Old style Preparations for Christmas 2011!!

Icey77

Bobbykins wrote: »

If you can't lay your hands on any rafia, what about those stiff brown paper luggage labels tied on with string? - you know, like Paddington Bear has tied to his coat saying "Please look after this Bear" :cool::cool: (I think you can still buy these at the post office but not sure if they are expensive or not).
HTH

MandM90 wrote: »

...I thought it looked great and the kids must have enjoyed it but not sure if brown paper is even cheaper than wrapping these days?

WHS has the brown paper and the postage labels - make sure you look in the postage section (you know all the padded envelopes etc). Don't look in the wrapping paper section - the brown paper there is 1/3 of the length that you get in the postage section :mad:

MandM90

Am wondering if it's overly cheeky to ask close friends to collect them for me!!

salome

Hi
That's some major organisation going on there Flibsey. Well done.
Our local 'The Works', have The Take Away Secret book in their store. Haven't noted the price, because I already have the book. It's probably a good price though. If you have a store near you, might be worth taking a look :-)

x

Justamum

Flibsey wrote: »

books for hidden storage will come from the local council's free book shop.

How do you make the hidden storage then? I'm intrigued.

Memory_Girl

MandM90 wrote: »

Am wondering if it's overly cheeky to ask close friends to collect them for me!!

I get the same jars back every February for "recycling" - read "fillingup again" form all my friends and family.

Works for us - or maybe we are all just really frugal

MG

Flibsey

Justamum wrote: »

How do you make the hidden storage then? I'm intrigued.

well I'm making them hopefully by buying cheap cutlery storage boxes (small ones, wooden) getting hard back books of just a little bigger and removing the pages. glue in the box. paint the edges to look like pages done!

OR the cheaper way is to mark out a rectangle on the second page and then use a craft knife to cut a hole in each page. glue all pages together (except for the first page) and leave to dry. done!

katkins78

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

Joining this thread as we need another shoestring budget crimbo. Last year OH was redundant, but has been contracting since early this year. Current contract due to finish on mon if they can't find any other projects they want him to look at.
Last year we managed it and had a great time, so gonna prepare for it now in case and if he does get another contract (hopefully soon) its a bonus.
Either way it seems such a waste the amount we spent in previous years when last year was enjoyed by us all just as much so aiming for another MSE/old style crimbo. Got a few pressies already and have been buying morrisons savings stamps (had £100 last year which cost us £97) This means the week before christmas we can go as a family and the kids can get some treats for christmas (plus a bit of wine and a bottle of white rum for me and OH) and any fresh items we want such as bread/croissants, smoked salmon, prawns etc. I like to do the stamps thing as we can't then touch the money and its ready for our christmas shop no matter what.

Started to sort through the freezers to make space for home cooked goodies-had a stew yesterday in the SC from 18 month old stewing steak lol was yummy and full of home grown veggies. Kids and OH well pleased.

Anyway found a turkey in the bottom of the freezer it was one of those £8 offer ones from morrisons last year. We bought 2 one for christmas and one for new year, but never used the NY one. Wondering if it will be ok to use this year. I didn't freeze it myself it was ready frozen and has never been out of the bottom of the freezer. Like last year we will probably have a beef joint as well so it won't be the only meat. So do i use it or not?

Ali x

Shoe string Christmases rock! Cuts out a lot of the worst bits about Chrimbo- the queues and commercialism. All my childhood Christmases were shoestring, we didn't get a lot of presents but those that we did we loved and played with all day long. My niece, in contrast, had to open two enormous sackfuls of presents last year- she had sooo many that she actually started to look bored opening them! It's what you do together as a family that makes the day special, well that's what I think anyway!

I would definitely use the turkey. Write it down on your list...and then tick it off!

Merry_Wanderer

I like the book storage idea, I might try that myself. I only give a handful of gifts, and I think it will mostly be chutney and a little knitted item.

Well_Preserved

An economical chutney recipe as promised:

Pear [makes about 5 lb]
3 lb pears [1.4 kg] [peeled, cored, chopped]
1 lb cooking apples [450g] [peeled, cored, chopped]
1 lb onions [450g] [peeled & chopped]
squeeze of garlic puree or 1 - 2 cloves crushed garlic
1 lb raisins [450g]
Spices: 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp chilli or cayenne powder
1 tsp salt
Grated rind & juice of 2 lemons
1 lb soft brown sugar [450g]
1 pint [570 ml] distilled white vinegar [Mr T had a cheap one in]

Put everything except the sugar into a large pan. Stir together. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Reduce to a simmer, adding the sugar and continuing to stir occasionally until thick - maybe as long as 2 hours!Then place in hot, sterilised jars. Cover & seal then label when cold.

I'm thinking that pumpkin chutney would be cheap to make in October - can post a recipe if of interest? Also what about elderberry chutney? Have never tried it, mind you, but I do have a recipe.

Justamum

I've got a few shoe boxes which I don't like throwing out because I always think I could make something out of them. They're gathering up now though. I saw in a magazine a few years ago where they covered one in fabric inside and out, then made a roof so it looked like a house, then used it for make-up. I've been meaning to do one for ages for my DD for Christmas. I might do it this year. That will be one shoebox sorted anyway!