MARTIANS 2014 thread 12: the one where we do nowt but eat.

[prambo2thereturn]

Oooh, double Corrie tonight!

Ugh, I'm miserable today. I'm knackered and feel sick and am desperate to go home to bed. It's like some kind of torture being propped up at my desk feeling like such crap. It was like this yesterday too. I blame work entirely. It's just too much. The dark mornings and the long days. I can't do it.

BWP - I have never, nor will I ever, understood the male aversion to wrapping paper. My OH is against any sense of occasion in general because he's a miserable git!

I'm with your OH. I don't do presents (unless for kids). I'm a miserable git too.

It's a ....

Drum roll...

BOY!

I'm still in the hospital, trying to get baby to move so she look properly at the heart.

Nice one Lyra!

Hi! Such a busy few days, and you lot have been yapping on! - just caught up!

Lyra, Glad you are out, and good luck with your scan!
Pram, That sounds stressful! But I'm glad you are trying to do something about it, it would be so easy for you to just avoid the child instead.
Bionic We are scan twins! Mine is 8.45 - when is yours? - I'm counting down the days already!
Hot Sorry but I did have a little giggle at your 3+ knitting fail! I'm no good either

• Sorry if I missed anyone, that was a lot of posts to come back to!

DH bought me a new (to me) car on Sunday (Late birthday present), I finally have my 4x4! I will no longer be stuck in the snow! (We live on top of a mountain) And I can finally use the yard trailer and take my ponies on trips without having to rely on other people! Yeay!

Just read my last post back to myself...typical example of my occasionally horrendous grammar!

Congrats Lyra...though the estrogen/testosterone balance in your house is seriously slipping in favour of the lads How ever do you cope?

Ohh congrats Lyra!!

sorry you are feeling so bad Fox :(

Oh Lyra amazing news!!

Fox - I grasp any occasion to celebrate Keeps things happy and breaks up shitty years.

Oh and I'm feeling left out not being on the FB group - I want to see scan pictures! - how do I join your crew?

Jol that's a nice way to be. I'm all for celebrating, but with Christmas it seems everyone goes crazy running around spending money they don't have buying things that nobody wants because of some big pressure inflicted by advertising executives.

DP and I are really pleased He especially really wanted a boy. So yes, Joll, it'll be four males and one female in my household At least I'm helping to even up the balance here though. Who's up next (forgive me if you've already said, haven't caught up properly yet).

I'm off to the bank to beg for the deposit for my restaurant. Fingers crossed they say yes.

Yay Lyra! Congrats :)

Block send greymoose a message and she'll get you sorted! Congrats on your new car. DP's getting a new one on Friday and giving me his old one. I'm excited!

Jolls and Mummyb thanks for your encouragement! I might find something to do but I think growing a baby is pretty creative! ;)

Rock enjoy your scan :)

Fox I'm sorry you're having such a hard time with work still :(. I'm finding it really hard to manage too so I've got no suggestions I'm afraid x

hot me too! I was born at 11:30am so I was speedy! Haha she sounds wonderful - jealous!!

mummy have fun with your friend, my friend had chemo and she wore different wigs all the time it turned into a bit of a joke that she had 'wig alter egos'

maybe yessss it's nearly here! lyra congrats - a hatrick!!! Hope your scan goes well rock!

blockette message me your Facebook link and I'll add you to the group!

I'm a Christmas nightmare, all the trimmings.

Ahhhh lyra so exciting re: restaurant - good luck!!!

Yay Lyra!! Team blue!

Wow, you are a crafty lot. I'm impressed. I'm a big fan of celebrating, presents, making people feel special on birthdays and trying to give thoughtful presents (although I don't always live up to it). However I also know that my time is ever more valuable now I have DS, and I am better off choosing what to invest my time in - which means lots AF homemade presents and crafty things is not high on the agenda at the moment! Maybe when DS is older and he can join in rather than it being yet another thing to do when he's asleep.

Ooh, Rock will be having her scan as we speak!

I'm not anti-presents or fun or being nice anything like that I just don't like the pressure people feel under to get presents for everyone because it's something they feel obliged to do. I would hate for anyone to get stressed thinking about what they could possibly get me for Christmas/birthday etc. I would much rather they just didn't bother.

Hello all, Hope all is well with you. I was glad that things seem to have settled with you Lyra congrats on the blue news.

I was trying to work out the best dates for my hypno course (still need to sort it , must get organised) and so wanted to know how many weeks I was when and found this Pregnancy dates Calculator its brill you can find out how many weeks you are for any date. I'm hopeless with numbers so it go the job done.

I have been making rather that buying presents for all my friends and family for years. I only buy gifts for my immediate family and my friends kids (cause christmas is all about kids, I think).

Over the years I have made ...

salt dough decorations for the tree (people still have them, its so lovely to see them each year)
make your own thai dinner kit (firm favourite)
Photo frames (of our guests at our wedding)
cookie mix in a jar (also high up the like list)
Photo CD of images for people to use as backgrounds on their computers

I helped the kids I look after do reindeer cupcakes for their teachers and another year peppermint creams and another year chocolate truffles.

This year I think we are going for edible and I think we are doing fruit jellies, peppermint creams and chocolate truffles. I am also considering making some playdough or moon sand for the kids too (but it may be a bridge too far!!).

We have received over the years
chutney (sadly we are not fans but nice to know the effort was put in)
Edible snowman in a jar (super yummy)
homemade marshmallows
a jar of cakes
Herb growing kit
spicy hot chocolate mix (that lasted a while)
Photo frame (of friends wedding)
A Sock (with a promise of a second...I'm still waiting (from mum!!))
A Hat

I love the effort that goes into handmade gifts and much prefer them. Pintrest is an endless resource for cool homemade gift ideas. Feel free to pinch any ideas if they sound up your street.

My 20 week scan is a week today, BUT I received a letter in the post yesterday cancelling it and changing the date to Wednesday at the worst possible time (It was all a bit stressful if I'm honest) but rang and sorted it this morning, so instead of being first thing in the morning, I now have an afternoon appointment. I am looking forward to waiting, last time they were running an hour late (that was 11.50) and my understanding is it only gets worse the later in the day you get. I was looking forward to being the first in so I didn't have to wait but ho hum. At least it is still the same day.

F&T

Fox Am in agreement with you. I majorly cut down on present giving last year and this year it will be further still as I now have a - if you didn't buy me a present last year then I'll take it you don't want to exchange gifts with me, no hard feelings, view on things. The other great thing with the homemade gifts is if anyone gives me a gift unexpectedly I make a few extra so I can just give something in return.

Plus next year I am having a 0 adult Birthday gifts policy (with the exception of Big Birthdays) amongst my friends as we have gone from 11 adults and 2 kids to 11 adults and 7 kids in a year, so its going to get expensive if we don't agree to something!!

F&T

With presents I enjoy putting in the effort to make/find a present that I know someone will like/enjoy. Presents I appreciate are ones where I know people have tried to put thought and effort.

I find DH's family quite stressful to receive from as they will ask for ideas which I feel I need to give to avoid them wasting lots of money on things we'll just send straight to the charity shop so I put loads of effort into thinking up things we want/need that they could get but then we still seem to end up with things that are a complete waste. A classic was last Christmas when we asked for a key operated musical movement for DD2 to replace the broken one in a musical box we already had. (The box has sentimental value as it was made by one of DH's relatives and we had explained what exactly we wanted it for.) They gave us a load of presents before Christmas and since there was no musical movement I ordered one online having put off getting one so that we could put it on the list of ideas. Then two weeks later they gave us a hand cranked musical movement (because they'd got the wrong kind by mistake) and a wind up musical box they'd bought on eBay (and gone to lots of trouble getting) both of which have ended up just going to the charity shop. I hate it when that kind of thing happens as it feels like such a waste of their obvious effort.

I made fudge one year. That went down well.

One of my Italian colleagues just asked me when my bambino is due!

I have chocolate brownies from one of my friends every year for my birthday. THAT was the present keeping me up all night excited about!

I love the idea of making things as gifts, but I'm not good at cooking or crafty/arty :(

I've found shortbread is pretty popular and fairly easy to make too. One year I got a text from my brother when he and a friend started to eat his as they liked it so much.