August 2008 - Whistle No. More Here It Is!

[TwilightSurfer]

No1 sorry can't help - dbrother and I don't do pressies anymore - we just do for the kids and don't even get me started on the MIL

I sent them a box of these biscuits as a thank you for babysitting whilst we were in NY - I was aiming for a bunch of flowers but sod it, they love tea, they love biscuits and we're hoping that they might do it again at some point in the next 6yrs

if you're stuck for inspiration you could always look at notonthehighstreet.com I LOVE that site

Wow dizzy them biscuits are beautiful.

I think we are getting food hampers form my dsis as her dp works for Ringtons, and they do lovely biscuits,cakes,tea etc...
they getting mum one too.

I think food and drink is a good choice tbh.

I would much rather do for just kids.
I have three brothers, two sisters. four nephews and two nieces.ON my side, then dh has two nieces and one nephew.
So thats forteen gifts before we start on parents,step parents and granparents etc..
Not meaning to sound tight,but its just what to get people.

Flipping heck those biscuits look faberooney but they are more than £3 each You must really love your MIL

Am trying not to think too much about Christmas until after DD's birthday next Tuesday, at which point I will go 'oh shit' and start panicking

Lol hots - we're not thinking about christmas until after my birthday plus mum and sister's as well. We're all in the space of a week.
Then I'll start panicking

No1 - thats a hell of a lot of people!! I went down the homebaking route last year and shall continue further down that road again this year

hots as you know thats not it but flowers to the arsehole far region of Ireland that they live would have been about £30 and as I've been ill since I got home and the kids were ill while we were away so felt that dh's credit card could take it just this once - in other words my guilt shone through

oh oh who needed something to wear somewhere, Dot P have 20% off online and some nice stuff

hmmm biscuits.
HP Golden crunch are on 2 for 1 at somerfield - so just 50p a pack! [I didn't eat a whole packet by myself the othernight emoticon]

can I just have a little moan about flippin benefits. Still not heard from the Child Benefit people [sigh] and just worked out I can't actually afford new clothes for me. EVER. When I have so many lovely patterns I want to make up [wail] [stamps foot] [pouts]
FAbric shop at the end of the road has red chashmere that is begging to be made into a caot. [blub blub]

Right pulling myself together, going to make some more Christmas stockings.

BTW - loving Kim on I'm a Celebrity.

OOH I need something to wear for my romantic break on the 4th December. Something sexy

Yes it is a lot of people, I have been thinking of making some homemade goods to accompany some nice bottles of wine maybe.

Hi hotter how old is your dd 4?

Can I just elaborate that when steaky says she wears socks and flipflops she means at the same time!

Sazzles and anyone else looking for presents for mums/mils/grans, you are obliged invited to buy my mum's books! Scuba Dancing and Murder Most Welcome and Death Is The Cure.
Available in largeprint or audio too for the visually impaired etc etc etc. In fact, I can bring some signed copies to Miamla's next Saturday if anyone's interested....

Does anyone else have a product/business to plug for Xmas? I'm all out of ideas for gifts too so might as well help out folk I know. Steaky didn't you have an Etsy shop?

LOL Steaky that's my kind of biscuit

Am very on your behalf re the child benefit though. I work for DWP and we do gets some stick but we are waaaaay better than those HMRC feckers with their child benefit and tax credit arsing around. Is it the case too that you can't claim child tax credit for DD until you're getting child benefit? At this rate you will have enough arrears due for matching cashmere coats

Poor DS full of snot and coughing, he's been awake 4 times since 7.40 already the worst part is that I can't really soothe him any more , he just cries on and off if I'm there until DH turns up at which point he goes straight back to sleep My baby doesn't need me any more

On the plus side I daren't go on my exercise bike now in case I wake him up again so have been excused for today, hurrah

I had been told it might take till I had a CB number to get the child tax credits, but fortunatley they came through last month.

The annoying thing about CB is that the helpline says they "usually" pay "most" claims in two weeks but can take up to eight. I got supplemental forms to fill in at the beginning of October, which means it took them 8 weeks to get around to looking at them and deciding that they needed more info. So now I have to start counting again, but this time 12 weeks before I can consider my claim overdue and they say it can take up to 6 months, so that would be April.

Fortunately I am managing to stay on top of things. Though after a bit of a tight spot post Ikea and fabric shopping I am keeping a careful eye on timings of bills out.

Yes No1 my DD will be 4 My grandma (who I adore) has been on the phone telling me she traipsed all over to get DD a coat for her birthday and has got one, age 4, 104cm. This is despite her seeing how giant DD is every week, plus me telling her to get age 4-5, 110cm [grrr] We will have to sneak it back to the shop and swap it for the right size

you rotter!

Buckets yes I have an Etsy shop - I think it is too late to try to get it stocked for Christmas though.

Does anyone know anyone that started a business while on Benefits?
For some reason I got in my head that if I work 16 hours I can go on working tax credits, but if I declare I don't make any or very little money then my benefits will make up the rest to the threshold I am currently on.
And perhaps even allow for DD to go into daycare too.

Not sure if I haven't just made that all up. [wishful thinking]

Cashmere only £10 a metre - seriously bargainous and so very soft. Also in chocolate brown and dark purple. [sigh]

Steaky I think that is true, BIL was working in his family shop and really only earning enough to pay his petrol and they claimed WTC. You would have to tell them what you think you might earn and they work it ou based on that. There are some tax credit folk on here I think so maybe ask in one of the other topics?

steaky what a pain for you. Surely they can get it sorted before April. That is shocking.

Hey vg hotter I have just bought dd a coat age 4.

Sorry HP but didn't want to get duffed up by Sazz and the HMs.

They are all just screen readers on the helpline. Though last chap was helpful and said I could count the weeks from when I posted my new info rather than from when they received it.

I thought about phoning again but I just get pissed off. Anyway when it comes in it is going straight to mum as she paid off the CC (most of which was paying rent and deposits while we were in Spain) So not going to think about it as mine at all.

oh oh and another question....
Having had a look at the Littlewoods site (thanks Sazz) they do interest free payment plans. So should I order me a fridge freezer to pay off weekly over a year? Though tis going to be very tight. But I could wait till FEb and order one then because my TV licence payment halves so I will have a bit more ease then.

I should wait shouldn't I?