Christmas is coming! 2007 - merged thread

Roz_V

Thought I'd revive this from the depths of the forum (pg 10 :rotfl: )

REALLY need help still...

I've made my mum's basket up but it looks really really bare! I'll post a pic later to show you, but its a large wicker basket from Poundland, probably 50cmx40cm and quite deep. I've put in it a large bath sheet from Primark £7, a white scented candle £1.50 from Au Naturale, Some Chocs from Boots (Free with AC Points, should be £5), a mini bottle of wine £1.50 and a White Collection Soap bought in the Boots sale for £1.50, reduced from £5. I need a couple of fairly chunky bits to fill the void but I'm really limited on budget now so must be cheap. Also, must be white/black/posh looking!!! Any ideas?

Also, have no idea for a family present for a 25yo colleague, her 27yo partner, and boys 6yo and 3 month... They're quite a hippyish/eco-friendly... budget of £5-£10...

And exFIL, budget of around £10, though I'm not so worried by this one as I'll no doubt get a copy of his Xmas list a week beforehand :mad:

Sallys_Savings

Roz_V wrote: »

Thought I'd revive this from the depths of the forum (pg 10 :rotfl: )

REALLY need help still...

I've made my mum's basket up but it looks really really bare! I'll post a pic later to show you, but its a large wicker basket from Poundland, probably 50cmx40cm and quite deep. I've put in it a large bath sheet from Primark £7, a white scented candle £1.50 from Au Naturale, Some Chocs from Boots (Free with AC Points, should be £5), a mini bottle of wine £1.50 and a White Collection Soap bought in the Boots sale for £1.50, reduced from £5. I need a couple of fairly chunky bits to fill the void but I'm really limited on budget now so must be cheap. Also, must be white/black/posh looking!!! Any ideas?

Also, have no idea for a family present for a 25yo colleague, her 27yo partner, and boys 6yo and 3 month... They're quite a hippyish/eco-friendly... budget of £5-£10...

And exFIL, budget of around £10, though I'm not so worried by this one as I'll no doubt get a copy of his Xmas list a week beforehand :mad:

How about a fleece blanket?...a homemade wheat heat bag?...a pillow/cushion..sorry trying to think of something thats chunky lol

mooosh

How about a spongey/scrubby thing, manicure set, mug/hot choc sachets, bath pillow, slippers, pyjamas ...

cheekyweegit

Roz_V wrote: »

Thought I'd revive this from the depths of the forum (pg 10 :rotfl: )

REALLY need help still...

I've made my mum's basket up but it looks really really bare! I'll post a pic later to show you, but its a large wicker basket from Poundland, probably 50cmx40cm and quite deep. I've put in it a large bath sheet from Primark £7, a white scented candle £1.50 from Au Naturale, Some Chocs from Boots (Free with AC Points, should be £5), a mini bottle of wine £1.50 and a White Collection Soap bought in the Boots sale for £1.50, reduced from £5. I need a couple of fairly chunky bits to fill the void but I'm really limited on budget now so must be cheap. Also, must be white/black/posh looking!!! Any ideas?

Also, have no idea for a family present for a 25yo colleague, her 27yo partner, and boys 6yo and 3 month... They're quite a hippyish/eco-friendly... budget of £5-£10...

And exFIL, budget of around £10, though I'm not so worried by this one as I'll no doubt get a copy of his Xmas list a week beforehand :mad:

Hiya,

For your mums - what about sticking in a pair of jammies or a nightshirt from Primark since you have one close to you? Cost around £4 although our Primark had some red tartan style jammies for £2 the other day so you could maybe add red into it too, and it would still look nice.

Big box of matches for the candles (most folks love candles, and folks often give them as gifts but forget they need to be lit, so I include the matches too).

Also, a bulky thing to add - bag of cotton wool balls, or roll of cotton wool, some face cream / cleanser / toner from say Boots or Superdrug and a face mask or two so it turns it into a slobbing out kit, sorry pampering basket.

You could also add, emery boards and a bottle of nail varnish along with nail varnish remover that way it's another use for the cotton wool balls.

Your hippy friends, not sure if there would be enough time, but could you order them a cheap compost bin? Think they were from wasteaware.co.uk or something similar. I think there was a post on here somewhere for them.

Their kids - go for jammies for the youngest, but in a bigger size, say 6-9 months or even 9-12 months, again you can pick up a pack at Primark or even Asda if you have one close for a few pounds.

The older child, arts and craft stuff, even if it's just a big colouring book, pens and such like. It will keep him amused for hours and might even help the parents out as they are dealing with the little one. Magic sets are also very good and you can usually pick up one for £5 or less for a little one or Tesco sell the travel games as do Woolies for not much money.

You might even be able to pick up something for them all in Boot's utilising the 3 for 2 offers. Worth a nosy.

Finally what about Sainsbury's, there is another post on here saying all their toys are half price until I think it's tomorrow so you might be able to pick up a bargain from there for a few pounds.

Link for Sainsbury's thread:-

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=603405

The father in law - get him a copy of Shrek 3, think it's around £9 in Asda / Tesco just now. If he doesn't like it I'm sure you will, failing that I know I'd appreciate it! :rolleyes:


Hope this helps and I'll dig around to find out the compost bin thingy and when I find it I'll edit my post ok.

Edit - here's the Link for the compost bin, but can only find a Scottish One so it's maybe only in Scotland, but click on the red home composting - order your bin online link at the bottom of the page and it will take you to another page where you put in your postcode, this then takes you to the different bins and their costs. Cheapest is £6. I don't know any English post codes to try to see if the page would redirect you to the English equivalent if there is one.

http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/in_your_area/in_your_area_1.html

r.mac_2

what about a plain white mug with some sachets of hot choc,

A black photframe - matalan had lots of things like this when i was last in.

Big thick woolly socks?

What about picking up a glass jar from somewhere - like an IKEA kilner type and fill it with value cotton wool and cotton buds?

Mrs7ones

If we need to buy a present for a 'family', rather than trying to get them all individual things, we buy a game they can all play.
Something like 'Mousetrap' or 'Operation', or even a DVD game......

The family can all play it over christmas, and then the kids will play it for the rest of the year.

amandathepanda1

Yep - got 90% of my Xmas shopping done.

Got some personalised calendars and powerboat experiences gifts (see post here), and rest from Ebuyer, Argos and Toys R us.

Just a couple left!

:rotfl: aaahhhhh the stress has gone .......... :rotfl:

computerwoman

Hi guy's and gal's thanks for all the support well I have been busy...not only have I finished my DS's bedroom but I have also cleared my front garden back breaking work what I did was cut some spare lino up to fit my leg's from the knee down abit like cricket shin pads duct taped some foam inside then taped them around my trouser's on my leg's and hey presto I can crawl around the garden like a two year old on speed...so that's the garden done for this year...so heare's the firesurround finished...hope you like it as I am well chuffed with it...merry christmas everyone...:D:j

if I have learned one thing about being disabled it's not letting thing's get you down...and try doing thing's alittle at a time...then you can build up to doing other thing's...I don't let my disability get me down...one day I may even go back to work it'll have to be a desk job but one day is what I am aiming at...good luck everyone and cheer's

sukysue

Cpw my best friend has just got a job after being on incapacity for 13 yrs so don't give up hope if she can do it ..... btw how did you do the fire surround I would love to do something like that for mine but haven't got the foggiest idea how to do it or with what or indeed what did you even paint it with ? Am thinking it loosk so brilliant well done to you!

computerwoman

Hi sukysue MDF I had some 1" thick left over so mused about what I could do with it...then got another which was 6mm thick quite thin....about this thin___ some 11/2" screw's and some panel pin's white under coat and cream gloss from co-op called johnson's cream fudge...all I did was measure the lenght of the fire from left to right then the height of where I wanted it to stop as I needed to leave some space under the top for the control's on the gas fire (that I don't actually use) :rotfl:and some at the side but at the back for the re-set button...then I measured it out on the MDF got a jigsaw and cut it then got an electric planer and planed it..then came the tricky part I put the bottom piece (hearth) on the floor and measured the side (width) left-right which was 5" then the lenght with my son holding the top against the wall then measured the fire and then got a pencil and drawed it on the thin piece of MDF then cut 2 piece's out with the jigsaw and planed it...then brougth it back in and put it up against the wall with fire inside to see if it fit which it did...then I measured the inside's of the frame and cut 2 piece's out of the 1" MDF I had left and under neath the top and down the outer side'a so this was all 1" MDF then I glued side's to the back and panel pinned it then the inside's and panel pinned these then the under side then turned it over and glued and panel pinned the other side to all of that that was already on...then I brougth the whole thing in and sat the hearth down put the middle piece on and worked out where it would go so I could get to the re-set button once I was satisfied I could get into the knob's I marked it with a pencil then pre-drilled the hole's turned up side down and glued and screwed it together then put it back on the wall and fitted the top in the same way...the I put decorator's chalk over each screw to hide them undercoated it then glossed it then once it was dry I put 2 mirror bracket's on the back of the top (mantle) and fixed them to the wall...all safe and all with the help of my dear son without whom I could not have done it as he did all the lifting and carrying...

MDF come's in 8' x 4' sheet's it cost me all in all £57.50
1"MDF £25
6mm MDF + 2.5 litre tin of white undercoat £21
screw's I had in
panel pin's and mirror bracket's £1.50
2.5 litre gloss paint cream fudge £10
and out of that I made the firesurround a loft hatch as the old one kept blowing off and a worktop in my DS's bedroom...

not bad going..hope this help's cw:D