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

FairyPrincessk

We'll take it back together Lyn! Which reminds me, its time to dig out my paper cranes, string some pop corn and make some rosemary wreaths from the bush out front for our decorations! Maybe it isn't the most traditional, but it looks festive, doesn't cost much and I enjoy making the house feel cosy and special.

[Deleted User]

FPK I love 'Bringing in the Green' on Christmas Eve. The girls and I take a big basket and the cutters and go walking the footpaths and lanes and gather holly,ivy,berries,evergreens,pine cones, old mans beard, teazles and we've bay and rosemary in the garden. We decorate the house with these, white candles and red ribbons and it feels so much more real than all the tinsel and glitz!!! We've an old tree, and much loved and rather tatty decorations for it including 'Chris Mouse' who was the very first decoration I found in DD1s first year along with all the little things they made at school and I love how it looks, and how making the house beautiful feels. I guess that's the feeling we need back in to the Christmas celebrations isn't it? Outside we have just a simple string of white lights which we festoon the old apple tree with, many people in the village have houses covered with garish multi coloured moving figures and shapes and it seems to be competitive as they vie to outdo each other every year. I find it sad, just don't understand it at all! Lyn xxx.

nuttyp

Morning, MRSLW I agree the adverts are annoying. Why do they think we all need to buy expensive mini sized foods, or have a huge turkey and all the trimmings. Then like you say, we should all be having new sofas dining tables and chairs. Well not in this house.It will be the normal shop and maybe some nuts and a little treat. I only have Christmas day off, I have the short straw as they say.

Will I be doing much at work on Christmas eve, and boxing day - nope. I intend to do as little as possible for once. OH will be at home, but asleep I expect.

Woke up to the tv announcing today is cyber Monday - everyone will be ordering lots of items. hmmmmmm well I would love to be extravagant but funds don't allow and I think us OS know this doesn't make you happy. I do wonder how many people end up in major debt for one day, and how long it takes to clear it up - if they ever do.

Today I need to sort the mot for the car, I hope it passes. Need to
pick up something for a roasty later and that's it.

take care everyone x

alfsmum

Another vote here for a real non-consumer Christmas. A few days off with us and DDs, warm home, nice food, a few games, and the old tree in the corner.

Love also the real greenery though I'm happy to add a few sparkly things

Ah well, off to earn the money to pay for our low key festivities....

Take care everyone

moments_of_sanity

Good morning all and apologies for hijacking tis thread.

I read every day but don't post often on this one. I wondered if anyone could give me any help I have with a problem dog!

We have 2 border collies, age 5 & 2.5, the 5 year old has always been exceptionally clean but since the end of October she has taken to pooping on the carpet overnight (we leave both dogs downstairs) and just lately this has grown to weeing on the carpet as well. For the last 4 nights she has wee'd on the living room carpet so I have shut her in the kitchen by closing the stair gate. Over night she has once again wee'd and most of it went on the Lino, however, an awful lot of it has gone on the carpet adjoining the kitchen (not entirely sure how she did it)?

First question is does anyone have any ideas why she might be doing this and secondly all I can smell is dog wee and can't seem to get rid of it despite my best efforts. Can anyone advise the best thing to use to get rid of the smell?

I will skulk back off now.........as you were

[Deleted User]

MOS is it likely that the younger one wee'd on the carpet and the older one was scent marking to be top dog? That can become a habit and if they continued to try to mask each others scent it would account for the carpet being wet on the other side of the stair gate, perhaps it isn't just one of them? Have you had her vet checked to make sure she doesn't have a waterworks problem? The carpet will respond to being cleaned with an industrial carpet cleaner but you might find the smell is because of seepage into the underlay. We had this problem with a house we bought and they'd had an old and incontinent dog and no matter how many times we cleaned the top carpet, the smell only went when we had the place recarpeted and got rid of the old underlay. Lavender is a likely scant to cover urine and you can get a very strong Zoflora Disinfectant in Lavender which might help, Cheers Lyn xxx.

You're not hijacking pet, it's nice to have you posting here, don't leave, stay and join in that would be lovely, Lyn xxx.

moments_of_sanity

My younger one never goes to the toilet in the house, he is a boy and can wee on demand! :rotfl:

Our older girl doesn't seem to like going out in the dark anymore which is really unusual as she has never been scared of it before. I have a vets appointment this week so will mention it to them then but all rather odd really.

I do have some Zoflora so will try that as I don't have the money to re carpet at the moment and am reluctant to do so in case she does it on a new carpet.

I wonder at what point I thought it was a. Good idea to have 2 border collies and 2 cats?? No, really, I do love them dearly but they can drive me to distraction when your confronted by the mess every morning.

[Deleted User]

MOS our old boy is scared of the dark and has to be persuaded out on to the lawn last thing to wee. It's much worse at this time of year as he is petrified of the noise from fireworks and goes and hides rather than go out. We have to go with him and light his way with a torch or he mills round the garden and doesn't go at all. Has something scared her recently in the dark outside? could account for the reluctance to actually 'go' when she's out.

VJsmum

Popping up to agree with the Christmas sentiments. Luckily I watch very little TV so don't get bombarded with the "buy a sparkly dress to wear to the party with the brown frozen food which gets spilt on the new sofa / carpet and the 50" plasma is blaring away in the background" stuff

The teenagers will get decent presents. DS wants a mountain bike, which least will get him out and about. DD has a list with "lots of little things in the hope I get them all" which made me cringe when she said it, but at least they are little things (one or two will not be bought, just so she knows she doesn't get everything, but grandparents will give money so she can get them after).

For the first time in five years, it is just us four for Christmas. The tree is going up next weekend, but it is not stylish - mine too has stuff the kids made at nursery and school like a pine cone with a teensy bit of glitter and salt dough candle - I also collect tree decorations when on my travels, so it is totally unique to us. I love the idea of going for a walk on Christmas Eve to fetch greenery, I wanted more natural less tinsel myself so am pinching that idea, Mrs LW.

Today I am doing some fun bits of shopping, kids stocking fillers, stuff for hampers for my dad and MiL, I am going to do themed hampers for little nieces and nephews (I say little, but they are all over 10 ). Got one nephew a "black Friday" amazon deal on a set of Michael morpurgo books - don't really buy into the whole "black
Friday thing" but the books were a good offer and he will like them. I am chuffed with my sister and her kids present - I am paying for her and her kids to come and visit us in the new year, pay the petrol for her and take them out and about courtesy of Mr T vouchers - Cadbury World will be one, maybe the Black Country museum. Really excited and so is she, just need to package it in a nice way so the kids aren't disappointed in not getting a "thing" - might do them a little "Cadbury" parcel with a nicely printed invite.

We are have friends over for Boxing Day games so I want to raid the pound shop and home bargains for some "lucky dip" prizes -- love that bit of it all.

I may also browse the chazzer s while I am there.:cool:

moments_of_sanity

I did wonder if something had scared her as we did have an awful lot of fireworks going over for about a month or so! :mad:

Even if we go out with her, she will sit outside with her nose stuck to the back door and won't go any further. I feel so sorry for her as she obviously doesn't like having to go outside. I have even tried getting her to go out with the other dog but that doesn't work either, border' scan be neurotic but she does take it to the extreme sometimes. She is currently sat right by my chair and if I move she moves with me.

I had to give up work in June this year and prior to that my DH had been at home for 18 months after being made redundant so I am wondering if she is suffering from separation anxiety (I had a Daxie who had this problem).