More Christmas Preparations....

So as we edge closer to the festivities, I don't feel quite as organised as I did a month ago!!

I have some more pressies left to wrap and a few to buy, but I'm practically done. I had planned to make loads of decorations, more handmade gifts, but its not to be.

I even bought this in order to plan the festivities. But my time management at the minute is ...well, poor to say the least!! And the organiser hasn't made it off the books to read pile yet!

So I shall say again, what I said last year - it'll be different next year the baby will be bigger. no more building work at home, etc etc. Truth is, I will just have to manage my time better. Follow my progress here, next year lol!!!

So although I have no handmade tree decorations and haven't made as many handmade gifts as I'd have liked, (and I still have 10kilos of pickling onions to peel!!) I have made some pretty parcels. (well by my standards - last year folk were lucky their pressies weren't in Tesco bags lol!!)

I've used brown paper and ribbon on lots of parcels ,I bought some cheap tree decs from Tesco- the presents were £1.50 and the reindeers a pound , some skinny silky ribbon and found the Ikea paper string lurking in a craft drawer.

So this is what I played this afternoon, while the baby emptied a whole pack of baby wipes :0 !!

These are bottles of Baileys for my childminders, tissue and florist cellophane with the Tesco present trimmings. (If I looked after other peoples kids - I'd need alcohol for sure lol!!)

This one is sick in a bottle (AKA advocaat) for my stepdad - you can't see closely but the ribbon has gold trees on it.

I've made my own tags on the computer by downloading vintage Christmas images and typing the greeting. (I know its not that personal, but I think I'd appreciate the thought that someone could be bothered to type my name into the computer), and the stickers were something ridiculous like 30p in the sale in January and I use them to put on Father Christmas's parcels as last year he thought he'd use different paper for each boy but then he forgot which paper was for which boy - the twonk!!!

Some more parcels - the green paper was from Lidl of all places - its not the best quality but was a pack of 4 rolls for £1.99 and 1 of them I liberated for birthdays as it has no festive references on it!!

These days we do a secret santa for the adults in our family with a £10 spend limit. Here's one of mine (the other was a sushi themed basket that I forgot to photograph) - I used the would I be happy to receive it principle and I would... handmade bag, LA sign and pretty dishcloths.

Speaking of Tesco...(I did mention earlier - you've probably just lost the will with my waffle!)...Look at these NOEL letters, for my lounge fireplace, a bargain, but I can't remember how much - £3 or £4!?!Really need to get my decs out of the loft so I can see what I have and start planning what will go where....but probably not this weekend as I have to go and visit a new baby, a pink baby, my 1st niece.

So, the giveaway may not get drawn until Monday, just in case anybody thinks I've forgotten!