Thrifty Gifty - Organised for Christmas and all ocassions 2009- Santas Challenges

mum2one · 25 November 2009 at 12:38AM

SugarSpun wrote: »

*rushes in*

Congratulations scattymam!

It's all hectic here, Husband is in hospital with pancreatitis. He was in for two weeks, sent home for two days and now back in again so the small one and I are trying to look after each other as best we can. The Christmas shopping is definitely finished though!

Hope everything goes ok, u all take care xx

mum2one · 25 November 2009 at 12:48AM

SANTAS CHALLENGE

Apologies for being late in the day, had to remember what I'd put it under, so organised had it wrote up start of Nov, but stored it as Baileys - November (pass as to why!!)

NOVEMBERS SANTA’S CHALLENGE
As we have already come so far through the last 6 months, may I say a big thank you to everyone, without you all and your contributions this thread would of not been as successful as it is.
I know the Secret Santa Surprise has been a new idea, and I want to say thank you to everyone who taken part, I know its been a bit haywire and experimental, (esp the questions!), but hopefully we’re all have a lovely surprise on Christmas Day. And I promise next years will be easier!!
HAVE THE CONVERSATION –
This may sound mad, but double check, who’s going where at Christmas.
(In-laws, parents, partners, children, their partners etc)

MAKE YOUR OWN ADVENT CALENDER – NO LADIES, NOT THE CHOCOLATE VARIETY!! THE ORGANISED VERSION
Do this which ever way you find best for yourself- but make sure everyone knows where it is to add to, check dates and its not all left to you.
Notebook
A4 paper,
Diary
Fill in need to remember dates,
Pay days!!
Last posting dates
Last day of school / work
Rubbish collection days
Plus your own targets
Send cards
Deliever presents
School discos
Turkey, - fresh – frozen - organic
Christmas meals / outings
`BOOK EVERYTHING
Your christmas haircut
The on-line shopping, even if you just put a pint of milk in the basket to get the slot.
Panto
GRAB THAT MUST HAVE CHRISTMAS TOY
Where possible buy on line –
Look for websites offering free delievery
Price around for the best deal
Most importantly, check the delivery dates, sounds daft, but if it says awaiting delievery, do you really want to take a chance.
STOCK UP
This may sound daft, but you may need certain extras -
toilet rolls
Batteries
Matches
Early on, so that they can be stocked up, and nearer the time frees up the pennies for the xmas shopping

MEAL PLAN – Xmas Week
This may sound mad, but Christmas week is always hetic, so try to meal plan, use some frozen meals, have some snacks ready, as we’re all doing different things, and taking the time to cook from scratch may seem a million miles away.

MEAL PLAN – Weekends December
Again we all work differently, I know one Saturday in December, I’ve got to be on road 8.30am, for a tutorial for O.U., finish at 1pm, drive home for DDs school xmas fayre, (no peace for the wicked!!), then go out for xmas meal with friends.

But with delieveries, xmas prezzies, finishing hampers, we need to make sure WE EAT.

MOST IMPORTANTLY – DELEGATE
This may sound the daftest of things, but we are not SUPERWOMAN, I know we have worked hard all year round, but even if hubby, bf, children, just lend a hand, whether its delieveries the neighbours christmas card, or driving the car while you do the christmas rounds. There feel that they have helped, and it may just be 5 mins you can get an 40 winks, another job done, or a bit of organisation done.

BAUBLES
Baubles are not just for the christmas tree, they can make a lovely centrepiece for the table, put them in a glass bowl and they make an attractive unusual feature.

CHRISTMAS EVE HAMPER
We all have different traditions for Christmas Eve, so now is the time to do something for us, we have spent the last 11 months getting ready, whether thats a Christmas DVD, a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, maybe have the hamper with the kids, then the bottle of wine after they have gone to bed.

ADVENT CALENDERS
Get them ready, be it the chocolate one or handmade.

CHRISTMAS MENU
Once you know where ur eating, see what you need to get, be that Christmas Pudding, Brandy sauce, remember some popular things sell out quick, or are harder to source, such as Brandy Sauce Mix, (I ended up buying 10 packets mix your own, as I don’t like paying double for the ready made variety).
CHRISTMAS DAY CHECKLIST
Notebook for listing the presents
Box ready for the recycling (just in case)
Camera (make sure you have spare batteries)
Video camera – charged.
Any good wrapping paper, save can be used as a base for next years hampers (borrowed from Sarah)

RUBBISH
This may sound the daftest of things, but as well as checking if your rubbish collection has changed, also be careful what you put out.
Eg – You’ve brought hubby a blue ray dvd player, son an x-box, if those boxes don’t fit into rubbish bin, its almost an open invite, if possible dispose of directly at the tip, recycling centre, or break down well.

SPARE PRESENTS
Its ok having the spare presents (I usually had 1 womens . 1 mens , childrens, box of chocs / biscuits), make sure there wrapped, have a label ready, and there handy.
Those with children, may need to bribe them, to stop them from saying "that was mummys spare present, she wanted it if nobody came"

START PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR
Method in my madness, get the “recycle” box ready, (save them getting broke)
if you have a spare 30 minutes, either print or write what you got people this year, and do next years birthday and xmas list, and make a budget for them.
Say Birthday - £500
Xmas - £700
Need £1200 divide by 12 months – need £100 per month,
By setting your budget, gives incentives-

· Most important – aim to reduce the budget
· If you can recycle any presents great – less to find
· Challenge to aim for each month - either surveys, cash back, etc
· If you can plan to buy christmas cards, wrapping paper in the Jan sales
· If you can see if theres anything you can get in sales.

Loyalty Cards – get them ready for next year.
Boots – the best on the circuit, it pays 4p a £1.00, great for mobile phone top ups
Tesco - Better if you can use the vouchers either double up (if they do them again), or save for something from the catalogue, as reward voucher can be upto 4 times the value
Morrisons – Only available on Petrol, but may come in useful
Sainsburys – 2 points given in £1.00, but when you redeem same principle 2points back to the £1.00.

Have tried to be very gentle this month, as we’ve all got a busy month, so have aimed more for final organising, and tie up the loose ends.

As Xmas Eve is the next Santas Challenge – make that a mini one.
xx

sarahf191979 · 25 November 2009 at 6:12AM

SugarSpun wrote: »

*rushes in*

Congratulations scattymam!

It's all hectic here, Husband is in hospital with pancreatitis. He was in for two weeks, sent home for two days and now back in again so the small one and I are trying to look after each other as best we can. The Christmas shopping is definitely finished though!

Sending your OH and you and little one lots of love hun, hope he gets better soon:A

Well done on the Christmas shoppingxx

sarahf191979 · 25 November 2009 at 6:16AM

rufusd!!!2 wrote: »

Hi everyone

Had to go to the hospital with my Dad today and found out he has prostrate cancer. Not very nice news just a month before Xmas. They have said that hopefully they can treat it with tablets and injections but he has to have a bone scan in the next few weeks to make sure it hasnt spread so keeping fingers crossed.

Congratulations to Scattymam.

Have a question to ask, my daughter bought some bottles of fizz in glass bottles. The idea was to drink all the fizz then wash out the bottles and fill them with sweets for her friends. Trouble is when we went to take off the labels they are not paper ones but plastic like sticky back plastic. They peeled off but have left glue on the bottles. We have tried everything we can think of to remove the glue but its not coming off. Have tried soaking them in washing up liquid, bathroom cleansers, nail varnish remover (acetone and non acetone) even paint stripper but they still sticky and dont look nice.

She was hoping to leave the bottles clear and fill with different coloured sweets in layers but we are thinking now we might have to print some labels and stick them over the top. Any one have any ideas?

Sending you all Lots of love and Hugs hun, hope all goes well for your dad... Thinking about you hun, you know where we are if you need usxx

:A

sarahf191979 · 25 November 2009 at 6:23AM

Thanks for the Challenge mum2one, you are super, will have a proper look later, really drained today (think I've not had enough coffee yet lol....:rotfl:) Was busy last nighy with DS2 we went to local fire station with his beavers (Oheeeer..... it was fun;)) Will have to do lots of jobs this week to catch up on all my slacking and check I have everything in. Will catch up later...(((((((((((((((((((((((Hugs))))))))))))))))) to everyone xxx

:A

98jdougl · 25 November 2009 at 11:36AM

woo hoo - internet is up and running, have been dying the past few weeks- just going to do some catching up now

3_cheeky_princesses · 25 November 2009 at 11:59AM

Welcome to all who have joined the thread over the last few days XXX

scattymam1 wrote: »

thanks everyone, started getting contractions at about 1.00 and i had him at about 8.00, so the estimated 1st stage was 6 hours, but i had an episiotomy so i think that means u get to just push fast...not quite sure was rather high on gas and air!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awwww congratulations :grouphug: I am good & quick at giving birth! My son was 4 1/2 hours from 1st contraction to birth, My dd1 was 1 1/2 hours from 1st contraction to birth and dd 2 was 40 mins! :eek:

RUFUS ~ Really sorry to hear your worrying news. Not any help at the moment for you but this is the easiest cancer to treat get rid of for good for men. My mum had cancer in her womb and ovaries and has now been clear for 5 years. Thinking of you and your family X

Well we had a lovely day on Monday. We went to Harrods and saw Fatherr Christmas! It was lovely but one of the staff made a comment about a naughty child who was queueing in front of us that made me feel a bit uncomfortable tho

We then went to Hamleys which my kids loved and i ended up buying few more Christmas presents when i have finished theirs really! :rolleyes: Then Planet Hollywood for tea. We were really disappointed with Planet Hollywood tho. They have moved premises and it looks nice but did not have the atmosphere it did before. And the food was really average too.

But it was a nice day out and the kids loved it.

Ok i am a big baby and really really scared of the Dentist but have a appointment tomorrow for a check up but i know i will need work but am so scared :eek:

I am also in the mood all of a sudden re- decorating the house! I think its like a spring clean but at christmas! So must be a chrsitmas clean! :rotfl:

MUM2ONE ~ Thank you for the challenges. They will keep me busy and organised. Your a star XX

I am thinking of New Year Resolutions and mine is going to be to learn to drive :T

elyphant · 25 November 2009 at 12:51PM

Thanks for the challenge mum2one, you are fab keeping us all on track like this! Just about to print it out.

Sending lots of love to SugarSpun, Mary and Rufusdog, you know where we are if you need us. Try to keep positive. I'm sure that we are all thinking of you.

Have finally come up with an idea for DH's present so feel much better now - still have to get it, but had visions of last minute shopping and I hate that!!! It won't be a surprise though as he was talking about getting it this week so I had to disuade him!

scattymam1 · 25 November 2009 at 12:56PM

cheers jammy, that thought about my mam made me smile...sugarspun, your poor husband I had acute pancreatitis after my first baby - it was excruciatingly painful...I had a gallstone stuck in my pancreas - I remember telling nurses and doctors that it was much worse than child birth. Hope everything gets sorted soon...
3 cheeky princesses - wow your whole labours were well quick...where yours more painful each time with them being quicker!!??

mum2one - can't wait to start with the challenges...had a quick look - great ideas - like the advent organisation list idea - will do that this week...and have already started stocking up for baby coming...so have toilet rolls, kitchen roll, dog fod, etc; to last til new year... we also stocked up on tesco finest goosefat roasties cos they are almost like home made they are sooo nice and it saves me making them. Can't wait xxx

Russialtallulah · 25 November 2009 at 12:59PM

I am loving the Selfridges 20% off weekend! Starts on thursday 26 November until Sunday 29 Nov, and its 10% off beauty too!

get your voucher at selfridges.com/cce

Very exciting!

Thrifty Gifty - Organised for Christmas and all ocassions 2009- Santas Challenges

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