Would a camel cape be entirely wise? Or a pair of houlihans a bit too avid?? Who cares!

[notyummy]

Please join me ladies. Don't want to be too sad and lonely on a Friday night.......

NotYummy I meant to thank you for tip too though my sister went into 5 Gaps yesterday (Oxford St etc) and couldn't find them? You saw them in a shop didn't you?

More later.

Fleecy outfit on FB looks great but somehow I think it was the person in the clothes turning heads rather than the clothes themselves!!

marsha glad you had a lovely night, taking baby with sounds v sensible indeed. L now sleeping 7.30-5am, and the only bf is at when he first wakes up - am feeling mixture of relieved and bereft. (hasten to add he goes back to sleep for a couple of hours after 5am feed, in bed with us, ah lovely cuddles)

names - dc3 would have been Anoushka Emiliana (prob still choose this if there is a dc4, and if a girl!) Nameberry funny for my dc - dd apparently rolls several trends into one name and has a spice girl connotation!! ds1 has a name that is 'just waiting to be discovered' and ds2 very popular in Germany Anyway, they all have nice meanings.

My name means Princess

tracey sorry shopping not more productive, though maybe that's a good thing.

disappointed re Zara though as i usually do well there.

carciofi awful about your dad, you being home will be a tonic, I'm sure.

On the holiday packing thing - just could not/ would not pay Ryanair baggage charges (I mean, the cheek of them! it's not even like the flights are budget, not really - still well over £800 to fly the 5 of us to Italy) so it is going to be the Great Holiday CApsule Wardrobe challenge - carry on only!!!

ds2 stressing me out with his pulled-up standing and attempts at cruising - not ready for this!!!

sorry one last thing - watched a film called The Road with dh last night - OMG how depressing. Also- are any of you menu planners?? Words were spoken last night about my eating and how it's having a detrimental effect on dh and I do tend to be quite disorganised about food shopping/ cooking (although everyone eats well, don't get me wrong - lots of fruit and veg, maybe not quite so much meat as dh would like) - anyway am wondering whether I should go down the meal planning route, as it might make cooking a bit less stressful (esp with the big two always wanting to 'help' and ds2 clinging around my legs)

any advice? Might have a squizz on the food boards as well ...

I lied - there is one more thing. Read somewhere that belted knitwear is key this AW. Wearing my Isabella Oliver cable cosy last night (not happy about that - too early for knitwear but man alive it was nippy last night!) - anyway, was fab for bfing and covering up last winter but now slightly too voluminous and flappy ... added belt and voila! whole new lease of life.

Morning. DS1 and DH went to see a mountain biking film at the cinema last night whilst I stayed in DS1 was very excited though

LTEC - I am trying to do a bit more menu planning as spend too much on ad hoc groceries. So have actually just spent last hour doing waitrose online.

When are you off to italy?

LTEC - I try to menu plan on a Sunday evening and do the supermarket shop on a Monday - but plan fizzles out by Wednesday! We had to read The Road for out Bookclub - the most depressing thing I have ever, ever read. There is just no hope in the book - just soul destryoying sadness.

Am meant to be clearing/cleaning the spare room & en-suite ready for my twin sisters arrival with kids on Tuesday but not motivated!

monkeysmama shoes were in magazine.

ltec I menuplan for sanity and cost reasons, I have a list if about 15-20 meals on fridge and pick off those mon-fri and then try to get something more adventorous/nicer/new for sat-sun.

Am in Starbucks and DS jumping on chairs so gotta go but will respond. More later.

Hi, hopefully things will pick up, there are a lot of people in the same boat unfortunately. The banks aren't lending and he is seeing a lot of good clients with sound businesses go under.

Blossoming, no, still haven't found my cards!

I watched The Road, it gave me nightmares!

I plan the weekly meals in advance and have the recipe books open as I order online.

We are going out for lunch, back later.

I found a different version of the humming bird dress but it's not a maxi...

I meal plan too but we eat very boring, plain food. Something like I had growing up. Definitely not the lovely spicy, Thai etc food I used to make when dh and I were first together.
We have Sunday lunch with all the trimmings and leftovers on Monday. Spag bol, lasagne, butcher's sausages, pasta, rice, salmon. Chicken casserole, beef stew in winter, chilli without chilli, bacon, boiled ham with parsley sauce. We all love ratatouille made with tomatoes onion and courgette so I make a vat of that. I only cook once a day, then it's a sandwich or something on toast. Meat dependant so not v helpful to ltec, sorry.
I shop every day locally and go to Sainsbury's Which is 30 miles away just for wine. I'm addicted to Brouilly and Fleurie.

We're flying to Nice but the campsite is an hour passed Cannes towards St Tropez. We're away till the end of the holidays so I hope to do a few days out.
We went in 2003 on a sort of honeymoon before the wedding and ate in Mougins, shopped in Gucci in Monaco, drove to Italy for lunch and also did the roman relics in Provence. I love going to that area so much, and there's always the chance of seeing a hungover Victoria Beckham at the airport!!
After another wet summer here in Wales there's a chance I may see the sun next week! Can't wait. But will miss you all.

fleecy - Your outfit sounds lovely. Not sure about the peep toe boots, sorry. Wouldn't your feet feel boiling in the heat and toe freezing when it is a bit colder?

Oh, I think I'll have to give The Road a miss...

Just checked Nameberry for my name and the only information it offered was "gender: female". Well that's a relief . DH's name means "beloved". I so want my name to mean princess or beloved or something equally beautiful ...

fritzi do you mean ds2's name? Spanish/Portuguese for lion

Ah, I see! That is a gorgeous name for a boy. My friend's DD has the female form of the name. She is a true lioness

Really not sure why I was so cloak and dagger about that!
Phoenix(dd) ,
cassian
leon

Oh thanks loads beachy!!

Hi all
back after farm hols in Devon. Too much to catch up on! bloss picked up the leather jacket today. I find it generally short and may size up - will show it to a friend.

I also got the popcorn poncho from white company and love it. But not quite sure how I will wear it! I suppose like a light jacket?

Dh is getting me diamond studs for our annivesary and I am so excited. His barrister colleagues are advising!

Can someone advise me re belts? Having had no waist for 2 of the last 3 yrs means am out of date. Do they need to match shoes? Are we still belting dresses and cardigans?

mm and Libra - Gap wedges were in Marie Claire - and yes, no mention when in the shops. Would imagine there may be some customer help line where you check when they are out? I haven't googled so don't know!

Meal planning - yes, def. Try and work on one red meat, couple of white meat, couple of fish and couple of veggie days. Any 'hot sauces/stews, I make a big batch of and freeze. Things like:

Spag Bol
Veggie pasta bake
Chops or chicken breasts with veg/cous cous
Various types of curry
Salmon
Fish and prawn 'stew'
Mushroom stoganoff
Giant mushrooms on ciabatta with goats cheese
Use chorizo quite a bit to chuck into things occasionally to flavour - also smoked paprika

Any leftover go into a pasta sauce. Wilting veg get roasted with balsmaic vinegar and either served up as is, or put in a suace. Most things on the list above are served with a big salad.

Not much bread, and pasta/rice are wholemeal and portions carefully measured to less than what is on the side of the packs! As those of you who have put up with my rants on 'balanced eating' will know, I tend to try and not cut anything out of my/our diets, but having read up on low GI principles, on the whole I try and follow them as they seem sensible and sustainable.

The Road - haven't seen the film, as I read the book and found it sooooo dark. That scene in the house where the find the people in the cellar....those of you have seen/read it will know what I mean. I decided that despite the mainly positive reviews, I couldn't face it. That said, I think the author intended the ending to be about the redemptive power of love, and leave you feeling a little iplifetd - not sure if it always works though!!

Just back from a party at the dreaded soft play centre. Was alright actually! Just off to watch 'The Adventures of Sinbad' - skyplussed for DD. Thought at 4 she was old enough to start to enjoy the Harryhausan special effects!

roary, the boden jacket is going back here. Way too short for me at the back. Almost cropped. And I'm 5'7.
How tall are you? I know you're teeny tiny though!
Great news re diamond studs. I love mine, they're from Boodles.

god feeling like crap wife/ mother re the meal planning; thought I was going to get laughed at for even suggesting it on this thread and it turns out loads of you are well into it!!

Must. Lift. Game.

roary am all about the belts. Think they make loads of things look better, personally. Great news on your diamond studs!! DH bought me some from Tiffany after dd was born .. he doesn't seem to have ever noticed that I took them back and sized up

think half the prob with meals here is that I get too distracted by clothes when trying to do online grocery shopping so I end up just 'nipping into the supermarket" and everything ends up being a bit ad hoc, as most times I get as far as Starbucks and a soy capp and abort mission as it all seems like too much bother with the 3dc, esp with the siren song of the park across the way and a lovely hot coffee in my hand. So I cobble together whatever we have (luckily I am actually quite a good cook, believe it or not) which the kids are happy with - and then, bc Dh's hours are so random, I'm out of the habit of factoring him in - so he's always a bit dismayed when he comes home to an empty stove and I'm always a bit nonplussed when he turns his nose up at my bowl of spinach

However. Kids have just had steak and veg, which will be cooked as Thai Green Curry for dh and nephew later when back from shoot. For me, um, spinach??

cake - I had bookmarked this a while ago but haven't tried to do a menu plan for a whole week. I'm also rather "creative" when it comes to cooking as it is only DD and me for dinner during the week and DH often eats out.

I think the thing with me is, unless I plan meals and shop accordingly, it would all go to rats because I am out of the house either at work or commutting 10/11 hours a day Monday - Thursday with no chance to shop. I sometimes shop on Friday, but do an online order at least once a month, and if we have people coming.

This week I am cooking for relatives on Thursday (fish, no meat), so have ordered a big shop to arrive on Wednesday to cater for rellies and big dinner party on sunday. Doing smoked haddock risotto and salad with mini chocolate puddings for family. Sunday we have 6 friends coming over for dinner. Chilli chorizo tagine with cous cous and salad, plus choc meringue stack for dessert.

I do rip receipes out of magazines if they meet my relatively healthy (not the puddings obviously....)and not too fiddly criteria. I then try them out, and if they are no fuss and get a positive reception, they stay in my folder...otherwise in the bin. I also find the BBC Good Food website is AMAZING for simple receipes that fit every criteria (fish only/low fat etc etc)

Not too wise and avid there.....

On a W & A note. My favourite espadrille wedges that I have had for 7 years and have just come back into fashion fell apart today when we went out for lunch. Gutted! The fact that I paid £10 from New Look means I really cant complain about the cost per wear - DH is going to try and mend them for him tomorrow.

'What a shame' he said to me 'They make your outfit'

It is W&A though yummy. I am realising that meal planning is economical, thus more spare cash for wardrobe. It reduces poss of poor eating, thus better figure for clothes. So very wise and lending itself well to avidity.