New, New Thirfty Gifty for Christmas and All Ocassions 2011..Santas Challenge...

KiWi13

hi everyone .. I have finally caught up on all the pages - that will teach me to not keep on top of things.

First off ((hugs)) to all those not feeling well or that have lost a loved one. (Maryop, realtoothfairy, junior_j and xrestrictedx) Thats been a bad start to 2011 but hopefully the rest of the year will only get better for you. (sorry if I have missed anyone)

Secondly congratulations to all those that have got married, found they are expecting etc

hello to all the newbies joining

and last but not least good luck to those of you with court cases coming up. My mum and dad got divorced years ago and thankfully my brother and I were older and didn't have to go through all the visitation stuff etc.

I have bought some presents and am trying to get my head around sorting a spreadsheet with all the info on it so I can see where I am at and what else I need.

As for the challenge - had a good tidy out of my kitchen a few weeks ago and am in the middle of running down our wee freezer to give it a good clear out.

Think the maddest dinner I have had yet would be fish fingers, beansprouts and peas with a small cottage pie on the side lol not very exciting but I thought it was a bit odd hehe.

as for the rest of the challenge - still working on them.

Also just done my first vista print order after all you lovely ladies (where is our one gentleman??) have been talking about it so I'm just waiting on that arriving.

anyway off to look at a few blogs now I've caught up.
be back soon
KiWi

Real_Toothfairy

Hi everyone.......I'm back!!!!
I have had a little read through but cant remember what I read!!!! lol
Anyway.......MIL's funeral was last Tues and went well......I did most of the food and we had a hall for after........over 100 people turned up to the funeral. It was a lovely day...sun shone.
Trying to get back to normal now and then I go and get my date for my knee op....11th March. Not looking forward to it!!
Am planning on quitting smoking again this week .....was gonna do it today but didnt feel up to it when I got up!! Went to chemist and have an appointment with pharmacist tomorrow afternoon to get patches etc etc
On another note.....sorted bedroom out as it had got into abit of a mess with boxes (got some Xmas pressies sorted) however I now need to go through the boxes again and write down whats in them!! (I thought I was being organised!!) DH has told me to stop buying!!! I keep telling him that we are saving by doing it like this but he gets fed up of having stuff in the bedroom (live in a small 2 bed flat).
Sorted DD's room and new bed. wardrobe and drawers are all up but she still makes such a mess in just a day!!
Cleared out and sorted larder cupboard....but still have bottom to do which houses all trays, tupperware and general junk!!! Will do that Thursday. Have to take DD to an appointment with this job finding place in the morning.
Have got a list of stuff I want to get down in the flat, plan is to cross off at least 1 thing a day. Then I feel like I am achieving something.
Meds are still up and down but am getting there. I will get back on track at some point with the challenges (I promise Mum2one).

Much love
Lisi xx

susan42

Hi everyone

rufus - love the hoody and the quilt, i`m still saving for my sewing machine. Trying to get it money neutral

Clare - i went to merthyr for the magic millieum weekend. Sat we went to cardiff on the train, but we came back on the last one and was shocked to hear the language and goings on on the train , (girls) that i drove down sunday to stadium. It was ace

alybaly - those balls of wool for scarfs are ace, i made one last year and have another two to do. The local craft store was selling them off a fiver each

real toothfairy - gl with the quit smoking

I`ve spent all today and yesterday trying to insure DS car , his renewal quote was £14000.00 :eek::eek: no i didnt type it wrong. So far got it down to three.

mary-op

Hello all :j

Been to see the ''boffin'' at hospital hoping he would say things aren;t as bad as he thought. But seems not so. Me and my wheelchair/sticks and walking frames are stuck with each other. My bones apparently are more like a spongecake:eek: Scary thought ! Still, now at least I know so can get my head around it (or try to) and get on with life..............things don't come to a standstill do they.
Just need a bit of motivation and encouragement - and I know you can give me that............lol:)

elysia2003

We know you Mary - You'll get one with it - you have to don't you? How's OH and his hip now. Is he back to his old self? How's the lad getting on at college. I hope he's working hard. Sorry for loads of questions, haven't been around much lately have I!

Alybaly - Hiya. I bought a ball of that wool, after seeing it on Susan's blog. I must admit, I couldn't get on with it at all. Now I can knit, but I could't even get past the casting on stage - I suppose if someone were to start me off, I'd be fine. LOL. I can crochet, but I have to get my mum to start me off on that too. I'm hopeless aren't I?

Toothfairy - well done on the smoking front - going to the pharmacist is a big step. Well done. You can do it.

Rufus - I love the hoodies and the quilt. My goodness me - It would take me three years to do something like that, not three weeks.

How's everyone else? Junior you're quiet - I hope things are OK.

mum2one

rufusd!!!2 wrote: »

Morning all

Did a bit more to the quilt yesterday, its getting there quite quickly. Think I might sew some beads on this one when its finished.

My last Vista order should be here today or tomorrow. Did another one this morning but messed up a bit. I want to get my four nieces each a pen, keyring, notebook and cotton bag. Well I had ordered them all except for one of them I hadn't ordered the notebook or keyring (it was the first one I did and didnt realise I could get notebooks or keyrings) so today I had got everything else so thought I'd do one of the mugs for one of my Great Nieces. Ordered her a cotton bag as well, did the notebook for my Niece but then instead of ordering a keyring I ordered a pen instead. Didnt realise what I had done, and it came up after saying I could order another pen for 25p so clicked on that, then went to my spreadsheet to put in what I ordered and realised I had already got the pen before. Plus when I got the order through the email it looks like the one for 25p will have her name on it as well so that will be three pens with her name lol. Next order I will have to remember to get a keyring.

I have three more mugs to get (1 Great Niece and two Great Nephews) and I will get a cotton bag for the girl, and may be a t-shirt each for the boys if I can find a design they might like.

I have a younger GNiece and GNephew too but think the mugs might be too grown up for them but might do the girl a cotton bag. Might even get the boy one as well if they have a more boy themed design. Can fill them with some sweets.

That sounds a lovely idea, with all the presents for the nieces, just a thought over boy theme cotton bag, if theres not a suitable design, - you can upload on the bags, what about either a picture of a flag or football?

Just put some more orders in tonight, getting so muddled up making sure don't go over the four, hopefully its being confirmed - got to meet the asst mgr of the local pub, were looking at having friends / family sunday lunch, what started at 20 people is now at 35..... so been getting bits and dads from Vista for goody bags, when did mum and dads40th wedding, I did all goody bags for adults, went down a treat, when I did mums 60th, everyone was asking is there going to be goody bags.

So this time gone for a mix, most of the younger blokes (under 40) they've got baseball caps, the older ones have got mugs, couple of tshirts floating around, the ladies (under 40) - they've had the hats, - mix of bags, mugs, and notlets, notecards - reallly what was free there having!!

Then the nice neighbour facing us, feel sorry in my heart, she lost her nephew 2 weeks ago,he was only about 10, he had a lot of illnesses, apparently worldwide there was only 16 children, he was the only one in the UK. They love the cap dad had done with Bailey on it, so dad being dad, no problem - you get a photo of the dogs get Cheryl to order them, - theyve got 3 staffies - there little stars. When she brought the camera across, - the "photo hats" were £12 each, so help - not paying that, so ordered a plain with with paw prints, but have done a little mix + match of stuff with the dogs on. Then tonight - I'm sure I've got a guardian angel,for some reason i had an urge to click on the portfolio, got drawn to Bailey's cap, - clicked it, came up for free, so she'll have a nice suprise.

I'm sure next yr as well as Boots bargains, be Vistaprint presents!! xx

stepmum

A good week for me gift wise, more for what I don't now have to buy rather than getting bits, although my vista order did arrive which I'm really pleased with.
Decided to have the chat with my sisters. One has just had a baby and another is getting married in a month so I knew they were strapped for cash too. We have agreed to just buy easter eggs for our own children this year so I only have 2 to get rather than 11!!!!! :j
Also we went a step futher and talked about christmas and have decided to cut out sisters and partners and only get for their children, so this is a saving of a minimum of £60 :j
Feel so much better for having decided this and funny that we were all thinking the same just no-one wanted to be the one to say it and sound mean. Just got to have the same chat with OH side and hopefully they will feel the same.

Take care all
Jayne

diddly74

A few years ago - we had that chat about not buying for the adults of the family now we all have children etc. But for the last 2 years running my husbands brother and sister's families have bought hubby and me a present each. Makes you feel very uncomfortable. This year I will remember to get gifts for them - you watch they won't buy for us lol.

rufusdog52

We always just bought for the kids but about 4 yrs ago one of my sisters bought me something and I hadnt bought her anything so the next year I made her something and for my other sister too and have been doing it ever since. I dont buy for their husbands.

susan42

hi everyone

some great bargains on vistaprint :T

update on car insurance asda in the lead £22000 :eek::eek::eek:



I give up. £3000 it is then, this week newsletter off martin says 1st march insurance going to change. men and women are going to be treated the same and the way they are going to do it. They put ladies up and wait for boys to catch up. :mad: