We Wise ladies Avidly are, bearing bags and links from afar.......

[notyummy]

New one!

Hi zembo, I was remembering your nightmare Christmas from last year when your flight was cancelled. Are you home this year?
(Also for those of you who haven't met her, Zembo gas gorgeous, glossy, swishy hair )

WAN I hear you, I hear you re fleeces/mom jeans/no effort at all etc etc

Annie that's so lovely re cake and great news on the work front for both of you. Hurrah!

NJC I'd pop round to borrow some sugar if I were you...

Have two days off work before working Friday. Have just watched show about the history of Butlins. Am now off to have early night to ensure maximum rest, honestly it is MUCH harder work looking after my 2 DDs (especially DD2 at 15 months and on the move..) than it is "working", respect to those of you who are at home all day with small children!

Ahem nap sale has started.

NAP sale has started!

Have just returned to scenes of devastation at the house - DH left all the doors open and there is dust everywhere. Am trying, and failing, to remain sanguine about the whole thing.

Great shopping Amber real bargains there. Not sure about those Mavericks - 1 embellishment too far maybe?

Annie what a lovely thing for DD and DH to do. She's a real doll. Hurrah for the work too.

Have a lovely day tomorrow Pickled, sounds divine.

NJC - similar happened here when delivering a birthday card next door. I let myself down and couldn't really string a sentence together.

Big wave to everyone else, will have a proper catch-up tomorrow as must now return to wiping dust from every available surface and trying to work out how to wash all of our kitchenware with no running water downstairs...

Ooh so much loveliness all round: amber's presents, annie's cake, blue's outfit, wan's hairdryer, pickled magical London day, njc's hot neighbour, NAP sale... Too much to take in!

Glad the mini meet up went well- I had envious thoughts of you having a civillised and stylish time whilst I dined with a motely assortment of relatives ranging in age from 8 months to 88 years!!

Zembo- lovely to hear from you and fantastic links as usual. I can be in nottingham in less than an hour if there was ever an east midlands meet up!

House is finally coming together and we got a Christmas tree today (I gave a donation and brought home the big one from work ad it was the last day of term) I always look forward to decorating it but then every year remember I actually hate doing it and am spectacularly bad at doing so!

Our cards get strung around the edges the room. I can't stand them on surfaces either.

Def up for secret Santa opening on thurs. See you all then

Radical name change here - call me MIM. (After my favourite OPI polish)

annie what a lovely surprise. Great news re DH, fingers crossed this is the start of something for him.

NJC Like the sound of the returning son from next door.

Great HN shopping amber. Re NAP sale, I have this in my basket, but am a little bit of JC. Is it not a WAG label?

Well, sadly I think the Parlux and I have not got off to the best of starts, in that it has caused the biggest argument between DH and I.

He was really annoyed that I'd opened the parcel. I explained that didn't realise what it was etc, it was a mistake. Basically the name it was addressed to was not in the same section as our address, it was only afterwards that I saw his name on it. He doesn't believe me, and so this blew up out of all proportion, ending in him storming out and driving off to Manchester a night earlier than planned. No phone call either. Part of me is upset, hate rows etc, but part of me is so furious with him. The two things that p* me off the most are a) his need to be satisfied with how I got the present, rather than just accepting that I have it now, but that I am very happy and grateful. b) he keep asking me to show him the courier wrapping to "prove" there was no name on it. Funnily enough, having cleaned the house, emptied to fridge, bathed DS etc the bin was full up and had already taken it out. I was so angry that he expects me to keep something just to prove I am not lying to him.

I don't know...I know lots of our problems are due to lack of sleep, no time alone together etc, but I do worry what will happen to us when DC2 come along.

Sorry for the long, ranting me,me,me post.

Only got a minute, midnight, but just wanted to say I was sorry about the silly row. It's almost more upsetting when it starts from something trivial and it all feels so unnecessary. I've been there! I too am worried about the effect of DC2 as, although things are great now, I felt like I hated DH for the first few weeks with DC1 (he's not the best at sympathy or with tiny babies, brilliant father though he is now). Hope you get a conciliatory phone call soon and try not to let it ruin your day.

MIM I am at your dh, how ridiculous of him. I hope he comes home feeling thoroughly ashamed and profusely apologetic.

red you are so stoical about the building work, I would have lost the plot weeks ago. Yes to paper plates, and I would add M&S or similar ready meals. When do you escape for Christmas?

amber a great birthday haul, you have your dh well trained!

ollie I take the same approach to presents, after years of dissappointment on Christmas morning I now buy it all myself and am delighted on the big day!

I have finally got the new house looking good, well downstairs at least, but I desperately need a few hours at the shops and my poor dc are taking turns at having a horrible cold & fever. I think dh will have to take the morning off or there will be dissappiontment all round on Sunday morning.

Have good days everyone

Oh mim I'm so sorry. Sometimes the biggest rows are the most ludicrous. Do you think your DH could have other things on his mind? Sometimes mine acts like a total tool because he's stressing about something and doesn't want to tell me. I also think tiredness is a killer. It got to the point after DD was born where we were having rows over nothing far too often which would blow up and go on for hours, so we agreed to try harder to just let things go and have a cuddle. Seems to be working well!

Hope you get an apology very soon! BTW that dress is v nice, and not at all WAG. I think as long as you give the velour tracksuits a miss you're ok.

Re. NAP sale, I am dithering over these. What do we think?

Sorry to hear that mim. Hate rows. I echo what verity said.
Good to see you verity. If anyone can do it, you can. Get shopping!
Sorry amber, don't like the jeans. Could be very cool on someone young and trendy though
The Kain top I fancied ages ago is now reduced. Shall I?

Oh yeah, I was going to point out the top bloss - are you sure your DH hasn't got in there already?

I am 27 now, does that qualify as young and trendy? [futile hope emoticon]

this is so similar to the Whistles top that arrived yesterday. I'm wearing it today. Because the colours are good on me, I am a little tempted with the nap one though!

Yes amber, I could be your mother. Almost!

The top DH may have bought me is not in the sale, thankfully! But I've browsed enough now, I'm getting off the laptop. The Kain top looks ridiculously see through in one of the photos, so not for me.
Have a good flight fritzi. Will you be posting from SA?

Right, have ordered the jeans (they will probably go back) plus this top and this skirt. We shall see.

Well, I still used the Parlux this morning, despite last nights argument! Its good, my hair does seem smoother this morning. Its heavy though, and its only the 3200 compact one. However, the lead is really long which I love.

amber I think the jeans are worth a punt, like the Splendid top. I am a big Splendid fan. I don't think that there is anything else on DH's mind - all of our life stresses are more than shared.

Good to hear from you VB, and glad to hear that you are settling into the new house. Good luck with the Xmas shop.

red I echo the others about making life as easy as possible, paper plates and cups and as many easy meals as possible. What about considering a professional deep clean after the work is done? Sometimes Groupon has some good deals.

Love all the NAP links. Still pondering about the dress, think the belt looks cheap looking though. Really like this Kain top but its dry clean only which is just not practical with DC's is it?

Oh, for Marsha. Still not 70% off I'm afraid.

Morning all.

MIM - sorry to hear about the silly fight (although well done on getting the hairdryer.) It does sound completely over the top on the part of your DH. My DH can sometimes be slightly like this because he builds the 'perfect' image up in his head of how he wants something to be (i.e giving me the perfect gift/having a great family day out.) When it doesn't go quite to plan because real life intervenes, then he can furious. He does generally apologise when he calms down and realises how silly he was.

Red - I really feel to you and definitely second Veritys ideas of paper plates and ready meals. One day you will look back at laugh?.but's not funny when you are living through it.

Icecream - I had no idea you were so close to Nottingham - it takes me more than an hour to get here too! We could have quite a little group!

Amber - am most jealous of you and your HN bargains. They do indeed sound like excellent buys.

Annie - what a lovely, lovely surprise from your DD and DH. How touching. So pleased that your DH has got some work on the horizon too.

I am on my last day at work until 5th january. Hurray!! (Although there will inevitably be some email stuff that I will need to fo over the holidays?.) But at least no commute for 2 weeks. DD has been in Kids Club for Monday/Tuesday and had such a great time, which is a relief. The staff are lovely and she has made cakes and biscuits, done loads of crafts, had guitar lessons and made friends with a whole load of 'big girls' and has especially loved that. She was going to be at home with DH today, but has asked to go into Kids Club in the afternoon because they are going on a Christmas outing to a local arts centre and she was desperate not to miss it!

Lots of packing to do tomorrow before we venture out on a long drive on Friday?.on what is apparently one of the busiest days of the year on the roads. What could go wrong?!

New thread here.