WIT or Wisdom? Who cares... the festive season is nearly upon us and one thing is certain: Avidity is the new black.

[LetThemEatCake]

Trick or treat! [hsmile]

[Fleecy]

Thank goodness! Black's never been my colour anyway - avidity suits me more...

[LetThemEatCake]

so I hope everyone had a good Halloween. Brilliant here - took the dc out to meet friends at 5ish, all dressed up (me- Puss in Boots, dh as Chimchanga Ogre (sp??) complete with onion beard, dd as Princess Fiona, ds1 as Shrek and ds2 as Ogre Baby.) Did an good hour and half of trick or treating before coming home to answer the door to all of the older kids in our neighbourhood

Funny the things that make you proud of your dc. I get that the whole HAlloween thing is commercial and horrid, so not the sort of thing where I'd expect to feel a maternal swelling of heart. But to see my dc not pushing to the front of the other kids at front doors to grab sweets, not complaining when they were given pencils instead of candy, saying thank you to all of the treaters, not eating their candy when I told them that they'd had enough, sitting down at home and divvying up the spoils to make sure that they each had the same amount and then - to my utter - replenishing the cauldron by the front door with their own recently-gained supplies bc we were running low and "there's going to be more people coming mummy". Well, blow me down.

I heart my dc

[LetThemEatCake]

oooh! happy birthday miniChoo!!!

did you have it at B or G, choo??

[CHOOGIRL]

Thanks cake. Have to beware of lurkers . Was at G! Btw Am up for 12 December meet.

[bunnymother]

Your DCs did you proud, Cake. I would have been a little teary and oh so proud.

[hf128219]

LTEC How lovely! Marking my place

[Zembo]

Pinch, punch ladies..

Thanks for new thread Cake love your halloween theme!

Vin forgot to say congrats on exam success -you've done so well esp considering all the turbulence at home.

I'm definitely not going to be able to make Dec meet - it's my DS's birthday party that day - which means I'll never get to meet Cake. Ever.

Thanks Choo, wondering if I'll pluck up enough courage to actually tell my DH before we fill another thread

NotYummy where are you?

I feel myself reconsidering Janice - Tracey is it too long or just big around shoulders?

Yangymac, Rufus, Roman hope work's not so busy that you're not managing to lurk!

Plum There is so much racism within different groups of the Indian subcontinent - can fully relate to what you say about your dad Cake My family have little to do with my DH mainly because his ethnicity (and they are all highly educated)!!!! My family value education above most other things- one way to rise above the racism.

[traceybath]

Morning All - 5.30am wake up here

LTEC - your children always sound so sweet

Choo - well done on suviving a soft-play party!

Zembo - I found the Janice a bit too long and too big on the shoulders for me. But realised if it looks fab on LTEC it quite possibly is not the right thing for stumpy me

Am on serious healthy eating regime from today.

Yes where are ny and also yangy?

[traceybath]

Oh and decided last night I really want the boden skinny leopard belt after obsessing over WIT and of course its now sold out. So will be checking the boden site regularly for returns.

I also realised she does styling for boden hence her love of it.

Think may wear stripes and leopard a la Miss WIT today.

Am still struggling on what boots to wear with skinnies day to day - I have some mid-calf ones which are ok but nothing special.

[blossoming]

She does the styling for Boden?? That would explain my love of the silk blouse, tulip skirt combo then!!

Morning all.

Hurray to cake and the new thread.

[monkeysmama]

Dd up since 5:45. I'm suffering atm as she's stopped sleeping again and the most I get is 2.5 hrs sleep at stretch. I'd be ok if she'd just get in our bed and sleep but no. Dd's comfort blanket is my hair and she cries for it constantly in the night then the pulls handfuls through her hands. It's a bit trying.

I may try that look today too Tracey. What trousers will you wear?

Thanks for new thread Cakey. Your kids sound as lovely as you and your dp.

[MarshaBrady]

Love the sound of leopard and stripes. Very fresh!

[mrsjuan]

Another crappy night here too - sympathies mm & tracey - DD awake from midnight until 3 trying desperately to tell me something about pumpkins (her latest obsession) She won't settle in out bed either - just romps around standing on her head and such like. She is fond of hair too mm but prefers eyelashes

Your children sound so adorable cake - we had some horrors round last night trick or treating "can I take 2?": er, no. Bugger off. Some cuties as well to make up for it.

Oh no - hadn't considered that all the other Janice owners are tall. Will have to see how she looks - maybe bottom width will take up some of the length!

I was going to be mega healthy from today too but DH kindly brought me toast in bed this morning to compensate for lack of sleep so will start from lunchtime.

Have a good day everyone

[monkeysmama]

I'm starting my health kick tomorrow now. I'm startin my day with a brownie .

Choo I ordered those fur cuff boots too. They are nice especially for faux leather but were just a bit too high for my life. I ordered grey and keep thinking black might have a place in my wardrobe though. Hope you like the shoeboots. I do.

[happilyeverafter]

Health kick here too - starting the day with a delicious homemade green juice. Have tail end of a cold and need an energy boost.

MM The IO pegs were not flattering on me nor the look I was aiming for. I am looking for a smartish peg/ cigarette pant that works for evening. Not necessarily suiting fabric, a slinky jersey would be fine.

I did the top tucked into skirt thing for the first time yesterday and dh thoroughly approved so will have to plan more of these. Wore a Breton tucked tightly into a short navy tulip skirt in a sweatshirt material with tights and pumps.

[bunnymother]

Choo - happy birthday to your DD. Am loving those black suede shoe boots from M&S and am having a think about ordering them. Obv for all those fab nights out I can enjoy when the twins have arrived .

DH had to help me get my new Gap boots on and since he is at work, it's ballet flats for me today as they re the only shoes I can get on by myself. Oh dear.

MrsJ, Tracey and MM - sorry to hear about disturbed nights and early wakings. Soul destroying isn't it - really changes your day and, perhaps only in my case, how you feel about parenting. DD has never been a fab sleeper but settling down now. Hope tonight is better for you.

[OllieWollieWoo]

Morning!
Not stopping as have to clean the house whilst Ds2 at pre-school (cleaner has been once in the last 5 weeks - was ill, then didnt turn up, then ill again...you know how it goes) but the M&S Tess Daly beauty range has 50% off on their website - not sure if any of you like it but I have the Body Glow and its very nice and I think the dewy luminisor and the face balm are meant to be v good? view range here. May make a nice Christmas present for someone?

[notyummy]

Hello all!

Sorry I have been AWOL. Had such a rubbish week last week that when DD and DH returned on Friday I just wanted to hunker down for the weekend and do family stuff. Loving the new thread! Have desperately tried to skim read, but I am sure I will have missed something!

Plum - love the blog. Very good read.

Cake - Your DC sound so cute. We didn't take DD out (she didn't seem that fussed so we decided we could get away with another year!) We did carve pumpkins though and got lots of trick or treaters. She handed out the sweets with her witches hat on and seemed to thoroughly enjoy that!

Fritzi - So glad the party went well. Your outfit sounded fab. I was just on the Phase Eight site looking for dresses for another thread and am pretty tempted. The Janice looks lovely, but quite similar to one I already have - but I think they have lots of other nice ones.

Zembo - Sorry you can't make the meet-up...neither can I as we are hosting a Xmas party for friends that day. Fingers crossed that everything is ok for you and that your DH is rightly delighted when he finds out.

Vin - Sorry to hear about about your DPs behaviour. Really hope you are free of all that negativity soon.

mrsJ, Tracey and MM - Sorry to hear about the wakings! Not quite in the same league, but DD went to the loo twice last night and banged around in the middle of the night, waking me up. That was frustrating enough, and not close to what you are having to put up with.

Can't remember who was looking for childrens coats, however we bought this from M and S for dd on Saturday. It is such a bargain - particularly given how much Boden charges for exactly the same sort of thing. Waterproof, warm and a lovely soft hood bit.

Am wearing a plain blueJigsaw dress today, belted, with lace tights and new peacock bracelet that DH bought me. I am STILL on the look out for the lovely grey Pradaesque M and S skirt and dress that I have seen in virtually every style supplement/Grazia etc for the last 3 months. It is still not on the website, and I beginning to think it is mythical.....

[blossoming]

Hi all, again!

I can't tell you how happy I am to be back on the school run. The last time I was out in the morning was Thursday October 21st! So my normal 2 mile a day walk (school run twice), has been out of the question. Both dcs better now though.

It's surprising that I don't have weight issues (not much anyway). My dad weighed himself this morning, declared that he had put on 5lbs over the weekend, and has been out for over an hour already sweeping up leaves, theirs and mine! They make me laugh, but also show how important regular weighing is as you get older, as it does creep up. (Especially with the amount of Sunday lunch and tea my dad can put away!)

I have posted a photo of myself this morning on profile. My take on WIT!!

[notyummy]

Looking good there Bloss.

I have put a pic on my profile of DD and I...at the moment I am her sttle inspiration. I am making the nost of it as I am sure it will not last long. Apologies for my make-up free, hungover visage (some Bono specs indoors would have worked well that day...)and the sideways iphone pic that I can't seem to turn around!

[Mumsnutterwithanaxeontheloose]

Bunny, stretching out a cheap wire coat hanger (dry cleaner type) and sliding the hook into the zipper tab of my boots then pulling allowed me to wear winter boots when preg.

(The same process, more or less, that i used for zipping up skin tight jeans when I was a teenager, several decades ago ...)

[DolceeBanana]

Hello...back from walk with dcs as eldest back at school....

Lovely weekend...leisurely shopping at farm shop (excellent), and supper out with dh on Saturday pm. Gorgeous autumnal walk at arboretum yesterday, then made choc chip flapjacks and DCs dressed up as mini ghosts whilst we had a few of the local children trick or treating...bliss.

I want the leopard belt too Tracey...think I might get the pink if its not out of stock though....Re C...wouldn't live there again..if I could have picked the house up and moved it I would.

Wearing charcoal cashmere scoop neck jumnper with white long sleeved tee with grey skinnies and Hermes style scarf...me likey!

Oh Bloss I weigh myeslf far more than is healthy and fret about any slight fluctuation! How vain/self absorbed is that???? I shall be a skinny old lady I think...

I cannot make 12 Dec as Dec very busy and have a dinner on 11th and we are away the night. I think I might struggle with Dec as we have been sociable little bunnys this year and have a few 'do's'...I can report that January is dead though!!!?

Re racism...Sounds naive maybe but I think it's intolerable and appalling that people are treated differently (or badly) because of their ethnicity or religious beliefs...It makes me so cross...and I take pains to ensure that my dcs are welcoming/friendly to all..

I have to say exceptions to the rule would include Vicky Pollard types 'Yeah but, no but, whateverrrrrrrr

[loobylu3]

LTEC- your DC sound adorable! Must make more effort with outfits next year!

Sorry to hear about lack of sleep-it's horrible :(

Can I ask you ladies if you have any recommendations for a pencil skirt?

I am after a smart black/possibly dark grey skirt for work.
I would like something hight waisted (to suck it all in) and just above the knee.
I have tried the IO one but it is far too long and I can't walk easily. Have also tried some in Zara which fitted well until I started to walk and then rode up on the hips in an unflattering way. Maybe jersey material would look better.
I could also try a tulip skirt though it may not suit me as my hips are bigger than the rest of me!

I have a couple of lovely silk blouses which I am desperate to start wearing but all my other skirts sit too low. Help please!

[DolceeBanana]

Bloss love the beret! Very WIT but you could do photo a bit closer up for those of us who haven't been able to meet you YET!

[DolceeBanana]

looby I love this skirt It does comes in grey too.....