Anyone Child Free By Choice?

alyth

Noting seems to have happened on Kidding Aside's website for years, I've just had a look at it - in a previous life I lived in London and I'm sure the guy was called Jonathan something, he used to appear on GMTV and was quite widely published in the press.

No I just want to be 40 - then everyone will assume that I am a horrible old spinster sitting at home with my cats all alone!!!

galvanizersbaby

BubblyMumbles wrote: »

I know Moffat, it's like the big city compared to where I live!

:rotfl:Gosh - you must be remote I thought Moffat was a pretty small place


Shopping in NY, it's the best!

Definitely go to Century 21, it's just across from Ground Zero. It's a fantastic shop, you'll get some great bargains there. And you have to go to Macy's, it's just down from Times Square on the right hand side, and there's a shop across from it, Daffy's, it's worth a look as well.

I spent a lot of money in Macy's when we were in LA - especially when I realised that there was a $30 spend to get the free GWP on many of the premium cosmetic brands!

Head up to Columbus (heading up from Times Square) and there's a great shopping centre there and kind of east of there is Bloomingdales - get a bag at least!

Will def go to Bloomingdales!

Have a wander in Soho, Chinatown and Little Italy and if you can fit it in, have dinner in Little Italy and Chinatown, or lunch in Chinatown is great too, but definitely have some Italian food, it's wonderful. I haven't found a bad restaurant there yet!

Don't waste your time with Planet Hoolywood in Times Square, it's rubbish, over priced, mediocre food, which you'll have to queue up to get in to exeprience, definitely not worth it.

I reckon Planet Hollywood is the same all over - we had lunch there in Vegas cos one of the guys was staying in the hotel and it as you say over priced and mediocre

Do a visit up to the top of the Empire State building at night, the view is spectacular.

That sounds like a great idea - hope I can fit everything in!

OMG, I want to go back NOW!!!:D

Thanks for the tips will def take them on board

BubblyMumbles

galvanizersbaby wrote: »

Thanks for the tips will def take them on board

You're welcome! I hope you have a fab time, I'm certain you will!!

and...if you get a chance go see a show, just so you can say you've seen a show on Broadway! I've seen a few and it's well worth it! There's a ticket office in the middle of Times Square that you can queue up at and get discounted tickets, although sometimes the seating can be pretty rubbish, or book something online before you go. I've done both and there wasn't really much difference in the price.

You'll be amazed at how much you can fit in over there, a day in NY can last a long time!

Oh yeah, one more thing, okay two more things, there's a great river cruise you can do which is excellent, takes you all round the west of Manhattan, past the Statue of Liberty etc., and make sure you enjoy a huge NY breakfast!! It'll give you all the energy you'll need to get through the day (okay, the morning!). Pancakes, syrup, bacon, orange juice and coffee - awesome!!!

Swinstie73

I was in NYC last August for only a few days, loved it too! We bought tickets for the sightseeing bus, can't remember how much but you could hop on and off and the ticket lasted for a day or so. It was a good way to get around, two different routes. We got caught in a thunderstorm coming over the Manhatten bridge on an open top bus, scary! I wanna go back too!

BubblyMumbles

Swinstie73 wrote: »

I was in NYC last August for only a few days, loved it too! We bought tickets for the sightseeing bus, can't remember how much but you could hop on and off and the ticket lasted for a day or so. It was a good way to get around, two different routes. We got caught in a thunderstorm coming over the Manhatten bridge on an open top bus, scary! I wanna go back too!

Oh, it's the best place - next to Scotland of course!

You've got to take a big yellow taxi (any Joni Mitchel fans out there?) It's so cheap for a taxi compared to over here.

I've not done the bus tour thing, it sounds like fun!

wannabecarrie

Hermia wrote: »

I know what you mean. I have found that you can suddenly find yourself abandoned in your 30s. One (ex) friend even sent an email round to all her childless friends saying she was now only going to mix with other mums - charming!

OMG that is disgusting! she doesn't deserve to have any friends being so rude! Yes I have found the whole 'I belong to a baby group now' thing very annoying. I once tried to have a conversation with a friend who texted her baby group friends all the way through it about meeting up the next day. Hello I'm your friend too, and I'm here and no less important just because I haven't got a kid!

wannabecarrie

BubblyMumbles wrote: »

I'd be up for joinging something as well if anyone knows of any forums? Or maybe we should set one up, anybody know how to do that kind of thing? How do you do a forum? We need one!!

Yes there definately needs to be a UK forum or website specifically for childfrees rather than us ranting on a Moneysaving one! I joined a website/forum called the childfreelife.com yesterday after being inspired by this thread. It's very good but most of the people are from USA and it would be nice to talk to people about issues unique to this country or maybe even arrange meet ups! If anyone knows of any UK websites or groups please post.

poorandindenial

Hi all

I just popped in to tell you about (another) crazy conversation with someone and I saw all the NY travel tips - loving them as I am heading there in 4 weeks with a friend, I can't wait. I was thinking I might try and get us tickets for Wicked on Broadway.

And now the dull bit, I have just come back from Aus where I had a bit of an odd conversation with my OH's friend's fiance (stay with me people)

She is really lovely and basically just started speaking without thinking, but she asked me when we were going to get married, I explained that we weren't so...

Her: but what about when you have kids?
Me: well I am not having kids
Her: does X (my OH) know?
Me: Yes, we do talk and I haven't been telling him one thing and you another
Her: of course, sorry, so what about his mum
Me: Am I going out with his mum, I am confused why she has a say in my relationship
Her: [laughs] good point, I am really sorry, I am just stunned, I am not sure that it is what X wants
Me: well X and I do talk and have been together for 4 years, I haven't hidden any of this from him and he is a big lad and makes his own decisions
Her: but you could lose him
Me: Only if we want different things, in which case maybe we need to have a long hard think about our relationship (at this point I welled up - I blame jetlag)
Her: Does Y (her OH, my OH's best mate) know about this
Me: I am going to the loo

I have done her a bit of a diservice by cutting out the apologies and she really is a lovely woman, it is just that my world is so different to what she and presumably the people she knows live that it completely wrong footed her.

Anyhow - NY here I come..... (in 4 weeks)

Souk08

Loved the above. It's the assumptions that get me too. I lived and worked overseas for years and came back 2 years ago because I'd had enough living out of a suitcase after 8 years. I keep getting asked if I came back to 'settle down'. NO because that just looks to be extremely boring. I came back to meet new people and have new friends and adventures here but to get the elasticated waist trousers and the office cardi out and start talking about the buses and the weather like a lot of Brits. No thanks!!!!!

Also I constantly get the 'when you meet someone' and 'when you have kids' just in general chat from randoms who just assume that we all want the same. When I explain that I wont be having kids and will always live alone with men popping in and out for the fun bits they can't seem to get that.

The really annoying thing is when I was overseas on ships random people would come up to me (holidaymakers) and say 'I wouldn't do your job' meaning also 'I wouldn't live your life'. Polite society says that it was perfectly fine for them to say it to me without me asking for their opinion...but never for me to say it to them as they live the normal, expected life and I didn't iyswim.

Anyway rant over! Enjoy NY to those who are going. Would LOVE to do it in the future as never did that part of the world in the old job.

bubbymumbles I'm a Scot too but a TOTAL city chick. X

poorandindenial

LOL Souk - loving the 'men popping in and out' comment, again, something that is considered a bit taboo to say over a certain age but only because of other people's life expectations.

It is a shame I am allergic to cats or I would love to be the mad old spinster with cats that lives down the road in about 30 years time (possibly following a period as the woman that is talked about as 'not acting her age'. I am already slightly strange, slightly glam auntie Poor that lives in exciting London to my niece and buys exciting things on her travels round the world (my nephew being too young to know the nature of my charms as an auntie yet).

Interesting that people often think that living alone = lonely but I have to say that since I have been with OH (not living together but, loath though I am to admit it, it is a long term relationship) I have been less good at keeping up with friends and possibly met less people than when I was single. And I love meeting new people, even the ones I don't like, new people are interesting (and sometimes fascinating case studdies of the odd )

If I am completely honest with myself my wish to live solo may be what drives me and OH apart in the end as I know that he would like us to live together, and the thought of that does upset me, but equally living together would probably be the end. Rock and hard place, same outcome.