Gosh a lot has happened over the last 3 days! I've been reading but not had time to post.
Girlie i am sorry DD is having a hard time with friendship groups. It's a hard stage for kids - with starting secondary and also puberty on the horizon. Hard to find your new place in the world. And girls can be horrid to other girls.
Sounds as though you have a lot on your plate Cag and a lot of uncertainty. I agree to chuck things sooner rather than later if you can possibly manage without them. I am sure the Caglets won't mind mattresses in the floor for a bit - it'll be an adventure. It's such a shame that you can't source furniture on FB /gumtree without a car - where we live there is a lively trade on FB for furniture, furnishings, kids' stuff etc and it is very handy. (Unfortunately I didn't discover it in time for dc1... doh). Am I right in thinking your DH can drive? When you move, might it be worth looking into a car share scheme so you can just borrow one when you need to pick up house stuff etc? Alternatively you might be able to find a man with a van who will do a pickup for £40 or whatever - worthwhile for some bigger items maybe?
On the subject of baby stuff, I have a box of newborn and 0-3 clothes ready to send over. I also have some other baby stuff already outgrown which you'd be welcome to, including a nice Moses basket and stand if you have any need of them (and presuming I can find a way to package them)? The Moses basket was passed on to me by a friend but she doesn't want it back, and told me to give it away. These things are used for such a short time and at 13 weeks DD's almost hanging over the ends of it!
On the subject of DS's 'thing' (I'm not up with toy trends!) if it is the wrong thing and you bought it off a trader (rather than, say, second hand from an individual on eBay) then I believe that distance selling regulations mean they have to accept returns (I think up to 14 days). Does that apply? Then you could keep looking for the right thing?
Collie that was a narrow escape, wasn't it you that only recently put new Lino down?
Nice to hear from you Meadow
Mammy I had that toilet dream when I was about 10 and I wet the bed - was terrified about repeating it for years afterwards. I've certainly had a couple of near misses but your brain really fools your bladder into relaxing.
Love glad DD is better now.
Lonely you'd not get me anywhere near a blocked drain . I am v bad with smells.
It's been a long few days. It was DS's birthday on Friday and he was a bit up and down - he doesn't get excited about presents (still hasn't opened them all, refused to open family ones today 
) and he was a bit upset after school from being asked to give out the gingerbread men to his classmates as they left (a nice idea from the teacher but he didn't really understand what was being asked of him and why he couldn't leave so he got really stressed and had a massive screeching session in front of the other parents 
). Yesterday was busy, I made DS's birthday cake and a huge raised chicken and ham pie, and today we had a few family and close friends over for a buffet lunch. Even that was a bit much for DS, he was quite edgy again. MIL was a bit upset that he point blank refused to open his gift from them. She's lovely but just doesn't get him and I hate that I can feel her disappointment . I find it all a bit upsetting every year myself TBH... I'd love him to tell me what he wants and then be thrilled to get it but that never happens, he always seems just unsettled by the whole thing. Maybe one day.
On a positive note DS loved his cake, which is the bit of birthdays he actually enjoys. Lovely weather here today too so the party spilled over into the garden. It felt like a last hurrah to be eating out there!
Not frugal though - we didn't spend much on gifts for DS but the Ocado bill for buffet stuff was ££££ 