******************Important thread - please read - EVERYONE********************

[soapbox]

OK!

I'm distressed reading about those of you who are worried sick about Christmas and having no money to buy things for your children!

Rather than sit of my ample backside and do nothing I have the following proposal to make.

Those of you who have old toys/gifts which are in good condition, or who are willing to buy a new gift for a child can register your contributions with me.

Those of you who are down on your uppers can send me your details - name, address, age and gender of children, what kind of things they like!

Those lovely MN who will send me Christmassy things will be matched up with those people who would like a bit of a hand with Christmas.

Those giving pressies will wrap the pressie and label it 'To XXX from Santa', and then send it to the address given to them.

If people receiving presents want to remain anonymous then I can ask people to send their contributions to me, and I will forward them onto the gift receiver, I will bear the postage cost of the onwards posting!

If people want to help, but have no toys etc to do so, then a small amount on a gift voucher for woolies, argos or the like can be sent instead!

Please post on this thread whether you think it is a winger - if we get at least 10 givers and 10 receivers then I will go ahead with it, and will post my email address to start the ball rolling!

Receivors must be regular MNetters, in case we are deluged from other sites

So it is over to you guys - good idea or not???

No probs at all Soapy. Just checking

It's so lovely to hear from some of the mums who've been nominated, or nominated themselves.

I really hope that whatever you receive, from whoever, helps to make christmas a special time for you and you little ones. xx

soapbox will email you as i have some more goodies!!!

Do any of you have any spare tinsel or decorations that you could put in with your parcels????

Im getting really excited I presume we are told a bit about the people we are to buy for?

morning all ...i agree completely with all the other recievers.... its not the value of what we are recieving, its the beautiful,kind thoughts that have come with it....
hugs

I was wondering about that Quootie - I don't think we are. I know I am happy for people to know who I am etc, but I don't know if some people wanted to remain anonymous?

Are the people posting putting their name in or not?

agree with fairiemum

I for one would love to know who has sent me anything, so I can at least send a personal thank you back. So whoever gets me, send me your name and address with your parcel!

I LOVE YOU LOT! xx

Me too, JARM - even if people just want to enclose their RL name and address and not their talk name. I would love to say thankyou personally

fussy - I'll look for some spare tinsle, we've down sized in house so we'll prob have something it's a shame I gave all my bro my tree decs thou that hadn't been used when we moved in the summer will have a dig out thou when I go intot he attic on the w/e as we'll need the tree down as well.

I nominated myself (or rather the kids) quite early on but haven't admitted it until now. Don't know why.. I suppose because it seemed wrong to self-nominate but couldn't really expect anyone else to nominate my kids because when I post for advice about financial stresses I generally do so under another name

I also found though that I was/am in a position to be a giver as well because I have a bag of 'stocking fillers' which are actually the freebies off kids' magazines but some of them well worth having.. because my cousin's job is to collect and dispose of unsold mags from newsagents and he puts the 'gifts' aside for my kids. However there were LOADS of duplicates, so the duplicates I am sending on when I am matched

Just to complicate things further, can we check before sending vouchers that recipient can easily get to the relevant store. High Street Vouchers can be used in lots of outlets including Iceland. Tesco also do gift cards - not sure about the other retailers.

not sure if this will help (wont help me, as i've already found gifts to give!), but , my Mum told me that you can get 'one for all' vouchers in the post office, that they print off for you, and can be spent in hundreds of places. So they would be easy for most people to get hold of, and to spend.

am another who would like to say a personal thank you to whoever sends to us as it really is making a difference just knowing someone cares enough as we have limited family as it is.

Shiny..I know what you mean about nominating/being nominated..I was nominated by someone else but still find it difficult to accept the help despite the fact we do need it. Not in a position to give which makes me feel even worse but not a lot I can do about it. If/when I can give then I will do so happily.As I said before I considered myself lucky as I got a maternity grant so after buying things for the baby like double pram etc I was able to spend £80 between my children on big xmas present and a little toy each. Sorry am babbling keep feeling this need to try and express how much it means but it doesnt seem to come out that way..will shut up now..lol

Nemo I know exactly what you mean, don't worry. I don't think anyone needs to be worrying about receiving but not being able to give... there will always be opportunities to 'pay it forward'.. (ie do something to help someone else) and it doesn't have to be in a way that costs money either.

Thank You Dotty Dot.. I have just received the stamps for sending on my offering.. Very kind of you. DH was fighting me for the envelope because it looked 'interesting' (ie not like another bill lol!) Aren't we sad!!

It's great to read all the comments from the receivers - makes it all seem worthwhile .

Soapy - thanks for reminding us all what Christmas is really about.

yeeehaw!

um, sorry if this has been asked x 1000 but what are we doing re identifying ourselves? Are we putting our rl name in? Our MN name?

oh ok its been answered x 10000

We are a party wholesaler and would be delighted to offer twenty 36" Xmas trees, tinsel and decorations for the 70 families you are trying to help this Xmas. They would need to be collected from our warehouse in NW London. We do hope this helps your campaign. Contact me on: [email protected] and good luck with this.

Wow Hazell!

Shiny - Don't feel about nominating yourself. If you hadn't already done it, I would've done it for you! You just saved me an e-mail.

Thanks Hazell - hope someone can arrange to collect and distribute.

We wont be putting a xmas tree up this year - my 6ft bushy thing is FAR TOO BIG to put up with 2 toddlers on the loose!

Soapbox do you know if there is anyone near me in Sussex that I could give something to direct?I am in Brighton and would like to put a xmas'box'together for someone I kind of know iyswim xxx

Hazell, that's brilliant.

Message withdrawn

That is lovely Rickman xx

OK. I have been matched. But I'm moving house next week. So I won't be sending out just yet. Would the week after next be OK? Sorry to be a pain. It'll be there before Christmas. Does the recipient know what is coming? Will they panic and think they've been forgotten?

(Should I get off MN and pack?!)