*The Holly and the Ivy* and the You Know What 2013 Chatter Thread.

jakesbakescakes

PinkSteps - what a lovely treat whilst you're dieting Enjoy every last crumb!!! Glad to hear your DS is getting up and about a bit now. Sending you all big hugs, looking after your dad will be all absorbing but it sounds like you are ready to embrace it. Enjoy your time with him and accept all the help the carers can offer. Your dad is a very lucky man to have such a lovely family around him xxx

Caitlin - as always, your cakes are beautiful loving the little spacemen cupcakes. We are big 'toy story' fans in this house

Feisty - hugs in every direction for every reason! What a time you having been having my lovely, it must be very difficult to cope with the extra work hours, worry about your DH and stress about the diet restrictions poor you, but hang in there, there's always that rainbow ready and waiting for when the rain stops pouring xxxxx

NanaMia - hugs to you and well done for coping so well with the adjustment of returning home after your wonderful break. I hope you are planning your next trip already!! Good luck with SW - i have followed the plan on and off for years (literally!)ooo and fantastic news about your DSIL rehab - Made me chuckle when I read about the physio bringing the wheeled walking frame... but your DSIL had already been up and about using a crutch!!! Go Girl!!!!

PinkNFluffy - been wondering how you've been getting on with your new venture... sorry to hear things have been slow, it's always difficult starting a new business but I'm sure when word spreads you'll be rushed off your feet with clients Have u tried a leaflet drop in the local area? or perhaps targetting certain groups? Maybe you could do some special offers... for example.. nails/massage for mums... and handing out leaflets/discount flyer at local playgroups or children's centres? I'm sure you've probably thought of all these things. It sounds like your family is really supportive, and how lovely to hear that they have all benefitted from you being around more Always a positive eh! Don't be too hard on yourself xxxx

Freespirit Enjoy your cookies

As for me, no news as such... bumbling along and enjoying a peaceful pace of life at the mo

jakesbakescakes

Hi Noodles... lovely to see you back! :wave:
Wow, sounds like you've been having a manic time!!! I'm sure you will meet lots of new mums in the playground soon, and congrats on getting to zumba class.... very impressive with such a new baby! Fantastic xmas planning too.... 7 is a tricky age for 'advanced present buying' eh? My staples are usually lego and crafting stuff..... they always go down a treat

OMO - as others have already said..... "Where Are you? Hope everything is Ok?"

Snugglebunny8

Caitlyn, your cakes are just brilliant! am so in awe!

PinknFluffy Im in the same boat as you so I completely understand exactly how you are feeling. Ive worked from home for a local company since my eldest was a born, and have been so lucky to have been able to be here for them all the time. However there's been a couple of times when things have gone slow, which means not having much work to send out to the home workers who are the overspill. But recently theres been some restructuring, which means for the last 3 weeks ive been lucky to get an hour a week work, whereas ive done anything up to 60 hours in the past! Im feeling very stressed about not 'earning' or 'working' as I see it. I'm what they term a 'casual worker' so basically Im entitled to nothing when ive got no work as Im paid hourly, its so stressful so I understand how you are feeling, horrible isnt it! Im looking at jobs but Ive worked at home flexibly since the children were born and anything I did would mean a change in family life, which I dont want to do when the kids are at a critical time in their education and cause them big changes, so Im just trying to watch and wait and see if things pick up

I think it could count against me as Ive worked on my own at home for so long employers may think I cant work in a team, which I did for years befere I had the children, so will have to pitch it that you have to be organised and disciplined to work to deadlines at home, which I do have to be, but the idea of job interviews (if I I dont get rejected before interview stage) and being up against younger people with degrees coming out thiern ears scares me to death!

chirpychick

*Pokes head in*

Hiya
I confess there is no way I am going to have time to catch up on the thread but noodles said she was coming back on today and i was jealous lol so Franklin (who is 3 months old tomorrow!) is asleep and I thought I'd pop in and say hi and wish you all well, id like to try and keep up now life is settling down a bit.
I got a big cuddly elf reduced in tesco to £3.50 a few weeks back which i figured would be more suitable for franklin being only just 1- im looking forward to doing the elf with him
I have got a few little bits, a little gruffalo mini library books, christmas zoo book i think thats it :-O i am more unorganised this year than ever!
I have no idea what a 1 year old could possibly want or need lol i dont have much experience with babies and im finding it hard to visualise what he might be doing in a few months as right now its smiles, kicking, crying and pooping lol. so any suggestions gratefully received!
we are definitely eating out this christmas!
I did pick up cheap cards, ribbon, bows and wrapping paper but thats the extent of it!
I must get organised.
I am going for 1 present per person except franklin and hubby quality over quantity
I know the inlaws will appreciate photo stuff or footprints or something similar.

Franklin's baptism is in 3 weeks too.

How is everyone else getting on is anyone finished buying yet lol

Opee92

Hello everyone......I'm really not doing well with keeping up with the thread so far this year so I apologise greatly!!! But big hugs to all those that need it...congratulations to any good news that I've missed and my thoughts are with anyone going through pooey times at the minute.

Still waiting for Bubba to arrive.....he's officially due on Sunday (what a Mothers Day pressie that would be eh :T ) so I can't complain just yet but with the amount of problems this pregnancy has given me so far I'm really hoping he arrives soon.

Arrgghh Mothers Day is 4 days away and I haven't even bought cards yet What with baby being due and my SPD being bad I've barely left the house recently and just can't face the thought of the half hour walk into town Unfortunately it's my Sister's, FIL's and Aunties Birthdays on the 10th so have those 3 to buy for aswell as pressies for my Mum and MIL. Really must bite the bullet and venture out tomorrow. I dread to think how much it's gonna cost me :eek:

How's everyone's Christmas preparations going? I'm looking forward to throwing myself back into Christmas Prep once the our latest addition has arrived...at the minute all spare pennies have been going on baby items.....(ha I say that like I'll have spare pennies with another mouth to feed! :rotfl:)

I hope everyones well anyway...sorry for rambling!!! I'll shut up and put the little lady to bed now

FeistyFidget

Opee, keeping it all crossed for the ultimate Mothers day pressie on Sunday

Snugglebunny8

good luck Opee! keep us posted - it seems to have come round so fast doesnt it!

Chirpychick it's good to see you, I was only thinking this morning that I wondered how you were getting on and how Franklin is doing, are you getting much sleep?

You are doing really well with Christmas already! am so impressed - at one year mine loved toddling along behind the walk along type toys, we had a little wooden trolley that the wooden blocks came in and they both loved walking along with it and putting stuff in it - I seem to recall a little stuffed horse on wheels with a handle they loved pushing round when they were first walking, they loved cloth and board books (the Anne Geddes baby pic board books are beautiful, Im sure you can still get them. and they have the babies in flowerpots, dressed as bees etc, mine were both fascinated by the babies). They also loved those houses with the different shape window holes etc for the different shapes, Im pretty sure they are 'shape sorters' and the thing my DS loved most at 12 months was a Thomas The Tank Engine toy, it was a scene of Sodor and the helicopter, trains etc were on those bead wires so they could move them along, was Mothercare I think? he used to play with it for hours! I'll see if I can see one anywhere as it was his most favourite childhood toy (other than his sisters Barbie pink plane, but the less said about that the better!!)

Snugglebunny8

Chirpychick these are the board books mine both loved so much, th colours and the opposites were their favourites at about 7/8 months up until about 4 years, I still have them and Id pass them on to you willingly but they are virtually shredded from the mauling they got! some are 1p + P+p on there

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=anne+geddes+board+book

freespirit66

Evening everyone,
Wow good to see lots of the old names back! NOODLES, im glad baby Mali is well, you have had a lot going on!, CHIRPYCHICK (Franklin looks gorgeous in your avatar pic),
OPEE That would be lovely to have baby on Mothers Day, my eldest was a March baby and i hoped she would be born on Mothers Day (she wasnt):rotfl:
MONEYSAVINGMUMOFONE Ha, that was weird, oh i hope you get teeth sorted before your holiday, you need a holiday after all this time in pain! DS bike was a bargain!!
CAITLYN Those cakes are bloody gorgeous, you are so clever, i bet your nephew was thrilled, i dont know why you worried about Mr Potato Heads they are fab, i still make my kids their cakes, i used to make them for orders back in the day when i had something called erm..... Confidence thats it:rotfl:but i started to worry too much about how they would turn out and it took all the fun out of it, so i stopped.
NANAMIA Thankyou head much better tonight. No i dont have a system i subscribe to the Flylady thread and follow it, i work better when i have a list telling me what to do (i dont join in the thread its hard enough keeping up with this one)
PINKNFLUFFY Keep your chin up its early days my lovely
PINKSTEPS What a lovely thought making the carers gifts, when you have got so much going on
JAKESBAKESCAKES Thankyou i did

Nanamia

Shattered had a hectic day but will catch up in the morning night night lovelies xxx