The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

mrsdwhite

MrsLurcherWalker I do hope your dog is well and the vet can help. It's hard watching a pet suffer

Posession best of luck with the job, I'd have considered that job if it paid enough to cover my bills, think I'd enjoy seeing my dd at school at lunch time.

Work today, nothing exciting there then! Still looking for a deputy, waiting to see if the girl who dropped her CV in last week went on to apply and got through the screening, so annoying that it has go to HR before us, I hate not knowing! Also, HR won't be in the same rush as us as its obviously not them facing a busy Christmas without a deputy :mad:

DH is away at a work award/conference in Wales tonight so I am cheating and having a dirty pot noodle for dinner, I know, but I only have one or two a year!

Had a chat with DH last night, seems we're both as fed as each other with life at the moment. Just one more year left of DH paying off his debts and we're free! He's come a long way since the LB moment and circa 60K debt, now its only around 11K :T it goes down around 1K a month, so money is tight, but wow it will be so bloody worth it when its gone!

I signed up to a bit of a Karma project on a whim on Sunday, perfect stranger. Basically my name was put into a random draw with lots of others and we are then matched. We then put together a little parcel and send it to our match who is a perfect stranger. We give some basic info about what me might like but thats it. My lady likes baths and tea. So I'm thinking of a Bath tea bag from Whittard, with some teacakes, homemade jam, and nice tea bags.

I've waffled a bit. Hope everyone is well, and not too chilly

savingqueen

thanks greenbee - I did start looking online but I stopped as I had so much else to do and didn't want to spend hours surfing as I can easily do!


DS10 doesn't want to wear a proper costume - none of his friends are but I have found an old batman tshirt, a size too small but he has tried it on and it will just about do! DS7 is a different matter so might make a simple cape, mask (if he is lucky) and sew something simple, his initial I think onto a top so that website will stop be looking elsewhere! Actually just remembered where I have a piece of red satin.

greenbee wrote: »

Lots of ideas online SQ.

Have a look here: http://kidcrave.com/scoop/make-your-own-superhero-costume/ (i like the jetpack personally...)

Airthrey

nursemaggie you have my sympathy over npower. I'm with them too and cannot believe how utterly attrocious they are at customer service.

Great news about the job possession.

Fingers and toes crossed that the vet can help Docky Mrs LW.

It's been miserable, dark, grey and damp here. I've now put the heating on automatic for an hour in the morning and again in the evening, which is sooner than I'd hoped. I keep a really close eye on what we use but DD is going down with a cold and needs to be warmer. I hate winter. It's not just the cold, it's also the absence of light. Only eight hours of day at the moment and it's not enough.

Rowan9

mrsdwhite wrote: »

MrsLurcherWalker I do hope your dog is well and the vet can help. It's hard watching a pet suffer

Posession best of luck with the job, I'd have considered that job if it paid enough to cover my bills, think I'd enjoy seeing my dd at school at lunch time.

Work today, nothing exciting there then! Still looking for a deputy, waiting to see if the girl who dropped her CV in last week went on to apply and got through the screening, so annoying that it has go to HR before us, I hate not knowing! Also, HR won't be in the same rush as us as its obviously not them facing a busy Christmas without a deputy :mad:

DH is away at a work award/conference in Wales tonight so I am cheating and having a dirty pot noodle for dinner, I know, but I only have one or two a year!

Had a chat with DH last night, seems we're both as fed as each other with life at the moment. Just one more year left of DH paying off his debts and we're free! He's come a long way since the LB moment and circa 60K debt, now its only around 11K :T it goes down around 1K a month, so money is tight, but wow it will be so bloody worth it when its gone!

I signed up to a bit of a Karma project on a whim on Sunday, perfect stranger. Basically my name was put into a random draw with lots of others and we are then matched. We then put together a little parcel and send it to our match who is a perfect stranger. We give some basic info about what me might like but thats it. My lady likes baths and tea. So I'm thinking of a Bath tea bag from Whittard, with some teacakes, homemade jam, and nice tea bags.

I've waffled a bit. Hope everyone is well, and not too chilly

Don't know how to cut out bits on I pad but wanted to ask if you could give a link to the karma project. This is exactly the kind of thing I love and I would be really interested in participating:)
Many thanks
W

Nargleblast

Thinking of Mrs LW and her four-legged friend.

stiltwalker

Aww Lyn - huge hugs for you from over this way. Little Miss Stilty sends some special ones for 'mummy's puter friend who worry'.


Bit manic here - School stresses while we get DD settled, the moves have left her unsettled and have led to big behaviour issues which we hare trying to help school solve. On the upside, she has already met this term's speech and language targets so has a whole new set to work on - she is just doing so great with her talker.


I've also got my first essay for this last OU module due on Thursday, but only need to pass this course as got my degree grade in the bag so not busting a gut.


Second Riverford veg box arrived - the first one was great and when I did the sums it was roughly equal in price to Mr T veg but way tastier - I also found as I was being inventive I did less top up shopping and so the overall weeks spend was about a tenner less than usual for better food. Upped the box size to the bumper one for next week as hoping then that I won't need to top up at all apart from the kids essentials that they can't live without (cucumbers and blueberries).


Going to do a sort of jambalaya for tea for me and hubby tonight based on the hairy dieters recipe, but chicken instead of prawns as DH not a fan of seafood, I also up the veg content for extra filling up without adding too many calories, the kids had mustardy mac cheese and lots of steamed veg plus about 3 tons each of fruit for pudding (maybe a slight exaggeration but not much!) I'll probably nibble on some biscuits later - DH needs to lose the weight but I really don't (have more problems the other way - keeping it on, I get way to unhealthy skinny way to easily).


Catch you all later - hugs where needed or wanted - Hx

camelot1001

Thanks for the good wishes, my nose is healing - more a scab now than a blister. A couple of children at school have asked what happened and I told them that's what happens when you don't use sun screen. Hopefully they wont want a big red hooter and apply it when asked!

On the subject of odd presents, when the children were young DH took them shopping for christmas presents. DS2 who must have been about 3 blurted out that he had bought me a new swimming hat (not a problem as I was a keen swimmer and needed one). Christmas came and I opened my present - a verucca sock!

Mrs LW, what a dilemma. You have given Docky so much love and care and it is so hard to see him suffering. I hope your chat with the vet can cast a little light on the situation. Big hugs to you.

Still think it is a little naughty for schools to give so little notice with costumes, etc. There should be at least 1 weeks notice over a weekend. Whatever you decide to send them in will be wonderful.

mrsdwhite

wmf wrote: »

Don't know how to cut out bits on I pad but wanted to ask if you could give a link to the karma project. This is exactly the kind of thing I love and I would be really interested in participating:)
Many thanks
W

I fight with my iPad and this forum!
https://www.perfectstrangers.co here's the link for you. It says they're doing the draw on 10th November but I think secretly you have until 13th to sign up

Softstuff

Hoping for the best with Docky Lyn and sending hugs.

Sounds like you're in there Possession, it's great news.

Can never believe what schools want from parents. I can understand the need for parents to be involved in their childrens educationbut it very seldom seems to be about that. It's no different here in Australia, my friend with 2 kids has been in countless meetings recently to prepare one of her children to go to high school, then there's the drives to a sports club an hour away, then there's the "graduation" (just of a year, not of the school). Then dress up for one reason or another (often by the next day or day after). None of these things takes into account that she and her husband work full time and it's generally reliant on her begging her employer. Schools could be a bit more supportive and helpful that way. Scheduling things at 10am on a weekday is a bit beyond the pale.

maryb

Schools everywhere have a tendency to assume that mothers' time (and it's usually mothers) is limitless and valueless. My two girls went to a school which made a big thing of preparing girls for challenging careers. But there was a complete disconnect when it came to accommodating mothers who were actually pursuing such careers. If you pointed it out, they would visibly bridle. And when I couldn't make it to a meeting to be told what they would be covering in Year 4 (or whatever) always scheduled at 2.30 on a weekday afternoon, it would be " such a SHAME you couldn't be with us Mrs B" (you bad mother you). Funnily enough that changed when a few fathers protested that they couldn't be there at that time. Then they started having those meetings in the evening.