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

rufusdog52

Hi Teabythesea, welcome to the thread, you got a bargain with the dvd xx

Mum2one, sorry for your loss, well done on the assignment xx

I have finished all my work, doing the sofa and the wallpapering, there are some photos on my blog xx

teabythesea

Phew, been wrapping all morning! Will have to make a trip to tesco tonight for some ribbons. I picked up two large sheets of bows, 18 on each sheet for £3! in Clintons. All their wrapping is buy one get one half price, so 36 bows for £3 is a bargain in my eyes. I'm using a lovely russian doll wrapping paper from ASDA £1 for 3M I think. I do have a slight obsession with wrapping though, I've been known to cut a square of my wrapping paper to colour match bows and ribbons

mum2one

Morrrisons have half price on wrapping paper and tags. xx

mary-op

Hello all :j

mum2one - sorry to hear about your back. Why didn't the NHS walk in xray it or something ? Just take it easy and don't make it worse:)

Looked at stuff to be wrapped and need another shoe box to cover :eek: I'm so behind its unbelievable ! This has got to be the most disorganised christmas I've had !
Lacking a shoe box I gave up on the wrapping and started covering kitchen lampshade number 2.........didn't get it done as ran out or glue ! Just one of those days...........even have to think what day it is. For all the world I thought it was Wednesday !! Poor little brain cells................lol:rotfl:
Builder should have been here and hasn't.......will I get a downstairs loo by Christmas or are we talking next Easter ??

Hope you're all ok........good to see you all so busy:)

1more?

"hi all, may i join you

i used to love xmas but the last few yrs felt like a chore, im determinded to get the spirit back & also do it as money saving as possible

i have 3 children, dd1 14, ds 9 & dd2 12 months

dd1 wants an ipad 2 not got & still need to get other stuff pjs, stocking fillers & outfit
ds a scooter that £150 - changed mind now wants a kinect needs stocking fillers & outfit too
dd2 will be having way less than £100 her main pressie will be a dolls pram & dolly, i vowed with dd2 i wasnt going to spoil her with stuff like i did with the older 2 & they have so much off family they really dont need lots off me - just a few stocking fillers to get

i also buy for family
dh - £100 - £150 - got nothing ?
sis £60 - £75 - done
newphew £15 - got tesco vouchers to exchange for him
cousins x 5 (cut out a few but not these ones) between £5 & £10 each
cousin 1 : 20 yr old girl ?
cousin 2 14 yr boy ?
same family above & auntie spends loads on us
cousin 3 12yr old girl ?
cousin 4 8yr old girl ?
cosin 5 6 yr old girl ?
mam £30 - done
dad & wife £30 - done got joint gardening box
dh`s dad & wife £20 -no idea
nan - photo calender of children £15 - i had a photo done waiting for it to come back but need to buy something else small ?
auntie - bottle of wine £15 still need

im thinking tops £1500 & i dont have that much so i need you helpful ladies to help me out please"

hi again all i wrote the above back in august now we are in nov & i still feel i have a million things to do & im getting really stressed :(:(:(
some swine stole dh car so we had to use any money we had for a new car although insurance paid out by the time we paid excess we had to put money towards a new car
please can u see where i can save money & give me ideas im so stressed by it all i cant see the wood for trees
thank you

SugarSpun

1more? the way I would approach your list is to think in terms of what I would like to get for each person and how to get it as cheaply as possible, rather than a cash budget. Then look for discount codes and cashback to make sure you're getting the best deal for your money.

And for next year, start planning earlier. If you get stuff for your parents/sister/cousins/nephew/in-laws/aunt/nan/husband/stocking fillers for the kids during the year then you don't have all the gifts piling up at once and all needing attention in November and December.

cdsmiler

Anglea wrote: »

During being awol from here, I've been making a gift for a friend it's nearly finished and started my cards, brought some advance food for freezer and cupboards (hiding them in my bedroom away from DS1 who'll eat anything that isn't nailed down).

Clare I remember your posts ages ago about the advent calendar and now you're making it. Doesn't time fly!

Hey Angela! What did you make??
Yep, it's well underway - lots of sewing this week, but think I should get it done in time for the 1st!!

mary - lampshade: fab suggestions from Angela - can't beat that!

Sugarspun - blimey, glad I missed the bargains you saw on Amazon!!

rufus - I've not wrapped anything but OH has!!! Shock! lol Planning to do some this Friday evening, but will also be busy making a cake and butter icing ready for a Cake Decorating workshop I'll be attending this Saturday! OH is out for a few hours Friday, so I'll wrap some of his stuff then. To be fair, you've been busy with other stuff so not surprised you haven't started wrapping yet! I am very impressed by your sofa!

mum2one - Big hugs for you and Miss Hoodie! Hope you're both feeling better soon. And RIP Meg. So sad.

teabythesea - WELCOME!!!! And thanks for mentioning the Bourne Ultimation on Blu ray - OH having a BR player this xmas so that set might be an option. Good luck on making your advent calendar - would be great to see once you've made it? Going to post pictures of mine up here once mine's done.

1more? - Welcome back!! Search for bargains online. Ebay is great - just because it's on there doesn't mean it's second hand! And Sugar Spun is right - look at the item, not the cost.

OH came back with rolles of wrapping paper from B&M on Monday, so we're all stocked up on wrapping paper! Advent calendar coming along nicely - though would have been nice to have had it almost done for this Friday - was going to get my Mum to use her sewing machine to attach a backing bit of material and to help make the 'tube' at the top of the piece of dowel (still to get) ready for hanging!

Hope you're all good!

Clare x

mary-op

Hello all :j
Angela - I passed on the bead idea - lampshades were a bit hard to get a needle through. Anyway, I managed to get all the material to fit so it looks like folds are meant to be there and tidied up the edges with some tape I had that toned in with some of the leafy pattern. So, well happy with that. Then I covered a little box I found thats just right for little grandsons 'christmas in a box' -grow your own tree, fake snow (both in cans) and xmas decorations -still bit of room for choccy santas to go in.:)

Builders showed up today so might get the downstairs loo this year..................lol:rotfl:

Did such a stupid thing last night when I logged off...........instead of switching computer off I put it into 'hibernation'................lol Now I can't find all my favourites :eek:How daft can you be...........lol
Mind you, some had been there ages and needed deleting its just that some I can't bloomin' remember now:mad:

1more- welcome. This lot are such a help-so organised (unlike myself).......lol

mrs-moneypenny

update for my homemade christmas list:eek:
handbag for sisters birthday finished
brothers twins born 13 weeks early done both cardis, blankets and a couple of hats each
friends 50th finished pressie (needlecase) and made a tudor costume to wear fro her fancy dress party
dad and step mum cross stitched orca framed and ready to wrap
my mum, tapestry cushion havent even started --abandoned will do another time
youngest wants a green knitted bear not started
hiacynths for the 3 grandmas now back in house greening up hamper for my mum, finished also got a stash to give to school hamper collections
christmas cake and pudding MADE
hope everyone is more on track than me, also just remembered sock monkey were mentioned by both my sons and i need to knit about 30 mini stocking for my class at school and make stuff for the high school christmas craft fair cheated and picked up ready made christmas bookmarks to give 'my class' but still knitting mini stockings for the big school christmas craft fayre

knitting ds a pair of wrist warmers for now as its getting colder and hopigh to deliver my mums sisters and brothers familie pressies this weekend to clear some space so thats all wrapped just got to write cards

everyone lse sounds much more organised than me

cdsmiler

Oh SugarSPun, what have I done?! lol Just bought a glow cuddly alien from Toy Story from Amazon's Black Friday event (RRP of £22.99, reduced to £7.99, plus I had £2 worth of vouchers so £5.99....yes, this is me justifying it!!) and in the waiting list to hopefully get the Toy Story boxset on bluray for £10!!!

ARggghhhh!!! lol

Edited to say that I got the Bluray set too!! lol

Clare x