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

paddingtondoo

Not that well but better than usual.
Have no more birthdays until September and just about done for that one if I can find the inspiration to do my mum's scrapbook.
Bought the shoes as DD was going to her dad's and she'd taken the toes out of her last pair and didn't want him to think she was neglected :rotfl: (she'd only had them 6 weeks!!!)

Hope the next one's an easy one as I have a frozen shoulder - how about curl up in a corner and read a good book with wine/coffee/chocolate think I could just about manage that

sammy_kaye18

Morning all

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: - I've just woken up from my own version of a nightmare!

I dreamt that I had left all my Christmas shopping until Christmas Eve, I had a few bits for Ben (like 4/5 presents) and the decoration putting up and then got the dates wrong!

So had a mad dash Xmas eve to put up decs , wrap the few presents, try and make something edible for Xmas lunch and then realised I had no other gifts for anyone else so was in a blind panic trying to think of things.

and the weird thing is it actually woke me up from my sleep!:eek::eek:

so glad I'm half way there - really need to get a move on though but finances cant stretch to anything new this month so I will be crafting a bit this month instead. Boyfriends wages were halved from £1000 to £500 because he was in hospital so need to get back on our feet and I'm sure hes gone into his overdraft! Told him as long as the rents paid I'm happy to pay the rest but that's £235 on its own. Everything else I usually pay for because he pays my mobile bill from his account but gives me £20 for his mobile bill (which is about £15) and he pays fro the car/insurance/tax/petrol himself and his sons maintenance.

So yes crafting this month. I did buy a little stamp yesterday that is a snowflake for 25p in wilkos reduced bin so will get on the card making later.

Have lots of labels already too so don't need any more of those made.

Think this month I will crack on with the cross stitch - double bill of the mentalist put stop to my night of cross stitch yesterday - so I can get on with that and hopefully finished this month if I knuckle down.

Did go out yesterday to Mr T and get all Bens school stuff and a pair of wellies so he doesn't need any school stuff now and hes all sorted. He got given £20 by my nan too yesterday and wanted to buy new reading books so he chose 4 little £1 books and a big one that was marked up at £15 with 40 bedtime stories in it, got to the till and the big book had been reduced down to £5 so he came home with £11 to find a letter from my best friend saying thank you for her birthday card and she'd stuck £2 to the letter so he had £13 hes stuck in his money box (its one you need a tin opener to open) child is better off than I am - he's always getting pennies for sweets from strangers because he's so manner able etc. He's got about £800 in his trust fund already from money he's saved up. If it makes £100 in his bank account its moved to his savings but the odd stays in his account and he gets £1 pocket money a week. Reassuring that I must be doing something right :T:T:T:T:T

cyclingyorkie

my kids are all richer than me!

Bella79

Hi all

looking through my calender this morning i realised ive got 3 more birthdays before december grrrrrrrr

My nans whom i always spend a bit on but its gonna have to be toned down thi year she loves yankee candles so may do her a little yankee candle hamper

Then my aunts and couions whom i a bit stuck for both really, Aunty is not very fenimine like lol, and cousion is going to be 17 and has strted going out boys and alcohol (i dont agree i know)

So any ideas greatly recived, After all this i have to start with my xmas shopping ive got nothing yet ekkkk and about 12/13 ppl to buy for really dont wanna have to do it all in one go

No idea at all what to get for my daughter who will be 3 in feb , better get off and do some cleaning before another 3 hrs has been past on here lol

elyphant

Hi all wow sounds like everyone is doing really well. I have lots of ideas - but not much actually done yet lol. Anyway, is son's bday on Sun and then mine next week, so might be able to get on a bit after that.

Sorry I am incompetent so can't quote lots of people but this is best I can do:

*lauhen* - must be difficult for you with your niece being so young and expecting. Maybe, like someone else said (sorry can't remember who) you could get her somehting practical like nappies and wipes and baby bath, that she couldn't 'spend' on anything else. And you seem to be a pretty sensible responsible person - maybe you could be a good influence, this thing is going to happen and I'm sure you can come to terms with it, and try and enjoy the wonderful new baby, no matter what the circumstances. ((()))

*tq16* - know what you mean about others spending more, I have that a bit in my family, but nobody seems to mind. i think if your presents are made/given with love that's the important thing. I just have to stop myself complaining that people are giving the kids too much - i sometimes find it overwhelming and wonder where on earth we will put everything lol

*mary-op* - my son is very nearly 3. He loves trains, trucks, anything with wheels, jigsaws (about 12 pieces is about right), drawing and sticking, and books. Also he loves listening to music. You can get some sticker books with either a story or lots of pictures and then pages of stickers, and you have to stick the right sticker in the right place - his grandparents got him one of these full of trucks and he LOVED it. Hope that might give you a few ideas anyway.

Right I had better go, just want to say I love this thread! Have a lovely day everyone :-)

Pips_Mum

Sammie - Ha ha ha!! That dreams really funny.

Owens - These are the best i have found for Yankee Candles. They are really helpful, delivery is usualy the next working day, prices are good and they have a huge range and offers each week. http://www.yankeedoodle.co.uk/x-cart/

lauhen

"lauhen - how about a nappy cake? Pampers simply dry nappies are on a trial price of £5 for a huge pack you could easily make a nice looking but useful gift. My baby was due Christmas day and I would have loved a gift that was useful for baby to so a nappy cake or baby hamper like Mummy2mygirls said would have been perfect."

This sounds like a good idea, i have seen the thread on here for these, i will have to start finding bits for it, i would actually like to get three round storage boxes, just the plastic ones, i know wilkinsons have the square ones not sure about round. I would like a large, medium and small one, the large for baby bits, the medium for my neices bits and bobs and the top one for the boyfriend (whois sticking around, for now anyway).

sammy_kaye18

Pips_Mum wrote: »

Sammie - Ha ha ha!! That dreams really funny.

Yeah the horrid thing was that by the time I'd realised I had the dates wrong it was already past the shops closing. Was horrid - I will be organised this year , I will be organised this year!!!!!!!!!


Have changed my mind more fro my nan this Xmas though.

I was going to do her and my grandad a pamper hamper each but I brought her the diary that I want to decorate myself and saw a nice little photo album earlier that I quite fancy decorating fro her too with similiar things - like i have a four pack of flowers that I wont use all on the diary so one could go on the photo album etc

but was thinking if I've done her a diary and photo album then I quite fancy doing her an address book and a writing set to match - the theme seems to be pale lilac, purple and white bar the photo album that is black sadly as I couldn't find a purple one. Then maybe add a nice Pen and some nice biscuits to it along with a tea bag holder or two - a few with teas in and maybe one with a book of stamps. What do you all think? any other suggestions? she has quite a few penpals

lauhen

**"tq16; I have got 40 pressies to do."**

Does the 40 pressies represent 40 people to buy for, that is alot, i use to buy for loads of neices, nephews, aunties, uncles etc etc, i have a very large family, but about 2-3 years ago i stopped, i thought enough is enough, i got no thanks for it, so now i buy for my son and daughter, husband, mum and dad, husbands mum and dad, nans and grandads, 4 neices and 2 nephews, and thats it.


**"How do other people handle subject of spending less with other family members?- my sister in law always spends loads on my kids but i just can't afford to do the same this year?!"**

I do not go by what others have spent, i spend what i spend and thats it, if i go a little bit over in price and i think it is to much then i tell them that it is for there birthday aswell. I dont care what they think, its what i have decided to do. Just spend what you want to spend, look in the sales or on ebay (although ebay isnt much cheaper at the minute).

lauhen

My husband keeps hinting that its his birthday soon, he does it every year, he is actually worse than the kids, i know what he would like, but it costs a fair bit of money, i think i would tie it in as a christmas present aswell. If anyone sees an archos 5 media tablet (i think thats what they are called) anywhere at a very good price, please let me know.