic, as it's hard to buy a suprise for OH now, and he doesn't go overboard looking for nice unusual things for me now

I do however, have to put up the tree on Dec 1st. I love doing up the house with our decorations...I'm still a big kid at heart.

[bitsnknots]

At least you should be home for Christmas this year CB.  How's your hooves doing by the way?

[1311rose]

Well I've picked up one or two things already (i tend to spread the buying of pressies).  Had hoped to get another couple at the Ryder Cup but they had run out of mugs and beanie hats this morning.  I got a couple of mugs on Thursday and I'm keeping them myself.

I need to get a new tree this year as my old one looked the worse for wear when I deboxed it last year

[bitsnknots]

I've got a couple of bits.  I've bought my mum a few things.  We normally only buy each other bits but bits still mount up.  We normally buy each things that we need like toiletries and such.  I've got to think what to buy for my dad.  I always think that men are harder to buy for especially as they get older as they have quite a lot when they are older.  I'll probably see something that will do when we are on our next trip at the end of next month.

[carolyorkie2010]

I've just been in the loft to see how many Xmas cards I have left over from last year, and I've only got about 20, so need to buy another 50+ Not long after Christmas it will be my 60th birthday, so I'm trynig to think of something nice to do for that rather than spend a lot of money at Christmas. Maybe a day out to "The Deep" in Hull. I'll have to arrange it all myself as OH isnt into anything like that.

[bitsnknots]

I hope that you find something nice to do for your birthday Carole.  

[rose2008-2008]

Yes they have gone mad in the poundshops our way too. You really can get some nice things in there. We have got a big One in our Week Street where the old Woolworths used to be!!!. Ohh blimey those were the days!!!. Im thinking of when i used to go in with father all excited to get the Pick and Mix Christmas sweets. And Boxes of Chocolates by the truckload!!!. Now i know where my sweet tooth came from. my dad had one too!!!!. LOL.

[bitsnknots]

We've got a 99p Stores where our Woolworths used to be and two more pound shops in one of the arcades.  I used to love Woolworths.  It's a pity that they had to close.  Another shop I used to like was T J Hughes.  Ours closed a few years back and it was supposed to be opening again a couple of years ago but it never did.  Nobody has taken over where it was.

[stroppy*cow]

I find the whole "festive" season very difficult. Not only is it the anniversary of losing a child, but mother-in-law imposes herself and her demands on us.

M-I-L just opts out, hands me money and expects me to buy, wrap and deliver gifts for her.

Mind you, I love searching for amusing bits and peices for daughter, and for bits for the grandchildren.

[peteryola]

Place opposite where I work - we spotted a tree up in there with lights on earlier this week!!! *facepalm*

[m25jet]

Not too far from where I live they tend to put the Christmas decorations up around the town centre at least a month in advance, and they don't take the damned things down again until around about March!  Is it really necessary to have all that tat hanging from the lamp posts for the best part of four months?

[rainydaywoman11]

Dear Stroppy, I don't know if you are aware the N**t sale is on - online as well as stores - I always manage to get a nice handbag for my Stepmum and then she and my Dad (with his annual hat scarf and gloves, lol), get a cheque.

You really have to trawl (171 pages last time I looked) but there is some great girls stuff to be had.  I have 4 littlies I buy for and always buy now, I also get my bras from them, just a thought.

[saasher2012]

I'm afraid I'm also guilty of pre C fever I've got most of my pressies & my cards are already written! lol. My excuse is that I cannot abide the C rush & I never know when I'm gonna get time to do a leisurely C shop. Although that excuse goes out of the window when I asked my brother on Friday about getting the C decorations down from the loft so that I could sort through them. It transpires that I have enough to do every room including the bathroom, guess I went overboard & forgot I wasn't in a big Farmhouse anymore when I was packing!. lol. still at least the local ex racing Greyhound shelter will benefit from my scaling down. lol.
We also seem to have C stuff next to the Halloween on the shells they've appeared all of a sudden, from panicking about not seeing any Halloween ideas to total overload now!.

[fishpieface]

I can't stand all that Christmas stuff out everywhere in the shops, it's far too early.  Sometimes

they even start putting it out before the summer holidays are over.

Apart from that, all the "seasonal" stuff that the chain stores stack up in the run up to Christmas

is largely a load of tat.

I've decided this year that I will get all the presents I can from independant traders and craftspeople,

they may cost a little more or a little less but they'll be from traders that aren't greedy and moneygrabbing

and they'll be nicely made presents with "essence of thoughtfulness and clever peoples' skill" in them.

I'm going to a vintage fair today to find something for my neice who's heavily into all things vintage.

[rose2008-2008]

Oh Books our TJ Hughes closed last year too,,they hardly had any customers in there when i used to walk through the Shopping Centre to work of an afternoon!!.

I always feel a little lonely at Christmas and sad in a way. Times gone by i suppose, and family you miss!. I feel its made too much about spending really, thats sad too. But im pleased for children who enjoy it!.

[hightara]

having been laid up with sciatica ive been busy buying stuff to make decorations with my wee one.

have made a few bits and pieces so far.

I do hate xmas decorations etc way to early in shops.... but with five kids ( well 3 adults, one 15 and one 9) I do try to look out for bargains around now as we live very very modestly.

[bitsnknots]

Our TJ Hughes always seemed to be busy.  I'm sorry it closed as you could get some good bargains there.  

We've not even got our Christmas cards out yet let alone written them.  I tend to think that it's not the cost of the cards but it's the cost of the stamps.

I'm not particularly fond of the run up to Christmas but I do love Christmas day though.  The days in between Christmas and New Year I always think are boring as we seem to be in limbo.