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I am *that* person...

PeacefulChaos
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aggieamy

aggieamy

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LOL. I'm that person too. I've got my lists started on Amazon and am ready to start sneaking packages into the house. I usually do my shopping for my grandmother and MIL since they're very elderly. I mentioned to an aunt that I was going to get started with their shopping and she was shocked. I think she does her shopping between December 20th and 24th.

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justamouse

justamouse

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I wish I was that person! Ugh, I don't have the cash to buy that stuff right now. My DD's birthday is right before Christmas so I always wish I had more done ahead of time!

 

With me it's not so much the buying of stuff, my family is a big homemade type, so Christmas is a crush of creative insanity. Not this year. :D

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Emmy

Emmy

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This evening after the kids went to bed, I had some free time and used it to look at ideas for their Christmas gifts... and this is later than usual, I'm usually doing this in July!

 

The first of our christmas gifts arrived via UPS last week. :) ha! No seriously, it's true, but I have to clarify I've never been quite as early as I am this year.

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Momma2Many66

Momma2Many66

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I am that person, I have bought all my children's christmas gifts in May & June.

 

I like to buy early when the sales are still really good on the items on my list and when I have the cash in paypal from selling used curriculum or household items/toys on ebay. I love to shop for really great sales and get the maximum savings for my dollars. Early shopping before the prices skyrocket for Christmas really saves me a ton of money and allows me to purchase gifts at a fraction of the price I would pay if I waited until October/November to buy. It also allows me to time to hunt for and purchase items used that I could not normally afford to buy at new toy prices.

 

I like to purchase good quality toys that will last a long time and retain their value and can be passed down from child to child. I also like to purchase toys that reflect something we are studying or learning in our schooling or something that will enhance my children's education or skills.

 

I bought a very nice gently used Addy American Girl Doll with some accessories and Addy's books for my daughter on ebay for a great price last month, she had asked for Addy this year for Christmas. We are studying slavery in our American History studies this year and Addy will tie in with our studies.

 

I purchased a set of 100 Magna Tiles for my 6 year old (at a great discount sale), who loves construction and building toys. I also bought him the Haba Roman Coliseum block set.

 

I purchased used on ebay the Playmobil Fort Eagle with accessories for a really great price (old style large version from 1998) and some small sets of playmobil cowboys, indians, red coats and union soldiers for the fort from the same seller to save on shipping prices. This gift will be for my 13 year old son and will coincide with our american history studies.

 

I purchased at a fantastic price the Playmobil Roman Arena (the huge version) from a online store that had drastically reduced all their discontinued playmobil stock. This will be for my 8 year old son and will conincide with our history studies this year.

 

My new grand-daughter is getting an American Girl bitty baby from us for Christmas, which I will purchase in October when American Girl has their free shipping offers on the dolls. I put the cash for the dolll into an evelope so I have it available when it is time to place my order.

 

Shopping early allows me to purchase and hunt for special gifts for each child at our "under 50 dollars per chilid" spending limit. ( Except for the Magna Tiles, they were on a sale with free shipping and an extra 25% off, but still cost a bit more than the $ 50.00 limit. All my kids will be enjoying these, so I justify the cost as a "family gift" for all the kids to play with together. Shopping early also allows me to "shop with cash" and pay immediately and then I have no after Christmas bills to "worry about" later.

 

And now I am done with our shopping for Christmas. Everything is bought, paid for in full and wrapped and Christmas shopping for the kids is finished for the year.

 

My husband and I only buy 1 small gift for each other, usually a book or something simple and I bake or hand make all other family members gifts. This keeps us in line with our budget and keeps us from spending money carelessly or impulsively just because it is the Christmas season.

Edited by Momma2Many66
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Robyn

Robyn

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We're not shopping yet, but we have a Christmas club acct that we'll pull in late October/early November. I keep Amazon wishlists for them year round so I can add things when they express interest.

 

My soon to be teen is getting harder and harder to buy for!

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Jen in PA

Jen in PA

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I already have a few things, some from post-holiday sales last winter and some American Girl stuff that arrived last week. We do Hanukkah and Christmas, and I spend a lot of time in December making and delivering baked goods, so I really do have to have it done ahead of time.

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Ewe Mama

Ewe Mama

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I have been that person, but it always backfires on me. With five littles, they always change their minds 10 times before Christmas for what they would really like. I have discovered that it is best to wait until early December before ordering, otherwise we have far too many gifts and it's far too expensive. Plus 4 out of our 5 children have birthdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so that adds to the fun! :001_smile:

 

I'm hoping in a few more years that I can become "that person" again!

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Lily_Grace

Lily_Grace

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Wow, I don't see how some of you shop so early....my kids change their minds so many times!

 

:blush: I'm a mean mommy. I don't buy based on wants, exactly. We follow a guideline of

 

Something you want

Something you need

Something I want for you (or something to wear)

and Something to read.

 

I follow interests for the most part. Like, The Kid is getting an anime program for the computer because he loves manga and Japanese cartoons. He's also getting make-your-own manga cards for his stocking. He's getting the Hunger Games trilogy because it's right up his alley. I don't even think he's heard of it.

 

If I bought based on his direct wants it would be nothing but Manga or video games. That, and I would feel bad, like he's not getting a gift, but a silence to his demands. This way I get to spend a while thinking about surprising him with something I know he'd love, even if he doesn't know it yet! :lol:

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Cinder

Cinder

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I hope to be *that* person when I grow up. ;) Last week I got to go shopping by myself (usually have dd with me), so I picked up some stocking stuffers. I love shopping for stocking stuffers and always have an eye out for those. But the actual gift shopping . . . I have trouble with that. We have 2 birthdays right before Christmas. Plus teen boys are tough to buy for. And dd would love more stuffed animals, but she already inherited about a million from the girl next door. And her grandmothers send them, too. So as of now I have a few stocking stuffers and no ideas on gifts. *sigh*

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JeneralMom

JeneralMom

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I used to be that person until I married my husband. He HATES knowing that there are gifts in the house and he always mentions them to the kids. I have to buy his gifts within a few days of his b-day otherwise it drives him crazy. Same for the kids - it drives HIM crazy.

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RahRah

RahRah

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You're not alone....I'm about half way done with Christmas shopping and hope to be done before November (other than a few things I'll likely wait on until Black Friday and then get those things online since I don't do the stores anymore on BF since most things can be purchased for BF online).

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Nakia

Nakia

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I always start after my oldest dd's birthday at the end of August. It's going to be hard this year because I don't want to spend a lot, and they have no idea what they want. Well, that's not exactly true. My middle dd wants a Justin Bieber CD and Squinkies. :tongue_smilie:

 

I thought about getting them each a Nintendo DS, but they aren't that interested. And frankly, I'm glad. I don't like that stuff. I might get them each a new game for the Wii, which they love. Then maybe some books, a CD, and some stocking stuffers. I don't know what else. Ugh. This is the first year that they haven't been 100% sure for months before what they wanted.

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ChristineW

ChristineW

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I am waiting this year. Last year at this point, I was more than halfway done but I've only bought one thing so far.

 

If I see a great deal on something that I know they will want then I'm getting it--for example my 4 year old is getting a trunk of princess dress up b/c I was able to find four practically new Disney "boutique" costumes at the thrift shop for $5 a piece. However, my 5 year old wrote Santa three different letters between his November birthday and Christmas asking for different items. Also, we're spending Christmas with my mom and she'd lose any packages sent now.

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elise1mds

elise1mds

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Ha! I am becoming that person!

 

I really, really hate who I become in December. I want to relax and enjoy the season with my kids, not be staying up all hours of the night getting stuff done.

 

Really, preparation makes it all go much smoother.

 

You said it! I hate feeling overworked just for a holiday and like the actual season to be as simple as possible. The kids made their presents for everyone in the family over summer break. They really enjoyed deciding who was going to get what. I've also started making lists of what to get everyone in the family and will do most of that shopping between now and October. I don't touch a store after Thanksgiving unless it's to get groceries!

 

Wow, I don't see how some of you shop so early....my kids change their minds so many times!

 

I don't shop too early for the kids. DS' birthday is in October, so right about then is when I start getting Christmas gifts. However, I already have his birthday gifts stashed away!

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eloquacious

eloquacious

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Every time I find something that I feel guilty about "just getting" the boys, I stash it away for Christmas, by which point I've accumulated quite a stash. If I remember it. I've had to stop giving books for Christmas because they had so many presents last year counting the "school" books (mainly from the Sonlight P3/4 and 4/5 lists) that they had totally glazed-over eyes by the time they got to exciting Lego stuff. ;)

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2_girls_mommy

2_girls_mommy

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So funny that I opened this. I never shop this early for my kids. I do usually pick up things for extended family throughout the year when I see something for a good price that will be meaningful. I try to have everything by Thanksgiving or close after. But never in August am I thinking about toys! I guess because mine have summer bdays. We are still trying to get that taken care of.

 

BUT... dh just called me and told me he had some extra $ and was going to Walmart today to get the horses for 18" dolls that dds saw there for there American Girl dolls to put up for Christmas! It will actually be really nice to have a nice gift put up and not have to worry about it now that I think about it. I also got them each some small AG things (earrings for one and the accessories set for another) when we visited the store last month on vacation for their stockings. So we are ahead of the game now too. This is a first for me! I know dd wants a subscription to the A.G. magazine. Then I will need to get some books or find a good subscription for little sis, pjs for both and any clothes that they need at the time, and we are pretty much done. What a great feeling!

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ChrissySC

ChrissySC

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I hate to admit it, but I start every year on the 25th of July: Christmas in July. LOL

 

I am usually finished around October. I do some little surprises the day after Thanksgiving, but nothing too much. The day after Thanksgiving is a sister thing ;) We go and leave the kids with the hubbies.

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RainbowSprinkles

RainbowSprinkles

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I like to start early too. :) I usually start my list in June/July, then I'll start buying as I have the money for it.

 

This year I'm getting lots of stuff on etsy. I found this amazing lady that makes wooden toys, and I ordered each of my dc a playset. I'm paying this off in installments and should have it by mid-October.

 

I'm also getting them each a playsilk for their playsets to use as landscapes. They should arrive later this week.

 

I bought a wooden shield and sword set for ds6 on etsy and that should also get here sometime this week.

 

I just need to get one more gift for my dd, ds2 and the new baby and then Christmas Eve pj's for each of them and a new book.

 

I should be done with all their gifts sometime in November, maybe earlier.

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kchara

kchara

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I started last night, too! My problem this year is DD wants to finish out her Beautiful Girlhood doll collection, which, of course, can only be found on Vision Forum, and I've come to the place where Doug Phillips gives me the absolute heebie-jeebies, so I'm debating whether to buy them for her or not. She only needs 2 more. UGH!! And, of course, I've searched and can't find them used ANYWHERE. I did find one that looked REALLY similar, similar enough that she might be able to pass, but the African-American one, Abigail, I think, only VF sells. Of course. :glare:

 

She wants all of the outfits, too, but I might be able to get away with getting some patterns and making them. LOL If I can figure out my sewing machine again. I'm definitely not a seamstress.

 

For our family, though, we've got that figured out. We're making them high-quality, organic homemade vanilla extract. We have a few bakers in both of our families, and we think it'll go over really well. Except for my mom, who we're going to try our hand at making coconut flavored rum for.

 

The boys... much harder. They want VF toys, too. Funny, we haven't had a catalog in the house since last Christmas, and they still remember!! Stinks that the theology there is so bad. The toys ROCK!!!

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