What I got for Christmas Haul 2013

Hiya

I am sad that Christmas is over with already, but I'm holding onto the Christmas spirit for as long as possible and thought I would do a Haul before Christmas is truly over with for another year. I am in no way bragging by showing what I got. I know there are a lot of people that enjoy these posts and I enjoy them just as much. So without further ado...

Clothes

This year I got quite a few items of clothing, most of them being cardigans or jumpers. The first two I got was these long stripy cardigans in the colours Blue & Grey. 

For the jumpers I got a Pink one with the word Geek on it and an baggy jumper that will keep me warm on those cold nights.

Books

I always get a ton of books for Christmas and this year was no different. First off I got Melissa Explains It All By Melissa Joan Hart, Teardrop By Lauren Kate, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green and The House of Hades By Rick Riordan. Super excited to begin reading these. I've done a seperate post on these books which you can read here :)

Candles

I'm literally obsessed with Candles at the moment that it's getting ridiculous lol I have so many that I need to burn. But I got a Yankee Candle in the scent Black Coconut which smells more like Christmas Cookie then it does Coconut. I also got a candle by Tempatations in the scent spiced wreath & cassis mistletoe which smells lovely.

Make Up

Seeing as I got into make up this year I got a set of eyeliner pencils in some gorgeous colours that I can't wait to try them out. They are by the brand Beauty Box and they are from Debenhams

Miscellaneous

I got an IPad cover that stands up in this pretty design which was from Ebay

I'm always stealing my mums umbrella so she decided to get me my own and I love it. It's got a star design as I love stars (I also have a star tattoo on my wrist) 

I got a drinking cup with a lid and straw as glasses don't hold that much juice so I'm forever refilling it so this is handy as it holds more. (It can hold a can & a half of 7up) I believe this one was from Matalan.

I also got a storage box with butterfly's on it, which allows me to store (duh) some things in it, which I am now storing my scarves in. The box is from Tescos

Both my parents got me a stuff toy as stocking fillers. From my mum got me the Otter which is called Mack & my dad got me the tiger one which I just named tiger (you can tell a lot of thought went into picking that name). The tiger one is from Tescos and I'm unsure where the Otter one came from.

From my Sister-in-law I got the latest Jack Dee DVD.

From my brother I got a perfume and this year I got DNA by Police which smells pretty damn nice, it also stays on your skin for a loooong time.

Sort of a stocking filler I got a 2014 diary which I'm sure I could fill with useless information. Also from Tescos.

AND

I also got some gift cards for Primark which is my favourite shop ever. And also money but I haven't taken pictures of them as I'm sure you all know what it looks like. I will also do another haul once I've spent them.

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I hope you enjoyed this post. I'm extremely thankful for everything I received and am in no way showing off.

What did you get for Christmas?

Till next time

XOXO

Debbie.

Christmas Shopping Guide

Hey

As you may know from my Chit Chat Thursday: Work edition, that I don't earn that much money which means I tend to do my Christmas shopping as cheaply as I can. I have no problem with that as it's the thought that counts not the amount you spend. And with Christmas being not that far off I thought I would share how I afford Christmas.

Christmas doesn't have to be expensive nor do all gifts have to be brought new. I don't believe that children need the latest gadgets just because all their friends have them. You can find really good deals if you shop around and start your Christmas shopping early. Read on to find out my secrets.

I love online shopping, some sites have really good deals and sales, the first thing I do is check the clearance and sale sections to see if anything takes my fancy.

My next favourite website is Ebay, you can seriously find loads of items for a fraction of the cost and the best part is it gets posted to your door so you don't even need to leave the house, which is handy if you have children or don't like the hustle and bustle of shopping centres. My mum is into have her nails done by me, so for last Christmas I got her some supplies such as brushes, tools and paints which can be expensive in the shops but managed to get everything I needed for under £15.00 which is pretty good.

Another website that I discovered recently is Etsy which is like Ebay but everything is unique and handmade which adds an extra special touch when given to someone as a gift and you can find many different presents for everyone in your life.

I'm a big fan of giving stocking fillers to my niece and nephew and the perfect shop for that is Poundshops in England or the dollar store if you are in a different country. They have toys, gifts and sweets that are perfect for stocking fillers and have many different items available.

I read a lot of books and I mean A LOT, so it would be highly expensive to continously go out and buy brand new books (as much as I would love too) so I tend to check out Charity shops (thrift shops in other countries) when I'm in the need for new books. You can also find DVDs, CDs and clothes that are in good condition.

Tip:

Another way to acquire items is the January sales a bit late for this Christmas but after Christmas everything becomes super cheap and you can find bargains that you can put away for either a birthday or the following Christmas. Also take advantage of offers and sales throughout the year that you can then put away for a later date.

Tip: 

If you can't afford to spend much money this Christmas, avoid asking people what they want and surprise them with a gift that you have picked for them by knowing what they are into and would most likely enjoy getting as a gift.

And that's how I do my shopping on the cheap. At the end of the month I will do a Christmas gift guide and show you items that would be good for gifts or gifts I brought using the above shops.

Do you have any shops that are good for buying items cheaply then let me know in the comments and if you have any questions then don't be afraid to ask :)

Till next time

XOXO

Debbie