Christmas 09 Let's Get Organised!!

Giggle

I went to home bargains today the 1st time i have ever been in there and i picked up some plastic sundae glasses 2 blue 2 pink for £1.99 for the 4 so i thought i could do something for Christmas with them for kids

sammy_kaye18

helyg wrote: »

Hi everyone, this is my first post although I have been lurking for a long time... lol

Oh you've gone and done it now - think we need a OCPA - Organised Christmas Persons Anonymous (well you have to be politically correct nowadays don't you. It is very addicted and your craft list will grow considerably before Xmas Im betting. Although WELCOME :wave: and enjoy

My new step dad is a walker

I thought walker was a bit of a code word then :lipsrseal then until I read on! lol :eek: and realised you mean of the hiking variety. Although I do apologise should really read whole message before making assumptions.

Could you get him one of those hiking sticks? http://www.alptech-outdoors.co.uk/ these seem relatively cheap and could help an elderly gentleman on a particularly steep climb.

or how about making a little walkers bag up for him of essentials he could use like a light rucksack, thermos flask and cup, maybe some nice biscuits etc, a blanket, a wind up torch etc

angie_baby

Well, im not as oraganized as some, but have three presents so fat, plus one or two things for a hamper.

Need to start getting sorted. Time to do some lists this evening!

C_J

princesswoo wrote: »

That would be way too easy.

Im trying to do stuff that says something about them and their personality. A bit tongue in cheek. Something that says - they know me too well.

I have:
1 who is a wine drinker and knows his wine so i cant get any cheapy stuff,
1 who only drinks grey goose vodka which is hard to buy in a shop and is nearly £40 a bottle, even a miniature is £5 a shot, and when asked thats all he ever wants but i cant stretch to cost as i cant do it for everone,
1 who doesnt drink at all - in fact doesnt do much at all - ever,
3 who drink way too much,
1 who only drinks blue WKD and even turned down the holiday of a lifetime as there would be NO blue WKD anywhere for 2 weeks, and
3 who are just under the drinking age.

None of them drink lager or beer.

Why are men so difficult. Plus new family members that im not too sure of as i havent known them that long or well enough yet.

My new step dad is a walker - but i know nothing about walking so wouldnt have a clue where to start, i could get him walking socks but his daughters get him them each year and i really wouldnt want to tread on their toes. What else do walkers need? He's pushing 60 is their anything i could get that might help if he ever gets into difficulty - he has a mobile and usually goes alone, he knows the hills like the back of his hands.

For the serious wine drinker, how about a wine book (the Richard & Judy Wine Club one is actually very good indeed, believe it or not).

For the Grey Goose drinker, eBay have some Grey Goose logo shot glasses, or you could try and track down other Grey Goose branded merchandise. If you know someone with access to a pottery kiln, you could even get hold of an empty Grey Goose bottle and do that 'bottle slumping' thing, where you put it in a kiln at high temperature and allow it to flatten out in the heat so it can be used as a chopping board afterwards. (It needs to be a really hot oven though, a domestic one won't do it). You might find some ready-made ones for sale on tinternet though.

For the walker, you could maybe give him one of those plastic wallets for keeping maps dry while you walk, a compass, some Kendal Mint cake and some blister plasters. Or maybe you could find some decent binoculars which aren't too pricey. There's some quite good outdoors/hiker type stuff in Poundland at the moment

C_J

Or maybe you could search out cocktail recipes using Grey Goose, such as these:

http://www.cocktailmaking.co.uk/displayingredient.php/3256-Grey-Goose-vodka

Then type them up nicely/add pictures, then laminate them into a set of little cards, punch a hole into one corner and thread them all onto a metal key ring?

stokegal

Hi everyone!!!

And here I was thinking that I was the only 1 thinking about christmas :rolleyes:

This year is going to be extra special for me as in January I had my first child and this will be his first christmas and my first christmas as a mummy :j:j:j

Can I please join this thread, I have done the following..

Listed all the people that I need to get for on an excel spreadsheet, suggestions for presents and where to get the from, estimated budget, actual present, cost and whther i have purchased it.

I have worked out that I need to buy presents for 13 people and i have an estimated £260 budget, I could really do with a hand bringing this budget down as I havent included my DS in this list. I have already purchased a load of gift sets (fancy ones from next in the half price sale last December 27th - reduced from £10 to £5) and have suggestions from 3 other people - my brother who always gets vouchers and my nieces who circled EVERYTHING in the argos catalogue that they wanted (kids are ace - why can't everyone do that - especially as I work for said company and get employee discount)

stokegal

I have just read the whole thread now and I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I love the Snowman Soup - what are the ingredients for it?

I wasn't going to do Hampers before as I always found them to work out more expensive but they definately get the best reaction, my dad and step mum still talk about the one I made for them 2 years ago

It was a wicker basket (£4 from Tesco) with a chocolate fountain in it (£6+ VAT from JTF)
It then had 3 bars of greens chocolate in it, Tesco - buy 3 and you get a free hard back chocolate receipe book - £5
A punnet of strawberries - £2
A bunch of banana - £1
A packet of marshmallows - £1

So cheap but so impressive now if i could only find those chocolate fountains on sale again that would be my sister sorted..

bunbun2

stokegal wrote: »

I have just read the whole thread now and I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I love the Snowman Soup - what are the ingredients for it?

I wasn't going to do Hampers before as I always found them to work out more expensive but they definately get the best reaction, my dad and step mum still talk about the one I made for them 2 years ago

It was a wicker basket (£4 from Tesco) with a chocolate fountain in it (£6+ VAT from JTF)
It then had 3 bars of greens chocolate in it, Tesco - buy 3 and you get a free hard back chocolate receipe book - £5
A punnet of strawberries - £2
A bunch of banana - £1
A packet of marshmallows - £1

So cheap but so impressive now if i could only find those chocolate fountains on sale again that would be my sister sorted..

I love the sound of that! will have to look out for a cheap choc fountain - my boys would love that!

MummyYummy

Hi to all the newcomers! You'll soon be addicted :rotfl:

Not much Christmas'sy going on here! I did order some clothes for OH from Asda direct, thats about it since my last post!! I do read here everyday though :T

I think we may make a start on our homemade Christmas cards, once DS is chicken pox-free!!

helyg

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

Oh you've gone and done it now - think we need a OCPA - Organised Christmas Persons Anonymous (well you have to be politically correct nowadays don't you. It is very addicted and your craft list will grow considerably before Xmas Im betting. Although WELCOME :wave: and enjoy

Thanks Sammy.

Already my ideas are growing... I have decided to do a homemade goodies hamper for my mum for Christmas, so far I have thought about putting tomato chutney, apple chutney, whisky marmalade, biscotti, fudge and truffles in it but am still digging out suitable recipes. I bought a largish wicker basker from Store 21 today for £3 to put it in, and my cellophane from ebay has arrived along with the smaller baskets for my friends' chutney basket gifts.

Have also decided that the children I am giving to (friends' children and nieces and nephews) will be getting Snowman Soup to go with their vouchers (I always get vouchers as most of them are in the 5-13 age group, have everything already and are impossible to buy for without spending a fortune!).