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]

Yes, dreadful for Lily Allen.

We use Sitters too - never had a problem. We all need a little bit of me time, don't we?

They even offer sitting in the day - invaluable if you need a hair cut or similar.

Also from January they are offering a minimum of 3 hours booking, instead of 4.

Have great days ladies.

MM - had a thought - how about a weekend afternoon babysiting slot once or twice so that DP can meet the sitter, you can go to lunch together, then he can drop by to see DD as and when he feels the need over the course of the afternoon? Then keep same sitter and use her for Mid week evening babysitting, too. Poss drawback is that DD gets upset being left w babysitter, but you could pay her to do some afternoon babysitting w you so she isn't a stranger. Getting an insight into how precious we are?? Although has resulted in me getting time off!!

Morning. Felt so sad when I read about Lily Allen too. Its devastating for anyone that goes through something like that but imagine its especially hard when in the public eye.

MM - thats a difficult situation re babysitting. Sounds like you are very level headed about it though which is admirable.
Bloss luved yesterdays pic and looking forward to the stripes today - our very own WIT'er!

Went to the networking meeting of women last night - really enjoyed it. They did that thing of getting new people to stand up and say a bit about yourself - 5 women went before me all saying that have their own business or are about to start one - but it didnt seem to matter than I didnt! Found out about a workshop being run for Expat Mums looking for employment which is just what I was looking for. Just nice to do something new and meet new people. Had a faff re what to wear tho - ended up with a grey with black & magenta stripe Primark wool pleated mini skirt (there's a mouthful!), fitted grey polo neck and new shoe boots - felt nice and DH liked!

Just seen the new M&S Christmas advert - did make me smile but don't 'get' the inclusion of Peter Kay in various guises - even tho I think he is generally very funny! Maybe just me....

Ollie, glad you had fun. Your outfit sounds nice.

Bunny, thanks for the Baxters info!

MM, I understand, my dh was a bit the same but we have no family help so I insisted that we got a babysitter or I would go mad! I got her to come over an hour early so DH could talk to her.

We are off to the gym, chat later.

OWW - sounds like a great evening - mental recharge of batteries to find a group like that? Your outfit sounds like just the sort I like v much.

morning all, I was laptopless last night (DH took it with him for his work trip). So with all the extra time I actually planned my outfit for today! Unheard of for me.

And I've already had 2 compliments (also pretty much unheard of!). I ended up with: Black polo neck, black A-line short skirt, light charcoal tights, black shoeboots and a philip lim grey/black leopard print coat (it's sort of a cardigan coat).

Fritzi - depends what kind of coverage you want. For a very light coverage the by-terry tinted moisturiser is very natural. In the past I've been a devotee to the chanel pro-lumiere foundation (just worn where needed rather than all over)...but I've now tried the new Lancome one Teint Miracle and have found that I can slap it on like a tinted moisturiser but it gives good but natural coverage. I guess it depends on skin type(mine is combination but dehydrated - and very red cheeks!) but this seems to work well on me.

Tracey - hurrah for the belt...you clever thing. And I am very envious you have the energy to bake first thing i the morning.

LTEC - I think that dress looks really good...and the description of monday afternoon at cake's - bliss.

OWW - brave you doing that - and it sounds like it went really well.

I was really sad to hear about Lily Allen too. It seemed so public the way she was winding everything down to get ready to be a mother and this is so tragic.

Right - better get work done.

Hells, your outfit sounds fab. I am all dolled up in Sweaty Betty! ;

LTEC, I feel ok thanks, not really that hungry, which is unusual for me. A run will help, I think.

Carciofi , if the citizens fit you well then it may be useful to know that I sized down to a size 8 in the mat baxters and they still fell off! So I tried the 6 but they were all funny looking in the leg and still not right. My bum never got bigger while pg and I think that was the problem. I can be a 12 in topshop normally!

Morning all!

Thanks for the comments re yesterday's outfit. It was one of those moments when everything worked as it should and I looked like I always want to look i.e. chic and streamlined. It was cold but crucially dry, therefore for once I could go out without a hood. I love that Hobbs puffa.
Today, not so good. I look like I've been inside a tumble dryer. Blowing a gale, wet but warm. No photos of SRT (school run today!).

However, avert your eyes if you're stripe averse. I have taken a photo of almost all my stripey tops, and I am a bit ashamed seeing them all together. I have a mirror inside my wardrobe door, so it looks like I have double what I have even!

Thanks to HF, the voice of reason! The minute someone mentions a product like ByTerry, I find myself itching to purchase. Even though I am very happy with Touche Eclat; I bought a twin pack in the airport in the summer, of which I have one and a half left!

Outfits sound fab. Glad you had a good time last night ollie. Any more news about you selling your cookies?
I am about to start on my washbags today. Make a prototype to show dh, who is financing me! My apple tree has yielded 29 bonne maman jars of chutney. DC1 has been hamming it up saying, what is that smell?? whilst holding his nose! I have bought red and white baker's twine to wrap round the jars and have attached a small wooden spoon to each. Then I'll place them in a cellophane bag. When I'm done, I'll post photos. A month to go!

bloss - I have wardrobe envy - do you have a dressing room?! - loving all the stripes.

Bloss you are most definitely a stripes woman .

Your outfit sounds fantastic Hells as does Ollie's. Am awaiting a photo of Happily's christening outfit too.

Have resolved child care for tonight . My mum has cancelled her plans so we can go out. There are lots of transport issues tonight so means I'll have to go and stay at mum's with dd after concert but hey ho. We are slowly working through some of dp's fears around leaving dd. I sometimes get stressed about it as it means he gets a break whenever he wants work demands and I simply don't but then I smile and think I partied pretty damn hard before dd and will do again in a few years time .

Asos order just arrived and the striped dress is going back. It hangs funny and does nothing for me.

What to wear tonight? I want to wear my new M&S heels (doesn't sound very glam does it!) but not sure what with.

My fashion highlight of the day so far has been the arrival of my over the knee socks. I've tried them on with my camel dress and they're perfect.

Right, I am off to buy some things on line from Space NK. I'm going to try Eve Lom for the first time I think. My skin is parched.

MM - I used to use Eve Lom but love this. And prefer how its pump action as seems more hygienic to me.

Glad you've sorted things monkeysmama. My laura mercier primer arrived from spacenk yesterday. There was a (glass) sample of Tom Ford Black Orchid. Ooh this us nice I said to dh as I accidentally dropped it on the tiled kitchen floor. Still smells nice though!

hells, thanks. It's a floor to ceiling built in wardrobe from Hammonds. I have two sections split into 4 as does dh, then in the middle there's a joint section for long stuff, my dresses and dh's suits.

Tracey - that looks great - I will try that one next. I never quite get the cleanser thing right. I always run out of the muslin cloths.

Bloss - that sounds like a great set up. We are going to do some fairly extensive renovations soon (instead of moving) so I'm hoping to somehow squeeze in some decent wardrobes. Would you recommend hammonds - were they good to work with.

Love your wardrobe Bloss!

Hells - what you planning on having done to your house? Makes sense to extend/remodel rather than move I think.

Dolcee - meant to say - were you looking at a house in Cornwall?

hells, this is our bedroom furniture. We were really pleased with the design feature, and with the incredibly talented carpenter who built the wardrobe, the dressing table and the bedside drawers. We went with them after a flyer fell out of a magazine and we had someone round. It was easier that way, at a difficult time.

I love reading this thread and looking at all the lovely links. A quick question for tracey, do you wear your Clarkes shoe boots with skinnies or just with tights/skirts?

I am currently loving the TS Jamie skinnies. They come up quite high and so eliminate the dreaded muffin top (or worse still, builders bum when you bend down).

Thanks to all for drawing my attention to the gorgeous Italian WIT lady. She is a great source of fashion inspiration. She wears heels a lot and I feel a little tempted in that direction. Heels and kids are hard to do though, for me anyway.

I hope you lovely ladies don't mind me crashing in like this. I will also admit to reading the Plum and LTEC blogs and being at the great writing styles.

Have fun at the concert, MM

Saw someone wearing fab Belstaff boots as we were on our way back from the gym.

I think I will have to watch DD carefully with the baby! I collected her from the gym creche and she said, "wait, I have to get my baby" and took her doll out from the toy oven.

Great stripes, Bloss! I emailed you re lunch.

Roary, I remember your post about your jeans falling down! I don't put on any weight apart from the bump either so I think I am going to have to repurchase Citizens. :)

Vashaily looks like a nice range.

Pickledsiblings, I can't do heels either any more!

Last year in december Vaishaly did bogof which was fab as 2 pots of cleanser and the night nourisher have lasted me all year.

Hi Pickled! You've just flummoxed me as I don't have any clarks shoeboots although I did try some they weren't very nice in the flesh.

However I have m&s ones from last year and wear those with dresses and have worn once with skinnies but I do struggle with skinnies and heels at night - the proportions just don't seem to work on me.

Carciofi - the best jeans I got when pregnant were mamas and papas slim fit under the bump - they were the only ones that didn't fall down and I tried millions.

carciofi your dd is adorable!!

Am on iPhone on bus and have not read thus morning's post, so general wave to all.

But- mm so glad you are having a well deserved night out. It's tough isn't it. I have arranged my life so that I am pretty constantly with one or all dc but that's not to say I don't yearn for space sometimes. Moments like now, with ds2 asleep, dd and ds1 at nursery ( on my way to pick up now) and me just sitting on a bus. Nice. Have never had an overnight away from them and never go out until they are all asleep. And that's leaving them with my mum. Dh thinks I am bonkers

So the amazing red KG shoes were soooo gorgeous but too high to be practical, or wearable on more than an occasional basis. And for £190 I want to wear them a lot. So I wisely got a refund and headed to (wait for it) M&S where I got a perfectly reasonable pair of red patent block heels, lower and v.comfy for £25. Also the brown lace dress for times style (haven't tried on yet£ Tried on the silver and purple lace one over my jeans and it is gorgeous. But too eveningy, which I don't need right now.

Tracey I saw the reiss lace dress in rl, so so beautiful!! Thank you for thinking of me in connection to something so lovely.

bloss your post last night made me laugh and laugh. Could just hear your voice with your lovely Welsh lilt saying the words, all shredded and indignant. Thanks for the colours advice. I suspect I may be a winter?

oww well done I would have bottled it! Outfit sounds great

Hello all!

Blossoming - am in awe of your stripey avidity. I think I have 2 striped tops and now feel but a callow youth in comparison! Wardrobe looks good too. We have quite a few wardrobes (counts on fingers) - 3 built in ones, plus 3 freestanding (2 of which in garage!) They are not all full of clothes though. I would love a incredibly well organised and laid out one though. I do my best, but they are all very basic in terms of 'storage solutions' so sometimes struggle to find things.

MM - Glad your mum came up trumps. Unless we used babysitters we would never go out together, as nearest parents are 4 hours away. They wil help, but obviously it need to be a big thing (like a weekend away/big work requirement) that I would ask them to undertake such a trip for. We have always used ladies from the nursery DD attends and that has worked well. She has NEVER yet woken up, since she was 7 months old (first time we left her with anyone not family). £6 an hour to watch our Sky TV and eat my biscuits - no wonder we usually find someone!! (I realise that is cheap compared to London rates....but in this area the average wage is around £14K, so that rate for not doing anything is considered good.)

Am in a grump today. Very sore hip that is inhibiting my exercise routine. Will have to see a sports physio, as the generalist one was rubbish. Also still struggling with spots and (TMI alert...) just found one in my ear which is SORE.

Not very A & W I am afraid. My outfit suits my mood...flats, 6 year old pair of NL black trousers and 5 year old TS blue top. I have seen some nice dresses in Warehouse, but I have so many dresses already I feel I really shouldn't.

On a positive and less whingy note...I just booked my second weekend away in January. Will be going here en famille in early January, and now I have just booked here with 4 friends later in january. We all went to school together and now live all over the place so we meet up for shopping/spa breaks twice a year and have a great catch-up over too much wine. One will be 34 weeks pregnant so perhaps no wine there...and another is marrying male model/Madonna's ex-boyfriend a few weeks after the meet-up so there will be a lot of wedding talk I am sure!

Oh and bloss I am finding the sugar thing hard!! Am realising that I have massively sweet tooth ( endless fruit, honey on Greek yoghurt etc) even though I thought my lack of treaty things and sugar on coffee etc made me reasonably 'good'. How long til the cravings go? And what were the first benefits you felt/ noticed?

Are these the ones tracey?

I like the broad heel as my thighs are a bit too large for spindly heels (picture an elephant on a small podium).

The toe looks a funny shape. What didn't you like about them?

Thanks bloss - that is really helpful. I shall be picking the collective A&W brain on this when we get a clearer idea of what we will be doing...but Tracey current plan is extend kitchen into useless side return (which will make a decent size but be no means huge room). And possibly convert current wet room (in place when we moved in - real wow room but with hugely impractical) into a bedroom for DD and turn her bedroom into an en-suite with possible dressing room type thingy for us. This may not be possible...architect will advise on thurs! All very much cheaper than moving though there is the danger we are squeezing everything out of a house that is probably too small for us really.

Carciofi - at DD

MM - hurrah for DM stepping in to help. It does sound very tricky.

LTEC - wise and avid all in one shop. Perfection.

Pickled - welcome - the more the merrier. And I'm with you on the heels thing.

NY - sorry about the hip and I hope the physio can work some magic. But on the plus point those breaks you've booked look fab.