The latest Liberty Beauty Drop box is due out this week so it is the perfect time for a shiny, new thread. As usual, let's not discuss the contents here until Monday when the first boxes are delivered. Then those of us who want a surprise can avoid this thread from then. 🎁💄🧴

I'm looking for a corduroy dress, probably button through, preferably elbow length sleeves, just above knee length. It needs to be a petite fit ideally- I'm 5ft 1 and size 16. I've tried a couple from Next - a green one from m&co- sleeves too tight and restrictive and a beautiful dark red one from love and roses - too a line for me. Any ideas anyone please? Any suggestions of an alternative would be welcome. Just needs to be warmish and suitable for a nice pub lunch. Can anyone help please?

I'd like to get rid of our bath and install a shower cubicle which would free up some much needed storage space in our small family bathroom.

No one in our household has had a bath in years and I feel a shower cubicle would work better for us (me and two adult DC).

The master bedroom already has a small en-suite shower room which DH uses.

But I'm concerned no bath could put people off buying when we sell up in a few years time (5+ years).

Would you be happy buying a house with no bath?

Maybe it's a bit cliche but hey ho.

New job, met a bloke, fell in love.

We kissed on a works do (out of the blue really, we both just went for it) and since then we got closer, agreed we both enjoyed it, met up more often and got to know each other very intimately. This was about half a year after I got the job, so we weren't total strangers, just work acquaintances until the kiss.

He confided in some very dark events in his childhood which he has struggled with since, and is in therapy and medicated for. He knows I champion mental health and support him fully.

Started sending nudes to each other, then sleeping together. He'd pat my arse from time to time, we'd snuggle and kiss. We said we loved each other.

Then, the day before he goes on holiday for a week, he says he needs to take a step back and he doesn't see things working. I react as well as you'd imagine, then he's gone for a week. He comes back and says he regrets what he said and "part of him" wants to try again, but because of his past he doesn't want a proper relationship (yet). And the same day he came back and I was dreading what was going to happen, he showed me a pic of him in sexy wear on the phone. It sent a very confusing message.

Anyway three months later I sat him down and said "If it's a definite no, tell me right now" He hesitated and said it was not a definite no, and he "can't deny his feelings for me" but that his past trauma is blocking him from making a proper decision.

I am completely in love with him. To a hopeless degree. I would do anything for him. He seems oblivious to how much I feel for him. My heart flutters every time he enters the office in the morning. It hurts.

Am I being selfish?

I am one thousand percent certain there isn't another love interest behind the curtain.

Hi, I’m wondering if people can give their perspectives on this relationship and whether I’m fighting a losing battle.

I’ve been with my partner 5 years. He has DD10 and DS11. They are with us every weekend and on Wednesday evenings.

Currently my partner is running a tennis club on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. These classes are 6pm until 10pm (travel inclusive).

This leaves us with Wednesday as “our time”. I’ve expressed in the past that this doesn’t feel enough for me. But he’s told me that he’s unable to drop the commitment at the tennis club.

At the weekends, his Dds are here. DD10 has SEN and acts younger than her age. I love them both every much, I’ve been in their lives for 4 years. But weekends are full on - either driving to clubs, family days out. They go to bed around 10 meaning we don’t have evenings together either. I accepted this and fully embrace them being here. It does feel nice to feel like part of their family and I can’t fault them, they’re lovely kids.

My issue is that I feel like me and my partner are passing ships.

He’s just told me he intends to join the reserve army? He said training will take place Tuesdays 6:30-9:30.

I’m very hurt. It’s the one day a week I feel we have time to be a couple. I think we’ve lost sight of this and function more as a family unit. I know parents do not have time “off” parenting, but I am a parent’s partner. I did chose to date a man with children and I would never begrudge them being here. They’re only here 3 days a week. But every time they’re not here, DP is out doing his tennis, and now, the reserves. If he joins, it will also mean a weekend away from DDs. He’s said that they’re still welcome to come over, and of course they are, but where’s the consideration for what I want?

I’ve told him I think it will negatively affect our relationship if he maintains his tennis club and army training.. he says I’m controlling. Do you think I am controlling?

I feel that I’m not BU here obviously but it’s a tricky situation.
2yr old likes spending overnights with her grandparents and due to distance it’s for 2 nights at a time only once every other month or so. Since the start the grandparents have refused to say goodbye to her because it makes them upset, instead they drop her off and sneak out as soon as she’s distracted.

Toddler finds this very upsetting as she doesn’t get closure and know where they’ve gone, queue lots of looking around asking where they are and we do explain to her that they had to go home but it just doesn’t click in her brain as they just disappeared that they’ve gone home. It takes another 2 days for her to get over this and clearly makes her anxious.

I have told them that they need to say goodbye even if it makes them uncomfortable to see her sad as it’s unfair for her to go through all the searching and anxiety.

I simply got a ‘no she’s too young to understand’ and ‘we don’t see her often enough for her to understand that we’ll see her soon’.

Grandparents are now asking about new dates to have them and that they wanted to take her to see Santa and I have said that we could all come down as a compromise as then as a family well say bye to grandparents house and town etc to offer closure. The response I got was essentially ‘no, never mind what we wanted to do is fully booked’.

Side note I did check and it’s still available for booking but I think I’ve really put them about the whole saying bye and if not we all need to come down. We have another baby and would have been staying in a hotel with no expectation of us being with them or interrupting grandparents time with 2yr.

So, am I being unreasonable and if so, what is a more reasonable option if they will not say goodbye to the toddler.

What next? …upcoming “engagements” ….humanitarian projects….will they ? Won’t they? 🤷‍♀️
welcome everyone 👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋

My ILs live 4-5h away, up north.

Dh usually wfh everyday except Tuesday, and i wfh on Tuesdays only. Yesterday morning he spontaneously announced he was wfh and going into the office on Wednesday instead, so I decamped all my stuff onto the dining table to let him use the home office corner, and did the drop offs as I usually do on Tuesday. But we got to have lunch together in the local caff which was nice, a rare child free moment together.

This morning I phoned my MIL because I wanted to tell her about something to do with DS, and also check that DH had told her about our Christmas plans. She says "oh he mentioned briefly, but I'll be seeing him later anyway". "What, seeing Ben? Today?" Yes, she says she's just getting on the tube on her way to lunch with him, didn't he mention it? Er, no he didn't... She says she's only in London for lunch. Because she barely gets any time alone with him.

What has thrown me is a) why wouldn't he mention that is mum is doing a lovely but eccentric 9h round trip just to have lunch with him, why keep that a secret and b) we are visiting the ILs for half term soon, so surely lots of opportunities for chats?

I texted dh "why didn't you tell me you were seeing your mum for lunch today" and he replied he didn't want to mention it in front of the kids because they'd be sad not to see Granny themselves. But we had loads of child free time yesterday, and he didn't think to mention it, he just made small talk about diesel and the weather and the Holborn by election. No "oh by the way im seeing my mum tomorrow". If he had, id have replied "ah that's so nice of her, don't forget to mention Christmas".

I feel like they both think that I keep him a prisoner or something? He goes out to see his mates of an evening sometimes, and he has lunch with various people, I never stop him from any of that or even ask questions about who he sees, there was no need to keep it a secret.

I now don't want to go up north for half term, I wish he'd just go alone with the kids if I'm so in the way. But the kids would miss me, DS is only 2.

I'm a bit upset, please talk me out of this, mumsnet

Please can someone advise? My hair has become steadily more tangled and matted to the extent that after I washed it tonight, I can't get my fingers through it at all. I'm just pulling loads out trying to brush it and now I'm panicking a bit.

I suspected it might be a hard water build up so bought some clarifying shampoo and did a cider vinegar rinse, then used my usual redken shampoo and conditioner. I also bought a filter head for the shower. If anything, it's even worse and even more matted.

The water company where I live has recently advised that the water will be even harder due to the minerals at source. My hair is fine, highlighted and dry anyway and has become wavy and frizzy as I've got older, although it appears straight when dry. It won't hold waves or curls, its too fine and flyaway.

Please, has anyone had this and found a solution? I've got some much broken hair from trying to brush it out and the texture is horrible. My hairdresser is no help, unfortunately.

Exactly that. Married 25 years. Had a huge arguement tonight as he moaned about lights being left on and it escalated. I said in anger that he can not expect a birthday celebration tomorrow. He said fine.
I’m now not sure what to do?

Hello- my engagement ring was bought years ago from blue Nile and I’ve never had it cleaned or inspected. Don’t want to risk sending it back to blue Nile but DH is saying that if I take it to another local jewellers then they could switch the stone! Does anyone else take their rings to a different jeweller than the one the ring was bought from?

My son is 28. He's my only child. I'm so proud of him and his career success. He's always been focused and motivated on reaching his goals. Next month he is also flying the nest. As his mum ive tried mentally preparing for this moment his whole life. It will be sad but I am happy for him. I want him to choose his own path in life but I'm upset and concerned about a few things and would appreciate some advice on how to move on and accept it.
He has been dating a girl now for 9 months. She is lovely and they seem so cute together, it's like they were meant for each other.
However my son is adamant he never wants to marry but also neither she nor him want children ever. The thought of no grandchildren saddens me more than I know it should. It's their life but it's a heartbreaking thought. Secondly his girlfriend hates Christmas and won't go to cinemas or theatres. She seems less socially as outgoing him. These are things my son loves to do and he loves Christmas. She is physically disabled, which I get is a consideration to take on board for activities to take part in but I worry to some degree my son will get affected by this and get socially withdrawn.
Am I daft for worrying too much.

I've been picking up Xmas food here and there when at the shops and was looking at Aldi's crisp offerings which were a bit uninspiring - turkey and thyme, pigs in blankets. Anyone seen any good ones out there they can recommend? Thanks!

ISPs driving me mad. Thinking of getting Starlink. Does anyone have any experience to share?

Also I see you can pay £74 for professional installation. Did you pay for this or diy? If diy was it difficult? How much tech knowledge required? We have practical knowhow but v little in the IT area.

nb really, really not interested in anyone’s views on Elon Musk, just Starlink please 😊

I genuinely think this policy (at our GP surgery and I assume widespread) is deeply harmful to patients.

I was given an appointment today with the paramedic - no idea why not a GP - to talk about worsening symptoms (painful, bloated belly, difficulty urinating, sickness, reflux, dizziness). I mentioned that the symptoms are making it hard to know what to take for migraine (chronic sufferer). She snapped ‘that’s a separate appointment.’

The thing is, it’s not really is it? The symptoms I’m having are clearly hormonally driven (worse/unbearable around ovulation) but she didn’t ask about that or really anything about me as a person.

And how do you decide which symptoms are connected to the issue you’ve booked in and which aren’t? Aren’t they going to miss really obvious things if they refuse to understand what is going on with the patient as an actual person, as opposed to a single symptom or problem?

Has anyone else considered not doing Christmas at all?
I live alone, with dogs, and have no children or partner. Jan 2025 my mum, with whom I usually spent Christmas, died. She was in hospital Christmas Day dying and I went to visit her, but it was obviously very painful. Last Christmas I went to a friend's for a Christmas lunch, which was nice - and extremely kind of her to invite me - but also just felt wrong and not Christmassy at all.
I'm not a Christmas hater, my childhood memories are of the best times. But.now all family are dead, except my siblings who live in different countries, it feels too painful to celebrate. My grief is still very strong, and Christmas in particular brings it all back for all those family members I have lost.
I am thinking of not putting up any decorations and not acknowledging it is Christmas, other than a few gifts for friends. Has anyone else done this?

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 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5577375-bargain-referrals-thread

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If there’s anything you think would be useful or good to include in this post then please do tag or DM @reastie (the traditional thread starter!) and let them know.

Has anyone else noticed this? I normally have major resting bitch face and have been told by various people I have a very serious and dont talk to me look.
Despite my attempts to ease my face and give off im friendly vibes most people dont come near me. ( I have honestly thought about a she's friendly badge to put on lol)

Over the past week things have changed. People now ask me questions and even try and have small talk ( today at bus stop) Just a general friendly vibe I get from people all over.

I have made one change
Can anyone guess what?

My other half has got a rotten cold and is right in the thick of the blocked-nose stage.!

I fell down a right rabbit hole reading up on it and found a study [ doi.org/10.1183/09031936.03.00047903 ] saying that nasal blockage can mess with breathing during sleep (causing things like apnoea and drops in oxygen). I know that study was about completely blocked noses, but my anxiety has kicked into overdrive worrying about his breathing tonight!!
To make matters worse, he asked me to pop to the shops for some decongestants earlier. It was just before closing and I could have made it if I'd sprinted out, but I messed about and missed it. Now I'm sitting here feeling like a terrible partner, terrified that his oxygen is going to drop or he'll stop breathing in his sleep!! 😥

He’s definitely going to be mouth-breathing tonight.. but his nose isn't 100% sealed shut.
I read somewhere that your nose has little built-in sensors that basically act like a reminder switch for your brain to keep breathing properly. Since he'll be breathing through his mouth, I’m stressing: does even a tiny trickle of air or a little breeze in the room keep those sensors happy even if he'll be breathing through his mouth so his brain doesn't 'forget' what it's doing?

I’m looking for a really good pair of wide leg black or brown trousers which I can wash and wear for work 3 days a week. Currently wearing Levi’s xl straight leg black jeans but they’re fading to grey and I’m thinking they’re going to be too casual soon. Budget £100-150. Dedicated vara workwear trousers look good but £20 return cost is putting me off- any ideas?

As of last year, I started working almost entirely from home, so I no longer need to dress smartly for the office. My casual trousers currently consist of jeans and… more jeans (both slim and baggy!). My old work trousers feel far too smart for the school run, a coffee or a day working from home.

I’m a pear shape, size 8–10 on top and 10–12 on the bottom, with chunkier thighs. I tend to wear slouchy, wide-knit jumpers (think Joseph/Jigsaw/COS/Émile Sézane style) in cream, oatmeal, pink, grey and green.
I’d love some suggestions for casual, comfy trousers that still look and feel lovely with this sort of knitwear. I worked in an office until last year and I think I’m struggling a bit to find my feet style-wise now I’m not dressing for work every day. Jeans have always been my default, but they used to be easier to rotate with office clothes!

I caught myself enviously eyeing up two mums at school pickup recently who’d clearly been in work and both looked lovely and perfectly autumnal. Nothing particularly dressy, just really nice outfits that looked effortless. It made me realise I’ve lost my way a little bit and would love to feel a bit more me again.

My actual life is very much school runs, dog walks, the odd coffee, working in my home office and occasional trips to the gym. I live rurally, so a swishy city look wouldn’t really work, and I don’t want to feel overdressed for my day-to-day life.

What trousers are you wearing that strike that happy medium between comfy and casual but still feeling a bit pulled together? Particularly interested in styles that work with chunky knitwear and a pear-shaped figure. Would love any brand or outfit suggestions! 😊 budget flexible (I rarely buy anything unless a moth eats it so happy to invest a bit)

I've loved charity shopping for over 30 years, but like many I've long mixed it with online second hand shopping.
The stories in this Guardian article are not new to those of us who've read threads on here, work in the shops or know people who do.
I never sell online myself and am a very mindful donatter, but my own eBay addiction and Vinted dabbling is contributing to this in a way.
Shops won't want to discourage donations, but it seems more push back on the mountains of crap is needed.

www.theguardian.com/fashion/2026/oct/13/people-sell-their-best-stuff-on-vinted-how-charity-shops-became-a-dumping-ground-for-unsellable-clothes

I wonder if anyone come suggest where to buy reasonably priced Christmas decorations online? Thanks in advance.

I'm currently divorcing my husband. I've been strong and angry, but totally I'm just feeling heartbreakingly sad. I've tried some Taylor swift songs but they just aren't sad enough. Anyone got any recommendations for some songs I can just be utterly broken to for an hour before I sick it all back up and crack on. I've currently got hurt by Jonny cash on but it's not quite the vibe I want.

Welcome to the 12th thread, we still have 50 days till the daily unboxing officially starts, although I very much doubt any of our calendars will remain untouched until then 😂
Still time for lots more friendly chat, tips and discount codes - to cut down on links as a poster requested, here's link to some very comprehensive run-downs of the calendars https://beauty-detective.com/category/beauty-advent-calendars/
When enjoying those breakdowns please remember that some are OOS already - Harrod's Fragrance, Harrod's Beauty and Selfridges Beauty to name a few.