Not dropping Santa down the chimney!: 2025 Santa, Shoebox & Life Chit,Chat,Chunter! ALL welcome....

Happy_Kitties

The weather is so bad here tonight, the wind is terrible.

I’ve got bits for the shoeboxes so I’m covered but if I ever have chance in another Tesco I will def be looking for the Keep It Handy range.

i was really lucky again. Popped into local Tesco for cat food. I had seen a set of Matchbox cars reduced from £11 to £5.50. Thought they would make a good present and one for the charity organiser but wanted to wait as I also have a coupon for £2 off if spent £20 next week and thought I would get them then. 

By chance the Matchbox cars caught my eye and had been reduced further to £2.75 so bought the last 4 packs on the shelf. I also had my eye on a Fisher Price toy, that had been reduced to £2.50. As I was getting one from the top shelf a woman helped me and when she saw the price she bought the remaining one!

Cars are so frustrating Chanie when they need work doing to them, they cost a fortune. I am looking forward to ur ideas as now some on my list I buy presents for are becoming older, they are becoming more difficult to buy for on a limited budget. 

Was really pleased last year, always set a max budget of £500 and came in under budget at £441 with savings of £146 with Christmas. 

Anglea

Hi everyone, in my T the handy range is right next to the milk.

It's been non stop problems either for mum or I. She's had eye surgery on Friday, I went to hospital on Sunday and we both have to return for extra appointments, I also have numerous local medical appointments to attend. On the way back from my trip on Sunday, friend and I tried to go to a Knight's Templar location but couldn't park anywhere nearby.

Happy Kitties, yes it was a decorated tree festival but it wasn't anything as nice as a local one I attended years ago because this big one had very odd types of trees including one made from huge beer cans, not my type of thing. We had a very fast walk around the displays and sat for a while listening to the choir which was being recorded possibly for local news.

That was bad for you and friends with no lights outside the castle

It's only reading the messages here that I've just remembered I need to send a birthday card tomorrow. 

Katiehound

hello everyone!
I have been around but not on this board!

At the moment  I am knitting hot water bottle covers for the small bottles I got for the boxes, 4 done so far. Absolutely nothing fancy, just garter stitch with a crochet edging at the top. I haven't even written down how many  stitches & rows so each time when I cast on I have to guess yet again!! daft. For a change I have started on a simple beanie- not keen on the 3" of rib to start with! (after that it's stocking stitch)
having a break from sewing for at least a week

Yesterday I had an appointment at the leg ulcer clinic- after 6 appts at surgery you are referred. Whole business has been a nightmare: caught side of leg on side of plastic crate in August.....What is most frustrating (apart from the stinging/pain) is the fact that  I haven't been able to go swimming for months. Anyway fingers crossed, the wound is dry, I have a practical leg bandage of tubigauze (white) and a new compression sock (also white!!)  the nurse has ordered some black socks for me.
I have learnt: don't let wounds scab especially with a raised centre. Don't let wounds stay wet under a dressing- acts like acid on the good skin!

That's by the by.
Went to a couple of charity shops. One gave me a stack of spectacles- too many for me so if anyone wants some for their boxes please let me know. i shall sew soft covers from cut off upholstery bits  & lined with felt.
 I also got 4 large floaty viscose scarves @ 50 pence each (not new but look good) and 4 x sets of camping cutlery (new) where they slot together. In the past I have bought individual pieces at 10 pence each. 
 I also have small scissors which i have begged from the clinics- they would be thrown away and they are ideal as craft scissors.

That's very annoying about Tesco & no 'handy ' range @Kitties ' cos the cards, tools, nailbrushes are a good deal . (and double points until late next month.)

I was pleased yesterday that actually I am getting used to the car!
No longer lean down for a non-existent handbrake. Also almost got the hang of reverse without pushing the gear stick the wrong way entirely!!

it is a dreadfully dark day here, I doubt the solar panels will switch on at all. Dreary (and rainy) I don't feel like doing anything...... but will!!

Onwards & upwards. Hope everyone is well & doesn't get battered by the next weather system due today. I can't believe just how many storms that there have been- Ciaran was November 1st- it chased me across Ireland!!

chanie

@Katiehound i hope you get your leg sorted soon.

Having just forked out a load of money to get my car fixed, it’s developed another expensive problem (which it never has before i took it to the garage), so now i need to fork out even more money.  That means i can’t do much xmas prep this month, despite only just being paid.  My car having to go back to the garage meant i couldn’t go to my shopping trip, as i had no way of getting there.

@Happy_Kitties im still struggling with gift ideas myself, but i’m determined to keep on top of Christmas this year.  

i ordered DN some slipper socks, as i figured it’s something practical that can be worn around the house. in fact, i may order some for Dsis, while i’m at it. 

Happy_Kitties

Chanie - that is so frustrating about the car, when they are expensive they become really expensive as something always tends to crop up. Hopefully no incidents of Katiehound breakdowns,

Anglea - take care with all those hospital appointments. Hope mum is doing okay but when you have so many appointments it can get draining. Disappointing about the tree festival. The one my friend went to (unfortunately not close by) was very traditional. Not sure about one made of beer cans, I like traditional. 

Katiehound - is it white gauze with a yellow line? That’s the stuff I have to use but not sure what is going to happen as my circulation is very bad. Hoping the sore heals soon so that you can get back to swimming. 

 I started to put another shoebox together at stupid o clock last night. I had all of my stuff in a big bag and just kept throwing bits into it. I bought a storage box yesterday as the previous one I had for other stuff split apart. The other stuff has been sorted and either sent off to charity organiser or stored elsewhere. A friend found some small hot water bottles for me, I do have them…..where? Now that is the question!! It might be when I was rearranging and sorting everything as everything was really shifted about. 

Happy to take the spectacles if you have spare. I  will be able to pass onto the shoebox hub. I think I may see the hub organiser next month, if not then it will def be before Christmas, the hub is already receiving things for the shoeboxes this year.

i hope everyone stayed safe with the storms. I had pots blown over, fence damage and someone’s bird feeder ended up on my drive. I haven’t  really been out, when I did it was just for milk. That was the plan! Saw some Christmas bits very cheap, things like photo props. I picked up a couple of packs, when they went through the till they came up at 2p each!! I paid for my things and then went back into the store to pick up more packs. They will be sent to the charity auction organiser at some point.

Haven't seen or bought anything else, trying to focus on DDs birthday next month, she is definitely becoming more difficult to buy for. Her partner has helped me with some ideas but the older they get it becomes so much harder. I might get DD a cost@ voucher to pop in and finish off the presents. So far I’ve only got one item. 
I’ve also been in a major decluttering phase while being grounded at home. I’ve been ruthless, recycling where I can but it explains why I now cannot find anything! The cats have also been helping me, breaking a lovely glass bowl i have used so much over the years. I think they saw it as fair game that it should be knocked off the kitchen counter after I didn’t put it away quick enough!

Happy_Kitties

I hope everyone is doing okay. I’ve done no more on the shoeboxes, if I set my mind to it I can get my first one completed. RL just seems to be taking over.

Still doing sales shopping. I need to pick up items from Dun@lm tomorrow, picked up quite a few bits for the Dunelm bags of joy and the charity auctions, also things in stock from Arg@s.  Also went in to Boots to pick up some parcels and I noticed by some items there was a 70% off banner. Checked with a member of staff I knew who confirmed it. There was only me and another lady. I still managed to spend £80, bought an item for DDs birthday,  a couple of Christmas bits and things for the shoebox hub and charity auctions. Spent ages sorting out after but worth it. I still need to send one box of charity items aswell. I don’t think I will ever be so lucky with the sales as I have been this year. 

Also bought DD an item for Christmas with a £17 discount. DD was saying that now her and her boyfriend have bought a place, no one asks what they want for a present as they assume they have everything or will get it themselves which they do and they are now ‘adulting’ and paying bills like the rest of us. I now have more ideas, scrapping the Cost@ idea, that is going to DD as money towards an item she wants. 

I can’t wait for the weather to warm up so I can get out and about like @Anglea but I know I won’t be so adventurous as with my health I tire easily but I will give  it a go. Have some things planned, it’s just getting round to doing them. Lots of eating out with friends at the minute which isn’t ideal when trying to shift some weight.

i hope everyone is staying safe in this weather, we have been forecast snow, just waiting for it to arrive.

Happy_Kitties

I can’t find the ones I got but just a heads up for anyone doing the shoeboxes, Dun@lm have their 50% sale and you can get small hot water bottles with cover for £2.50. Next size up, not quite full size but can still just get into a shoebox-£3.00. I picked up one of those today. They had a lot of good things in store, will be going back to prob get another hottie, some things for the super hub and I need to exchange a lantern as the bottom was missing. The lanterns were £4 down to a £1 but as I had an armful of stuff I didn’t notice. Just trying to find homes for everything now. When things go out at Christmas everywhere will look bare!!!

Anglea

Hi everyone. Katiehound I hope your leg has been healing up.

I've had some biopsies on my head so have had really bad problems sleeping ever since. Lots of medical appoints as usual and I'm so fed up of making them that I've asked one of the ex's to take a look in the week as they have a medical background as I've not been able to wash my hair as I had been told no products of any kind only water and to keep putting vaseline on the wounds so I've had a  very gunky head all this time. And because of the locations of the wounds I can't see them myself even with bright lights and using 2 mirrors.

I had to meet DS2 in a pub for lunch at a seaside location not far from him because I had to change my visit date because of hospital, we also went to a park with lakes and very different birds from the ones at my local lake, I have no idea which birds they were but I noticed the sounds were different to usual. I also bought his birthday presents with me for him to open.

DS1 arrived unexpectedly this weekend with his wife. We were talking about his time during lockdown when he and a friend had a news media Youtube channel showing livestreams during all those protests and he was telling me things that I wasn't aware of and thank goodness I didn't know at the time how his friend who was filming were arrested etc

Spring Equinox is coming up and I've been discussing what to do.

Happy Kitties, I know what you mean about getting presents for adult children. Not easy.

I've moreless had to give up my art and crafts club as I'm either too tired or have appointments. I've only slept max 3 hours a night since the biopsies. At some point at home I'll have to finish packaging up my things for Art Abandonment and Book Abandonment and start putting them out once the weather improves.

Happy_Kitties

Anglea-  i’m so sorry to hear about your head, just about the worst place to take biopsies from esp when trying to get comfortable for a sleep. I hope everything gets sorted and things at least settle down with the medical appointments. I find medical appointments very draining and you just don’t want to do anything with the rest of the day. 

It’s good that you have been able to see ur DS’s and please let us know your ideas for Spring Equinox, just so that DD and I can maybe pinch an idea from you!

I hope everyone is keeping well and RL is not being too harsh. 

I’m still sales shopping. Dun@lm have been fantastic for bargains and I bought some more things yesterday reduced again that will go into the Dun@lm Bags of Joy that they do at Christmas.

 I’m sad to say that our W@rks shop is shutting down. Our town is becoming a ghost town. They are selling stock off reduced, have managed to pick up a lot of things for the shoeboxes and for a small charity to raise funds with raffles and tombolas. I really need to take a trip to do a drop off of items to the shoebox organiser as things seem to be overtaking the house which makes life very difficult when you are on a decluttering mission. The house will look bare at Christmas when all the items have gone.

Have planned a London trip with a good friend around Halloween. I would have liked to have gone last year but didn’t get the chance.

Only one Easter egg to buy this year for Duncle. DD would rather we did something together so will combine with Mother’s Day. I might ask if they need anything for the house instead of Easter eggs but DD is utterly ruthless with money, I thought I was a saver and bargain hunter but it is a running joke within the family of how tight DD is with money (best thing I ever taught her).  It feels strange just buying the one Easter egg now compared to when DD was growing up and chocolate everywhere but DD is just not a chocolate eater now and I’m not really a fan. 

Right I better get on with my paperwork and do those RL things for the day, take care everyone esp Anglea going through it at the moment, 

Happy_Kitties

Duncle has decided that he doesn’t want an Easter egg this year so will take things like Easter cakes over instead which always go down well. 

I’m going to do  a drop off to the shoebox organiser tomorrow  who has started taking items in for the hub. Big rolls of 10m of wrapping paper were down to 10p in the W@rks, I have picked up so many items for the hub very cheap-wrapping paper, Christmas cards, tissue paper, sellotape, playing cards, pencil sets. I have about 70 items to drop off tomorrow.
They also had small gift bags (down to 10p)yesterday so picked up 8 of them. U cannot move in DDs room, most things are now organised into zippy bags also picked up at the W@rks cheap. 

Went to the C@rd Factory to get some cards and they had some Mother day presents half price which would make brilliant raffle prizes so picked up some of them to go in the small sanctuary charity bag I’m collecting for. Also raided stash and popped in extra items.  That is going to get dropped off in two weeks time. It was a toss up of whether I did a drop off at the shoebox organiser or the small sanctuary tomorrow.

i hate shopping but do like chasing a bargain.There are a couple of people I always see that are the same, one works in retail that always checks what I have bought to see if the items are reduced (they always are!). This person puts me to shame with her hard core sales shopping and was telling me when I asked where she stored all of her sales stash that a family member had offered her box room storage. She has a very large family to buy for but the store she works at does a lot of charity things  so pops extra items into their charity collection aswell. What is lovely is if I do see certain people they are always tipping me off or I tip them off and it is surprising the amount of people who are like me and do sales shopping for family presents and extra for charity/charities. Things are definitely slowing down I’m glad to say now but with some planning it looks like for the Dun@lm Bags of Joy I can complete at least 10 children’s bags with a hoodie and books in and several bags for elderly ones…..hopefully,

i am determined over Easter that I will get one, maybe two shoeboxes done.
Two birthday presents out of the house this week, I’m late again with two presents, hopefully will get those in the post tomorrow but I do have the slight excuse of needing to buy birthday cards for them.

im starting to become like Anglea with hospital appointments, have today and Monday, I need to get back up to speed with my decluttering aswell. I am determined this year to get some work done in the house and the garden 

Hope everyone is doing okay and not too fed up with the rain, that is all we seem to have at the minute…….rain and more rain!!!