La Creperie - Home of the Hags!

[QueenLush]

Are you all nursing hangovers or just clearing up the post Christmas mess?

Yes, it will be a birthday I remember, albeit for all the WRONG reasons :)
My thinking is similar re smaller of two schools (there is 90 in ds's year!), but it has an excellent OFSTED (not that that is everything). Second school is still small compared to where ds currently is, and has a good range of activities (music lessons, trips to France). We'll see.
We took a box from the attic marked 'china' I didn't even bother to open it, it has been up there nine years, and handed over to the charity shop - we have restocked our local shops for the foreseeable future. We also have a local heart foundation shop who will collect (furniture, electrical stuff, exercise bike ). It is actually quite theraputic, and I have realised that when my mother says 'do you want some old curtains?' the correct answer is 'No'!
Dukes respect re drums, as someone who has no rhythm whatsoever I am in awe :) (dp is buying me a bike when we move, I am stupidly excited :) )

Happy Birthday, Blackduck!

I did the sales this morning. Got a very long wool scarf for meeee in purple, and a cashmere beanie hat for DD1. Then went across town to BHV and got some craft stuff for the DDs and DH got some CDs. I have found a cut price pharmacy which does Huile Prodigieux by Nuxe for 12 euros for a small one, and I think 17 euros for a big one, Huffy.

Am tired and have too much to do at work before trip back to London on Wednesday. But v much looking forward to coming back for a few days, and of course, meeting up with y'all.

Feeling much more positive today - must have been the night out with friends last night and a bit of a sleep-in this morning.

I have an urgent S&B question - what does one wear to an afternoon tea party at Harrods? I need to know by 2pm

Any ideas what to do with 200 tea lights?
No idea on S&B question (I am a fraud when it comes to this topic area :) ).
What is happening next Friday- I lost the plot somewhere. I may only be coming for drinks and then heading home on the late train (not sure yet...)

Yes ruby, my friend last night said I should put a frock on! I will have to investigate the contents of my wardrobe!

Re tea lights, Is it an IKEA bag BD?

BTM possibly.......:)
It was another 'find' in the glory hole (under stairs cupboard) along with eight, yes eight, badminton rackets....

My BF when I was a little girl used to call it the glory hole. Haven't heard that in years!

Eight badminton raquets! You could start a shop with everything you have found!

Dp, after the nth charity shop run, said 'we're got this all wrong, we should open a shop here'.

I like tealights!

My dad actually has a candle cupboard, a double wall cupboard in the utility room containing nothing but stacks of random candles, tealights etc, some, I swear, priced in shillings and pence. I told him it was a clear sign that he lived in too big a house.

A candle cupboard - how lovely! I want one

I have come to the conclusion that there is such a thing as too much storage....
Ah well if it all falls through we will have done a bloody good spring clean :)

ruby, are you Kirstie Allsopp?

DD1 has announced she is being a vegetarian. I have no problem with this - used to be a veggie and she's eating fish in any case - but wish she hadn't announced it just as the supermarket order, full of Nice Meat, arrived...

I am currently burning one of those Yankee Candle tarts. I get annoyed that most scented candles promise so much, yet don't deliver, but boy is this one pungent. I am actually getting a headache.

MI, tell DD she can give up meat for Lent, which gives you a few weeks to stock up on nutloaf.

I quite like the Yankee Candle Christmas ones. They smell...like you would expect an American Christmas to smell. Sort of cinnamon-y and full of gladness and excitement.

MI - I remembered your advice in the sales yesterday and did not automatically pick the largest size and head to the changing rooms. I said to myself, no, MI said I should try a smaller size. Then I said, fuck that, I'll live dangerously and go for two sizes smaller. And it fitted properly, with no excess fabric or Demis Roussos kaftan effect. So I bought it.

MI, better than your fridge freezer dying in the night after the supermarket order was delivered!

Oooh MrsS, what was it and will you be sporting it on Friday?

I needn't have worried about what to wear for afternoon tea at Harrods - anything went. Actually the crucial factor was something that didn't have a tight waistband, to allow for the gargantuan portions one consumes. Well, this one, anyway

Yay for clothes that fit you MrsS! I have just ebayed a bunch of rather nice clothes that are too large now, as they just don't look so good on me any more. Sadly they are having to be replaced with charity shop buys and Primark (with the ocassional bit of Reiss discount ) but the stuff that fits me is sooo much better.

Clothes that are too big

Clothes to BIG!! I just charity shopped at least 20 pairs of trousers because I finally accepted that I will never be size 8 again... I then found some old photos and thought 'bugger, I was tiny'.....

Okay, teacher peeps I need some help. The whole literacy thing with ds is becoming a major issue. Anyone got any advice on what I can to do to encourage and support him? It is becoming a mountain and he is getting more and more resistant....

BD, I can't remember all the details about your DS
What exactly is he struggling with - reading (decoding / comprehension), writing - spelling / handwriting / composing stuff.......

Reading/spelling fine - age 12 (he's 8). Comprehension fine, it is the writing bit. He doesn't do description. (I think he writes in quite a prosaic way, and his writing in no way reflects his abilities or understanding). He is very fluent verbally. Last year his teacher felt it was all in his head and wasn't getting onto the paper. So I suppose I am saying the mechanics are there (punctuation, etc, etc,), but it's just not coming together. This week he had to write a piece from a book as a stage play, complete with description of setting, dialogue etc etc. We nearly had a major meltdown. 'I hate it, I'm rubbish, I'm useless' blah blah (ds can be quite dramatic ;) )