Santa’s challenge 2020 ...

chanie

i hope you all had a lovely Christmas.  

i was disorganised and forgot to cook the sprouts and yorkshire puds, but nobody missed them.  i did manage to nab the gifts from the crackers, for my Link boxes (nail clippers and bottle openers).  i also went through my gift stash and sorted through the presents i bought for upcoming birthdays.  i hadn’t updated my gift list in quite a while, so i’d forgotten what i had and wanted to make sure i started the new year organised.

i’ve been popping to my local supermarket to see if they had reduced their Xmas wrapping paper  - but there is no sign of it yet.  no worries, as i still have plenty from previous years.  

Next to prepare for is New Year’s eve, as we have a couple of family members coming over. i’m going to do a party food buffet, as we enjoyed it last year. 

Happy_Kitties

Christmas was interesting, Father Christmas brought me a full on head cold. Felt hot and awake very early Christmas morning.  Still went to visit family for the day where the cold really started to develop. managed to get a sleep at Duncles and then off to visit more relatives which was thoroughly enjoyed but it drained me.

Boxing Day I was wiped out and spent most of the day dozing off. Today is the first day I’ve been out wearing a facemask as I’m about 80% better. The fresh air has done me the world of good. Noticed where I live a lot of people are wearing face masks again. Covid tested twice after I couldn’t taste a thing of the spare meal sent home.All good. 

There are bargains galore and a lot of choc I noticed today. Picked up quite a few items for the care packs in the shoebox hub, chocolates to form part of birthday presents next year and 3 Christmas presents. I still have quite a few supermarket vouchers to use which I had forgotten about. Used one today and then came home as I was wiped out.

Chanie if u r close to a Morries I noticed they had put their paper down to 25p straight away if that is of any help. 

Cracker wise, nothing I could nab this year which is a shame. I’ve always nabbed anything like bottle openers in the past. Great minds!!
Party food buffet…..u can’t beat it, sounds like it will be a good New Years Eve.

I’ve got to go out again tomorrow. Going to pop back to Tesc@s, got several items but gave up as I didn’t have the energy. It was so quiet.

Raring to go with my 2023 shoeboxes now….although they way I am at the minute I would prob doze off in the middle of filling one😳

Happy_Kitties

Chanie have really saved £1601on 2022 purchases? Is that just birthday and Christmas presents?

An amazing saving.

I have a £500 budget for Christmas which includes money for DD. Total spend this year was £500.21, savings 182.53.

Did really good presents aswell bec of hunting out the bargains

chanie

@Happy_Kitties the £1600 is savings on literally anything and everything.  it’s normally much higher, but i stopped counting months ago, so the real figure is much higher.  i started keeping a tally a few years ago, as a way to try and help me to maximise bargains.

Katiehound

I'm still here and still at home! Not very festive but had a nice lunch out on Christmas day.
I thought my oldie hound wasn't going to make it last week , even phoned vet for their holiday opening hours but she has rallied somewhat. Can't complain she is 15.5 after all, guess it might have been a tia.

I am trying to attack the kitchen cupboards as I need to get my giant freebie slow cooker put away. I have found dishes etc I had forgotten all about. Quite a few things moving on to pastures new to clear a space. Found a packet of biscuits -2016- think they might be a tad stale!

I have been keeping my eye out for shoe box items all the time!
think it was last month got melamine mugs 4 for £1 from charity shop. Found (yes, literally found) a couple of woolly scarves. also a hat which needs a wash.If I was feeling industrious could start knitting mittens........

Sad about those Tesco items as the playing cards were only 50 pence a pack. More hunting will be needed!

I think I may have enough wrapping paper but it won't be very distinctive! I guess everyone hopes they will see their boxes in the photos!!

back to the kitchen to see if inspiration will strike before tramping the streets with the hounds. I want to rejig these cupboards so that I can get more in & be able to find stuff!! Putting off the day when I have to confront all the evil plastic boxes with their ill fitting/ wrong lids!!!! and turn some of them out.

Happy_Kitties

Katiehound I hope oldie hound is doing okay. It is scary when something like that happens and heartbreaking however much u think u are prepared when they get older.

Went out into our small town today. Sad to see a lot of shops have closed. C@rd F@ctory, very few bargains to be had. I know they were getting in less stock bec of the postal strikes, but very little tbh.
katiehound, when I met the shoebox hub organiser she asked me how much I paid for my playing cards, the cheapest I have only been ever to find is £1 in the W@rks. She said u could get cheaper 50p but I feel those days are over.
Did go into the W@rks today and came out with a stash of bargains, gift bags for 25p, brilliant kaleidoscopes for the shoeboxes, not too big for 50p. My next buy was a treat for me, a proper Christmas organiser book down to 25p. I was so happy. Going to pop back in and get some more kaleidoscopes, forgotten how much fun u could have with one🙂

Katiehound

Thanks for your thoughts. No, it's hard when pets age, but she has had a good life.
 Yesterday my 'runner' was going to leave her in her garden whilst they all went for a long walk except she dug a massive hole! She reckoned if hound has enough strength to dig a hole she can walk. She did!

I forgot to look earlier in the week when I was out, could easily have popped into Wilkos to see what they had. By the time I had trailed round Aldi I had had enough! I love charity shop trawling (and car boots) but ordinary shops? tedious!

Pleased I bought all those hot water bottles much earlier in the year & wind up torches. Now similar bottles from the same firm are double the price.....No wonder my cupboards are so full. When I am in town I often find little oddments in the 10/20 pence box in Sue Ryder shop which are ideal for children. I intend to do same proportion as this year: 2 family & 6 elderly. If I do well then might try for an extra 2 elderly boxes. When I look at the photos it always makes me cry: such desperate poverty that just a shoe box is  a thing to treasure,  a shining  gift  in a dull /dim place.

oops . just discovered a soggy dog bed: not the day to do washing but needs must.

Do you think we could start a new thread for the new year?

sadly looks like Mumtoone has disappeared off the forum, I guess 'Life' had taken over with daughter & mother to care for.

Happy_Kitties

Katiehound said:

Do you think we could start a new thread for the new year?

I don’t mind at all. I don’t know what Chanie and Anglea think and anyone else who would like to contribute.

It would be nice to have a shiny new thread. Any suggestions aswell as what we would call a new thread?

Katiehound

Well it could be something as simple as:
Santa's All Year Round Challenge
or
All year challenge for Santa
or
drop Santa (not down the chimney!)
and call it:
All Year Preparations

those are the ones that come swiftly to mind

or it could reflect shoeboxes in the title since we seem to have caught on to them

Prepare for Santa & Shoe boxes in 2023!!

chanie

i’ll be up for a shiney new thread, to help keep me on track.