Santas challenge 2017

Happy_Kitties

mum2one MSE have managed to get confirmation that the Boots sale is tomorrow so hopefully u will be able to pick up loads of bargains:T.
After last year I am def not going, wheelchairs and a Boots sale don't mix!! Got hit by baskets and blocked in to the extent that one woman wouldn't let me out and would rather try and squeeze past me even though she couldn't. Took a good couple of minutes before she relented and let me out after I said that by letting me out she would be able to get in properly and have a look. It was a nightmare:eek:.

Chanie- garden things, my DM loves her garden:). Have seen really nice plants in planters that I know my DM will really like. Myself and DD did a combined Christmas present for for DM but DD could only source it where she is based for uni, I couldnt get it around here at all as it was on a special offer with Arg@s. It was an old fashioned games console featuring her all time favourite-sonic plus another 80 odd games:j!!!
I have a run of birthdays up till June and then they don't start again until October. It's nice to have the break in the middle:)

Anglea

Hi everyone,

It's a bit hectic again for me as dad has had to go to hospital Monday night, I rushed round the parents house with friend in the afternoon expecting one of us would have to go in the ambulance but turned out there was huge delay plus discovered that the hospital would be one that's too difficult for us to get back from as the doctor wanted dad to get a bed straight off and not wait around, so the next day we cancelled our usual plans to go early morning for a long journey only to discover he got sent home already but we decided to go to Bristol for a lunch out/shopping for DS2 birthday in any case.

Yesterday as DS2 is here for the weekend (he lives in a group home) dad had to go to hospital again so it was panic stations to see dad at home as the nurses were there calling the doctors. Luckily friend took DS to the pub for coffee whilst I was at parents but I couldn't really stay any longer so I called this morning to locate dads whereabouts in hospital, which ward to call etc. Very arkward timing on a DS visit as I doubt I'll be able to visit dad as it's too far away and a nightmare with several buses. I just hope he won't be staying in hospital too long.

Happy Kitties, your comments about sellotape reminded me that Wednesday night I was going to wrap DS2's gifts but discovered I couldn't find the sellotape, maybe it was all used during Christmas, I may have to look for ribbons or something alternative as I won't be going out to the shops and he needs to go back with the presents ready for his birthday later in the week.

I've had to cancel my Wassailing night on Saturday as it's too inconvenient with so much going on.

Mum2one, it's unbelievable that Miss Hoodie will be 16 this year, I can still remember when she was in Primary school. I was wondering if you're going to do that 60 gifts for age 60 idea as I think you've done ones like that before for other ages for people or is that too inconvenient this year?

Happy Kitties, you must get a lot of hassle just ordinarily with a chair let along at sale time.

Easter Eggs - I'm sure I saw them on the shelves at Iceland straight after Christmas (or maybe even before).

Chanie - I started drawing up several bullet journals for January - daily to do list/ habits and wrote it up for several weeks ahead but it started to look messy and complicated so I've stopped marking up the various sections for the rest of the month (in both notebooks).

How is it working out for you?

crazy-cat-lady - that's good you've got an attic to store Christmassy bits, I've no idea where to put my box of crackers (left over from 2017) and pack of napkins, cards etc. Whilst in Bristol in the week I got a pack of nice Christmas cards for 30p in the reduced section in a Tesco Express and these can add to the pack I got in Card Factory half price few weeks ago. I keep meaning to make cards like I used to but that needs a lot of organising in advance and at the moment there are too many other priorities.

Happy_Kitties

Anglea-I hope your dad will be okay. It's awful when a parent/relative is in hospital. My niece got admitted on Boxing Day and I was on tenterhooks whether to travel over. I cant use the hospital car park and was just willing to dump the car anywhere to get to her. It is stressful. I'm sure u will have a good weekend with DS
Sellotape-I think it was exactly that, I came to use after Christmas not realising that I had used it all up.

Well I ended up getting a few bits from the B@@ts sale but wasn't planned. I didn't go into town until 10.30am to do some chores and decided to take a wander up to find out how they got on at 9am as a couple of friends are sale assistants. They didn't have a good time but there was still plenty of stock and stock being put out so picked up a few bits and made the most of my points.Got a couple of nice Zoella stationary sets, there is no way I would have paid full price for them even 50%, but 70% I was happy with.

I have got nearly all of my birthday and Christmas presents now and until birthday presents start going out I have no room for the last bits I have ideas for. But I don't mind as it gives me plenty of time to save for those bits. I feel abit more reassured that while I am out of action for the summer and beyond, everything on the present front is under control and one less thing to worry about.

chanie

Angela, I second what Happy kitties wrote, I hope your father gets better soon.

Anglea wrote: »

chanie - I started drawing up several bullet journals for January - daily to do list/ habits and wrote it up for several weeks ahead but it started to look messy and complicated so I've stopped marking up the various sections for the rest of the month (in both notebooks).

How is it working out for you?

Not brilliantly. I’m not very artistic so the best I can cope with is a few stencils and brightly coloured pens. I always have a notepad for lists, so my bullet journal is just a slighter prettier ‘to do’ list. I guess it’s fine for me.

I bought two dinosaur Keyring for the children’s stockings yesterday from Card Factory for £1 each. We attach them to their school bags so they can identify them easily.

chanie

Blankets with sleeves

My newest gift idea. Inspired by OH walking around with a blanket tied around his shoulders, superman cape style. I joked and said I would buy him a slanket (blanket with sleeves) and he thought it was a good idea. The slanket brand is £30 online, but there are plenty of cheaper alternatives for £7-£20 on eBay. They have children’s ones as well. I’m going to order OH one to try out and if they seem okay, I’ll order some as gifts.
In particular, I may get one for my relative with the degenerative disability as it will keep them nice and snug at home, but can still use their arms.

Happy_Kitties

Chanie-my mum has one, she loves it. uses it all the time when doing her knitting and watching the tennis. I think it is a slanket , my brother clubbed together with me a couple of years ago to get my mum one. We weren't sure but it is well used esp as she has dropped alot of weight and feels the cold easy. Highly recommend as a present

chanie

Thanks for the positive recommendation, happy kitties.

Happy_Kitties

Would def recommend Chanie without a doubt. My mum's problem is that she will leave it on the side of the settee, come back and the cats are straight on it. Very often has the cats snuggled in with her unless they are attacking her knitting!!

Will get to see DD at uni this weekend, so I am very slowly wrapping her birthday presents ( I so do not like wrapping) to drop off as I will miss her birthday. Won't get to see her until Easter after the weekend. It's slow going, especially so soon after Christmas. Also I've got to dig some of her presents out due to an overload of stored |Christmas paper

mum2one

Santas Challenge -
January

Birthday / Christmas list
Whether its a spreadsheet or notepad, start the list of birthday /Christmas/ valentines / mothers day / fathers day... Check whether you have any special birthdays in there.

Sales / Recycling
Hopefully the sales have been generous to us all, and recycling just remember not to give it back to the same person...

Tags
if you have some nice card pcitures cut around these and use them for gift tags


Free Money...
Snapping receipts..
Shoppix, Shoprize uk (android only), bigDL, receipthog -
it is a penny here, few pence there.. soon adds up,

Survey Sites
There are so many survey sites out and about, look at adding a new site in every month. Set yourself a review as after a month or so your find out whether it works for you or not. Always cash out as soon as you can as sites can close / be a pain to get payout.

Spare Diary
Grab a spare diary, and use it for keeping receipts in, there all be in one safe place if anything breaks your not doing the hunt the receipt dance...

Prescriptions
If you find you have regular prescriptions - (if there anything like mine) some I get given 6 weeks, others 4 weeks, some 2 weeks worth..
Grab a pen and paper, sort out how many you need per day then week - 4 weeks, set your ordering into a pattern

(for me - 4 week system, week 1 - big order week 3 small order (covers 2/3 weeks tablets)

Miss Hoodies Corner...
Freezer.... After being the hub of the home over Xmas, nows the time to see how many loose sprouts have taken route at the bottom of the freezer/

Argos
Usually around the end of the month Argos change the catalogues, they have previously added more items to the clearance section, can always look at your local store.

What do I want to achieve
Whether its learn a new hobby, visit somewhere you want to see again / new adventure. Finish off your work in progress..

The skys the limit xx

Happy_Kitties

speeding ahead on the first challenge of the year which makes me feel like i'm at least heading in the right direction.
I just need to get some birthday cards for Feb onwards and what I want to achieve........a strange goal but just to make it to the end of February okay. The spinal damage makes me tired and things are speeding ahead ready for my surgery this year.
However I try and make a life away from the disability but I have got a busy period of events coming up. Ideally the aim is for me not to run myself down/get sores and if I can just keep pacing myself then I think I will be happy and the hospital will be so that is my goal