I’m looking to sell some old clothes and shoes which unsurprisingly no longer fit after 2 babies in 2 years! Never used Vinted before. The whole
process of taking pictures and setting up ads seems straightforward but I was wondering if there are any tips / tricks to get the most out of the platform. For example, how does the bundles option work and is there something I should be doing to make my ads stand out more? Is it better / easier to sell things at an old fashioned car boot sale?

Hi all, DS4 wants a “kids piano” for Christmas. I liked the look of the Melissa & Doug baby grand piano but it’s been discontinued and any I find on eBay / vinted are collection only and none local. I’ve had a look at Argos etc and there’s a Chad Valley plastic one but not sure how sturdy it will be - reviews are mixed. Has anyone bought a “play” piano for a small child who could recommend one?! He’s just turned 4 but in 5-6 clothes so tall for his age so need something big & sturdy enough to get more than a couple of months use from. Thank you.

Have had a very difficult few month, family bereavement through suicide, and some other very hard things going on with my daughter and she has been living with us full time (my husband isn’t her father). My husband’s mental health also isn’t good and I have to acknowledge that I haven’t been able to support him as I ideally would have liked to. He isn’t close to his family and has no close friends, he relies on me for all his emotional support. Tonight we had a rare night with no children around, first time in weeks. He went down the pub and carried on drinking when home: his relationship with alcohol is not good. Anyway we were watching tv, he started snoring, I couldn’t hear the tv so I woke him. He got upset with me and started shouting asking me what I wanted to him to do so I said stop snoring. He then got very upset and said I was being mean and unkind and started shouting and yelling and stormed off and slammed the lounge door so hard it got jammed with me stuck in the lounge. He had to eventually take the door handle off to get it open. I just don’t know what to do. I want to leave but both my kids have exams this year and they are still grieving. I just can’t stand to hurt them or disrupt them at the moment. I have to get them to a better time in their lives. How do I protect myself and get through the next 6 months when I feel so emotionally unsafe?

Hi everyone,
I’m hoping someone here might have some advice. My husband’s job is transferring us from London to California next month. We have two kids (ages 7 and 10).
I posted in a general expat group on Facebook, and someone suggested I try asking on Mumsnet because you are all so helpful with school and family stuff. I am brand new on here, so please excuse me if I don't know how things work yet!
I’m trying to get my head around how the schools work over there. I found a website called MySchoolBreaks (myschoolbreaks.com/states/california) which says that every single district has its own completely different calendar. Is that actually true? I’m so used to UK term dates being the same nationwide.
I’m trying to plan our move and figure out when their holidays are, but I’m terrified of booking flights during the school term. I was looking at the California section on that site, but I just want to know if this is how it actually works in real life. Any advice would be a lifesaver!

DH, DS (7) and I have just moved to a house with a South facing garden. It has a medium size conservatory which is also south facing and gets the sun all day every day. Even when it’s cold and rainy outside the conservatory is very warm.

I’d originally intended to use it as a playroom for DS but he doesn’t like how sunny it is. It could be used as a second lounge with a sofa and TV, or DH idea is to make it a dining room so that we can have a bigger kitchen (if we take out the table and chairs) as it comes off the kitchen, but it will still be sunny and warm.
I’d love any ideas please for…
a. What to use the room for
b. Coping with the sunshine all year round. It’s hot in October I can’t imagine July

I had a brief argument with my dad tonight and I’m not sure if I’m being overly sensitive here, but I just hate it when my parents (mainly my father and father in law) apologise to people in restaurants when we arrive with our children and sit near them.

My dad and my father in law both go over to tables nearby and say ‘so sorry about the kids’ and roll their eyes and laugh …..

To be fair, it’s not when they are just with my kids, it’s more when there are a crowd of cousins all together, but I still can’t help thinking… what are you apologising for!? Their existence?? Because at this point they have done nothing wrong. We’ve never had a problem with any of the kids behaving badly so it just feels disrespectful to me. I look at my kids and think how sad it is that someone is apologising for you being here with us …

My mum stood up for my dad and said that it’s a polite thing to do and if they then behave nicely, great, no harm done.

AIBU??

I love preparing the Christmas stocking each year, it's one of my favourite jobs and so I tend to get it done early (and then try and stop myself buying anything else!)

So far for dd, who is nearly 8, I have got:

Mini brand surprise balls (pet and food)
Activity book
Reading books x 2
Rosalinda mini figure
Nutcracker chelsea doll
Marshmallow keyring
Koala teddy
Tamagotchi
Brain game - cats
Penguin pen
Gel pens
Nature colouring book
Lip balm
Mini bee revival kit
Minibrand backpack
Hair slides and hairband
Snake tshirt
Snake stickers

I will also buy something chocolatey and a Lush bath bomb.

Under the tree she will get a schleich stable with some horses and a bean bag and the pets are getting her the Minibrand fridge.

If you are as madly enthusiastic about the stocking as I am, what have you bought so far? Or, what do you plan to buy?

I'm now wondering if DH might also need a stocking this year...

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

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.

Will request this is deleted if someone more official beats me to it or if Reastie returns!

Our tiled shower room needs a floor to ceiling clean. It’s not filthy but the wall tiles are dusty, the floor round the radiator is fluffy, the shower grout needs work. Doing the whole thing well is going to take a couple of hours at least assuming I use the traditional sponge, bucket and elbow grease. I pondered getting a cleaner to come and do it for me but now I’m wondering if I invested in a steam cleaner I could do it myself much quicker than scrubbing with a sponge for hours.
I’ve been thinking about getting a steam mop and wondered if I could use that on the wall tiles, but then thought it might leak or not work if I turned it upside down.
Handheld steam cleaners seem like they don’t have mop type heads which would be needed for the wall tiles, although some of them that sort of jet clean look like they do a good job on shower grout.
I’m a bit lost with it all and the price range is enormous.
Any advice / suggestions / recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

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?

I'm thinking of investing in my first pair of knee high boots, but am nervous about them being work appropriate!
Are these suitable, e.g. with an almost-knee-length skirt? I imagine I could also wear them with a miniskirt out of work

www.office.co.uk/view/product/office_catalog/2,17/4591300000

www.office.co.uk/view/product/office_catalog/2,17/5026200000

Doing my mortgage prep tonight and feeling completely clueless about reality vs expectation! I'm trying to gauge whether we're being sensible or overstretching ourselves.

What do you earn, what type of house are you in (is it the dream?!), and what are your monthly outgoings like and mortgage repayments.

Are you happy with the balance, or regretting it?

I have done this a few times I should add and well I end up landing ok but this time it’s a bigger purchase and our salaries haven’t risen much last 6 years since we last did this.

I have a 29yo dd who I brought up for 10 years alone as her dad was never at home which was a blessing as when he was he was hideous. So being just the two of us, we were exceptionally close. I have since remarried and she adores her step dad.

She recently moved in with her bf and i’m having a wallow this evening.. she’s on a plane to NY and didn’t even message me to say bye. What’s wrong with me? I should be happy she has a great job, loving partner and close friends. Wasn’t easy living with an adult child and she drove me to distraction but tonight for some reason I’m feeling that part of me is missing and gone forever. Please knock some sense into me!

So am I overreacting:
We are on holiday with my husbands family (parents, siblings, grandparents). Tonight at dinner my little one (9 months, our first) was getting towards too tired at dinner but was still cheerful so I was preparing to help him to eat as much as he could and stay as cheerful as possible before getting him whisked off to bed. He was getting a little fussy while everyone was dishing up and sitting down, and out of nowhere my MiL says "oh are you thirsty" and offers him his cup of water, I explained immediately that we generally only offer water after he's eaten something to avoid him filling up on water, then she took the cup away and he lost his mind (which he will do when tired and something he likes is taken away). He wouldn't eat a scrap of dinner and screamed unless actively walked around and distracted. My husband got annoyed as well as his mum kept coming to our end of the table to try (uninvited) to help (offering food etc.). Finally we finish dinner and get to take our baby up for a bath so we can get him fed (milk) and settled. We've just got him out of the bath and she walks into our room! She hung over our shoulders while we got him dried and into a nappy and it was awful, she practically deafened me squealing in my ear trying to cheer the baby up because he literally started screaming as soon as she came in the room. My husband is feeling overwhelmed because she won't back off and I was furious but staying calm. I know she means well, and she is an amazing babysitter in the week while I work, but she has done this kind of thing before (giving him toys in the high chair or nibbles of cake without my permission) and it feels very disrespectful. Am I being unreasonable to expect her to just stay in her lane as the grandma?

After not having worn make up in many years I was thinking of getting some for Christmas for occasional use. I was looking at brands like Merit, Lisa Eldridge, Glossier and Hourglass but it strikes me as a bit silly to jump into very expensive make up when I am not really sure what I am doing.

I am 49 but do have good skin so no real wrinkling yet and no brown spots so just want a sort of skin tint, some cream blush, a lip pencil, maybe some lipstick or a tinted balm or gloss, some very natural mascara in a dark brown (tubing perhaps), eye liner maybe?

I want a very natural no make up make up look just to look a bit more polished for face to face meetings. I was tempted by Lisa Eldridge as she has identical colouring to me but again it's a bit pricy to start with.

I have heard that the l'oreal plumping tinted serum rivals some of the premium skin tints but I'm not sure where to start with the other products.

Any advice?

My 4 year old is really into drawing atm and I was thinking of some sort of gift for grandparents of one of them made into some sort of gift. Does anyone have any suggestions beyond just a nice frame?

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.

It’s that time of the year again 😁

I’ve been looking for the nail colour Claudia is wearing in the current celebrity traitors… it’s a red/orange/brown but still vibrant.

Can someone help?

How old would someone be to like this handbag?

I ask because I bought it as a gift for a friend and someone else has said it's too old/young for them (don't want to say which so don't prejudice any answers!)

King Charles has been quietly cancelling some engagements to pare back his schedule. We know he has cancer, and he is still doing engagements and visits, but far fewer than previously.

At the same time the pr is really pushing William. Appearance on a chat show, BBC news covering his engagements, lots of very positive coverage of him. Far more visible than previously.

I always have cotton sheets. Linen seems to be everywhere. Are they nice? Would I find them scratchy and rough compared to cotton? I don’t want to spend a fortune if I’m going to hate them.

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'm a professional person but like everyone the day job salary goes less and less far so I'd taken on something extra. Worked hard at it, until yesterday thought I was doing ok /competent at what I do in general, took on extra to help the team, tried to be a good and upbeat colleague.

Tbh the workload has been getting on top of me although sometimes it's a nice distraction from the depressing bits of life.

Anyway, yesterday the boss suggested I'd done something that would be professionally incompetent. Didn't come right out and say it - got the impression she was trying to be nice. I don't agree (and you should see what some of my colleagues get away with) but now I'm lying in the dark thinking fuck it is it worth this stress maybe I just quit and do the bare minimum in life and wait for retirement (a couple of decades away sadly).

It's probably about £15k extra a year before tax. There are some people doing it who are definitely incompetent and I doubt they're lying awake rn and they dial in the work (ie I could just become like them and take the £££).

Yanbu to quit yabu to woman up and care less.

I mean it's pretty bad if I do turn out to be shit and just didn't realise!

I used to be best friends with a girl I met at a mummy group when we both had babies. We were inseparable during those early years

now, the kids are in Y7 and life gets in the way. I ended up going back to work full time and getting divorced, she moved a village away and opened a business and had more kids etc you get the picture. We still text and make plans but these so often fall through due to busy life - however in an emergency I know I could count on her and vice versa

Anyway, it’s now October and I’ve only seen her twice briefly this year, but today we were both at the same church event. She called me over to sit beside her and if it wasn’t for her voice I wouldn’t even have known it was her! The both of us have had Botox before so I am no stranger to making changes - but her face was completely different, her cheeks looked… fake? I don’t know how else to explain it. Her lips were huge. And she’s on WL jab too so all this filler (I assume) on top of a now thinning face was just bizzare looking. I last seen her in July I think so I was truly taken aback that someone can change so quickly. And I am honestly all for cosmetic changes but she did not look good, she looked weird.

I’ve been sitting looking at photos of us from when we met 10 years ago and granted we’re obviously not going to look the same now but I was very taken aback today. Should I tell her not to do any more? I’m worried she’s on a path she can’t come back from. She got divorced at the start of the year and I’m worried she’s changing herself drastically as a reaction to this and can’t see what she truly looks like

Been together 4 years. We don’t live together, LDR he’s in a different country where I have a house.

He came here for 2 weeks and I suggested a weekend break. He said yes, I paid for flights & hotel on the understanding he’d get the meals. On arrival, we did dinner with mutual friends who live in this place, he didn’t budge when the bill arrived so I paid. Day 2 I got most things. In the evening he got dinner. Day 3 he did pay for us to see a landmark that afternoon but I organised and paid for dinner which was in a special place, which he enjoyed very much.

I got all petrol, paid for parking at airport, etc and during his stay at my house paid for various special food shops & a trip to London, train tickets and dinner.

So he’s gone to his place now and brags to all about this trip. But didn’t credit me, or treat me with much affection, all a bit routine & half hearted.

Given the lack of credit, affection, and coughing up his share, I suggested he even up and pay his half of the main part of the trip, so his flight & hotel stay. It was was a few hundred quid. He finally did so late this evening, but refused to speak to me, claimed he was so tired from making the transaction. Very moody over it. First I felt too guilty to ask for the cash but the more I reflected and the worse he treated me, the more it seemed disrespectful. Then I felt irritated, then resentful, and now I’m annoyed. Why shouldn’t he pay his way, with good grace? Must he huff and puff every time?

For the record, he has no kids, no ex spouses, owns his house & car, earns ok. I do earn more than him but work longer hours in a profession thst I trained a long time for, and I pay for everything myself, my house, bills, dcs. it was also my birthday and he didn’t buy any gift.

Help me to think this through. Was I unreasonable in asking him to cough up his share? I don’t want a kept man, and it’s not like we are married.

Previously went on a long haul holiday & he did pay me his ticket & hotel but I got all meals and trips once over there.