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

chanie

my local town centre is awful. they were supposed to build a big shopping centre, but the plans keep getting delayed. In the meantime, many shops have closed down. i only go if i have to and even then i don’t wander around as there are no decent shops.

OH wants to buy DN a wallet for his birthday and we have an independent bag shop on the high street, so i will have a look in there.

Katiehound

Sorry, I've been AWOL too because the start of the year has thrown up some emotional stuff which I am struggling with and I have decided that this year needs to be 'Life Laundry!' I have spent a lot of hours on the phone chatting to friends and I rewarded them with 6 month magazine subscriptions for £6 each: bargain. I've also been on an exercise 'kick'! Most weeks I have managed 4 or 5 swims (1/4 mile or a tad more at 20 lengths )plus 2 or 3 different classes (yoga, aquacise, chair pilates.) I have a lot more energy but have just been struck down with a spluttering cold!

I see that I may have to do a lot of editing in my Yahoo in & sent boxes. Storage restrictions are coming in in June- if you have too much stored you won't be able to send or receive any emails!

Looking around I guess the house has been pretty much abandoned for over 20 years!! Go away, dump the bags, take some of the bags from the heap and then bring back more … etc.

Luckily I have found someone who runs art / craft classes with children and adults and she has taken mounds of 'stuff.' I have kept a lot but they are things that I plan to use. The doggy duvet factory has ceased so there were mounds of fabric from that (still are mounds!) As soon as I create a teeny space things expand to fill it…..I am still making the pyramid pouches but they don't take up as much room.

The aim is to see some progress, however small, by the time I go on a cruise on March 12th but it is seriously a drop in the ocean.

I do have quite a bit for the shoeboxes. I got small hotties for about £2.50 each. This past week I have found some nice soft viscose shawls/scarves in the charity shops @50 pence each. I need to check on the mittens situation because they are easy enough to knit on the cruise and it's a bit of a conversation starter so a way to make new acquaintances. I've made a few narrow scarves from that 'eyelash' yarn. I will just have to bite the bullet and deliver the boxes in the city as my friends have put the house in Norfolk in the hands of the estate agents so the For Sale signs will be going up very soon. Boo hoo

Just at the moment I am trying to get a second knee blanket completed- 7" to do then it will be 36" x36". A lady saw my blankets when I delivered the shoeboxes in Norfolk last year and asked if I would make her a couple. So she is paying for them and the postage and the money will go to Dogs for Good. Obviously I have cut back on fund raising but I have reached a tad over £4k so very pleased with that plus the other £2,400 that I raised for 2 other assistance charities

I have struck lucky with the cruise as the cabin I had booked (cheapest outside) has had noise problems so I have been given an upgrade by 2 grades in a better position especially for location nearer the dance floor! I am looking forward to a touch of sun in the Med…. please!

Impressed with your efforts to get the Christmas shopping completed early- I haven't bought anything at all!

take care all, Katiehound xxx

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chanie

Katie - sorry to read about your personal circumstances, but well done for not letting them get the better of you and continuing to ‘give back’ at the same time.

i have had to make some lifestyle changes as a result of my heath and it isn’t easy, but every little helps. i’ve been exercising at my local outdoor gym, which i enjoy, as its free, but also nice to be in the fresh air. i was doing really well until about December, when it got really cold (don’t mind a bit of light rain). Hopefully, we are coming to the end of the worst of the bad weather.

Your comments about decluttering have reminded me that i should have a clear out. The last clear out i had was during lockdown and even then, we didn’t have loads.

Happy_Kitties

@Katiehound I love the term ‘Life Laundry’’ and I hope things have settled more for you now. It’s lovely to have good friends

Decluttering is always a challenge and I hope you are enjoying your time away on the cruise.

@Chanie I had a quick trip away last weekend and passed an outdoor gym. It had amazing views aswell, if I was able to do it I would much rather do an outdoor gym, certainly at the one I passed that weekend. It just looked fab.

It feels ages since I’ve been on the site, life has just flown by dealing with various things-some good, some bad.

As usual I’ve been shocking with birthday presents, except for DDs and I still have one present to give her. Had fab MD celebrations with her early as she was working yesterday, nearly ended up in a food coma we had that much food, plus cinema aswell which was a treat as I haven’t been for ages.

So mission next week is to get birthday presents sorted and shipped out, I’ve been doing well shipping out charity items but birthdays-nope. Picked up a great present for a 19 year old, was priced at 7.50, when scanned came up 2.50.

I’ve done two big drop offs to the local shoebox hub, mainly hot water bottles (think 40 dropped off so far). I’ve nearly put together my first shoebox, only problem is i’ve got a cardboard mad cat who has taken chunks out of the corner of the shoebox😬🙈.

Easter eggs I bought at the lower price have been shipped out early, took advantage of an opportunity. I have some Hotel Chocalat mini egg chocolates to give DD, which will be given nearer to Easter. Can’t believe I’ve been efficient with Easter….makes a change. Cardboard mad cat is currently attacking more cardboard again.

Hoping to do another shoebox run soon to drop off my first shoebox and drop off my items. My brand new kitchen, well done in November is currently full of cardboard that I want shifting