We are avidly wearing our spring/summer buys, whilst wisely wondering when autumn/winter will arrive....

[notyummy]

Use this thread instead! I mucked up the title of the other one

Also have a couple of white shirts. Might wear one today with jeans and trench. Torrential rain here. Don't want to complain though as DH has taken DD to kindergarden and I am sitting in bed with laptop sipping tea.

Morning all!

Weather is meh here - although apparently improving later.

White shirt - I have one, although I don't think it is that great in terms of quality and cut. White isn't my colour really, although I would have thought it would suit you with your colouring LTEC.

Zembo - Hope Ramadan is a peaceful time for you. Do you have plans for nice meals to break the fast?? -I realise I may be missing the point!

I can make the 16th October. Should be fine for me.

LTEC - That blue dress is really nice, and looks quite versatile. A bargain! I'm not sure I will go for the fur gilet, but I am sure some of you ladies will look fab.

Right, compiling two capsule wardrobes tonight:

1. 2 nights in canal boat. Am thinking shorts, houlilikies, UO combats and various tops. Flat shoes/sandals. Have to find some things I feel semi-gorgeous in, as friend we are meeting up with we haven't seen since our wedding and he is bringing petite, gorgeous new girlfriend(in my mind anyway; I haven't actually seen her - but she is Japanese and most Japanese ladies look petite and gorgeous to me!)

1. A week in Tuscany - now that BAA and the unions have stopped messing us around (Cake!) I can quickly compile Italian holiday capsule wardrobe no 2 for 2010. Am picking up 2 new maxis from Asda this afternoon, so will see if they make the list. We have limited baggage allowance on Ryanair so I am under strict instructions from DH to be VERY capsule in my thinking! I know you are doing the hand baggage challenge Cake - well done! Also, are you getting priority boarding?? We were debating it last night. Would welcome anyone's thoughts on whether it is worth it.

Lastly - MM - how did your Shredding go??

Morning!

Yes...white shirts here! Love a tailored shirt with jeans...

talking of classics:

Am thinking of getting this and this

Gosh, had babies (DD) rather late 8 month check (at 10 months), and she's 91st centile for height! I wondered why the 12 month dungarees and trousers were all just skimming ankles!

Weather miserable, feeling grumpy and tired!

Hope you all have a good day!

www.johnlewis.com/94401/Style.aspx

www.johnlewis.com/55765/Style.aspx

Notyummy - Ryanair is dreadful. I doubt priority boarding will go any way to changing that. Buy yourselves a great big delicious gelato - that you will enjoy!

I know Bunny - I am dreading it!! Have only flown with them before sans DD. We desperately tried to avoid them, however the times were much better for us than any of the other airlines (and they were £300 cheaper as well.)

We flew with Jet2 in June and they were very good....I suspect we will be comparing unfavourably!

Yes, second Bunny. Have flown Ryanair before and not a good experience (stranded in Italy by them), so I hope you have a better time ny. Don't think it's worth paying priority boarding with them.

HELP! DS1 is having a small birthday party tomorrow afternoon (7 x 5 year olds) and we planned it thinking the weather would be ok to take them to the local playground and play various games - mostly football realated. But..... the weather forecast for tomorrow is terrible - lots of heavy rain and if its anything like today, no chance of getting outside!

So, I either need a load of game ideas or do we just suck up the cost, and cop out and take them to see Toy Story 3 at the cinema????

The game ideas on the list are:

• Notyummys great hula hoops on a string;
• Whats In The Box ? - have random items in a box and the kids have to guess what each one is just my feeling it - boys love this game apparently!
• Making flying saucers from paper plates and having a who can fly the furtherst competition (nout sure house is long enough for this!)
• A lego building competition - eg give each kid a pile of lego and ask them to build a boat, tower, rocket etc etc

And thats about it! Will post on the parties thread but would love some ideas from you clever lot! The above list may seem like a lot but I always think that games seem to go really quickly at parties and are over before you know it! Am quite tempted by the cinema thing tho - would that just be the lazy thing to do tho?????

What about the classic trio :

pass the parcel, musical chairs, sleeping lions...a good 15 mins per game?

Cinema a good option too...

Ooooh Dolcee - loving the barbour - prefer that to the international I think.

Think am going to have a barbour for my birthday - a proper warm waterproof is very enticing

Or the Anya/Barbour one

Whats the collective wisdom ladies?

Of the two jackets, I think I prefer the Barbour 'kate' one.

OWW - Games - variations of the hula hoops one include ducking for apples and also getting a pack of doughnuts (obviously not ring ones...), threading a string through each one and seeing who can eat theirs with hands behind their back.

Musical bumps

Treasure hunt - quicker version to avoid writing clues etc; just call out hot/cold/warmer/warmer. If you have an adult helper you could split them into 2 teams, each with a treasure to find and see who is the quickest.
The box game you mentioned worls well, as does the 'tray' game. Get a tray and put around 10 items on it, covered with a cloth. Uncover and let them study items for 30sec to a minute. Take away and remove item. Bring back tray...first person to spot winning item winning prize.

Agree with notyummy Tracey - much as I like the idea of you wearing a jacket called Minx tho !

Had thought about the treasure hunt game - I've got loads of little plastic frogs I could hide or I could give each team a picture list with 5 things on to find.

Boys would love musical bumps too!

Think I am a bit nervous about it all cos DS1 has yet to experience a proper Dutch style party - we've always been away for the ones he has been invited to thr school. No idea if they even play pass the parcel here!

Have to make cakes for the class tomorrow and have painted a cardboard box grey and cut it out to look like a castle to put them in - nicked the idea off a Mum from another class I saw doing it! Why we can't hand them over in a cake tin I do not know!!

Yes...am asking DH for it for my bday too! How funny! I love the shape, it's waterproof, stylish and the lining is just beautiful!

Off to get some birthday stuff for DD after lunch...so catch up later!

Dolcee - popped into estate agents in Marshfield earlier to see if anything new coming up.

Interesting chat where he said a lot of vendors are still insisting at putting propertys on at more than they're being valued at - is there no end to people's greed?

Notyummy - make sure you don't lose your savings on tickets by paying excess luggage fees - it cost us £180 for 9kgs when we went to Venice. I nearly cried. Will not fly Ryanair again.

Tracey and Dolce - I also prefer the Barbour Kate. Although what do you think of this Uniqlo one? Minx looks lovely, but am thinking that as it isn't fitted might be a bit "draughty".

OWW - oh I feel for you - the cold and wet weather is so tough for entertaining DCs, isn't it?! You have some great suggestions from the ladies, though.

I can do 16th October, too. Will be enormous and not even remotely stylish, but looking forward to it anyway!

Bunny - DH will have his finely calibated scales at the ready! I think he aims to be AT LEAST 1 kg under the baggage allowance - working on the assumption that the dodgy gits at the check-in desk will have their scales set high!

Ha ha, of course Mr Yummy will - he isn't exactly a "leave it to chance" kind of guy is he? Still, you will end up w £180 that we don't have, as a result

NY I would get priority boarding as you are travelling with children, otherwise you might find it hard to all sit together. Only fly with them if no other alternative, but we've never had a problem.

I'm hoping to get the Anya Barbour when it's back in stock. It's the quilted one I'm after.

I totally destroyed my favourite breton last night, in a fit of hormonal idiocy, put it in the machine, and the navy stripes bled into the cream silk and it's now grey and yucky. I could have cried. What was I thinking???

OWW party games sound good, probably a novelty for Dutch children, although I would feel no guilt about a trip to the cinema, they would all love it, and no cleaning up

I am so indecisive - right think the Kate is the one for me but now what colour - black or navy.

Would normally always go for navy but think the black looks nice and prefer the lining.

Decisions decisions . . .

I would go for black as it goes with everything (+ can tie coloured wool scarf around your neck), and I only have 1 parka, whereas I have lots of jackets so would get a jacket in both navy and black. Hope that helps...

Tracey is it the utility jacket with the liberty lining? I always go for navy in winter as it's more forgiving of my deathly pallor, but I would go for black if it suits you, looks more chic in that jacket. I think the shape would suit you, and it's definately a classic.

Yes its that one VB and do agree that the black looks lovely and would go with lots.

However am not convinced black suits me and tend to think navy a bit kinder on my pallor. But then thought the black actually looked more charcoal.

Suppose could order both but thats a faff.

I do like the anya quilted one but think I'd prefer it if it was a little slimmer fitting and also really want waterproof.

Maybe oder the black and see how it is in RL? I want the long Anya coat, but I am always a bit suspisious of the actual existance of waiting lists!