Countdown to Christmas 2020 (thread 7): To buy or not to buy a Balsam Hill Christmas tree (AKA: Christmas in July)?!

[NoWordForFluffy]

I just noticed we only have 20 posts left and I'm off to the allotment! So here is thread 7!

It's a bit tight for space!

My children haven't stopped yapping all afternoon. They're driving me mad.

Cute ducklings Fluffy. I have a soft spot for them (MIL has some every other year).

Great haul from the allotment and I'm still jealous of your garden.
My plan for the garden when we buy is to have blackberries (trained), strawberries, lemon trees, blueberries and some herbs. Possibly garlic / potatoes depending on size. And lavender because I love it and it's good for bees.

Marshmallow no ripe blackberries here either, they usually aren't any good until August in my favourite patch where we walk the dog.
We also have some in our garden but they take over everything so DH hacks them back some years including this one.

We're having a disaster. After having a surprise treat lunch out courtesy of my parents, we came home to a flooded bathroom. It seems something has given way where the toilet connects to the wall and when you flush water goes everywhere 😩

We've cleaned it up and spoken to landlady who has arranged a plumber to arrive first thing so now I think I'm going to stay at my parents overnight..

Oh no crazy :(

The pipe that runs under the loo (about 1/2 inch diameter) might have a shut off valve? Post a pic of the pipework if you can.

It's quite sunny where I am (usually) so maybe that's why we have some now,they tasted good in our pie.

Have burnt my fingers taking stuff out of the oven. My fingers are covered in Sudocrem and typing with little fingers atm

Oh no Crazy

Hasn't been much of a day for all of us. Just know tomorrow will be better

DH says not puss and I'm at my parents now so can't take a pic.
No idea what they'll need to do to fix it tomorrow. My df is itching to go up and have a look but I'm stopping him because landlady should fix it and I want her plumber to check the floor too (bathroom has a wooden floor which may now be ruined).

On the plus side (desperately trying not to stress about it), my dad is distracting himself by making a pitcher of mojito.

In other news, I bought a 9inch hoop for my cross stitch.

Good news about the Mojito
can't be the trap/"u" bend part, it would be a continual trickle/gush depending on pressure/severity ... it might be that you have a perished donut ask your dad
If the floor is solid wood, e.g. boards, it might be ok after it's been dried out for a while, but it will prob need sanding/sealing. If it's laminate then it will need replacing.

Can you get hold of a dehumidifier? That would help to dry the floor out, once the loo is fixed obvs.

Definitely good news about the cocktails, numb everything don't there Crazy
Dehumidifiers are a great call, as I remember coming home after dropping the kids at school and there was water everywhere, coming down the walls and out of the ceiling. I had rsi from mopping all the water. It took me hours. It turned out next door's showers was left on. The dehumidifiers really helped a lot.

No one I know has a dehumidifier and I don't really want to spend money on one tbh. We've fixed anything small that's broken in the years we've lived here and never asked the landlady for anything so I think it's fair that she sorts this one, especially if the floor needs replacing (it's laminate).
I'm worried about any extra damage so if it's only touched by a professional she sends, she can't even begin to think we've made it worse (not that she would, she's generally very nice).

I don't really know how to describe it puss, the toilet is probably around 10 years old but the big pipe that connects to the wall is old. It was dripping a year or so ago and plumber looked at it and wrapped this thick, super sticky tape stuff around it and it's been water tight since, until today.
Now, when it's flushed water seems to be bursting from all around the join but once the tank has refilled it slows to a very small drip so we've jammed a giant ice cream tub under there and left it.
DH is still at home so he's checking on it periodically.

I can't ask my dad, I've only just got him to accept he's not allowed to fix it 🙄

You can hire them *Crazy but really your landlord should do that for you.

Those of you with dc who like Frozen, I have a quick question.

My friends DD loves it and pretends to be Elsa a lot. She's taken to reaching out to touch you, then saying she can't because she'll freeze you then wearing her thick winter gloves "to be safe."

Her winter gloves are black and she doesn't like them much. I was thinking about making her a pair of gloves / mittens that could be her Elsa gloves.

I'm thinking pale blue gloves with an embroidered snowflake on each.
At age 4, is this a good idea do you think?

I made my nephew fingerless superhero gloves at the same age and he loved them but no sure if Elsa gloves are more specific?

Think that would be fabulous Crazy think they would love it

re the loo, that's the soil pipe - and it sounds like it's been failing for a while tbh.
You're right - let her employ someone to fix it and to replace the flooring. She should also reimburse you for anything that is damaged, but she sounds reasonable so that shouldn't be a problem.

Did your dad share the Mojito? 🍹🍹🍹

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Thank you Marshmallow, I'm thinking of making mittens as it'll be easier than gloves.

puss the mojito pitcher was for me and dm. He wouldn't drink anything so fancy - he had a Guinness instead.

I'm just logging on to work. So odd being at my parents, they have such a chilled out morning routine. My dad brought us both tea in bed and is now downstairs boiling eggs for breakfast (dm is getting ready for work).
I may never go home!

Lovely crazy!

It's my last day of work today until September dh is staying home with the dc.

Wow. Waiter service, Crazy! I wouldn't get that at home (my parents often forget to offer me a drink; I think they may have set times they have one or something!).

4 days in work this week and 2 next, so that's OK!

Have a lovely last day Wreck

Fluffy dm is very much of the 'help yourself, I'm not here to serve you' type but my df makes them tea every morning as he gets up first and if he doesn't sort breakfast, dm wouldn't eat any.
I also think he was a bit excited to have me there tbh.
He's turning into his dad - he used to get up at 5am everyday, when he worked and after he retired. He would bath, do his hair, shave, shine his shoes, iron his shirt, dress, walk to the shop for the paper and be on his second cuppa when you woke up. As soon as he heard your footsteps upstairs he'd put bread under the grill (they had a cooker with the grill at the top, anyone remember those?) and start warming up milk for a hot choc. In winter he'd also put your socks in front of the fire so you could have toasty feet as soon as you came downstairs.

Morning everyone 😀
Wreck that is wonderful 😃

Crazy your Dad and Grandad sounds just lovely people.
Mum has a gas cooker like that . She had a kitchen refit 8 yrs ago and we kept the cooker lol it's amazing 🤗