starbeck96

This is what we are getting as well. I was able to play with one at a Walmart store and it was very cool! Lots of pre-loaded apps. I love the fact that I can control pretty much everything that my daughter is able to do. It is 200.00 but I think it is well worth it. My daughter is also 6 and has been begging for a tablet.

Here is the menu for the in-laws: My MIL and I do pretty much all the cooking. My SIL is too lazy to do anything...lol. It is a good thing that I love to cook.. I always fix:a turkey breast (I use it for the dressing, the gravy, and then for leftovers), dressing (I always fix two pans, one with onion and one without), ham, rolls, mac-n-cheese, yellow rice, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, turnip greens and a dessert (one definite dessert is oreo dirt cake for both Thanksgiving and Christmas). My MIL usually fixes Potato Salad, Slaw, a big turkey, bean salad. The rest of the stuff she brings varies from year to year. For dessert this year, These are some of my possibilities. Not sure which of hese I am going to fix yet though. Peanut butter cake, peach cobbler, coconut pie, strawberry cake, cookies, coconut cake (everyone loved this last year), mississippi mud cake, and I'm sure I will come up with some more...lol. I love to make junk food..lol. I make the majority of all this from scratch as well to help save money.. Our Christmas menu is about the same as the Thanksgiving menu. What desserts I don't fix for Thanksgiving will be fixed for Christmas.

Yeah I forgot to mention that. I actually used their layaway last year.

Thanks. This is where I know the boys phones will be used the most.

We will be using the shared Data Plan. I think for 4 GB it is 70.00 plus 40.00 for each phone on the plan. For 2 GB it is 60.00. We will definitely start out with the 4 GB and then if we see we don't need that much, we will come down to the 2 GB plan.

LOL...Yeah, the data plan is one reason we have not done smart phones earlier..lol. But I have really been wanting one and DH has finally expressed interest in one as well. So, taking into consideration how much the phones are without a contract I figure we come out just as cheap, but we will be paying for it monthly instead of all at one time.. A friend of mine has the otterbox case and I thought it was very cool. We will all be getting one..My husband is in construction so an otterbox would really help protect it. I also will make it a rule for the boys to never take it out of the case..lol. By the way, I will be taking the boys phones away as well at night..lol. Does the Iphone have the option to use your home wi-fi so you don't use your data?

Yeah, the amount that I have figured is including a data plan. It will cost us more but my husband and I will both be getting a smartphone as well. So, I figured in how much we would be paying for all of us a new smart phone and divided it by 24 (to represent time of contract). So, taking that into consideration it will cost about the same..

My boys are wanting a smartphone this year. This will be their first cell phone. My husband and I both use Straightalk and it is cheaper for us. I was looking into getting them a straightalk. I do not think I have seen a phone through them under the $ 200 mark that operates on the 4.0 android system. I was also planning on getting them an otterbox type case (or someting very similar) but couldn't find one for their cell phones either. I thought about Verizon. It picks up the best here and that is what our straightalk phones operate on here. Right now they have the Apple Iphone 4 free with 2 year contract. The only thing is that they charge a 35.00 activation fee. Do you think that there will be a better deal through Verizon before Christmas? Or do you think I should go ahead and bite the bullet while the I phone 4 is free? If I do decide to go through Verizon, my husband and I will also go through them as well. We are about to have to buy my husband a new phone anyway..lol. This would also give me an excuse to get a smartphone I do not want to go through AT&T. We used to have a plan through them and it just does not pick up nearly as good as Verizon in our area. Also, do you think the Iphone 4 would be the best phone for them? They are 14 (will be 15 in March). It is an 8GB. Thanks..

Sounds like ya'll have a great time. I completely agree with you. My boys are the only ones old enough to come with me now, but they have not been interested so far....Now, my daughter is 6 and would love to come, but that is not happening yet..lol. She will probably be at least 10 before I take her. We live ina small town and our Walmart is usually very safe, unless you are over there with the towels...lol. I would never take her over there. I am looking forward to starting a tradition with her. It used to be a tradition for my friend and I but we don't really talk much anymore and we broke the tradition last year. My mom is not able to go and my sister doesn't care to go. So, it will be really nice to have someone that enjoys shopping as much as I do... We live in Alabama so the weather here is not usually a huge factor either. I think it has been down to 25 maybe once. Usually it is in the 40's which is cold but not that bad. now that they've changed all the times, it really isn't a factor at all anymore. Our Walmart opened Thanksgiving and never closed. So we were able to wait inside.

Fred's is actually a pretty cool little store. It is kind of like a Dollar General or Family Dollar. the main difference is that they double coupons on Saturdays. We do have one here but we don't have a Target or much of anything else...lol. We have a Walmart, Fred's, Family Dollar, and Dollar General..

Last year, I think that WM opened up their layaway but it was later in the day. So, all the good stuff was gone by the time they opened. I'm not sure if you could put the doorbusters on layaway or not.

Congrats to the winners...

The main reason I don't usually take my kids is because I am buying for them. But with the boys being 14 (and as big as most adults) then I would possibly take them if there is something that they want and have to stand in line for. Now my daughter is a different story...lol. She is only 5 and would definitely not be up to being up that late or early. We live in AL so usually temperature is not that much of a factor. I think the coldest it has ever been is around 32. Most of the time it is in the 40s. I know that is still cool, but it is not below freezing.. I did take one of the boys once, when they were 5, to a different city. He had to sit in the buggy the entire time. The only reason we went was to get a Gamecube for I think 79.00. So, we stood in line for that, paid for it and left...I could never buy for my daughter while she is with me though. She notices way too much...lol. The boys never paid much attention to anything when they were that age... I would not take my daughter with me to a different town though. I have taken her after the mad rush (like 9 in the morning). I would let my boys go, but they do not like to shop unless it is for them...lol.

I think they are around 50.00 at Walmart. My daughter kind of liked it but thankfully said she'd rather have something else..lol. That is still alot of money for that. If it ever comes down to 25.00 then I might think about it. I just know that it would entertain her for about 1 day (if even that) and then it would just sit and collect dust...

I have been BF shopping for about 13 years, since my boys were babies..They are now 14. I think this will be my 4th year on this board.

Honestly, it really depends on where you live and how the crowd is where you are. Where we live I will probably take my daughter when she is that age if she wants to go and I feel that she is mature enough. But we live in a small town where we know nearly everyone there. It is usually very safe as well. Last year there were one or two police officers in the store at all times. But, the only major store we have here is a Walmart. There was a fight last year but it was over towels..lol. There are always alot of kids BF shopping in our Walmart. Many of them sit in line for TVs, laptops, etc. with other kids while their parents go after the other stuff. My boys may go with me this year (they are 14) to Walmart, depending on what is on sale. If they have an Xbox on sale, then I will let them go sit in line with a giftcard so I can go after the games, DVDs, and anything else that I may be getting..

so true! I try to get at least a few DVDs or games for the kids so at least they have a few extra things under the tree..

I hope to be spending more, but it really just depends on my husband's work since he is self employed. My kids lists are pretty short but they are what I consider, a little more expensive. The boys, age 14, both want a smartphone (about 220.00 each after tax and protection plan). My daughter, age 6, wants a tablet, so we are getting her the Nabi tablet. It is 200.00 and hopefully we can order through Amazon so we don't have to pay tax. I also hope to get them a basketball goal for them. I will also spend at least another 50.00 on each child. I am hoping that I can get the boys 3 months of minutes each (we use straighttalk), but it depends on how his work is.. We are starting earlier this year though so that will help.

Harbor Freight 10/11

Have you looked into the Nabi2 tablet? It is alittle more than the new tabeo from Toysrus but I think the specs are a little better and it has really great reviews.

There are very few toys on our list this year. My daughter will be 6 by then, but she is really wanting a tablet so we are getting her a Nabi2. That will take a huge chunk of our budgeted amount. I have 2 toys on layaway for her and I bought several used DVD's at like 1.00 each. But that will probably be it as far as toys. My boys are 14 so have been out of the toy stage for quite a while...We are hoping that we can get a basketball goal for all three of the kids though.

I have already told my husband that I want a stand mixer for christmas. More than likely, my mom will end up getting me one..lol.

We are getting our boys smart phones for Christmas this year. They've never really had their own phone. They are 14 and will be 15 in March. So, I think they are old enough now. We are buying them their minutes for the first 3-4 months. After this, they will be responsible for their own. We will probably get them minutes for their birthday and they will probably ask family to give them money or minute cards. I really doubt that they are getting the 3 year old an iphone..lol. They are probably getting him an ipod or ipad.

We don't have a prime membership and probably would not get it. We hardly ever watch movies. I do love to read so I would have to compare the cost of membership to the cost of just buying the downloads. I think I also read (on here I think) that you can use prime membership on any tablet..

I saw Christmas on QVc this morning before I read this post. I was like already, but then I realized that it is always this early for them... I wish I could afford to order something from them. I love to watch their Christmas shows.