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

Anglea

Hi everyone. I've caught up on the previous posts and was stunned to read that my last post was the day before Christmas. It was the first year since 2019 that DS2 was allowed inside the house for Christmas because of his strict group home lockdown rules.

DS1, his wife and I drove DS2 back home later that day and the other two went on a skiing holiday to France then returned to my house.  I've had non stop problems with mum's medication as all the chemists were either shut, queues too long or items unavailable. I literally only got one item last week that has been missing from before Christmas.

Re the talking stick. I ended up buying a ready made unusual necklace with a Native American look about it and fixed it to the top of the piece of driftwood, however, it all fell apart when I tried wrapping it so had to send it in two pieces and gave instructions with photos after she finally received the gift and opened it which was after Christmas because of the postal delays.

Each month I've been doing bucklet list/scavenger hunts. In December it was a Christmas lights theme. This month it's a pirate research project that involves visiting a pirate's grave and a graveyard scavenger hunt - finding 15 specific things.

We attempted the pirate's grave but unfortunately on that day the roads were flooded so I refused to get out of the car. There's a grave I discovered via 'find a grave' website that I hope to visit this week for the 'oldest grave' category, the death was in 1401 and I've seen a photo of what it's supposed to look like. We attempted to find some 1500's in my local churchyard but didn't have any photos and the writing on most of them were too worn. We did find a lot of legible ones for the 1700's item.

Re the Christmas lights hunt. One we didn't find nor have I ever seen to my knowledge is a giant snowglobe. When I looked online it seems there are huge ones you can walk inside. Have any of you ever seen them?

I have an idea what I'll be making for the June birthday (same person as for Christmas) but there are numerous thoughts about the best way to do it so either making a crochet or knitted small bag/pouch (to put specific items I am planning on inside) or else maybe hand decorating a wooden box - or something else completely to use as a container.

I gave DS2 his birthday presents on his last visit few weeks ago and had to go to the post office to send on cards that arrived, his birthday is later this week.

I've still being doing my pagan folklore events. Normally I go to the Wassail in January but I didn't like the change of venue last year so won't be going. Imbolc is coming up Feb 1st and I'm still deciding what to do for that. 

Before I forget, that friend I sent the gifts to,  her Christmas presents for me was a Green Man wall plaque and Green Man colouring book.

Katiehound

never been there but I understand that there are some wonderful Green Man carvings at Southwell Minster in the chapter house. You might enjoy this poem too:
https://www.southwellminster.org/the-green-man/

Welcome to the new thread

Anglea

I love that poem  Katiehound

Happy_Kitties

Great to hear from u Anglea.
Good news about ur DS2 being able to come into the house, makes all the difference. 

U said about the walk in snow globes, I’ve only every seen celebs in pictures in them in the London Winter Wonderland at Christmas. Our local garden centre has one, but it is one u stand behind that gives the appearance u are in the globe.
Hunting for a pirates grave sounds exciting, I love things like that. let us know what Pagan Folklore events u do go to, I am very interested in things like this, I have a friend that always makes an effort to go to folklore events but their health hasn’t been great so they haven’t had anything to report back to everything.

I’ve nearly got everything to complete my first shoebox, just need time now. Hoping to complete Thursday or Friday evening. I got the scarfs for the mums for the family shoeboxes in a charity shop that sells them for £1.50 and always excellent quality. Always think it is a win win situation of two causes benefitting not just one. 

Going to drop some birthday presents off at Duncles this weekend. Have managed to get a waffle maker in Asda in the sale that I know will go down well with one family member. Cannot believe how efficient I’m being…..it won’t last!
Katiehound I hope u are still going great guns on the doggy duvets
Chanie hope u r doing okay
Welcome Auti🙂 

Happy_Kitties

Forgot to say I sent another box of items off to the charity organiser as they were beginning to take over the spare room!!

Katiehound

6 or is it 7? duvet covers made and ready to press-aarrggh! (That's the bit I really hate)
Then they will be going to the 'new' dog groomers, hopefully by the end of the week.

! have an appointment in town tomorrow which means I will be walking not taking the car so I will look for nail clippers etc and see if any charity shops have got playing cards etc. I noticed today that Wilko have 4 for 3 on bathroom items such as face flannels- but they only have white ones. I found a couple of scarves a few weeks ago- bin bag dumped by the clothes bank!

had a kitchen melt down on Saturday evening when I went to open my hound's tin of pilchards. Opened a teeny hole and then the tin opener seized up!! (Turns out when I used it last I'd  dropped it = broken) I don't know how I managed to open about 1/3 of the lid, then squashed the tin into an elliptical shape so I could prize the pilchards out one by one: and all this time one hungry hound was making agitated noises!  Anyhow- bought 2 tin openers in Wilkos.

Katiehound

Today bought : 
2 x packs of 5 combs  
2 x 3 nailbrushes
2 x 3 nail clippers
all £1 per set
Didn't get as far as charity shops as I realised a bus was due to arrive & would save me walking all the way......

7 duvets pressed, labelled and in the car ready for delivery tomorrow

Happy_Kitties

Katiehound said:

Today bought : 
2 x packs of 5 combs  
2 x 3 nailbrushes
2 x 3 nail clippers
all £1 per set

Where did u get these from please Katiehound? 

Would be amazing if I could get my hands on some, esp the nail clippers

Katiehound

^^^^

A cheapie shop locally- where I bought the small hot water bottles some years ago.
My only thought is that I get some for you and post?
I shall be in town next Tuesday

You can pm me or email- or use the Jacquie Lawson reply

I am trying to think what else I bought (that was not on the list)- lip salves- think they came from Poundland (miles away from here) 
oh, hand creams from Aldi- about 80 pence- I think
cheap plasters- bought several boxes and divvied them up

Work gloves- very dear

I could make you some shopping bags from that wretched stone coloured curtain material. That's  how I planned to use it up. It's fairly strong, can't help the colour.

Happy_Kitties

After being out of action (many thanks to Katiehound who has sorted me out the extra items that I had no chance of getting that cheap) I am just about fully back in action as long as function at a go slow speed.
Took a trip out to the next town yesterday to pick some items up from the Arg@s clearance to send to the charity auctions. There was one bargain that wasn’t ready for pick up- a Habitat 3 wick candle for £1, I had managed to get 5, (4 of which will go to charity) and when the staff saw it they went to check if there was any stock for themselves as several are doing their Christmas shopping. One staff member I was talking to had done 2/3rds of hers already. It was a sheer fluke with the candle as with the other items, they will go down well. Plus some very cheap bargains at Pets at H@me to be had aswell when I went in to drop empty pet sachets off to their recycling point. 

Noticed the our big shoebox hub is opening back up ready for this years appeal. Hopefully this will inspire to get first shoebox finished. With being ill I have had just had to leave it but mentally I really wanted to get stuck in and get it finished. Hopefully tonight.

Work gloves I managed to get a couple of years ago, a big job lot at Amaz@n which meant they worked out at 50p. Now I have only seen for B+Q but don’t know if that is store dependant and still being advertised at 90p