I’ve said aggressive as it often is on here. Is there a middle ground? I’m losing my way with my 3 yo. And my mind!

Me-

Covid came from a Chinese lab.
Epstein's death was engineered by a third party, whether by murder or by compromising the suicide watch.
Lucy Letby's conviction isn't sound and was affected by institutional motivation to find a cause for babies dying other than negligence and squalor across the department. (FAOD I have no idea whether she is innocent or guilty.)

Hi all. Here's our new thread. Giving Rainbow a break and until Reastie returns. Sorry there wasn't a more inspiring title, didn't spot any comedy typos this time.

This is intended as a friendly, kind, safe, warm and fuzzy place for people to share discounts, bargains and Christmas gift ideas both online and IRL. Please note the tone and intention of the thread and join with spirit as generous as DC helping themselves to the Christmas chocolate celebrations

Here’s some useful information about how to save the thread or a specific post so you don’t need to have a message to check in for every thread so you have the thread saved:

To watch the thread - click on the little bell that has ‘watch’ under my first message. This adds the whole thread to your ‘watched threads’

You can also bookmark a specific post by clicking on the ‘bookmark’ under the specific post. This saves your exact place in a thread but doesn’t alert you to new replies.

If you have any referral links or codes, please share them on the referral thread here:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5444936-bargain-referrals-thread-8

A reminder that we don't use affiliated links on here please

🎄 Emoji to copy if required for posting bargains as some agree this makes deals easier to spot. (or post in bold)

If you’re not interested in celeb gossip feel free to ignore. I’m just watching her reality show on BBC.

Stacey Solomon has made her living, and a very good one at that, by selling her life. Her sister and her dad have also followed in her footsteps.

She now has 3 reality programmes, she also does Instagram on which she’s spent years documenting her life, her children’s lives, showing her followers round her house and her renovations. She films her children all the time including her eldest failing his GCSEs, his job interview and showing her followers their bedrooms.

On her reality show she has a run in with a photographer where she complains that she’s entitled to privacy. The photographer argues that people wouldn’t have an interest if she didn’t post on Instagram. She then argues that she doesn’t post her address (however it’s very obvious where she lives). She also complains that she’s had a photographer turn up at her nephews football tournament and it’s unfair as there are children there.

Aibu to think she’s a hypocrite, she has no real talent that she can make money off other than being a TV/insta personality.

I feel like everyone should watch her full interview.

https://news.sky.com/video/comedian-lucy-beaumont-i-offered-to-pay-legal-fees-for-woman-who-signed-walliams-nda-13610774

Bravo👏

I have three children aged 7, 5 and 2. My husband’s sister has one child, aged 2. She’s a single mum by choice.

My SIL has quite strong parenting preferences. She’s very anti-plastic toys and prefers everything to be wooden and pastel-coloured. She’s also very anti-screens and doesn’t allow sweets. That’s absolutely her choice, and I’m not criticising how she chooses to raise her child. My children, however, are fairly typical kids. We have brightly coloured plastic toys, toy swords, all sorts of things, and I don’t have a strict no-screen policy. I’m not saying they’ll be glued to an iPad all Christmas, but equally I’m not going to promise that they won’t have any screen time at all. I certainly won’t stop my children having chocolate or a mince pie on Christmas Day (especially the two eldest).

We’re all spending Christmas Day at my in-laws’ house, and SIL has messaged me saying that she appreciates we all have different parenting styles, but she’d prefer it if we didn’t bring any plastic toys, particularly around her toddler, and asked if we could have no screens for the duration of our stay to avoid a situation where her child might join in and watch something, and no sweet treats within sight of her child. I honestly don’t know how to respond. I have no intention of deliberately putting things in front of her child that she doesn’t want him playing with, I’m happy to respect her rules for the gifts to her child and I’m happy to be sensible and considerate. But I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect me to restrict what my own children can bring or play with or eat because she has decided that certain toys and activities aren’t acceptable for hers.

I feel like everyone in the family tends to bend over backwards to accommodate SIL’s preferences (because she’s had a traumatic few years in terms of love life and decided to have a baby solo), and I’m starting to resent the expectation that the rest of us should just go along with everything to avoid upsetting her. Would it be unreasonable to reply along the lines of “I completely respect that you have different rules for your child, I will of course respect your wishes for Freddie’s gifts (ie not gifting Freddie a brightly coloured plastic toy, an iPad, a chocolate Santa) but I can’t promise to follow those same rules with mine. I’ll obviously be considerate, but I need to parent my own children in the way that works for us.”

Or am I being unnecessarily difficult? It’s Christmas, and I don’t want to create family tension, but I also don’t want to spend the whole day feeling like I’m being told how to parent my children.

I've been out with a guy a few times in the last month and we've slept together. Sex was amazing - some of the best of my life tbh. He's been in consistent contact since but here's the rub:

• he holds a senior position at an NGO
• he has a young toddler

At the start this lead to a rescheduled first date was all fine after. At the weekend he asked to make plans in advance to see me yesterday but then cancelled 3 hours before, very apologetic and citing childcare issues. He asked if I could do a lunchtime date today and I said I could - and asked him to confirm in the morning.

So here we are, almost lunchtime and he hasn't messaged. I sent a quick check in about 10.30 but nothing. I feel so disrespected that he couldn't even take the time to say he can't make it or whatever. I am actually shocked that he's just dead silent and left my hanging.

I almost feel like blocking him. Would you say something or not?

I’ve realised I like lots of little things to open rather than one big thing. What little things (from £5 to £30) are on your own Christmas wish list?

I’m 4 days post op and so bored, if you have any question ask away.

Can you the separate the art and the artist?

Interesting question, following the removal of Walliams books from schools. Now I’ve never read any, so make no comment on then - but it raises an interesting question.

I mean American Beauty didn’t stop being an amazing movie when the KS allegations came out.

For the first year I cannot think of many things I’d like. The only things that come to mind are not very useful/indulgent gifts but maybe that’s the whole point?

On my potential wishlist so far:

• Cute and soft and good quality pyjama
• Bath robe from Piglets in bed (but I’d wear it as a normal robe, I think?)
• 1 or 2 hand painted, fancy mugs
• A recipe book
• I’d like a nice staub cocotte but as we are spending Xmas abroad, gifts will ideally need to be something to pack in the luggage and also not sure that is a proper gift for me, iyswim
• A bigger backpack for work
• sheepskin slippers
• a crossbody bag I saw on vinted for a third of the original price
• lego orchid

I obv wouldn’t get all of these!
I like them all but usually put clothes or jewelry in my list and feel as if I am not inspired this year.
What is everyone else wishing for?

I am 39, if that matters.

Hi ,
1st round of letrozole and I’ve accidentally taken them on cycle day 2-7 instead of 2-6 😩🙈 so I’ve taken an extra 10mg 😩 what will happen? What do I do? 😩😩😩🙈

Mine is I buy a boned, rolled and stuffed turkey. The white and dark mean is in separate rolls and it takes an hour to cook. Fits in the oven easily with room for all the other stuff. Anyone else got top tips to make life easier?

Do they exist? Just something warmish, easy, plain, reasonably flattering.

Aged 70, short, size 14.

Thanks!

But that too many women are not attracted to the kind of man that makes a good life partner? And are given the ick by such ridiculous trivial things? (The current ick thread demonstrates this quite well.). I’ve known women who are attracted to the same type over and over - alpha male or uber laddish types - and it never works out. Or they stay together but she puts up with him going to lap dancing clubs or repeatedly coming home drunk and pissing in wardrobes or even repeatedly cheating. I’ve seen this on here too.

AIBU?

I didn't even know she was the one, and when I clicked, it was too late, already sold. Pic attached - grey, purple and yellow. Gorgeous colours in the right ratios, wool, just the right shape. I can't find another anywhere else (well, some Chinese knock off sites that I can't imagine deliver on their promise) and haven't found an alternative. The second pic could have been another vinted contender but angora in the mix nixed it for me. I saw these https://www.wolfandbadger.com/eu/lola-sweater-in-multicolor-multicolour/ & https://www.wolfandbadger.com/eu/striped-stitch-maya-crew-multicolour-stripe/ but they are too expensive not to be right.

I'm looking for boxy, wide stripes and jewel tones, in merino, wool or cashmere (or mix). No angora, mohair or acrylic. I have considered knitting one myself but I'm painfully slow at the best of times, currently exacerbated by actual shoulder pain. I'd pay £200-300 because I'll wear it forever. Very grateful for any suggestions

Hi,

I have a 7-year-old and a 5-year-old, and in previous years we’ve always gone all out at Christmas with gifts and toys. They have pretty much everything, but this year I really want to be more intentional and mindful about what we buy.

I’d love to focus more on open-ended toys (with a few Nintendo games thrown in, of course! 😊) and find a nice balance.

My biggest worry is whether I’m going to take away some of the excitement of Christmas for them. I’m worried they’ll notice the difference and feel a bit underwhelmed or disappointed because they’re so used to having lots to open.

My 7-year-old can’t even think of one particular toy they’d really like.

Has anyone else made this kind of change with their children? How did they react? Did you worry about taking away some of that Christmas magic, and how did it work out in the end? I’d love to hear your experiences! ❤️

DS 14 months old has a history of being admitted into hosp 7 times since he was born with bronchiolitis/chest infections.

The consultant gave us a steroid inhaler to start as soon as he starts getting snotty which we started last week but he’s still full of congestion and a cough.

I took him to GP on Tuesday who confirmed it’s all upper congestion and in his throat but not his chest.

The last day or two his lips have looked tinged blue but when I show my DH he can’t see what I mean?

What do you think?

His hands and feet are also always cold.

I’m 33 my partner was 32. We was together almost 15 years. We had 3 children together 10, 2 and 11 weeks when he died in September. Has anyone any experience in this or know anyone who has been through it? I feel so lost without him. I grieve the person I spent my whole adult life with my life partner. I grieve the dad he was to our children and the future we was supposed to have as a family. Will the pain ever go away? The thought of our whole lifes ahead of us without him is unbearable all the things he will miss and I’m trying to stay in the moment. Has anyone got any words of comfort or hope for me please?

My family (mum and her partner, my sister and half sister and their families) are due to visit and stay with us for a few days over Xmas. We live about 150 miles from them so we alternate spending Christmas in the two places, although we always go out for Christmas dinner. My half sister doesn’t always join us but does sometimes and is this year.

We all agreed on the restaurant for Christmas Day a few months ago and I booked it. My half sister is now saying she can’t afford it and wants us to host Xmas dinner at home. We really don’t want to do that as we look forward to going out for it, not cooking and just relaxing.

I’ve suggested that she comes before or after Xmas for a day or two instead but she thinks that’s unfair and doesn’t see why we can’t just cook dinner at home. My mum is siding with her and it’s causing friction. Are we being unreasonable to not want to change our plans and not want to have to cook dinner ourselves when we were looking forward to going out?

I am attending a wedding in December. I've decided I want a mini dress as my legs are my favourite asset. For context, Im early 30s, short, size 14 and suit strong colours or black over paler colours. Anything Ive seen is a bit too informal. Has anyone seen any that would be suitable? TIA

Is serving a cheese scone with soup acceptable?

Yabu - yes, soup and a scone is delicious
Yanbu - no, it's ridiculous

I’m 37 and really want to invest in myself a bit. I’m not looking to completely change how I look or have anything particularly drastic done.

More of a natural, classy, polished look – healthy glowing skin, lovely hair, looking a bit fresher and generally feeling good about myself.

I’m particularly interested in glass-skin skincare, Korean beauty products, anything that genuinely improves skin texture and hydration, and products that give you that healthy glow.

I’m also open to beauty treatments, hair treatments, brows, lashes, facials, teeth whitening etc.

But I don’t want to waste £500 on products that are all hype and end up sitting in a bathroom cupboard!

So, Style & Beauty people, what are your absolute best buys?

• What skincare products made a genuinely noticeable difference to your skin?
• Any Korean skincare holy grails?
• Best anti-ageing products that are actually worth the money?
• Any treatments you’ve had that made you think WOW, I look so much better?
• Best hair products or treatments for healthier, fuller-looking hair?
• Any little beauty investments that made a surprisingly big difference?

I’m interested in the expensive recommendations AND the £10 products that outperform everything else.

Basically, if you had £500 to spend on yourself, what would you buy or have done?

Give me all your recommendations, please!

I’m ready to take notes. 😂❤️

We run a company, where quite a substantial part of the workforce are minimum wage or slightly above.

We usually go quite big on a Christmas Party, but this year I was thinking that perhaps with the cost of living crisis they might prefer a bonus instead of the party.

It wouldn’t be a huge amount about 200 quid each extra in December pay slip.

What do people think?

Having a financial crisis. DS 16 is sport mad and has an opportunity to go to Germany for possibly a year and if all goes well then for longer. DD attends ballet school in London (any ballet mums on here will know which one). We have had to remortgage our home a few years ago to get both children on the training they want. We have nothing left. DD has selective mutism and has never spoken to anyone in school, wider family not even her ballet teacher but she loves to dance. She’s amazing and truthfully she’s a better dancer than her sister was at her age and she is more dedicated. It’s all she does. She can’t open the fridge without a ballet step etc.
she has an audition this month and her ballet teachers has said the only way she won’t get in is if she doesn’t turn up.
Problem is we really have nothing left. Apart from starting an only fans which trust me no one would want to view me the only option I can think of is selling the house and finding a 2 bed flat for me and DH and when the kids are with us the girls will have to share a room and my son will have to sleep on the sofa. Is that really awful? If all goes well none of them would technically be back with us full time but if all doesn’t go to plan we could end up with three kids back full time in a 2 bed flat. Any ideas welcome