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

susan42

Hi theatregirl welcome to the group there's some great organising going on there well done :T

I too struggle with male members of the family. It's always the same old things.

As a small item (you can make it as big as you want. How about about a pot of gold with a gift voucher or lottery ticket. Our you could use their bathroom and see what type of things they use and make a toilet hamper or an alcohol bucket with car cleaning items and a bucket of beer.movie hamper also

Perhaps if you give us the ages of them it might help us to think of things.

Thanks Angela and mum 21 for your kind comments. This year it will have more planning hopefully.

Mum 21 looks like you have a good hoard from b&m , I too dread taking ds anywhere as shopping seems to escalate. I'm going with him Thursday. Told him I'd treat him to some trainers. Could be a mistake :eek:

Angela hope your ok. I too have the million of things I keep just in case and have followed your lead and started a declutter.

Thanks you miss hoodie for that one I think

Some more Xmas shopping this week I think, I'm dragging DS around the shops hopefully he'll give me some ideas of what he'd like at Xmas.


I like to get it done ASAP as one year I had some health issues and Xmas was a bit of a disaster. Everyone understood but I was so upset. We even had Chinese for dinner! Bought the day before.

A lot of my friends are having a BBQ , strange but true.

So here's my question / poll

What's everyone doing for the big day itself.

Me I'm a traditionalist. 4 m eats and all the trimmings

Ps it's quiet on here

springdreams

I'm guessing your friends that are having a BBQ are from the Southern hemisphere Susan - Christmas is summer time for those of us from the south, so a BBQ is the norm

As we are having a family get together at my middle brother's home this year it will be a traditional meal. However, neither DS nor I are fans of turkey per se, so last year he had a very large Chicago Town ham pizza and I had t-bone steak :T

mum2one

A big hi Theatregirl, love the name, another though could be a beer/pub hamper, depending on what they drink, lager, cider, real ales (supermarkets gd choice), pork scratching, crisps, beer glass...

Do they have a hobby,
outdoors (fishing, walking etc)
Winter survival kit, - hip flask, hand warmers, bars of choc, notepad, pen...

.....
Its Miss Hoodies bday, bless her heart she is off school, with a chest infection, its been fun sorting it all out...

Ipad - Tesco delievered the wrong one, (so thats being swopped 2mor),

Ring - the jewellers have lost it... I ended up threatening a sit in, among other things asked for a refund - they wouldn't refund as its been over 28 days - theyve had it 25, eventually (1hr later) they offered me a dearer ring and I only had to pay £10 towards difference, (they absorbed the £35 extra).

Touch wood everything else ok, the dog is flavour of the month, he brought her pringles, which had voucher in, toy llama, (she loves llamas at the mo!).

Plans for going out now put on hold...

xx

Anglea

Mum2one, only a quickie as I'm in the middle of something but I forgot mention re yougov - I can get into the account but it keeps saying 'sorry for the inconvenience, the survey is currently unavailable' and I haven't done one in months.

mum2one

Anglea wrote: »

Mum2one, only a quickie as I'm in the middle of something but I forgot mention re yougov - I can get into the account but it keeps saying 'sorry for the inconvenience, the survey is currently unavailable' and I haven't done one in months.[/QUOT

I know they updated the site a while ago, when you log in does it show available surveys on the right hand top bit of the screen? Usually the oracle (no money tight wad ones) on the side. xx

Anglea

Hi everyone,

I've finally managed to get on the computer, DS1 was down for the weekend and doing programming on it and today I was decluttering again (doing it last week too) and stopped about an hour ago, switched on the computer and the internet was down. So after a lot of fiddling around I finally got it to work.

Mum2one, I got in touch with yougov support and hopefully they will sort it out, I've only just managed to email them back with my details.

Susan, I hope you can get sorted early after reading about that other year with the health problems. You mentioned you had more to do with your village, will that take long?

Mum2one, I hope Miss Hoodie is better now, she really goes through it doesn't she. What a palaver with the presents, so you nearly ended up in the papers with your sit in did you? lol At least you managed to get things done.

Hi Theatregirl, did you fancy the hamper ideas given on here? Do any of the men you need to buy for have hobbies? In the past I've had likenesses of people drawn into watercolour paintings of village cricket scenes - although this looked brilliant the recipient wasn't happy as it was his rival team lol - I never even considered that when I had it done as I knew he supported one of the large national cricket teams so didn't think of the local ones he played for. Ooops I was impressed with the church, field, players - it was done by a friend of mine and we were having a picnic with the children whilst she did the painting then drew him in from a photo.

Susan, I'm all for tradition re your question about the big day. We always have a Polish Christmas the day before and English on the 25th.

This evening I've been updating lists and writing a food list to be put in the kitchen, started buying some non-freezer things as that is too full to be used for advance storage.

I've been busy lately as my dad has been very unwell and even though better it's still a worry as all tests are inconclusive, and I've been doing a big declutter, DS1 visit and got the other one arriving this week.

[Deleted User]

Hello all

Sorry I havent responded to messages on here, I have limited internet during the week except for on my phone and its a bit fiddly with a small screen to type a long post, lol. DBF is of the opinion that since our contract for our flat is up in 6-8 months there is no point in shelling out for internet until we settle in a better place - the flat we have at the moment is a bit worse for wear, we've tried to do it up and make it look and smell nice, as the guy who lived in it before us didnt know what room spray was, let alone that you have to pay bills and rent when you live somewhere!!!

Anyway, getting back to the subject of Christmas...........

There are some very nice ideas there. However my bf tends to take presents with him in a large bag or rucksack for Christmas, as his family live in Wales, and I stay at home with my DM, as otherwise she'd be alone for the holidays (long story short, she doesnt know any of her family and my dads side have been useless in the 3 years since he died). So I dont want to give my DBF a hernia or anything similar from lugging bottles and jars solo lol.

The two blokes we/I need to find something for are my bfs brother in law, and his uncle. I've not known his side of the family long, but I know his brother in law is mad on surfing and they live near a beach. His uncle I honestly dont know, they dont have kids and he was a right bachelor type up until my bfs aunt got hold of him and sorted him out, haha (or so my bf says).

Worked out what to get my bf for the birthday and Xmas - I have him a new wallet for his birthday, got it from Menkind, and while I was in there I saw there was a electronic counting jar, he currently keeps all his change in a old coffee jar and is forever having to tip it all out to count it up, so maybe that will help. I also saw a scarf online in a sale for £2.99, so that will be a stocking filler for him.

However now I'm having a problem with what to get my Mum for Christmas....shes SO hard to buy for!!! xx

mum2one

I have treated myself tonight,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HWST4VE?keywords=food%20mixer&qid=1444341504&ref_=sr_1_4&sr=8-4

(in red)

I had the £100 amazon vouchers win, it was shall I save them as want an ipad.... (but if I leave vouchers in amazon they get spent - not wasted!, but as it Miss Hoodies 13th - just get that, and this dvd, then the other dvd....)

So U've had that and I gave Miss Hoodie the £20 towards ipad cases, added an extra ipad case in the parcel, - be the first present ready for xmas.

She's been so exicted her Dan and Phil book came today, I have never seen her so pleased to read a book, - thou she has one surprise left were going to see them live, I told her we were up in the gods... (even thou I hate heights), when were in the stalls, 8 rows from front, central aisle, 2 seats in.... I will have a happy bunny that night.

...
Checked the xmas list... need...

(off Miss Hoodie)
Nan and Grandad - small breakfast hamper
Aunty H - Something small - finish off
Aunty J /Aunty G - Small food / drink hamper
Aunty J - Earrings or necklace

(quite weird - Nan and Grandad - actually great aunt/great Uncle, - took role of 2nd grandparents
Aunty - I have no sisters, no involvement with her real Uncle, so friends became Aunty from day 1...)

Proper Nan and Grandad - Give her £40 to spend between them

School friends - she can sort them out!!!

----
My List

Miss Hoodie - Ipad mini or Ipod touch 6
Mum - ring (choose it already)
Dad - clothes - his ever increasing waist.... bottle whisky, beer - He couldnt have a drop last Xmas....

H - £30 - not sure what to get yet
H - (off the whole family - fun food hamper)
L+S / N+R = both couples a movie night hamper (popcorn, peanuts, drink)
J - £20 M+s voucher - bottle of wine
J+S - Bottle cocktail mix, stella

Doctors surgery - drinks tray (teabags, coffee, latte mix - £5 spend

Neighbour - gets parcels in - food hamper £10 worth.

---

It could be a hetic festive season, the Sun/tues b4 xmas, taking Miss Hoodie away just up to Wales 2ngts - wine tasting break... cheap deal really pleased.

Then for New Year -- be very cold for us, we're off to Lapland........ xxxxxx

Anglea

Hi everyone,

Mum2one, that's a very posh mixer, looks great. I hope it's easy to clean.

I'm going to have to look up Dan and Phil as no idea who they are.

You are so well organised so hopefully you can enjoy both of your trips without worrying about anything.

I've got a boring update.

I haven't had a chance to start doing much on Christmas as too much has been happening but at least I've made a start on buying some non-freezer items. And managed to get some batteries (reminded by the various Santa challenges). Not for toys but for the large torches. I only got one set as think the 2nd torch may be broken so will try the batteries out in both before I get more.

I've got another busy week ahead, it's my birthday and had a day out planned but now have things on the day before and after (hospital) and as DS2 arrived yesterday for the weekend I don't have any spare time until the end of next week and I'll have errands by then.

I also haven't finished the decluttering I started the other week (before DS1 arrived) and my shoes broke and have to try and find some time to get them replaced in the next week. I was wearing ankle boots instead of my shoes this week and they are not very comfortable so ended up with sore feet.

I hope the rest of you are doing well

mum2one

So pleased my mixer has arrived safe and sound... the box was massive.... but.. I now want the matching food processor (£35) is a bargain as our last one was £100.. died a death...

And... Need to regut the kitchen to put it away... xx