Thrifty Gifty Santas Challenge 2014

mrs-moneypenny

DundeeDoll wrote: »

mrsmoneypenny "2014 wooligan stuff - 28 hedgehogs" I am intrigued!

wooligans is the group of us on the knit a square thread we knit sew and make things for good causes and charities. so far this year ive knitted 28 little hedgehogs, i send them to another member of the thread who then sews them up stuffs them and adds features they then get given to a hedgehog sanctuary near where she lives to raise much needed funds.

mum2one

Santas Challenge April...

Apologies for the delay, but as they say normal services resumed.

Mobile Phones
Don't worry not asking everyone to get a new phone, (although Miss Hoodie wouldn't say no to an iphone5S....)

Telephone Numbers - Have a check through your phone to make sure everyone is up to date, and if you have more than one phone - check this as well, its also worth having a copy of the numbers somewhere else (back of a diary etc)

May Bank Holiday
We get spolit in May with 2 Bank holidays, so worth keeping an eye out for offers espically if your doing any DIY - as well as summer offers (furniture, BBQs, Suntan lotions etc

Birthday Lists
Again with Bank hols if you need to post a card allow an extra day or so, - may be worth checking the list to see if there are any adjustments you need to do, eg - youve given a present and it looks too much for what you would normally have spent, then this way you can take off the next person and use it elsewhere;)

Money
The magic word, what makes the word go round, - I know we usually start the new year with the good intentions, whether that to be use more cashback sites, complete the surveys, list items on eBay, so have a review to where you are and set yourself a new challenge -
- List 10 items on eBay
-Go through cashback sites and re-do all the free money ones
-Write an extra 10 reviews if you do the review a item etc sites
-Check if your bank account has any new cashback deals (that seems to be flavour of the mth with the banks
-Make sure you use your loyalty cards, and if you haven't got one get it, even if it only a shop you use ocassionally, every penny helps
-Lighter weather, - have a look for change that has been dropped

Christmas
There are some great ideas coming out for Christmas, have a review of your Christmas list, how is the budget coming along, - see how much you need to finish the list off.

Miss Hoodies corner
The part of the challenge that we love!!! :D:D:D, Miss Hoodie has decided that this months cleaning challenge is the freezer.... this way we can get it defrosted and sorted before the warmer weather. Hopefully there be no brussel sprouts lurking around. Check the items that you have labelled otherwise you might find a surprise or 2

Cookery Challenge - 2 parter
I know we have done this before, but thought we could have some fun, - grab any cookbook pick a page and see what surprises you are having for tea or could that be breakfast...

Part 2 - (nice part) - Miss Hoodie wants to make this a competation, so if the mystery meal is done by 23rd May, and a description on here, - then the one that she likes the sound of - there is a prize, a little gift we got in India.

Holidays
This may seem an odd one, - but if you are going away and have booked from a brochere, (keep a copy) a website (print the page), even if you have to keep them for 12 mths - if there is anything that is wrong then you have the back up of the paperwork.... They tried to charge us £5 a day for a fridge for our room (14ngts), luckly I had taken the brochere so was able to argue the fridge - within 5 mins a fridge was delievered....


=Family / Friend swop
This may sound mad, but grab an afternoon or a night together as a family or group of friends whether it be a swop around clothes so you a new outfit, book swop, an iou - swop a skill... whether that be you get a good gossip and you may even get a new outfit

New Task for the month
Here we go add a new task to the challenge, whether it is something you want to carry on or just do for the month, whether it is make an effort to check online banking, or remember to put hand cream on, save 50ps - anything goes

Again apologies for the delay, but as always treat it as a pick and mix and have fun xx

susan42

Thank you as ever for the challenge Mum2one

Glad you had a good (sort) holiday, hope you sort the bugs out soon. Sorry I been absent ( smacked wrists) I opened an etsy shop, not had any sales, but it keeps me busy as I`ve listed the items on eBay and had about 10 sales.

Hope you all keeping well. I`ve made so many changes in my life, that I'm forgetting who I am...all for the positive I think

I took your advice on the mystery meal mum2one.. I opened my new cook book and it was a quorn pasta thing.
Never ate quorn in my life but what the h*&l ... anything for a change. I got the chicken pieces quorn and threw in pasta, mushrooms, onions, sweetcorn, mozzarella and cheddar cheese and it was quite tasty. Not sure I`d eat it again, but think I`ll do the mystery cook once a week for a change. I'm doing one tomorrow....take OH to m& s and tell him to pick a main, i`ll get the side and we can fight over the desert

Ive allocated all my DIY so that's covered

fleabay is changing some rules. They`re giving you 20 items free at any price for listing so that could be a bonus to me I hope, we`ll see

As regards christmas, I`ve got my list of cards and as I have completed all the birthday cards. I started the xmas cards...hope to give more to charity this year

And talking about charity, I nearly fell on the floor last week, went in a charity shop, they had a blouse for £ 90, secondhand, a bag for £50 and a coat for £49, am I missing something, its cheaper to shop on fleabay with the postage

Anglea

Hi all

Looks like I spoke too soon on my last post about mum2one not having any holiday dramas lol

What did the stalkers do?

Thanks for the new meal idea. Strangely enough like Susan, I did a Quorn meal the other day I've not tried - the mince, but I won't use this for the challenge.

Susan - can you tell us some of the changes you've made?

Those were stupid prices for a charity shop, I agree.

So you've found he Etsy shop no good but Ebay is working for you instead for the same items?

I've never bought or sold anything yet. I used to get fed up doing it for son - going to the post office with items I could hardly carry so never tried it for myself.

Are you writing the Christmas cards now or making them?

I've got DS2 here at the moment, I'm cooking lunch.

The funeral on Monday went very well all things considering and I had a most unusual conversation afterwards with a retired vicar.

He is supermarket bargain king!!! Told me the way he gets his shopping for free at Waitrose and Tescos. However, it all sounded so complicated that it went over my head.

rufusdog52

Hi everyone, had a lovely break at the weekend with the family. And guess what, on Saturday I actually learned how to swim!! I was swimming back and forward across the pool with the kids. Then Sunday we went again and somehow I had lost all my confidence and wouldnt let go of the sides lol. I was so disappointed with myself. I have just bought myself a book for my Kindle and after a quick browse it looks like I might have been trying to run before I could walk (or swim before I could sink lol). I need to learn how to get more confident in the water, I cant put my face under, and havent got the foggiest idea how to right myself if I start to go under, I just end up panicking.

OH came to pick me up on Monday and we all stayed down there for a few hours which was nice, we have booked up to go again same time next year, and he is coming too this time. While I was away he had bought some new flooring (laminate) for our front room, said he had started laying it but wasnt doing a very good job of it so had left it for me to help him so we brought the two grandsons back with us and we all started doing the floor when we got home. Took up all he had put down and started afresh and managed to get a corner done, was a lot of cutting as it was around the fire place. Tuesday I had hospital in the morning then we came back and did some more, was slow going getting the cutting done but once past the fireplace the rest was pretty straightforward. Ran out at the edge so had to go and get another box full but its done now. Just need to do the edging round the room, looks really nice.

Yesterday I went to my Aunty's funeral, was very sad but nice to see my cousins again, hadnt seen some for over 30 years!

YD had her scan this morning, fingers crossed everything looks ok with this pregnancy so far, there was a heart beat showing up. She sent me a photo, looks well cute.

Tomorrow I will be helping the other daughter move house. I am going to be up the new place (just round the corner from me) with the eldest grandson and my granddaughter.

I havent had any time at all for crafting or anything like that and cant see me having time for a while yet, just too many other things going on.

Sorry if I dont comment on everyone, my post has been quite long already. Hope you are all well xxx

mum2one

Angela - you know me I dont do things by half, stalker no 1 spent 2 1/2hrs staring into the bedroom, at 1st i thought he was talking to someone as my room was by the main entrance, - but when went round the side to sit on the balcony he followed me round there, moved to the steps, (followed me there), then I thought read on bed, - next thing he was staring in thou the bedroom windows.

Other stalkers - they were in dining rooms, they kept following the British woman and the kids, - this one bloke moved table 3 times (noticed dodgy) stood behind him and his eye line view was right at Miss Hoodie and this little girl who was sat with us.

The week before we went out, one British family, - their daughter (15yrs old) had been stalked by a "Indian guy" - and he had over 100 photos of her on his mobile from her around the pool....

So it was an experience.

--
Lesley That was good that you got to swim across, sorry the confidence went, but sounds a massive achievement, - are you going to try again, may be worth looking around as some council pools do learn to swim for adults.
--
4 hours spent today at hospital with Miss Hoodie, took her for a check up with her allergies, - as she had an allergy attack on the plane with a strawberry (lucky a mild attack), they've now given her epi-pens, go back next week for more testing.

rufusdog52

mum2one wrote: »

Angela - you know me I dont do things by half, stalker no 1 spent 2 1/2hrs staring into the bedroom, at 1st i thought he was talking to someone as my room was by the main entrance, - but when went round the side to sit on the balcony he followed me round there, moved to the steps, (followed me there), then I thought read on bed, - next thing he was staring in thou the bedroom windows.

Other stalkers - they were in dining rooms, they kept following the British woman and the kids, - this one bloke moved table 3 times (noticed dodgy) stood behind him and his eye line view was right at Miss Hoodie and this little girl who was sat with us.

The week before we went out, one British family, - their daughter (15yrs old) had been stalked by a "Indian guy" - and he had over 100 photos of her on his mobile from her around the pool....

So it was an experience.

--
Lesley That was good that you got to swim across, sorry the confidence went, but sounds a massive achievement, - are you going to try again, may be worth looking around as some council pools do learn to swim for adults.
--
4 hours spent today at hospital with Miss Hoodie, took her for a check up with her allergies, - as she had an allergy attack on the plane with a strawberry (lucky a mild attack), they've now given her epi-pens, go back next week for more testing.

That sounds really frightening with the stalkers mum2one. I would have been well scared. It would have put me right off. Yes I am going to have another go at swimming. I am determined to do it. I am having a minor open on Tuesday so will wait till the week after when the stitches come out and try again xx

susan42

Rufus - well done on the learning to swim :T thats excellent, can only be a matter of time. I can swim but hate getting water on my face so I never go

Mum2one - what you like, they were not stalkers , they were men wanting to trade camels and other goods with you, must have been worrying though. Hope your bugs get better soon

Angela - hi. Yes the changes I have made, i turned vegetarian feel better in myself. Stopped taking all the meds the hospital want me to take, they were trialing me. Asked could I have a break. Made a action plan to pay my debts off instead of burying my head in the sand. Stopped going for coffee i feel obliged to and use any free time for the ones that are true friends. Its true you can count your friends on one hand.
And have learned not to be so frustrated and annoyed with myself because I cant do anything I want. I have learnt a lesson , if your struggling to walk, don't, sit a wheelchair. It has all made a massive difference to my life. I am like a different person I been told. As I was usually looking worn out and tired.

I also craft when I want and read a book or just sit and do nothing lol I think that's about it

Hope your all having a good holiday week end.

mum2one

Hope everyone had a gd bank hol weekend, we went up North Wales, really nice break, thou but chilly, I got some bargains from the market, (trs £5, hoodie £5), and Miss hoodie had afternoon yesterday at the fair with grandad hoodie, who decided he was going on a roller coaster.......

All come back with the sniffles....

miss Hoodie had dentist today for filling, (did well), then hospital 2mor for more allergy tests for her...

Lesley Hope the op went ok.

SusanSounds like a great plan, and def agree re wheelchair, I couldn't manage airports without wheelchair assistance, and mobility scooters to get out and about on, xx

mrs-moneypenny

morning all
sorry i havent posted for a while, i have been reading.
hope all are well
another holiday drama for you mum2one, thankfully you are both ok and enjoyed the most part of it.
thank you for the challenges
leslie, i hope everything went well for you