And so it begins...

luckyme

luckyme

New member
I just ordered my first Christmas presents of 2014. :crying:

It's so early! But DD wants an Elsa doll (from Frozen) and I haven't seen them in stores... So, since I just found one online, I snagged it.

Admittedly, I usually try to do the majority of my shopping online so I like to be done by the end of November so that it all gets shipped to my house well before Christmas.

How about you guys? Any other early shoppers?
 
I'm an early shopper, usually done by this time actually, but now that the kids are getting older, I'm trying to push it closer to November, in case they come up with something else they want last minute.

I've done some shopping though, we refinanced our house, so we splurged and bought the kids a Wii U, they won't be expecting it, so that will be a big deal.

I bought Cooper 2 packs of Star Wars characters on Ebay that they don't make anymore, he had some, but has really gotten into them lately.

And Keira, they had the Today show deal on American Girl stuff a couple weeks ago, so I bought her the Sporty Outfit set and today I ordered her an Ever After High Doll from Amazon, it was $11, the cheapest I've seen them.

I have my list ready though, I plan on using Amazon Prime as much as I possibly can this year.
 
I need to start!!! I am determined to shop online this year and get it done early so I can enjoy the month of December and not stress over presents.
 
I find it really hard buying for my girls (almost 8 and almost 11). They both have birthdays Oct/Nov, so would have received gifts from friends already. They also not that materialistic, and don't really want for much. So often, we go into the toy store to see if there's something they want to buy with their pocket money, only to come out empty handed because nothing really caught their eye.

Brooke turns 11 next week, and she chose a family Snow Planet experience over gifts from Mum and Dad. I'm also taking her to The Sound of Music stage show tonight. (She'll still have a Spy party with her friends, and a few presents from her sister and grandparents on her actual birthday). Totally not sure what to get her for Christmas though. Like any kid, she loves opening presents, and would be happy with anything, but we want their gifts to mean something, not just be stocking fillers they don't play with after a few days. The only thing she really wants is an iPod Touch because her friends have them, but that's not something we want her to have. She doesn't need to be that connected at 11 yrs old.

Elisa is having a carnival themed birthday party at the end of Nov. She already has about every craft type activity available, and doesn't really ask for other toys. Yes she likes all the things on the shelf, but even at her age she admits she wouldn't play with them for long. And she's not that much into clothes/fashion. Makes it hard to buy for her birthday, let alone Christmas.

I usually leave the shopping till Nov/Dec and catch the sales. I think clothes, money and family experiences are the way my kids are leaning now, more than toys.
 
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For J - I usually shop year round - if I see a deal on zulily, I jump on it. I have a box of gifts in our closet and the bigger ones are in the garage... I even have part of his birthday gift for March. :D There are a couple things I want to get for him yet - but waiting for the christmas fund to be "released" from the bank.

As for the rest of the family - yeah... that I drag my feet on... I really dislike shopping for DH's family.. don't know what to get them... they get calendars and the grandmas will get photobook of our vacation that they went along on (if I finish that in time.... haha)... but the rest - still questionable....
 
MamaBee said:
As for the rest of the family - yeah... that I drag my feet on... I really dislike shopping for DH's family.. don't know what to get them... they get calendars and the grandmas will get photobook of our vacation that they went along on (if I finish that in time.... haha)... but the rest - still questionable....
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Thank goodness we don't buy for the extended family anymore. Not even grandparents. Now, each family donates to a charity of their choice. On Christmas Day we then share with the rest of the extended family who we chose and why, and what our donation bought. SO much a better use of money for people that really need it. My family supported the National Children's hospital - the only one in the country. My older sister's family donated a couple of wells to villages in Africa. My younger sister's family donated to the children's ward of their local hospital because their daughter is there a lot. My brother's family donated to the NICCU baby unit where their twin daughters were born. I love that our donations can really make a difference.
 
I love Amazon Prime! I also love wishlists. I have a few going and when it comes time to buy the gifts I just hit the wish list and pop it into my cart and I'm done. I have lots of ideas for me, and I know I want to get DH the new Apple Watch when it comes out so that will be his present even though it won't be out until January 2015.
 
I have already done quite a bit of shopping so far. I started a few months back and I try to get one or two presents a paycheck. So far for my 2 girls (5.5 and 7) I have:

- a fancy pinkie pie sweatshirt and a fancy twilight sparkle sweatshirt hoodies from HauteLook
- a Lego Frozen tee shirt from Tee Fury
- a My Little Pony Rainbow Friendship Castle
- Story cubes for stockings
- Frozen charm bracelets for stockings
- a Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty Barbie dolls from Safeway ($5 last week on Friday!)
- Santa Garfields for stockings
- Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Card Game
- Liberty Kids the Complete Series DVD
- a sweater jacket for the 5.5 year old and a sweater dress for the 7 year old.
- a Doctor Who book (like where is Waldo) for one or both.

I had gotten for my husband, a portable phone charger but I gave it to him yesterday because we both needed one for an event.

I generally try to do 1) something they want 2)something they need 3)something to read 4)something to wear 5)something to watch 6)something to play as a family (board/card game) and then a Santa present and Christmas pajamas.

i am also hoping to get calendars done this year. And then I have shirts already for them for Christmas photos from Zulily. And we are thinking the big gift might be the new Kindle Fires they have for $99.
 
By the way, if anyone is using Amazon wishlists, try using camelcamelcamel.com It will watch all the items on a wishlist and then email you when the price drops. I have snagged some fabulous deals that way.
 
Sept/Oct we're buying the kids' fall/winter clothes and DS's birthday presents, so holiday shopping and DD's birthday get put off until Nov/early Dec. I usually do a lot of shopping (online and in person) on Black Friday and then get the rest soon afterward. Extended family will get calendars, and other than that we don't really exchange gifts with everyone.

Some years I know way in advance what I'm getting my kids, but this year I'm mostly stumped. Two of them have Oct and Dec birthdays, which makes it a challenge to find enough gifts that are worth buying. The few good ideas I have are bigger gifts, but my kids are still young enough to be disappointed when they don't have something to open every night of Hanukkah. About the only thing I know is that I'm getting DD one of the new Kids' Fire tablets for her birthday. She'll also get some art supplies for Hanukkah since drawing and painting are her favorite things to do.

I have the same problem as Jacinda with gifts for my boys. I'd like them to have some new things for outside, like a basketball hoop, but the weather here makes Dec a stinky time of year for outdoor things. The 11 year old has outgrown toys but not grown into being happy with clothes as gifts. He already has the few electronic things he'd want (and that we want him to have) and there are no new games for them that he's interested in right now. The kind of experience gifts he'd like would end up costing way more than what we'd normally spend on gifts, so that's probably out. He'll get a few gift cards, but I know he really likes having some things to open that he can play with or read right away. My 8 year old is tough for toys, too. He's terrible at choosing things for himself; the things he thinks he wants are only played with for a few days. I love that they're growing up and who they are right now, but let me buy toys for toddlers over big kids any day!
 
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I'm pretty much done with shopping for my boys. We don't do many presents. We're doing "Something you want, something you need, something to wear and something you read." plus a gift from Santa. They're getting skylanders from santa and as the "want". We're getting them some new boots and pj's for the "wear" and some new books to read for school as the "read". We might just skip the "need" because they don't really need anything. Also have to pick up some stocking stuffers, but they'll just be pokemon cards and skylanders (and a bit of candy along with the annual toothbrush).

Gemma is going to be harder... Her "want" is going to be the applejack My Little Pony from Build A Bear Workshop which will complete her set. Her "wear" will probably be more pj's since she's almost grown out of the ones she has. The "read" will just be a few books that catch my eye that look cute. Again, we might just not do the "need" because she doesn't need anything either. I have no idea what to put in her stocking. she might get some play jewelry because she's always trying to steal mine and i might make her some new hair bows. I don't know. I also have no idea what her santa gift will be. For some reason she's really hard this year!
 
My son had his eye on a lego technic kit for Christmas. He just had his birthday this week and my mom bought him a different Lego technic kit, so he's been busy putting together a million little pieces. He hinted that this particular kit may have satisfied his desire for a lego technic. Thank goodness I hadn't purchased the kit he wanted for Christmas! So...now that he's waffling on his 'wishlist' I need to give him a few more weeks. Otherwise I was hoping to buy it in October as Lego does double VIP points!

I also have a few things stashed in my closet I collect all year: books for DH, small stocking stuffers, a glass pumpkin for my mom from the pumpkin patch...

I still need to buy for my Dad and my nieces. And DH's family. They have a big family, so we always get them a group gift: Like a day at the rock climbing gym or passes to the water park.
 
whe don't do presents with christmass but when my son whas younger and still believed
sinterklaas what whe do celebrate in the netherlands whas real i always started shopping in the beginning of the year . lot of the time i saw something that whas in sale i both it and saved it in my closets so i had not to spend all my money in one month but i must admit sometimes a present dit get lossed in the closet and whe found it after sinterklaas
 
we don't buy for anybody but ourselves and sometimes our parents (but not always). If we're visiting family, we buy for them, but we don't send gifts. Are we alone in that? that's just always how it's been. We both come from a family of 9 and I have over 60 cousins and 23 nieces and nephews.... there's no way we could afford to buy for everyone!
 
I bought my first one yesterday and my goal is to be finished by the end of November. We only buy gifts for our family and the grandparents (but they usually get a copy of the kids photo book of that year). My two brother also get a little something since we still celebrate Christmas with them and I love presents. Our kids are so small they just get things they need and a small toy. They get so much anyway that us buying more would only be pointless. That being said, the most important gift of 2014 is the teddy bear I got for my youngest, it's her first Christmas after all :)
 
This might sound mean but my boys (ages 6 and 8) won't be getting very much at all this year. They didn't appreciate what they got last year so I'm cutting way back. So they might get a couple of small-medium items under the tree... I might give them each a small amount of money too which they can add to whatever their grandparents give them, and either put it in their money boxes or buy something they really want with it.

I'm also moving more towards experiences these days rather than 'things' (we still have 'things' lying around unopened from last Christmas). Christmas is during our 6 week summer school holidays so this year I'll spend the money on taking them places and doing activities rather than presents and spread it out over December-January.
 
jak said:
This might sound mean but my boys (ages 6 and 8) won't be getting very much at all this year. They didn't appreciate what they got last year so I'm cutting way back. So they might get a couple of small-medium items under the tree... I might give them each a small amount of money too which they can add to whatever their grandparents give them, and either put it in their money boxes or buy something they really want with it.

I'm also moving more towards experiences these days rather than 'things' (we still have 'things' lying around unopened from last Christmas). Christmas is during our 6 week summer school holidays so this year I'll spend the money on taking them places and doing activities rather than presents and spread it out over December-January.
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I love the thought of experiences instead of gifts. When mine get older and have yet another pile of toys they don't play with, we'll do the same.
 
I've gotten some skylanders for my son when they were on sale a month ago or so. I might get him a few more small things, but nothing big this year. He has so much stuff already that he never plays with, he really doesn't need any more toys.

For my mom and my sister,I have no idea. I also have 3 nephews to buy gifts for, but it doesn't feel too hard. And that's all the people I buy for.
 
I pick up little things during the summer....(help Santa out with the stocking stuffers), but anytime after August is when I start keeping an eye out for good deals.... Like right now there are good deals on toys the boys have been looking at because stores have been selling out of these things to make room for the new stuff for Christmas time. I absolutely hate shopping, so the more I can get done now and the more I can find online the better. The only problem is when I buy things this early and hide them I always end up forgetting about a gift or two that the kids end up getting AFTER Christmas. LOL
 
we dont celebrate Christmas with present, but sinterklaas ( the Netherlands) on dec. 5 th.
i was in disneyland paris last 3 days en bought some presents since i was there.
also bought something on the internet a few weeks ago because it was 1 + 1 free ;)
 
jacinda said:
Thank goodness we don't buy for the extended family anymore. Not even grandparents. Now, each family donates to a charity of their choice. On Christmas Day we then share with the rest of the extended family who we chose and why, and what our donation bought. SO much a better use of money for people that really need it. My family supported the National Children's hospital - the only one in the country. My older sister's family donated a couple of wells to villages in Africa. My younger sister's family donated to the children's ward of their local hospital because their daughter is there a lot. My brother's family donated to the NICCU baby unit where their twin daughters were born. I love that our donations can really make a difference.
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Oh, I would LOVE to do that for DH's family (we host Christmas each year for both sides)... but we would have such a huge argument if we asked them to give to charity... that family doesn't do charity - you don't just give money away, that is not what Dad/Grandpa would do... :o Plus my FIL loves to have a lot of things to open...

My side is easier - there is only 3 of them (my mom, step dad and dad)... we don't give a lot because we help each other out with things through out the year... so the "gifts" are from J that he picks out for them at the store.
 
I'll be lucky if I get a list from my kids at the beginning of December, that's when my hunt starts. I have two younger cousins to shop for and I'm usually lucky to get ideas from them at Thanksgiving. Many years I've bought them all on Amazon or Target that night after they leave my house! I buy for my kids, my parents (all 4 with remarriage), my best friends daughter and the two little cousins. My daughter sends us links for her online shopping which is awesome!
 
I've started also - I have my sister done, my parents, my niece, son/d-i-l, my 2 grandkids, and most of my stocking stuffers done for our family Christmas (my parents, sibs, etc.). I have a couple things for DD but I'll wait more toward mid December to decide what her big gift will be. At 14 she has last minute things she thinks of.

I shop throughout the year to spread the expense but I also make things throughout the year so starting early is essential for projects :)
 
I have no idea what to buy my 11 year old son. He really only plays Minecraft and Legos, and since he is 11, the Legos are becoming less frequently played so I won't be buying anymore. Last year was a struggle to think of ideas, he couldn't think of anything and I couldn't either. So I'm really stumped this year. He is pretty content with what he has, which I LOVE, but makes it hard at gift giving time.

My oldest son is engaged and I'm torn on what to buy him too. I'm thinking just a gift card to buy things for his apartment- like dishes or pots and pans, because honestly he doesn't need/want much personally. I'd buy the items myself instead of a gift card, but I think his fiancee would like to pick them out!

This just kills me because I love to buy gifts and watch people open them. But I can tell this will be a more low-key Christmas :(
 
I've been talking about it with my mom (i.e. what to give the kids) but it's coming up too fast.

Last year one of my sisters decided that instead of traveling after Christmas (so we could celebrate the week after) they are only going to come home at Thanksgiving (which they weren't doing at all in previous years).

So last year it was Thanksgiving and then as soon as most everyone left Thanksgiving dinner my other sister and her husband were packing up the Thanksgiving decorations and bringing up the tree and quickly changing everything around to Christmas wonderland.

Let me tell you, it's a little weird to have your main family Christmas celebration completed before December. And it appears this is now our new "tradition" because we've been informed that this is how it is going to happen again this year.

I know we will be blessed if they are able to travel to visit and we are blessed to be able to have family get togethers to celebrate but I just wish it wasn't crammed into what last year I called "The Whirlwind Week of Crazy".

We don't exchange with all of the extended family anymore. I just need to get started on my lists since I need to be all done pretty much by the week of November 23 and the kids would like me to have their scrapbooks done which I've let go for a couple of years.
 
I've started crafting gifts for family. Other than for our little family, we don't buy much.
We buy for MIL and FIL, for my parents, my brother, and then for DH's siblings we do a swap amongst the adults with a small price limit. I need to kick things into gear in the next few weeks to try and finish as many of my crafted gifts as possible.
 
I've bought the Christmas PJs (with matching set for her American Girl) already.

Other than that, I'm waiting until her birthday at the end of October...which is also when we are supposed to close on our new house. Once we're settled I'll start shopping.

She's almost 9 and she doesn't play with her toys much now, so most are going, and she's not getting many this Christmas. Here's what we are planning to get for the girl this year:
fishtank w/GC for Petsmart or Petco
karaoke machine
Girl Scout Barbie
TMNT movie on DVD
lava lamp
assorted stocking stuffers

DH and I usually give each other a few gifts, but with the move that might not happen this year. We'll get something for my mom, Rachel's BFF, and Rachel's teacher, but that's about it.
 
adi&co. said:
we don't buy for anybody but ourselves and sometimes our parents (but not always). If we're visiting family, we buy for them, but we don't send gifts. Are we alone in that? that's just always how it's been
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Wow, you have a big family! My family is much smaller. DH is an only child whose parents have both passed away, so there's no one we see for the holidays or exchange gifts with on his side. Until 4 years ago, my close family was just my parents and 2 siblings so we did exchange small gifts. But in the last few years both of my siblings have gotten married and my sister has had kids and acquired a large family on her DH's side. I'm still doing calendars for everyone because I know they like them, but we aren't really exchanging gifts either. My parents give something small/medium to each of the grandkids, and each of the familes gets my parents something small. My gift to them is always calendars of the whole family, and my sister gave them photo mugs last year.
 
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DD5 has already started talking abt what she wants for her Santa present (Santa only brings one big unwrapped present to our house... although Grandma insists that he brings presents to her house, too), and she swears that what she wants is some kind of Disney princess remote-controlled dog (?!) which I can't imagine her actually liking or playing with much. She has started getting into Lego Friends, so I think I might get her one of the bigger sets as her Santa gift. I am an experience person, too, so I'd love to get her tickets to Disney on Ice or something like that, so we'll see what's going to be in town after Christmas. Her little things will include My First Reader-type books, a couple of Beanie Boos, and some board/card games. Of course, she'll get Christmas Eve jammies (and now I can coordinate hers with the baby's -- happy scrapper sigh!).

The baby will be 7 months old and completely oblivious, so I'll just pick a couple of things that tickle my fancy and be done with it.

SS12 will be the trickiest to buy for, I'm sure. Besides video games and apps, there are really no other 'things' to buy him, so he will probably get some tickets to some kind of sporting event, some GCs, and some clothes/pajamas. DH is in charge of his presents.

The hardest part for me is getting their yearly ornaments: figuring out what to get and then actually finding them. The baby's will be easy since this is his first Christmas (although I'm sure both of his grandmothers will get him a first Christmas ornament, too), but deciding what kind of ornament best represents the year for the other kids and then locating it always takes more time than anything else.
 
LeeAndra said:
The hardest part for me is getting their yearly ornaments: figuring out what to get and then actually finding them. The baby's will be easy since this is his first Christmas (although I'm sure both of his grandmothers will get him a first Christmas ornament, too), but deciding what kind of ornament best represents the year for the other kids and then locating it always takes more time than anything else.
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We saw the flyer for the Hallmark Elsa ornament the day that Hallmark posted it in the store so we have one on order for Rachel. She saw it and all of her other choices flew out the window. LOL.
 
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