Santa's Challenge 2015 - Xmas, Birthdays, a chat, a bit of everything

Anglea

Hi again,

I looked back on the posts and read that I had been trying to put a bike into a big box - after all that DS came home to fetch the bike so it had to be unpacked. He only came back for about an hour from London by train, and most of that time was in the garage sorting the bike out - luckily he manged to get back with it this time - or else I would have imagined the bike packing fiasco again.:mad: Although he did want me to keep the box just in case !!!


Susan, that's exciting for your son, doing something he really wants.

I've got two birthdays next week, one is DS1's. I can't think straight this week as too much on so will discuss it with ex on Sunday probably as we're on the return journey from taking DS2 home.

How are you all with birthdays?

mum2one

Hope everyone is ok and been enjoying the warm weather, thou the showers have been a pain!!

The holiday - after all the saga, I'm going for the refund, I've literally spent hours trawling websites for alternatives, although Turkey, Greece, Spain were coming up, they were more expensive than what we had paid, (Tunisia is cheaper than the EU), it was also our spends across there, (again Tunisia cheaper) like for like for what we do, I'd need almost triple the spends...

We did pop into a travel agents Sat, get them to look on their systems, and holidays were disappearing in front of ours eyes, I wouldn't have believed it unless I saw it, we were offered a lovely hotel in posh part of Spain, 4 star, all inc just 1.9k for the week!!

So after plan, a to z, plan 1 to 99, the latest is.....
Gambia for 2 weeks at Easter, Miss Hoodie just loses 1 day off school, if we went a week earlier, £500 cheaper.... I went 10 yrs ago, its one of the places I wanted to take Miss Hoodie to, looked at hotel I stayed at, thats B+B, found another about 500 metres away, they have an all inclusive option....cheaper than the b+b hotel. Looked at all pics with fine tooth comb, it all looks accessible....
Then aim for Tunisia for the summer..


We've done another 2 school fetes, got rid of some stuff, and made a few pennies, sold some more bits of ebay.

This is going to sound so odd, I sold dads swimwear (speedo budgie smugglers), had 2 pairs that were used - not even any size labels, started them off £1.99, 2 pairs new £5 each... 10 days later...

New pr 1 -£5.00 asking price
New pr 2 - £5.00 asking price

Used pr 1 - not sold (no probs - auto relist)
Used pr 2... £12.50

The mind boggles....

---
Love the sound of the day in Dublin, looked at a few yrs ago, we're up in North Wales, so could catch the train to Holyhead, thou its the walking the other end...

We've got a 5 day in Blackpool, the place we stayed at Easter, done us a deal, £99 for the 2 of us, snapped their hand off, with the money from the fetes - going to use that to pre-book a couple of places, sealife, dungeons, madam tussards.


We've had Miss Hoodies school report, considering all the upset etc she has done really well, she has really impressed the RE teacher with her knowledge of other religions and cultures, (her travelling must be doing good), her Geography teacher made me laugh, - Miss Hoodie comes up with interesting if not different views of countries (she did tell him that in lapland they have a high alcoholic rate and suicides due to the lack of sunlight/the grey light), and science - that was her top mark, even thou at parents evening she told the teacher she hates science!!

I gave her £15 to get herself something, Bailey brought her a new purse, he is a clever dog....she had some money off nanny and grandad hoodie.

Touch wood everything is going ok. xx

Katiehound

Very very quick reply!
There's a HOHO bus in Dublin- tour starts from outside the national museum (Kildare St??)- but of course you can get on/off anywhere. When we did it a few years ago booked the tickets online, printed off voucher and got it a lot cheaper.Going on the ferry would be part of the 'day out'. Or you could get the DART and go from one end of the bay to the other.

Just cut & pasted this from Stena Line website:
(http://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferries-to-ireland/day-trips/holyhead-dublin-superferry)
This great value day trip is available Sunday to Thursday until 1 November, when you book 48 hours or more in advance. Depart from Holyhead at 08.55hrs, hop off the ferry and return from Dublin Port at 15.10 hrs or 20:40hrs. Travel on a Tuesday from £5 per person return (£10 for travel Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday).
Just a thought..
bedtime calls!

Katiehound

ha- I'm back again. Day trip to Dublin will probably clock up quite a bit of dosh what with train fare to HH, then transport from Pof D (it's quite a way out from city centre), food etc.

My thoughts are, have you visited everywhere locally? Perhaps that might be Miss Hoodie's challenge- to find cheap days out?? Congratulations to her on her report. I would be pleased to have a pupil know anything about a subject- especially if it wasn't what they had been taught- it means they are doing investigation of their own, and shows an enquiring mind. Great stuff!!

Don't think there is anything near you (nationwide, but not Wales , I think)- but just look here:
http://www.eastlindseytarget.co.uk/daysout.html
This is near you- but don't know if there are suitable offers!
http://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/search.php?county=North-Wales

Hope you can find some pleasant / cheap activities.

ps loved the second-hand budgie smugglers story! why were they so much dearer?? makes the budgies minds boggle!! (and my mind too!!)

Other than that feel like I am in the doggy duvet factory. Have made 22 in under 4 weeks! I have found a new outlet in a village PO and they are flying off the shelves- probably helps that some are in the window with a dog statue sitting on top! I can't keep up. Dogs for the Disabled will be pleased- new charity- spreading the money around.

I know that they are aimed at 5-11 year olds- but it says all age children welcome at the Pets at Home workshops. Bet the reptiles would be interesting... just a thought

mum2one

Hope everyone ok, I have finally sorted out some trips...

When we go to Blackpool I have prebooked Tower and all the gummings with it, Sea life centre, madam tussards, dundgeons and sandcastle water place.... could be fun as can not remember the last time I was in swimwear in the UK...

Have to laugh as I have the disabled entry, with Miss Hoodie as my carer, she will be earning her money, as I am blind as a bat without my glasses....

Really pleased as saved about £100 by buying it this way, worked out so well, with the B+B, trips and allowing £20 for trams, its all come out of the sales money, so those early mornings were worth it
xx

---
Back off to Wales as well, we've changed sites to one with an indoor pool, Miss Hoodie loves the pool, did try to get grandad hoodie some Swimshorts, but he won't go swimming, he's worried about his condition...

mum2one

Katiehound - those links are brilliant thank you, I've got my eye on Dudley Zoo, Miss Hoodie has never been there, thou were only an hr away.

Hope you don't mind passed the link along to friends that live down Devon / Cornwall, there are some fantastic bargains to be had.

The Wales one as well, Miss Hoodie loves the Rhyl aquarim, she did the seal encounter there last yr, it was great xxx

Katiehound

Only too glad to be of help!
I can only imagine the disappointment in not going abroad. Remember how I felt when I was sent home from ship last year and not allowed to go to Iceland!
Luckily my brain kicked in over the vouchers. I remembered seeing them in my local (was then a freebie) paper, and thought they would be local deals- but not. Also glad that site updates regularly.
So the Wales site had something? I didn't have time to scour thro- but clearly you did in the middle of the night.
never been to Blackpool......on my wish list is to dance in the Tower ballroom!
have some great times!

queenb1981

Finding it difficult to get on here at the moment as I don't have a laptop anymore and being on my phone is so awkward.
Mum2one glad to here miss hoodie returned home ok from France despite the incident. Sorry to here about the holiday being cancelled.

Got my hopes up with the next sale but everything I needed had sold out before I got on there.

Need to get focussed now and start booking Halloween and Christmas activities. My DD16 has just been signed up to summer school for 6 weeks, so I will at least be able to concentrate on looking in peace and will have a bit of money spare too as she will be getting paid for going to summer school so won't be spending out on things.

Hope everyone ok and managing to do everything that is planned xx

Katiehound

Another quick visit here!
Anyone who has youngish children to buy for might be interested in Wilkinsons- Today (Louth store|) loads of items in the craft ranges:
The following @ 50- pence: ink pads, glitter glue, lolly sticks, different foam shapes, foam key ring kit, ribbon bracelet kit, fairy wand kit,draw your own jigsaws. Some card making items also half price.
Also half price drawing pencil sets, watercolour pencils, glue sets, painting sets

mrs-moneypenny

Sorry not been in for ages, been doing extra work, then I have my lovely little new grandson to cuddle and knit for ( can't believe he's 13 weeks old already!)
Went away last weekend as it was my birthday and our wedding anni within a few days of each other. So we had a just us weekend in sheringiham - we love it there. Going back in the summer with all the kids and there partners so that will be something to look forward to.

I need to start thinking about Christmas again as the year is flying by.

I hope everyone is as well as can be.