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

mary-op

Hello all :j

Another wet day and temperatures dropped as well so out came the cardi..............lol:)
3 more christmas cards done so I'm getting there.........not organised in anything else but cards, birthday and christmas, I'm well on top of.

Shan't get so much done next week. At doctors tomorrow to arrange referral to dietician and other stuff, Wednesday chap coming to sort bedroom tele so it gets digital ok, Thursday Physio...........Friday, haircut and cleaner coming............I'm worn out just thinking about the physio...........lol:rotfl:

Hope you're all ok:)

(Think I'll have to have another look at vista print)

NickyBo_2

It's taken me hours on and off today, but I've finally managed to place an order with Lloyds pharmacy. If it all arrives I'll be so pleased with it as I got some great bargains. I got 3 of the mini fragrances gift sets, 2 ladies and 1 mens. They were £9.99 each but buy 1 get 2 free, so I got 3 sets for £9.99. I also got 2 of the Beautilicious pedicure sets at £5.99 each and a man's toiletries set for £3, but as they were buy 1 get 2 free I only paid one lot of £5.99. Including postage it all came to just less than £20 so I'm really pleased with that, thanks to everyone on here for mentioning the site in the first place

Vista - Last Christmas I got my niece a few personalised bits and made them look like a little set. I got the mug, notebook and pen but all with the same pink flowery design and with her name on, she loved it. I've also got things for my husband, mainly items with photos of our son on. He's had a t-shirt, a photo mug (although he doesn't know yet as that's for Father's Day), a notebook and a pen saying 'Best Daddy'. One of my favourite things I got from Vista was a canvas bag that I had printed with 'Car boot queen' for my Mum!

This year I'm going to collect a few bits for my MIL to go in her hamper. I think I'm going to do colour themed hampers and her's will be bluey-green so I'm going to get a bag, notebook etc printed with the desert island picture on Vista.

mum2one

diddly74 wrote: »

I never know what to buy/order at vista :undecided I guess I am just not as imaginative as you guys.

I'm lethal on there, doing party bags with a difference, (mainly adults) for bday lunch, so they're all having vistaprint

mainy gone for mugs, bags, baseball caps, pens, notebooks,

Christmas + Bday list
Go through who you need to buy for then when an email offer comes up, see if theres anything suitable

Lady - Notepad and matching pen, maybe mug, personalised notelets, they go down a treat.

Male - Mug - predesigned t-shirt, pen

Female children (and adults), i love the cotton bags - designs for all ages - personailse it, - if you were doing a mix and match present - say make up, toilettries etc, - use the bag as the base. Notepads with name on it

Notebooks, baseball caps

Boys
Stickers - names on them, baseball caps, small tshirt - theres a football design, could have Joe No 1 Man Utd supporter.

Grandparents - Could do the photobook, the free ones hold about 12 photos, Personalised calenders - a year of the children.

Mugs - Use them as a base for snowman soup,


What I tend to do is look for whats free, and see if I can slot a person to the item, for instance rare to get a free baseball hat, yet nearly every offer has a bag and t-shirt on,. xx

cdsmiler

mum2one - fab bargain on that furniture!!

I need to go and have another look at Vistaprint me thinks. I've bought a stamp for Avon order forms with my name and phone number on, but I'm normally at a loss as to what else to get too. Have a few ideas now though.

Hope you're all doing well. Mary - glad to hear the good nights are continuing! Rufus - you're always so productive!! Lisi - well impressed with the smoking!!

My healthy eating hasn't been fantastic over the weekend, but on the plus I might have some extra money coming in from Avon if all goes well.....! Not related, but balancing the negative with the positive!! lol

Clare x

susan42

Hi everyone,

Well done on those ideas mum2 one, and lovely furniture for miss Hoodie.

I`m glad everything sorted with you and ex-OH esmer, lets hope he sticks to it.

cdsmiler - happy st davids day :D

nicky - great bargains on lloyds,

Mary - hope the physsio works and glad your backs easing off for you

Sorry I been a bit absent lately, been relaxing and hospital, relaxing and hospital. Seem to be there every other day at the moment. And not being able to drive is annoying.:(

Well done on not smoking toothfairy - come on you can do it x

rufus - good luck with the decorating, i know what you man by OH avoiding things. My OH has took it upon himself to mop the floors. But he doesnt sweep the bits off first so its dead annoying ....:eek:

SugarSpun

Santas Challenge - Feb (thou think Santa went the wrong way round!!)

:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j

Easter Eggs!
I know we have March's challenge before Easter, but the reason brought the Easter egg, Easter presents etc forward, is the supermarkets price wars - Presently Asda's are £2 instead of £5 with mugs, think Tesco have had an offer, I think within the next couple of weeks, all the other supermarkets will break into price war, so maybe now the time for the list.

We don't do Easter eggs so I'm skipping this one

Vistaprint
We're nearly there for a new month, so that means we can raid top cash back and quidco. I know they send a lot of emails with special offers, but sometimes theres a chance the cashback won't go through, I'm guessing its there free offers on site, but also check the "special offers link" - as its Vistas offers - would still be ok for cash back, again its a maximum of 4 items free, but it doesn't stop a 2nd free order going through.

I'll have a check tomorrow, need new notebooks and possibly some bits for 2012


Birthday and Christmas Lists
I know were wonderful ladies and are doing brilliantly at money saving, bargain hunting, and even having xmas items wrapped, - keep an eye out of sales for smaller items.

Shopping's all done but I'm still keeping an eye out for emergency bits. I'm going to look at Lloyds later.

Easter Holidays
Apologies more a mums one - we've got about 5 or so weeks to Easter, then there back on Tues for 3 days off the Fri (Royal Wedding), - so its a bit of a hit and miss, hopefully weather be warmed, - look for offers as a lot of the local attractions usually open Easter, tend to do offers in local papers - keep an eye out for vouchers, and also plan ahead money wise - day out, they go out with friends etc

I'm just planning our trip to the UK in a couple of weeks, haunting Groupon for a Garra Rufa fish pedicure and organising various bits and bobs.


Car Boot
There starting to creep back in, so if you have stuff to sell, no lie in's on a Sunday!!

Not me, no ma'am - but I have 50 items in Turbo Lister ready for ebay.


The car

Excellent; we don't have one. No cleaning for me!

First Aid kit etc
I know we checked this before christmas, - simple things plasters, wet wipes, parecatomal etc........ re check and see if anything needs replacing, everybody has different items they use, follow accordingly.

Hasn't been touched since Christmas except for the plasters and we have a MILLION of them.


Cooking
Lets have some fun, grab a recipie that you haven't used for a while, and cook something from it, - for the fun element it needs to be something you haven't cooked before. Doesn't have to be a 3 course meal, could be as simple as jam tarts with home made pastry...

I made potato scones on Saturday, plus granary bread, garlic bread, home made marmalade and a scrummy pasta bake for dinner.

Christmas / Birthday Lists
May sound daft, but don't forget to update the list if you have brought, made, put by anything, as well as putting note by any that have gone, my mother had a panic she'd forgotten her friends bday...... she'd put it in her diary on 2 different days in Feb, got the right one and the present done.

Good idea, I moved some of DH's gifts around because I was giving his Valentines gift while we were away and wanted him to have a smaller gift.

We're have a bit of fun....
Just imagine we had a lovely sunny day!! who would you want to rub sun tan lotion into you.

Can't think of anyone. I'd prefer to sit by myself in the shade with a book.


I will add one of Miss Hoodies suggestions - the glass of wine and the chocolate but for us not the children!! xx

I'm going to make mine a rather strong cocktail, but other than that it sounds good

Mayhem here over the last week, the toddler is teething, the husband is sick and the wife is exhausted. And I'm getting three wisdom teeth out on Wednesday, right after the toddler gets her MMR

esmer

Thanks Mum2one and miss hoodie.............

Easter Eggs!
I only have 2 to get....... and as DD is too young, I dont like her getting too many. So asked family to give me vouchers for a local shop and I can get her something to wear.

Vistaprint
I need to get the link for keyrings.... Im pleased with everything so far. Just need to think of what to order for mothers day from dd to my mum.

Birthday and Christmas Lists
Lloyds Chemist – I got some perfumes, very pleased.

Easter Holidays!
DD is still at nursery, so not much for me to organise other than the usual stuff we do at the weekends.

The car
This is my little indulgence, I get it valeted once every two months..... I dont have anywhere I can clean it, and there is a guy does it for me for 12.00 then I wash it periodically. I did find sunglasses at the last clean.

First Aid kit etc
Thanks I need to get pain killers and phone for my prescription.

Cooking
Been thinking along the same lines, I got the Jamie Oliver book. So I want to get people over for dinner and cook for Adults......

Christmas / Birthday Lists
Thanks, I have just updated this. I found 30.00 in euros and giving this to my niece for her birthday, so changed her present to someone else.!

We're have a bit of fun....
I loved Gabriel Byrne at one point in my life, not to rub suntan lotion, but to just talk and listen to his lovely voice. I could sit and have a cappuccino and a lovely chocolate muffin, he could just chat.

tracey_h_2

Hi All.

Thanks for the new challenge Mum2One. Its just printing now so i can get my head round it.

Did order some bits on LLoyds pharm. Few nice bits of toilitries and perfumes and also some of the Galt toy bits for a couple of friends kids. Also ordered a couple of the little cheap toilitry bits which will be perfect for when the school has donations day for the summer fair. 3 sets for £1 cant be bad.;)

Need to do some updating of my spreadsheets.

Also did get some really nice hairclips in Boots week before last. Babyliss ones. Some were reduced to 32p!! Put some in my DDs easter gift bag. Usually get my two a little gift instead of an egg as they end up with so many.

Written a list for vista. Had 2 mugs delivered. Both for mothers day for my mum and MIL from the kids. Will put choccies in them and gift wrap them in cello that i have left over from Christmas.

Want to get a few bits for my friends hen do in May as well.

Well done to you all for being so organised!

Have my March birthdays sorted, cards done and prezzies wrapped, Except my DHs. Still dont know what to do!! Men! He is 40 on the 12th.:eek: Having a night away on the 11th and a day out with the kids for activity but dont know what to buy him as present!!

Txx

mrs-moneypenny

morning all

not sure if these are useful to anyone else but about a month ago i gt a pack of three 4inX6in walnut frames from morrisons mine were off the reduced shelf well last saturday i noticed 2 big boxes full of them on the shelf in the homeware section they have stickers on saying £3 but the label on the shelf says they are £1.48 and thats what they are all going through the till for. makes them less than 50p each they are ideal for little cross stitches or photos.

we dont do easter eggs for the kids we usually get them a big bar of choccy and a game or dvd to share

got 7 birthdays in march, 5 are just cards the other two are middle-DD and God-DD both prefer money so cant really economise on their pressies but ive cross-stitched them a nice card each

mary-op

Hello all :j
Didnt get on line yesterday..........too busy making envelopes for the christmas cards I'd done...........lol They were different sizes so pointless buying a pack of envelopes but I'd plenty of paper so made them myself.
Can't believe I thought I'd do some more cards today and it took me nearly all day to do one:eek: Oh well, thats how it goes.
Then had to 'supervise' OH putting up curtain rail and curtains and spare room........the old rail fell down:( and give a bit of direction in tidying up chest of drawers in our bedroom...........tele chap coming tomorrow with digi box and going to set it all up for us and there was so much clutter on the top of the drawers..............lol

Slept all night again........:T Well till 7.30 anyway then needed the loo so thought might as well get up then.............seems like a long day.........(yawn yawn..........lol)

Hope you're all ok..........got some catching up to do with not being about yesterday.