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

mum2one

papoosue wrote: »

Hi mum2one, Ooh yes, making Christmas cakes will be a great destresser ;-) I wasn't going to do one this year but my dd (11) is pestering me to let her do one and I will probably give in lol.

Good Luck with your OU exam on the 20th! I know how you feel - I'm an OU student too. (Which course are you doing? I'm just about to start EA300 Children's Literature.)

:)

Hi
I'm doing B201 Business and Environments, my brain has froze with global enterprisation, got my last TMA to be in by 6th Oct, running 2 weeks behind:eek:, but luckly bar docs appointment, I'm locked in the bedroom studying!! My next course B203 starts Oct as well, got 2 week overlap. Fun + games.
I like the sound of your course, good luck with it x

sarahf191979

NickyBo wrote: »

I need some ideas please

I have decided to make my 9 year old niece a baking hamper for Christmas. I got the idea a while ago but wasn't sure if she would like it and also whether she would get the opportunity to use it. Well, today I was shopping with her and we saw some baking things. I sneakily asked a few subtle questions and it turns out she loves baking at school but hasn't got any equipment at home so can't bake at home. Perfect!

So, I was hoping someone could give me some ideas for things to include in her baking hamper.

I have already decided to get some shaped cookie cutters, rolling pin, wooden spoon and a child's recipe book. Not sure what else, any ideas?

I did one last year for my 9 yo cousion and he loved it

I used a mixing bowl to put it all in and included

Wooden spoons
Christmas Cake Papers
Red & Green Food Colouring
Sugar Christmas Toppers
Hundreds of thousands
Sugar strands
Silver Balls
Christmas Cookie Cutters
Small Wooden Rolling Pin
Cookies Mix
Chocolate Fairy Cake Mix
Plain Fairy Cake Mix

I put the mixes in zipper bags with intructions on how to make. I also thought about putting an apron in but only thought of that on boxing day lol :rotfl:so he didn't get one.

xx_Jo_xx

Hi There!

Im sorry Ive not been on for ages. I started following the challenges in July (when we had to clear out our Freezers!) which I did.....but then I was made redundant, split from my boyfriend and loads of other dramas all at once!

Anyway, its taken me a couple of months to find a job, pull myself together and get back on my feet and of course now I need to get organised for xmas more than ever!!!!

Is there a summary post of the challenges I have missed, so I can try and catch up and get organised over the next few weeks?

Or can someone give me a summary???

Love n hugs n christmassy spirit all round xxx

cdsmiler

nannyboo1 wrote: »

Ooo i used to love this game when I was previously married and loved it. Do you know if you can still get this for PC

Hi nannyboo! Yes, like someone else said, you can, but it's not easy to find on CD any more. You CAN find the first one 'remastered' at http://store.steampowered.com/ . Someone has recently re-done the first one with better graphics and that's currently on sale on there (for a couple of quid!). Basically with Steam you pay for the game, download the Steam player thing, then download and install your games. You don't have them on CD, but you can download them directly to your PC. I've bought the special edition one this weekend, plus Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (if you like Monkey Island, you'll love that too!) for around £6 total!

There's now FIVE Monkey Island games - the 5th one is coming out in episodes from Telltale games (which is the thing Sarah was linking too.) - they had a special offer on it this weekend because it was talk like a pirate day! Yarrrrrrr! lol

HTH!

Clare x

Confuzzled

NickyBo wrote: »

Does anyone know of any other sweets that are in a nice shiny gold wrapper? I tried the Tesco own eclairs, but the gold is a bit dull and looked out of place next to the shiny Netto ones (so I had to eat the eclairs too!).

I just need to find some extra gold wrapped sweets then I can start putting it all together. I found some gold cellophane on Ebay so I think I'll buy that now I know the spray painted flower pots will work


!

werthers have lovely golden wrappers and taste heavenly too

also if you can find a pick and mix place many of their bins have sweets with multicoloured wrapping, if you didn't mind it you could stand there picking out just the gold ones (hey, i'd do it!)

Confuzzled

NickyBo wrote: »

So, I was hoping someone could give me some ideas for things to include in her baking hamper.

I have already decided to get some shaped cookie cutters, rolling pin, wooden spoon and a child's recipe book. Not sure what else, any ideas?

how about a whisk, a rubber spatula (very important for not wasting a bit of yummy batter etc!), some oven mitts maybe a muffin pan or cookie sheet...

fedupandskint

xx_Jo_xx wrote: »

Is there a summary post of the challenges I have missed, so I can try and catch up and get organised over the next few weeks?

Or can someone give me a summary???

Love n hugs n christmassy spirit all round xxx

Hi Jo!

This is the one running 25 Aug- 25 Sept . HTH! Glad to hear things are better for you now after your rough time a few months ago. Christmas spirit all around - how nice is that thought!

So heres Augusts SANTAS CHALLENGE
May look like a lot, but as always use it as a pick and mix, as to what you need / applies to you.

MAIN ELEMENT -(You can blame my daughter for this one!)

KITCHEN CUPBOARDS / Draws

Ask yourself, how much time is wasted looking for that favourite knife/bowl/recipie only to find its at the back of the cupboard.:cool:

Me, I'm splitting the kitchen up, under sink cupboard, pantry, wall units, and draws, and tackling one part at a time, be ruthless,

;)do you really need that rabbit jelly mould from when you were a child.
is there any out of date food, any nice surprises.

FOOD LIST
:DNows the time to start listing those extra items needed for xmas

:eek:How many of us buy that jar of cranberry sauce for the turkey, and then run around trying to get one. My fav xmas foodie is packet Brandy sauce, have to buy it when we see it - by Oct, as come xmas there sold out.

If you can get the extras list done, and split it between the weeks, save a massive expense, and ur be prepared.

ONE FOR THE MUMS- SCHOOL UNIFORM.
I know school uniforms were done as a mini challenge, just a quick re-cap, does name tags need sewing it,:mad: have we had a growth spurt:p, do the trs need turning up, does the swimwear fit.......:eek::eek:the endless list...

CHRISTMAS CARDS
is there any special cards you need to buy/make.....

Split ur xmas cards list us, (saves the writers cramp)

I split mine - family, post, school, friends

SANTAS SECRET SURPRISE

Let me explain more, ladies we work hard all yr, we organise the xmas shopping, the wrapping, I'm sure some men do help - in my case my poor dad, does all the fetching, carrying and delievering.

:cool:The challenge - make £10.00 between now and Nov's Santas Challenge, whether thats ebay, surveys, cashbacks.

The plan is by Oct's Santas challenge, all will be revealed, but a mini explanation.
Without giving the full details, theres no items to be posted to anyone, no personal details need to be revealed, just need a yes and ur name, (mine- mum2one).
There will be a list of 3 questions released in October, which will help in the choosing of the present.

(Theres method in the mad way I'm arrangeing this).

I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH WORK FOR NOW - TIME FOR A TREAT.

Pamper yourself.
For those with a footspa, use that, those without, grab some marbles, put them in a clean bowl, fill with water, bit of bath salts, bubble bath + relax.

Grab a face mask, (superdrug or Boots do single sachets, start from about 99p).

Treat yourself with a mini-papmering evening, even better grab a friend, (you supply the bowl, they supply the wine!!).

:DMake sure no-ones got a camera:eek::eek:

Hopefully, there be something for everyone on here.xx

Happy Santas Challenge.xx

sarahf191979

xx_Jo_xx wrote: »

Hi There!

Im sorry Ive not been on for ages. I started following the challenges in July (when we had to clear out our Freezers!) which I did.....but then I was made redundant, split from my boyfriend and loads of other dramas all at once!

Anyway, its taken me a couple of months to find a job, pull myself together and get back on my feet and of course now I need to get organised for xmas more than ever!!!!

Is there a summary post of the challenges I have missed, so I can try and catch up and get organised over the next few weeks?

Or can someone give me a summary???

Love n hugs n christmassy spirit all round xxx

Hi Jo glad your getting back on track, all the challenges and thrity gifty stuff is linked on the blog

http://thriftygifty.blogspot.com/

for easy reference at a glance.

Sarahxx

xx_Jo_xx

Thank you for that - I will bookmark the list when I get home Sarah

And thanks for the update Fed up - hugs for you pet. You know where I am xxx (at home sorting out my freezer again - batch cooking holiday meals and cleaning out my kitchen cupboards ) xx

mumofjusttwo

Right then. this looks like what I am looking for .

Am trying to be organised for Christmas although I am having Christmas with family as it is now just me and the two children but because of this I want to make it special for them.

I think that I will say YES to Santa's Secret Surprise even though I don't really know what it is