Is it worth bothering, my first Christmas tip...
Hope you had a lovely weekend - was in the country and saw some gorgeous fireworks displays - but I felt a bit sorry for all the local cats and dogs. Thankfully doesn't seem to bother my cats for some reason....completely unfazed.
Looking forward to doing my regular agony slot on Sue Marchant's programme tonight on BBC radio Eastern regions - do get in touch after 715 if you have a dilemma. Although she and I often end up gassing about all sorts of relationship issues.
Has it been worth even bothering with Downton Abbey the last few weeks? Even more ridiculous this week - after Lavinia's death Matthew walked around looking like he should be on a vampire movie set.
And Lord Grantham and the housemaid's parting was OTT - they'd barely had a kiss and there they were acting like they'd had a ten year affair.
ITV should never have rushed this second series...but that doesn't mean I won't be watching the next series - strangely addictive!
At X Factor it's also turned into panto - a complete joke that Frankie stayed in - the hype is bigger than the show - and certainly bigger than the contestants’ talents. Do we really care if Kelly and Tulisa have made up and now Louis is falling out with everyone?
TODAY’S TIP: Back to thinking of my agony slot tonight - I'm already getting e-mails from people worried about Christmas - the stress, the money, getting along with their family.
I'll have many tips to come over the next few weeks but my first one is about budgeting. Look at your finances and budget now and then don't spend one penny more than you can afford.
People's finances are in such bad shape and it's time to think about giving gifts that aren't costly but are more thoughtful.
If, e.g., you're any good at baking then think about some lovely little biscuits you could bake and wrap up in tissue paper and ribbon.
Or give a gift of your time - in a card you can write out a 'gift voucher' saying you'll come over on a specific day and help with chores, etc.
Christmas shouldn't be about how much money you can spend and yet we all end up caught in a trap!
Happy Monday, Pam x