Thrifty Gifty Santas Challenge 2014

MissMonkeyMoo

luckofthe_irish wrote: »

Hello there everyone!



One of the things I would like to make involves large freestanding wooden letters which I will paint and stick photos on for different people spelling out their initials. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on where I might find some plain freestanding wooden letters for a good price? I can only find small ones at the moment which don't have enough room to stick photos on.

Have a look at http://www.craftycrocodiles.co.uk/decopatch-c60/letters-symbols-c84/paper-mache-letter-a-p3035 - i bought a load of these to cover with fabric (haven't got round to it yet!) but I did a lot of searching around and these were the best price for the size. Postage rates are also reasonable other sites charge loads more). They've also got these letters on sale so will save a few pence if you are buying a few.

Hope that helps!

DundeeDoll

Today i made 24 advent crackers for dd2 with a selection of baking stuff - small cutters, cupcake decorations, cupcake silicone cases and smll icing tubes. Very happy with my efforts. She is home tomoz for a couple of days

Saga_plc

Katiehound wrote: »

Still awaiting the cancellation payment from Saga insurance from the August trip.... not impressed with them (never mind they have a Which? recommendation!)
Take care all........

Hi,

Please email david.knockton@saga.co.uk with your house number and postcode, and your policy number if you have it to hand, and I will help you.

Kind regards, David.

Slothy88

Hi everyone! Newbie here


Hope you don't mind another friendly face on the Christmas bandwagon?


I too am facing some financial difficulty this year, and whereas in normal years I would spend as much as I could (usually credit card) on my OH and around £20 per person in my family (which is quite large), I've had to do some creative thinking this year!


So far we have this:


Mum and stepdad: I know a photographer, so me and my brothers went for a photoshoot to a local country park. That has cost us £12.50 each, and will be lovely for my parents as they don't have a nice photo of the four of us together apart from when we were younger. My photographer friend is also going to get one of the prints framed for us, so all in I'm expecting it to cost around the £25 each mark.


Nana and Grandad: A picture from said photoshoot, but a smaller picture in a frame from Asda which costs about £10. Also got my granddad a £6 jumper that I get him every year in a different colour, and it ends up being the only thing he wears!


Brothers - we've mutually agreed not to bother with presents this year. I usually spend £20 on each of them, and they all return the favour so seems kind of silly. I do however do a bit of crafting, and I am fairly decent at using porcelain pens to decorate mugs, so I might just get some Asda smartprice white mugs and decorate one for each of them.


Boyfriend: This is a tricky one. Last year he bought me an IPad (!!!!! :eek: !!!!!) amongst other things such as perfume, smellies from Lush. I got him lego sets (he's a fireman and also a big kid), so I spent about £150 on him. This year, I'm looking at probably around £30 in total A sad state of affairs, but can't be helped. We're off for a Christmas trip to London next week, and as a surprise I've arranged for his friend who he hardly gets to see to come and meet us on Saturday for lunch. She's coming from Brighton, and I really hope he sees this as an early Christmas present :rotfl: Apart from that I've bought him a 24-pack of 500mL bottles of diet cherry coke because he loves it haha. Otherwise I'm struggling for him! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated


Normally I would also buy for my dad, stepmum and two stepsisters. However the relationship between us has been quite strained for the last year, so I've decided they're getting nothing now haha.


For friends, I think we're all at an age where we've agreed buying presents for eachother is pointless. However I would like to give them a little token. So, I bought some coloured and scented candle wax off Ebay, and I am going to buy a four-pack of cups and saucers from Argos for about £5. I am going to use my porcelain pens to decorate each teacup individually, and make teacup candles I'm going to put them in a cellophane wrap, maybe with some little sweeties, and tie a nice ribbon round the top.


Any other moneysaving ideas would be very much welcomed! And sorry for the ridiculously long post!!

mrs-moneypenny

hi slothy,
how about a plan of christmassy things to do during december. either as a lucky dip/advent calendar type thing or planned events/activities for each day (then you can work things around work or other commitments)
eg
drive round looking at other peoples christmas light
on a frosty day go for a walk in a local park or beauty spot
breakfast in bed
a christmas film with popcorn
decorate the tree/trim up together with christmas music playing.
have a baking session.
hand deliver local cards together then come back for hot chocolate to warm up
a spa type evening where you both give each other massages etc
stuff like that -it doesnt need to cost a lot.

hope everyone is well
got my first card pushed through from a neighbour last night so must get those written.
cake needs feeding again
overseas cards and some parcels need posting next week.

Slothy88

Forgot these - my boyfriend also came along to the photoshoot and we had some photos of the two of us taken. My parents and grandparents will also get one of those, as will his mum and dad

Slothy88

mrs-moneypenny wrote: »

hi slothy,
how about a plan of christmassy things to do during december. either as a lucky dip/advent calendar type thing or planned events/activities for each day (then you can work things around work or other commitments)
eg
drive round looking at other peoples christmas light
on a frosty day go for a walk in a local park or beauty spot
breakfast in bed
a christmas film with popcorn
decorate the tree/trim up together with christmas music playing.
have a baking session.
hand deliver local cards together then come back for hot chocolate to warm up
a spa type evening where you both give each other massages etc
stuff like that -it doesnt need to cost a lot.

I really struggle with things like this, as he's a retained firefighter which means when he's not at his fulltime firefighting job, he's on call and we're stuck in and around the house. He has to actually book 'of call' if we want to go somewhere, and that's only if there's enough cover from the other lads in the station. It's a pain but something I've grown used to in the last year. So a lot of the housey things you've mentioned are stuff that we've either already done or already have planned :undecided


Add to that the fact he's awkward, always says he 'doesn't want anything' and doesn't really do much besides work, watch TV and play on his Xbox, I've got a recipe for disaster haha.

Anglea

Hi all I've just caught up on all the post, hi to all the new members :j

Sorry I've been awol, I felt ill for a few weeks, then I had DS2 for a visit, then DS1 and his G/f (during the time I was unwell) so that was a bit difficult, DS2 arrived today for his next visit for the weekend.

Dad went to hospital yesterday for another procedure, mum was very scared he'd end up really confused like last time because of the mix of anaesthetic and antibiotics, but yesterday afternoon said he sounded ok. I'll phone later to see if he's coming home (it was supposed to be only one night).

Apart from all that I've had a very stressful time with that involvement I mentioned, finally this week I've had to cut all contact. Obsessive was an understatement with them. I've not decided not to socialise until after Christmas and the New Year and focus on me and what needs doing as I'm a terror for attracting the wrong types and I'm a soft touch with them. It's strange because with other people I can be very assertive.

Dundee doll I haven't forgotten your coins, next week when I've got the house back to myself I'll find the other coin, one is in a jar.

I've been very slow with the Christmas prep this year with the relationship distraction and other things going on so haven't bought anything yet - and as I've got a new FFreezer which is smaller than the one I had before, I haven't got any room for Christmas food yet.

Thanks for the reminder mum2one about posting overseas, I had no idea. Glad that Grandad Hoodie's health problems have been discovered in time - that must have been very scary. I'll read about your newspaper appearance later on. That was funny about your mum and the caravan toilet. Hope you and that man can meet again.

That sounds like a fantastic cruise Katiehound. Was the food lovely?

Susan, sorry to hear that you are still suffering with your health. You've had a big declutter for your move. You certainly do sound like a Christmas addict I enjoyed reading what you normally do. I hope the house moving date will be more appropriate for you.

Sorry that you've been so busy with MIL, Mrs M. Are you still enjoying your crafts?

Have any of you used those pre-paid debit cards from WH Smith? I noticed some that you pay a fee if you carry on with them and some without a fee. I was thinking of using them for online purchases as well as presents.

DS1 won an award from NASA for inventing something and will be going there next week to see a shuttle launch, then hiring a car and spending a few weeks in US, then coming to me for Christmas. He's (well, mum) has paid for travel and accommodation the VIP tour is free. After Christmas he's going to Germany to see his g/f (who is going to her family in advance of him) and he's staying for a while after on his own.

I always worry the most about him out the the boys as DS2 lives in a residential setting yet DS1 has never registered himself as disabled (same condition but in a different way) and has had a lot of difficulties - and won't let anyone help.

DundeeDoll

anglea very sweet of you to remember. So here's the clues for musicals (in alphabetical order omg i do like a challenge dont i?)
An american in paris - spiderman candy sticks wrapped in a chanel paris ad
Betty blue eyes - percy pig with blue food colouring eyes
Cats - little cats book (wrapped as too big for a cracker)
Dr seuss' grinch who stole xmas - grinch pills
Easter parade - easter stickers
Funny face - sweeties
Guys and dolls - 2 dice with the rules of craps
Half a sixpence - coin
I married an angel - angel xmas choc
Jerry springer - a spring puzzle (cracker last year)
King and I - whistle
Lion king - lion bar fun size
Mary poppins - bird seed 2d a bag
New girl in town - socks
Oliver - jelly
Pennies from heaven - chocolate pennies from l!dl
Quilters- a small quilt set with pattern
Raisin - little box of raisins
South pacific - shampoo from a hotel
Top hat - small packet ritz
Umbrellas of cherbourg- cocktail umbrellas
Violet - parma violets
Wizard of oz- yellow pez bricks
Yellow submarine - hoping inspiration will strike by then! (Or a musical beginning with x or z)
First 5 wrapped, some still to get
Xmas pressie will be tickets for a musical

mum2one

A massive apology, the week just run a amock...

Santas Challenge - November

It feels daft but this is the last challenge before the event, as decembers challenge is based for the event and the sales, where we start all over again... Its less than 4 weeks to the big day..... so a final push in the right direction.

Post
From reading reports the Post Office is adding more delieveries, so post may end up being delievered mid afternoon.
As always allow extra time for posting, if you have any parcels, I would suggest adding on recorded delievery or go for next day delievery if the parcel is valuable.

Online Ordering
This might sound daft, but if your ordering anything online for home delievery, double check that your address is correct and the post code is right. A lot of retailers offer click and collect, may be worth looking into that if your at work / out and about, saves trying to arrange another delievery.

Prescriptions

Make sure you order in plenty of time as most doctors surgeries will be closed Christmas Day/Boxing Day and I'm guessing the Sat and Sunday as well. Also allow time for the prescriptions to get to the chemist.


First Aid / Essentials Kit
What I have done is used a old icecream container stocked it up with a few essentials, everyone is different to what you need, but I've used

Plasters, Antiseptic wipes, micropore tape, dressings, cough sweets, paracetamol.

Home essentials checklist
Doctors telephone number - Christmas / New Year opening
Chemist - ditto
Dentist -ditto
Vets - ditto
Walk in centre - usually there 365 days a yr - number, where it is
water pipe tap is (in the house and outside one)
Batteries - usually AAA - remote controls, AA cameras,
Torch
Do you know where the fuse box is
Candles
Tealights
matches
Spare batteries - Incase there children with new toys
Petrol station - when are they closed
(a few to start us all off with

Where am I..
It may be worth pinning a list on the fridge, side, - where am I, where am I going, - this way it can be used for all members of the house, - from delievering presents, to going shopping, all the way to where am I / how many have I got for Xmas.

[FONT="Georgia" Miss Hoodies Corner[/FONT]
Miss Hoodie has had her thinking cap on, and suggested the freezer, to give it a clean out and tidy so you can put those lovely xmas goodies in there.

Food
If you do your shopping online, even if you aren't sure what food you need, get your slot sorted sooner than later, even if you pop just a bottle of milk in there, - its your.

Food Plan
Even if meal planning consists of whats in the cupboards, it may be helpful to do a plan for Christmas week, work out what you need food wise and divide between the next few weeks, there are some things that you need to get nearer Xmas, also if your going to be out and about, maybe put a meal in the slow cooker, so you get a hot meal,

If you can, double up now, and put a portion in the freezer

Extras
If your having visitors, someone popping in for coffee, though to a Xmas lodger... think about stocking up some essentials
Toilet Roll
Coffee / Tea

cards
where ever possible try to hand deliever the cards, or if going to one house, put the cards together.

Smoke detectors
Check there in working order, test the battery, hoover out any dust.

Me, Me, Me
An odd thought, but we are the ones who do a lot, and have been throught out the year, - try to take some time out, whether its a walk in the park on a frosty morning, or a hot chocolate with a Christmas film..a hot bath, a visit to the cinema...

Money
There are fake notes flying around all times of the year, but Christmas is an easy target as were usually rushing around, so our level of thought may slip.

This is how I check notes... It can be done without the other person even knowing..

Have the note with the front facing towards you
Locate the wording - The bank of England, / promise to pay the bearer (what ever the words are)
This wording is raised, its only a minute raise, but it can be clearly felt between finger and thumb

The silverline, the watermark, even the feel of the paper.

cash point machines
Usual checks, - security features
Cover your pin
Try to use cash machines indoors - this gives some extra security,
put the money away quickly, you can always pop to a toilet to tidy your purse up


Pets
If you have a dog, - keep the chocolates away from them, even raisins, grapes and sultanas are poisonous to dogs

Superwoman
I know were superwoman in disguise, but of you can delegate - whether its pop a hoover around, pop to the shop, if your cooking Xmas Dinner, they offer to bring wine or pudding - say yes...

A massive thank you to everyone for keeping this thread the success it is, and a personal thank you for all the support, kind words and just being there for myself, Miss Hoodie and the family with everything thats happened.

Santas Challenge - December - I know normally he pan is the 24th, but as the next 24th is Christmas Eve, i'll put the challenge on next week or so, xxxx