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

kidcat

Jazee - if your DD takes photos try to get them with the agent/LL in shot - they cannot be easily disputed then

Nursemaggie - I hope you can get help quickly to sort this mess out, my friend works for CAB and says its the biggest issue they currently have on the books.
As Mardatha says everyone affected needs to write to their MP and complain, visit MP surgeries etc, it can only help

Nargleblast - thank you for pointing out the syrup recipe, its been added to my list

kez - hope you are feeling better today

SQ - I imagine by now you are exhausted after the birthday celebrations but I hope you all had a lovely time.

I have spent the day at dance dress rehearsals, so many costumes etc, and I am exhausted. Looking forward to an early night ready for tomorrows drive

SpikyHedgehog

My sister had rented a house when Denephew1 was little, and had the LL's permission to paint the rooms, which she did in her favourite colours at the time. The lounge/diner was bright pink with lilac alcoves, and was painted well. When she moved out, our mum had DS1 and Denephew1 so we could clean the house thoroughly after getting the furniture out - and it was sparkly clean throughout.

Then sis got a phone call from the LL to say the new tenant was horrified at the state of the house, and what on earth had sis done to the house?! Turned out LL hadn't bothered to look at it before giving the keys to the next tenant, who hadn't looked at the house before signing the tenancy agreement, and didn't like bright pink and lilac so phoned the LL to scream at him. He did apologise to sis about it.

When Errant Husband, the boys and I moved into the current house, the housing association said we could make changes such as putting up hooks on the backs of doors, shelves in the wardrobes etc as it was a new build. EH didn't want to as he felt we'd need to fill them in 'when' we moved. So when he moved out, the boys and I went to beeandqueue to get hooks to hang our dressing gowns up on.

Softstuff, as someone else who is 5ft 2, I recommend folding stools - we've got a couple at work that fold to go flat against the wall next to the filing cabinet/between the kitchen cabinets, so I and other normal height people can reach the mugs and playdough ingredients on the top shelf.

kidcat, glad new teacher is working so hard with DS, but crumbs for the pda suggestion - just another plate to add to the ones to already juggle!

Fuddle, I love hearing what you're cooking!

I did cauliflower, carrots, pasta and cheese sauce tonight; & DS2 helped make a pineapple pudding made with a tin of basics pineapple pieces in juice mixed with a bit of marge and SR flour with a pinch of bicarb and a spoonful of sugar - microwaved for 4 minutes while eating the pasta.

savingqueen

Well birthday celebrations went very well, kids were great (for a bunch of excited 7/8 year old boys!) and you're right I am exhausted kidcat! We forgot the wrapped cake slices so DH had to go home to get them, Good job I noticed early and it wasn't far away. Slightly concerned about looking after them all on my todd but I was fine. Pre-ADS I would have been flapping a bit.

One child ate a big bowl of ice-cream and then told me he wasn't allowed dairy (fortunately turned out he needs to avoid due to eczema but occasional treats are ok phew.) Another parent turned up to collect child pretty late so the 4 remaining (this child, our 2 and the child we were dropping home) were getting bored and noisy so took them outside to a car free spot to run round. We waited and waited, DH got increasingly agitated (our pizza was getting cold in the carboot) and I was frozen. There is always something with kids parties but as long as all the children return home safe and happy, I think we can pat ourselves on the back!

Tomorrow is a chill out and catch up day. Both boys have homework, place is a tip downstairs and various odds and ends need doing. Just remembered about the wooden advent calendar - need to dig out the little chocs and fill the drawers ready for Monday morning. Next week I need to crack on with Christmas plans!!

Talking of Christmas, how was your day fuddle?
Glad school is getting its act together kidcat. So sorry about the shock with possible pda - excuse my ignorance is that a heart condition?

savingqueen

SpikeyHedgehog - after I moved into (then boyfriend) DH's flat many moons ago, one of the first things I did was to paint the living room. Alternate walls/alcoves/shelves were painted orange and green (fairly bright shades as well) - curtains were dusky pink and sofa blue. Carpet was a multi-coloured wonder. The total effect was :eek: :eek::eek: His ex has decorated when she moved in - I'll say no more!

chickens11

Mardather....Thanks very much for the lovely blood sugar book, had a quick skim through and look like some great recipes in there , please pm me your address and I will post you your postage costs ...Thanks very much...:)Sheila...

nursemaggie

Hi all.

DS had a letter from the DWP. He thinks it is just an acknowledgement. I think who ever composed the standard letter still took the opportunity to accuse him again and have a dig at him. It has gone for adjudication. We still have two more appeals if this goes wrong. Will try and get an appointment with CAB on Monday. I hope they will see us both because it is affecting me financially more than him. He still has a childlike trust that I will make everything alright.

While we have had such a low income for the past three months we have been cutting our spend down all the time. DS found a £3 frozen chicken of nearly 2 kg which I have managed to stretch five days. Most annoyed today when we went to Mr M to find most of the savers stuff has been cut right back to allow for Christmas. There are no frozen chickens in the store. I am really annoyed because it is what we will have to have for Christmas. I cannot see this being settled and everything back to normal any earlier than late January, when he will only have one month left of his sanction.

We need it sorted so he can get on with his application for the OU and applying for the grants. We are pleased to find he will get more in grants than he will get on JSA even if he cannot get housing benefit. That is taking into consideration he goes onto the full adult payment in February.

I should have a recipe for pineapple pudding which is a batter type pudding and meringue on top. It uses shredded pineapple which is the cheapest way to buy it. I will have a look for it tomorrow.

I tried to get us on the housing waiting list this morning. The form says they need 5 year of addresses but the software is asking for ten and I cannot move on without post codes I have to have them. I cleared out all old paper work before we moved, :mad: I don't hold out much hope of finding the postcodes.

I know you can find addresses with a postcode but can you find a post code with an address? Lots of addresses is the problems with renting you find you have to move a lot.

It has just been one of those couple of weeks, what with the WM braking down Monday last week culminating in Npower wanting £800 for 3 weeks gas. That is impossible we only have 3 radiators on. Cooking is electric. They are also welcoming us as new customers it gets worse. I arranged to switch to OVO 2 weeks ago.

Nargleblast

nursemaggie if you Google finding postcodes or go on the Royal Mail website you should be able to type in an address and it will tell you the postcode.

nursemaggie

Thank You Nagleblast thought it would hold me up for weeks finding out. If people wrote programs properly I would not have this problem.

Nargleblast

It is the Royal Mail website if I remember rightly, having had to look up postcodes in the past. Keep plodding on - all these hassles you are going through at present will work out in due course, don't let the barstewards grind you down!

mardatha

Shegar/Chickens its ok I dont want the postage, just you enjoy it and have nice dinners xx