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

[prambo2thereturn]

Oooh, double Corrie tonight!

I understand the thought process there fox, though I've never had an issue putting cash aside if it's gifted money. That's likely to change after the baby is here, I know. I do just really hate vouchers. Especially from a relative who hasn't bothered to check I shop in the place they bought the voucher for. Or if they've given me a miniscule amount of voucher-money for what's in essence an expensive shop

I agree with that, Jolls, definitely. Thoughtless gifts get given back in my house. My sister got me a subscription for Red magazine last year, the tiny booklet version. I have never read Red in my entire life. And I despise these A5 versions of magazines. She had simply gone online and paid for any old subscription with her credit card. To accompany it was some 'gourmet jelly beans' (fuck off, I'm not six) and a grotesque starched doily thing which she had shaped into a tea light holder (fuck off, I'm not eighty-six). The tea light holders were her current 'thing' for selling on ebay. She did very well out of it because they were beautifully executed (she's a graphic designer and turns her hand to anything). However, as I told her when I gave her all three gifts back and ordered her to cancel the magazine subscription, I don't appreciate a fucking doily which you flog by the hundreds as part of your income.

Scan went brilliant, although Pebble was a bit of a monkey think the can of coke I drank on the way in had sent her hyper she wouldn't keep still, then tried to do a flip and got stuck partway round so my photo is upside down

Only slight problem is that my placenta is a little bit on the low side - if it stays where it is then no problems, but if it moves any lower that could be the end of my home birth plans, c section required etc so have got a 34 week scan booked to see where it is by that stage. Fingers crossed for me!!

Re homemade gifts, I make things sometimes but only if its stuff that's individual for the person. 2 of my closest friends are getting flavoured Xmas vodkas that I'm making them, my nan is getting a flower pot that Alfie will decorate, I don't just make one load of things and give the same to everyone. I love spending time planning the best thing for each person, which is why I start shopping so early!

Asda toy sale has started...

Rock, good news on the scan, but I really hope that placenta does not lower itself; I really want you to get your home birth. I'd love more presents from kids, they're ace

Th'usband let it slip last night that Oliver has been expelled from school for 'the last couple of weeks'. Expelled. Permanently. Why didn't he tell me? When I enquired as to the reason he shrugged and was very shifty. I am sick of being in the dark about this boy's life but then expected to be some substitute mother to him.

Rock you just gave me a great idea...I can do skittles vodka for my brother and his wife Their local makes it and they're always having a shot or two when they go in

BWP thanks for that thoughtful reply, food for thought. Also your thoughts MummyPig.

Will one of you homemade present makers please make me some brownies and courier them to me? I'm hungry. Thanks.

Good news rock I hope that placenta stays put! It's great how they can tell these things though, hey? Ah the wonders of modern medicine.

Jol I have some birthday money I put aside from over 2 years ago! I think I should just put it in the bank and be done with it.

Pram Expelled! Blimey, I wonder what he's done. Must be bad! I didn't think you were even allowed to expel kids nowadays.

Fox - you are indeed allowed to expel kids still. The big change is that nowadays, the head teacher needs to be prepared for the 'sad face pic' in the Daily Mail with accompanying 'woe is me' headline

I'm loving all the Christmas chat. I'm always an eager beaver when it comes to the festive season.

I've done the homemade gift thing once before. My Nan really loves lemon curd. So I thought I'd make her some, put it in a pretty jar etc. It cost a fucking fortune! They sell lemon curd in tesco for £1!

For that reason I'd love a homemade gift. They take time, thought, and a lot of the time are very pricey

I've just made homemade fudge. It looks a lot paler than I thought it would but it seems to be setting as it's meant to. I'll send you all some for your Christmas

pram also not into homemade gifts unless its something specific, it sounds ungrateful but i am fussy and lazy so don't like eating most things and don't want to feel obligated to use something to cook/do something productive, i am mean i know!

jolls on the whole i agree with you about vouchers - but i don't mind them if someones thought about where i would shop and doesnt know/want to risk specifics - so for example id love a boots voucher because i hate spending money on make uppy stuff but still love cosmetics, but id be a bit at a home base voucher unless i was developing a property haha

i got my best friend vouchers for starbucks and house of fraser for her birthday as she was moving back to london and first time moving in with a boy (ooooh!) - in that case it was better as coffee is annoying to spend money on especially with london costs of living and adds up and i know she wants to decorate her house and it leaves the decision with her then rather than inflicting my tastes as i don't know what she's going to go for as its her first 'proper' house - or if she wanted to spoil herself instead she could - she loved them!

Joll I love these bottles to put things like skittles vodka in, but wanted a cheap alternative. Found coloured glass bottles with the same stoppers on the top for 79p in Home Bargains :)

That's just the type I was thinking of Rock - there's a Clas Ohlson in Manchester Arndale that does things like that quite cheap so may have a look in there on Friday. They're also likely to do bits and pieces to decorate the bottle

I think hard and work hard to present my gifts as though they had been made by a professional (as if you had bought them at a craft market or similar), sorry that you all feel that something homemade has to be individualised, sadly I don't have the time or the energy to make everyone something different.

I earn very little money as I work part time due to my health and it was a way to still be able to give something to everyone I wanted to give gifts to. NOT a way to be lazy or to be a scrooge or not be thoughtful.

As I said in my other post amongst my close group of friends we all exchange homemade gifts, that is our arrangement and as for my other family members they also receive additional bought gifts, carefully thought about to be something they would use or need or enjoy.

Crap gifts that need to be 'taken back/to the charity shop' is such a 1st world problem. I would much rather have a gift I know someone has put effort into (even chutney) than a gift voucher any day of the week.

I shall now go back into my corner.

Rock I will be willing your placenta to remain where it is for the remainder of your pregnancy!! It's the one thing I'm concerned about for when I go for my scan next week. My scan letter tells me to avoid fizzy liquids before the scan, then in the waiting room there is one of those fizzy drinks vending machines!

F&T

F&T - my letter told me to drink normally before my scan. I was then asked when I turned up if I'd had quite a bit of water. Dead pan response...'No. Because the letter you sent me told me I didn't need to.' I was then told that they'd 'been meaning' to get it changed. Took me ages to drink enough to need a wee.

f&t it wasn't personal when i said about not really liking home made gifts, i wouldn't buy that sort of diy crafty type generally for myself and those who buy for me wouldn't get me anything like that because its not my thing and I'm picky about that stuff, same way i might buy some craft store/diy type stuff if i knew people into it - just a case of knowing what your recipient is into i think.

that said, i go a bit over the top spending at xmas and bdays etc and am very much a consumer, which some people seem to judge as less thoughtful but i take an awful lot of time/effort thinking about what to put in stockings etc, different frogs different poisons.

I don't think everyone thinks homemade gifts have to be individualised F&T don't be upset. When I made fudge for my family, they all got pretty much the same and they loved it. Your gifts sound incredibly thoughtful.

I'm not a thoughtful gift giver, I can admit it. It just makes people all the more pleased on the odd occasion I do get them something, you see

Jolls Mine says turn up with a comfortably full bladder, which I did, then had to wait for an hour to be scanned, it wasn't comfortably full by the time I came to have my scan, my sonographer even passed some comment about the size of it!! I swear the floor is defo wearing more in the hospital in a direct line with the nearest toilets. Everyone was doing the dash!!

F&T

I haven't had a letter of any description. Didn't for the 12 week scan either. They mustn't be into letters around here.

Owh owh owh I feel so so sick. This last hour or so of work is killer.

I'm going to bake brownies tonight now, thanks guys!

I like shopping for Xmas! I'd appreciate it if someone gave me something they'd made themselves (especially food), but I love picking out gifts for people.

Rock keeping my fingers crossed for your placenta! Glad the scan went well though x

Teddy was it team pink or team blue? I'm so jealous of you all finding out now, I won't know until 5th November.

On presents, I asked my granny what she wanted for her birthday one year (it's at the end of January) and she said "homemade marmalade". So that was me told.

I would say that homemade presents can be lovely and I way prefer getting foodie presents to ornaments/ photo frames/ vases. A favourite in my family is a small puzzle type toy, as it keeps us all occupied between eating lunch and eating cake. Books are good too, but they can be a bit hit or miss.

Actually, I'm lying. Food presents are AMAZING and please can you stop talking about brownies when I'm on my train home?

So hungry.....

We're scan buddies Baking. I quite like that I'm finding out on bonfire night

rock fx for placenta behaving itself!

Can you lot please settle a debate with dp for me:

For PE at school did you take your PE kit in:

a) the best/coolest carrier bag you had (as in the type you get given by a shop to take your purchases home in)

Or b) a 'proper' bag of some kind (so rucksack / non disposable type bag) that you used specifically for your PE kit

?

grey I had a 'proper bag' but I also wasn't cool!

F&T