Whoever said money can't buy happiness, simply didn't know where to go shopping - or the Wise & Avid lot!

[OllieWollieWoo]

Stamp on the new thread (quote from Bo Derek btw!!!)

Can't believe you remembered my size, so million thanks again and fingers crossed it will fit! Hope you got your work finished last night. DD still at home with terrible cough and temp and I really don't know when I will ever get to finish editing that manuscript on my desk.

Morning all!
Can you believe phase 8 having such a 'moment'?!

Mine should arrive today or tomorrow ollie, thanks. I was hoping to rack your brains a bit. I'm thinking of taking a stall in the annual late night Christmas market. I've sold home made gingerbread, tree decorations, mincemeat, before but on the preschool stall. This time I want to do it for me. I've seen a lovely wool/tweed fabric I could make cafetiere covers/tea cosies with. Also I have a pattern for a child's apron if I found the right fabric. I thought I'd do half and half produce and crafts. Any ideas? Tia.

How can there be 128 posts already??

Right, right.... I am obviously going to have to buy a Phase Eight dress...even if they are all named after girls in a 1930s Boarding School novel! (Chalet school series, anyone?)

I looked at them a few weeks ago when I was finding links for someone else on a thread and thought they looked nice.

Yangy - Sorry to hear about the row. It happens to all of us, but that doesn't make it any less infuriating.

LTEC - Love the fashion fairy moment!

Blossoming - Am most impressed with your creativity. I can cook/bake but most other things beyond me. And my presentation not alwasy the best.

MM - Sorry to hear to you are feeling down. There are a few of us on this thread that can relate to the single parent feeling. It can get wearing.

Liking the make-up tips. I also rate Space NK, although never fail to come out clutching some hugely expensive unguent as I love the Ren and Rodial stuff they stock. I am asking for vouchers from there as a Christmas pressie (DHs family always ask for ideas, so atleast I can direct them there...and the Amazon wish list!)

Am wearing new H & M striped sweater dress today. Mothers help told me it was 'lovely'. It is certainly vibrant - blue, fuscia, orange, grey and navy stripes! Wearing with charcoal opaques and grey shoe boots.

Well. This is a strange couple of days in the NY household. Yesterday DH found out that we are liking to take an income hit (Defence Review) plus they are getting rid of two of the aircraft that he was hoping to be in charge of. (Basically if you want to get to 'the top' then you have to have run a Squadron of aircraft....his chances of that have just become a LOT slimmer.) This afternoon (Spending Review) I find out the precise date I become unemployed. So overall, an 'interesting' week!

blossoming I bookmarked this a while ago as I wanted to sew aprons as kids' Christmas presents. Haven't tried it though. Also came across instructions for sewing children's aprons from teatowels. Seemed easy and cute. Will search and report back.

Cakey I love the sequin jacket. I have a similar one I've had for years and it's been worn loads. On the makeup front, Biotherm do a great range of comfort foundation for olive skins.

Cakey I love the sequin jacket. I have a similar one I've had for years and it's been worn loads. On the makeup front, Biotherm do a great range of comfort foundation for olive skins.

Oh, other thing I meant to say...

First parents evening last night! TEacher was very nice and gave me an outline of DD that I could definitely recognise! Her drawing/arts and crafts stuff is fabulous and far beyond what most children in reception are doing. Her maths/number stuff is excellent ('really impressive') was the phrase - and I have noticed that she seems to be doing stuff with DH that I wouldn't have expected. She really enjoys doing 'sums' and will happily sit with a pile of blocks and add up 6 + 7/9+ 5 etc and get the right answer. She obviously gets it from him! Reading coming on well. So all very proud pfb mummy stuff.

And then came the 'however'! The teacher used a great phrase which I am sure she saves for these occasions. 'She is very bright little girl with an enquiring mind and this can lead to occasional bad behaviour...' Apparently she likes to sit with a few of the little boys and then basically leads them astray. The example given was after a 'scientific enquiry' session last week when they were looking at the effects of water, she led her little boyfriends into the toilets afterwards where she got them all to put hand towels down all the loos. When caught, she then claimed it was all part of the 'scientific enquiry' to see what happened....

We will be having words!

Outfit sounds fab NY. An intense week for the NYs.

I too, am in colours.
Plaid wool shirt dress- violet, mustard, olive from small ahem directional Japanese boutique near Savile Row.

Vanessa Bruno mustard skinny belt. Ecru Wolford tights and VB boots.

Love all these Phase Eight purchases. A rush!

Tracey - the white co fress sounds fab...thanks for thinking of me

Cake - babes good...thanks. They are much better. Horrid to see c pox on their cherubic faces though....hideous...I'd def have given the vaccination if I'd known about it, I think...although some children get it fairly mild (DS thankfully), DD1 really suffered poor mite. Dress is fab too...

Re wedding ring, well, let's just say in a fit of pique (justifyingly so, I think, at 34 weeks preggers), I did a Heather Mills, only it landed in shrubbery and ne'er has been seen again. When I'd calmed down (he'd criticised my rice!...okay the pan -an Aga one incidentally- had burned out but hey!), I thought, 'oh, well, he'll buy me another one', but oh no...he was allegedly very shocked and a upset that I could do such a thing ! (er, throw the ring)...So, has held out. Indefinitely I think. In Charlie and Lola style he will not never buy me a wedding ring again. Okay, I'll have an eternity ring then. Notice I didn't throw the Cartier though, so not completetly deranged! Can't believe you got that out of me...

Might drag the girls to Westonbirt this am for a breath of fresh air. Might see you there Tb...if you spot frazzled Mum with spotty girls (they've now scabbed over and it's 7 days since spots first appeared okay!)....Phew........

Notyummy....well done...clever girl...I do like children with a bit of character! Slight naughtiness is a sign of intelligence I think.....

Marsha - outfit, as per usual sounds fab! I like mustard and yellow on blondes...

Thanks Dolce!

Dh is home today. He doesn't have enough holiday time to go away (as use most for Aus). But I really love it when he is home mid-week. Radio, eggs, coffee together. So nice.

I love the ring story!!

DH once tried to wrestle my engagement ring off me before we got married when we had a drunken humdinger of a fight in front of all his friends. I had been given a big bunch of flowers (he was leaving a job and his boss had given me the flowers, as well as pressie for him.) I wacked round the head with the flowers to stop him getting the ring, thereby ruining a huge beautiful bunch of flowers.

It sounds really shocking when you se it written like that, and it was probably the worst fight we have ever had. We are not normally like that, and certainly not in front of others. It was like those terrible 'fly on the wall' documentaries showing disgraceful drunken behaviour in the city centre at night. Only this was in the lobby of a posh country house hotel. I cringe thinking about it.

I can't believe how quickly this thread moves on so catching up quickly!

vino- it's easy to be 'super mum' when you have an army of nannies/ housekeepers to enable you to be beautifully dresses/ coiffed! Much harder if you have to do everything yourself and still look good. However, looks are nothing compared to good manners and a little humility! :)

LTEC-I think I also bumped into the lovely P8 dress the other day but didn't try as DD was starting to get fed up! It looks lovely!

YM- sorry to hear about your rubbish evening :(
Where might you be relocating to? It could be a fantastic move!

dolcee- sorry to hear about the c/pox- kids do normally heal really well.

Must go and take DD out....

NY was thinking of you yesterday when I saw the MoD cutbacks on the news. Love the "enquiring" mind! I always like to see spirited children. Better to be a little adventurous (naughty) rather than meek and mild I think. They will go much further in life. IMHO
Dolcee what a story! (And you too NY. Now I wonder where your DD gets the feistiness from!) But at least you can blame the hormones Dolcee.
I once gave DH back the engagement ring when I felt he'd been a total pray at a friends wedding. A lot of alcohol had been consumed! Put it in his jacket pocket. Was very relieved to find it still there next day. Phew!

Thanks all have made up today (of course) and have people coming tonight for my sister's brithday but I know by tomorrow night I will be stressed and frustrated and angry again therefore a similar row could easily falre up again!

One of the reasons I want to relocate is that I can't have any quality of life here in UK working FT with 2 children when you factor in the commute and the cost of domestic help. Therefore I feel permanently stressed and like I am failing at everything (work and home). I am constantly angry at DH ffor not doing enough to help me but he feels he does do enough (he cooked dinner last night for example and looks after kids for 1.5 hours every day in the evenings before I get home). Plus he is stressed himself about work.

I imagine (perhaps unrealistically) that the domestic help I would be able to afford in Asia should I get a job there would be very different and free me up to enjoy life again. and that ultimately I would be able to save and get ahead financially which I just can't do in London.

Cant believe there are so many posts on the new thread already!! Love the title OWW, good choice
Really liking the Janice and Bertha dresses. Cant believe the names though - not v stylish!!

Its lovely to be able to keep up (ish) with the thread again and read how you are all doing.

Drinks 6th cup of coffee - Bea up for about 4 hours in the night wanting cuddles and to play . Everytime I put her in cot she screamed, took off her pyjamas and her nappy! And then DH getting cross as he was tired - double .

Anyway - Dolcee and NY - smiled at your stories. Especially Dolcee not chucking the cartier

Sorting out lots of returns today - and resisting the phase 8 dress. Lovely as it is I have plenty of going out clothes and can't see wearing it in the day but oh its so pretty.

Seeing financial adviser tonight to discuss mortgages - have no idea how much banks are lending nowadays. Interesting chat with DH though who is really keen on barn where as I'm much more 'oh yes lets have a few fun conversations about it but not really' ho hum.

Yangy - I found around the 8 months old mark really tough with mine as the night wakings to feed are just so exhausting - looking back I was very low at that point. Sounds like a move could be a very good idea and give you some options - I'm a great one for having options

NY - scarey times - would you set up your own business perhaps? I imagine you'd be very good at that.

Sunday 12th December is good for me.

LTEC - the christmas fashion fairy

ny love the idea of your little girl leading the boys astray, brilliant . Don't make fancy food for the kids unless you were going to eat it yourselves later too, it's soooo depressing when they just look at it and cry . Messy food is no prob here as have a golden retriever to clean the floor

I have been watching old episodes of SATC and I just want some Manolos now. I'm so shallow. Has anyone got any? I'm taking DH to Old Church St for my birthday outing on 30 October.

Bonkers ap is still here and has made the most exquisite Halloween costumes for the dcs, a fantastic dragon with scaly wings for ds2 and a full on velvet wizard for ds1 who's deep in a Harry Potter moment. Ds3 is getting a puma (his request!). I'll post a pic when they're finished.

I've decided she's useful and have asked her to make me a tablecloth and re-cover the dog bed!

Oh yes, I meant to say Esher that I would definitely tucked into your lasagne...sounded lovely!

Yangy I'd move to the Far East this afternoon if the opportunity came up. My destinations in order of preference would be: Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, Singapore, KL, Hanoi. I'm not keen on anywhere with too much violent crime, but wouldn't rule out Rangoon or Pnomh Pen. Not Jakarta or Manila - too many terrorists. Where could you go?

Our ft domestic help hired through a govt agency (it was compulsory at the time) in China cost USD 220 per month for a 40hr week. We paid about 50% of that on top as extra, but lots of people didn't. My chinese friends hired cleaners for 50p/hr, but this is 8 yrs ago (might be 80p by now....)