Not buying any jewellery as I would rather spend the money on ...

[YadaYadaYada]

Well I did just buy myself an early birthday present but that will be it until Christmas 2020 because I need to spend money on something more important.

What is that something? An exterminator of all things! We have mice in our attic and when I took the Christmas stuff out I found they had chewed through the Christmas tree storage bag. They also somehow managed to squeeze into one of my plastic containers with other Christmas decor and made a nest....ewwww.

DH thinks mice are no big deal, we actually had them in the house years ago but I must have sealed up all the entry points so now they can only get into the attic. Like, I know I have to deal with this I'm just dreading finding out how many are up there.

 

[dk168]

@mochiko42 ,

Great looking cakes!!!

I am having my pop up kitchen events at the pub in town that I frequent, only once a month as it is too much hard work!

DK

 

[MarionC]

Well I did just buy myself an early birthday present but that will be it until Christmas 2020 because I need to spend money on something more important.

What is that something? An exterminator of all things! We have mice in our attic and when I took the Christmas stuff out I found they had chewed through the Christmas tree storage bag. They also somehow managed to squeeze into one of my plastic containers with other Christmas decor and made a nest....ewwww.

DH thinks mice are no big deal, we actually had them in the house years ago but I must have sealed up all the entry points so now they can only get into the attic. Like, I know I have to deal with this I'm just dreading finding out how many are up there.

I feel for you! They ARE a big deal if not dealt with. I have a farm and the mice became a huge problem because I refused to kill them and instead used haveaheart traps. They are incredibly destructive and I even found them in my printer and my clothes washer. They made nests in my winter coat pockets, back of refrigerator, etc etc. I was out of the country and came home to a terrible infestation. I finally had to call an exterminator who put down poison and it really helped.
They produce so many babies that it can really get out of hand quickly. Good luck to you.
(I would never use the inhumane « sticky traps » but the exterminator used the, without my knowledge and I had to have him come back and remove them).

 

[AV_]

@dk168 Your mentioning 'kitchen events' reminded me these www. Does anything alike exist in your part of the world? If not, perhaps there needs to be.

ramble

____

re. jewelry buys: I always get something to celebrate serious things, no matter what else might be due & not much otherwise. I do not know what to expect next year.

 

[missy]

We have mice in our attic and when I took the Christmas stuff out I found they had chewed through the Christmas tree storage bag. They also somehow managed to squeeze into one of my plastic containers with other Christmas decor and made a nest....ewwww.

@StephanieLynn I am sorry you are dealing with this. Would you consider getting a cat or two? If you adopt a rescue most likely they will know how to catch and kill the mice and even just the smell of the cats might help deter the mice from staying in your home. Just a thought.

Are cats the ultimate weapon in public health?

With rat problems up 67%, Chicago is trying an old fashioned, low tech, solution to solve the problem -- $600 cats.

www.cnn.com

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@Jimmianne, oh yikes that must have been annoying as all get out finding them so many places. When they were in the house I was humanely trapping and relocating them but I think that did more for me than them lol! There are also all these seed casings we keep finding, they were in the box too so I have to figure out where the plant is outside close to the house that is sustaining them.

@missy, we have two cats! Dexter is actually a semi-feral rescue so if they were in the house he would take care of them. No they are safe and cozy in the attic so even if they can smell the cats, they don't seem at all bothered!

 

[missy]

@Jimmianne, oh yikes that must have been annoying as all get out finding them so many places. When they were in the house I was humanely trapping and relocating them but I think that did more for me than them lol! There are also all these seed casings we keep finding, they were in the box too so I have to figure out where the plant is outside close to the house that is sustaining them.

@missy, we have two cats! Dexter is actually a semi-feral rescue so if they were in the house he would take care of them. No they are safe and cozy in the attic so even if they can smell the cats, they don't seem at all bothered!

LOL ! I guess your cats aren't smelly enough haha. Seriously though that sucks. I hope you can find a good solution soon. I do like mice and rats but not in the house. Good luck Stephanie.

OK just reread-so your cats aren't in your house? Yes they would need to be in the house to take care of the mice. Oy what a situation. Especially with your children you do not want mice in the house :/

 

[Gussie]

@StephanieLynn I feel for you! We had roof rats (probably due to having lemon trees) in our attic a few years ago. And the rats brought the snakes! Omg, I thought I was going to die!!! An exterminator was worth it!! They closed the entry points go the house and attic. We now have those lovely rodent bait boxes around the perimeter of the house.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@missy, sorry my post was unclear, the cats are in the house as they are indoor only but the mice are confined to the attic. Still even before when the mice were in the house, the cats were not fazed. Actually our dogs were more disturbed but they didn't catch anything either. Seriously we give them food and shelter and a pretty nice life, they can't catch a mouse once in a while?

@Gussie, roof rats..yuck and snakes on top of that? No thanks. We have deer mice in our attic, I think they found their way over from some wetlands we have in the back. It's funny because no matter how many times we have gone in the attic we have never seen one, you would think you would spot one scurrying by. We can hear them though.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

@StephanieLynn sorry you have to deal with this.My very OCD neat and clean freak friend had rats in her basement because their contractor made a mistake with their piping... She also never saw (or heard ) anything. Stuff just disappeared...What helped was a cheap motion operated WiFi based camera . I think it was around 50 bucks and it confirmed the problem and made them realise which rooms exactly the rats were in /how many approximately. The exterminator was a good bit cheaper as well, because they had done that part themselves (several visits less for installation, check up, footage review)... Maybe an option for you guys?

 

[missy]

@missy, sorry my post was unclear, the cats are in the house as they are indoor only but the mice are confined to the attic. Still even before when the mice were in the house, the cats were not fazed. Actually our dogs were more disturbed but they didn't catch anything either. Seriously we give them food and shelter and a pretty nice life, they can't catch a mouse once in a while?

@StephanieLynn I know right? It’s the least your lucky kitties could do for you. Lol. We rescued a mouser from where I worked and once he became a house kitty his working days were over and he became a chubby bubby. Sadly now he has hyperthyroidism and lost weight but we are working on getting him properly medicated.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Oh great idea @kipari, maybe we could even see where they are coming from. A neighbor of ours has a pipe that leads into her basement that apparently bats are getting into. The Italian couple nextdoor has also had bats several times, so the mice are rather peculiar, you would think they would pick a house without cats or at least the scent of them.

 

[dk168]

@dk168 Your mentioning 'kitchen events' reminded me these www. Does anything alike exist in your part of the world? If not, perhaps there needs to be.

ramble

____

re. jewelry buys: I always get something to celebrate serious things, no matter what else might be due & not much otherwise. I do not know what to expect next year.

Not locally.
I used to go to a cooking group in Bristol, about 1h+ drive away on a good day. It was disbanded as the organiser wanted to do other things with her spare time after running it for a few years.
I thought about starting my own cooking club in the town where I live, and decided against it due to a number of issues.
Pop up events suit me better.

DK

 

[dk168]

OK, I have decided to treat myself to some bling when I hit my weight loss goal for health reasons.

Only another 4lb/2kg to go, and it has taken me over 6 months to lose 10lb/4.5kg as I like my food, in case that is not apparent!

DK

 

[missy]

OK, I have decided to treat myself to some bling when I hit my weight loss goal for health reasons.

Only another 4lb/2kg to go, and it has taken me over 6 months to lose 10lb/4.5kg as I like my food, in case that is not apparent!

DK

You go girl! Rooting for you! You can and will do it. Slow and steady is what wins this race.

 

[Arcadian]

Likely dental work...as the insurance company isn’t yet cooperating with me.

Bless you. Been there done that that bill was bad!)

 

[Slickk]

Bless you. Been there done that that bill was bad!)

Thank you!! Sorry you too had to go through this. I could have a ~three carat stone for what I will be paying for this!!

 

[ZestfullyBling]

Held off on setting my black opal and another color stone ring project to paint and get a hot tub for patio. Was hemming and hawing for a few months but finally decided in my older age a hot tub would have many benefits for my health overall...not that new bling wouldn't lol

 

[partgypsy]

I hear you about drs appt. In the new year I need to fill in a chip on my tooth (the dental insurance I pay for will pay around 50%) and also have my annual eye exam and contact lenses filled. I don't know how they do it in other countries, but annual eye exams (as well as glasses, contacts) are NOT covered by your health insurance in the US. It's either completely out of pocket or defrayed by buying vision insurance.

 

[jordyonbass]

Our first family home. Trying to close in on a house by the bay here in Melbourne, it's literally a thirty second drive to the boat ramp and every day I will leave and come home to a view of saltwater for over twenty miles if we can get it. I dreamed of a life like that as I grew up on the saltwater, but not near it. There's also a massive workshop space, so I will have lots of room for Opal cutting!

Unfortunately my wife's sapphire ring and a few other non urgent business purchases will have to wait until then, but we're soooo close that we can almost smell the keys

 

[Matata]

Our first family home.

Jordy I hope it goes smoothly and that you're soon posting pictures of your family in your first family home. Such an exciting time.

 

[Calliecake]

Good luck on getting the house @jordyonbass . What a wonderful place to raise a little one.

 

[missy]

Our first family home. Trying to close in on a house by the bay here in Melbourne, it's literally a thirty second drive to the boat ramp and every day I will leave and come home to a view of saltwater for over twenty miles if we can get it. I dreamed of a life like that as I grew up on the saltwater, but not near it. There's also a massive workshop space, so I will have lots of room for Opal cutting!

Unfortunately my wife's sapphire ring and a few other non urgent business purchases will have to wait until then, but we're soooo close that we can almost smell the keys

Ooh so excited and thrilled for you and your family @jordyonbass! Your first family home. What a special time this is for all of you. Sending you bucketloads of good luck dust for a smooth sailing home purchase!!!

(And I know your darling wife will be getting her sapphire ring in due time. And you know I will need pics so if not able to share on PS please share with me off PS).

 

[jordyonbass]

Thank you @Matata, @Calliecake and @missy! We're doing our best to try and make it happen, I have a dream of taking Finn down to the beach to go fishing together after I come home from work on weekdays which would be absolutely amazing. Just going through some of our due diligence and other checks before we make an official offer. As exciting as it is, it's pretty daunting as well

 

[missy]

Thank you @Matata, @Calliecake and @missy! We're doing our best to try and make it happen, I have a dream of taking Finn down to the beach to go fishing together after I come home from work on weekdays which would be absolutely amazing. Just going through some of our due diligence and other checks before we make an official offer. As exciting as it is, it's pretty daunting as well

Jordy it’s only normal to be nervous. It’s arguably one of the most important purchases you’ll ever make. You’re doing your due diligence and it will all be A OK. Hang in there. And that sapphire is yummy.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

My new house! So broke now it's not funny! I will just have to wear the old trinkets as goodness knows when I will be able to afford new ones again!

 

[Calliecake]

Your dream sound wonderful @jordyonbass . Can’t wait till you are back here telling us about your little guy’s fishing adventures.

 

[gregchang35]

I.dont.know.what.you.talkin’.bout. Lolol.

 

[Voldemort]

We have SO MANY PROJECTS to do in our house.. I really just want to focus on that over the next couple of years. First.. new doors and movement of two.

 

[ZestfullyBling]

Our first family home. Trying to close in on a house by the bay here in Melbourne, it's literally a thirty second drive to the boat ramp and every day I will leave and come home to a view of saltwater for over twenty miles if we can get it. I dreamed of a life like that as I grew up on the saltwater, but not near it. There's also a massive workshop space, so I will have lots of room for Opal cutting!

Unfortunately my wife's sapphire ring and a few other non urgent business purchases will have to wait until then, but we're soooo close that we can almost smell the keys

Good luck on your 1st family home purchase! Nothing like making your dreams a reality!!