Thrifty Gifty Santas Challenge 2014

mrs-moneypenny

morning all
hope everyone is well
good news about granddad hoodie - hope the treatment goes well for him and is successful
Dh told me what hes like for chrimbo and his birthday so all have been ordered
DS2 told me his wish item, will be ordered this week.
think DS1 will be ordered a few bits himself and ill but them off him once they arrive (he'll be 20 by chrimbo) need to also sort his birthday out.

just remembered ive made my littlest nieces something so far every christmas and birthday so need to be sorting that even if a bought is added to it.

cupboard is quite full but need to cross check a list so i know whos got getting what.

MissD

Adding my tuppence worth.

I don't have a huge amount to buy for but have started early.

Got a mug half price in Whittard for SIL (wanted one for brother but no more) £4 down from £8, they need new cups and it is very pretty blue with a letter on it. Also got some chai for them about £2.50 - half price.

Got Alice mug (full price) for mum yesterday as she broke the last one!

Got tights with red buses on them (black adults) 50p Primark as friend's stocking filler.

Got bits and bobs (warm fluffy bed socks, leopard turban) in Primark for a friend I know will use that.

I am also thinking of doing bath scrub for female relatives/friends saw recipe in Daily Mail (hate me!) a few weeks back.

And I have some present drawer gifts from last year. Philosophy Gift Sets, espresso mugs set that I can give, and some black glitter rimmed H&M socks (women) for another female younger relative.

I'm planning on doing the Charles Tyrwhitt shirt for stepdad (deal on that around, HUKD) if its still on.

Oh and in present drawer again is stuff like Philosophy handcreams, Molton Brown lipglosses etc so will give as extras to SIL's parents (we always buy for them and vice versa).

If anyone has any ideas for a man in 60's wheelchair bound due to stroke, likes rugby, lives Bath, likes travel, likes cinema, opera etc - he's also a gourmet - in past got self stirring mug, opera ticket vouchers and hand warmer (Fat Face). Any clothes need to be easy pull on/off stuff or scarf eg that can't come undone. He can use hands but due to cerebal palsy too not a huge amount. Thanks!

springdreams

Katiehound wrote: »

I've been off here so long daren't see how many pages I have missed- a combination of being away on cruise (ill) ,then ill at home, then away again and that's Aug & Sept gone.

Whilst in Ireland picked up cheapie fleece gloves in Mr T now reduced to 58cents (about 50 pence a pair) so bought them for next year's boxes!!
In Dealz (Poundland chain but a bit dearer) got a lovely BBC "Adventures in architecture" book (went with a TV series I imagine)- £20 for £1.25!! that's for a friend who enjoys travelling- she also has a very nice new Edinburgh woolshop T shirt (£8) from Cancer research- @ £1 so I am well within the £5 challenge!!!

My charity shoeboxes are packed!!
I fully intended pricing up the contents to just see what they had cost me (out of interest as much as anything), but in the end nearly went spare trying to work out what went where. Wish they had had elastic sides!! I did 6 in the end: 3 x family and 3 x OAP. I am delivering them to the local co-ordinator tomorrow as I shall be away from Sat onwards and miss the deadline otherwise. Today at a carboot sale bought 2 large delightful soft toys, one hand knitted , for 25 pence each. Stuffed them in the carrier bags which already have toys and toddler clothes I was given... so they will also be going to eastern europe. I now have no qualms telling people I am posting zero, zilch cards as I have sent goodies to people who literally have nothing.
Mr T and Wilcos contributed greatly to the contents!!!! It was amazing what I got for 50 pence or £1
Hope you are all well and happy....and not going under now that seasonal goodies are already in the shops

Hi Katie

I hope you are feeling better now.

I shall be putting my boxes together this weekend, and will be taking them to the area co-ordinator next weekend. This is the first time I am doing them, so am very excited to see the end result.

I suspect I will have plenty of goodies left to put towards next years contribution as I went a bit OTT when I saw things on offer

Katiehound

Yes, it was the first time I had done the shoeboxes and I was well pleased with what I crammed in them! The outer wrapping had layers of selotape to keep lids on! They were really heavy. The local co-ordinator already had a few. He's hoping for 80- the transit van collects them, takes them to Chesterfield where they meet the lorry which comes down from Scotland....what a journey those boxes do to get to Romania, Albania, where ever.

Thanks [EMAIL="I@ve"]I[/EMAIL] have recovered now. I got Cellulitus- never seen it before,or even heard of it and it took 4 weeks of strong antibiotics to clear it up. Any scratch, whatever now I slap on tea tree oil.

I am off on a cruise tomorrow... just been googling my route to Liverpool, it's easy until I need to get to terminal right by the Liver building ... not so easy! Do wish I was going to Newcastle, so easy

Enjoy your Christmas planning, hopefully I shall be seeing the sun!!

mum2one

katiehound - Glad your feeling better, the teatree sounds a good idea, my mum has cellulitus in her legs, not the nicest of conditions, - to shift yours in 4 weeks you have done really well it can be a hanger on condition.

My great plans for a weekend away fallen flat, Miss Hoodie come down with a bug, shes been crashed out on settee,it was just going to be a ngt away. Theres 1001 things to be done around the house.

Batch 1 of Christmas cakes have been made, have 6 cakes, 2 deep and round, 2 med rounds and 2 small rounds, - there all allocated out.

Next week, plan is to make our cakes,

boots - popped into Boots earlier, the offer of the week is a "jules toilettry set" redued from £45 to £22, its a tote bag, in flower pattern - make a good shopping bag, then an array of 5 or 6 toilettries, I would say its seems gd value at the offer price. I was really good and walked past it, (ok, I picked it up, walked to the back of the store, then thought do i really need and want it, (want yes, need no), so I put it on the shelf.......

Did buy 3 gift sets (3 4 2), so the dog has finished his xmas shopping,
grandad hoodie - lynx gift set
nanny hoodie - dove gift set
mummy hoodie - ted baker gift set

Miss Hoodie - A selection of claires items (worth about £90, spent £10 xx

susan42

Mum2one - lol at Bailey finishing his Christmas shopping. Hope miss hoodie picks up. Always the same when kids go back to school.:mad:

Katie hound - glad you feeling better. Sounds nasty that. I've never heard of it. Have a cracking cruise, I so love cruises. Where you off? And the port is easy once you get there just looks bad on googl#

It's funny the names of these illnesses, I've never heard of them and are convinced they make them up. I was diagnosed with chronic pain syndrome. When they said, I thought yeah right . But it does exist. I thou g html they we r e mocking me, see when they said I need a psychiatrist. Apparently they work in conjunction with the pain team, the physio and the neurologist. They're in 4 different hospitals. That and the stroke review team in a different place , spend life going around in circles. Enough of that. Christmas is coming

Beavering away getting things done as time is shorter than I think. I defrosted the freezers, not through choice! Someone left both freezers open , even though they say they didn't , so it's the poor dogs fault again.

Uncluttered wardrobe, but that will be happening again due to moving house.
Decluttered - computer and electric cables, fed up of keeping 'in case of'
Kitchen cupboards had same treatment.
Did two bootsales

So I been plodding away.

Craft wise - did 14 snowman soups
22 candycane reindeer, Santa's and snowmen
10 hugs and kisses
20 pieces of jewellery
4 sweet trees
5 candy bouquets
600 Christmas cards
And lots more craft I can't remember

Also made a 200 bricks with air drying clay
50 posts for harbour
And sea for the boat out of modelling paste and clear acrylic

And sold over 100 craft items on ebay

Angela - hope y our doing ok

Rufusdog - thinking of you , wherever you are

Mrs moneypenny -:T well done on your makes

Anyone I missed out , hi and sorry:)

Anglea

Hi all, I've just caught up reading all the lovely posts.

Dad finally came out of hospital and is now going OTT doing things, last night he dropped the workbench on his leg and drove himself to hospital - I didn't know because mum tried calling me but my phone was dead - it was perfectly ok today so no idea what happened yesterday.

Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm spending some time with them. We are probably going to the next town for lunch, dad driving. I'm a bit wary of that after what happened to his leg, but he's been driving today and he's got a very strong personality lol so I doubt I can talk him out of it. I suppose that's why he's survived all his ill health over the years, he's 88 and is fitter than most 30 year olds.

That last involvement of mine with someone was the most complicated and stressful I've ever had and finally managed to end it last week. I told exH about it today and he said that I have a knack of attracting needy people.

I haven't had time to do anything Christmassy lately and will have to wait until the week after this one as I'm busy all week as DS2 will be home later in the week.

I've been going to the arts and craft club for a while now, which I abandoned during my excessive socialising days, I aim to paint a big illuminated art picture (intertwining leaves and flowers at the sides and a big design in the middle) now I'm just experimenting with styles, designs etc

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Mum2one, I hope Grandpa Hoodie's body can tolerate his intended treatment, it must be a relief now he's home.

21 bottles of shampoo? and the rest. How big is your toiletry cupboard?

Sorry to hear Miss H has been ill again. She'll be getting some fantastic pressies this year, so will all the rest of the family.

I enjoyed reading what you've been doing on the challenge so far and it has given me some ideas what I should do.


Susan, well done on your concentration to your craft makes and village. I get too sidetracked and probably should use the internet as a reward not a full time occupation.

Charity shoeboxes - I can imagine it is a satisfying project Katiehound and Springdreams.

Hi MissD - would the man you mentioned with CP enjoy listening to audio books? There are some novels or non-fiction relating to Bath.

Hi Mrs M - how is the crafting?

Parachutepacker

I've found a site for charity xmas cards where almost every penny you spend on the cards goes to the charities. The site links you to the charities! They also have some shops in east Cheshire and south Manchester where every penny goes to the charities. They're called combined charities christmas shops and if you google them they are about 4th from the top. Probably some good prices AND you help charities.

mum2one

Change of plan Saturday afternoon miss hoodie felt better and asked could we go so at 3pm running around like a loony getting a few bits ready, got to the site for 5pm unpacked then realised forgotten the loo roll, so off to asda for loo roll, sugar and kitchen roll - the bill came to £49 whoops but did include some Xmas treats so don't mind.

The. She fell poorly again last ngt, going ok just at hosp with grandad hoodie, he's picked up his chemo tabs but on drip of magnesium, should finish soon - all I want to do is kick my trainers off..... My feet are killing xx

mrs-moneypenny

afternoon all
hope grandad hoodie gets on ok with his treatment and everything goes well.
im at 2 different hospitals with mil tomorrow first to start her radiotherapy then got to get a taxi to another hospital so she can have an xray. radiotherapy is a 2 week course im really hoping it goes ok for her.

must add last couple of bits to my shoe boxes and send them into work with DH