Xmas pressies, how much is too much???

[Amber]

Aargh, I am not going to ask what you are planning to do with your musk ox, but it did remind me of this. For anyone stuck on what to get, here's the ideal unusual gift- and it could link in quite nicely with the pet thread too - depending on whether you prefer your pets alive or, er, less so.

http://www.amazon.com/Cloverdale-Fresh- ... B00012182G" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[scarlett]

Did you write the review about lying spread eagled in the sun ????

[pheasantchick]

[Amber]

Did you write the review about lying spread eagled in the sun ????

My five year old daughter loved this Easter present. She played with it for hours. I'd recommend this to anyone who is struggling to think of a suitable gift for Easter.

No, that one. Just substitute Christmas for Easter and you're away.

[aargh]

Aargh, I am not going to ask what you are planning to do with your musk ox

Defend against wolves of course. Musk ox are far better and more intelligent about this than bison. See Frozen planet episode 2.

[mystery]

I love the charity stuff that Um said. DH and I do Christmas so differently it's strange. He loves buying kids load of random stuff on the internet (nothing pricey though) and by the time it's all arrived I think they don't need anything else. It's been complicated by the Santa thing as do you just ignore their letters or try and buy what's on them? We've been spared this year as one of them has asked Santa for a hot water bottle and the other one can't be bothered to write a letter and says she doesn't mind what she gets so that's easy. They started writing letters in June, and amended them every month, and now they are down to one and nil requests, very strange.

One year I'd love to just go for no presents and the charity donations, and just spend loads of time playing with the old stuff and making the things we never do rather than making way for more clutter.

Mine are still young though - it could get worse I suppose. Whenever they ask for things like Wii, Nintendo etc I say they can if they save up for it. But every time they get to £5 they blow the lot on a soft toy so they'll never get there!!

Just how bad do I sound?

[scary mum]

DH and I do Christmas so differently it's strange. He loves buying kids load of random stuff on the internet (nothing pricey though) and by the time it's all arrived I think they don't need anything else.

Mystery, are you secretly married to my DH?

[scarlett]

I always buy one of those Oxfam unwrapped gifts.....education for a child, food for a family etc......to put in my DC stockings. DS2 thinks that the child in the actual picture is the exact child who will receive his gift and sticks the picture up near his bed. He thinks the child in question will also have a picture of him.


Unscary and Mystery.........lucky you having husbands who actually bother to look for Christmas presents. I have to buy all of them although DH might buy a totally inappropriate x box game from the bargain bucket for the boys.

[Frustratedmum]

This is all fab, makes me feel quite normal again and much, much less stressed. I was sure that it was my own idiocy that made me feel that I wasn't spending enough . It's an amazing lesson to be faced with genuine hardship, to wake up and realise what a fool you've been in years previous!
I'm only eternally grateful that it doesn't seem to have had an effect on the children as yet, they're always so very, very good about not asking for too much, they never act spoilt and never, ever play up for anything, they ask once, get told 'can't afford it' and just say ok, no problem. (Okay they have other issues, they argue with each other so they're not complete saints ), but I seem to have got away with it so far.
Their birthdays were easy I just explained that this year they would all 3 get less than ever before, they were all brilliant, not a flinch. The difficulty as I said before has only come in where the 2 youngest still believe in Santa & therefore think that Santa can afford everything , but I know they'll be okay, its much more my struggle than theirs and thanks to these replies I am starting to feel loads and loads less worried.
It's taken a huge effort to get where I am with their presents today, I've used our years collection of Tesco vouchers for an experience that all 3 DC's wanted, I've sold some old collections of my own at auction, sold some household goods on an auction site and in local papers, really shopped around for best offers etc and bought small bits in the past few months. So when I say I've spent x-amount this year in terms of actual cash its pretty low and I feel better for it much to my surprise, I don't feel so carelessly frivolous.
I think the charity donation sounds a wonderful idea, my DC's are already very aware of charities etc, they fully support our troops where possible, they donate toys, my eldest DS decided at the age of 6 that he would charge everyone 50p to sign his plaster cast when he'd broke his arm so that he could buy the hospital some new toys & felt tip pens as he was bored on his stay there, the same DS found a £1 coin in our local shopping centre, he was so excited then proceeded to the lady with the collection box and popped it straight in, absolutely no prompt from me, so I'd like to think they would appreciate the gift of giving.
The main thing I'm dead focused on is making it a truly fun, family Xmas, we do this anyway but it'll mean more this year.
Thanks for divulging this info guys, it really has helped enormously!!

[zorro]

Blimey Frustratedmum ! I thought I was extravagant, but you make me look like Scrooge!!
My DC usually have about £250 each, consisting of clothes, PS3 games, DVDs, CDs etc.
This year I have got DS a speaker system for his iPad and DD some good headphones as their main presents. They do get things throughout the year however - DD got an iPhone a month ago and DS got an iPad which he bought from a friend at school with his savings.
I have been asked by DH to cut down on spending this year as he 's an accountant , many of his clients are going bankrupt so are unable to pay their bills.
I think many people have had a bad year so will be cutting back on their Christmas spend.
I cut up my credit cards so will only buy according to the available money on my debit card.
At least I don't have to worry about those awful credit card bills in January!