How to keep Christmas magical when you're on a budget

[@nattybking]

Christmas 1988, I arrived downstairs to find a fully set up Barbie house complete with furniture, dolls (incl Sindy too), clothing etc. My Mum got it from a friend of my older sister. Best Christmas ever for me as a kid.

[@theorganisedmum]

🥰🥰

[@pinahudson9041]

Love this! With the Christmas lights we have always done one night in December when the kids are almost ready for bed and all of a sudden “tickets” for the “Christmas light express” appear! Sometimes the Christmas elf brings them! The date and time is for that very moment and we bundle into the car (sometimes the kids already in their pjs) with flasks of hot chocolate and snacks and take a drive to some roads that have wonderful Christmas lights! My boys have always loved it and they get SO excited especially as they know it should be there bedtime!!! Such a treat and doesn’t cost anything. X

[@theorganisedmum]

Aww sound so lovely 🥰

[@sarahheffernan7011]

I did home made snowmen boxes one year. So they only really had 3/4 presents . Stacked on top and decorated it looked more impressive. The hats on top had some sweets and chocolate coins in.

[@theorganisedmum]

Oh bet the looked amazing 😀

[@stephanied6605]

We take some spare baubles to the woods and then hide them on the trees for a bauble hunt over December. All the children love it.

[@theorganisedmum]

🥰

[@lisawellington2]

Getting teary watching the end of this. Absolutely needed to hear this. Thank you. So so helpful. Xxx

[@Friftymumaof1]

Sending you a magical hug x

[@lisawellington2]

@@Friftymumaof1 Thanks. This definitely came at the right time. ☺️

[@haileycooper6252]

Im the same. Im always done by the time December arrives so I can do the fun festive stuff as i love the build up to xmas. I love xmas eve its my favorite. Im also obsessed with going to see xmas lights. Every xmas eve we go to an estate near us that goes all out for xmas and you can donate money for charity. We love it. We bake jam tarts and watch the grinch xmas eve every year. There was 1yr my son was scared of it so I had to turn it off and I remember thinking it doesnt feel like xmas without the grinch for me 😂. The Christmas itch is hard but I have found that your right When you ask them what they got for xmas last yr they dont remember much. I start making my xmas lists end of july. I take photos of things the kids are interested in and out them in a folder then I sit and go through the folder. I give my kids xmas pjs on 1st December. Bought xmas clothes for kids on vinted this year. My sons fav part of xmas is xmas dinner

[@theorganisedmum]

Aww sounds perfect 😍

[@opticalillusion301]

Watching this reminded me of things I've set up ready to go e.g. cat pencil toppers from a charity shop to put in homemade crackers or advent calendar. You could break down a lego set and do the same. We use everyday reading's free Christmas reading challenge advent calendar. Plus buying annual passes in the sale allows you to see events for less. You could also use reusable fabric bags for stockings. Rent Christmas books from the library which may also do fun events. As the kids grow there's also less space in those Christmas Eve boxes.

[@theorganisedmum]

Some great ideas 🥰

[@ania_elevatethepause]

Love this video! And your eco and sustainable approach to life really. ❤

[@theorganisedmum]

Thank you 🥰

[@linnyhughes3494]

We use a reusable advent calendar. Dec 1st the elves bring pjs and socks for December (from us) and then a chocolate coin everyday. It goes down so well and as I buy the pjs the year before in the sale it costs little. We also incorporate the Christmas trips on cards brought by the elves on those days which brings extra magic

[@theorganisedmum]

Aww love this 🥰

[@jackieegerton7446]

Buy your cards, wrapping paper and bows etc in the January sales. Therefore it’s so much cheaper and you don’t have to spend your run up to Christmas choosing suitable things. Buy extra veg when it’s pennies at Christmas time; compared to normal and cook and freeze it for your regular meals after Christmas. When food shopping, add a nice packet of biscuits/cakes/crackers etc to your weekly grocery shop and put it in a box/ bag saying For Christmas only. This spreads the cost of your Christmas goodies over a few months. Remember to check the dates though! x

[@theorganisedmum]

Great tips thank you 🤩

[@aimeewhitehead2639]

I always get the Christmas itch 😅 thank you for this video. X

[@theorganisedmum]

🥰🥰

[@verityeful]

We have elves (not scout elf), they don't do something every day, or spy on kids. They turn up with any Xmas stuff in December to make it feel spontaneous for kids & the notes are often encouraging kindness & generosity - to bring Xmas jumpers, movies, books, a small Xmas Lego set, board games, or instructions for decorating the tree, or going to see family. All is repeated each advent. Noone needs 24 books for advent, but 10 beloved books that come out on one day to be enjoyed throughout December is always a winner. I store all the stuff for it under my bed, & have a list of dates I'm doing it, so it's all sorted before December. Gifts for adults I usually pick one gift with a handmade element & do the same for everyone. Cheaper & people appreciate the effort, & less mental load for me. Xmas dinner, I do a lot of make in advance & freeze.

[@theorganisedmum]

Wow smashing it 💪💪

[@danielleanderson6334]

We dont pay for adults if they have children (our nieces and nephews), just add a bit more money to the kids presents. This year for our parents we are doing gift vouchers for dinner and our nans we are doing gift vouchers too x

[@theorganisedmum]

Great idea 💪

[@Friftymumaof1]

Afternoon Gemma Thank you for this amazing video/podcast. We can all get lost in the Christmas ick as I call it 😂 I’m making fudge for family and friends this year (cheap budget recipe) and chutney and we stick by the rule Of what you said the 4 things for main pressies and some little treats for stockings . ❤ I am so emotional about this video in a good way as children and us adults seem to rush rush and get in a tiz with it all and lose the magic. So this year I am making our Christmas cake, mince pies etc and only buying what we need food wise etc x x Thank you once again Gemma. ❤ Ps - my decoration bag is in my hall still as I still haven’t sorted yet 😂❤

[@theorganisedmum]

So glad it's helped 🤗❤️

[@AFM515]

In our house Santa presents aren't wrapped! They're either on display if large or in the stockings if smaller. Saves time and money

[@theorganisedmum]

❤️

[@danielleanderson6334]

Christmas mishaps, not a funny one, but we was hosting again as we was moving house 3 days after. And i chocked on a roast potato, i literally couldnt breath, tears rolling down my face trying to dislodge the potatoe, i was one end of the table there was my nan, my kids, my parents and then my partner the other end. He literally flew over our guests to save me, knocking the tree over. Still havent got over it now. Still not funny, but would happen 3 days before we were due to move into our first bought house 😢 x

[@theorganisedmum]

😢😳

[@Friftymumaof1]

Gemma is there a tidy and sort for a dressing table on the team TOMM app at all? Mine is abismal x 😂