C*******s

Granmouse reading your post I can feel your excitement. Happy post enjoy and congratulations

I have bought the cards but mislaid my address book which is a pain. Has anybody thought of the "real" price of stamps? 12 shillings in old money which is ridiculous.

The year my daughter was born I bought cards in a sale in August and wrote them all ready to send. She was due at the beginning of December and I thought I might be a bit too busy once she was born! I've never been so organised again - last minute panic every year!

I am very excited. My son and his family ( one dd and a dw) live in Turkey. He moved there at the end of 1992 and has never been back for Christmas. I do see them once or twice a year but this year ds and dgd are coming here from 23rd to 30th December. My lovely dil has to work, she is Turkish so Christmas isn't a big thing for her.
We are having a big family party on the 29th ( my 70th a bit early and our silver wedding). So they will be here for that too
I am so happy and excited. Dgd is 14 so any pressie suggestions very welcome.

Hope you have a lovely time with your family in OZ Gally. I have a DD and DSiL out there, in Queensland ,who are coming home for 'C', so a cuddle from my DD will be my best present.

Hadn't given it a thought, through choice, but I was out with my cousin today who was running around frantically getting bits and pieces to take to NZ. She and her DH are going their next month.They have done this trip every year to see 2 DSs and families, and only grandchild, she was 12 this year so although they have been doing this for 12 years, she was still running around like a headless chicken today!

Definitely not at all Scroogy to pare down anything to with 'C' nowadays, it has be come ridiculous. Can hardly move in DDs house with the amount of stuff GDs are given by some family members who think large plastic c..p is seen as a big present..woe betide poor DD should she actually toss it to make space in her home. Grrrrr!

I keep cards down to older family members who I know would be disappointed if they did not receive one.

I was away last year until the week before Christmas so did not send any cards at all. Instead I rang people up and talked to people I hadn't spoken to for years. Phone calls free and chat was brilliant. Postage costs saved sent to charity. WIN WIN !!

I think if we had Christmas every four years like the Olympic Games we might enjoy it more. At first I was sad that my grandchildren will be overseas for Christmas but then I realised that a year off might be quite nice provided we still get a skype call!

I shall be giving deki.org.uk/about_us gift vouchers this year to adults and older children. They will be able to choose an entrepreneur to help, then be repaid in the future. My original loan years ago has been paid back to me and re-lent many times over, which is very rewarding.
A few years ago we came to an agreement within the immediate family that I would buy for GCs but not DDs or SILs. They give me something small but I really wish they wouldn't bother.
I sometimes wish I could just go to sleep and wake up when C was all over!

Last year I sent lots of e-cards via Jackie Lawson and they seemed to be very acceptable to everyone.

I agree about the presents. When doing the shopping I kept in my mind that for the GC it needed to be something that would not just end up in the "toy soup."

Last year I gave DH, and DC + partners a stocking each with useful bits and pieces from Boots and the Pound shop. I also gave each a 'proper' present. You can guess which gave the most fun and pleasure! So I'm doing that again this year because I enjoyed it too. The GC will get clothes, a book and a small gift eg jigsaw. I'm refusing to load them up with 'stuff', it becomes quite obscene and there are other relatives too who contribute. I've bought my C.......s cards I have to admit but will not be writing them until 1 December when I shall probably go into panic mode

I don't send c cards. I donate to a charity instead.

Gally how my brother and I used to love getting our dads army socks with an apple/orange and some nuts in,we had them for years and when I had my first baby I "borrowed" one from my parenta attic to keep up the tradition but sadly the sock has been lost somewhere over the years,my brother still has his and he still gets it out even though it is rather threadbare.

One year we were in terrible accommodation while our house was being made habitable and everything we ate for the X** s lunch was a shortcut!frozen or pocketed. No one noticed. I love filling the stockings with tiny but useful presents and keep an eye open all year for suitable small gifts.

My husbands birthday is near Christmas too (very bad planning there) so instead of presents I give him permission to spend a large amount of money on his model railway without guilt. He gets a packet of wine gums on the day and seems very happy with that arrangement.

Last year I only sent cards to friends that I don't see, which meant very few!
The price of stamps is ridiculous.

I stopped family gifts a few years ago, as we've all got far more stuff than we need, and everyone just buys things when they want them.

I give my gc money, as they too have everything, and at least they can save up.

I sound like a real Scrooge, I'm not but no-one seems bothered

I shall be away for C.......s.

Last November I warned people by email that I was cutting down on cards and to expect an email at Christmas instead of a card. (Not close family and friends but those I would have to post to). I said I was sending the saved postage to charity - which I did. Every one of them said it was an excellent idea and no one took offense. At Christmas I sent by email a photo montage of the family. I will do the same this year. It took a bit of pre thinking but once arranged it worked a treat. I have also cut right down on presents - now just the children and grand kids. If you suggest stopping pointless present I have found everyone jumps at the chance to give it up. We are caught in a cycle of waste and need to confront it.

Last December my DH was very ill, ending up in hospital for surgery. The whole of December passed in a blink and I didn't get around (!) to sending cards etc. The children all got presents but everything else got ignored and you know what, I don't think anybody noticed. It has been a lesson. This year I plan to send cards only to friends who live far away. None of this trudging round popping cards in to people I see all the time. We do make a rod for our own backs!

Made my C********s cake today!

Secret Santa made more tricky for those 'groups' by saying item must come from charity shop and be UNDER £5.

gm

kittylester - on top of the wardrobe - remember?

Hate you Mishap
Only joking.
I haven't even started.
I know what you mean about 'out of control' Gally
I was looking at a catalogue today and under the heading of 'stocking fillers was an item for £45.
Excuse me?? £45 for a stocking filler??
I think we make rods for our own back.
I joined a book group last year (great) and was then dismayed to find there was a Secret Santa in operation, and the gifts had to cost less than £5. What's the point?

I've bought my cards and intend to write them just as soon as I find them again.

The fair isn't on till the 13th November this year