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

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  • Katiehound
    Katiehound Posts: 8,125 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    ah, the bamboo floor!
    I think I put my foot through the top layer- not right through, but I wasn't the only one!
    All these big hefty Europeans compared with very small dainty hill tribes used to walking on delicate / uneven surfaces.
    After that we were all very very careful walking on the floors which were springy. I think we would have been very grateful for solid boards......If I remember rightly anywhere that was 'fragile' had something left on the space so we would avoid.
    It was an experience....

    Any how here's wishing everyone a very happy Christmas & a healthy, wealthy New Year


    Being polite and pleasant doesn't cost anything!
    -Stash bust:in 2022:337
    Stash bust :2023. 120duvets, 24bags,43dogcoats, 2scrunchies, 10mitts, 6 bootees, 8spec cases, 2 A6notebooks, 59cards, 6 lav bags,36 angels,9 bones,1 blanket, 1 lined bag,3 owls, 88 pyramids = total 420total spend £5.Total for 'Dogs for Good' £546.82

    2024:Sewn:59Doggy ds,52pyramids,18 bags,6spec cases,6lav.bags.
    Knits:6covers,4hats,10mitts,2 bootees.
    Crotchet:61angels, 229cards=453 £158.55profit!!!
    2025 3dduvets
  • Katiehound
    Katiehound Posts: 8,125 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 25 December 2024 at 11:31AM
    I've been alerted to Dunelm sale on now!
     perfect for shoeboxes

    candles @ 50 pence,
    sets of cutlery (16 pieces) £2.50 &
    3 pairs x scissors for? £1.49?
    Being polite and pleasant doesn't cost anything!
    -Stash bust:in 2022:337
    Stash bust :2023. 120duvets, 24bags,43dogcoats, 2scrunchies, 10mitts, 6 bootees, 8spec cases, 2 A6notebooks, 59cards, 6 lav bags,36 angels,9 bones,1 blanket, 1 lined bag,3 owls, 88 pyramids = total 420total spend £5.Total for 'Dogs for Good' £546.82

    2024:Sewn:59Doggy ds,52pyramids,18 bags,6spec cases,6lav.bags.
    Knits:6covers,4hats,10mitts,2 bootees.
    Crotchet:61angels, 229cards=453 £158.55profit!!!
    2025 3dduvets
  • Many thanks for the card @Katiehound and the tip off with the Dunelm sale. I’ve done two orders with Dunelm that includes the scissors and candles. Also picked up some cracking bits for the charity that does the auctions. 

    I was lucky I had time yesterday morning before going out to bestie’s house. It was nice not to rush around, just to be able to relax and do things at my pace including speaking to family and having a nosy at sale items. My bank card is in intensive care now as I have spent quite abit in the sales but all worthwhile items, a few birthday presents all ready including for a 21st.

    I had prepared for the L@sh sale (don’t like the stuff myself but always goes down well for presents or for the charity auction). I had preloaded a basket. Got home extremely late from bestie’s so tried with the L@sh sale to check out on the website but it wasn’t having any off it and was saying a couple of things out of stock stopping me from checking out. After abit of faffing around it said to order on the app which was completely new, downloaded it and ordered not realising that it had still saved the items I had in my basket originally. So while faffing around thinking yes I have most of what I want I didn’t notice quantities, I have a 3 sets of one thing and some extra bath bombs (more than planned)  but every scrap will be used for either presents or charity and saved myself a fortune in the process. I think I was lucky bec it was live just after midnight and  ordering on the app is a new thing for L@sh to do, especially as they are having a ‘technical glitch’ this morning- whether  that is bec they have been bombarded with people and orders now they are doing it this way and people have realised, I don’t know, 

    Plenty of food in so def don’t need to spend anything but a good start to 2025 for presents and charity items.

    i hope everyone had a good Christmas Day. It didn’t feel like it was Christmas day, I don’t know whether it was bec it was slap bang right in the middle of the week. Will be a quiet day today, a chance to watch things on catch up. 
    Decluttering challenge 2023🏅⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
    Decluttering challenge 2024 🏅🏅⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
  • @Katiehound. Had to go into next town tonight as I needed to pick up some Arg@s orders that were on their last day of picking up. Also picked up my Dun elm orders, managed to get the cutlery, candles and 2 lots of scissors that look lovely for the shoeboxes so very happy. Thank you for the tip off!
    Decluttering challenge 2023🏅⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
    Decluttering challenge 2024 🏅🏅⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
  • Happy_Kitties
    Happy_Kitties Posts: 1,764 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 5 January at 8:56PM
    Well Christmas is all packed up and the boxes just have to be packed away. I’ve managed to pick up quite a few birthday and Christmas presents for 2025 in the sales aswell as items for the charity I support, the shoebox hub for their local projects and things for my Dunelm Bags of Joy. I’ve been really lucky to have picked up some amazing things very cheap for the Bags of Joy, things that are always requested. They always want the item in a gift bag, I’ve been picking up the bags for life reduced in Tes co bec of their Christmas design which work just as well as a gift bag and can be used far more after. 
    So lots of packing away of things at the moment plus decluttering the kitchen as new kitchen will be happening sometime after Christmas. I’ve joined the decluttering thread with my usual targets which I did hit last year despite being poorly at the end of the year. 

    I did another order with Dun elm so now have a box full of items packed away for my shoeboxes. The scissors are so pretty, they have a decorative design on them, I’m already itching to start my 2025 boxes!!

    My Lush is due to arrive tomorrow, they have cancelled a couple of things but haven’t said what items but whatever I do get will still be used.

    I hope everyone is staying safe and warm. No snow where I live, snow has been forecast and we do have a snowy sky. Just a little bit and I will be happy. Plenty of food still in. 

    Happy New Year everyone.
    Decluttering challenge 2023🏅⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
    Decluttering challenge 2024 🏅🏅⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
  • chanie
    chanie Posts: 3,335 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    hello ladies,

    thought i’d jump back in after being MIA for ages.  Nothing major, just a bit of overall posting fatigue.  i got Xmas sorted, but it’s been feeling more of a chore than a pleasure.  

    i have started my prep for 2025 and bought wrapping paper and gift bags for under a tenner.  i still have lots wrapping paper, but i like to wrap with lots of different types of wrapping paper.

    im determined to get xmas sorted much earlier this year and get my mojo back.
  • Happy_Kitties
    Happy_Kitties Posts: 1,764 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 12 January at 10:51AM
    @chanie it is so great to see you back, we have missed you.

    i know what you mean about Christmas being more of a chore than a pleasure. I had to send more presents this year. I had the lurgy for weeks and seemed to be constantly at the post office. Was supposed to visit family to drop the last of the  presents off before Christmas but didn’t want to risk passing the lurgy on (ended up on antibiotics in the end), so it was back to the post office to send those presents. I thought I was fairly organised and ready for December-nope but have learnt, just send presents earlier if I can manage to do it so hopefully December will be more stress free this year. 

    My plan to have a stress free December never happened, I just felt so rough and a bare Christmas tree stood for 3 days before it got decorated-quite late for me.

    shoebox number 8 never did happen although I have the box mostly full.

    i went off like a rocket with the Dun elm bags of Joy but by the end, I was done, doing the last 7 bags even though I had all of the items, it felt like I was climbing up Mount Everest backwards. 

    The thing I enjoyed most was the trip I had with bestie the beginning of December, it was so relaxing despite having a cough. I really enjoyed that trip and we didn’t over do it, was very relaxing. I have also enjoyed the bit between Christmas and New Year where u could just relax and have some ‘me’ time.

    I've now picked up quite a few bargains, esp for the Bags of Joy and the shoeboxes and for a few presents. Also picked up lots of gift bags, some paper and cards in the C@rd F@ctory when they went to 75%. I was speaking to a member of staff the other day and they were saying the sale had been very slow, even at 75% people have just felt more fatigued this Christmas and post Christmas, it had been a tough one.

    it is so good to hear from you Chanie
    Decluttering challenge 2023🏅⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
    Decluttering challenge 2024 🏅🏅⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
  • chanie
    chanie Posts: 3,335 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    The majority of children in my family are 12+ and tend to want cash/vouchers or specific items and it’s always a last minute panic to sort it out.  Plus, i don’t work near any decent shops like i used to and they were always a good source of inspiration for ideas and bargains. 

    One thing i need to be better at this Christmas is not forgetting the stuff i have put away.  i had christmas themed paper napkins, 36 bottles of j20 and confetti canons that i put away until christmas and totally forgot about them until after Christmas day.
  • Happy_Kitties
    Happy_Kitties Posts: 1,764 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I remember when you used to work near the decent shops Chanie as I pinched many a present idea from you🙂

    i have all younger children in the family that I buy for, only one drops of my list now bec of age but two are getting to the age of cash or vouchers.

    Frustrating about the items you forgot about, but prepared for Christmas 2025 on the napkin and confetti canons ready front now. For the life of me I couldn’t find two presents, if I find them this year, they are being used!
    Decluttering challenge 2023🏅⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
    Decluttering challenge 2024 🏅🏅⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
  • chanie
    chanie Posts: 3,335 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    @Happy_Kitties i should really do what you do and wrap as i go along, so i have more time in December to focus on not forgetting things.  


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