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

mum2one

Santas Challenge - May

Apologies ladies, were running slightly late, our friends 30th bday 2ngt, she brought some bday cake over and quick drink....... Miss Hoodie had her out on the trampoline, (thou doubt she'll remember that when she wakes up!!)

Down to Business

Wardrobes...... (that incudes draws, and anywhere u store clothes!!
Hopefully we're have that hot weather that has been promised us. So nows the time to spring clean all those cupboards of clothes.
I know the "designers etc" say if you haven't wore it for 6 months your not going to wear it, and 100% wardrobe equates to 10% wear, 90% storage!!
I'm not asking you to follow those don't worry, have a sort through if there anything that doesn't fit and been kept for the just incase....

If you ebay them brilliantly, adds to the funds, if not charity them...
I would say if you have anything winterty to sell, hang on to September time as kids are back at school, and people be looking for bargains

Bargains
As were approaching a bank holiday the shops are chucking special offers at us, and some sales
Remember - its only a bargain if were going to use it!!
This could be clothes, untensils anything.
Ask yourself do I really need it, or do I just want it!!

Loyalty
I saw in Martins email, Boots are giving away 10 points to the £1 (normally 4 per pound) if you spend £15 plus, - maybe your on pay and go, and you would top up in the next week or so, would be worth going early and getting the extra points

Loyalty Cards
Superdrug has now entered the loyalty card market, (get round to it next time in town), may be worth taking a peep at.

The Handbag and Make Up Bag
If its anything like mine, it has everything but the kitchen sink, got that bad I'm working between 3 handbags.... they need sorting out, so come on ladies who can find the oddest item.

Further to The Make up Bag
I don't know about anyone else, but with each item of make up having different expiry dates, (mascara shortest 6 mths shelf life once opened).
Top tip, get some little round stickers and put the expiry date on it, just 7/11 so you know that after that date it shoudn't really be used. How many of us have 2 or 3 of each items on the go... can get expensive if items gone off.

Suntan Lotion
if you have any suntan lotion unopened - it has a shelf life of about 18mths (again another little label)
Any opened suntan - ideally half bottle plus, as long as its not been kept in the sun, it can be used if kept in cool place. Less than half a bottle, use it as a body moisturier.

Out and about
Top tip, find an old lunch bag, (insulated style), keep your suntan lotion in there, if you can add an icepack, brilliant, even without keeps some of the chill.
Small bottle - say mini shampoo etc from Boots, - and your just on a day out, decant some suntan lotion in, and your have enough for 1 or 2 appolications. Saves overheating (or losing a bottle).
Did read that the estimates are - teaspoon full each for face + neck, shot glass full for legs, another for arms + body.

Children
I don't know whether other schools have sent the letters, but we've had the suntan letter, put some on before hand and have some at school as well as cap, and bottle water.
I got Miss Hoodie factor 50 small tube in Poundland, - could also decant a days worth - so if it did get lost, its not a large bottle.
Hats - We had vistaprint email - had basic baseball caps for free - ordered one for Miss Hoodie, as generally a lot of the children have same hats .... personalised one less chance of going walkie.......

Uniforms
Just going by what our school is doing, (may be worth mentioning it to yours), we're sending out letter re lost property, so parents can come and claim them, anything left after that day, we will be selling, something like £1 each.... some schools chuck lost property away, but if you've paid for a school logo jumper etc (not cheap), just check the childrens unifroms, give you chance to chase them up.

Christmas card List
i'm not going to suggest writing them yet!!, but start a list, and divide up, for us, family, friends, street and post. know where whats got to go.
Check if your making any and how many you need.

Car Boots
There coming out now in droves, so if your hunting try a new venue, if your selling, good luck!

Santas Challenge - Treat time
We can't have a santas challenge without a treat, but the little catch - set a budget of £5.
So whether thats a new book, a nice bottle of wine, £5 for a takeaway from the supermarket, or you do a mse treat and not spend a penny...... we need to do something for us.
So if luxury is locking yourself in the bathroom and have a big bubblebath with a candle, treat yourself and don't feel guilty.
Whether its, free, a 1p or up to £5. You've worked had on the challenges, we don't really alloacte a spend for ourselves so ladies this is the month! xx

mum2one

Got Miss Hoodies eyes tested, shes had a growth spurt and apparently thats caused a change in her perscripton (even thou it was 6 months ago for her eye test), - just incase anyone else has children with glasses, any grorth spurts could mean new glasses. I was a bit worried as Miss Hoodie has my taste in glasses the designer ones, but as shes under 19, if she has designer at specky savers..... just pay £30. (ok), shes choose her glasses, as we were early they told her to choose some glasses, she tool 12 pairs in with her... the one assistant was looking at the rack gobsmacked, he just couldn't work out where they'd gone.... but they narrowed it down to 2 pairs, then the optician was looking for more styles, settled on red frame, different trim on the side, they said hers be 2 to 3 days.
I can not fault the service we recieved at Specsavers.

This time round (I was due Feb for eye test), it was sods law when the optician I wanted free I wasn't, never got round to it.... but last week in town saw an opticians that has an offer for free prescriiption sunglasses, and pair £69 + range, so thought were go there they had a slot when we were free..... went to pick up the glasses, busy admiring the frames, really pretty...... they'd only gone and fitted someones elses lenses into, I thought I was on a drug trip, the floor was coming up and floating to me, the ceiling was coming down, the walls were mergeing and couldn't even see how many finger Miss Hoodie was holding - the "dispensers excuse", your eyes have changed, your have to get use to new glasses...... to which I told her been wearing glasses all the time since 16, now 40 and know that my prescription change (only 1 change) this was not right. The assistant disappeared, I tried on sunglasses - they were perfect. They wouldn't do anything...... so me being started quoting the Sale of Goods Act, - unmerchansible quality, also unfit for the purpose, and that the keep the glasses as I will not be paying the remainder and I wanted my depoist back, They wouldn't give it me as their was no one who could authorise it store, but they still were insisting the glasses were right. They said an optician needed to check them, said no problem, we're wait, oh you can't see the locum, he's only a locum!! Surely he's qualified.

Next step, i threaten a sit in, that I would ring the local radio station, and the local newspaper, and as I was disabled on crutches, it was difficult enough to get into town without having wasted journey. Miss Hoodie pipes up, Oh god mums at it again, shes threatening them with the papers!!

Guess what within 5 mins I had a full refund!! They said they would have to ring the NHS to cancel the voucher. The manager is going to ring me at home on Thursday to discuss it!!

The snag..... we only found out when I went to Speckey savers to get glasses, the Bootys had wrote not to dispence, and presently their holding the NHS voucher, (get a contribution towards glasses, low income), - thou I now have make sure that they have cancelled the NHS voucher, and they have to cancel the claim for the eye test, so we're trying to get, but he was very help and "pointed out where the local NHS vouchers are redemmed at, should I wish to investage myself, but that would mean I would have the situation".

I know the glasses aren't made in store, but they should have been checked, but there was no apolpogy, no we're get it rectified, please accept a discount as its our fault.

So if we see some steam tomorrow, its not the ash cloud!!

(hasten to add Miss Hoodie was rather disappointed that i didn't ring the local paper, as she still thinks it funny from the Xmas before when i'm poseing!! more sprawled like a beached whale on the car bonnet with a dodgy Sat Nav from Comet..... that worked after the paper got involved, we got our money back.

It comes to something when you have to really complain and quote the law, threaten a fuss just to get something sorted. The glasses thou I had them for 10 minutes, it took nearly 2 hours for me to get my eyes back to normal. xx

rufusdog52

Mum2one, I am sure you should write a book lol xx

cdsmiler

Lol I'm with rufus - mum2one you'd write a fab book! lol

rufus - that's great, thank you for that. My concern was that the backing felt would stretch with the weight of items put in the pockets. Am I being over caucious? Now I need to find a decent size piece of felt!!
Also (sorry, being a pain I know!) what do you use to hang it? I'm thinking tabs at the top over a pole??

Uh oh, Santas challenge! I better read this one. I think I managed to skip the last one completely!

mary - how's OH??

Clare x

mary-op

Hello all :j

rufus - I've pm'd you

mum2one -I agree with Rufus........you really should write a book.............lol
Forgive me any challenges I don't manage -have done christmas cards and had general clear out anyway (mind you I'm still creating mess wherever I go or sit..........lol)

Saw OH yesterday and doctor came round -not the one he's under but at least he seemed to make sense. He said the blood was normal and was just stale stuff and was natural after having intestines cut about. OH rang this morning, no problems and they've said he can come home tomorrow -fingers crossed nothing crops up in the meantime.
He's being taken to see the back specialist this morning for his appt. so should get result of MRI scan and know whether his back can be fixed or not so fingers crossed on that as well. I'm going in tonight so I'll know more then......well at least the garbled bits of info OH tells me.
I'd told him he couldn't come back till weekend when gardens all done and sorted........poor gardener chap has now got to work twice as hard............lol (Hoping not for twice the price !!)
Ordering parasol for garden table from amazon -£19 -about the cheapest I could find. Think I can sort out cushions for the bench and chairs with what I've got kicking about here -bit of material slung over them who will know.............lol:rotfl:

Heard about Focus going into liquidation and thought they''d be some cheap stuff on-line but no..........they've been taken over by Wickes so expect everythings normal money.

Hope you're all ok:)

rufusdog52

Clare - I think the tabs and a pole would look nice, you could even wrap some shiny paper or tinsel around the pole. If your'e not putting anything too heavy in the pockets then the felt should be ok. You could always back the felt with some old sheeting or something to give it a bit extra strength, the back wont show once hung. You could sew that on with a big stitch around the outside like it was supposed to be decorative. If you can find some nice sparkly fabric you could make the tabs out of that (charity shop, sparkly blouse or something??) and then sandwich the tabs between the felt and the back. Just have a play around with it. Even some ribbon for the tabs and then just tie with a bow over the pole?

mary-op

:(Doesn't look like OH is coming home yet now........he saw back specialist this morning and he said mri scan he had wasn't very good and now wants him to have ct biopsy on his spine !! Also wants him measured for back brace -how that'll work with his stomach still swollen and sore, plus metal staples in I've no idea. He's well fed up and upset about it all.
Still, suppose he may as well have all these things done while he's there. Just wish they'd not told him he could come home in the first place:(

susan42

oh mary - so sorry about OH but at least he`s in right place. And look at te positive, he`ll be out soon as they usually kick everyone out before bank holidays.....

I been making cards today, even made a christmas card, blobbed them here and here if anyone wants a look

mum2one - love the story of the ops, and a BIG thank you for the challenges......made my 1st xmas card today so thats one off my list :rotfl::rotfl:

elysia2003

Sending big hugs to you and OH Mary. I think you both need them.

Hiya Claire and Anglea- long time no see. Anglea - I was thinking about you the other day, and someone else I've not seen on here this year - can't remember the name though - Foxy something???

Mum2one - thanks for the challenges. Nothing too stressful there. I did manage to complete most of last months, despite not coming on here everyday. I have tried to come on more this month, so I am getting better.

Anglea

Hi girls,

I don't know if any of you have seen this, but there has been some sad news about one of the members of this thread-

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3255652