Santas challenge 2017

Happy_Kitties · 27 April 2018 at 7:28PM

mum2one I feel for you, I have a dodgy stairlift and when they break it causes such a hassle. I really want to get my hall decorated-it is a mess but until it has been decided what is going to happen with the stairlift I am in limbo but they do cause a real headache when they decide to break. Sounds like you've had a good sort out and turned the situation into something positive.

chanieI've heard about Smiggle but never been in a store, I don't think we even have one near us or DD would have been dragging me there like a shot!

I have started to wrap my Christmas presents. I fished out a present ready for the next birthday coming up, also had a Christening present to wrap and carried on wrapping. Decided to do DDs as at the end of next month she will home from uni. She never goes looking for presents, always likes a surprise and as some of the presents we have already bought are mixed together I don't want her accidently stumbling on hers so just thought it would be easier to wrap them and put them together as I've just found the last of her presents from Christmas 2017-i think that's the last of them now!!!!!!!

mum2one · 28 April 2018 at 12:50AM

Had a look at Xmas / bday list..
Bday
Friend (60) I was planning on doing a 60 box, but it!!!8217;s too expensive, so git bottle of bubbly and set of glasses, Miss h - giv8ng her bottle of Pernod and 60 candle
Friends boys .. 2 sets £10
New friend 60. Know her through a development group, she!!!8217;s a miminalist, doesn!!!8217;t drink ( epilepsy and meds), no chicks (diabetic), a complete minimalist... more token gesture.. thinking 60 candle and some nice hand cream.
Friend (Aug), we said nit buying presents but go out for a meal

Then miss h 16 in September.... so far... got tickets to see Benidorm, plan is a MacBook, (bday/xmas.. me and mum)...

Xmas... a rough guess got 1/2 presents, do need to readjust th3 list and add on extras, always on the look out fir a barga8n.

Digressing completely..feel so odd not going to Prague b4 xmas, she!!!8217;s in last school yr, thus gd our school breaks up on Friday b4 xmas... as they don!!!8217;t go back to 5th jan... thinking new yr break... (going 2nd firvfew dats), markets are still on till about 9th Jan.

Xx

chanie · 30 April 2018 at 6:56PM

Mum2one well done on your organisation

Happy kitties you are so good for wrapping your presents now.

I am taking voluntary redundancy and it occurred to me yesterday that I may be out of work at Christmas, so I have ordered a few bits and pieces this weekend. It wasnt panic buying as I am pleased with the purchases, but knowing that I will be out of a job in a few months time had focussed me in terms of getting organised.

I would like to do as much as i whilst I am still in work, so that we only really have to worry about the children nearer the time.

Happy_Kitties · 4 May 2018 at 7:06PM

Chanie it's good that you are getting organised now with the voluntary redundancy on the horizon -now that is preparation. Here's really hoping that u will be in another job by Christmas.

Christening presents nearly all wrapped for Sunday and I have rooted out more birthday presents that need wrapping ready for sending and for next week. I completely forgot that next week I have a surge of birthdays, time is going so quick that I am losing track. I'm so glad that I have the presents in ready, it makes life so much easier.

Christmas wrapping has stopped, I'm struggling to get to some items but I could do some of my sis in law that are easy to get to. If I'm wrapping the birthday presents and I've not got fed up then I may wrap those.

I hope everyone is doing okay with their preparations.

Charleyalmostking · 4 May 2018 at 11:09PM

I was going to save for emergency fund, but I moved £200 into my Christmas fund so now i have £300 so now I don't have to worry about saving for Christmas this year now as £331 was my goal (i can add £31 in all good time). I want to spend less than that if i can but i'm trying to get in the habit this year of being prepared.

Now I can focus on saving for my wedding & emergency fund. then once my emergency fund is up and running, i'll be saving for a house deposit. I was going to save for wedding & house deposit now but thought it'll be smarter to have an emergency fund for our rented house we live in now.
this is because i owed my fiance £300+ since novemember 2017 for a tv,washing machine & other bits
which i'm still paying off .

hope all is going well.

chanie · 4 May 2018 at 11:41PM

happy kitties I agree, being organised makes like much easier.

Charley you have a very busy, but exciting period of life to look forward to.

I picked up a Xmas present today for DN, which was a tote bag in the sales, half price to £10. That means I can cross her off the list. I showed it to OH and said it was for Xmas, but he thought I meant it was a belated gift! I reminded him that I buy throughout the year and thats why he gets a nice relaxed Xmas, as the hard graft is done in advance. I normally dont tell him what I have bought until nearer the time as he has been known to want to give the gifts I have bought earlier than intended (e.g. as a treat). When he does that, I have to find a replacement gift, which can be difficult.

Charleyalmostking · 5 May 2018 at 9:37AM

I moved £113 our of my christmas fund as I only needed that to have the whole amount of the registry office fee. Next month I'll be putting it back to ensure i have £300 in there.

I can't wait. I'm actually surprising myself with the amount I am saving,
because I am rubbish at it

Katiehound · 5 May 2018 at 11:01PM

All this talk of Christmas!!
If you can't beat 'em- join them
Not long back from a month in Ireland. Mr T is usually very good selling off winter gloves, Christmas socks etc at silly prices- but not this year! nowt.

Bought some Easter bits at 75% of original cost to give to friends with sprogs and sproglets for next year.

After mid June I am here and away, off and on until November! So, decided to get the 8 shoeboxes organised now. Trying really hard to reduce the amount that has been stored from year to year but when Wilco sold little wooden taxis @25 pence I bought them all (2016?)
I have my list written for Poundland- intend going on the bus on Tuesday and then a very quick dash into M&S for a meal deal on my gift card (from a switch 18 months ago)

This past week I've been out for a very pleasant afternoon cream tea with a friend at Wyevale garden centre. It was a birthday gift to me for last summer! Another friend sent me a M&S card with £15 for afternoon tea there. However in the meantime my friend had her purse stolen which included her bus pass and she hasn't replaced that.
Then I saw the offer for £14. Actually there was a deal with the till receipt if you bought garden products= 2x teas for £10 which included free refills (and even a doggy bag if required) We stayed around until the special evening shopping event started and then got our free glasses of prosecco. A bargain. The £14 deal is on until end of May

Back to the shoe boxes. So far I have hats, gloves, scarves,soap , flannels,toothpaste& toothbrushes. Combs, shower gel (cheapest I've found is Aldi's own.) Balls, wooden cars, yoyos, paints, night lights & holders, wind-up torches. Today I made 4 pencil cases which are now filled with pens, pencils etc. I reckon I have more than half of what is needed. The most annoying thing is that pretty much all the supermarkets had their own range of cheapie items - now all gone. Wilco used to be brilliant.

Other than that I am still making doggy duvets. The collecting box at PO had £92 & only 2 duvets left to sell. I have stacks of covers and curtains but duvet donations haven't been forth coming lately! Think I am at £1300 + for Dogs for Good
The latest scheme is to sell material shopping bags. There are 11 at dog club with doggy themed fabric- off cuts I was given so I am hoping they will raise a bit .

Looks like the hounds have taken themselves to bed, so that might be a hint!

Miss Hoodie- 16 in Sept.. I don't believe it! ..:eek:... I can remember when she was at junior school. Where does the time go??????

Happy_Kitties · 7 May 2018 at 9:05AM

Katiehound u sound so busy. Brilliant amount for Dogs for Good. It's a shame that u haven't really had any duvets recently..
I so know what u mean about Mr T. Ours was exactly the same after Christmas.
The year before I got socks, pjs, bed socks cheap but nothing this year. It's fantastic that u are getting the shoeboxes sorted now.

Charley sounds like it is full steam ahead on ur saving, and u sound like u are doing really well.

Chanie another one crossed off the list is such an amazing feeling. I would cry if OH did that with any presents, I really struggle with ideas for some family members so if I come across something I know they would really like 1) I'm always chuffed and 2) I don't want to give them before the event as it would be a nightmare to replace. DD, DN and DM are prime examples of family I am starting to really, really struggle with...esp DM.

Family christening yesterday, it was lovely.
Must wrap birthday presents later as besties birthday tomorrow. With this lovely weather I am just not in the mood to wrap and I want to continue the painting I started on Saturday. Will pop on the list of things I need to do tonight. Even though Christmas is sorted I'm actually seeing some daylight and storage space from where birthday presents have been going out which is a good feeling.

I'm glad they are all bought as used some spare monies saved ready for decorating the living room. This is going to be done as I get the monies together but made a start taking advantage of some bank holiday deals.

mum2one I bet Prague will be lovely after Christmas. No travelling for me until next year, esp after the surgery but plan to go back to Prague one more time to see the sunrise over Charles Bridge. Have done sunset but not the sunrise. It's on my list of to do things.

Enjoy the sunshine everyone!

chanie · 7 May 2018 at 5:08PM

katie last year, I grabbed some mens Xmas socks from Tescos, which were reduced to something like 10p, plus they were on 3 for 2! Needless to say, I bought about 10, but I have run out of men to give them too!
Your posts about charity giving has reminded me to increase my efforts. I have a few bits and pieces of the childrens that I put away for a Christmas appeal, but I want to do more.

Happy kitties You have summed up nicely my feelings about the presents! I struggle with what to buy the in laws as we have such different tastes, so when I have a good idea, I dislike having to find a replacement.

I have a cunning plan......

I am seeing my in laws this weekend, so I am going to subtly find out what they may like. For example, SIL likes perfume, so I will try and find out her favourites and may buy her a bottle, when I can find it at a good price.

Santas challenge 2017

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