Need some perspective......if not valium! (Moan warning)

[Gumdrop]

DD's and I are relocating this weekend to centre of Birmingham to be with DH who has been working down there during the week for the last 2 years.

We haven't yet sold old house (farm house + land) in Pennines, so we are renting tiny cheap place in not very nice area of Edgbaston. I know in my head its only for the short term, and I've been really spoiled living at the old house, but I actually want to throw myself on the floor and weep every time I think of living in the new house for 6 days let alone 6 months.

We can't decorate, put up posters - because of Blutack damage, open the windows because they've all been painted shut, have a freezer because kitchen is effectively small cupboard etc etc.

Any body got any words of advice as to how to make a place feel welcoming, when you're hamstrung by the lease? Or anything positive to say about Winson Green / Edgbaston borders........good aerobics class, nice curry shop, anything?

We lived in a hellhole when we moved up here, we had 2 days to find somewhere to rent and ended up taking a place that although decent size was a "granny house". it was part-furnished when we looked round. When we got there they'd filled it with even more "granny" furniture, plates etc. We had to move stuff into the garage/spare room before the removal men could even unpack.

All I can say is get out and about as much as you can, I went to 3 toddler groups in my first week. Cheered me up just to escape the house!

Get out of the house as much as you can and try to make of it a nice place to live in the mean time, even if you are going to be there just for a couple of months if you are going to feel better it's worth it and it doesn't need to be expensive, and don't worry about bluetack... if you are going to stay there for such a short time I very much doubt the wall will get damaged.