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

dramarama

Some great ideas on here as always. It very inspiring reading about people's persseverance. I like looking to the forums for advice re: gifts but also the wayy in which people are very encouraging.

About the mince pies- if you make them now do you have to cook them before freezing them?!! I'm attempting to make a xmas food hamper for my family this year of yummy homemade goodies!! Got a feeling it might become an annual thing but my mum works so hard to make xmas special that I want to give something back!! I've just thought... I might make her a chequebook of time out vouchers...e.g this entitles...to peel the spuds, 1 hour in the bath, a shoulder rub, ...to walk the dog!!

juliejim

:bdaycake:Happy Birthday djstar!

fedupandskint

4 large 1L size jars and one 2lb size jar of pickled onions made today

2lb jar free from mum reused
3x1L jars £1 from Asda
1x1L Le Parfait (mine to keep)

£3.80 / 4 = 95p per jar for ingredients add on £1 for the jar to take it to £1.95 so the 1L jars could be £2.50 and go into the chutney bundles for 4 for £10
The smaller jar could be £1.50

Just remembered
1 jar gift to mum in chutney bundle
1 jar gift for me
maybe another jar for a gift bundle

Leaves 2 or 3 to go into the chutney bundles

Will leave them to mature for the next 8 weeks and then offer a few bundles for sale at work.

If I sell 2 bundles for £10 each I'll be really pleased to make £20 from this.

Fingers crossed someone would like to buy them

Also considering approx £12-15 for an 8" square Christmas cake and will make 2 or 3 to sell at the most if anyone would like to buy one

mummyslittleboy

dramarama wrote: »

I've just thought... I might make her a chequebook of time out vouchers...e.g this entitles...to peel the spuds, 1 hour in the bath, a shoulder rub, ...to walk the dog!!

Thats a lovely idea I am sure she would love that.

fedupandskint wrote: »

Also considering approx £12-15 for an 8" square Christmas cake and will make 2 or 3 to sell at the most if anyone would like to buy one

I have just been told by the lady that usually makes mine that she is charging £20 this year:eek: to be honest it is nothing special either bought one last year because I knew she was short of money and it was a way to help her out don't think I will bother this year.

Haven't done a lot made a couple of birthday cards last night as it is my god daughters birthday soon, and a friend has given me a large order for pamper cakes and nappy cakes that she wants for the end of november so need to start getting bits for them.
Might go into town on tuesday and see what I can pick up for xmas while DS is at playschool.

elysia2003

Mummyslittleboy - Marks and spencer have a smallish (probably 6inches) cake all pre-iced , it's really lovely for £3.99 will go up to full price on Wednesday. You could buy two and still save. :beer:

I'm making my own cake (Yes I got a tin from Tesco (thanks for asking Mum2one) and I was going to make one for mum too. But I couldn't make it for that price (£3.99) so I bought her the M&S one for her hamper. I need to buy some blackberry jam too.

I had hidden one jar I made, for mum's hamper, as DD2 absolutlely loved it. Didn't want her to open it. She has an infection in her gum and dentist gave her antibiotics. Well, DD1 NEVER takes antibiotics EVER!!! Hates the taste and won't take them. We tried everything to get her to have them, as I had a nightmare of her teeth falling out. :eek: Bribed her with £1 a spoonful and DD1 taking her to cinema half term. She WILL now take them, but only if it's mixed in jam (like my Nan used to do to me) and spread on toast. Either that or put in the blender with a banana and yoghurt and make a smoothie. Not ideal but she's having the medicine like a dream - don't know whether it's because we disguised the taste or the bribery! Anyway the point is, we ran out of jam and had to open my mum's one for the hamper! I need to buy another and pass it off as my own now.

rufusdog52

Afternoon everyone

Didnt come on at all yesterday, was getting on with the dvds. Have finished all three of them now and they have covers and labels on them, did a copy of each for my Dad too so thats his presents finished and my two sisters and brother's finished.

Have made a start on the dolls for my nieces, just the bodies sewn together at the moment. Started painting their feet so they look they have boots on, have done one side of each one, waiting for paint to dry to do the other side. Will probs leave it until tomorrow to do.

Sorting out the extra present box I found three gift sets that I was given last year and didnt use, all purpley colours, think two sets are bath sets and other is an oil burner and candles set. Think I might be able to combine these together to make a purple basket for eldest daughter for Christmas. Might look out for a couple more bits for it.

Still to do for Xmas -

Make the clothes for the dolls (not started yet but have fabric).
Cover some small chocolate bars with paper with my great nieces' names on (have choc bars but not done the papers yet).
Buy some white bonbons for the pots of snow, I bought some a couple of months ago for OH's Mum as she had been looking for them for ages but now cant remember where I got them from, anyone seen them in the supermarkets please?
Buy OH's new Sat Nav (still waiting for £20 voucher from Dooyoo but it should be here by Tues as its 10 business days then)
Buy some make up for youngest daughter (need to get to the bigger Boots to get the Natural range)
Buy some other little bits and pieces for her and some other dvds for OH.

And thats about it for Christmas presents, will be looking out for something for youngest Grandson's birthday as its in January. Want to get him a set of books of some kind, probs from the Book People and something to go with them.

elysia2003

Rufus - you can buy anything from Boots and have it delivered to ANY store for free! Will save you the hassle of going to the bigger store, if you need to make a special journey.

I'm just about to PM you!

rufusdog52

elysia2003 wrote: »

Rufus - you can buy anything from Boots and have it delivered to ANY store for free! Will save you the hassle of going to the bigger store, if you need to make a special journey.

I'm just about to PM you!

Thanks Elysia, I didnt know that. Will be a weight off my mind as OH doesnt like going in to Chatham to shop as its so busy there.

Will check out the site and order some bits in the week when I get paid.

Rufus xx

mummyslittleboy

elysia2003 wrote: »

Mummyslittleboy - Marks and spencer have a smallish (probably 6inches) cake all pre-iced , it's really lovely for £3.99 will go up to full price on Wednesday. You could buy two and still save. :beer:

DD1 and DD2 have said they prefer my boiled fruit cake to christmas cake so thinking i will make one and just add some christmas decorations to that. But will get one of the ones from marks for my grandad as nan refused to buy on last year as he can only eat very small amounts so the rest will get wasted but I dont mind if it does as long as he gets some:D

elysia2003

Just a quick note for anyone wanting DS / Wii games this Christmas.

Asda have an entertainment promotion running at the moment.

They have Wii play - usually £35 - £45 now only £29.97
Zhu Zhu pets DS game usually £25 - £28 now only £15. These are the two I bought - there are loads on offer!

There is a code on the Tesco codes for Tesco Entertainment, worth 300 cc points (£12 in deals) you can use it to pre-order Toy Story 3 for £9.99 (so free if you think of it like that). I pre-ordered three but you can only use the code once.