Get a grip woman!

Suffolk_lass

If you already have a double socket above a counter, those extenders are good - the screw into the existing holes in the back box and are surface boxes, about 1cm deeper than the flush mounted ones, literally two additional points.

The thing I find annoying is the above worktop sockets for things like the fridge-freezer - I would expect that to be hidden, but no, it permanently occupies one of the doubles so that every time I use my mixer I have to unplug the bug zapper which is also a plug rather than a fused switch.

Karmacat

Sockets are so important, aren't they!  I planned new ones when I had the kitchen done last year, and during the work I jiggled placements about - a young guy in his 20s isn't going to know about the things a woman in her 60s wants, I don't have a problem with that, I've liked what I've got.  But yes, having to unplug one thing to use another - I hate it!  Don't have that any more, thank heavens.

rtandon27

We live in an old converted hop-kiln with a kitchen that's built onto the side of the house.  I call it the lean-to, even though it is quite a solid structure.  The plugs in the kitchen are all in the most illogical spots! Our cooker plug is hidden in the back of a cupboard, but every time I put the toaster away the switch gets pressed and turned off.  I then have to get down on hands and knees to get into the cupboard & flick the switch back on the next time we want to use the cooker.  Our dishwasher plugs into an extension bar that is threaded through a small hole drilled into the counter & that plug permanently hogs one of only two plugs on the wall above the largest counter space.  This means we are constantly juggling small appliance in and out of the remaining plug.  I can run the slow cooker or the breadmaker or the food processor, but not all three at once!  If we actually owned this place rather than rented, I'd have ripped the awkward kitchen out long ago and installed something more logical!

trix-a-belle

oh rtandon27 I had that the other day on my hands and knees fumbling at the back of a cupboard because of stuff getting caught up, I really should have appreciated the kitchen in my last house more there weren't that many cupboards but nothing encroached on the actual cupboard space, where as this 'designed' kitchen everything seems to get in the way, the kitchen sink & its waste is in such a place that I barely have any space for full height bottles of surface spray/washing up liquid type things in the cupboard below & the utility sink is the same but it has even been bodged so the waste goes through & round the shelf locking them together.
my neighbours moved in last year & found a veritable daisy chain of extensions that their dishwasher was plugged into, that was only the start of the hair raising discoveries!

Suffolk_lass

Yes, our dishwasher is in the back of the cupboard we are just swapping to deep drawers. DH warned me it would not soft-close properly but it seems to now I have put stuff in there! So much stuff! Not sure how accessible it will be when the dishwasher needs attention though. Oh, and there is a cupboard with a hole cut in the back with a single power point with a double extension cable running off it... and the washing machine and tumble dryer at the other end of the run. When the fuse goes (occasionally, if the tumble dryer runs while the washer is heating to 95 and we forget!  ) - at least I know it is the plug on the extension cable and easy enough to replace, rather than cables in walls getting too hot or anything more dangerous!

Suffolk_lass

Well I gave in and made three Christmas cakes yesterday, one each for my Mum and her friend, and one for us. They are quite small but they will be fine. I need to get some marzipan but no hurry.

It looks as though DH's delay in setting up his regular saver means we missed the 2.75% rate as it is showing at 1% now.

I was asked yesterday if I was still going to host Christmas and a discussion about households ensued. We will have to do it all again next week once the rules are published but it looks as though our bubble support person counts as one with us, not in addition (but this is taking what the BBC say, not reading the actual guidance from the gov.uk pages as they were not up yet last night) - my cousin says he is in a virtual household with his partner, although they each have their own house but there is his Mum too, plus us and our Son (maybe with his housemate) so that would still be too many households. I did suggest he do something with his mum and partner and keep it really small this year. I'm not willing to break the number of households rule, and our Son is my priority as my own Mum is in Scotland.  Let us see.

greent

Hi, S_L. The rules are on gov website now about Christmas bubbles - I think you're right and that the above households (if I've followed it correctly) make a total of 4 (putting your support bubble person with you as 1, and your cousin and their partner as 1), so outside gov rules. I think your suggestion to your cousin about separate celebrations this year sounds the best way forward, hard as it may be - fingers crossed that by next Christmas things are much easier..... 

Our best friends messaged last night asking to be part of our Xmas bubble (it's just the 2 of them, no kids - her parents are both dead, his dad is dead and his mum in a care home with dementia) I was expecting them to bubble with her brother (lives in the same road as them, about 15 doors up, so perfect from a no need to drive/ can get home for some 'space' point of view) but it seems they want to be here (about 20-30 mins drive away) - no sure if they mean for several days yet.... they've only ever done just adult Christmas days (with family or close friends who also have no kids) so our house could be a bit of a shock to them.....!!

Karmacat

How complex it is, SL, and what a good idea to sort your priorities and how they interact with these Christmas rules.  Greent, my word, what a situation - I'm glad that they're your *best* friends!  Yes, I bet it would be a shock - your kids sound lovely, but there can't help but be more activity than your friends are used to
With the Christmas rules, I think I'll be on my own for Christmas, which is fine, actually.  I'd rather that than worry - the household I'd have been going to is having lots of medically-exempt toing and froing to hospital and from different parts of the UK, I'm really not keen.  It would have been four households, though 3 of those households only contain one person; still households, though.  We might do a whatsapp video call, that would be okay, and it would make me get some tinsel in my hair
In celebration of my getting my pension, I'm inviting everyone to an M&S/Waitrose catered picnic in summer, in any case  

themadvix

Karmacat said:

In celebration of my getting my pension, I'm inviting everyone to an M&S/Waitrose catered picnic in summer, in any case  

That's very kind of you Karma, count me in!  

Definitely agree with the rules, but they don't make anything easy, do they? As it stands, we have invited the in-laws, but waiting to hear what BIL and GF want to do - either they come and DH's uncle doesn't or we have him and it's just 5 of us. Complicated! Very wise to keep things small SL - I do wonder if we'll all actually prefer the smaller, quieter Christmas once we've tried it on, IYSWIM. But not seeing different people on the other days will be hard. There will definitely be lots of video calls round here!

Karmacat

themadvix said:

Karmacat said:

In celebration of my getting my pension, I'm inviting everyone to an M&S/Waitrose catered picnic in summer, in any case  

That's very kind of you Karma, count me in!  
     Tee hee

Definitely agree with the rules, but they don't make anything easy, do they? As it stands, we have invited the in-laws, but waiting to hear what BIL and GF want to do - either they come and DH's uncle doesn't or we have him and it's just 5 of us. Complicated! Very wise to keep things small SL - I do wonder if we'll all actually prefer the smaller, quieter Christmas once we've tried it on, IYSWIM. But not seeing different people on the other days will be hard. There will definitely be lots of video calls round here!

 I think thats the way a lot of people will be going, more than I thought.  Though I think the phone/internet system might crash, like it does on New Year's Eve, thinking about it.  Will still put tinsel in my hair though