How is your Christmas shopping going?

[jillyson]

As a mom, I think your idea is wonderful, Sawyer!
My mom is a pain, too. She has everything, wants nothing, and won't use anything I buy her. She has an ancient curling iron that takes her almost an hour to use. I was thinking about a set of electric rollers.
My dd is almost set. I got her a Nikkon S220 camera, memory card, and digital frame all for $160 online. It'll be pretty much just clothes now. DS is mostly done. He wanted bakeware, so I got him a bunch of cake pans, muffin tins, etc and a recipie box with all my baking recipies in it that he always liked. Plus I'm buying the supplies for a bunch of his fav's too.
DH & I aren't planning on exchanging this year due to low cash flow. However, I'm sure that he's either already bought me WA or is planning to, so I'll have to pick him up a game or two also.

My nieces were supposed to get a story from me, but I just haven't been in the mood to work on it, and I don't see it getting done in time. SO that means more shopping!

[Tina ☺]

Well, you GOTTA be in the mood to write something, or it won't be very good.

Thanks for the hug Amylu! Hugs are always appreciated.

I'm glad I could help, Nicole! Now, if only I could get some of my own shopping done. I did get the turkey for Thanksgiving today and I did get my mom a birthday gift.

I settled on two little angle figurines. One is holding a baby and it's called 'Nurturing' and the other is on her knees praying and it's called 'Concern'. The way I see it is, you can't go wrong with angel figurines!

And Sawyer, also as a mom, I think your gift idea is very thoughtful and sweet.

[Nicole]

Jilly you are just ON it, lol.

I'm so happy you could help too! And you really can't go wrong with angel figurines, really, you can't, unless somebody doesn't like angels?

[Sawyer]

Lol, Jill! My gosh, I hate it when people say that want nothing.
Actually, I'm going to make a recording of myslef playing her favorite Christmas song, O' Holy Night on the Bass Clarinet.

[amylu1988]

Wow 5 hours Amylu, I wouldn't have a hope of being done so quickly.

Yeah, I had an extensive list and avoided the main shopping centre completely; I have never seen so many people trying to fit in the Disney store at once! I have stuff like extra chocolates and the last bottles of alcohol still to buy, but I don't really want to walk home carrying that as well as the food shopping. Maybe Wednesday...

And Sawyer, that does sound like a lovely gift, I bet your mum will play that all day at christmas! ;D

[Sawyer]

Lol. I found a trio for Trombones that I could use.

I'm thinking of asking my grandparents for a new phone for Christmas...or buying a new one with the truckloads of raw cash I get every year. Seriously, I have 10,000 dollars worth of Christmas money in the bank. O.O Literally.

www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?q_tab=reviews&device=HTC+Tilt2&q_sku=sku4030272

The HTC Tilt2

www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=Samsung+Flight%28TM%29+-+Grey&q_sku=sku4150226#tabModule

Samsung Flight

www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=LG+Xenon%28TM%29+-+Blue&q_sku=sku3680271#tabModule

LG Xenon

www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=Samsung+Impression+%28a877%29+-+Blue&q_sku=sku3680237

Samsung Impression.

Or an Iphone, but I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE iphones and ipod touch's keyboards.

I'm not sure. I like the HTC the best

[Nicole]

That is nuts... Sawyer.... I'd love to have $50 for christmas money.

[Sawyer]

I'm not allowed to even think about it though. It's for college, or a car...so I can't. I might discuss it with my mom when we're not so *KILLSTABSTRANGLE*

[joandsarah]

Well I just did a large order last night, of my favorite Americans Kids clothing brand, Gymboree. ;D I won't say how much or you will all say I'm addicted to kids clothes. (yeah ok so I am, one of my few perks of being a mother ;D )
I was going to wait until the black Friday sale in a few days, but it was only 5% more as everything is already 25% off now. And with the dollar, it only has to drop a few cents and I could easily lose that $23 profit from BF. I've never bought with it so high before, 92cents! usually it's down somewhere like 72 cents which means we are forking over 28 cents extra for every dollar we spend.

Plus I had the luxury of not worrying about stuff disappearing from my cart as I did the order. Those BF sales are mean! I know someone in France said she was getting up at 4.30 am to do her online Gymboree BF order. They would have to offer a lot more then an extra 5% to get me out of bed at that time!

Anyway I did a double sale as I often do, so 25% off store wide sale with my 20% of coupon on top. Even with the express postage, things work out at about $15 per item. I can't even buy half way decent target stuff for that.

Now can someone tell me why it's called Black Friday sales when it's not Friday the 13th?

This is what I bought for my pregnant friend
www.gymboree.com/shop/dept_item.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524445983847&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374305284919&bmUID=1259095958984&productSizeSelected=0
Almost makes me wish I had another!!

One of the sets I bought my son. This is the set they are modeling.
www.gymboree.com/shop/asst_department.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302775071&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524445983847&bmUID=1259096059984
I realized afterwoulds it's a Christmas shirt, but oh well.

I got Sarah this top with the matching jeans.
www.gymboree.com/shop/dept_item.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524445984128&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374305348871&bmUID=1259098599562&productSizeSelected=0

And the boys jammies are soo cute!
www.gymboree.com/shop/dept_item.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374303047967&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524445984999&bmUID=1259098709212
I bought him the 3 pairs of spring/Autamn ones there.

Ok somebody come look here. I know, nobody but me likes kids clothes!

[Tina ☺]

Oh Jo, those are so cute! Hey, could NOT like kids' clothes? Every time I walk past them in a store, I have to stop and say, "Awww".

I used to love shopping for my girls when they were little. But... *sigh* they've picking out their own clothes for a few years now.

It's called Black Friday because it is the day after Thanksgiving, which is the first official Holiday shopping day. I guess it's called Black Friday because so many folks are out shopping, that the stores bring in lots of money and are 'in the black', as opposed to 'in the red'.

[joandsarah]

Lol. Well glad someone besides me thinks they are cute!
There isn't much cute after about size 2 to be found in the shops over here. Plus I doubt I could buy a pair of boys good corduroy pants for $12 here either. I was just looking over at Pumpkin patch which is about the only shop here of similar quality. New price on boys pants $34.99.

[Tina ☺]

They tend to grow so fast when they're little that it's ridiculous to have to pay so much for kids' clothes. They outgrow them in no time. When mine were small, I used to find some really nice things at used stores for them.

[joandsarah]

Yeah, nice things at used store are also in short supply out here. Occationaly I have found something to play outside in. Even Ebay has nothing. I bought a bag of second hand girls stuff off ebay last year. Well that was a waste. She hates browns, greys and blacks and teen prints which seem to predominate from size 7 up. She wants the cute girly stuff and that mostly stops at a 6. I mean really, are they suppose to become teenagers at 7. Then I vetoed all the short skimpy stuff. I was left with 2 items and only 1 fit.
I wont put my daughter in most of the 7-14 year old girls stuff. Shocking stuff the Dpt stores stock.

Yeah, sorry I can very easily rant about the state of kids clothes and shoes over here!
At least my son is a little guy he's worn his clothes for two years in a row now since he was about 18 months. He's only just going into a size 4 now.

[Tina ☺]

Well, they certainly do have some clothes these days that I wouldn't have let my kids wear. It is ridiculous how fast, it seems, they want kids growing up nowadays!

[Nicole]

I can agree with you guys on the kids clothes. >.< I wore cute pants with little flares at the bottom so they weren't skin tight to my ankles... And plain shirts, with flowers and animals on them.

Christmas shopping.... *looks around* OH OH OH, I finished my mom's slippers! I knitted them as one piece, no sewing heh.