Don't read if you don't want to hear the C word !

Smythes toys online have a search where you can find toys for each age/sex and it brings up suggestions.they also send them straight to recipient.Smythes came in handy this year,as i chose what i knew they wanted for birthdays(GC) and had delivered direct to them.P&p free in most cases (i think free if you spend £20 or more)?

Im usually a big forward-planner, and indeed do have a few small gifts for the older ones/ young adults in family but younger kids ive ordered online for things the parents said is current favourite, but im not making a big deal of it this year, simply because i was so very ill last christmas from 23rd to well into new year, and it does now look likely it was covid19 i had, without anyone knowing it was 'a thing' then- so its NOT going to steal another christmas from me if i can help it..last year i was confined to bed, having been a&e twice in 2days whilst my sons struggled to try cook xmas dinner, bless them, (they both have mild disability) amid many phone calls to older siblings for advice.Im not putting them through that again (although they did it because they wanted to and didnt do too bad) but this time, definitely just a small turkey crown& pre-prepped veg, just in case.And if any ones ill, i will just post off the presents in advance i think.?

I meant to add that Brightminds suggest toys for specific ages of child, you might find that helpful:
www.brightminds.co.uk/collections/kids-gifts-by-age

Interestingly Christmas entered my head yesterday. Crazy and somewhat selfish reason in that I thought of something I need/would like and it occurred to me that my son and his partner might be the perfect 'donors'. Presumptuous? Indeed. They do usually ask if there's anything I want before surprising me. Here's hoping this procedure continues!! As for the giving side, I just collect items either in my head or reality as I see them and this eliminates stress at the time of the celebration(s). Works every time for me.

I think the only problem with planning and expectation is that we don't know what December will bring in terms of the pandemic. If those plans are dashed and expectations not met, that would make me very sad and frustrated.
I always say that I won't think about Christmas until after my birthday in November; sometimes I break that rule but as I don't have many presents to buy and we have a rota for cooking the lunch (it's just a roast dinner after all!) it usually works out fine. So, especially this year, I won't be making any plans for a few months yet.

If you dont want us to comment on it, why ask??

I usually forward plan but have no idea what will happen this Xmas, we should be away but it seems unlikely. I have a small pudding in the freezer from last year and a box of cards so very long way to go.

I love Christmas but in August? Enjoy your plans. Moving along

rowanflower0, you;re just to good to be true! Even if I made paris brest , salmon mousse etc , there wouldn't be room in my freezer to store for 3 1/2 months!

I agree with BlueSky (on previous page). Usually I love Christmas, but I can't begin to think about it (in terms of the holiday, and where we may be at that time) under the present circumstances. Perhaps this feeling will change as December approaches.

My Christmas planning started in January, with the sales - buying cards and a new colour of baubles for the tree,
it has been thrown out on sync by both son's birthdays being un-celebrated through lockdown.
Have just got back on track and sent for 2 handbags for grandaughters and started planning food I can prepare and freeze in advance - (smoked salmon covered salmon mousses and a paris brest) .
If Christmas gets delayed by unforseen happenings, food and presents will still be ready!

My dtr loves Body Shop products and saw an advent calendar they were doing which was quite expensive but I said I would buy it for her as a Christmas present. Well it arrived and she said oh I only have to wait till the 1st December to open it, I said no it's for Christmas you have to wait until the 25th (joking). Well her face dropped and she said but it's an advent calendar it will be out of date then lol. So now I will have to buy her something small to open Christmas day, but she's a bit help when choosing presents for the grandchildren as obviously she knows what they like and what they have. We are both looking at things now though, I enjoy it and the feeling of Christmas.

I admit that I'm thinking of buying ingredients for the 3 Christmas cakes I usually make around early October. As I'm not going out much I might as well use the time to make them earlier than usual, so they'll be even more mature!
And Witzend, re Christmas presents, I usually ask for ideas from GC's parents. Sometimes I contribute to a more expensive item which is really wanted but not affordable for them alone..
And I always buy books; there's a very good website which covers all children's books, recommending new ones, and relating them to age - called www.lovereading4kids.co.uk. It has books of the month for all ages and you can look up many titles and read a review. Once you have some ideas of books you might buy, Amazon is a good place to go and read the reviews on there too.
PS ( my spell check wants to change your name to Wizened! Obviously that's grossly libellous!!)

I have started sewing and knitting presents and a Nativity scene.

I love Christmas and the preparations and right now there is so much else we can't do, so why not spend time on Christmassy things?

Having always had a large family, I’ve always just picked up gifts all thro the year, in sales etc just to take away the stress of last minute gifts etc. I’m always amazed in about October when I pull out my big wicker basket on wheels and see just how much I’ve accumulated. It spreads the cost too. Obviously meant have so much stashed away this year, so once the GC are back at school I can start to focus on Xmas, whatever it may bring.

Witzend, I love your Father Christmas! I would definitely buy one.

I am thinking about making some cards this year and have already bought my dried fruit marzipan etc for my cake(all sealed up) just to make sure...Presents have to be bought early to post before the Christmas rush but they do seem to get more difficult to sort each year. I am already eyeing up my Honeysuckle for a wreath now where did I put those scissors?

I hear people busy in some towns doing Christmas shopping early. A good idea lest there be another lockdown or to avoid crowds.

I make Christmas cards so have started on those though as years pass, fewer people on the list. More time in house so good to have variety of things to be doing.

Noooo not the C word.
My neighbour did all her Christmas shopping online, in lockdown.

I start thinking about Christmas on 1st December. Plenty of time to get everything sorted.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000LRSK9U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?psc=1&tag=gransnetforum-21&ie=UTF8

I got a golf set for a 4 year old grandson's birthday next month. I always check with daughters before buying things to know what they might want or like, and I buy some clothes too as I think it is nice they can wear things grandma bought and it helps the mums. Some books are always good too, but again check what they've already got.

I did buy cards, paper etc at the beginnning of the year and i have been saving every month towards Xmas but apart from that nothing.

This just makes me sad. I usually spend Christmas with my son and family in France. But who knows this year whether I’ll be able to fly over there! So I’m trying not to think about it. As might be spending it on my own. Sorry to be a party pooper!

Will it really matter, forward thinking for Christmas? From the latest doom & gloom from Government there is a very good chance we will be in Lockdown again then! So maybe it will be cancelled this year! How to explain to little ones who still believe in Santa? Oh well there is always next year, maybe!

I have started to think about Christmas but only on food. As someone who should have been shielding I have no intentions in either queuing outside shops in bad weather or being inside with crowds so i am starting to collect food for the christmas period so I don't have to worry. We are a small adult family and we don't tend to do loads of gifts.