Secret Santa and a giveaway!

Hello Dear Reader,

Secret Santa left me a parcel today! How really kind xxxxxx 


I was invited to take part in Secret Santa Challenge  where bloggers were given £25 to spend and I have to admit that it's fun to spend someone else's money and we could pay for the postage ourselves or take it out of the £25. I had great fun when I was partnered with Frugaldom and know with a little help that I could send much more than just a gift by asking other bloggers to help. I wanted to send something far more precious than just a gift, I wanted to send love and care from all over the country and the rest of the world. I quietly asked for your help and you all set off a huge love bomb and the bits and pieces of good thoughts and kindness are still raining down on a small corner of Scotland. 

Here are all the shards of love and kindness that you all sent.....................!!!!

Secret Santa's Frugal Treasure Trove

THE GREAT SECRET (SANTA) UNCOVERED!

At last! The time has finally arrived for me to reveal my Secret Santa gift that I received from Frugal Queen, my partnered 'opponent' in the MoneySupermarket Secret Santa Challenge. Yeah! :)

I've already explained how it all worked, so I'll just get right to it and show off my treasure trove of goodies received in the bloggers' gift exchange.
Keep in mind that my 2013 challenges involve a bit of frugal entrepreneurialism, so I have been fairly busy preparing to set up my own little frugal cottage industry from home. This, of course, involves Clan McGonk.

This is my "new" cottage craft stockroom. It was part of some office furniture I bought secondhand about 5 years ago and it's stood up well to three hash-bash housemoves. It seemed the ideal 'storage facility' to haul into the livingroom when the secret Santa gifts arrived. It has another two lower sections, but these are crammed full of recycled packaging materials - it's perfect for my purpose. 
But let's take a closer look...
This frugal 'stockroom' was empty until last week! Even the big red heart decoration wasn't part of the Frugaldom decor until the place got 'love-bombed' and Secret Santa arrived on my doorstep! I had visitors in for lunch when the postman arrived that day, so it really did feel like Christmas had come early.

First up is my Room #1 of the unit. This has become home to ribbons, edgings, bindings, cutting tools, knitting needles and crochet hooks. Until recently, I didn't even own a crochet hook!

Room #2 is the safe haven for newly emerging McGonks, as per the top photo, so let's move on to Room #3. This has been turned over to a fantastic collection of threads, pom poms, googly eyes, tissue paper and all manner of buttons and bows. It really is a treasure trove and I can think of one little girl (my 8 year-old grandaughter) who is going to love visiting this. Frugal readers, I am delighted to announce that I have a mini-frugaler in the making who already attends sewing and crafting lessons and who has asked Santa for her very first sewing machine. This mini-frugaler in the family also enjoys recycling and scolds her mum if a tin can accidentally gets put in the wrong bin! (Proud - but very, very young - grannie moment!)

Room #4This felt and fabric has all been received over the past week by way of Frugal Queen's 'love bomb'. As you can cleary see, it's a bountiful supply of oddments and offcuts of all colours and descriptions, but more exciting than that, it includes tartans and tweeds! These are essential for Clan McGonk, as many of them set off on their adventures wearing bonnie Tam o'Shanter hats or, in the case of the lady McGonks, little mop-caps.
Room #5

Look at this lovely selection of wools and embroidery threads! And as if that wasn't enough, there's even an embroidery hoop. Now I know for a fact that Frugal Queen could have had absolutely no way of knowing that I was always given top marks in class over 30 years ago for my stitching work, so this gift alone was fantastic to receive!

Room #6

Finally, to complete this exciting guided tour of what Secret Santa brought to Frugaldom, the jewel in the crown, the pièce de résistance... the fur and the stuffing!
Surprising as this may seem, I was over the moon to discover such treasure stashed in Secret Santa's sack! What frugal girl in her right mind could possibly resist some faux fur? (Especially when she is planning to buld a frugal little empire based on furry little Scottish critturs known as Clan McGonk?)
Call me old-fashioned, frugal, thrifty or any other name you can think of to describe those of us who love the whole 'make do and mend' ethos or who adore recycling one thing into another, but I see the above as a veritable treasure trove. Indeed, it may well become the cornerstone of a frugal, micro-business empire and, rest assured, those who helped support such an enterprise won't be forgotten. I LOVE MY SECRET SANTA GIFTS!

Hopefully, Frugal Queen will receive her gift within the next couple of days. It's on its way to Cornwall now, so shouldn't take too long - although it did get sent as an 'economy parcel' delivery. If the other 'Froogs' is as delighted with her Secret Santa gift as I have been with mine, the word will certainly have two very happy frugalers.

Best wishes,

Frugaldom and all the little McGonks xxx

But you didn't stop there xxxxxxxxxxxxx You carried on sending more love!

Edited in at lunchtine:

Look what the postman just brought into Thrift Cottage! An awesome collection of wools, the likes of which I have never seen before, from an anonymous frugaler. Wow! Can you tell this knitting game is new to me? Last time I knitted (prior to the wrist warmers) was when I was pregnant; the result of that period of my life is my 25-year-old daughter who now has two daughters of her own!

Ooh, what fun I am going to have with all these fabulous yarns! I can't even think about where to begin...

My sincerest gratitude goes out to all of you and I hope there is some small way in which I can show my appreciation.

All of this came out of one Secret Santa Challenge. I could only spend £25 but it said nothing about how much love could be sent! Mine was sent in my parcel and so many of you have covered love in sticky paper and sellotape and put it in the post.

I was delighted to receive my gift today and I can see that Frugaldom went to great lengths to send me handmade Scottish items and little treasures! Every single item in that box is absolutely charming. BUT! The love doesn't stop there! This Secret Santa present is going to stay here over night and get sent out again, with lots more love as it's going to be a give away!!!!!

Here's what you will get

Stunning re-usable gift box.

Unique Scottish keyring

Handmade wool mittens

Handmade Scottish Jewellery.

hand knitted Scottish Scarf

Some gold lace

Some regal deepest blue pure silk.

And a wee Mc Gonk!

There are lots of lovely items in the gift box and let's use blog world to send the love even further! All you have to do to win this lovely Secret Santa Christmas giveaway is to 1. Be a follower or become one 2. Leave a message here. A name will be drawn out of something 'hattish' on Friday night and this will be posted on Saturday and the love bomb will go on its way again.

I've had so much fun with this Secret Santa Challenge and thanks to Money Supermarket for selecting me to take part. 

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxxx