Share your embarrassing stories with Flora and you could win a £200 John Lewis voucher NOW CLOSED

[KatieBMumsnet]

Flora have asked us to find out about Mumsnetters' most embarrassing moments.

Here's what Flora have to say: "We know that family life doesn't always go right but one of the best things we can do is have a giggle about it. So share your family funny moments and you could win a £200 John Lewis voucher!"

Please take a look at their new video and let us know if anything similar has ever happened to you . Or...

Have you ever made a silly mistake that your family enjoys teasing or reminding you about? Or perhaps youve been embarrassed by something your DCs have done?

Whatever your embarrassing anecdote is, Flora would love to hear about it.

Everyone who adds their comments on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer can win a £200 John Lewis voucher.

Please note your comments may be included on Flora's social media channels, and possibly elsewhere, so please only post if you're comfortable with this.

We're also looking for folks to be part of the Flora panel to take part in various activities over the coming months. For more info and to sign up head over to the thread here.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw,

MNHQ

[PrincessConsuella]

I work in finance for the National Health Service. I had to present a paper to the finance committee explaining the budget and cost of some special pilot studies some consultants were conducting in order to secure funding. Now one such pilot scheme was to study insomnia and the effects of sleep deprivation. In order to come up with the most accurate calculation, I was emailing the consultants to get the activity data.
After minutes of sending one such email, I received a call from the consultant, who simply said, ' I think you should read your email again (among muffled giggle)'. Confused I check my email and my jaw nearly hit the ground, my email went....

Dear xxxx,

As you are aware, I'm trying to secure funding for your pilot study and require to present a cost analysis to the finance committee. On order to do this it would be helpful if you could sent me a complete list of all the patients you are currently sleeping with. It would also be useful if this is split by gender so that I can give a full picture to the commitee.....

[Solo]

Well done Ilove!!
No, not a real gent!
homemadecookie I have done that, but remembered just as I arrived and went quicksmart into topshop and bought some big knickers! phew!!

[ILoveAFullFridge]

Oh! I just realised - it's JL voucher, not cash. Very very happy bunny, doesn't feel guilty at all now

[ILoveAFullFridge]

Yay! Thanks

[KatieBMumsnet]

Thank you for all your comments

The winner of the prize draw is...

ILoveAFullFridge

Congratulations, I'll PM you for your details.

[Officershitty]

Went to a church service, DS was two or nearly two. Sitting on chairs in a circle, small, family-oriented service, not one where you sit in pews.
DS was starting to learn his numbers 1 to 10. Vicar was there and some other young families, with children playing on the rug in the middle.
Vicar started a short sermon which involved the children picking up and bringing things to him (symbolic of the sermon being given).
DS starts counting loudly, gets to 6 and then starts: "Six six six. Six six six. Six six six. Six six six. Sixsixsix. Sixsixsix." In a Christian church service.
Couldn't live it down for months!

[MyLovelyMayoMammy]

My dh came back from shopping with a pair of my old raggedy granny knickers stuck to his fleece. No one told him. He'd walked around for a good 2 hours. He did wonder why he got some people double taking him. [Blush]

[ILoveAFullFridge]

Not such a gentleman after all!

[homemadecookie]

A few years ago I had a back injury at work and had to take time off. As my flat mate was working nights I decided to go home for the week. While there my back got worse and I made an urgent appointment at the local chiropractor. It was only when they asked me to undress to my underwear that I remembered I was wearing a thong! As this was my first time he had to assess my movement and asked me to bend over! I've never been so embarrassed and from then on a visit to the chiropractor is known as a 'big knicker' day!

[Solo]

Oooh! another!

In the 80's I was working in a well known store and was the store first aider.
One Saturday during the summer we were having a big refit and the air conditioning was out of commission due to said refit.
I was called to a young lady who was feeling faint in the heat. She was with her sister and I sat the faint lady on a chair whilst she felt unwell, hoping that she'd recover without the need of further assistance from me (which she did).
She was wearing very fashionable clothes for the time, but I put her feeling faint together with her smock style dress and asked the sister when her sisters baby was due to which she replied 'oh she's not pregnant, she's just fat!' I wanted the ground to swallow me whole!

[Solo]

@ ILove welllllll!!! we saw one another for a couple of months and it fizzled out. Turned out that his ex wife was, in fact his present wife!! so I'm glad it fizzled out really!

[MabelFigworthy]

Switched to my incase-it-outs-me name, because it will if anyone I know reads it!

My DS1 embarrassed me before he was even born!

I think it was the first may have been the second session of an evening course I was taking. I'd recently had depression & only just learnt to drive. I was very proud of myself for getting myself out to an unknown place to be surrounded by strangers. It was a big deal for me.

The instructor gave us a little chat about what was expected during the classes & mentioned that, since we're all adults, we should feel free just to take ourselves off to the loo if we felt we needed it. I hated the idea of drawing attention to myself so I tried to avoid it but eventually decided I was being silly & she said it was ok & I really did need to go. As quietly as possible I slipped out of the room.

Once in the corridor I started feeling a little iffy so got myself into the loo as quickly as possible. Literally as soon as my cheeks hit the seat I had explosive diarrhoea & passed out! Once I came round still on the seat somehow I carefully cleaned myself up & decided to sit on the floor with my legs up on the side of the cubicle until I felt better. Except I didn't feel better, it got worse. I crawled back onto the loo & repeated the whole passing out/sitting on the floor thing, but forgot to clean myself up quite as well.

Eventually the instructor came to find me & called in to ask if I was ok. Feebly, whilst sitting on the floor in now soiled underwear, I muttered "ummm... Not really..." She ended up calling the janitor who found me some water, someone else waited with me & the instructor went digging through my bag to call DH who then had to call our friend to give him a lift because I had the car! I must've been in there for at least 40 mins & had to make my way through the room as the rest of the class were leaving to gather my things. Once I could stand up without nearly passing out I was utterly mortified at the whole fiasco.

That was how we discovered I was pregnant! I went back to the class for all the following sessions but avoided eye contact with everyone!

That's the most fuss I'd ever had... Until DS1 was born at home but we had to transfer in at 4am in an ambulance. & that was the most fuss until DS2 was on his way & we had to transfer in mid-labour at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon with the entire street watching me writhing in pain & DS2 was born in the ambulance 2 minutes later! I'm a little scared by what might happen if we ever have DC3!

[Whirliwig72]

Four year old son watering garden enthusiastically with hose. Landlady standing in kitchen talking to me near window, kitchen window open .... you can guess the rest (cringe!)

[captainmummy]

I was enjoying a very nice weekend away in a spa hotel, sitting in the steam room, when a large lady came in with a big belly. I was a bit concerned and asked her if she should be in here 'when she's pregnant.'
You guessed it.
I left fairly shortly after, not actually running.


BTW I really don;t like that new advert for Flora. I think it's crass and rather offensive; yes embarrassing things 'happen' in families, but it really isn't actually funny to think of small chldren seeing their parents 'wrestling'.

That's blown my chances of winning.

[majjsu]

My hubby loves telling everyone how keen I was to marry him. In the middle of the eedding ceremony I lost my place in the book, a catholic wedding, as I was facing everyone, I had been smiling away too much at my friends. The priest stared at me not speaking, so I thought it was my turn, so I just said I do, only to find we hadn't even reached that part. It's on video too!

[chocolateshoes]

DS & DH bought me a voucher for a Clairins all over massage for my birthday. I saved it until the weekend after OfSted and went to enjoy my lovely massage in Clairins i Debenhams. Three quarters of the way through I was amzingly relaxed, almost nodding off when the store fire alarm went off. The Clairins lady said not to worry, it was just a practise. 10 minutes later it was still sounding and there were announcements to evacuate the premises. 10 minutes later again the Clairins lady popped out to check an saw that in fact the whole store had been evacuated. So we had to dash out, me in a gown & paper thong, into Debenhams packed car park on a Saturday afternoon. I shrunk up against a gate feeling somewhat vulnerable. Suddenly I hear DS -' there's Mum - I can see her bottom' at the top of his voice. I was very

[ILoveAFullFridge]

Don't just leave us hanging like that, Solo! What happened with The Man?

[Solo]

I had been in contact with a lovely man through online dating about 10 years ago. He was in the RAF and we'd chatted on the phone for ages and then we were to meet finally.
He came to my house (I know!!) and was dressed impeccably in a beautifully tailored suit and tie. I on the other hand was not dressed up to his standard and said that I just needed to change. He waited in the lounge with the door open and facing the bottom of the stairs. Once changed into my split up the back pencil skirt, top and boots, I walked down the first two steps, caught my heel on the next step and fell head over heels down the stairs. Over and over and finally landing upside down stuck between the bottom step and a chest of drawers. I had my legs in the air, my skirt up around my backside and had one arm stuck behind me and the other underneath me and I was wedged and unable to move...all this in full view of my date who proceeded to come into the hall, reach down and pick me up bodily and place me on my feet. Not once did he laugh, not even a slight smile. I was very impressed as I was laughing (nervous and embarrassed) and he said 'it's not funny, you could've really hurt yourself!!' I had, but refused to admit it! And!! I had ripped my skirt, messed up my top and had to change clothes again.

[SilverOldie]

When my Parents were still alive I treated them (and me) to a weekend away. Booked a lovely country hotel and after dinner and a few drinks, we made our way to our rooms.

At some point in the night I heard a click - it woke me and I found myself standing outside my bedroom door and the click was the door locking shut. Unfortunately I was stark naked.

I crept along to my Parent's room, banging loudly enough to wake them but not other people nearby. Eventually my Father opened the door. He got me a towel and went off to find the porter to open my door.

My Mother, who was quite a large woman, got the giggles, we both starting laughing and she was shaking with laughter so much the bed broke. Father returned with the Porter to open my door to find Mum collapsed in hopeless laughter and we all had to haul her off of the floor.

Never did go back to that hotel.

[MackerelOfFact]

Watching the Flora buttery advert with DCs is faintly embarrassing.

Why did you make sexual references in a cute, cartoon advert narrated by children, buttery folk?

[THERhubarb]

I had signed my daughter up for pre-school, 5 mornings a week and what the pre-school staff liked to do was home visits to meet the child in their home environment and get to know them a little better before they started nursery.

They turned up in our little house and we got chatting about dd and her likes/dislikes. They asked dd if she had any pets, which we did, 3 goldfish only when we had jokingly named the goldfish we hadn't ever thought that dd would be questioned about it so to my horror dd pipes up "yes we have 3 goldfish and their names are Death, Lard and Spew!" The nursery manager raised an eyebrow and merely wrote something in her notepad.

My mortification however was not over because dd was playing with her favourite toy of the week - her microwave. As I was chatting to the nursery manager and worker, dd proceeded to put her head into the toy microwave and turn it on. I am studiously ignoring her at this point but I can see from their sideways glances that they are watching as she then plonks her head onto a plastic plate and walking over to me, hands me a knife and fork and announces that she has cooked her head for me to eat!

Another embarrassing moment was when the teacher at primary school gently takes me to one side and explains that a few pencils have gone missing and that dd may have taken them (she was only in reception at this stage) but that I wasn't to worry as these things happen all the time. I was adament that my daughter would not take anything from school and so I call her over and ask if she has taken any pencils. She of course denies it but as she is doing so the teacher leans over and takes a pencil that was poking out of dd's pocket. I then look in her coat pockets and find a treasure trove of pencils, sharpeners, rubbers, etc. I had to backtrack very very quickly!

[Amibambini]

While being a skint student, maybe 19 or 20, I decided to take up my friends offer of covering her shift as a model for a life drawing class at a local college. I was also studying art at the time and had drawn a few naked people, so was fairly nonplussed about it all. We're all adults and artists, right, how difficult could it be?
I walk in, first person I see in the class is my boyfriends ex. Awkward hello's. Proceed to disrobe, take my position up on a low box and stare seriously into the middle distance willing myself not to dissolve into giggles, and the silent, serious drawing begins. After a while the lecturer decides that everything is going smoothly enough that he can nip out for a quick fag break. Up on my box, I had became aware of a creeping sensation of lightheaded-ness, unaware that standing stock still for a long length of time can lower blood pressure. Too late, before I had even started to form a sentence requesting a short break, I had blacked out and not-very-elegantly toppled from my naked perch onto the floor, biting my tounge in the process. I come around with a perfect view of the door, just as the lecturer walks back in, his face dropping with horror as he takes in the scene of me stark naked on my back, blood coming out of my mouth, surrounded by terrified looking students while a lovely mature lady student held my legs in the air to get the blood back to my head.

Oh the shame.

My city was quite small, years later random people would approach me in the street and ask if I was the girl who nakedly knocked herself out in an art class.

[AndHarry]

I don't know if this really counts because I was too tired to care but...

When DD was tiny I breastfed her so took to wearing shirts for easy access. One time I took her food shopping and fed her in the car before going into the supermarket. I managed a full shop, loading the shopping into the boot, returning the trolley and putting DD into her carseat before I realised that I'd left my shirt unbuttoned down to my waist and had been wandering around Tesco flashing my bra.

I did it again two weeks later

[FreeWee]

I was walking to the Robbie Williams gig at Knebworth when I spotted the chap who played Joel from Neighbours but for the life of me I couldn't remember his name. I called my friend and left a message asking if she could remember. She phoned back a bit later while we were still walking. She said "Joel from Neighbours is called Daniel Macpherson". "DANIEL MACPHERSON" I exclaimed loudly. "That's it!" My friend has started laughing hysterically and tapping me on the shoulder. I turn round to see the chap whose name I've just shouted out walking behind me with ALL of his friends wetting themselves! It was a VERY long walk to the gig after that! Blushing just thinking about it! Because he really is very attractive in the flesh

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

After much pleading from DD for years we finally made the decision to get a dog. Did all the usual research, knew that it would be DH and I doing all the work etc. What no one tells you when getting a dog is the embarrassment factor owning a dog can cause.

There have been a number of moments but the one that still makes me cringe is the incident of the builder and the used sanitary towel. We ripped our upstairs to pieces so our dear children could have lovely bedrooms. Guy dong the building work about my age, not unpleasant to look at I had vaguely noticed.

Needed to discuss something with him so went upstairs to see him. There were a number of black bin bags full of rubbish and I had chucked a used sanitary towel in one. We walked into one room only to find my delightful dog had retrieved it fron the bag and was in the process of ripping it to pieces all over the floor. There really wasn't as doubt as to what it was and I just couldn't think of any words to make it better. Didn't need to turn the heating on that night as the red glow of my face heated the house most effectively.