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

Happy_Kitties

Dun elm currently have bargains on hot water bottles. I’ve picked up some small hotties with covers for £1.25 for the shoeboxes and charity bags. Picked up some Schnauzer and Badger (a long hottie) hotties for £2.50 for Christmas presents, they are lovely.
Also managed to pick up some things in the Boots 90% sale even though I went at the end of the day. Picked up items for charity and some eye shadow palettes (down from £10 for a £1) for Christmas presents, very surprised anything was left. 

Happy_Kitties

I have completed my first shoebox……tbh it was a bit of a cheat, it was shoebox number 8 that I never managed to complete last year. I already had a choc bar well within date for it, our local Tesc@ had some small bags of chocs reduced so picked up one of them to put (cram) in. 

Frustratingly the hand torch I had, on checking it was faulty and not worth sending back but I did manage to cram in a small hottie aswell. So first one is done, it just needs its Christmas wrapping on it.

DD was very happy with her b’day presents, and now entering into March, it is abit of a mad March with birthdays but have items picked up in the sales/ reduced. I have 3 significant birthdays this year.
I’m going through a nail varnish phase for presents this year. Once I had decided on this after getting a couple of little sets in the B@@ts sale, when going back for more they were sold out but have sourced some nice sets on Vint@d. Must stay off V….it is too addictive. I keep a strict budget for birthdays and always work out during Twixmas how much was spent and how much I saved. 

Picked up a few charity bits from Dun elm sale on Friday, now have an abundance of hotties and slippers. I did have a nosy in TK m@xx!!

The couple of winter decorations I had out were packed away last night. Two years ago I picked up a lovely big Paperch@se pom-Pom winter white wreath reduced to £2 from £20. I try to get max use from it as it looks so good. The couple of Easter decorations I have (TKMa@xx sale last year) have been brought out. My wicker Easter rabbit is now proudly hanging up on a downstairs door. I used to dislike Easter as a child but having children, the adventures and family treats we had,  changed my perspective on Easter and I now enjoy it a lot more

Happy_Kitties

I hope everyone is doing okay. I now have some time off for Easter and I really need it, very overtired.

Friend has been supplying me with shoeboxes, even though I have enough i will take any more she has to offer to drop-off at the shoebox hub.
I’ve nearly  finished the second shoebox, I might try to get that finished later.

its a miracle, I been ahead on birthdays, I’ve even amazed myself. I think it’s bec I’m very conscious of the 3 landmark birthdays this year, two of which have been completed ahead of time……wonders will never cease!!

Over the next couple of years, presents will start to reduce as more landmark birthdays hit which will be very weird but it will mean i can bring my birthday and Christmas budgets down.

Some more Christmas and charity items bought, have def slowed down on Vinted. I’m currently trying to sort out a Vinted parcel where a woman sending them has mixed up parcels and I’ve been sent the wrong thing. 

I’m going to leave grass cutting until tomorrow so might do some wrapping this afternoon!

Happy_Kitties

It turns out that this year-4 landmark birthdays, I didn’t know about the 4th so got a card popped into the post and will hand over a small present next month. 

3 shoeboxes completed and wrapped, the 4th isn’t wrapped yet and I may need to open it as I’ve lost the list of what was in it……very frustrating. But hoping to hand over the shoeboxes and some extra items, including items for the Bags of Education in the next couple of weeks. I def could not do the Bags of Education myself again, they were a nightmare to do but the hub puts them altogether and boxes them up so I don’t mind getting items I see cheap and passing them on. 

I hope everyone is having a good Easter. Easter egg already eaten and out for food later but I want to get some washing out as we actually haven’t got rain….for a change

Happy_Kitties

Very happy, 4 completed shoeboxes dropped off to the shoebox hub yesterday. The shoebox that I never managed to complete last year is sealed up but didn’t go yesterday as I still cannot find the list as to what is in there so looks like I will have to unseal it and I taped it up well to get the lid down but it does mean that I have my 5th completed.

I also dropped off a bag of items for them aswell.
Other items will be going out earlier this year to them so hopefully some space will be freed up and I’m hoping that Dunelm do their summer collection as I have items for that. I can then reorganise as currently I have items everywhere and I don’t know what I have  for the bags of Joy. Well I do, it’s just taking over the house.

Birthday wise I am still on track……wonders will never cease and I’m staying under budget.
if I can get the remaining 4 shoeboxes dropped off by July i will be very happy as it means things are going to plan much earlier with no last minute rushing. 

I hope everyone is doing okay and they are getting some good weather. It looks like we are on the start of a good weather streak, time to get the washing on!

Anglea

Hi everyone, only a quick hello, I couldn't get back into my account until just now so I'll be reading what I've missed tomorrow. It seems that when I cleared my browsing history a while back it also wiped the log in details of everything and as I set up this account over 10 years ago I couldn't remember which email, what name I was going under, password etc

Katiehound

Ho ho ho! very quiet on here!

I have been away on a cruise for 3 weeks- very good but hot destinations! up to 35' and that was in June.....
 I managed to knit x 5 pairs of mittens for my shoeboxes but they have yet to be sewn up! having yarn came in handy as I was able to crochet a lanyard for my key card having left the real one(s) behind. Oh, and I managed lots & lots of dancing- great fun.

A friend is also knitting mittens for me and another is knitting plain rib hats as long as I supply yarn. She says she has gone wrong once or twice ie moss stitch instead of rib... but it's a hat!

I have also completed one crochet knee blanket and another about half made. I'm using up all kinds of 3 ply & 4 ply odds and ends used doubled. I have no intention of knitting anything in 3 ply!!

I think I have almost got all the 'stuff' for the boxes. A friend has got cheapie flannels & scarves for me and I have put a call out for a few men's ties.
I need toothpaste.

Bought x6 lip salves from B&M- £2?
6 x nail clippers (3 on each card)
This time I have bought shampoo soap bars on a rope, slightly dearer but no spills!!
Off to ireland shortly and intend to get those mittens sewn up

Thankfully it is a slightly cooler day:Friday was a scorcher...

Hope everyone is safe, well and not too hot & bothered.
Take care xxx