IWLTS in 2020...

[emma_p]

Do they have to shepherd several 9 yr old girls around Westfield to spend said £20? That would be the be loser for me!

Yes. Can you imagine? She's planning on picking the girls up at 12 and dropping them back at 5. I've agreed to look after her 5 year old during this time. S doesn't know yet and doesn't like this particular child

[Ella77]

IWLTS why are you proposing we invite a non-binary person to speak on International Women’s Day? Surely we should invite... a woman?

I finally got up the courage to raise this. I was so worried about backlash, but the main person I raised it to said she agreed with me.

[Zoomer]

Oh well done, Ella! So, is she going to pass on the feedback to the organisers?

[Ella77]

She’s one of the heads of the gender committee, so I hope her view will be sufficient to put an end to it. (It’s not about excluding non-binary people, it’s about ensuring that women, who are massively under-represented in my company already, are not excluded by well-meaning muppets.)

[Marth]

Well done, Ella.
How can a non binary person feel it's correct to speak at an event for a "gender" they don't identify as?

[Ella77]

Exactly, and I believe this person* has been offended by this sort of thing previously, so it was a fucking stupid idea however you slice it.

I’m getting so sick of people thinking that “not male” = woman.

*JM

[Leap]

It almost certainly would’ve turned into a talk with a completely different focus to the subject matter. I’m so pleased you said something and weren’t shot down, Ella.

Squirrel I always remember the episode of the Apprentice where each group had to plan children’s parties and the budget was £1000. £1000! It was entertainment, event space and food as far as I remember, and even with London pricing that sounded insane, and the parents didn’t appear to be particularly well off or indulgent. And of course they definitely did not end up with their money’s worth.

[Bat Macdui]

It so would be JM.

[wendy james]

My friend was telling me her plans for her daughter's 9th birthday party which involves taking her friends to Westfield for pizza at Franca Manca, giving them all a handbag with a lipbalm and 20pounds each to spend! I thought that was super generous.

Wow, how many friends?! Sproglette was out on Sunday for L’s birthday. There were four 9 year olds, plus L’s two older siblings and her parents. She was collected and driven into Bath for a Lush bath bomb making session, then they all went to Pizza Express for dinner (with a grandparent too). I dread to think how much that all cost!

[Margo]

Your husband may well be a knobhead (your own words) but it’s hardly my fault if he’s pocketed the money, is it?

I bought 5 mirrors from someone on a local Facebook selling page and collected them on Monday evening. Last night I got a message asking if I still wanted them so said I already had them.

Seems her husband who answered the door to me didn’t tell her and has the money.

Not quite sure why she’s bothering to tell me that as I dont care and it’s not my problem...

[Ella77]

It so would be JM.

I know, right? So predictable.

[Kenickie]

I'd definitely stay out of that Margo.

£700?! I wouldn't even pay that for one mine were sharing. They'll have to make do with a bit of music on my phone for entertainment until they're old enough to sneak into a pub.

[Pippedydeadeye]

I’m wondering if the party is a north/south divide thing, or just madness.

[Topcat]

I remember going to a few Frozen parties when the child was small that were utterly off the scale. Four actors/actresses, a magician, an indoor bouncy castle and the entire length of a village hall totally covered in trestle tables full of sweets plus a DJ and sit down party food and bags to go home with.

Fuck that, they're happy enough with space to run about in and somebody (paid) to control them when then needed.

[smalex]

I thought I was being fairly generous spending £170 on a trampoline party this year

[Morganna]

IWLTS If I hear that stupid Cazooooooo ad one more time I might go on a Falling Down-style rampage.

[Squirrel]

I thought I was being fairly generous spending £170 on a trampoline party this year

That’s about the norm round here.

IWLTS: you’ve been scammed AGAIN?! How can you not spot the signs by now?!

My bonkers colleague who I’ve posted about before. She’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer and consistently makes atrocious decisions. I could write a book about the crazy things she says And gets herself into ridiculous situations of her own making on a weekly basis. Sometimes quite dangerous, like the ex who turned out to be leading a double life and had unlicensed firearms and an arson conviction. She’s also terrible with money.

She’s a ferocious bargain hunter but gullible and can’t spot obvious scams. We’ve told her to only buy from UK shops or via eBay, use PayPal.... but she argues that normal sellers are “too expensive”. She doesn’t get that if an item costs £85 and she finds it for €50 on a site that doesn’t accept PayPal and isn’t listed on eBay, or is a FB seller who insists on a bank transfer before shipping... then IT IS A SCAM! It’s not a bargain! I think she has a bit of an addiction to shopping and gets completely carried away.

[Leap]

Knome

[smalex]

Dammit! I know it's one of these silent letters....

Oh Squizz, I'd have run out of sympathy a long time ago. Like Beatrix says, you do expect people to occasionally learn from their mistakes!

[Squirrel]

She really is a bit thick. She can’t spot the direct link between something being suspiciously cheap, and being a scam.

Like the time she complained there was too much pressure at work to meet the regular 12 noon deadline, when the reason she was under time pressure was because she had overslept and got to work 1.5 hours late! It’s not the deadline that’s the problem!