Summer I bought the Good Housekeeping Christmas book this week, made me think of you when I saw it.  Some fab recipes in there, I am already planning Christmas lunch menu.

 

Started my shopping in a big way this week, to date have bought 5 gifts for grandson, one for great nephew, one for great niece and one for niece.  The boys stuff is in the pipeline. 

I've finally started  Ordered a wee tablet thingy for the eldest yesterday so that's a start at least!

 

Starting on the decorating soon. Not xmas decs obviously....I mean painting the living room etc in prep for xmas.  We do it every year, not actually FOR xmas but it always seems to be around now when I realise everywhere needs freshened up and we have to get it done before December coz that's when people like to visit.

Is it one of those Leap pad things?   I've bought one for the grandson.  I'm very tempted to take it out of the box and play with it test it works properly. 

 No, he's nearly 11!!  It's a small tablet that he can use to connect to the internet and play games and even watch films in the car with it etc.  He just wants that an so much xbox stuff that it won't look like much on xmas day.  I hate not having a huge stack of things for them on xmas morning. 

Can we get this thread renamed as the Big Xmas thread and then we can just find it when we want to chat xmassy stuff?  It's not exactly 'too early' now for it.  People with kids or lots of people to buy for usually have to start their shopping this early just to get everything done!

Get some bigger empty boxes and wrap the smaller stuff inside of them.  

thats one of my favourite wrapping pranks 

 

nothing ever looks obvious when I have finished and like you say boxes make little seem big 

 Good tip!

on the other scale of things if it has been a really big present like a bike for example - we have hidden that and wrapped clues like a treasure hunt to find it 

Yayyyyyy lets all go shopping 

Go shopping   From about this time of year until after Christmas I actively avoid the Metrocentre.  Internet shopping all the way for me 

Internet for me too until I go on a trip to Smyths toy store in November and get the majority of toys in one go.

 

However this year my youngest doesn't really want toys.  He's a football fanatic and wants everything from the trading cards to rigs and even wants a trip to see Man Utd play  Can't find that in Smyths 

 

 

on sale on Ebay - does it look like your Bramble Sweets?

COLEFORD in Gloucestrshire is the first town in England to have its Xmas decor put up !!!

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/colef...as-lights-in-uk.html

Oi, Coleford!!

 

LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

its def a border terrier Pengy  

Is it worth me buying? I'm going to the shops tomorrow, I'll look for it  

 

great progress on your shopping too

 

i haven't bought any yet, must do something about that very soon 

that's my kinda town! *packs suitcase*

Summer, I like the new thread title I bought my 23 year old son an advent calendar yesterday (no that wasn't a typo, he is 23), so I guess I have now officially started my Christmas shopping:stock:

Stupid predictive text on my ipad That ^^^^ "stock" ought to have been a

I got the dogs Advent calendars yesterday. 

well done yogi well done Lal!!!!! I'm debating whether to spend £60 on a jovi elf costume for our elf night party.. That includes shipping from the USA

^ it's from the movie Elf btw

Cute costume, Summer - will you wear it often enough to justify £60?

 

BTW, there is a BBC Good Food app for the ipad, and atm it is giving you free recipe books to download and one of the recipe books is a Festive one.

Have you moved there yet Sweet

is it for the iphone as well? 

I've checked, it says it's compatible with iphone 3gs, 4, 4S and 5.

Pengy, there's an app for Jamie's 15 minute meals too.

Thanx for the tip Yogi *goes to grab phone... and turn on lights as she cant see the keyboard and had to edit this loads before posting*

You're welcome Jen.

oooo goes off to download thanks Yogi

You're welcome.

Ok festive folk, any suggestions on what I could/should add to the lettering for my elf night banner? I think a couple of the green letters need a little something but I'm not sure what.. It has to be related the the movie elf though- hence the candy cane look..

Put two candy canes together and make hearts.

Good idea Erin Candy canes are my theme for 2013!

It was on a craft page

Here is a simple ornament craft:

 

Candy Cane Heart Ornament

Materials: 2 candy canes for each heart (1 box will make 6 hearts) (be creative, use what you have before you buy!) 5" long piece of ribbon (curling ribbon works great) 1 small decoration for top of heart such as; an old button, bow, curly ribbon, lace, silk flower, berries, dried rose, glitter, even a wrapped peppermint hard candy low temp glue gun (I found the gun & the glue sticks at the Dollar Tree) Directions: Lay everything out on a clean, flat surface. Plug in your glue gun, while it warms up lay the candy out to see how best they fit. Use a small dab of glue at the bottom of the canes then glue the top where they meet. Allow to dry, add hanging ribbon and glue final touches.

Happy Elf Day Martinis

http://themartinidiva.blogspot...ppy-elf-martini.html

Here we go folks...

It'll soon be here Sweet

I'm so excited baz I can't be efforted with Halloween this year

OMG once Halloween is done I'm all over Xmas. I'll be up in the attic amongst the spiders getting my decs down. I have 4 boxes (big ones) of tat.