New Thrifty Gifty - Organised for Christmas and all ocassions 2010- Santas Challenges

foxy219

Yay wrapped my first lot of Christmas presents! Just need OH to get in the attic and put them away for me! Cards are ready for writing, and my list of lists is getting shorter every day.
I am thinking of doing some homemade chocolates as part of my gifts this year - would you recommend buying good quality chocolate and melting it down or what???
Mince pies - I have the bug and may well make some over the weekend if I get chance. I love home made ones!
Waiting on the contractors to come back to me about the kitchen now - had a major breakthrough with the insurance company who said that the contractors didn't think they would be able to remove the worktops without damaging some of the tiles so we are having all the tiles replaced too! Just want to know when its happening, and am excited I will have a new(ish) kitchen for Christmas!
OH actually asked me what I wanted for Christmas the other day - I must be rubbing off on him (finally!) we may all be organised!
Booked panto tickets today too - going with DS on Dec 23rd, it will be lovely, he just wants to go now though bless him!
Well done everyone on all the Christmassy things being done, I may have to nip to Boots and pick up the Christmas book tomorrow.....

Anglea

Have a lovely time djstar, I bet that anyone that isn't into Xmas like us and accidentally wanders onto this thread will wonder about your trip and eagerness to go to Homebargains I know exactly what you mean (envy alert as there isn't one near me). Hope you have a fantastic birthday and pick up some good deals.

Hope you get a new laptop soon too.

mum2one

cdsmiler wrote: »

Thanks Mary - I'll take this as a guide and see what info I can get from other family members - they're not overly motivated this far away from Chrsitmas.

piglet - that's so annoying with the parking ticket!! I'd write and complain nicely with an apology and as it's only 2 minutes over, can they leave it!

chillout - damn good question!! Would love to know the answer too!

abdonz - don't panic!!! Loads of time left.... And you can definitely freeze mince pies - my mum freezes them fuilly cooked (and then leaves a small number out to defrost and reheats them in the oven.), and I'm sure I've read people freezing them before cooking too.

Well done on your productive day rufus!

Going to get some jewellery made tongiht me thinks!! Off to Home Bargains tomorrow to see what goodies I can find in there! Has anyone seen any packets of seeds around still? Preferably herb seeds, cress or sunflowers... I want to do a thank you card for the child minders for at Christmas from DD and wanted to put inside "Thank you for helping me grow" with a packet of seeds (idea was off this forum SOMEWHERE - Thank you to whoever it was!!!) Me being practical I'd like to give some seeds they can use - they cook loads of herbs would be great, but they could grow cress or sunflowers with the children....

Clare x

Wilkinsons for seeds, - got a wack on Friday with 75% off, the dearest I paid was 57p that was a 6 pack of stir fry veg. Think home bargains (got dad with me then - he hates going shopping with me - so I make him go up every ailse in Home Bargians, then nip next dr to poundland;), he was me when saw the cress - think it was HB.

Hope the jewellery making went ok, I've done some bracelets, - used memory wire and hooked a selection on, got to round to tidying them up and putting a couple of photos on. xx

Legendmum

Morning All!
Djstar - Have a lovely time away and enjoy your birthday!
Pips Mum - Thanks for the pen link!I got 1 all designed and went to pay and realised it wasnt one of the 24 free designs! Gave up and will have a look again later!

Well I am blaming all of you for my spending spree on Ebay last night! I bought cello cones, cellophane with gold stars and enough Silver and Gold ribbon to decorate the world! lol
Also blaming you all for the red and green food colouring, white and milk chocolate stars, star cookie cutters, chocolate chips, edible glitter and everything else that is bulging out of my food cupboard! I have never ever planned to make so much stuff for Christmas!!!
I have started buying and HIDING chocolate for Christmas, as the other half has eaten the 3 boxes of candy canes bought for soup each time I replace the box he ate he eats the next one! Bought Chocolate Oranges 2 for £2 tesco, and Matchmakers £1 each in Morrisons! At this rate I wont need to do a Christmas shop!

Oh and its free listing on Ebay this weekend again! I have made nearly £100 from the last free listing so will list some more bits this weekend like DS old Halloween and Christmas stuff!

rufusdog52

Have done the reindeer poop packets and printed out a label for the Santa's Kisses. Going to have a go at finding some music for the dvds this morning until its time to go and meet my eldest daughter for lunch.

foxy219

Free listing weekend again? I might actually take advantage of this one! I've bought the majority of my Christmas presents with ebay funds so far so another push might just get me over the finish line!

toffeeapple

Hi Everyone

Sorry not posted for a while, my laptop picked up a bug and had to go in to get 'better'. You'd be amazed how much you get done when you can't get on the computer!! I was having mse and facebook withdrawals!!

Laptop seems sorted now so have just spent 3 and a half hours or so trying to catch up on this thread. Love it.

Great to be back, will catch up more later on. Just had an email offering me this if anyone else is interested?

http://www.jollygoodideas.co.uk/product,309.php

Not sure what it'll be like :huh:

(Just noticed its £3.95 delivery, not so great afterall sorry)

susan42

Elysia - all lodgers more than welcome

mrssow, your cards are proberbly as good if not better, i always think my cards are not as good as others wonder if we`re too critical. Love on your present list that the dog comes before OH. My OH says the dog comes first

angela - good idea about xmas cards. I make a load for charity and if i run short of time i can put some up a bit quick

My vista print order was ordered wednesday nite and was just emailed saying its dispatched, and i clicked slowest delivery

djstar - it is a laptop you want the other one is a notebook, i use the second one for when i go away, it full of craft programmes, ebooks, magazines . Theres usualy good deals on hot uk deals. I notice links are being blacked out. Type it in google and it will come up

mum2one - your poor dad, being dragged up every aisle i bet he secretly enjoys it, because all mam and dads love to feel needed. When i go somewhere with OH i plan routes via hobbycraft, the range, craft shops and i go ooooh look theres a shop there havent seen for ages...We ben doing A-Z of places, as i dont know yorkshire well.

I picked A - ashton under lyne as i been wanting to go to craft shop there for ages , he picked B- blackstones which was a scenic day out. Next week I got C - so thats colne - boundary mills, designer outlet, waiting for him to say how come all your picks means we`re going shopping...;)

elysia2003

LOL Susan I like your way of thinking. and if you look here there's something for you. Pass it on!

Toffee apple - that site had some gorgous floating candle bowls the other day for about 20p and you could have three I think. p+p would be worth it if you could buy a few things.

We have two Home Bargains by us, and they are both small. I see people posting bargains that they've bought and ours just don't get the nice things in. :cool:

Pips Mum, I knew they staggered it for different areas, but I didn't know by how much. That means you're about five weeks behind us. We're always having things selling out on us, especially just before Christmas. It's a wonder there's anything left for you! :cool:

Legend MUM - How organised are you?????? I still haven't written my list of bits I need for my cake. I'll order other bits a bit closer to the time - it's not the kids who eat them in our house. I hide them and eat them myself. :eek:

cookiecrumbs

Hello everyone

djstar - have a lovely birthday and shopping spree!

foxy - how exciting getting a new kitchen for Christmas. I wish I could have one.

My order from Vistaprint arrived this morning, it's a T shirt with a picture I uploaded onto it for my sister at Christmas. I did pay for it but it was only about a fiver and when I compared it to what other sites were charging it was about a quarter of the price. It looks really good too!

I just bought some silicone chocolate moulds off ebay - going to attempt some handmade chocolates for my hampers. God knows how they'll turn out though, might have to practice a few times first (good excuse to eat the "test" batches!)