Can anyone recommend one that’s good but really small, as a stocking filler?!

My friend is kindly hosting a night for me and two others, a girly catch up.

When suggested we agreed on getting a takeaway and consensus from earlier this week was to get an Indian, and we earmarked the specific takeaway we’d order from.

My friend hosting has messaged to say she has picked up a ‘deal‘ from the supermarket this afternoon so she has got some ready meal curries and sides and said we can sort the money out on the night.

First world problem I know, but a supermarket ready meal doesn’t really hit the spot compared to a proper Indian takeaway so I feel a bit annoyed! She didn’t check with us before.

I've been in a company for a few months, it has its good and bad.
The good is that it's supervisory experience which I wanted in order to progress in my career.
The bad is that there is a lot more driving than I was led to believe, sometimes 30-40 miles a day (not including commuting to and from home) and I am not given mileage for a lot of this.
It's difficult to do this role without a car, and I've started feeling anxious about the idea of my car breaking down and having to take a day off/losing money if I can't get the repair done the same day. I do try to look after the car but it's quite old, I couldn't afford much.

The supervisory experience involves 'spot checks' on staff for the exact same job I also do which can feel awkward. I basically have to find out where a staff member is working, turn up to 'surprise' them at the client's house and explain to the client why I'm there too.
They're doing the same job I also do, I just have this extra responsibility for about 20p more an hour. The issue is they don't always adhere to rota times, which is not their fault, so there is a lot of idle time waiting in the car for them to appear, then having to jump out the car when they do.

I think I've made a mistake with this job, I'd be better off sticking in one place. I'm using about £75 of my own petrol a month (excluding commuting to and from home) do these sound like issues?

Previous threads
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5576816-aibu-to-think-my-friend-is-overdoing-emergency-stockpiling?page=1
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5585259-crisis-what-crisis-is-my-friend-over-doing-the-stockpiling-and-am-i-too-continuation-thread-2?page=1

Continuation of the AIBU to think my friend is overdoing emergency stockpiling thread for discussion about the government advice to stockpile for an imminent emergency and what the heck that emergency might actually be.

Spoiler: it's more of a perfect storm of lots of factors coming together to potentially form one great clusterfuck from economic woes, global energy shortages (mainly diesel), potential food shortages, war and madmen to crazy weather patterns rather than a clear identifiable singular thread.
This is a practical thread and a bit of a handhold thread to make sense of events and how they may affect you. This is not an end of the world thread.

Remember an emergency can range from a temporary unexpected event to a much longer crisis but the underlying principles generally stay the same.

This is the official government information and advice, if you want further details on what the actual recommendations are:
https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/get-prepared-for-emergencies/

ROUGH STATUS REPORT (as of 9am 22nd Oct - please note this isn't fully comprehensive, and is moving FAST)
Civil Unrest reported in:
France, Italy, Greece, Belgium, Albania, Indonesia - multi reasons, but largely due to economic pressures and the cost of living
Spain has had problems but these have temporarily stopped, probably due to significant weather related issues due to the Dana effect
More protests planned for this coming weekend
High Alert in the Middle East:
Netanyahu now committed to regime change in Iran, as he believes they are developing a nuke.
The US has pulled all Embassy Staff from Saudi Arabia and is hoping no one notices that they've ordered personal and families across the Gulf home and then seem to have lied that they have.
The Emir of Qatar has stated at their equivalent of the annual King's Speech at the Opening of Parliament that war was coming and to prepare for the worst scenarios. US pulling planes out of Qatar.
The Egyptian PM has warned the country of severe crisis ahead - given the nature of the country this is related to their alliance with Saudi Arabia and their reliance on the Suez Canal which the Yemeni rebels now control access to and their exposure to famine
Iran is saying if there is another attack, the gloves are off and they'll try and wipe out the middle east oil industry as they go down, as well as hitting critical civilian infrastructure.
Much movement / noise is similar to run up to the first US attacks this year. Debate over whether the attack will come before the Israeli Election or the US Midterms - possibly within 72hours - latest mood music suggests potentially this weekend. Seems to be shifting to a when not if.
Israel election: 27th Oct
Prices and Shortages:
Diesel needs no real reminder - we need it for haulage, mass transportation and farming, we are screwed without it. Fuel Emergency declarations in West Virgina, Kentucky, Michigan, Maryland, Arizona, Nebraska and Texas - typically allowing limited dyed diesel use for ag or commercial vehicles. Illinois and Missouri have also allowed by not under emergency orders. Less reported is the fertiliser shortage and knock on effect, poor yields this year and the effect of El Nino on next years, sulphur export bans and the blockade on Ukrainian and Russian wheat exports which are particularly crucial in feeding North Africa and the Middle East. This is liable to have significant impact on the UK with 6% rises in food already expected next year (and there's every reason to believe this will be higher especially with civil unrest all over the place). Reports of aviation fuel running low in some parts of Europe with emergency supplies (which can't last forever) being used.
El Nino:
See above about farming and also think of disasters - like the ones Spain is facing with flooding. Storm Austin is incoming and there is a weather warning for the South of England with power outages and flooding possible today/tomorrow.
The Internet:
PHP is 70% of the internet. Its got compromised so it can pretty much all be hacked. This is VERY BAD (in capital letters). Many websites offline whilst this is sorted including multiple government ones around the world.
Just AI generally - everything from putting everyone out of work to just hacking and killing us all. No Biggie.
Trump and the Mid Terms:
Trump is firmly losing his marbles. He's defected to Russia, can't stop rambling about men's arses, is waving at non-existent people, his team are known to be considering ways to impose martial law, he's getting heckled at Trump rallies by his own supporters, 83% of all voters think the biggest problem in the US now isn't the cost of living crisis but government corruption. He's being called a traitor by some of his fellow Reds. Mid Terms look a disaster and Trump probably won't accept them. He's reversing bills that Congress passed weeks ago by executive order.
Mid-Terms: 3rd Nov
Ukraine and Russia:
Ukraine facing massive problems still cos Elon has got the ump. Starlink isn't working at face enough speeds. They've bombed a shedload of Data Centres in Russia. This has killed off the Russian Internet and many Trump/Musk supporters in the process (one way or another) which screws up Twitter (and its value) for them. Ukraine is getting blamed for diesel shortages cos they refuse to stop hitting Russian refineries even though it has no choice now its been cut off by the US. Zelenskyy now says Trump isn't an ally. Trump wants Zelensky gone and thinks Putin is being reasonable and Ukraine doesn't want peace. Germany states it would have activated Art5 if the confirmed Russian sabotage attack on Liepzig had been successful.
Russia is apparently planning to step up its sabotage campaign in Europe after having successfully sunk a few boats in EU waters (Romania / Bulgaria - these sinkings have been in both international waters off the coast AND within their official territorial waters).
Economy:
Lots of debt. Much concern over the implications of this particularly with regards to AI and state debt in the US, UK, France and Japan (but not restricted to). Much money put into gold by China. Background of this bad given the approach of potentially multiple crisis.
France Moody's credit review: Due tomorrow 23rd Oct - expected to be not good especially in the current political climate in France
UK Budget: 28th October

They are all interconnected and one or many could tip us into abject chaos. Or not. The risks here are sky high. Of what? Take your pick.

My husband is getting more gorgeous with every year that passes. Hes really grown in to himself. Me, on the other hand am turning into my grandmother. I am a mum who works at home. Housewife we would have been called back in the day. Im in my mid 50's now and I need a glow up. I never wore make up and i think i need to start. but since many of my days are spent only in the house or caring for elderly mum i dont know when to put it on, Also whats a casual but polished style now adays with out looking like the local free P pastors wife?
i need serious help. Photo for ref. dont look quite my age yet but no idea how to dress or what to do with my face. can i have advice please Skincare regime is good and skin is clear. thanks peeps.

Homage to Kylie in the thread title

Pedant proof time

KEEP DANCING! 💃💃

He’s not a lap cat. Had him for 3 years without any inclination to sit on me. Past two days he keeps pawing at me and wanting me to put a blanket on my lap for him
cat tax attached. I don’t mind but he’s nearly 7kg and I think I’m getting DVT

Help please! I'm 57 and have been colouring my hair since I was a teenager. I haven't used bleach for around 3 years now and normally just get a dark blonde tint to cover my roots. I am almost 100% white now. I've faded brassy which I know is normal. I haven't coloured my hair since May this year as I wanted to see what my white looked like. It is very bright and does look nice but I'm so unsure of going the whole hog.

Skin tone wise, I'm fair with light blue eyes and have a neutral to cool leaning skin tone. The best colour I ever had was a cool chestnut brown. Hairdressers are telling me to just keep it white and have been advised to have a bleach bath to strip all existing colour to get a clean canvas. I was shocked when she showed me what I will go to! The tints she could apply didn't seem to add much depth.

Has anyone been in this position and continued with full on colouring or did you embrace the white and love it? I'm scared I'll look washed out going white and also scared it will age me.

Chat GPT just telling me what it thinks I want to hear so wanted to ask some real life people what their thoughts are.

Any ideas welcome!

I recently had an autism assessment under right to choose. I feel I probably don't have it. Its more of a tick box thing because of other things.

I'm not sure if it was done in right way there was about 8 tick box forms I had to do each with around 50-90 questions each. You have to tick a box for what answer fits you. But alot of them didn't fit me but I was forced to tick something. So the answers don't show a true me. I said this to the person doing doing the assessment and she said there was several options for the answer. Which there was but they didn't fit me.

She asked me a bit about school about going from primary to secondary. How did I cope with the change I said I went to a sen school the primary and secondary were one school. I just moved rooms with the same peers we stayed in the same class for most lessons apart from things like PE but that was the same as primary the only change was the tutor teacher and I already knew her. She said ah ok then asked the question again the reason I found it hard to answer is because i wouldn't have had the big change that children in mainstream have wheh goung from primary to secondary.

She didn't ask about my learning difficulties maybe it wasn't relivent I'm not sure.

I had also written about how when i was a teenager I used to sit on the floor behinde the teachers desk and avoid everyone. When i was told to move because lesson was starting i would move my chair right back so I was away from people as much as I could be. I didn't talk for a whole school year if I was asked a question I would only ever say yes,no if it was an open question I would say don't know even if it didn't make sense. I wasn't asked about that either. Maybe it wasn't relivent either. But when I mentioned it at the end of the assessment she did have a brief shock face.

Does that seem right?

Hi everyone,

I am moving into a property which has, as I see it, very standard sized sash windows. Typically 150cm w with a 200cm drop.
My issue is that I cannot find curtains or blinds that are long enough anywhere and I have spent weeks walking around IKEA, Dunelm, looking at Debenhams, B&Q, traipsing around John Lewis and I’m at my wits end

I also want thermal curtains to keep the heat in, but not blackout blinds in every room! I had really hoped to move in in the next couple of days so that my son can get used to his new house before he goes back to Nursery but I simply cannot find any curtains or blinds. The made to measure prices per blind/curtain start at £200 per item and it’s just not in my budget . I actually think I’m about to cry over curtains!

anyone able to suggest a retailer I might have missed? Given how many people on this planet have blinds and curtains I surely can’t be the only one with this issue!

Welcome back all.

We rattled through the last thread and with Black Friday round the corner this one will go fast too. I hope we haven't all spent up on advents... 😂

Thank you as always to our regulars for you contributions and if you've been reading and thinking of joining come and say hello. 😊

Skirt https://www.marksandspencer.com/faux-leather-midi-wrap-skirt/p/clp61268242?color=Black&intid=mobileapppdpshare
Fit is amazing
feel amazing
looks really expensive.

But if I wore it with black tights, would it look weird ? if I wore it with knee boots would it break up the whole split thing so I think I have to work with heels and then what on my legs?

I did one of these threads under a different username a couple of years ago with hundreds and hundreds of replies and it genuinely brought me to tears. I can't find it to read back on.

I'm recovering from surgery and laying horizontal and was hoping some of you could revive your funny / cringy experiences to brighten my day.

After a long marriage, I have spent the last 3 years being superbly single and here are some that I have been through, which immediately gave me the 'ick.'

• I was taken on a lovely date in London. Really hit it off well. He drove me home (rooky error) and proceeded to indicate around every bend and curve in the road. I got home, thanked him for his time and blocked him.

• next one was a guy I was seeing for a few months. He told me 6 days in 'I generally really love you.' And would type Mabye instead of maybe. I just couldn't get over it.

• getting jiggy with someone. I proceeded to use my hand to help me along. After the deed was done and I (finally) got there, he proceeded to well up with actual tears and told me I shouldn't need to do that, and to give him constructive feedback on his performance so I wouldn't need to do that in future. I didn't sleep with him again.

• Those fucking ridiculous ballerina socks men wear. This might be trivial but I just wait for any bloke wearing them to burst into a full pirouette. This was also the same guy as above.

• Another hinge guy would send 😂 after every message. What are you up to today? 😂
I'm just getting home from work 😂

I have so many more. Many many more. Please tell me your experiences to remind me why I need to stay single!

I don’t quite know where this should go. But will try here. We were a bit blindsided when husband was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer a couple of months ago. We are both in our forties, have young children.

Life has become extremely difficult and I no longer feel able to cope at work. I don’t see how I can go back while this situation is ongoing. I am looking for advice really from anyone who has been through similar, has been signed off for a long period and then gone back, how easy is it? I did have twelve months off for maternity leave but that was very different for obvious reasons.

DD at home and freaked out - she unfortunately left the compost bin under the sink unemptied for 3 weeks. And then found maggots on the kitchen walls and ceilings... just 5 or 6 at this stage, but after our weekly cleaner gave the area a very good clean (and disinfected the bin area) , there are now some in the cupboard near the sink where we keep bottles of oil and containers of rice, etc.

Sadly DD not in a fit state to sort.

We're not back for another two weeks. And are concerned they might roam further - we have a large larder at the back of the kitchen.

What do we need to do?? Never had this problem before or known anyone who has... but then not left a bin unemptied that long either.

Hi. I’ve just caused a massive row with DP and wondering if I’m unreasonable.

DP has DSD with us this weekend, as we do every weekend. I love DSD, and try and make her feel very welcome and loved when she is here. Of course she goes in phases of who she wants to spend time with and at the moment I am not her favourite, DP is. Which is normal and expected.

Today we went shopping and I spent a lot of time just walking around on my own as DP went to different shops with DSD. Last night they had a “sleepover” in the living room and I spent the evening in our bedroom. I feel this is fine, DSD and DPs relationship will never compare to ours.

After getting in, I was cleaning the bedrooms ans walked into DP cooking dinner for DSD. I asked what he was having and he said DSD and me are having carbonara. DP and me usually eat around 8/9 with a bottle of wine. Nothing was cooked for me (I don’t eat bacon or cheese) so I said, rather sarcastically, I’m fine thanks nothing for me.

DP got annoyed and said well I’ll cook you something. I was polite and said no thanks, it’s too early for me, I’ll eat later, I just didn’t know you were cooking that’s all.

we usually sit with DSD whilst she eats and talk to her but don’t usually eat with her.

DP called me a selfish c**t and said I was causing tension and that I was being a baby about a dinner. Was I?

I’m watching Clodagh McKenna’s new show on ITV, scratching my head as to why this cringey “oh look how bubbly and fun I am” complete with permanent rictus smile is suddenly everywhere from nowhere and read that she is married to Henry Herbert, son of the 7th Earl of Canarvan.

AIBU that my heart sinks that yet again here’s another example of success being about marrying into the establishment and connections rather than genuine talent?

Here we are….what is next?
I afraid to ask!

We moved into our new home around a year ago and have had nothing but weird vibes from our neighbours who we share a drive with. Our front doors face each other up a steep drive and we both have garages at the end of them, kind of backing onto our separate gardens.

We have been nothing but pleasant with them and have kind of just let them use the driveway as there isn’t a lot of room for two cars so we never really pushed it.

They have always been a bit odd. A lot of curtain twitching when we leave the house and barely looking up when we say good morning etc. Other neighbours have told us they’ve had issues with them but we have just assumed they’re quirky and let them get on with it.

ANYWAY, we had a rubbish clearance man come to collect some rubbish from our side of the drive and the garden yesterday. He called us after (we are currently away seeing family) to say he couldn’t do half of it because the neighbour said he couldn’t pull up the drive - he did knock to ask. And then used his car to completely block off access to the driveway, so the rubbish clearance men struggled to get the rubbish past the car and didn’t want to cause any damage so abandoned the job.

For avoidance of doubt, the rubbish guys we use are really lovely and polite, we used them on our last home refurb, and they’re not the type to argue or whatever. They just said okay then, took photos to show off, and left the job when they couldn’t do anymore.

WIBU to ask my neighbours what they’re playing at?! It’s cost us money as we have had to (rightfully) pay for the full clearance even though they couldn’t access it all.

Or AIBU for wanting to be able to use our shared driveway?

Sorry this is a long one.
I have been “friends” with this mum for a number of years since both our sons started primary school. Our eldest sons are in the same class (year 6) and also our youngest sons are in the same class in year 3.

multiple times over the years she has asked me to take them to school and pick them up, the boys would usually stay at mine for around an hour before and after school. I usually pick her children up at least once a week or sometimes twice.

i have noticed that every half term and summer holiday I never hear off her, i know it works both ways with communicating but it makes me feel used. I have seen many updates on social media that she and another mum from school have days out together with the children.

There was a Halloween event on at school last week and I asked her if she was going, she said she was unsure if she could make it. I saw her with another mum there, her son ignored my son because he had another friend and didn’t want to know mine which upset my son.

she has asked me if I can help out every week as she has started a new job, would I be unreasonable to say no or how do I get round this as I feel very used silly and hurt as I thought this woman was a friend.

This does not apply to people living in poverty, in unsuitable accommodation, struggling to find work and to make ends meet whatsoever.

I feel like many people will not settle for anything less than the dream lifestyle- large house in a desirable area with fancy interiors and expensive appliances, nice garden, cleaner, new cars, high-end clothing and make-up, expensive restaurants and luxury holidays, and so on.

Then they complain about the cost of their mortgage, the stressful job where they work 60 hours a week with all the responsibility and the 2k a month childcare bill.

It seems like nobody is willing to settle for less, it's like you've got to have the above to have 'made it' in life- they wouldn't be seen dead with an older car, a terraced house or shock horror, a flat. Second hand clothing, living a simpler life.

i am about to sign on the dotted line for a 6 month sabbatical from work to do some travelling. For most of this I’ll be staying with friends in New Zealand.
I will have 3 pens which I’ll need to keep refrigerated and I don’t know how to do this over the approx 48 hours it will be door to door.
Then when I am there I would like to keep the pens that need refrigerating hidden.
would anyone have any advice?
im looking at this: https://amzn.eu/d/03FTeQD5
am i right in thinking that with the gel pack it holds 2 Mounjaro pens and without it it is 3?

MIL has decided that ‘enough is enough’ and she wants a faaaamily Christmas.

We said yes we will try to visit on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day if she lets us know which she prefers. We have now been sent a schedule which stretches from the 23-27 December.
Im working on 23 the whole day and AM on 24th. She will apparently amend the schedule to reflect that and I won’t have any ‘duties’ on 24 (she had put me down as helping prep veg)

She thinks dh and the dc can just travel up and I can go straight from work on Christmas Eve.

We are seeing her this weekend so dh has said he will explain to her that we won’t be doing this as we have our own plans and reiterate that she can pick Christmas Eve or Boxing Day for a visit , if it’s Christmas Eve it will just be dh and the dc though (but I don’t think that will bother her it’s more dh and the dc she would want to see).

She is generally very controlling but this is more so than usual! I did say to dh just check first that she isn’t unwell or anything but otherwise AIBU to stick to just one day !

I’ve been scrolling through some of the threads on here, as I realised it’s probably sensible to do a bit of prepping. I generally have a sensible stock of things for if we were all suddenly unwell or snowed-in, etc. but I’ve realised quite a lot of these things would still require an oven, hob, kettle or microwave.

Some of the threads on here mention this, but the ideas are mixed in with ideas for if you still have access to power/hot water.

I thought it would be helpful to create a separate thread with ideas just for if we were in a situation where we had no power. (I also don’t want ideas that require a camping stove or BBQ as I’m in a flat.)

I’m not a panic buyer, but just thinking through a few sensible ideas. Come and join me if you have a similar mindset and we can share ideas.

Just curious after a conversation. My child is 3.5 and has been having lessons since 2. She absolutely loves it and is making progress. Great. It could be some time before she is properly swimming but that's fine.

My friend's DD is older and the mum was arguing that I was wasting time/ money starting so young.

I won't change my opinion. Not least because I feel my DD was overconfident around water and the lessons have improved her water safety no end.

I was just curious what other people have done and how it worked. So what age did your child learn to swim? And how long were they learning for?