Santas challenge 2017

chanie · 8 May 2018 at 9:57PM

I ordered some stuff from Smiggle online which arrive today. The items were heavily discounted and even with postage costs, it was worth it. The items are stocking fillers for the children and something for one of the DNs.

Happy_Kitties · 9 May 2018 at 8:03AM

Oooooo Chanie there is nothing like a cunning plan when it comes to finding out clues for presents, I love it!

First lot of birthday presents went out yesterday, second lot going out today. It is so satisfying and I have some space!
Plus after going off the boil with the Christmas presents, I found a couple of DDs so have wrapped them and will tuck them away with the others. Last year I had them all over the place, hence I'm still finding the odd one, she has one to open when she gets home from uni. Determined that won't happen this year.
I'm just enjoying not having to rush for presents whether it be birthday or Christmas, I don't people realise just how much getting prepared early takes the pressure off......its well worth it

Katiehound · 10 May 2018 at 8:52PM

Have managed to get a lot of the items on my shoe box list this week.
Sadly Poundland did not come up with anywhere near as many items as I would have liked! (I was surprised to see that all their Jane Asher range had gone) However today Yorks Trading came up trumps with small hot water bottles- a member of staff kindly climbed the steps to rummage in boxes as they were packed away for the summer! and mens hankies at £1.50 for 3 which seems dear but I suspect is a good buy.
Yesterday I bought 4 sets of cutlery - £1.20 total and my friend had bought 4 x melamine cups/mugs which she donated to the cause.
I haven't tracked down solar powered calculators- even the expensive variety
Today 10 pairs of ladies tights from Wilco for £1.70
3/4 fulfilled I reckon.
All the items mentioned above for my OAP boxes.(except calculators)

Want to know more? Go to the Link to Hope website

Katiehound · 10 May 2018 at 8:57PM

chanie wrote: »

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! .

Last year I got countless pairs of ladies dog design Christmas socks from Mr T @ 40 pence a pair- all gone as I used them in my doggy goodie bags. (At least 20 pairs!) Didn't find any this year sadly

Happy_Kitties · 10 May 2018 at 9:33PM

Katiehound have registered with Link to Hope tonight after reading ur post to hopefully do 2 OAP boxes.
Had found some packs of hankies and small men's shower gels in my stocks the other day screaming out for a use so to make up 2 shoeboxes will be brilliant

Katiehound · 11 May 2018 at 10:00PM

Happy_Kitties wrote: »

Katiehound have registered with Link to Hope tonight after reading ur post to hopefully do 2 OAP boxes.
Had found some packs of hankies and small men's shower gels in my stocks the other day screaming out for a use so to make up 2 shoeboxes will be brilliant

Sounds good
I do think it's a really worthwhile charity- do look at the pics of last year's delivery- most of them have so little.
I reckon you can do a really full box for about £15 + the £2 on top for transport.
Saw they had magnifying glasses in Poundland- already have stocks of glasses!
I got quite a few things from charity shops/ carboot sales such as the thin scarves, hats.
If you ask around you might folk give you the odd item to go in. Do you have Yorks trading? They had 8 toothbrushes/ 3 nail brushes for £1 . I bought reporters note books and a friend gave me windchimes for the sensory item. Last time they suggested beanie toys for this category..
You can add extras if you like- I got some assorted jewellery from Sue Ryder- 5 or 6 items for £1! Last time I did boxes I also found 3 x lipsalves for £1
Gu glass ramekins or similar to hold candles or several nightlights
I have men's shoe boxes size 9 / 10. They will be held together with elastic bands round the boxes and selotape by the mile over the paper!!

Anglea · 12 May 2018 at 12:42PM

Hi everyone

Katiehound, I had wondered how you were getting on so thanks for your update.

Chanie are you going to enjoy your extra time at home or look for another position? Smiggle, that's a fun sounding name for a business lol

Happy Kitties - you must have a lot of hidey holes in your home as you're often finding overlooked pressies.

Decorating my front room is turning out to be harder than I first thought, the biggest hurdle for years was how to move the piano away from the wall but that was solved easily after ex and DS1 happened to be around the same weekend and they shifted it some weeks ago.

Now I can't make up my mind on paint colour, I made a day out with a posh lunch to Bristol and to a decorating shop for samples and on Thursday I made a return trip to buy the paint - then discovered I'd forgotten to make a note of the colour and there were lots of similar ones in the shop. So after feeling very frustrated I got a large pot of white gloss for the woodwork.

I'm still not 100% decided on the colour so am going to remove the pressure and concentrate on other matters instead eg taking stuff out of the room and wondering where on earth it can be stored etc

I overlooked a birthday, I'll send a fb message instead or get a card as the person may be coming over this way in the week. So much for all my special occasions planning!!

I had a go at a handmade gift for June but it didn't work out so I'll have to decide whether to try something else or buy something (which I totally forgot about when I was in Bristol).

Happy_Kitties · 13 May 2018 at 8:54AM

Many thanks Katiehound for the tips. One of the questions I was going to ask you is what shoebox size u use.
I have a Poundland in the next town but it is not so easy for me to get to so I'm going to check out h. Bargains and have a mooch.
DM who is an avid knitter is going to knit up some gloves for me

Anglea snap with the living room, it is becoming a nightmare. It has become a dumping ground, really need to do a tip run and charity run and some packing up. I have the paint-bought with a bank holiday special deal.
I have certain present stashing places which just became overfull last year so with DDs last present bits I just shoved them under my bed. The trouble is the cats also have beds under my bed and as they have moved about so have the presents, the current present found has slash marks on it so I think it has been played with aswell!!

This year bec it is DD that is the one that has a lot of bitty useful always needed presents, I have kept them together including a couple of personal presents.

Really pleased about the amount of birthday presents that have left the house this week. Two more birthdays and then I have my summer break from birthdays. They start up again Sept where u start to get that feeling that Christmas is really on the way, I cannot believe how fast we are speeding through May already.

Hope everyone is doing okay with their preparations

Katiehound · 13 May 2018 at 1:25PM

Hello!
Yes, home until the next cruise to Iceland in mid June?- not sure of the date! after that I am here, there and everywhere that's why the shoe boxes need to be sorted now!

Re the shoe box contents- it's always worth looking in all the cheapie shops available. If possible I buy a big pack of items and then split and put in small poly bags. I'm thinking of razors, plasters, pens.... and that's how I end up with huge shopping bags stacked with stuff piled up in spare store (oops bed!) room for next year... or even longer. I've got enough wooden taxis & buses from Wilco @ 25 pence to last.....not quite until the next century.
There seem to be combs around for £1 for 5 or 6, do you have a Boyes store? worth a look also Wilco but they are not as cheap as they were, sadly.
The mugs can be metal or pot so maybe you can find a couple of as-good-as-new in charity shops/car boots
Just remember the OAP boxes are aimed at being non- sexist (not sure how you can have non-sexist tights:D) So I tend to put in darkcolours or red hats, gloves/mitts, socks, thin scarves
A couple of years ago I knitted hats with chunky yarn that a friend had just put in the rubbish bin :eek:. That's not allowed! It was a half made jumper which I pulled down- made 3+1/2 hats. My house must be the recycling capital of town!

I make the sewing sets with the screw top tubs which come with Superdrug body butter. Needlecase- 2 felt circles with flannelette sheeting pages between. Cheapie needles, pins, safety pins inside. Some loose / odd buttons in the tub, a tape measure (50pence) and a large spool black or white thread (4 for £1.) last year I got very cheap zips- can't find them now

Today forced myself to get up early for a Sunday. dashed out with dogs before the forecast rain (sun shining now which wasn't mentioned) and have sewn 3 doggy duvet covers. None left to sell in the village PO plus 3 duvets there for collection. That's my week taken up.

Another afternoon tea at Wyevale garden centre on Thurs.- it's becoming a habit, but one which won't happen after the deal ends at end of May

Off for lunch and then back to the sewing machine.

This afternoon /evening I have friends arriving in town, staying at a hotel for x2 nights. they don't know when they are arriving as it'smay be a 200 mile trip ?and I don't know when I last saw them..maybe 30 years ago???

Happy_Kitties · 13 May 2018 at 5:53PM

katiehound this is prob a daft question but with things that could leak do you pop them in a small poly bag and then pop into the box? That was what I was planning to do.
I am out in the sticks so no Wilco or Boyles and I would really have to travel to get to any shop like that.

Enjoy ur afternoon tea on Thursday, I could just do with one now!
Also have a brilliant time with ur friends, time goes too quick

Santas challenge 2017

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