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

cdsmiler

elysia2003 wrote: »

Clare - Well Jell that's a new one. I must be showing my age. LOL. I bung it all in when I'm making jam. I do mash it a bit, to make it less lumpy to spread though. I'll find you a Jelly (as opposed to Jam) recipe. I have a huge book here. I'll sort some out for you.

Well jell - heard it on TV and thought it was funny! lol Thanks, I'd appreciate the recipes! However if it's pretty much equal sugar to fruit (like Angela mentioned) then I'll just have a go with that. It's the making it into jelly that throws me....
Hope your bad news wasn't too bad last week.

Angela - thanks for your recipe too. Made me laugh - your new born baby jam...

susan - ooooooo! Where in New Tredegar?
Bargain bench buys!

mary - glad OH is home. Fingers crossed those pockets DO disappear!! He seems to be much happier....

mum2one - good to hear from you! Was getting worried, you're not normally so quiet!! :rotfl::p

Will check the challenge in a bit....

rufus - wow those artscow prints WERE quick. We ordered some mini purses last year - some on my account and some on OHs. Mine arrived after a bit of a wait, but in time for Xmas, his didn't arrive until January - we ordered them the same night!!
Love your charm bracelet idea.

Sugar - good luck on your packing!! Send some of the hot weather over will you??

Clare x

cdsmiler

Santas Challenge - August - (apologies for being early - due to being away)

School Uniforms

Not relevant thankfully!!


Birthday Presents.

No more birthdays to worry about really. The next load are included in my Christmas gist list - earliest being the end of November I believe!


Vistaprint

Good idea. Got thank you cards for DD's pressies from there last year, and a calendar for my Nan. Will have a think.

Hampers


So far only have one Film Night In type hamper planned (for childminders). Will need to start thinking of that.

Wrappings


Will need to sort out if I'm doing any other hampers....

nickschicks -Don't seem to be selling anything at the moment???

Postage
No parcels, but will be sending cards!

Stamps
Superdrug - check!!


Vouchers / cashback
Got some vouchers for Amazon ready and waiting to be used. MIGHT reach £25 from Pureprofile but not holding my breath. Will have to go through all the other survey sites I use to see current state of play!!

Sales
Got an eye peeled!


Christmas Lists
Have mentioned to one friend about not doing Xmas pressies.....we'll see what she says. Need to seriously start looking at the Xmas list....

The big clean....
Phew!

Take care everyone, and will pop in soon xx

mrs-moneypenny

will do the challenges when ive got a bit more time blitzinng the kitchen cupboards at the mo

hope alll are well, sorry not been in for a while

rufusdog52

Afternoon all

Well done Mary on getting the scarf finished xx

Clare , I have done another order this afternoon from Artscow. I ordered a photo book, 8 x 8 with 24 pages, it came to about £6 something altogether. I am hoping this won't take an age to come as its for ED's birthday beginning of November but after what you said I will have to keep my fingers crossed.

Most of my bits for the bracelets have been posted so they should start arriving tomorrow. Typical we are going out, I just hope the postman can get them in the box outside and doesn't have to take them back to the sorting office. I can't wait to see them.

mary-op

Think I spoke too soon about OH feeling happier........hes spent most of today in his armchair having an 'I want to be on my own' mood.......:( Being in pain all the time doesn't help........nor does the fact what I bought from the co-op last week wasn't what he fancied for dinner ! Well, I didn''t know he was coming home so just got my usual 'easy' meals I like...............lol
Thank goodness I've got more knitting to do....oh and must try and remember what I was going to put in 'christmas in a box' and go through spare room to see what might do for an 'advent box'
Should keep me out of OH's way for a bit............lol:)

Anglea

Hi everyone

I just had a telephone doctor's appointment instead of in person. Results of cholesterol test which was taken a few weeks ago after I asked a different doctor to normal about some strange white spots that kept appearing on my face.

I've had them for about 20 years but was always told it was hormonal, now told might be cholesterol. It was slightly higher than normal but might be genetic not diet. Also seeing doctor later this week to check my ears, blocked again.

Mary you haven't mentioned ears for a while - how are they?

Sorry to hear about OH, hope you find stash for your boxes, never heard you mention an Advent one before.

Rufus I'm looking forward to hearing all about the bracelets when they turn up.

Hi Mrs Money, how are the cupboards getting along?

I surprised myself yesterday doing some decluttering and tidying up, all unplanned but very welcome.

Clare I've got an American book of recipes and all the jam ones are called Jelly, they have added gelatine.

Sugarspun, is it still very hot? Here it's cloudy and potential for rain. It must be hard to pack with children around.

Hope the rest of you are ok. I wonder what mum2one is doing.

mary-op

Hello all :j
Can tell OH is home............he's putting things in what he thinks is the 'right' place in the kitchen........not where I think it should go.............lol His mate called to see him for a bit this morning..........meant he could see another face and not just me all the time. He's a bit ''down'' again today despite having a 'tidy up'.........:(
Cleaner is coming tomorrow and when she's done with the hoover think I'll take her upstairs and try and sort out the spare room........see just what there is in there that I might be able to use for pressies. Two boxes need covering I know.........just need enough matching paper to do them.
Lady on freecycle is popping some marigold and poppy seeds over tomorrow night.........must ask her when they need planting.
Started on wrist warmer no. 1 for son:T

Angela - ears still block and throb and all sorts but I think with everything thats been going on I almost forgot about them. Doctor at the hospital said distraction is the best thing and I've had plenty of that !

Hope you're all ok:)

SugarSpun

36 degrees today and I am melting. And to make it worse, instead of spending the morning at the swimming pool we had to go buy the child new shoes.

On the plus side, we also got the new kitchen finalised *and* under budget! :money:

fedupandskint

A very kind and good friend gave me a bag of bramley apple windfalls today which will be made into apple chutney and apple jelly for Christmas presents. Hoping the jelly turns out better than last time when it went rock hard rather than jelly like. Will need to keep a close eye on it I think!

Will make a start tomorrow on this as now off work for a few days - yeah!

elysia2003

Anglea and Clare - Quote from my preserving book 'Jellies are made using the juice strained from simmering fruit, which is then boiled with sugar until setting point' This would mean if you need 1kg of fruit, you would need 1kg of the juice, so would mean at least double quantity of fruit to start with. Is it worth the effort? Unless it was blackberries that are free, it'd cost a fortune.