Secret Santa Shopping Tips

I personally absolutely love Secret Santa. One of the main things I miss about having a 'proper' job now I have the business is the secret santa (closely followed by not having a work Christmas party). Luckily for me I have been able to take part in two this year. One has been arranged through a bridal page I am part of on Facebook, the other is amongst the group of mums (who have become close friends) I met during my antenatal relaxation classes last Autumn.

I thought a little blog on top tips for buying a secret Santa gift would be a nice idea to get into the Christmas spirit (not that I necessarily need this as I have already bought ALL of my Christmas presents!)

*Firstly, if a questionnaire has been used for the secret Santa and you have some information on the person you are buying from always refer to it! Don't think it will be a nice idea to get them a total surprise or something they wouldn't normally go for as there is a strong chance they would hate it and that wouldn't be a good idea. Questionnaires are usually used for larger secret Santas or those where you wouldn't necessarily know the recipient (such as my brides one).

*If it is a friend you are buying for, take some time to think about what your friend likes, dislikes, what their hobbies are, what is going on in their lives at the moment etc. It may seem obvious, but often a quick recap will allow you to come up with a present they would really love rather than just going for something generic from the Boots Christmas aisle.

*If your secret Santa happens to be a novelty one, still think outside the box. When it comes to opening the gifts there are bound to be many of the same thing, try to think of something a little different!

*Sometimes having a smaller budget just makes the whole thing more exciting. I am a total bargain hunter so I love finding gifts for less than £10. If your budget is less than £5 then this does make things a little more difficult but again, by thinking outside of the box you can come up with something brilliant. Visit little gift shops that you wouldn't normally visit, go to small gifts in places like Next, Debenhams and Supermarkets such as Sainsbury's and Asda as they often have gifts for this price range that are actually quite good.

*Don't rule out shopping online for gifts. As long as you leave enough time for delivery, there are some great bargains to be had from shopping online. My favourite go to place at the moment is Amazon and you can find almost anything you want on there. Have a browse for ideas first and see if you can get items you find in the shops cheaper online.

*I am a sucker for the finishing touches. If you can afford it, don't include things like packaging and postage in the amount set and add in a Christmas card, some chocolate coins or a candy cane as an extra little something for your recipient. Christmas is a time for giving and making someone smile is a great way to spread the Christmas cheer.

*Finally, an obvious one but something many overlook. To keep the suspense going, make sure you don't write your name on the gift tag! Try and write using your opposite hand, don't use the same gift paper as all your other gifts and try not to tell anyone who you are buying for.

If you are still stuck on what to buy I have gathered together some great gift ideas for £5, £10 and novelty!

£5 and Under:

Diary £5 Next

 

 

Love Heart Tea Lights £5 Debenhams

Baking Book £5 Sainsbury's

 

 

 

Shoe Fund Piggy Bank £4 Asda

 

 

 

 

Heart Slogan Pegs £3 Asda

 

 

Two Ceramic Tea light Holders £5 Asda

 

 

 

£10 and Under:

Set of 2 Knitted Hand warmers £6 Next

Festive Spice Oil Burner £8 Next

Yankee Candle Fireside Treats Small Jar £8.39 Clinton's

Baileys Hot Chocolate Mug £9.50 Debenhams

Set of 3 Ceramic Heart Bowls £9.99 Sainsbury's

Novelty:

Beer Money Tin £5 Next (perfect if buying for a man!)

Penis Pasta £4 Ann Summers

Fortune Cookies £5 Ann Summers

Thirst Mug £8 Next

Dairy Milk Money Box £8 Next

Mood Duck £8 Debenhams

Man Flu Mug £9.50 Debenhams (great gift for a male colleague!)

I'm Stressed Phone £3 Asda

Happy Shopping!!

October Plans

I  have missed writing up my plans for the month on the blog but have been distracted with the pregnancy, now it is coming towards an end, I thought I would let you all know my plans for October (even though some are pregnancy related!)


2nd October: 34 Week Midwife appointment and Cameron's 2 Year Developmental Check

Tomorrow I have my 34 week check up with a new midwife (my original one has apparently now gone on maternity leave herself). I will be making sure I ask about the whooping cough jab that is being offered to women between 28 and 38 weeks of pregnancy). It is also Cameron's 2 year developmental check up where the health visitor will check he is doing what he should be for his age range as well as looking at his weight and height etc.

3rd October: First Christmas shopping trip!

I am very excited about this! I love shopping but can't go as much as I would like as I don't have the money. Having saved up some pennies, I am going on the first of three big shopping trips to try and get the Christmas presents bought before my little girl enters the world!

5th October: Possible Maternity Photoshoot

I say possible as we have had to rearrange so might have to again, but hopefully I will be having some photos taken alongside Tim, Cameron and of course baby girl bump!

12th October: 1 Year Anniversary with Tim

On 12th October it will have been a year since me and Tim first started going out. This year has gone so fast! It is a bit crazy that by our one year anniversary we will be only a month away from meeting our baby girl and will have been engaged for three months!

13th October: Birthday Celebrations

It is my brother's girlfriend's birthday on 15th so there will be celebrations at the weekend, got to love an excuse to celebrate!

14th October: Wedding Show

I haven't been to a wedding show for a few weeks so I thought it was about time I went to another, especially as we have now got our definite date having booked our venue! I shall be on the lookout for a photographer for the big day, as well as possible DJs, although we haven't decided whether to have a DJ at all yet. It is also a chance to get some brilliant ideas and freebies, yay!

17th October: Relaxation Antenatal, 36 Week Growth Scan and Consultant appointment

I have a very busy morning planned as I have my first of two relaxation antenatal classes at 10am before going straight for my 36 week growth scan and then onto the consultant appointment where they will let me know whether my fluid levels have continued to rise or not (fingers crossed they haven't).

22nd October: Full Term!

This is very exciting as it means the baby could be born from any point now on. It is also the time when I allow myself to start trying a few things to help the baby along such as eating spicy curries and fresh pineapple (though I would never try castor oil or anything not classed as safe). Although it will feel good to be able to do some things that might help baby along, I know deep down that baby only comes when ready!


23rd October: Vicar visit to book Church for our Wedding

We are booking the church where Cameron was Christened for our wedding and I can't wait! The church is beautiful!


24th October: 2nd Relaxation Antenatal

I don't really know what to expect with these classes but hopefully they will help me relax during labour! If nothing else I hope to meet some fellow pregnant women.


29th October: Cousin's 21st Birthday

I'm not sure whether my cousin will be doing anything to celebrate which I would be able to join in with but either way it is an exciting time for him. I was 5 months pregnant with Cameron when I turned 21 so didn't get up to much!

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Ok, so I know it is only just October, but everyone knows that the start of this month marks a respectable time to begin your Christmas shopping.

I ordered all of Cameron's Christmas presents online a few days ago and today they should be delivered, so that's one person down! I have three shopping trips planned over the next 6 weeks before the baby is due as I want to get everything bought and sorted before I have a newborn to contend with.

My biggest issue is now getting my family to tell me what they want- nightmare! What definitely helps is that all the shops are now getting into the Christmas spirit and most have their Christmas gift selection on the shelves, yay! I for one absolutely love Christmas and cannot wait!