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

sylphraven

OWWWW-MY-EYES:eek::eek: They've just almost popped out of my head at that price.

Its a lovely autumn day here, or at least it is because I dont need to go out in the rain Its all cosy, and I'm planning a day of making pressies and ebaying.

Tigger888

Morning everyone!

Sounds like you're all whizzing along with the Christmas organisation!

My two DDs are on holiday for two weeks so we are busy making and writing Christmas cards and preparing some 'thank you' tubes.

And I have just ordered a Wii from Amazon (thank you mum2one) :T

Have a god day!

Love
Gill
x

SugarSpun

Jamtart take a look at www.approvedfood.co.uk - they often have things from Harrods or Fortnum and Mason.

If you're doing pots of gold, they also have Golden Bars (chocolate) for £1 for 2.

And a bunch of boxes of Belgian chocolates/fudge for £1 or £1 for 2. Delivery's pretty high, but you get up to 26kg of shopping for that!

rik1978

hi everyone, long time lurker to this and the other xmas crafty threads (this year and last year)

jamtart6 wrote: »

thanks ab will take a look.

but if i decide i cant be bothered (jk) i might buy this http://www.highlandfayre.co.uk/Luxury-Food-Hampers/Luxury-Food-Hamper-Gift-Baskets/Royal-Banquet/ *eek face at price*

I just had to say :eek: 'man alive' who pays that for a hamper - those with more money than sense I suppose, that's ludicrous!!

anyway just wanted to finally say hi :hello: and thanks to everyone that posts fab tips on these threads, you've given me lots of inspiration.

jamtart have you thought of making anything to add to the hamper. I made small foodie hampers for my family last year (inspiration from these pages again). i had never done anything like that before and wasn't sure how well they would go down but my parents and my sisters loved them and I've had requests for more this year.

we made crab apple and chilli jelly
christmas chutney
damson chutney
damson jam
sloe gin + vodka
damson gin + vodka
then made some mince pies the day before to add to the hampers at the last minute

we're lucky that we live near the New Forest so picked the crap apples and sloes last autumn and we have a damson tree in our garden that has given us kgs of fruit for the past two years (our large freezer is currently full of damsons)

not sure if you would wnat to do all homemade but it might be nice to add one or two homemade items to the hamper

HTH
xx

mum2one

mrsow wrote: »

:rotfl: I have just spat my tea all over the dog and she isnt impressed!!:rolleyes:

Oh heck....... think the site decided I wasn't suitable as it wouldn't let me get past the front page!!

Think I had a kucky escape xx

mum2one

mrsow wrote: »

mum2one thanks for the kind words the other day

well its certainly starting to feel like Christmas is coming, went into town and and all the shops seem to have a little bit of christmas stock. I've sorted mil's pot of gold today and filled 2 xmas cups with chocs and hot choc. FINALLY found magic elves in Netto!!!

Just thought I would let you all know that my local asda have just put out a lot of £5 dvds a few I noticed were Marley and Me, Ghost Town, How to make friends and alienate people and Bride Wars.

Really need to get my bum in gear with my xmas cards and the little bits of crafts I wanted to do as I seem to have lost the past few weeks.

Thats what friends are there for xx

Tidying out dds corner in the dining room, were casually removing things one at a time, jogsaws etc she's grown out of..... she moans when they've gone but doesn't moan when she gets the money back!!

Found a roll of xmas paper..... so promised myself, if I can stick to my revision plan this week, I'll wrap a couple of presents at weekend.

DDs wii came this morning, very exicted. So that is now in hiding in the wardrobe xx

Shevs

Hi rik1978 and welcome to the thread

I have been doing christmas cleaning today. I've cleared out my wardrobe of clothes, shoes, bags I've not worn in ages and there off to the charity shop. Also been busy cleaning in the kitchen I've cleaned and organised 4 cupboards 4 draws and a stack of shelves. I ended up making 3 trips to the tip and threw out between 15-20 bags!!!!:eek: didnt know where all the cr*p came from!!!!!!

mary-op

Hello all.
Painter chap came today and did the loo .......tomorrow he's setting to on the garden - cutting back all the stuff that needs it and general tidy up.
OH has his hospital appt. change to tomorrow instead of next week. Seems the consultant does a clinic at a hospital a bit closer -10 miles instead of 22 - and at a better time, 2.45pm instead of 4.40pm.........so thats tomorrow taken care of.
Desparately need to clear out my den/computer room........full of stuff in 'nearly finished' state, or some 'not even started' :eek: Dread to think whats lurking under the kneeholes of the desk, not to mention the piles stashed up various corners :eek:
Maybe Thursday I'll have a go at it as well as getting things done like photo reprints I want and hanging stuff on the wall that just sits there waiting for its rightful place.
Oh dear.............its not even 'organised' chaos.............lol:rotfl:

fedupandskint

I bought the baking goods needed today to bake the cake and make the chutneys this month. Going to attempt Delia's classic Christmas Cake, Christmas Chutney and Orange + Apricot Chutney for me and mum from Delia's Christmas book I bought last year from ebay just before Christmas. Finger's crossed it all works out on a nice baking and chutnified Sunday! Also picked up the hot chocolate for the snowman soup for the Christmas Eve Hampers.

Also ordered a garland to go on the mantel from ebay with clear lights which I really wanted last year and got one for £10 plus a fiver for delivery. I would like some LED tree lights and will keep an eye out in the sales after Christmas for these to use next year.

Just missing a good deep cake tin now - will have to make a trip to Lakeland and pick up my snowman soup bags too at the same time in the next 2 weeks. Maybe a candle light ornament or 2 (electric) and big Christmas Yankee Candle!

Next thing is to refocus on presents and the last remaining birthday of the year and tick of what I have and what is left to get.

Big thanks to everyone on this thread! There is no way I would have been this organised without you all!

3_cheeky_princesses

I made the Christmas chutney last year for Christmas (first time i had made one!) and i am sure i got the recipe from here. My DH and Mum both loved it.

How far beforehand can i make the chutney and store it for Christmas?

Thank you all.