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Post by Claire on Nov 7, 2008 11:56:05 GMT 1
I was feeling quite proud of myself cos for once I had started my Christmas shopping early and got a few presents already, then I was talking to the girls in the post office and find out just about everyone they knew has every blinkin present bought and wrapped up already!!! Please tell me you lot are not so efficient as I am feeling very inadequate and disorganised now Mind you not as bad as my old boss who used to take a day off from work about 3 days before Christmas and buy everything then!
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Post by zoe on Nov 7, 2008 17:23:14 GMT 1
I have started mine. I've got all pressies for my 2 year old (it's easy when they're little), I've got my 8 and 10 year old's main big pressie each and that's it. I am feeling quite un organised because loads of people I know have bought all pressies ( the only person I know who has wrapped them as well is my sister and she is so organised she buys her wrapping paper in the jan sales. I sometimes wonder how we are related cos I am queen of forgetting things and last minute panic) My wrapping is usually done as and when I see people to give their presents, and I wrap kids when I can but its hard cos they can smell me getting out pressie and wrapping paper and appear even late at night!
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Post by sarah on Nov 7, 2008 19:48:02 GMT 1
I'm terrible at Christmas Shopping - though I do tend to pick up things throughout the year as I see them and think of someone who who would like them. Trouble is I can't always find where I put them come Christmas time.
I've had 'pony' on my Christmas list for the last 25 years! One day...
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Post by cally on Nov 8, 2008 1:51:23 GMT 1
Pony/horse has been on mine for around 34 years and it aint gonna happen this year. Everything I do receive for Xmas and birthday will hopefully be equine related (considering I have to do all gift shopping- even my own) or cash- that's what I told my Mum when she asked me what I wanted, but she makes a point of ignoring what I say so I'll probably end up with the usual expensive and useless trinket that she likes and I despise. I have only vague ideas re. the kids etc. The usual nightmare will ensue...
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Post by darkhorse on Nov 8, 2008 12:58:40 GMT 1
I've got a lot of the girls stuff but it's the adult presents I find difficult. What to get people who have everything? Sometimes I think we should just all buy presents for ourselves and this would avoid the unwanted gift scenario. How many pairs of socks and bath sets can one person have? ;D
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Post by Buster on Nov 8, 2008 14:55:15 GMT 1
Me and my friends are doing a secret santa this year seeing as we are all broke :/ Its not that secret though, within 5 minutes every knew who everyone else got. I have an idea for one persons present and seeing as I only have to buy for one school friend I can realy go all out and get them something realy good. For everyone else I have no idea. Christmas eve shopping again I think!
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Post by Claire on Nov 8, 2008 15:23:33 GMT 1
Oh I'm glad there are no super-organized people on here. Now I dont feel so inadequate. ;D I usually try to make a few personal presents. I make jars of pickled onions, biscuits, fudge to give to people and sometimes knit or sew stuff. This year I have a good idea for a personalised present. Vista print is giving free calendars (you have to pay post) where you can put your own pics on I thought I would do one with our pets on (past and present) and also one with silly photos of the family too. My christmas list: House Horse E-type jaguar car or any decent one would do Books Wine I may get the books and wine if I'm lucky ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by kunuma on Nov 8, 2008 15:55:23 GMT 1
I'm a serious case of procrastination - in the hope it will all go away, I have got to the stage where I really think Scrooge had a valid point of view in the first place! I do nothing until about a week before Christmas, then I'll drag myself into town (I hate towns!) slink into the shops (I hate shops!) and fight my way through the people (I hate.............yes, well you get the idea!) Last year I decided to do it all on ebay - never found any presents there, but my model horse collection grew to ridiculous proportions! So that wasn't such a good idea!
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Post by garej on Nov 8, 2008 16:46:57 GMT 1
I havent started really, but I did buy some presents in January. I am moving at the end of the month, and I have 3 birthdays before Christmas, so that doesnt help. Last year I decided to do it all on ebay - never found any presents there, but my model horse collection grew to ridiculous proportions! So that wasn't such a good idea! Just out of interest, what model horses do you collect?
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Post by Claire on Nov 8, 2008 21:20:13 GMT 1
Just for you kunuma................
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Post by kunuma on Nov 9, 2008 17:09:31 GMT 1
;D Bears a striking resemblance!
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Post by Buster on Nov 9, 2008 22:57:11 GMT 1
We should do something on the forum for chistmas! =]
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Post by Claire on Nov 9, 2008 23:20:57 GMT 1
Good idea tho I think we shall have to drag scrooge I mean kunuma into the christmas spirit!
Any suggestions?
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Post by zoe on Nov 10, 2008 11:48:09 GMT 1
I'll put my thinking cap on, at the moment I am sat at home sulking because I planned on going Christmas shopping today told work I wasn't going in (only do 2 hours a day anyway) and I can't cos it has been pouring down since yesterday and the road into town is flooded and can't get through. Typical I might as well go to work and to top it all I've just accidentaly eaten a whole packet of biscuits Idon't usually worry about what I eat but I'm trying to cut down a bit so I can make a pig of myself at Christmas!
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Post by Claire on Nov 10, 2008 12:45:19 GMT 1
How do you accidentally eat a whole packet of biscuits. Did they just fall into your mouth ;D ;D ;D Poor you tho you must be feeling guilty! Yep it has been raining practically non-stop here too for the past 3 days
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Post by Buster on Nov 10, 2008 14:44:06 GMT 1
Hmm im thinking... I have the day of school today Due to having 2 doctors appointments eek! And there is not much point in travelling all the way into town for one lesson Smudge is dragging his bed around the floor, chewing it, putting it on his head and rolling around... ah its so entertaining. I only there were puppies in school. ANYWAY im getting distracted.. umm maybe a big christmassy quiz or a pony book swap thing.. like a secret santa umm oh it just came to me something we did in yr 7! It was a sort of quiz but we all had pictures of us when we were babies and you had to guess who was who... not sure how to relate that to xmas... maybe our houses at christmas or pets (althought that may be easy) or xmas trees?? But we'd have to post in in the locked forum.... hmm im rambling again I better go do my shakespear essay... or maybe play with Smudge
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Post by zoe on Nov 10, 2008 15:03:43 GMT 1
LOL Claire, I opened packet and put them by computer, only mean't to have couple but got engrossed in computer and absentmindedly eat the lot!
How about a Christmas pet photo comp/gallery?
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Post by kunuma on Nov 10, 2008 16:39:14 GMT 1
Have just emerged from my lie down in a darkened room to find we are having a photo comp with photos of us as baby Christmas trees? ? You are all celebrating waaaay too early!! What's a secret Santa - one that drives reindeer with muffled hooves?? Told you I didn't get out much!!
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Post by Buster on Nov 10, 2008 20:25:04 GMT 1
Haha a secret Santa is what you do when your broke.. in my case or if there is lots of you in the case of people working a a office and not wanting to buy lots of presents Basicaly everybody picks a name from a hat, but you dont say who you get. They you recieve a present from a unknown person, and you buy a present for the person you pull from the hat. You can then guess who you got it from if you want or you just all exchange giftson a certain day or whatever. Its good because you can spend less money getting a decent gift than more on 8 tacky things of whatever. I hope thats a good explanation
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Post by darkhorse on Nov 10, 2008 21:38:13 GMT 1
I like the idea of pet photo competition and also guessing childhood photos. We have done that at works christmas party before and its a laugh. What about a funny photo/picture caption contest? It coukd be a picture from a pony book. I am not sure how we could work out a sectret santa on the forum however
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Post by zoe on Nov 10, 2008 22:20:33 GMT 1
OK, I've just stopped giggling but seriously kunuma I'm really looking forward to the picture of you impersonating a baby chrismas tree!!!! (oppps giggling again!!)
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Post by Claire on Nov 10, 2008 22:52:15 GMT 1
I think she has been at the cooking sherry again or the brandy thats supposed to go in the christmas cake ;D
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Post by Buster on Nov 10, 2008 23:09:23 GMT 1
Hehehe Had a brainwave again (im full of them today, no school is good for me ) Ok how about (On the locked forum obviously) Pictures of ourselfs, in like santa hats and such, maybe with clues such as pets beside us or our favorite books or something that would help guess. I dont know.. it could be fun as we dont know what we all look like but if you think its a bit risky putting them online then no worries
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Post by Claire on Nov 11, 2008 13:30:07 GMT 1
Been thinking we could have a 'virtual' christmas party. If we picked a night when most of us were free we could all log on and chat, play games, quizzes etc, (with a glass of wine and some nibbles by the computer of course). The forum does have the facility for live chat altho I have been resisting temptation to set it up as I know I would never get anything done if I had access to that! But I could see if I could set it up for the night.
Also I thought we could maybe do a charity thing. Something to raise money for a horse/animal charity. Or maybe adopt an animal?
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Post by susanb on Nov 11, 2008 15:16:23 GMT 1
We do a Holiday book swap over on the abebooks forum...have been doing for the last, oh, I think it's four years now. I've never run it though....one person gathers all the names of the people who want to participate, along with a wish list (some give specific titles or authors, others a more vague "likes" sort of thing).
The organizer shuffles the participants (I think they use an auto sort thing in an excel spreadsheet) and sends us each the name and address of a person along with their want list. The person we send to is never the same person who we'll be receiving from, so I suppose it's more of a round robin than an straight swap.
I think we were at over a hundred participants last year, from around the world.....we all "meet" (time zone permitting), online to open our books at a specific day/time a few days before Christmas. It's an ongoing thread though, so even if people miss the exact moment, they jump in any way and post later.
It's been a lot of fun....I think get more of a kick out of shopping for my holiday book buddy than for a lot of my "regular" presents! In a few cases, where the wish list of the recipient and circumstances permitted, I've manged to get a couple of books signed by authors!
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Post by Buster on Nov 11, 2008 22:10:48 GMT 1
That sounds fun! So does the online party! As for the animal thing, I dont know about you but where I come from all the small shops hhave boxes where you can donate dog and cat food and treats and toys etc for their xmas dinner/ party thing so we could do a collection or something Or... www.ilph.org/adopt/
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Post by cally on Nov 12, 2008 2:34:12 GMT 1
Don't know if I could manage the party/drink thing due to the time difference, unless it was on a non school day morning for me- dropping your 7 year old off at school tipsy...not a good look.
I like the adoption idea- it's something I've always wanted to do. ilph, Redwings, or if you guys wanted to do something more exotic there's (probably) a brumby adoption program down here. We could all share a pony- how super!
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Post by kunuma on Nov 12, 2008 10:35:52 GMT 1
Claire you must be psychic, I was just thinking that we ought to do something along the animal rescue/adoption lines - I'm not all that fond of the UK charities at the moment, having not had much luck getting them to actually do what they say they do - but Cally's idea of the brumby adoption sounds fantastic, wasn't Beswick collector saying that the Silver Brumby was her introduction to pony books, and Silver Brumby's Daughter was mine! No idea how it would work, but could we adopt our own 'silver' brumby. Pleeeeeeeeeeease!!
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Post by zoe on Nov 12, 2008 10:54:55 GMT 1
Ooohhh yes I want to adopt a brumby too. I've adopted ponies from redwings before (quite often do it for pressies) and it's so satisfying tho always want to bring them home! A brumby would be wicked! Also love the virtual party idea.
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Post by Claire on Nov 12, 2008 11:17:43 GMT 1
Some great ideas LOVE the idea of adopting a brumby. It would be great. Also the book swap. Sorry Cally didnt think about the time difference but if we had it on a weekend you could at least join in a bit maybe sans drink! ;D Anyway will try and work some things out over the next couple of weeks. Any more suggestions welcome! In the meantime to get you into the christmas spirit here is a picture I found surfing the net......could it be kunuma dressed as a baby Christmas tree........? ;D ;D ;D
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