Santas challenge 2017

chanie

More of my online orders arrived over the past few days:

Woolly hat for BIL
Neckwarmer for my mums partner
Valet tray for OH

I also picked up some socks for OH in the Sainsbury!!!8217;s sale.

I didn!!!8217;t see anything giftworthy in IKEA, but I did buy a little toy for my baby niece.

Happy_Kitties

4 birthday presents being sent out this week. It does feel good to be organised and makes life so much easier:j (but I am the first to admit that I don't like the parcelling up)

Had a tip run as part of my clutterfest yesterday. Have decided that I need to prioritise decorating the living room before New York so have been slowly sorting out the living room, my aim is to get it decorated before the end of June......that will send my stress levels up. Spoke to DD and she is on board with the idea so will keep as a target. Having bought presents isn't half making my targets more 'doable'and life easier.:T

Just need to do Mother Day. All my mum wants is something for the garden and fish&chips bringing in!! Very difficult to buy for but very easy to please:rotfl::rotfl:

Chanie what are the keepsake tins like? Are they quite big or small? Very curious as I have a couple of bits of DD that could do with going into a keepsake tin

chanie

The tins are a good size, about half the size of a sheet of a4 paper. You should be able to get quite a few items in them.

Well done on sending out the presents. I had a bit of a disaster today. I ordered some items online and I normally do click and collect but as we were short of time, I decided to get them delivered to work. The Driver couldnt find the entrance to my company so didnt deliver. I was so annoyed, as OH needed the item for tomorrow. They are going to redeliver, but it will be a faff for me to get the item to OH for when he needs it.

mum2one

Sorry been madness.... a quickie update.

Jim Davidson... git to say he was good, a couple of jokes I had to explain to miss hoodie as they went over her head.. bless her, some jokes heard yrs ago, I would say 8/10

Sarah Millican... that was an adventure getting there, followed sat-nav we ended up in a college car park... came out tried again, o back to the college.... plan b... ring the box office.... we were in the right place, the theatre shares the venue with the college. We had spotted chippie with indoor eating...
The warm up comedian... he wasn!!!8217;t the best... as for Saran Millican, we both thought she was better on tv.
It came to so eth8ng...miss hoodie admitted she preferred Jim Davidson and laughed more..

Miss hoodie... she ended up with week and half off school, after go appointment she was diagnosed with severe flu, which left chest infection, crackling on her lungs... sounds daft but took over 3 weeks to clear.

Holiday... can!!!8217;t believe a week ago we were packing to co e home...

Hugurda - EGypt, it was amazing, we had ngtmare on plane on way out, passenger by us got drunk and was really abusive... he drank 8 bottles of wine plus 2 cans cider...
our hotel was out of this world, they couldn!!!8217;t do enough for us, weather was good, hot 28c fir last few days,

Took miss hoodie on trip thou only she was able to do it, it was unsafe for me to do ladder ... she went on a submarine, loved it.

2min taxi ride we were at shopping mall... popped for a wonder, found dress shop, joked about looking for a prom dress....even thou nit till 2019... said try a couple on give you an idea of style... told her budget next yr was £150 (tbh wanted to say £100 but felt guilty and knew that at the time mum would top up difference); dresses were £200-£400.

In the corner sale rail... tries on 10 different dresses, the lady who worked 5here helped to ge5 her size..

We came back with 2 dresses... retail price £350 (both) sale £123. She looked stunning

Dress 1 navy with silver, hour glass almost like Jessica rabbit style, dress 2, red and silver, loose fitting slightly flowing skirt to it.

Me.., relaxed, holler out, sampled a few cocktails, ended up being called mum by 8 people.., quite funny going into the restaurant got waiter, waving and shout8ng mum I!!!8217;ve got your table...

Even brought some presents out there,.

Mum.. there was an artist there. Pencil drawing.. they were amazing, copied photos off the phone, had one of mum and dad, had tears it was amazing,,, then I had one of miss hoodie done, should have been £90 for both (£30 per person), he did a discount got both for £65

Me. Had a ring very dainty (unlike me) double layer, the bottom is stone set. The top has infinity symbol.

Friend - 60 in March, bookmark of papayas paper, then a silver Pendant of neffititi (excuse spelling)

We came back just at the right time, flew last Wednesday, the time we got the car we were driving home about mid ngt, dropping to minus 6...

...
Ack to reality...

Don!!!8217;t forget Mother!!!8217;s Day on Sunday... and Monday as anything left tends to get heavily reduced. Xx

Happy_Kitties

mum2one glad Miss hoodie feeling better. Oh the dreaded prom, my brother spent stupid amounts as my niece's school goes all out with everyone turning up in limos, official photographer etc.
Where I live there is only 1 limo that's it but trying to get an appointment for hair, nails done etc what a nightmare. It's good that u've been to get 2 nice dresses now under budget as well.
Good that u managed to get some presents in Egypt as well, something different and if the opportunity arises u have to go for it,

chanie can I ask where you got the keepsake tins from please? While I've been having my sort outs I've come across a couple of important things of DD that I would like to stay together and a keepsake tin would be perfect

It's such a nuisance when you try and do something that u think will be more practical for u which then turns into a headache and ends up causing problems. I hope u managed to get the item to ur OH okay.

Can I just say how much I so hate packing up presents. They were supposed to be sent today but we had a bucket load of snow. The plan is to get to the post office in the morning.

Just by chance I came across a really nice hydrangea that I'm driving around with as one if my cats will rip the flowers off. Mothers day card all bought, just got to get some chocolate......i think the chocolate my mum will most like is a Smarties Easter egg of all things. She's gone off boxes of chocolate I think she had too many over Christmas.
Just need to bring the fish and chips in Sunday now!
I hope everyone is doing well with their plans

chanie

mum2one well done on your bargain dresses for miss hoodie and all of your other bargains. Egypt was mine and OHs best ever holiday.

Happy kitties
DS has one of these tins
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bright-Side-Storage-Tin-Box-Lock-Wedding-Keepsake-Christmas-Birthday-Home-Gift/351912064419?hash=item51ef97f5a3:m:mFURSSVEa0TZ71sqhxdJmzw

They do lots of versions. I felt the girl tin was slightly too old for DD (5) so I got her this one;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rachel-Ellen-Sparkly-Treasures-Storage-Tin-Box-Girls-Bedroom-Accessory/162136718682?hash=item25c019fd5a:g:uqcAAOSww9xZJDwm

Im off to my beloved Home Bargains now. My nearest store is miles away, so I dont get to go very often. I will be on the look out for some stocking fillers.

chanie

rather disappointed with Home Bargains today, but I did get;

Easter chocolates - including some marshmallows on a stick which look much more expensive than the 69p I paid for them.

Birthday present - DD has a birthday party next week and I managed to get a decent gift at a good price.

Lap trays for the children - I want to keep them for Christmas, but I will probably end up giving to them sooner. Maybe i will wait until Easter as I could use them as a stand for their Easter eggs.

Happy_Kitties

Many thanks for the links Chanie I remember my DD getting one from my mum so I've hunted it out after asking her whether I could use it to put some special bits together from her babyhood.
I remember my mum buying them for everyone when the local garden centre had them in a couple of years ago but I didn't get one and my mum didn't buy for herself so have ordered 2 tins as I've got some special things from my childhood that I want to pop altogether as well

You can't beat a good home bargains. The nearest was in the next town that I was never able to get to very often but we now have one just 5 minutes away. I went in for bleach the other day and came out with a basketful of items. The only problem with ours is it Is very popular but the car park is not the biggest to cope with the popularity.
Still driving round with my mum's hydrangea in the boot!! I can't tell u how good it has felt to send birthday presents this week that are ready and I've managed to find all the presents. I keep a storage box esp for birthday presents. I'm also sending out things I've sold on eBay as part of my clutterfest, not going very fast with this so far. I do the RM surveys so have been using the stamps I save from the surveys too. Feeling very productive.......even though it's at a snail pace but is creating some space for me!!!!!

Have been putting some ideas in place for living room. My mum has a good eye for these things so have been putting a few ideas together ready for my mum to have a look tomorrow over the fish and chips. It will give me an idea of the savings targets I will need to aim for and how I can keep costs down. My main problem is that not being able to do the decorating myself I always have to get a decorator in, he is a whizz with laminate flooring which he is going to need to do as well. Will be nice to have the living room sorted.

Anglea

Hi everyone.

Mum2one, sounds like an eventful holiday, must have been awful with the drunk on the plane, Miss H in a submarine!! Not something I'd expect would happen in Egypt, I was expecting an account of the pyramids lol I still can't believe that Miss H is so much older and I'm wondering apart from the prom, where else will she wear those lovely dresses?

I like the look of those tins you are all buying, DS1 never seem the slightest bit interested in any of his mementos and I had to rescue lots of important things (well, I thought they were important) from the bin when he was decluttering.

That's why I keep meaning to label things that have meaning for me from my childhood or belong to ancestors (and are valuable) because otherwise I expect they'll just be thrown out after I'm gone without any consideration. I've been saying this for years and still haven't got round to it.

Happy Kitties, did you manage to give your mum the hydrangea yet or it is still there?

I've been thinking about my living room too and getting ideas. I plan to try out a beach house theme just by buying (or making) blue/green cushion covers just to see what that looks like before I try anything major as I think that some ideas can look good on paper and if you visualise it but can be completely wrong depending on the room position, how much sun it gets etc

Last week I had a botched attempt at a handmade gift for June, will be trying plan B.

On Mother's Day I had a couple of hand made items in a public display, they were made years back and much easier to take (week in advance) than anything that I made in more recent times - one was an embroidered tray cloth with lace edging and the other one was an artist trading card.

Chanie - I haven't had success with lap trays, I found things fell off the sides lol

Happy_Kitties

Well the hydrangea survived!!!!!.......that plant travelled miles with me and survived!

Was a good mother's day(except for going to m@rrisons for a couple of things including a pudding for after the fish and chips. It was so busy).
Went thru my living room plans with my mum The original colour we chose is no longer available. Have the main colour planned, but the new extra colour-have a choice of 2 options so I'm going to have to buy some tester pots.

Anglea I remember artist trading cards. I'm a scrapbooker, haven't done any for over a year. I think once the living room is done I will feel more like getting back to it as storage will be better sorted.
Do you do all sorts of crafts? I would be so chuffed if I had items on public display.
Have done wedding invites, I do make cards but my first love is scrapbooking. Have been able to document so much with DD and have managed to have a couple of my layouts published-going a few years back now. But it does inspire me to get the living room sorted so I can craft again

Nothing much else is going on. Have a box ready to send my next birthday present, it feels so good that the hard work is done, they are already bought with thought and it is so much better on the purse. I do so much better being prepared although I do confess to finding another of DD Christmas presents, has been put with her birthday presents so extra presents to open!!

The keepsake tins, I have some items that I've found while sorting out that I want to put together as DD wouldn't have a clue otherwise and I would also expect they would be thrown out aswell, without realising the meaning attached to them.