*Stop The Cavalry* It's The 2014 Christmas Chatter Thread

noodles86

junior_j wrote: »

Hello all.

Still on stand by to have a bed in Southampton hospital - They want to do another Lumbar puncture despite the pain and risks involved , its either that or having a bolt put in lol. Then if results aren't good possibly emergency brain surgery to open the shunt back up. Hope they hurry up so I can concentrate on moving forward.

I need to do more Xmas shopping. And children birthday shopping , also my uncles birthday lol. Crikey.
Paid the majority of my bills last night , have a rough idea of October money.

Can anyone post examples of easy to do santa sleighs and snow man soups please.

xxx

Hi Junior J, poor you with the surgery, really hoping things get better for you soon.

I made both sleighs (for family) & snowman soup (for the school to sell last xmas).

For sleighs I got two candy canes, a terrys choc orange bar, mint poppets, mars bar, freddo and a mini chocolate santa to drive. I added glue dots (which i have seen in pound land today) to the bottoms of the chocolate & stuck them on top of each other. I wrapped some ribbon around too.

Snowman soup I bought disposable icing bags from pound land (20 for £1) filled with hot chocolate, some chocolate chips (to stop the hot chocolate going on the marshmallows), white marshmallows. Tied with a small band, added a candy cane & curled ribbon around with a tag.

noodles86

doodygirl wrote: »

Hi does anyone know when all the gift guides come out? I keep looking in all the stores but nothing apart from boot. I love to sit down with a coffee looking through all the gift guides even though I've already finished Xmas shopping for my two kids lol. Also anyone know where I can get a disney cars, sofia the first and doc mcstuffins advent calendars from please

I've seen Sofia & Doc in b&m, poundland & 99p shop x

Bargain_Bunny

just wondering if anyone knows where I can buy a kit to make my own xmas decorations? ooking for a mould , foil and string

BB

newthrift

Bargain_Bunny wrote: »

just wondering if anyone knows where I can buy a kit to make my own xmas decorations? ooking for a mould , foil and string

BB

The Works might have something in and I believe there was a 20% code floating around somewhere a couple of pages back.

CupOfChai

Christmas Elves, I need your help! What in the name of baubles do we get for OH's mum?

She's 50s, a teacher. Doesn't really seem to have hobbies or anything like that. Doesn't have long baths. Not into beauty treatments, fashion or jewellery. Not keen on going out for meals. Doesn't really eat chocolate/biscuits/cakes much. Doesn't spend time reading books or watching TV/DVDs. Anything like those kit things you can get to make stuff or the journals/books you fill in, she might like that sort of idea but just doesn't have time to do them so it'd never be used.

She's one of those really infuriating people who when you ask what they want, say they don't really want anything and won't tell you. My mam's the same, but with her I can at least pick out a new handbag or something like that for her!

Previously we've bought pot plants, which she does like but now has tons of, scarves/gloves or vouchers for clothes shops so she can choose what she wants, but I hate just getting people the same thing all the time so I'm looking for new ideas. I also hate buying people "stuff" that will just clutter up their house, and in fact she's also said before that she wants to get rid of some clutter, so I definitely don't want to give her more of it!

newthrift

cupofchai does she do anything in the garden or like watching/feeding the birds? If so you could get her something to do there or a bird feeder and some bird feed.
Otherwise if she isn't a 'sweet' person is she a 'savoury' fan? You could get things like nice crisps, chutneys, jams, crackers, some cheese (just put this in not long before taking it for her), nice bread, natural honey, just one pack of special biscuits if she does sometimes eat them - or make some. You could also add in handbag umbrella, notebook or even a really nice writing pen for work?

quidsy

How about a day out gift with you, oh & her? Can be presented in the form a of a voucher, then leave it up to her to decided what she wants to do or you & oh decide & "force" her to go.

Does she like national trust sites? A membership or a one off gift voucher for when she takes a hollibob day?

mrs-moneypenny

how about a really nice mousemat with one of those wrist supports on. a nice pen set as she must do tons of writing. teachers at the school i work at all seem to be using those plastic trolley type things to transport their stuff from class to car at the mo - has she got anything like that?
shes bound to get her educational diary through the school so one of them is out. other than that how about m&s type gift vouchers for clothes or some kind of nice accessory -scarf or brooch? does she wear those. does her class room have/want a pet or a nice planter to have in her classroom.
all i can think of for now, will mull that one overnight

JJ send you hugs and i do hope that things get sorted for you very soon

mrs-moneypenny

knowing how some people on here are rather partial to stags i thought you might like to see this email i just got.

http://www.anorakonline.co.uk/indoor-living-c8/kitchen-c74

CupOfChai

She gardens, but has everything for it, and they don't really get birds in the garden because there's loads of cats round about who pop in. We've bought bulbs and plant pots before. She's not into crisps, cheese, savoury snacky things like that either and I can't buy her jam, she makes it!

A diary/notebook was a previous idea I had but she gets one supplied by work that's suited to her needs for the school year, so that went out the window. I might look into putting together something with nice gardening paraphernalia, gloves and plant labels and that sort of thing. Still don't really know though.

Because she's into baking and jam-making my best idea was something like a Lakeland voucher, so she could pick out something she'd use but is a bit niche or better quality. OH knocked that one down because there isn't a store nearby and she isn't a one for shopping online. I might just do it anyway, and she can discover internet shopping!