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

mandco

carlamarie wrote: »

Thank you to those who are asking after me, I am good thank you, hope you're all well?

Also, while I'm here, mil gave me £15 to get the kids a treat for the 1st dec. she usually gets them an advent calendar for at her house, but as she's moved, we don't get there as often, so it's pretty pointless!
I thought a small gift bag each, some sort of xmas themed chocolate, a christmas activity or colouring book and???
I will probaly buy the tubes of chocs afford £1and the books for £1 also so that leaves £3 each Any ideas? The kids are 6,5 and 2

welcome back
I'd get a xmassy movie and some munchies and do a movie night lots of dvds around for under £5 at the mo or maybe some xmassy crafts they can do together. or how about getting them one of those mini xmas trees and some decs and letting them do it themselves that was always a big hit with mine and they still have one each every yr that goes in their bedrooms.
also tubes of sweets were £1 each and 3 for 2 in tesco express today not sure about the main stores.

fiesty good to hear they found a bed for dh hope hes not in too long

freespirit66

Evening everyone, today i have made christmas spiced chocolate cake and sticky gingerbread for the freezer so 2 more tasks finished for the week

wuvvies wrote: »

thanks for your kind thoughts. im off work at the moment as ive had my op and also a nerve untrapped from my elbow. the docs have assured me that my sciatica is nothing to do with the nerve untrapping in my arm. seems funny to me its on the same side and have now got problems with my back and leg.
im still desperately trying to get some sort of relationship with my daughter..if you remember she left as she turned 16. just went to school and never came back. its so hard to look at her without crying. my life seems shattered. the same week my eldest went to uni leaving just me and my little boy now. hes 9 and i feel sorry for him that hes just on his own now. im trying to over compensate by trying to do as much with him as i can. we baked cakes today and did a puzzle.
ive read of empty nest syndrome but never realised how sad it is when they leave

Oh WUVVIES i knew you had had the op, i didnt realise it was for a trapped nerve, oh god now you have pain in your back and leg, it sounds just like mine, have they given you anything for it? Or advice? My GP just gave me painkillers. Yes it is awful, when my son first went to Uni i cried all the way home literally non stop and every time he came home and went back for 6 months, he always leaves his glass in the same place in the kitchen and if i saw that i cried it was ridiculous but it just takes time and it does get easier, im sorry things are still not resolved with your DD, is your relationship any better when she comes round to see her little brother or does she not bother? Im sure your youngest is not missing out as much as you think, young kids are very resilient and tend to accept things more than what we give them credit for. Have you spoke to your dr about how you feel, it could be a mixture of DD, the op, and now the extra pain you are in that is really getting you down perhaps they could help, sending you lots of hugs x

springdreams wrote: »

For those that don't wander too far from this thread, you may be unaware that there is currently a M&S glitch on the Grabbit forum, whereby you spend £50 on items that are marked at half price (these are mostly beauty items), and use a £10 off a £50 spend code on the codes board, which will give you £50 worth of items for £15 delivered to your local store.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4824822

code on post 688

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3668877

Don't forget TCB

Thankyou SPRINGDREAMS

Own_My_Own wrote: »

Evening
pixtotts thanks for the link. There all loads of great bits in there I want. I can't believe some of it is actually in a pound shop.
I am so glad I have tomorrow off work. I can take Mia for a later walk after all the kids start school. That way I can go over the fiend and just throw a ball for half an hour rather than walk her on the lead for one hour. She is getting fitter but half an hour running is still enough for her at the moment.
Then the freezers can be sorted out, to see how much room I have free.
Went to my cousins after work to pick up my sewing machine. She lives near a Home Bargains so had to pop in there.
Picked up 2 toys for Mia and 4 bags of gravy bones. I am trying to get enough of everything she eats incase it does snow and I can't get out. And I don't really want to go up there again before Christmas. I think I feel a bit shopped out after the weekend. Need some good indoors time.
Also bought 2 large bottles of beer.(Stella and Bud). One for ds' stocking and one for a friends husband. I just get him a token gift as I feel bad giving to her and not him. Ds will most probably not drink his but he will like the size of the bottle.
May try to get some wrapping done as well if I don't sit down, put on a Christmas film and fall asleep. :rotfl:
Hope everyone has had a good or (not bad) day.
Glad you enjoying Brighton Ruth-honey.
FF hope dh is having a better day today.

OMO you really sound like you have a spring in your step from having Mia in your life now, it lovely to hear you talk about her, shes obviously giving a lot of love in return for saving her, bless her

alja

Hello everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't had the chance to pop in here over the last few weeks, but I have been thinking of you all and hoping you've been doing well with everything!

I'm pretty much done with my Christmas shopping now and it feels great! Thank you so so much for keeping me going over the last few months, you've all inspired me to be organised

Off to a Christmas stall evening tomorrow evening with a friend which will be lovely! Sorry once again for being AWOL, but thinking of you all x

freespirit66

ALJA wrote: »

Hello everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't had the chance to pop in here over the last few weeks, but I have been thinking of you all and hoping you've been doing well with everything!
I'm pretty much done with my Christmas shopping now and it feels great! Thank you so so much for keeping me going over the last few months, you've all inspired me to be organised
Off to a Christmas stall evening tomorrow evening with a friend which will be lovely! Sorry once again for being AWOL, but thinking of you all x

oh ALJA thats great, i bet you feel fab being so organised, have a great time tomorrow evening x

Peppapig

Oh Wuvvies, I'm so sorry the situation with your DD hasn't changed - it must be so painful for you. I really hope you can stay strong and I'm sure it will all come right in the end. All we can really do when it comes down to it is be there for them when they realise they've made mistakes and wait for them to grow up, however long that takes. In the meantime your life must go on so just try to enjoy the time with your DS and older one when home from uni. Sending you big hugs.

Curly - trying to picture the driftwood tree - are you able to post a link or photo, it sound very intriguing.

Pixtotts - I'm in the 'one brussel at Christmas' club too! I don't really do much in the 'green' line when it comes to food but I make a special effort at Christmas and have a sprout with my dinner. I manage to eat it by ensuring it's smothered with gravy and accompanied by a bit of everything else off my plate!


Went to the new Range in Milton Keynes this afternoon. Fab shop (although not as big as the one at Lakeside in Essex) but nightmare of a car park - far too small for such a popular shop and people parking outside of proper spaces, doubling up etc., so other people couldn't get out. I hate to think what it'll be like at the weekends. Bought some gorgeous silver stars to go with my hallway decs and a lovely snow globe mounted on a train for my DGS1 and DGS2 who is due any day now. OMO - they had some lovely stags/reindeer although I expect you've got enough by now. Ooh and I saw the stag bedding too and must say it looks much better in the flesh than in pics.

Off to B&M tomorrow as got a few little bits to look out for and husband is on a cheap Crunchie hunt as Asda had sold out of their 8 for £2 today.

Night night all. Hope you have a good day tomorrow.

joee

Nanamia wrote: »

Money maker Oooh you've set such a beautiful scene in my head, thank you. Sounds perfect X
Ruth I keep forgetting about the Christmas films. Will somebody please shout out if Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special is on again. X

Freespirit bookmarked the cheesecake recipe, sounds yum. What maple syrup do you use? What I really mean is does it need a decent one? xxx

Hello Nanamia,

I have just found that the Gavin and Stacey special will be shown on BBC Three at 8pm on 26th November. I hope that you will be able to watch / record it, if not Dave are repeating the series from the start now so they should be showing the special in a couple of weeks time!

Jo

mrsinvisible

Here early again, have been awake most of the night, I don't know why l have bouts of this, just 'lucky' l guess!
Pixtots there is an old indian saying 'I have so much to do, I am going----to bed'
Feisty glad you feel on a more even keel, still sending hugs to you.
Ruth-Honey, enjoy your break, you are probably 'absent minded' because you are doing something different.
I don't think I will be doing a lot today, but if the weather is good, I may cut some greenery from the garden and make a prototype basket/garland. I can't put a wreath on the door, so I am going to try to make something 'festive-ish' using this summers hanging baskets, we shall see. then I will complain to Debenh*ms that the order they sent did not contain the freebie that was what I really wanted, grr.

FeistyFidget

Very quick barging in post with DH update - sadly they have found a lot of blood in his liver and they strongly suspect liver failure. They've advised if this is the case, it will be manageable for 10-15 years, but after that it will be kaput - can't stop worrying about the risks involved with transplant rejection, and the fact his heart is so delicate

I have been pro-active and cut back 2 hours from my morning work placement (thank goodness they are so understanding) this should give me enough time to stay on top of all the orders coming in and get the house into some sort of habital state, before I dash off to close up shop and visit DH late afternoon.

mrs-moneypenny

morning all
feisty, im so sorry to hear your news gentle and supporting hugs to you and your DH. you really are due some good news soon

i hope everyone is well and managing to stay warm.

craftymummy_2

Oh Feisty, I'm so sorry to hear your news re DH. Is his liver bad because they didn't deal with him sooner? Wold you now have a sttonger case to sue them?