Thrify Gifty Santas Challenge 2013,

mum2one

back safe and sound, - sounds daft but felt lost without my internet - did get free wi-fi pub by the site, - but that broke!!!

Had a gd time, 1st week weather was lovely, changed the 2nd week, had rain till Thurs - hit and miss, more at ngt.

Been xmas shopping, - few little bits as Miss Hoodie made some friends at new school, thought get some bits ready.

Found a great little shop, but of a hit and miss shop, they had clearance boxes, - items 25p each, - brought 10 whicker baskets, found some new bits and brought some white china for Miss Hoodie to decorate with her friends - were having sleepovers!

Miss Hoodie is richer, she has the loose change and any winnings from 2p machines, - shes made £56 in 2 weeks!!

Me, I've been well behaved... boring!! thou have made £105 as a shut me up, stop me taking a complaint further - we helped my uncle out with buying hoover - he doesn't have a credit or debit card, - doesn't believe in them - £199 for hoover - the company kept debiting the back account, - took 2 lots of money (lucky the other 3 requests got turned down!!), - so after a week of calls - load of false promises - theyve given me £105 to cover my costs....- In one hand out the other - as the bloke whos setting up the netbooks that be £70 and £90...

The cooker saga - new cooker came - bottom oven doesn't work - the manufacturer said just use the top oven!! So they were due to swop it over Tues (luckly neighbour has a key!), - they came but had no new cooker so went away, - rearranged for Fri - they came took the dodgy cooker, - then told the neighbour - sorry we stopped selling that cooker -

I had to ring the company - the only reception I could get was lay upside on the bed, with my head hanging off the foot end!! - All apologies, - but Argos stopped selling that cooker..... but don't worry your get your money back in 7 to 10 days!!

Now we have a lovely gap.......

If I ever come off holiday and there is nothing that needs sorting out - be a miracle - so were all on diets!! or microwave meals.

Give you a laugh - went to go to Craft and Food Fayre at Conwy, - 10am start - was on Wed/sat - so Thurs was 1st good day, Miss hoodie went to the fair with grandad hoodie - she even got him on the roller coaster..... so we went Thurs - got there at 9.30am, (plan was drop me at the fayre, dad go and park, - there was nothing there - they hadn't got anything set up, turned the car around and went back....

Digressing again - you know we all had major hassle with the head of school that we moved Miss Hoodie from - I put in complaint - followed their procedures.... got a letter from chair of govs - full of apologies, how many errors had been made, totally unacceptable, was the head and the business mgr at fault!! - shouldn't happened, - blah, blah, blah, - that when the school goes back in September - the head will be writing a formal letter of apology............ I couldn't wished for anything better, he'll be chokeing on every word. xx

mum2one

Apologies for the delay - the plan was to get it on while away.... all great plans, so were being gentle and making this a little one

Birthday
Hopefully, we're all well ahead with thr birthday list for this year, so were going to get organised for 2014....... just something simple to start us off, names, budgets, and this gives us chance to add births on from this yr

Also check theres no surprises left for this yr, (someones 18 or 21)

Also chance to check whether there are any special bdays next yr - 18, 21, 50, 60 etc...

=Bargain Buy=
We're all great bargain hunters - so hunt the charity shops, car boots, - see what bargains you can find - the only criteria - you must be able to use it for a bday/xmas present.

=Christmas Planning=
Hopefully were getting there and are slowly getting through our to do lists, - sit yourself down, glass of wine and review these to see how you need to do and break these down into months.

=Christmas Cards
Run through your list,
- do you need special cards (mother, father, daughter, son etc0
- loose cards - how many do you need,
-check your address list is it up to date...
-Stamps - this is the bit I hate - the cost of the stamp! - how many stamps do I need.
-Posting abroad - haven't found a list yet, - but if you have to post to Australia, - thats usually the 1st to be posted...

Lovely summer weather
Keep the wets ready and hopefully we'll have the sun back again, - if your planning trips, pop a water proof in the car and some drinks, (small cool bag pre-made squash) saves the pennies!!

=Miss Hoodies corner
The element of Santas challenge we all relish.... !!

Find one room, cupboard, store area - and gut it to within a inch of the walls, - be ruthless -

=Money=
Car boot
Not all car boots are 5.30am starts.... but if your feeling brave do a carboot, - even better find someone to come with you so you can share the price and at least your have a 2nd pair of eyes (also a cover for the table if you need the loo!!) or ebay, facebook groups if you dont fancy the early start!!


Dont forget a treat, even if it is 30 mins with a book, a face masque, a cream cake.... xx

susan42

Wb mum2one - you been missed x thank you for challenge will pop in later for a good catch up x

rufusdog52

Hi everyone, welcome back Mum2one, glad you got some bargains on your holiday.

Have another link for you all

http://www.allfreesewing.com/Christmas-Sewing/Lace-Angels/ml/1

mrs-moneypenny

morning all
welcome back mum2one and miss hoodie, sounds like you need another holiday to get over the trauma and stress the last couple of weeks have been full of. thank you for the lists ill come back in a bit and get myself sorted out.
rufus thank you for that link, it has some brilliant things on.

EchoDelta

mum2one wrote: »

Miss Hoodie is richer, she has the loose change and any winnings from 2p machines, - shes made £56 in 2 weeks!!

Wow what a great result!! Well done her!!

Peppapig

Thanks Rufus for the additional links - you must spend ages looking and we get the benefit. :T

Welcome back Mum2one, your life is definitely eventful - love the idea of you hanging off the bed to get reception . Talking of cost of stamps for cards etc., reminded me that one painful thing we learnt last year was to send Christmas pressies to rellies in New Zealand by surface mail in September instead of by air mail in November. Last year it cost approx. £14 to send two tee-shirts that cost only about £12 to buy!!! It then cost another £14 to send a sweatshirt and baseball cap for a birthday in January! Last posting dates list isn't out for this year yet on Royal Mail website but I'm going to assume it's mid-September and get things sent off early this year (going to combine Christmas and birthday pressies in one package too to boost the savings).

Have the urge to do hampers this year and have seen some lovely baskets etc to use - all need to fall into our £5/person or £10/couple limit of course .

mum2one

A good day today - got £105 - as a goodwill gesture and to cover costs over the hoover saga - worked out very well as just cost £80 to have Miss Hoodies netbook and mine all set up and sorted!

The cooker, i got through to a really nice manager at argos - he really went out of his way to help, new cooker est delievery 14days - going to push to get it sooner and also knocked £30 off it as a goodwill gesture.

Gutted Miss Hoodies bedroom (feels like its a regular job!!) - its looks really tidy, - 4 carrier bags of rubbish, 2 bags of stuff for car boot and 1 bag full for her friend.

Rest of week
Finish my room - given away old computer, put hol stuff away,
Gut dining room (best we can)
Have Miss Hoodies friend for sleepover - hoping we have a dry day, plan to be mse and take them pond dipping and for a picnic! - otherwise microwave meals all round...

Started my shopping sort out, - best bargain brand new cross stitch kit, rose - 25p.. xx

rufusdog52

Are you doing the cross stitch yourself Mum2one? Sounds like you did well with the rest of it moneywise.

OH's brithday today, made him a cake in the week, very MSE as had everything left over from YD's cake as in sugar, flour etc, even had a pack of black icing left over and some white writing icing so covered the cake in the black and iced sha...ting on the top (he is Keigh Lemon crazy lol) then stuck some chocolate drops round the outside, looks fab. He hasnt seen it yet, surprise for today although he knows he has a cake.

Had fright last night, went up to wrap up his presents and remembered I hadnt bought him a birthday card!!! Eeek, came down and owned up and was told I had better get up town this morning to get one then lol. Woke up early this morning and was laying in bed wondering if I had anything left I could make one out of as have got rid of most of my card making stuff. Looked in spare room and round 1 piece of a4 card left over so folded that in half, then went on lap top and printed out some bits on photo paper and stuck them on and made a card to match the cake. Even found some silver numbers that you stick on cards so managed to put his age on lol. Will save me a trip up town.

Meeting his Mum up the station lunchtime then going out for lunch, then back to ED's house as its GD's birthday today too so taking her bits round and having tea party there, then coming back for bit before going out for the evening to the pub.

mrs-moneypenny

morning all
cross stitch kit sounds a brill bargain mum2one

rufus glad you had enough bits in to make the card.

MUST sort mum and step mums cards out this week and get them posted!