Hagsnet - the crepey quiche

[saggarmakersbottomknocker]

Over here all you 40s and fading!

kerry- i think you need to do some serious tinking nad talking with your DH. Either you are trying/hoping for a child or youare not. if the thoguht of being Pg at your age ( and birth defect risk is very high, TBH) then you ought to be using contraception.

Crossing your fingers and wondering if you afford a PG test each time you are worried is not the way to g- if you can't afford a PG test then you can hardly afford a child!

I think it's probably not a pg - I and several other friends have had these scares, (hence the pg tests!) but thankfully always been nothing.

But you never know! Cabbage is right.

I have a complaint. I've been eating approx 1200 calories a day for 10 days, and despite an initial promising 4lb loss, have now bounced back. I seem to have lost a grand total of 1lb. All that deprivation, for that? Maybe I should just truly embrace not just the flab, but the prospect of a whale stretcher as the only means of getting out of my house.

I shall buy a sponge on a stick with which to wipe my arse, and another one to clear out the cheese from between my rolls of flab. And some clothes from Chums in 5XL.

Coming slightly late to the exercise party (although not the gardening party, of which I am the life and trowel) I have just done first 2 days of The Shred. V good! Arms and bum nice and achy, lots of sweat but didn't think I was going to die. Obviously that is only level one which I think is where I will stay for a bit - in the promo at the beginning of the dvd there was an alarming exercise involving punches with weights in my hands so I am avoiding that for as long as possible).

I'm now negating my work making chocolate cupcakes for dd's birthday party, although I did burn off a lot of calories running about like a headless chicken assembling book day costumes for 3 dcs today (Just William, Mary from The Secret Garden and Where's Wally). Does anyone else find these things come round quicker and quicker each year? I can see the kids growing up before my eyes, esp 10 yr old ds1 who veers between man-boy and little boy almost hourly. It makes me feel old .

I tried the 1200 calorie thing (which I actually think is too few!) and it nearly killed me. I need to cut out the wine (and the cheese - though I have been pretty good on that recently). Off to yoga in a bit (whoopie - lets hope teacher turns up this week)
I have a belt on this morning with my way too big LE trousers and I was looking at one of the holes and thinking 'no way did I ever wear it on that hole' but apparently I did (and a lot)

I'm having a style crisis too. I have a very particular style which I stick to because it suits me, but I'm bored with it, and I'm always convinced I can't wear 80% of things because they are all wrong for my shape/age/height/weight/whatever. But I think I've got stuck in a style rut. I might make myself go out and buy something completely different to what I usually wear - but I don't know where to start.

What is 'in' at the moment cyb?

I have to confess to buying a lot in Sainsbury's over the last couple of weeks. They have some lovely linen stuff - I've bought a couple of tunic/blouse things, (same style but different colour), a really lovely linen dress which is good enough to wear for work, and three cotton summer dresses. The dresses were spectacularly expensive at £14 each, and they were also doing a 25% off promotion! And I bought some very nice sandals that.

Shoes are always good, rubyruby . I am very haphazard in my clothes, not good at buying thing that make an outfit, iykwim. Lots of pretty tops but few bottom half options. Partly this is because dh works in retail and I tend to wear whatever I can get the discount on. This was fab when he was at Monsoon, not so good when he was working on a clubwear brand - sequinned bikini tops would raise eyebrows at our school gates. Having said that, I am having a renewed interest in clothes as I have lost about 20lbs over the last 18 months. I had a look round H&M and Next this week (NEVER usually go into Next but I liked some stuff in their ads) and was impressed that there were some nice, wearable stuff that was grown up enough but still with a nod to fashion. And not too £££.

kerry I had my menopause at almost 54. it can take years for your body to finally deplete itself of eggs. My gynae was adamant that contraception needs to be continued right up to 1 yr after your final period.

I don't want to preach but there are several "late babies" every year to women in their late 40s.

You need to take on board not simply the chance you could concieve, but also the high risk of Down's syndrome or miscarriage- both of which sadly are common in women having late babies.

Either of these would be very traumatic, so you might be better having a chat with your DH over whether you are going to try to have a baby - and all the risks that entails as an older mother- or decide not to, and make sure it doesn't happen.

Biwi,

I have long been dressed head to toe in Sainos. As is dh. We are a walking ad and should be bloody paid. And we are just so stylish and glam too.

AND - it doesn't matter! Nothing happens. The sky doesn't fall in, no one hates you (or not to your face), nada.

• Anyway, back to clothes .

I tend to bang on about this, but a visit to House of Colour to sort out the colours and styles that suit you saves a fortune on wasted clothes and takes away wardrobe angst.

You can shop pretty much anywhere (okay, maybe not Chums) if you know what suits your style and shape.

Maybe we need a Hagsnet Coat of Arms. I mean, the Middletons got a new coat of arms. . . . Gules, a glass of wine. Rampant, Black Cohosh. Jillian Michaels can be one of the supporters.

A visit to Sainos is cheaper.

My only clothes shopping opportunity is Sainsbiz, and I sneak in garments into the joint account big shop. I realised the other day, when dressed in all my 'best' new clothes, I was dressed entirely by Tu. An added bonus is that I find their clothes actually fit me, and account for such middle-aged accoutrements as 'bust' and arse. My best-fitting bras come from their too - £5 each. IN YOUR FACE, RIGBY AND PELLER.

High five, Herb

We'll need a motto, of course. And instead of an armoured helmet we could have a Face Bra.

Kerry, what about a Tessie's? They have Cherokee. Whoo hoo!