I have a client couple whom ive got to know over a few years. I see them weekly at home.
I got to know and love their Dcat. All our chats were about her, always made a big fuss each week. Cat died, quite young suddenly a couple of months ago. The couple just got engaged.
Here's the question... I am a very amateur artist. I joined a club and have painted the cat. Now it looks quite good, i'm really chuffed. Its not an uncanny resemblance but you can tell its her. Could I cause offence by framing it and gifting it to them as part of their engagement gift? Thoughtful or weird??

Hey shoppers
I’m trying to find some alternative swimwear to suggest to my teen daughter. she does not want to look in any way girlie or feminine. I just want her to feel comfortable at the beach! Her style is v androgynous. She’s sent a link to a swim top which I’m not keen on so trying to find some alternatives.

I’m thinking tankini / crop top in plain black, no cutaways or flounces or ‘shape enhancing’; not padded or wired, a blurb on the site that doesn’t talk about flattering one’s figure… bonus points if the models are boyish looking. I’m really struggling to find this even in sportswear and surf sites. The swim shorts we have sorted in plain black, it’s just the top.
it’s for a beach holiday where it will be hot.
she’s in adult sizes. Medium/ 10-12. Don’t think we’ll get away with age 13-15.
thanks for any help!

What luxury or good quality items have you received or bought for yourself that you think stand the test of time and bring you joy?

Big birthday coming up so I plan to drop heavy hints to DH and also treat myself over the course of the year.

These can be wearable items or home goods and gadgets. They can be expensive (up to low thousands) or much less.

They can be items that finally made you feel like a grown up but that bring you a rush of wonder when you use them.

I’m after quality or beauty or practicality rather than anything super fashionable.

Sadly budget won’t stretch to car or holiday home! And I don’t have the capacity for more pets. I’m good at coming up with experiences gifts so it’s just cold, hard, material goods I’m after!

Recently completed a loft conversion, and bedroom is now on the 2nd floor, after 15 years of marital bliss in a 1st floor bedroom. The bedroom is lovely and we finally have an ensuite so no longer have to share a bathroom with 2 DDs and their endless collection of hair bands, unclosed toothpaste tubes, shampoo spillages and the rest.

Only problem is its now 2 flights of stairs down in the morning to make a cuppa, and 2 flights back up again to drink it in bed. We're a week in and I'm over it.

I want to get a kettle and a mini fridge in the bedroom, so tea can be made without dealing with any stairs at all. OH thinks this is unnecessary and will add clutter and damp to the bedroom. But then again, OH only makes the morning tea about once a fortnight and would basically cease to function if I wasn't getting up every day to make the tea.

Who is right?

I am a so called professional who has just had enough of one restructuring after another. I have handed my notice in.

I want a part-time job in a supermarket not as a manger but as a shop floor/warehouse worker.

Last month I had to do a psychometric test I kid you not, and was emailed to say I was through to the interview stage and I had to book an interview. All of the interview slots however had been taken in spite of the email only having been sent fifteen minutes before!

Having complained I was offered an interview but for a store a little further than I wanted.

There were three of us, we were given a little tour, then a group exercise, a small Functional skills test, then individual interview.

The questions:
Hobbies etc
One thing others would be surprised about me.
What would I do if I won the lottery.

Seriously, what bearing would these answers have on how I could do this job?

What would you say to the question about something someone would be surprised by me. I had absolutely no idea.

What answers would you have given?

What are they looking for? What answers do they want?

Specifically Eday or Tiree but thoughts and opinions of any others very welcome!

DP and I are considering a relocation from the south coast to Scotland, somewhere with land we can use.

We have found a couple of properties that we like but we’d like to hear thoughts from people who live there about how life works in the smaller communities and places where not everything is on your doorstep.

We have one home educated son aged 9 so nearby schools not an essential consideration.

I am trying to find a record of my grandma's divorce from her first husband and I cannot find a record of the decree absolute.

I have found a newspaper article from February 1966 stating that the decree nisi was granted but I cannot find any record of the decree absolute when I search ancestry.

Does anybody know what else I can do before applying through gov.uk for them to search?

Yes it's another wedding one! I've bought a lovely taupe linen jacket and have taupe and black sandals, would a black skirt be OK bearing in mind a lot of people dont think black should be worn at weddings? I'd wear something white or light coloured under the jacket.

It's a second wedding in an outdoor setting so I dont feel like normal rules apply but dont want to look out of place.

I’m pregnant, second trimester and have just left an abusive relationship. It has taken me around 4 times of trying to leave to actually leave. No physical abuse, but bad emotional. One day loved me, next day hated me without reason. Would constantly put me down, tell me that he hated me and resented me and the baby, then the next day change his mind. It was awful. Would hug me and in the next breath say oh god why did I do that. Would game play, withhold money, that type of thing. Would sleep with me and say ugh after and shove me off. We’d been together years and it’s only been like this mainly since the pregnancy.

So after my self esteem finally hitting the floor, I left this time and this time for good. But it was bad before I left, I was literally at the point where I felt suicidal whenever he was near me and had also become frightened of his moods. He’d spent so long telling me I’d be a bad mum when the baby came I’d started to believe it.

so I reached out to my mum once I left, we are in contact most days and close. Her initial reaction was “you always say you’re going to leave and never do. You’ll be back there this week” I told her no, I’d reported him and seemed support from a DV charity. I then confessed to her that at my lowest ebb I’d had suicidal thoughts, had confided in my midwife and luckily when away from him don’t have them. She said “so you’d hurt your baby then? You’d be a baby killer? You obviously don’t love baby much if you’d been thinking about that”

I just hung up. She’s tried to reach out but I feel so disgusted with her. I’ve held her through many of her MH crisis and never judged. And she’s fully aware peri natal depression is a thing. I just can’t bring myself to speak to her again.

My issue is I’ve been told I need a C section and with her and my ex gone, there isn’t anyone but me. But I really don’t want her near me post partum.

I'm looking for suggestions for places to eat and drink in London with small children. Ideally somewhere a bit different but family friendly.

Planning husbands birthday day out probably including a Thames rocket boat and maybe a museum or sight seeing bus trip. We will be driving and parking as centrally as possible and it'll be weekday daytime.

We have a house that we rent out to a family with 2 children who have been in the house for about 7 years. The house is in the same city that our niece is at university in.

Just after Xmas, my niece asked us if she could live in the house for her second and third year at uni, (possibly longer) as the houses she had looked at weren’t very nice and she can’t stay in halls.

After speaking to my husband, we decided to say yes and we gave our tenants a section 21 notice in February. Our tenants were/are not happy and have been advised to stay in the house by the council. We thought that may happen which is why we served the notice in February despite my niece not needing the house until September. We were also aware of the new rules coming in soon which would make it harder to end a tenancy.

Since finding out that we have ended the tenancy for our current tenants, my brother and his wife (not nieces parents) have told us that we are ‘typical arsehole landlords’ for ‘kicking out a family’. They think our niece, also their niece is selfish for asking, that she could have found somewhere herself and that we should have put our tenants first as they have been our tenants for quite a long time and they have children. My brother and his wife rent with their children, so obviously that may play a part in their feelings on this. I feel upset they would say these things as I think it’s normal to put your own family first. My other brother and his wife who are parents of my niece are very annoyed at our other brother and his wife.

Would you have done the same as we have or would you have put the tenants first and said no to your niece? I do have sympathy for my tenants, they’re a nice family and have been good tenants, but obviously we love our niece and to us, she comes first.

Away abroad with work.
We have clients with us, there’s a few of us flown over.
Activities all organised by head office, lovely, it’s really well organised day & evening.
Restaurants booked for each evening… Smash burger place and steak & fish place x2. Checked out menus and there is zero, and I mean zero vegetarian option on any of the menus at all. Starters/mains ALL meat or fish pf some form. There’s not even any sides (which would usually be more go to)

I do not want to draw ANY attention to myself at all as I am excruciatingly dreading these events as I am introvert, socially extremely anxious and feeling very very out of my depth with it all.

Fade into the background is my main aim..

So, do I order something with meat/fish & just pretend to eat it and be hungry for a few days?

I don’t speak the language, the waiter from last night spoke no English so ringing them to order something else is not an option here at all. (I ended up with an appetiser of grilled asparagus which I couldn’t eat so pushed it around my plate for 40 minutes.

Ive used my emergency pack of biscuits as I was starving.
What would you do in my shoes???

Husband and I loaned another couple a significant amount of money as if we didn't their dream home would have fallen through. All properly drawn up, and to be fair was for a short period of time as in just under 3 months.

All paid back two weeks ago as agreed (no interest by the way as it might matter) and friend text saying we want to take you our to dinner to say thanks.

Didn't expect or want that, but lovely gesture.

Went to a very nice place Saturday and other husband said to my husband I'll get the food and you get the wine/drinks. Now to put into context the wine/drinks were about 35% of the bill so other couple paid 65%.

Now it's not the money, and it was a lovely evening, and I would never mention to my friend, but is that a bit cheeky?

Anyone else in this position? It’s driving me nuts! I just missed a few and thought I might be done. Was so happy! But just had another one! 😭

I’m closer to 50 than I would like and going out this weekend. I’ve bought some wide leg high waisted jeans from M&S but got the light blue. A friend said the lighter is better and more in style at the moment. The darker blue looked not quite right somehow but I feel so odd wearing the light blue. Reminded me of the white wash jeans in the 80s.

so are lighter jeans in fashion?

Can anyone recommend some websites to find a white dress for a hen do? (I'm the bride.)
Will need to go up to a size 18. I feel like I've tried all the mainstream websites a million times but still not found anything with the wow factor. Up to £150ish.
Thanks

Would you guys agree that this situation is weird or AIBU?

My mum provides childcare for my 5yo DD and has done since I went back to work when she was 2yo. From when I got pregnant my mum offered to take care of DD so we agreed an arrangement and I pay her 500 per month to take care of her 3 days a week. Most days she picks her up before 9am drops her to school and then collects her at 2 and watches her in my house until I finish work at 5pm (i work from home). On school holidays she has her for the full day 3 days a week. They have a lovely relationship and my mum is great with my daughter.
For the first 2 years everything was great in fact I would say my mum went above and beyond she would have the house spotless, while still taking care of a crazy toddler. However in the last year things have drastically changed my mum no longer does anything other than babysit so even though I tidy up all the breakfast stuff on my lunch break by the time I finish work at 5 the house is absolutely upside down. My daughter is 5 and is good to put things away but needs to be reminded, my mum obviously isn't reminding her as there will be lego and magnatiles strewn throughout the house along with pages of colouring and soft toys. Often my DDs school uniform will be left on the floor collecting dog hair and any snacks/drinks/coffee cups etc will just be left on the coffee table instead of being put into the dishwasher. My mums own house is immaculate and she is extremely fit she just completed her 2nd half marathon (so its not a lack of energy thing) . I find it hard to start even cooking dinner because of the mess all over the countertops. I don't know what changed and my mum is not someone who you you can talk to about these things so i wouldn't bring it up with her. I don't expect her to be a full time cleaner but even just tidy up a little bit by putting the used dishes in the dishwasher! Or am I being a spoiled brat?

Need some inspo

Firstly, I apologise for how long this is but i feel it necessary so you all get a picture of how desperate this situation is.

DP of 7yrs is slowly killing himself. He was diagnosed with fibro about 3yrs ago & hasn't worked since. He is also T2 diabetic (insulin 4 times a day) but his diet is absolutely woeful. His weight has slowly crept up and is now out of control.

Mcdonalds every day (and it's not just a cheeseburger it's a large meal with a fizzy drink, 6 nuggets or he will order 5 chicken mayos)
Huge bowl of crunch nut cornflakes every morning for breakfast with whole milk
Hardly ever drinks water & can easily drink 2ltrs of pepsi max in a day if not more
Huge portions of whatever he eats. He will get two of whatever he fancies from Greggs (2 steak bakes, 2 sausage rolls & 2 doughnuts ect) or order 5 separate dishes from the Chinese / Indian excluding the rice / chips / poppadoms that he has to have of course. Whatever he doesn't eat he has for breakfast the same day.
He has take aways 4 out of the 7 days. I always make food at home and he will have that too.
Has sleep apnea but refuses to where his masks as he doesn't like it (another reason I sleep with my son also)
Eats copius amounts of sweets & chocolate with reckless abandon
Falls asleep throughout the day

Always moaning his body/ kidneys hurt and is constantly tired
Refuses to change his diet
Never walks anywhere, always drives. We live exactly 5 doors away from our GP surgery and he still drives there.
Has an excuse or reason for everything.

Hasn't got up with our son in about 2.5yrs. I sleep with him as he is on the autism pathway & climbs on the windowsill / headboard and i'm scared he will get tangled in the curtains or unlock the window and escape (ground floor flat but next to a very very busy road) so it's safer for him to sleep with me until we can afford to make the room my DP sleeps in safe for DS to sleep in after a OT assessment which is due in May.
He lays in bed till gone 8 or 9am (ds can decide to be up for the day at 3am/4am and not sleep again until around 1pm)
He will occasionally hoover or wash up
Never cooks. If he can't stick it in the microwave or airfryer he won't do it all house work, cooking & laundry falls on me.

I could live again with the breath I waste on him asking, begging and pleading for him to look after himself. As I said our 3yr old is on the autism pathway, he is a runner, no sense of danger and just runs and runs and runs until he is caught and he will never be able to run after him if he ever breaks loose from his harness. I don't know what to do, nothing I say sinks in. I am thinking of leaving as we are dictated by him what outings we do as he cannot walk far at all without sweat pouring out of him & he has to rest every 5/10mins and it's infuriating. I wanted to go to the seaside and zoo soon (separate days) but he wants to hire a mobilty scooter to use both visits and it's instantly put me off going.
I love walking and being outside (i can drive just hate it especially in London) and DS loves being outside too.

We can't even think of going on holiday abroad or uk due to his size and mobilty. He got weighed at Boots 3 days ago and is almost 27st & he is only 5'9 he doesn't even try and help himself.
He's 35 & i'm scared he won't see 40 the way he is going. His pip & esa never lasts as goes on his huge food consumption & petrol so i pay for 90% of bills, food shopping, clothes for ds and whatever else he may need.
So sorry this is so long, both my parents died when before I was 20 & I have no siblings / auntys/ friends to confide in.

Posters always used to rave about Fit Flop Allegro, but I don’t think they make them any more? So if I want a really soft ballet flat or loafer/brogue from Fit Flop (something quite feminine) what’s good this year?

I recently returned 2 items. Postal tracking says the package was successfully delivered on 14th April but still no email to confirm refund is on the way

I have tried all of their available contact channels text, FB messenger, email and instagram customer service. They no longer have a phone number to call

Bit concerned as I really need the refund money back😢

Does anyone if they are just painfully slow or should I be concerned.

My MIL stays over at our place too often. She lives a 45 min drive away and comes over every week to stay for between 3-5 nights. We don't have a spare room so she sleeps on the sofa. This has happened for years. I am bewildered as to why. I cannot get my husband to reduce it as it's a sensitive topic with him and he gets very defensive and annoyed even when I broach the subject delicately. I'm sick of it. Any ideas are welcome please. Thank you

Single parent and my workplace is moving from 50% attendance locally to 100% in office attendance about 1.5 hours away.

DD is in year 6, we live a bus journey away from primary school. The bus comes every hour and is pretty unreliable, so she can’t walk home or rely on the bus service.

The school wrap around care closes at 6pm and can’t guarantee I’ll be back by then, in fact it’s quite unlikely.

I’m thinking I’ll need to get an after school nanny from 4:30pm - 6:30/7pm. And I wondered if anyone had any experience of this? (Although I can’t think of who these hours would suit…)

There’s no point in submitting a flex working request (never going to be approved) or asking family to help out (no one lives close enough by).

Any suggestions of how to find someone or any experience in this would be very gratefully received!

I’m trying to decide between three different styles of adidas trainers - samba, spezial and paris. If you’ve tried one or more, which are the most comfortable?

Hi everyone. I’m looking for some perspective as I’m feeling very uneasy following DH’s return from a stag weekend in Prague. Until now, I’ve had no reason to doubt him, but I’ve found a few things that aren't adding up.

• The Search History: While he was away, I saw searches on our shared tablet for a specific sex massage parlour, including map directions, and things like "Roly Poly show." He claims the group was just "having a laugh" and looking things up together.

• The Boxers: While doing the washing, I found a pair of his boxers with a white stain on the inside. He denies any physical contact or even masturbating the whole trip, saying he has "no idea" what it is.

• The "Joint" Dance: He eventually admitted the group of 10 had a "joint private dance" with the stag in a small room.

• The Text Message: I saw a message from his close friend sent at 2am on the second night asking, "How was it?" I haven't confronted him about this yet.

He has been patient, hasn't got flippant, and has offered me his phone and passwords. However, my ex-husband had an affair and left when I was 8 months pregnant, so my "radar" is sensitive.

Am I being paranoid due to my past, or is this a classic case of "what happens in Prague stays in Prague"? Does the 2am text suggest something happened that the rest of the group wasn't involved in?