louby loo

Yes!

Don't be impressed they are only the seat part- each chair seems to have 5,000 staples that need removing though 😩 Blanket is Persian Tiles- Eastern Jewels colour way. I've never done an actually kit before but it saved my brain needing to choose the colours 😃

He's beautiful 😍 My makes so far this holiday- two dinning room chairs covered. Masks made for friends and family, and the crochet blanket still in the kit pack unopened 🤣

I think they changed it a while a go, so post on 'chatty threads' no longer count.

Very true.

I think my problem I haven't left my own little 'bubble' world. (play on bubble word there!😂). My husband asked if I could drop a prescription off at chemist... 🙀🙀🙀 (he collects our two elderly neighbours bits along with his own). Now I haven't really been out to shops at all. First hurdle- sigh. says three in shop 3 only.. I look in and think is that three altogether, or staff plus three? then I see the pharmacist walk from his side into shop!! ... I'm thinking how many is that now? 2 customers,+ 1 staff + pharmacist = 4 in shop...... I wait outside peering in like an idiot🙄, I'm thinking.. well no point being inside as they can only serve one at a time anyway?. When a customer finally comes out she leaves open the door for me- I run in throw the prescription onto the counter and run back in about 1.5 seconds flat as the door slowly closes itself behind me. 😊 Luckily there was no queue- so no one witnessed my dithering erratic behaviour. I just haven't learnt the correct behaviour when out. People who went to shops regularly- as they needed to, were shown what to do, and have now all learnt the correct protocol...... the shops have now stepped back from telling us what to do- because most people now know how it all works. This must be what it's like for our little ones coming into preschool for the first time, it's really made me think about it how they must feel, it really is like steeping into the totally unknown.

I may have read it wrong but- The way I read it is that....the government are giving the LA the same amount of funding, what the LA does is a completely different matter ?

Gosh you're both very organised with regards to registration forms! I've not sent them out yet- I always leave it until just before we start back and ask them to brings the on first day. To be honest partly as we do not have a post box at the setting and I'm not really that keen on everyone having my home address. We do not have any 'new starters' for the first couple of weeks though, so this usually works ok for us. Still trying to work out how we will actually start the new starters though? If we had an proper outside area I would do it there- we have a very small outside area but you have to walk around the back of building (no footpath) a kind of back alleyway/private access route to a house..... then they'd have to climb over our fence!

I like that moment when you get home, walk in the door drop all your bags, and think 'that's it' I have the feeling this six weeks is going to wiz by this year.

Ohpps... it's had a bit of a trim up! It went in last spring so not sure if this counts as first year or not? Anyway I blame Monty Don - he told me to do it! I've only done a couple of drastic cuts though, as it seems if I cut a bit lower at this time of year it 'should' be ok 😳, if left until later no so good. One plant seemed to have gone a bit...'can't think of a word'.... so that one had a deeper cut, the rest is really just a trim up of stems. The Ofsted Big Conversations. Main points, inspections will continue properly in Jan 21, although settings with RI or inadequate- with wellbeing and safeguarding recommendations from this September. These will only be checking they have followed up recommendations though and will not give a grading. Setting can actually be inspected from Dec 1st though- although these will only be urgent cases. When they do commence it will be "like the clock stopped' with regards to timings- so for example for us awaiting our first inspection which was due by this July, it will now probably be due by around next April/May time. New Development Matters to be launched in September (subject to gov approval) supposed to be less paperwork, with less emphasise on tracking and date collection. Lots of questions about the lack of child development knowledge in newly trained staff - at all levels not just early years settings but schools too. To be honest it was a weird thing, along with the zoom meeting on the screen there was an online 'chat session' going on with all the participants! Very confusing as I wanted to both listen to the speakers and read the comments people where making.

My place is like a lavender factory!

I'm doing the Ofsted Big Conversation thing today - hoping that there might be something useful for September. A good week, although I am at last feeling a little more relaxed now. Even though we didn't open I couldn't seem shut-off before with the constant should/shouldn't I be open etc. I still have a small constant whir in the but of my head planning for Sept though! I need to try and sort some kind of compost as I filled the green bin yesterday and it was only just emptied, with none of the neighbours going on holiday this year- not able to add extra bins along the road!!! Any lavender experts here? We planted a lavender raised boarder and it has gone wild!, Is it early this year as we had good weather early on? If I chop it back now will I get a second bloom? It was absolutely beautiful - but has now gone over I was expecting it to be at it peak around now to be honest.

Now the summer is here, how are all you term time setting workers planning to spend your summer? Anyone actually going away? Not sure I'm brave enough to venture abroad just yet- and to be honest that suits me fine as I'm not really a 'summer holiday' type person anyway . I feel I've lapsed into some kind of early retirement (well not 'so' early). I'm considering cutting back my hours.... then today out of the blue someone has asked if we have any jobs going 😳..... I feel it's a sign! I need to do a TDL. (I'm waiting for sunnyday to get us all on a roll with that one), and I think I shall be asking a lot of a few questions to those of you who reopened about what things you've learned about how things can run smoothly- or not in the the new normal. Hope all you all year rounders manage to get a break of some sort- especially those that have been open throughout.

Monitor the ticking off!!????............. I'll be out 'n' out just copying it! 🤣🤣🤣

I thought it was Thursday today- but it turns out its Friday again. Hope all the term times have had a good last week, not sure about the full year'ers, normally I guess this is when it often gets quieter - but not sure how it pans out for you this year. I had my hair cut this week, not really much different to normal really apart from masks. My hairdresser set up on her own a few years ago and has a log cabin type thing in her garden.

Funny thing happened to us today. Existing parent emails what our thoughts are on 'two settings' as she has just also enrolled her child at the posh setting near ours- and they are more than happy for two settings. I more or less cut'n'pasted sunnyday's above link (with the quote + link to Gov page) stating that we would only do two for work reasons........ a little later she replied she would like to remain at ours with increased sessions if possible as she had now decided to not take a place at the posh setting. I expected the opposite and that we would loose the family to the other setting.

At the moment we are thinking of going with only two setting if it's for work reasons. As we are a term-time we get a few that go to full daycare part of the week, but will come to us to 'socialise' with children they may start school with. Usually this is a day the parents aren't working, but child will come to us for a 3 hour session whilst the parents do household chores etc. Fully understand their logic, but we will not be supporting this at the moment.

Your first post is the one I'm making, I'm just going to do tops. To be honest not 100% sure if we will actually use them- but I am thinking they might be an idea- more due to constant cleaning and staining of clothes from Milton bleach etc. For cost efficiency - I'm actually using (new) duvet covers!

I'm making us some.

Do it!🤣🤣 I have to say in the end I was actually glad the weather wasn't that great for us- as it did stop parents lingering to long and becoming complacent to the whole SD thing.

crochet ............. off to google Persian cats now ..... The restaurant in my local garden centre has opened today, and now I'm very hungry. I shall leave it a few weeks then I'm going to meet a friend there for lunch. It has gone a bit 'chain menu' now, but the actual garden centre was taken over a few years ago by a small chain, and I guess they've now used the time to upgrade the restaurant part of it. I hope it hasn't lost its charm though.

I had tell old Andy to refrain from getting into the bin- then jumping up and down trying to compact it down after my sticker shame. 🤣

You've just reminded me I have a Persian Jewel kit I ordered. I thought I would do it during the summer. :) I once made banana and coconut pancakes, they were nice and I totally forgot about those too!

Me too- I can't actually believe just how judgmental I've become lately 😳 We have clear bags for paper/plastic/tins , and an open box for bottles/glass. I get really annoyed when people don't 're-use' what I deem to be useful! (yes number 4- you really could reuse all those beautiful gift boxes and bags you appear to chuck away every two weeks!!!!)

Ours is all free, we put batteries in a clear plastic bag on top of any bin........and then watch the bin men chuck it in the back with all the other stuff! 😮 although maybe it does get sorted on a conveyer belt at the other end as they are in a bag- well I like to hope it does.