Santas challenge 2017

Happy_Kitties

Chanie I do like the idea of a secret Santa, cost saving but still fun

The books sound great, a real treat, I loved my DD getting books as I used to love reading them myself! I've kept a couple of books that DD received at Christmas when she was young that she used to insist on reading every Christmas eve. Special memories, so important.

Haven't really done anything, been unwell but not even fancied doing anything like wrapping the odd present I have found. My third shoebox is so close to being finished but is looking at me sadly as I have just not felt like doing them.

The one thing I have done is DD and myself, with spare bears, beanies and bits we have parcelled them up and sent to charity for their tombola stalls. Has helped with decluttering for me and hopefully raises a few pennies for them. Some bits were presents that I had received last Christmas that I couldn't use or regift but would make a good prize so feel we've done a little bit of good.

chanie

I always feel that we can begin to legitimately mention the c word now that we are in September.

At the beginning of the year, I wrote a lessons learned plan of last years preparation and also a to do list for sep/Oct and Nov/dec. I crossed my first items off the list, which was checking my supplies of sellotape and wrapping paper. I bought a sellotape dispenser and sellotape from Card Factory recently and I also bought our family 2019 calendar and my small bag diary.

Other tasks for sep/Oct include:
Book Father Christmas
Make snowman soup
Make magic reindeer food
Prepare children’s selection boxes
Start researching Xmas jumpers for children.

crazy-cat-lady_2

Chanie, what is on your other lists? I love lists!! I want to check I haven’t missed anything I might need. I do similar every year and always forget something.

I bought a year pass to the PNP app last year. Portable North Pole. You can personalise santa videos for the kids with photos, names and details. Not paying again this year, the pass runs out at the end of the month so I have to make Zoe’s videos a little early this year so they’re downloaded and ready for her to see nearer the time.
I have a few santa/Christmas parties I’d like to look into and book this year. A few last year weren’t that good, and one was brilliant and we will do again. She’s 2 now and getting more into it and understanding more. So I really want to make it special.

I got all her (and my) Christmas jumpers in the sales last year to put away. I have three new ones and she has about 8. All £3 or under. Plus a knitted Christmas pud hat for me too 😆
That’s definitely on the list to do again this year. I have a list every year of things I DON’T need to buy as I have plenty left. As well as one for things I need more of because I run out.

chanie

Crazy cat other things in my list include:

Stock up on batteries for toys (last year was an Xmas eve emergency dash to the shop) and other accessories

Make Christmas pudding (I used pre soaked fruit from Lidl).

Prepare Xmas eve boxes (have bought the pjs, which is the main thing)

Buy and write Xmas cards for beginning of December

Clear out receipt box of any old receipts

Clear out children’s old toys to make way for the new

Make Xmas reef

Go through Xmas decorations box in mid-Nov (normally do this when we buy our tree, by which time, most shops have sold a lot of their stock).

Buy January birthday presents this side of Xmas (we have about 5 birthdays in January and I end ipleaving them to the last minute and then it comes a horrible panic).

The biggest lesson is not to leave the wrapping to the last minute. I only do this because its near impossible to wrap with the children around, but we dont get much time without them.

Happy_Kitties

Chanie aswell as crazy cat having a look thru ur lists I have been aswell!

News Years Eve I always have a reflection on the Year but never thought about a lessons learned which would be useful.

I hate wrapping, really do with a passion. I'm certain that's one of the reasons (besides being easier on the pocket) I shop throughout the year so that I can wrap early as I hate the stress of the panic in December, and parcels that need to be sent can be parcelled up and sent the beginning of December along with cards.

Have wrapped a couple more bits that I found while digging out a birthday present-literally as it is only small and required a bit of a hunt.

Anglea

Hi everyone,


Chanie, I'm wondering what is Xmas reef?

Re the living room paint fiasco, DS1 ordered it for me on his visit home a few weeks ago and it turned up unexpectedly and I got caught out twice in the morning as there were two deliveries, first time I had to throw over a dressing gown and another I was wearing a low cut vest (no bra) and shorts and I thought the man had left and I bent right over to move the box only to discover he was still there staring at me lol

It seems that DS had sent me an email about the delivery the night before but I didn't check the account as it's not set up on my phone but on the computer.

I wonder where Katiehound has gone this time?

Christmas - my current concerns are -

1. cards to be done early

2.a ideas for the friend's birthday in December that does Christmas with me (she's buying all the Dec 25th food in advance and keeping it at her house as I don't have enough room in my kitchen or freezer)

2.b friend Christmas gifts

3. rewriting the names/ addresses for cards into a new book as the old ones have contacts I no longer have anything to do with.

4. another friend's Christmas gift - sometimes I make things eg jewellery, cross stitch, painted stones so want to think up ideas - I have tried to make a few items but they didn't work out so I need a plan B for handmade or bought

5. family - the parents tend to like books or magazines on history or gardening, no ideas yet for the boys

6. food for the boys visit leading up to Christmas and after the 25th

7. Have better areas for gift storage, stationery supplies etc at the moment it's all a shambles and hard to find anything as it different rooms in bags or boxes.

8. Get my bedroom decluttered as it's going to cause problems with Christmas organising as I keep all my list, notebooks etc in there.

Happy_Kitties

Anglea I'm still packing up the living room ready for decorating. At this rate the settee will arrive before the room is done. The kitchen has a stash of paint tucked under a unit looking very sorry for itself

Picked up some biscuits and matchmakers for Christmas while on offer from Tesc@. Tucked out of sight. If they are out of sight they will be out of mind until DD goes hunting for them at Christmas but always end up with too much food and it's chocolate that tends to get left as we get bought so much aswell

crazy-cat-lady_2

Happy kitties, we stockpiled on matchmakers too. 75p! Woo might try a few now as haven’t had the gingerbread before. But the others can go away and if the gingerbread are nice we’ll get more. Got to check when they’re on offer until.

My little ones has been colouring Christmas cards. I got a pack ages ago where you colour the front, back and insides and there’s a place on the back that you fill in who coloured it. Loads of stickers too. So they’re mainly multicoloured chaos, but family members will like them from her.

Found some advent calendars (not chocolate) I got cheap in Jan that I’ll be getting out. My little pony for her, a flutter from Superdrug one for my niece. Also found a few bags of Christmas tree chocs that are dated til next year. Several boxes of crackers and other things I forgot about. Looks like I didn’t update my “already got” list too well!
Good job I went through the Christmas cupboard.

Happy_Kitties

CCL I went a bit mad with the matchmakers as starving student DD is back at uni soon and always takes a food bag with her. She has to have a high calorie diet so there are currently 8 boxes in her uni bag. I noticed the box I put in the cupboard for general along with the custard creams have already disappeared by DD-i only bought them yesterday!!

I always found that family loved DD making cards-they are the best

I haven't got a stockpile list but I know we have over stockpiled on crackers which I kept managing to pick up cheap after Christmas last year-currently all stashed at my mums. Should really make a stockpile list which I think will go in my Christmas present book or spends book or I'm going to overstock again for certain

chanie

Happy kitties thanks for the tip about the matchmakers, I bought two boxes today. I am not sure what I am going to do with them yet. I did consider buying some boxes for the children to give to their aunts, but one is on a diet, so I scrapped that idea.

When I was in Tesco, I noticed that they were getting their Christmas stock in, so now I can start to stockpile foods with a long shelf life. Top of the list is beef suet for my Christmas pudding. Last year, I made a pudding for the first time and I struggled to get beef suet in the run up to Christmas (although it wasnt just about stock levels, I just didnt know which aisle it would be in). I held off with buying anything, as I want to make a list of what to get first.