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

Mumof2_2

Hi, do you mind if I join in too please? I've joined your sister thread as well but have yet to post - been a bit manic as my husband is overseas on a course so I'm doing everything!

I've decided we're having a frugal OS Christmas as everything is so expensive. I've decided to knit scarves for my 2 nephews and my niece and am seriously considering doing my mum a hot water bottle cover with a pattern I found in my magazine. Getting lots of other Christmas ideas from you guys too so thanks very much!

mum2one

hi mumof2, welcome to the thread, sounds like your getting organised well.

Love the sound of the hot water bottle cover.

I've done some egg cosy covers, and when in wilkos yesterday they had 4 metal egg holder for £1.00, split between foodie hampers.

Have been organised, emptied the shed.... and so far allocated 3/4 of the xmas prezzies, still got 2 bags to sort, reckon we should be 3/4 sorted.

I've also put 2 spare boys, 2 spare girls presents up, incase of emergency, if not there go in bday bag!!

Knitting wise- for xmas left to sort
Aran Cardi - Aunt
waistcoat, and hooded jumper - friends boy - hes only 3 days old
hooded jumper - cousins boy - about 12 mths old
12 egg cosys
Christmas Stockings for PTA xmas fayre...

-
Plan for rest week / nxt week

finish off xmas allocating, work out whats needed
update comp with new list
wrap Miss Hoodies bday presents,
order CD from Bailey (go via dads debit card!!)
take Miss Hoodie to get her Boots
get half of bedroom stuff put away
Miss Hoodie comes home 2ngt
Santas Challenge for Sat - rubber gloves to the ready!!
2 weeks of Open Uni (1st course)

xx

mary-op

Hello all :j
Managed to finish off pair of wrist warmers........took me ages to stitch them up with weaving in all the odd coloured wool I'd used for stripes..............all in between making coffee for bathroom builders ! Now the tiles are up, just need grouting, and the floors down..........hopefully by Tuesday it'll be totally finished.:T
Kitchen pieces arrived this afternoon and that should be started next week ! Looked at all the storage jars in the pantry -some quite decorative with Pasta and stuff etched on them...........they won''t be seen inside cupboards so might fill some with chocolates, tie with a ribbon and they'll be a few more pressies:)

mum2one

:jIts time of the month - Santas Challenge..:j

Unfortunately, Miss Hoodie has helped with this one, even leaving a list incase it was done before she came back... have been gentle!!

The Cleaning Challenge
Its Miss hoodies area - Clean the freezer and organise it, see how many half bags of the same things that are open!

Food/freezer:cool:
This is a 2 in one task, as we're 3 months away from the one day we've been slaving away and getting organised for

Start a list
- is there extras you need for Christmas, (anything like me last year trying to find Brandy sauce! some things sell out early), this way you can share the items between the shopping

Food/Meals
if you get chance to pop a few home made meals in the freezer, whether its cook a chilli, spag bol and add an extra portion, freeze that, or have a day of batch cooking and freezing them. That way if your running late, or anything you can chuck something into the microwave - got a home cooked meal.

Christmas Cards / calenders / printables (vistaprint):A
Vistaprint have started the free 10 cards, so if you need any personalised items start shopping now, and you can still take advantage of the 21 day postage.
If you order off an email - it has to be one email, can't pick and mix.
cashback site - topcashback, if u ordered free items from the site these are eligable under the cashback offer

Parcels / Posting
If you have any parcels / post to go further afield check the Royal mail website.
Even posting locally, suggest getting the brown paper, bubble wrap now so its all ready

Stamps
Don't forget Superdrug sell stamps, local post offices, Boots, save queueing at the main post office

Christmas Cake
Nows the time to start thinking about the christmas cake, whether your buying or making your own.

Christmas Catalogues
a lot of the shops now have their Christmas stock being put out, and catalogues are slowly creeping in, thou at the mo its more stores, and on-line at mo.

Boots - Online 3 4 2, and items coming into store, if you order to collect in store, its a £2.95 charge unless the order is over £20

Wilkinsons - There xmas items coming in,

LLoyds Chemist - Online christmas catalogue available

Halfcost - There starting to bring Christmas items in, keep an eye out for the bargains

Argos - there changing there offers weekly, at the mo it appears to be a wednesday, don't forget the clearance section, as you can search your local store stock

Christmas List
Have a check to see what you need to buy, and for those who are organised, sounds daft, but make sure you know where they are... my loft eat 400 xmas cards!!

Christmas Cards
Split the list into families, / friends / work etc, any that need posting, eg a family, we tend to post all to one member + they forward on...

Where am I??????
I know sounds mad, but its worth checking with family as to whether you need to be somewhere, or your cooking Boxing day for 20....

At the end of all that, ladies we deserve a treat.... whether its a long soak in the bath, an interupted read, or that dvd... what ever the treat is, make sure we have a treat.

:santa2::santa2::santa2::santa2::santa2::santa2::santa2::santa2::santa2::santa2::santa2::santa2::santa2::santa2::santa2::santa2::santa2::santa2:

fedupandskint

Well thank you for this month's challenge.

I am nearly there with this one

I checked the freezer out today
Have plenty of cards and wrapping ready to go with bows and ribbons
Have stamps ready to go
Almost there with the cake ingredients
The lists are up to date for presents

Just need to start a food list then that's this month almost done - phew!

Thanks for the reminders about all of this, how helpful this challenge is, how helpful it is you running it, marvellous mum2one!

SugarSpun

Thank you mum2one :beer:

The Cleaning Challenge
We're running the freezer down before moving so have a freezerventory and a meal plan on the go :cool:

Food/freezer:cool:
Start a list
My list is on my backup hard drive - I hope.

Food/Meals
Not yet - once we move I'll stock up.

Christmas Cards / calenders / printables (vistaprint):A
Cards are packed, but I do need to find and write them at some point before my parents leave :eek:

Parcels / Posting
Stamps ordered to arrive with my mum so I can stamp everything before she leaves.

Christmas Cake
Not till moving, dagnabbit!

Christmas List
Two moving boxes

Christmas Cards
List is made

Where am I??????
We're planning a Festival of Leftovers on the 26th and inviting a lot of friends.

rufusdog52

Thanks for this months challenge Mum2one and Miss Hoodie xx



The Cleaning Challenge
Its Miss hoodies area - Clean the freezer and organise it, see how many half bags of the same things that are open!


We defrosted both our chest freezers last week before our big monthly shop came.


Start a list
- is there extras you need for Christmas, (anything like me last year trying to find Brandy sauce! some things sell out early), this way you can share the items between the shopping


We need to start a list, but we don't go overboard really as only us here. OH is off this year so will be a nice change.

Food/Meals
if you get chance to pop a few home made meals in the freezer, whether its cook a chilli, spag bol and add an extra portion, freeze that, or have a day of batch cooking and freezing them. That way if your running late, or anything you can chuck something into the microwave - got a home cooked meal.


I do this anyway, we all eat different meals and at different times so if I am cooking curry for OH then half goes in the freezer for another day.

Christmas Cards / calenders / printables (vistaprint):A
Vistaprint have started the free 10 cards, so if you need any personalised items start shopping now, and you can still take advantage of the 21 day postage.
If you order off an email - it has to be one email, can't pick and mix.
cashback site - topcashback, if u ordered free items from the site these are eligable under the cashback offer


I ordered all my Vistaprint stuff at the beginning of the year.

Parcels / Posting
If you have any parcels / post to go further afield check the Royal mail website.
Even posting locally, suggest getting the brown paper, bubble wrap now so its all ready


Dont have to post any parcels

Stamps
Don't forget Superdrug sell stamps, local post offices, Boots, save queueing at the main post office


I have started to buy a few second class stamps every now and then ready for the cards. I still need a few more though.

Christmas Cake
Nows the time to start thinking about the christmas cake, whether your buying or making your own.


Dont have Christmas cake

Christmas Catalogues
a lot of the shops now have their Christmas stock being put out, and catalogues are slowly creeping in, thou at the mo its more stores, and on-line at mo.


I have most of my gifts already so will just be stocking fillers really

Boots - Online 3 4 2, and items coming into store, if you order to collect in store, its a £2.95 charge unless the order is over £20


I want to have a look round Boots as I have a few points on my card to spend, I need some more bits for ED's hamper still

Christmas List
Have a check to see what you need to buy, and for those who are organised, sounds daft, but make sure you know where they are... my loft eat 400 xmas cards!!


I have my list on my spreadsheet and all the gifts are on top of my wardrobe.

Christmas Cards
Split the list into families, / friends / work etc, any that need posting, eg a family, we tend to post all to one member + they forward on...


I have all my cards bought ready

Where am I??????
I know sounds mad, but its worth checking with family as to whether you need to be somewhere, or your cooking Boxing day for 20....


We will be at home Christmas day, will probs go to my Dad's one of the days but don't know which day yet.

rufusdog52

I have got a bit further with the aran cardigan. I finished all the main pieces on Friday and then it was a case of sewing up the shoulders and picking up all the stitches for the rib around the front and neck. Blimey, that was a task and a half. I had to pick up over 300 stitches and then increase next row so there were over 370 stitches. The circular needles I had were rubbish and the ends kept falling off, I was getting in a right state with it. I had the wrong number of stitches and couldnt work out where I had gone wrong and couldn't get it to lay out properly so I could check due to the carp needles. Then I remembered OH had found my Mum's old box full of needles in the loft the other week so I had a look in there and there was a fab circular needle in there that the ends cant come off and the tips are metallic, not plastic. It took me a few hours to sort it all out but I managed it in the end. It is taking me half an hour to knit one row lol. But I only have two more rows to do then I can cast off and finish it.

I bought a couple of bits for ED's hamper over the weekend, a pair of those floppy slipper things from Primark and a nice bath soak. Not a lot but it will help fill it up.

susan42

Mum2one - great challenge as usual. Im upto date on pretty much all of it as with waiting for hospital need to be pretty organised.
Oh has booked lots of holidays, thought I`d need some recovery time, havent gone in yet so been shopping and organising for ages.

How did miss hoodies trip go, weather havent been the best has it? Suppose to be having a heat wave next week....:D

Rufus - think i`ll start collecting some stamps. And then I can put on cards ready to send, good idea.

lloyds chemist have got their christmas things in store, and boots have started their 3 for 2 items. But I worked out that somethings are cheaper without the box so might get them on 3 for 2 upto xmas and package them myself.

mary - sounds like you have a nice little amount of wrist warmers, i`m still knitting a scarf, the time its taken should be as long as dr whos...i keep taking it apart....

angela - you ok, you`ve gone very quiet


sugarspun/fedupand slkint - you seem to be well organised :T:T

mumof2 - welcome , i like the idea of a knitted hotwater bottle cover , mind you my knitting seems to leave alot to be desired

junior_j

Evening all , I am sure I joined this thread last year , can I join again too please . Already made a very teeny tiny dent on Christmas preparations but this thread gave me ALOT of encouragement last year! x