Gift closet 2017

Join our amazing community
Share what you know, learn something new!
register

sweetpumkinpye

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Apr 23, 2008
16,881
20,639
113
59
Canberra, Australia
Kelly, what a find, I feel like going to check out the pockets in my handbags just in case.

I have not been to the mall this week so have not purchased anything new for in the closet.
I do the kids what we call a "Stay up late pack" and in that I put popcorn, drinks, lollies, chips, savory biscuits, a movie, bed socks, new pj's, that sort of thing.
The juice that I normally put in there was $1 at the supermarket this week, the use by date was good so I got them. I also use the same juice for my Christmas punch so that is all now in the cupboard.

Really must have a look soon at the planner and see what else I need to get.
 
Last edited:

sweetpumkinpye

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Apr 23, 2008
16,881
20,639
113
59
Canberra, Australia
I cannot believe that we are up to Page 13 of this thread. It shows that we are doing amazing work.
 

Minta

Super Moderator
Staff member
Premiere Member
Oct 14, 2007
1,989
1,994
113
50
South NJ
I cannot believe that we are up to Page 13 of this thread. It shows that we are doing amazing work.

I agree and at the same time I feel sorry for those who throw themselves into a panic because they waited until last minute to do their Christmas shopping.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jollykelly

jollykelly

Active Member
Premiere Member
Feb 22, 2015
292
125
43
Lehigh Valley, Pa
Totally agree with Katrina and Minta!

Yesterday I picked up a pair of wireless bluetooth headphones for my DD. She is constantly doing something funky with the cord on earbuds and the jack thingy (totally the technical term ;)) and I am always buying earbuds. I am hoping this will take care of it. They were a bit pricey at $50, but I think she will love them and it is easier on the budget when this is the only gift I will get this week and spreading out purchases over time. Unless money magically shows up in my purse again!
 
  • Like
Reactions: sweetpumkinpye

Minta

Super Moderator
Staff member
Premiere Member
Oct 14, 2007
1,989
1,994
113
50
South NJ
Totally agree with Katrina and Minta!

Yesterday I picked up a pair of wireless bluetooth headphones for my DD. She is constantly doing something funky with the cord on earbuds and the jack thingy (totally the technical term ;)) and I am always buying earbuds. I am hoping this will take care of it. They were a bit pricey at $50, but I think she will love them and it is easier on the budget when this is the only gift I will get this week and spreading out purchases over time. Unless money magically shows up in my purse again!

I did the same thing with my daughter last year for Christmas, she loves her and I haven't had to buy any replacement earbuds since :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: jollykelly

Minta

Super Moderator
Staff member
Premiere Member
Oct 14, 2007
1,989
1,994
113
50
South NJ
I found a porch rocking chair for my mom for Christmas and the best part it was marked down to $17 ... so that will be sitting in out shed for the next few months.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jollykelly

tanya

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Jan 8, 2012
1,969
198
63
55
Totally agree with Katrina and Minta!

Yesterday I picked up a pair of wireless bluetooth headphones for my DD. She is constantly doing something funky with the cord on earbuds and the jack thingy (totally the technical term ;)) and I am always buying earbuds. I am hoping this will take care of it. They were a bit pricey at $50, but I think she will love them and it is easier on the budget when this is the only gift I will get this week and spreading out purchases over time. Unless money magically shows up in my purse again!


Yep Im hearing you... I had the same trouble with Luke- the expensive ones would last longer but still issues. until I discovered cable covers. I got them off ebay for less than a $1. Not a broken set of earbuds since. There are lots to choose from- plain, colours, cute etc.... But basically the same thing- a clip that protects the end of the cable. I added Lukes to his stocking. They are all a standard size and just snap on over the earbud cable. They do come from China so take a while to arrive. I have added a link to show you what I mean but if you search: cable cord saver it will bring up literally hundreds of options. All are basically the same thing. They are all the same size regardless of if it says for iphone, usb, headphones etc...

https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?...ector.TRS0&_nkw=cable+cord+protector&_sacat=0
 

sweetpumkinpye

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Apr 23, 2008
16,881
20,639
113
59
Canberra, Australia
Thanks Tanya, have just added some of the cord covers to DD stocking list.

My DrillDance team will be going to Nationals in Hobart next April....it will be really cold there.
I have just bought my mum a new pair of flannel PJs, a spencer, bed sox, and a new pair of slippers so she can take those with her. I will also do panadol (excedrin?), tissues, bandaids etc so that she has all the little essentials that she needs to take with her.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Minta

jollykelly

Active Member
Premiere Member
Feb 22, 2015
292
125
43
Lehigh Valley, Pa
Awesome, thanks for the info Tanya...I never knew! I just ordered for DH as well.
 

sweetpumkinpye

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Apr 23, 2008
16,881
20,639
113
59
Canberra, Australia
Just back from the mall. Picked up a few DVD's for DS who is a real movie lover. They were a great price. Also got a movie for DH which will be wrapped and put under the tree. Got a few more stocking fillers and got both the kids and DH a box of cereal each that was better than 1/2 price. I wrap up and put under the tree from Santa.
The cereals are not ones we have often as they are the really sugary junky sort but they are great for "special occasions".
 
  • Like
Reactions: Minta

tanya

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Jan 8, 2012
1,969
198
63
55
I added cute post it notes in an L shape, a geometry set, mini Donald Duck hand sanitizer, and paid more $ off the laybye.

The geometry set is really for back to school in February but I will add it to Luke's Santa Sack- it was 70% off. I swear I think I have kept his entire class in geometry sets over the last few years. I have no idea what he does to them - I think he eats them!

Netflix has pretty much halved my options for DVD's/ blu rays for Luke- everything he seems to want is on Netflix- which is great but I used to use DVD's to add extras to his Santa haul- I would get them on sale!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Minta

FrostyShimmer

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Nov 4, 2007
2,330
747
113
Chapters has lots of kids toys on sale. I picked up a box of TinkerToys for DD4. I don't know why, but something about a big box of TinkerToys seems so Christmasy.....maybe because of the mention in A Christmas Story.

Usually I'm finished shopping by now, but my kids are old enough now to want to make their own lists, and their minds change so frequently. I've got the baby taken care of at least. I told my daughters that we have to mail their letter to Santa by November 15 or the elves might not have enough time to take care of it.

Tanya - I've noticed the same thing with DVDs. I usually have enough Disney Reward points to get a DVD each year, and this year when I went to put it on DD6 said, "oh we already watched that; it's on Netflix."
 
  • Like
Reactions: Minta

sweetpumkinpye

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Apr 23, 2008
16,881
20,639
113
59
Canberra, Australia
Quickly tidied up the gift closet yesterday and I am pretty happy with how things are going. Nearly have everything done for DD and should have DS done once I purchase all the DVDs that he collects when they are released later this month and early next month.
I aim for about 20 gifts each for the kids so am pretty much on track.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Minta

tanya

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Jan 8, 2012
1,969
198
63
55
My gift closet is a huge mess! I need to get in there at some point this week. I know I have Elf gifts mixed with stocking stuffers and other gifts. On the other hand my money jar collection is going well- I always throw my change into a jar but had gotten a bit lazy about doing it recently. Now Im back on track and its good to see the $$$ adding.
 

sweetpumkinpye

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Apr 23, 2008
16,881
20,639
113
59
Canberra, Australia
always good to have a bit of extra cash on hand. My Christmas Club will mature in November and I look forward to getting those last minute bits and pieces.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Minta

tanya

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Jan 8, 2012
1,969
198
63
55
Katrina,
There is some form of method in my madness- kind of! Luke needs a new phone- He has really looked after his old one but he has had it now for 4 years. It is really past its use by date and the time function is broken- nothing he did just a fault internally with the phone- can be fixed but its more than the phone is worth do do it.

Anyway... he has his heart set on either the iphone 7plus or the new iphone 8 (yet to be released). Knowing that this will be over $1000 (minimum!) plus a cover -another $100 or so... I kind of feel that if I save the change that Im not really spending $1100 minimum on just 1 gift! I have several hundred in the jar already.. this way I can think... that the phone only really costs $500 or so.... I know that makes no sense when I read it back... but its the way my mind is working .... Almost like the money in the jar is free money!

Because no matter what it costs... I just can't justify one gift only at Christmas.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Minta

FrostyShimmer

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Nov 4, 2007
2,330
747
113
Katrina,

Anyway... he has his heart set on either the iphone 7plus or the new iphone 8 (yet to be released). Knowing that this will be over $1000 (minimum!) plus a cover -another $100 or so... I kind of feel that if I save the change that Im not really spending $1100 minimum on just 1 gift! I have several hundred in the jar already.. this way I can think... that the phone only really costs $500 or so.... I know that makes no sense when I read it back... but its the way my mind is working .... Almost like the money in the jar is free money!

Because no matter what it costs... I just can't justify one gift only at Christmas.

Wow, are phones really that expensive these days?
I do things like that in my head to justify expensive things too. I take the rebate money I get back from couponing sites, etc. and figure that's money that I would have spent had I not found the rebate, so it doesn't count. lol. There really isn't any need for us to justify what we choose to do with our own money. As the old saying goes, "You can't take it with you."
 
  • Like
Reactions: Minta

tanya

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Jan 8, 2012
1,969
198
63
55
Frosty,
Yep in Australia they are! Apple charge far more here for the exact same items as in the USA and other places. This is to purchase it outright. And is is the top of the range Apple. Although Samsung here are just as expensive. The other option is to get it on a contract but in the long run it works out to be more expensive. He just would not get the value from a contract and they include a high number of calls texts and data every month for 24 months.-- I would be paying at least $100 per month for 2 years! Luke is always on his phone (or so it seems!) but I and all his friends are with the one telco company. Calls/ texts to others at the same company are free! And the data he uses comes from the unlimited internet we have at home. His call costs are actually less than $5 every month. in his case its cheaper to just buy the phone without the contract. I know that he will look after it.

Having said that there are also perfectly adequate phones available for less than $50. But I get the fact he really wants the latest model with all the extras that it has- If I was him... Id want it too...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Minta

FrostyShimmer

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Nov 4, 2007
2,330
747
113
Frosty,
Yep in Australia they are! Apple charge far more here for the exact same items as in the USA and other places. This is to purchase it outright. And is is the top of the range Apple. Although Samsung here are just as expensive. The other option is to get it on a contract but in the long run it works out to be more expensive. He just would not get the value from a contract and they include a high number of calls texts and data every month for 24 months.-- I would be paying at least $100 per month for 2 years! Luke is always on his phone (or so it seems!) but I and all his friends are with the one telco company. Calls/ texts to others at the same company are free! And the data he uses comes from the unlimited internet we have at home. His call costs are actually less than $5 every month. in his case its cheaper to just buy the phone without the contract. I know that he will look after it.

Having said that there are also perfectly adequate phones available for less than $50. But I get the fact he really wants the latest model with all the extras that it has- If I was him... Id want it too...

I imagine their phones become a bit of a status symbol too. When I was in highschool cell phones had just become common and maybe 1 in 20 kids actually had one, so it was cool just to have anything. Dh has always had a work-assigned one, and contracts are so pricey here that once I stopped working to be home with the kids I couldn't justify having one for myself, so I'm out of the loop on these things.

My Dad worked with technology and I remember his "Zach Morris" cell phone....about the size of a kleenex box, but everyone thought it was so cool, lol.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Minta