Santa’s challenge 2020 ...

Happy_Kitties

Great to hear from everyone
Anglea I was the same, didn’t do well for a week after my vaccination and caused a few issues but all sorted.
I bet it was lovely seeing ur son, esp after  what sounds to have been a stressful time with things going wrong.
Chanie ur idea all pinched! I have 2 Easter hampers all ready for tomorrow. Going over to Duncles tomorrow, he is cooking and part of my support bubble so one hamper is stuffed full of choc for him. Have also bought some choc bunnies for cousin’s kids, just in case they do a social distanced wave  and drive by. Even though he has his own bag of choc I am trusting him not to eat the bunnies not handed over......he will eat them!!!!

The school PTA is a very worthwhile cause. I bet u will be busy with it Chanie but very worthwhile

Went to the beach yesterday, it’s only 15 mins away. Not too busy and was really lovely as I haven’t been able to get there for over a year. It was a bit chilly but blew the cobwebs away. A real treat.

No other prep done. Sent the two late birthday presents but my prep is poor. Just not feeling organised at the minute. 

I’ve found a new charity shop that is just setting up for when they can open. I have a box of items I have decluttered so will drop off next week. I bet the charity shops will have a wealth of goodies from more decluttering but I’m looking forward to the shops opening aswell. Feel so limited at the moment.

chanie

happy kitties pleased you did Easter Hampers.  I didn’t in the end😂.  I really enjoyed doing the Christmas ones and thought I’d enjoy Doing Easter hampers, but the actual reality filled me with dread, so I didn’t bother.  I did get the children a few Items, so they were happy.

Happy_Kitties

Chanie I didn’t go fancy with the hampers, I just popped them in bags of life I had bought specially. Did wonder if I would get Duncles bag for life back, but he was firmly keeping it! I had also picked up some doughnuts, by the time I was leaving he was just about to tuck into his third one! Good job he does lots of walking and fitness.

i don’t think I would have the patience to do Christmas hampers.

Choc bunnies were safe, being handed out to the relevant children. It was hard bec the kids didn’t fully understand why they just couldn’t come in but picking up lots of choc and lots of mad waving made it fun.
I’ve actually enjoyed this Easter. Last year everything just merged into one and I remember Duncle didn’t get his Easter eggs until July, this year it does feel like Easter.

Must get organised as the next birthday coming up is a Friday and I am not organised at all

Happy_Kitties

It’s been a strange, sad weekend.

The Friday birthday I was late with, only posted the present on Friday. Hopefully they will get it tomorrow.

Picked up a couple more presents for Christmas by chance. Not really been in the mood tbh, esp birthdays, I really am terrible this year.

i am looking forward to the charity shops re opening for a full blown mooch round, I’ve noticed them getting ready.

otherwise all very quiet, not even done anymore Christmas boxes.....I wonder if Katiehound will be doing any this year (thank u for the cards u have sent aswell Katiehound)

Happy_Kitties

No more Christmas presents bought but second Christmas box finished. Boxes are a real problem.
Still not doing well with birthdays. Have been having a few mooches around the CS now they are open but have bought more things for me
Have bought a couple of things for the charity auction but the CS have said they have received less things this time round as people have been selling things instead. It was a boring miserable winter, we all had to do something I suppose!
Other than that it is all very quiet. Visit to Duncles who is in my bubble for a bank holiday feed but it costs me a fortune in doughnuts.....he has a very sweet tooth

Happy_Kitties

Third Christmas box finished. Have found that some Amaz@n boxes are suitable so if the size gets delivered i pounce on it.
Was lucky enough to pick up quite a few items in the B@@ts 90% sale for the charity auctions and a set I’ve bought a couple of times at the 70% sale, ideal for teenagers, I managed to get one at 90%. There was one set I thought I would go back in the next day for one as I just couldn’t carry any more items and didn’t have the car nearby as I had only gone in for soap blocks for the shoeboxes. I should of known that despite there being quite a few sets they would all go, but I’m happy with what I got.

The c@rd factory seems to be having a clear out aswell. Picked up a few more bits for charity auctions, really nice notebooks cheap for the shoeboxes and a couple of things to go towards a birthday present. 

I’m just about up to date with birthday presents. Was late by a week with my last present but finding them hard to do this year. It was the same with the Boots items, just didn’t feel the same. Not the usual excitement.

I’m doing better with Christmas presents and presents in general for the younger members of the family and have Father’s Day presents sorted.

Charity shops not so much, picking up more items for me clothes wise and the odd stand out item for the charity auctions but I am running out of storage room having rearranged all items a few times, so won’t do me any harm slowing down!

Katiehound

Hello
Yes, I am still here but rarely come on the site. Too busy doing Duolingo German (now just re-reading stories not new lessons!) on day 414 or summat! Addictive Sundial wordwheel & wordsearch..... & still writing 3 bloggy e-mails each week.

I am still making doggy duvets. Collected nearly £50 from dog training sales on Thursday. I have also started making woven cotton bones from T shirts but discovered there are 2 types of fabric (Who Knew??!!) the stockinette type is perfect, the fine rib needs strategy & is more time consuming.

Had my very first trip out to Mr T in the week. It was a culture shock: such a large supermarket!! I shall only go there every 4/5 weeks as Aldi has most of my favourite items- and is in town.  I bought magnifying glasses (£1) & playing cards (2 for £1) in T for the shoeboxes. No idea where I am going to acquire the boxes 'though.

Have given up idea of going to Ireland until the autumn. Maybe new Covid variant will have settled, more folk in ROI will have been vaccinated........but paperwork for hounds prohibitive..........who knows.
No cruises booked either so getting very very itchy feet and sadly the house looks.... worse than ever!! At least I have some stunning clematis in flower: Hagley Hybrid has over 50 blooms, in all the years I have never seen it so well. Even 'The President' is doing well .

Woofers are kinda fine. My girl is 14 & showing her age, now on a very very strict diet as veering off certain foods causes mega tummy problems. I can't believe my boy is 9 which means I have had him 7 years. Where did that time go??

Hope everyone is well

Anglea

Hi everyone. 

Great to hear from you Katiehound.  When I read the ages of your pets I started wondering how many years have we been doing the Santa Challenge and it it predated your younger ones. I'm not surprised you are eager to get away as it's been such a change to your usual routine being at home, in fact I had wondered if you had been able to go anywhere as I'm sure I read that some cruise ships had been allowed to sail.

Happy Kitties, you mentioned it was a sad weekend earlier in the month - I hope everything is ok.

I have been thoroughly confused by my eldest, one moment announcing a very unexpected wedding just when everything is shut and no travel allowed, then talking about emigration, then house buying now another wedding planned later in the year - yet as usual he's awol and I haven't heard from him in a long time so I have no idea what is gong on.

I have a number of special occasions in June so I must be on alert now that the shops are starting to open and so I don't forget as I'm continually sorting things out and don't seem to have time for my own personal stuff.

I saw my other son with his support worker a few weeks ago but he's still not allowed in the house, they were in my carport as it was raining. It doesn't look as though his group home are relaxing the rules just yet but luckily his college has opened and he's doing Animal Care (at a place with 200 acres with all sorts of unusual animals) as well as gardening. It's an agricultural college.

Chanie, how are you and the family?

Happy_Kitties

 it’s great to hear from u Katiehound and Anglea. Chanie where are u?!!

I did wonder how u would be coping Katiehound with not being able to do ur normal travels. It must be strange. I’ve been adapting Amaz@n boxes to make my shoeboxes as u can reduce them in size, it’s the only way I’ve been able to do it. Put the call out to friends for shoeboxes but only got one. I’m just finishing my 4th, all elderly so far. I am going to try and do 8 (u inspired me a couple of years ago to try and do 8).
Anglea i bet it has been great for u to see ur son and the animal care is a great course. I had one cat that had to go in for an emergency appointment to the vets recently and called on a friend who has done animal care to help me as cat in question  is a big ginger tom. She got him sorted in no time, they learn so much. Thank u for asking about the sad news. My oldest cat, a golden oldie in her twenties is now on palliative care although out of all of us she seems to be the one powering through at the minute!!
just about finished my Christmas shopping. Much reduced list this year and now DD is older she just wants money but constantly on the look out for stocking filler bits.
Birthdays I am still shocking with. I just cannot get into a routine with them this year. A birthday tomorrow and I will just be putting the present into the post tomorrow. Haven’t got all presents for birthdays either. I have been shocking this year.
Hope everyone is keeping safe and well 

chanie

Hi everyone, just checking in.
I’m pleased to see everyone back on here, with life slowly moving forward.

We are all well here.  Work is really busy so not much present prep going on here. I did, however, buy a balloon arch kit which I made for DS birthday.  They take time, but are otherwise stupidly easy to make.

im preparing for another staycation this year.  We did have a big holiday booked for this year, but got a refund. We can still have a nice  time here in the UK, but nothing beats lying by a pool.