AudreyNicole

I have a shopping problem for 2 reasons. #1 is because last year, DH was unemployed so we had a very SMALL Christmas and we feel the need to make this one extra special. #2 because I started shopping so early. I bought my first Christmas present in July this year, and I have been shopping sales ever since. Since I have really saved alot of money, and I really haven't spent that much, I find that I am still buying. I told myself that Black Friday will be the last shopping I do for Christmas, so I am forcing myself to get my lists ready. At this point, I am honestly afraid the kids will be a little overwhelmed. Not only will they get gifts from us, but my parents spoil them rotten. I am going to have to start cleaning and organizing now just to make room for it all. UGH!

I can't view the link... says my browser isn't supported. Does anyone have a text listing?

I make sure to spend the same amount on each of them, and try to have equal amounts of presents at the same time. Usually I keep within $10 of eachother. Fortunately for me, my boys are so close in age (they are 17.5 months apart) and into the same things, so most of the toys that they are getting, they will both play with together. There are a few things that I bought 2 of, because I anticipate lots of fighting if not. I keep track of the # of presents and the amount I have spent by adding to my list everytime I buy. Sometimes it may mean wrapping 2 things in the same box, to keep the number of boxes even. At their ages, they'd be more likely to notice that one got more boxes than the other, rather than whose presents are worth more. I've been luckily that everything has been even so far without having to worry about it. It just worked out that way :)

I bought COD today. Didn't get any other games as there weren't any that DH wanted, but I did get the $20 g/c for being a rewards member, and then a $10 for spending over $75. Just an FYI, $10 on $75 coupon that is on the sales flyer this week WILL NOT work, because it says "excludes video games and hardware" but the $10 on $75 from the big toy book WILL work because it just says "excludes game hardware". So, with everything I got, including the new COD, I spent $88 and got $30 worth of giftcards back.

I am definately taking advantage of that offer! DH has preordered it at another store, but I am getting it tomorrow morning at TRU. And, with the coupon in their ad this week, if you spend $75, you get a $10 gift card. I plan to grab something else to make up the difference, so I can get both giftcards. :)

I am assuming by your user name that your DH is a Marine? Mine was when I met him, and that's where the bad habit started. LOL!

Has anyone seen the Crayola Crayon maker at their store on clearance? Mine had a bunch last week marked down to $20.98 and I am wondering if they may have gone down more since? Anyone know?

For my DH, I am planning: Toothbrush Scratch off lottery tickets Chewing Tobacco (YUCK!) Chapstick $5 giftcards to a few different fast food restaurants A XBOX Live membership card Deoderant Shaving cream Razors Swedish Fish & Airheads (his favorite candy)

Yep, I did it today at Target with the Bakugan Arena. :) I am pretty sure that Walmart will too.

I second the Cozy Coupe... we used ours until both of my boys were too big to fit. They even have a pink girl version now! :)

Fisher-price Little People! They have an adorable little dollhouse that I would definately get if I had a girl :) Books are always great too! How about a child's gold bracelet for special occasions, or earrings if she has her ears pieced?

We get our tree the Saturday or Sunday after Thanksgiving, and we normally take it down 2-3 days after Christmas. I move faster if it is really dead because I am so afraid of a fire hazard.

The Bakusphere is in the Target holiday toy book for $16.99 til 11/25. Looks like TRU sales aren't that great this year... I have found lots of things in the BTB for cheaper other places.

Mine says the same thing, and I am so annoyed. Mine are due 1/18/10. I was shopping there more on purpose in order to earn rewards for Christmas. I will be price matching at Target as much as possible now. It much more convenient for me anyway.

I don't know anything about him, but if you take the toy book to Target they will price match for $130, and then you can use their $20 off coupon to take it down to $110. :) http://sites.target.com/images/2009HolidayCoupons/holiday_coupons_print.html

Ugh, these things are making my head hurt. They all look the same to me. They are top on both of my boys' lists. None of them have actual names on them, so I don't even know if I am getting the right ones. Guess I will find out Christmas morning, huh? LOL Ok, rant over!

The signs at my store say $14.99 to $49.99. Of course, my boys always want the newest, most expensive ones. LOL

Just curious... How far along is everyone with their shopping? I get strange looks from people when they hear that I have made a pretty good dent in my shopping list... I do plan to be ALL done by Black Friday. That's my goal anyway. I have 3-4 more gifts to buy for my extended family, and then I can really consentrate on DH and my boys. I have gotten some shopping done for them as well, but I am far from finished. I know what I am buying, I just have to get the money together to do it. :) How about you?

Wow, I love that letter. I think a trip to the most office might be in order. Thanks so much for that! :)

42 :)

At my store, candy was 30% off, and everything else Halloween was 50% off. The green dot dollar spot was still 50% though today and will go 75% tomorrow.

I had to buy 3 of my local papers to get a toy book. Not every paper had one, and the one I did find had the spend $75 get $10 coupon. I sent my mom looking for more papers to get at least 2 books so my sons don't fight over it. LOL

I may have missed it, but does anyone know if Target or Walmart will pricematch the sales from the big toy book?

Thank you all for your replies. I know that my 7 year old felt absolutely terrible. He stayed in his room and cried for almost half an hour, and then left a note for me appologizing for going in the room. I think we will be giving the Batcave from DH and I now, since Logan already saw it, and will get other things from Santa. I am sure that by the time the day arrives, they will both be so excited that they won't even be thinking about the logistics of the whole thing. We did have a talk with them about how Santa is watching and is disappointed in them for snooping. I seriously doubt they will do it again. I *think* we have all of the keys now, and DH put tape over the keyhole so we can tell if they tried to get in there. I have plans to move everything to my neighbor's house this week, once I help her clean out her extra room... I think everything will be fine, it was just so heartbreaking for me to see them in that room, because I try to make it so special for them each year...

Ok so a little background. Bare with me, I am near tears here. I have been putting all of the presents that I purchased in our spare bedroom and keeping the door locked. I wrap and label everything within one day of buying it. I have everything for the kids that is from DH and I in plain sight (but wrapped), and anything I had from Santa was not wrapped but stored deep in the closet under a bunch of stuff. The other day, I came home, and noticed that the door was unlocked and open. After probing, my 7 year old admitted that he had found a key (I thought I had them all) and opened the door. He said he knew that "someone got Joshua the Batcave for Christmas!" The batcave was the only Santa present that I didn't have wrapped or in the closet cause it was too big to fit. I covered it up by acting surprised that it was there and told him that maybe Santa dropped something off early cause he was running out of room at the workshop. I *think* he believed me, but I am not sure. In a panic, I went out and pruchased Santa paper, different from everything else he saw, and wrapped all of the Santa presents (including the Batcave) and moved the Santa presents to a box in the garage. I am just running out of places to store things. So, this morning, I found BOTH of my boys in the spare bedroom. Apparently they found ANOTHER key. DH and I were furious, and I was (and still am) near tears. I know I should have moved EVERYTHING, but I just don't have the room anywhere else. Luckily they didn't see anything from Santa, so I told them that they had better stop snooping or Santa might not bring any presents. DH told that that "Mommy and Daddy have some presents for you for Christmas, and some for Grammy, and Pop-Pop, etc." but Santa will bring the good stuff, as long as he can trust them to be good boys. Even though they everything they saw was labeled from DH and I, I am scared to death that they will figure out the whole Santa thing. What else can I do to make it more real for them? I am so upset. They are too little to have it ruined already. They are only 6 and 7. :(