Halfway to Christmas!

I just realised this, with a bit of dread as our Christmases are generally full of family politics and secret squabbles

But anyway, what are you doing to prepare for Christmas, if anything? We have started to save a weekly amount for pressies, that way we can start shopping at Labour Weekend (go the sales!). And since both our families live close by, we don't have to arrange travel or anything.

I started my Chrissy club wit New World back in Jan. Just getting $5-10worth of stamps at every shop.
Started thinking about pressies this week & put a bike on lay-by for my DS.

Its kinda a bugger his Birthday is Xmas Eve & by then I'll have 2 kiddies to buy pressies for plus Brae's Birthday.

I do the Chrisco thing $5 a week for the food, and Kmart now do 12 week laybys I have 2 kids birthdays before christmas then will be waiting for the toy sales and laybying everything.

I'm planning on ignoring it for the next 5 months or so and then go into a mad Xmas rush to buy everything the week beforehand - hey it worked last year!

LALA "I'm not listening" I can't believe it's going to be here soon...

We kind of don't organise anything, in fact we are known to wait till the week before or even the night before to go and fight the crowds....

I hate the whole drama of where to eat... we'll have a 3mth old so the grandparents will want to do something..as long as I'm not driving all over Auckland I don't care.. oh to be able to go away for Christmas day, yeah right like that would ever happen!

LOL Glow, we have DH on 23 Dec and DD1 on 27 Dec

The most expensive time of the year in my household too!!! I have Alize's 1st b'day 26/11 Lesieli's 12th B'day 29/11 xmas, new year then Mercedes 14/01 (as well as sisters b'day's 25/11 and 27/11). I have christmas club at pak n save that rolled over from Dec last year and also Chrisco warehouse vouchers. I have already got Alize's b'day pressies (thanks to big Fisher Price sales ages ago, I laybyd (sp?) half the shop lol. I LOVE CHRISTMAS THO!!!!! My fave time of the year

Kels - shall I add me on 23/11 and Kryssi on 14/01?

Emma - every time I think of Hannah going to be 4, Briona 2, Krystiana almost 1, man do I feel old! Or at least much older than a 24yo is supposed to feel!!!

Christmas - eek! We will have four kids by then. I was thinking about the logistics of having all the kids together for one meal with my family before 3 of them spend time with their other parents. Then I realised we'd have to buy them all presents. And give them money to buy each other something.

July is our expensive month. Thats when 3 of the 4 kids have birthdays.

Glow wrote: Do you do separate Bday pressies or parties as well Busymum?

Yep. We don't always throw a party for DH (we had a pot-luck dinner for his 25th though) and last year we brought Hannah's birthday party forward 10 days. I explained to her that Abby (her best friend) would be away for her birthday so we were going to have a pretend birthday on a different day so Abby could come. DH grew up with people giving him presents with a "- and that can be your Christmas (or birthday) present as well" so we want to keep his and Hannah's (and Krystiana's and whoever else's) presents separate. When the kids get older I will probably say to them, look we're planning to spend a certain amount for your birthday and again for Christmas, but if you would prefer something bigger I'll combine it - but still pay the same total.

With birthday parties so far I work roughly on one guest per year of age, so so far I have been able to ring the mums to check and pencil book the date before invitations go out.