It's beginning to look a lot like ........

Bags - I find Dragon's Den very entertaining, but if you have never seen it you can't really dismiss it out of hand, can you?

We have a lot of family birthdays in December. I always bought DS a birthday gift but we also declared an official birthday in August so that he got new toys to play with during the school holiday.
I don't do Christmas except for GC, I refuse to battle my way through headless chickens

I've done the same as glass and taken advantage of offers that where on for presents for the youngest DGCs also Tesco's voucher exchange scheme earlier in the year when the value doubled so that was a bonus.My two big DGSs have birthdays on 27th and 31st December and DS1 on the 15th so no respite on the birthday scene here also.
I can understand why the trend has changed for people to want to shop earlier as now salaries are paid monthly and so now for some people there will only be 3 pay days before Christmas and if you work for MOD your last payday will be 30th November so early shopping is a must,its not like years ago when my dad got paid a weekly pay packet and Christmas week he had a bonus which mum would use to get a turkey and her fruit and veg from the late night market.

Ah yes, but advertising is big business too. That's the root of the razmataz. Probably what's behind "entertainment" like the Dragon's Den too.

Yes, ana, those two things do help, though I got quite good at ignoring it all when I did own a TV and work in a town too. I decided back in 1979 not to do town centre shopping near xmas. This was because I'd popped into M&S in Sheffield (where I lived and worked at the time), stepped onto an escalator and looked down at a sea of human heads. I don't think I bought what I'd gone in for, I just left as fast as possible thinking "Never again!" And I never have.

Result? Calm run up to Christmas. Calm Christmas.

Youngest GC is 6 on December 1st; oldest is 22 on Hogmanay. Then DS2 and his partner are in mid January. All my insurances fall due in January too. Poor me - quite literally!

The only reason I find the commercial promotions for whatever it is..'back to school' before the end of the summer term, Christmas in September etc very annoying is that life flies by quickly enough without feeling I am being rushed through it even more quickly!!

Perhaps they could just have permanent collections in shops for all the different promotions!

thatbags I agree that buying when you see something/have the cash to do so, spreading the cost is a wise approach but these types of early promotion it is just large commercial business trying to increase their takings and I find it annoying .

There is absolutely no need to promote school uniform / Christmas etc as those who need to buy for it will!!

Judthepud - I have one grandson with a birthday on 30th December and I make a point of buying him separate presents. His father, my son-in-law, has a birthday on 28th December, and he said that most of his relations would say 'We bought you one big present' and he felt he really missed out on his birthday.

I made my preparations several months ago - I booked my flight to Auckland for 5th December!

It must also be a lot easier to ignore most of the frenzy and razzmatazz(sp?) if you don't own a tv or work in a town centre!

Very soon I'll be nipping out in my lunch break and ALL the shops in the shopping centre will be blaring out Xmas tunes (not sure about Specsavers, will have to check! ).

I think the reason it doesn't bother me is because I don't regard xmas as a big thing. It's just a natural, pleasant way of marking the turn of the year to us. No big deal. Worth marking with a few presents and a nice meal but that's all. I simply refuse to stress about it. It's just a midwinter slightly noteworthy day because it marks the time when the days start to get longer again. That's its main importance to me. Maybe living further north makes these thing more significant in an astronomical way. Being an atheist probably helps too, as does being someone who hates fuss.

Glassortwo I have much the same situation as you in Dec. DS b'day on 1st Dec, DDs 1 & 2 on 14th (they are twins) and then the biggie DGS1 on 24th! He was a special Xmas present for us. I spent Christmas Day in the labour ward and delivery suite, and then produced a full Christmas dinner next day for 8. Mind you, I still prefer to get Hallowe'en over first before I begin to give Christmas much thought! It is a big celebration here in N. Ireland.

I prefer to enjoy the last couple of days of summer, then I will revel in the lovely autumn changes around me, I'll stay away from that aisle in Tesco's (saw it out of the corner of my eye the other day), THEN when it gets to the middle of December, I will throw myself into it all and enjoy a fortnight of feeling Christmassy.

I'm waiting for my lot to start going mad with decorations, trees surrounded by presents that the children can't keep their hands off, then that weary complaint on Christmas Day.....'I can't wait to take that blasted tree down, I'm sick of seeing it!'

OMG, shut up! I don't wanna know!

Well I have started got a few for the Dgc in the Argos. 3for2 and some of the items were also reduced, so I made the most of the bargains.

I have Dgs3 Birthday 1week before Christmas, Dgs2 1 week after New Year, Dgs1 one week later, then new grandchild due on the same day as Dgs1....... Think they could Have thought of my pocket so forward planning is essential for me. Also Have had all there Christmas PJs for weeks.

I have a recurring nightmare where I wake up to find it is Christmas morning and I haven't bought anything!! I think this is because at the beginning of December I always think that I have a whole month to get everything done, whereas of course, I don't! I love Christmas but have to agree the shops do start their sales campaigns too early.

Iam64 I have to confess I love that Slade song it reminds me of Christmas's before I got married and everyone would pile into mum and dads on Christmas morning.

Must also confess that I have bought some Christmas presents too, not intentionally I might add.

gracesmum Yes! I have just put them on to boil. They should be cooked by December.

I too love Christmas Iam64, but just wish the shops would leave it a little longer before they put out all the Christmassy stuff. If you are well organised then like thatbags you can get you pressies when you see them, which I think is a good idea, but sadly fail to achieve that, and always seem to be rushing at the last minute, I think this is because I tend to disregard the early warnings, and think oh! long time yet.

Surely you've all got your sprouts on by now though?

Ok bags, good point - I won't moan about it any more. We've had the best summer for ages, I've loved every minute of the warmth and light and I love autumn, it's always been my favourite season. I also love Christmas and all that goes with it - apart from that Slade song.

Actually, it is a way for people to prepare gradually. If they wish or if they can't afford to do the preparing all at once, or if they don't want to be going crazy xmas shopping just a short while before. I have bought a few xmas presents already – not because I was doing xmas shopping, but because I saw something just right for my grandsons and one of my daughters.

I don't mind the shops doing their thing. I would if I were an appropriate shop (not a greengrocers, IYSWIM). I wish people would stop moaning though.

Oh I wish we could, ban it that is, not the whole thing of course, just this ridiculous back to school so let's start selling for C. What I would love to ban is that Slade song - arghhhhhh

Banned, banned, banned!

Stop !!!!!!

The same in Dunelm mill. I turned a corner and was beset by Christmas stuff. Not too mention mince pies in the co-op.