Santa’s challenge 2020 ...

chanie

@Happy_Kitties just a quick post in response to your question about token gifts for a 14 year old boy.

touch screen gloves
mini torch key ring 
phone charging cable (if you know what phone they have, so probably not a good idea).

If you are going to B&M, I’d check out their Xmas gifts;
sweets - all the teens in my family are still into sweets, so something like the boxes of jelly beans, or other boxes of sweets.
I bought the milkshake and ice cream Sunday sets last year, they come in boxes with a glass and the topping and you can add the fresh ingredients.  There are different types of foodie kits.  

Now that we are on the subject of B&M, I’m going to need to plan a trip to check out their Xmas range, as stock can be limited.

Happy_Kitties

Many thanks Chanie for the ideas, it’s much appreciated. I’ve been thinking about getting something different for two girls as well rather than the usual toiletries and I really like the idea of the Sunday sets, think they will really go down well. 

I did think about B&M today but I’ve boxed up another box of charity goodies instead, only bec I had a Yankee candle advent calendar I picked up dirt cheap that I really wanted them to have but the size has proved abit of a nightmare until I could find the right box and a few more items have gone in the box aswell. 

I think once Christmas is over I really need to have a sort out of items I have left and a tidy up. Although it does look tidier, there are still bits everywhere.
if I get to B&M tomorrow I can get box number 3 packaged tomorrow night. I’ve noticed the organiser of the big hub I have about 45 mins away is in full swing with boxes.

chanie

@Happy_Kitties I just realised I wrote Sunday not sundae😅.
You’ve reminded me, I need to get moving with finishing off my link boxes. They just need chocolate, then they can be wrapped and dropped off, but I need to get a move on.

Both B&M and HB have started to get their Xmas stock in and I’ve had a look online and seen some nice things I’d like to get as gifts, both for Christmas and birthdays.  

Happy_Kitties

Chanie I decided to go over to the next town and spent a fortune. I did indeed get Sunday sets 😉which were  down to £2.88 so was well chuffed. Had a mooch round what Christmas stock was out aswell. My B&M are slowly clearing the gardening stuff to make room for more Christmas stock but what they had out was really nice. Also got a sweet tub with a rainforest theme which will be a popular present due to the massive jelly snake I spotted in it!

Bought myself a Halloween candle in TKMas  as it doesn’t look like M&S are doing one this year. The one I bought last year went on forever, changing colours as it burnt. Really good value for money and managed to keep the decorative outside in tact.
I’ve come home feeling abit more in control so the aim is box 3 tonight. Also managed to get two baseball caps in an Avengers designer for £1 in the sale in B&M. They fold up really nice aswell for the boxes

chanie

@Happy_Kitties well done on the bargain Sunday 😉 sets.  They also have milkshake sets, which could be a good idea for next year.  

I’ve been struggling with gift ideas and i was trying to rack my brains about what I bought certain people last year, so I wouldn’t by the same again.  Well….  I found last years list, which I thought I had thrown away.   I think I’m going to have to keep the lists so I can avoid doubling up (for a few years anyway!!!).

My list also inspired me to buy another gift.  My Mum said she really likes body moisturisers.  Last year, I bought her a fancy one and when I saw it on the my list, I just ordered another one for this year.

Anglea

Hi everyone.

Happy Kitties I'm really glad you were able to see your friend after the hospital emergency.

Katiehound, I have to ask what a runner is as you mentioned their daughter. You had a really good find in the free slow cooker. We're all getting like America now with things left outdoors whereas years ago I'd never seen it here or even believed it when a b/f told me he left his bed outside in London.

 I was very surprised to see a really nice hand upholstered chair (along the lines of a wing chair but slightly different style) free on a driveway recently, a note saying it was done for a class. It was very nice but even if my friend had got it in his car, it wouldn't have suited my house.

Normally I celebrate Autumn Equinox on the 21st and had made plans for today then I'm reading everywhere it's on the Friday 23rd this year so I'll probably do something both days. Because of my food intolerances we're going to one garden centre that has suitable food and a lot of Green Man things everywhere and afterwards we're going to another one for hot drinks that is very close to a hill fort as well as a rock that was used for Celtic sacrifices. Not that we're climbing up them to get to the top, it's just that they're not far away plus there are really good views across the valley from the 2nd location..

On the Friday we may go to a standing stone that is outside a churchyard near the M5.

Yesterday was my first week back at the craft club after the summer and I was discussing possible Christmas gifts I will be making for the friend I send to. She's into pagan things, fairy gardens, medieval decor, India. One idea I will try out is based on a talking stick (Aboriginal). I spotted one outside a countryside pub nearby at first I assumed it was a child's toy as looked rather bright amongst the greenery outside, then I realised to was purposefully made. Wool in various shades of pink and contrasting colours had been wound round and it also had charms and various things attached. This was the size to add to a large plant pot as opposed to the tall walking stick types that I saw online.

Another possible gift is crochet shapes attached to driftwood as a hanging. I'm going to try the stick idea first.

Happy_Kitties

Anglea I love autumn, it’s my favourite season, I love everything about it, except I think it goes too quick.
I hope u managed to celebrate the Autumn Equinox.
Are u still going to have a go at making a talking stick for ur friend?

Chanie it’s a great idea for your mum with the body moisturiser and u know it is something that will be well received and loved.

Hoping to seal up box number 4 tonight. I’m conscious of getting the boxes done as I want to try and volunteer at the Wales shoebox hub, esp as I have over 100 m of wrap for them.  While I was looking around for something just to sit on the lid of box 4, I found another box. I was looking at it thinking it’s a shoebox that has been sitting right under my nose, I can use that. U can imagine my surprise when I opened it to find most of it filled, I don’t remember doing that, so will finish that next week. Normally in the past once school starts stationary items really come down in price. Picked up a few bargains in Asd@ but nothing else. Slim pickings this year and I love a bargain!

I keep a list of birthday and Christmas presents for years past and present in a small book, apparently a trait inherited from my dad of lists and as they go through stages like being wrapped, they get a symbol next to them and then highlighted as they leave the house. I’ve got a lot of a baby presents starting to happen with friends and cousins having babies. I just like to do a token present, the bits I have I’ve swapped round several times, esp for one little one. His presents didn’t sit right with me, I wasn’t happy with them so have had a switch about. I’ve also managed to get hold of the M&S Percy Pig tree decs, they sold out so quickly last year and a Halloween one which is really cute.

Another box of items went out to charity organiser and I have a few bits ready for the supermarket toy collection at Christmas. 

I cannot believe it is October the end of next week, where has September gone? 

Happy_Kitties

5 boxes completed so far……I am very happy although i have now run out of boxes so will be on the search for more. Wrapped a couple more presents aswell, plodding along nicely.

Also bought a small Christmas sponge pud to put in my stocks, the first item to be put away that can be used as a treat between that strange time between Christmas and New Year.
Currently on the hunt for a pumpkin decoration that are in Asd@. My local one is too small, there is a big store in the next town, will pop in the next time I am in the town. 

That’s me all up to date and once the October birthdays are out of the way I’m aiming to drop the Christmas presents off for my cousin’s kids and give Duncle guidance on basically do not forget them! Also need to drop a November birthday present off with him so that will be one job I will need to do the end of October. It takes the pressure off things so hopefully I can do some volunteering in the shoebox hub

Anglea

Hi everyone.

Happy Kitties I love reading about the shoe boxes as well as the doggie duvets and all the activities that happen on here. I used to do a lot of this in days gone by including Love Darg, I don't know if any of you have heard of this but it was an annual charity handmade gifts venture done by People's Friend. I haven't read it in years so don't know if they still do this or not.

I was lucky to have two days last week for the Equinox. Wednesday we went to the garden centre with the Green Man everywhere on the walls for lunch. Then to a country pub for a cold drink then we attempted to locate a prehistoric burial stone but my phone signal disappeared so I lost the map and we ended up parked at the end of the airport runway and watched the planes take off then drove through an area that is supposed to be an ancient settlement but we couldn't find any evidence as very wooded.

Friday we did see the standing stone that's from 2000 BC then went to an extremely noisy motorway services to eat as it was the closest place and I was really hungry.

I didn't get a chance to start my talking stick as want to go to the seaside to find driftwood, we were doing today but friend has had to go to the seaside town to take someone to hospital with a dog bite so not going as we've both been unwell and I don't fancy a windy seashore as it's cold today.

Happy_Kitties

ANGLEA  it was interesting about what u said about Love Darg. I’d never heard of it before and I hope that People’s Friend still do it, it sounds like a great idea.
Im interested to know how big was the standing stone and what were they used for back then? Sorry if sounds like a daft question, I love the history of different things and was always regretted not taking history further after GCSE (the blooming teacher was awful, had her favourites and if u weren’t one u had it).

6 shoeboxes done, just need to start shoebox 7. I was at orthotics in hospital last week, was cheeky and asked if they had any shoeboxes, came home with one. Felt like I had won the jackpot. I have warned them that I will be asking for more in the future!

Two donations to the food bank this week as they were doing a drive for items in the lobby of Tesc@s yesterday. I already had a free sample pack of sanitary towels that I had planned to drop off. Said it was just a sample pack but they were very grateful and said they wished more people made use of free offers that would be able to help them if not useful for the person themselves.

Had ordered two toy presents that  I needed to pick up from the next town so went today. It was so busy, can see that people have started their Christmas shopping. Went into the R@nge (not been into the store for nearly two years) and was shocked to see how big their Christmas section was, much bigger than two years ago, I would say double the size. Came out with another gonk (I love them), a gonk cushion and a drink cup full of American sweets that will go down well as one present. Also picked up an advent calendar for Duncle…..I don’t know why as he will eat it all in one go but plodding along nicely.
Did go into TK Maxx which was  also busy but there was nothing that caught my eye. All in all a productive day……except I have eaten my one item stashed for Christmas…..my sponge pudding…it was very nice!