AVIDly purchasing lavender, orange, yellow and pink for spring is a WISE thing.

[FritziGreenEyes]

Sorry for poor thread title but I am hopeless at rhyming at the best of times...
Unbelievable how quickly we filled the last thread!

Had one hour on Friday before the meeting started and used my time very efficiently and bought these. They are not quite as high as the 50/50s but suit me better. Was hugging the shopping bag close to me on the train back home yesterday .

ollie Such a shame that your DH isn't going to go with the job offer over here. Oh, the fun we could have!

hopefully Having you on this thread is great and I enjoy reading your posts a lot. I hope your mother doesn't find any more tidying tasks for you today. You look fab in your wedding pictures.

annie Hope you got all your work done last night and have the chance to get some rest today.

red We have our hob on our kitchen island too. We couldn't decide on backsplash for ages. Haven't had one for ages and it is absolutely fine. I do most food preparation stuff on the island anyway.

Have lovely Sundays everyone!

True Annie! I suppose I mean that for us the payoff of the plate spinning effort wouldn't be worth it.

annie I think you can't say it often enough because we all forget so easily to cherish the small things.

Drowning in a sea of Dutch imperfect verbs (lessons start again tomorrow and I have just found a Christmas card in my textbook which tells you something about the last time I looked in it. Oops)

Just wanted to give Pickled an enormous hug and suggest that you plan a a day off at Half Term which you spend doing something just for you - be it spa, shopping, lunch with friends, HoC style day etc etc? Having such a reward to focus on will surely help with the bad days. J Brand shopping of course is another excellent form of therapy. Well done Pickled Jr too!

Loved watching The Help at the cinema last night - brilliant adaptation of the book and very well cast imo.
Back later.

Needed to read that annie, am feeling v negative today and is good to be reminded of lifes little joys!

Am in a grump as have horrible cystitis, and am totally failing at getting the baby on a bottle and into her own bed. She is waking constantly all evening and all night looking for the comfort of the boob and the upshot is I never get any time to myself, or indeed rest! Cup and spoon feeding have been a no go and she will take a couple of oz, but not reliably so I keep having to cancel nights out etc. I'm coming to hate bf as I just feel shackled by it, which is a real shame. I know I'm just being a whingey but feel low today. Maybe I'll buy something!

Morning ladies!

Hope the heavily pregnant amongst us are managing some rest and not being forced out in the cold too much. We have the dubious pleasure of being in one of the coldest areas of the country at the moment - not forecast to go above 1 degree all week, and -7 at night. Brr!

Pickled - I am sure you are coping better than you think you are. It is human nature to look at the things that are not going as well as you hoped and focus on them sometimes. Hope you are managing to squeeze a tiny piece of 'you time' in, and that DH is helping. Well done to your DD for being so clever!

MIM - I have Red waiting on my magazine pile (along with Essential , Marie Claire, Top Sante and Zest...)

Hopefully - I also dislike L2 Shred. Once you get to the stage of getting bored/hating it then motivation is such an issue. Have you got Ripped yet? Same format and quite short, but very few exercises in common with the Shred so good to have for a change.

Loving the 'small things' list. Here are my thoughts:

• Getting an email from the library telling me a book I have been looking forward to reading is in
• The endorphin buzz after really hard exercise when you have finished, and can relax and shower and be all smug that you have done it
• DD telling me I am 'the best mummy in the WORLD'
• On a similar theme...watching her sleep - that really deep sleep that only little children do
• My magazine pile...
• Unexpected email/text/call from a good friend that I haven't spoken to in ages because we are so busy
• Planning a trip away
• DH teasing me

(And yes Annie - I get the sci fi reference!)

Lastly, you perhaps thought my search for coated jeans was over and I would stop boring you all. No. Don't be silly. You may recall (Stay awake at the back!) that I got some really cheap ones from H and M that I sent back. At the same time I had also ordered some slightly more expensive ones that were delayed due to demand. They arrived at the weekend and they are great! Can highly recommend. Similar % elastane to designer versions means they have the 'spanx for the legs' effect that Fritzi described and I like the cut. I got the 28/34 and the fit is good (although even I will need heels!)

oh amber I feel for you, you must be exhausted. Totally entitled to a whinge!

pickles that's a great Olly idea - you deserve a treat (more than one!) . Well done to your DD and good luck for the scholarship.

I am having a glass half empty day here - colleague at work resigned whcih isn't the end of the world but a bit destabilising in the near term. Arguing with DH too, not in front of the girls but some deeper issues which we cannot seem to solve to either of our satisfaction at present dare I say if ever. Sometimes we struggle to see the good in each other more than the "bad".

So the little things list is really important and I hope will make me feel sunnier:

DD2 squeaking with excitement on seeing her toy pig and clock this morning when I switched light on

DD1 giving me a kiss goodbye

Getting a free coffee before work as I had enough loyalty stamps

Finding out that colleague leaving means I might get to go to the rugby in a couple of weeks time which would be fun!

Still feel a bit wobbly but I like the concept.

Emo sorry that you're having a Mott time at work and with your relationship. It's stomach harder to work things out in one area of life when other areas are adding stress. I'm sure others are more qualified than me to offer advice on both areas, but I'm sure Amber's advice of focusing on yourself for a while will help with all areas in the short term.

Amber I hope you feel better soon. Make sure you get drugs for the cystitis if you need them. I have to say I haven't especially enjoyed BFing either time - even though I didn't particularly want to go out drinking or working all day, knowing that I couldn't really got me down. I was relieved to stop both times, at about 10 months.

NY hope you are wrapped up warm! Have been a bit scared of getting Ripped - isn't it quite a lot harder than Shred? I definitely need to mix things up a bit, and am too lazy struggling to regularly fit in the whole 45 mins of BFBM.

My 'small things' list for today:

• DS1 giving DS2 some of his lunch for no apparent reason
• DS2's insatiable cheerfulness at all times
• finally getting the VWA dress out of my system - the fabric is wrong for a formal dress (too slubby and casual) and the drape is not quite perfect for me, although it's close. It's got to be a Roxy moment for £300 though!!

Wtf is Mott? Think I was trying type difficult...

Ffs. Trying to type. Too much time with small children has dissolved my brain.

Hmm, small things....

DD telling me I love you, Mummy
Cuddles with DD
Turning up the music and dancing with DD in our kitchen (even better when DH is here and joins in too)
Having coffee with a friend
Calling my sister
Watching my 10-year-old nephew gently carrying his new baby brother up the stairs
DH complimenting me on what I wear
DD cheering me on and bouncing along while I'm shredding
An unexpected email/ text from a friend
Being able to read the Sunday Times (with all supplements!!!) on DH's iPad

hopefully I wanted to look Mott up

Afternoon all.

Pickled it is lovely to hear from you - I'm really sorry that you're feeling the pressure in all directions. Hurrah for DD and scholarship interview - I had a scholarship and assisted place at my Secondary School (short-lived though it was...) and it helped hugely. I was trawling through old papers looking for all my certificates for the interview and found the offer letter - the head 'admired my spirit'; not so much later on though..! Am sure she will storm any interview - she sounds like such a lovely, level-headed girl. Love the J Brands.

MiM the Fuchsia jeans really are lovely - I am toying with wearing them with my tan riding boots so as to wear them now, although perhaps they'd be better with Jalouse? Might give them a go tomorrow with a chunky white jumper.

Emo I'm sorry everything feels a bit tough at the moment. Annie speaks a lot of sense and I shall not even attempt to add to it. I like the small things idea.

Small things that have made me happy today:

• Seeing DS trying to teach 'Over the Irish Sea' to DD complete with pirate sound effects - they were stood in front of the mirror whilst I spied from outside and I was ready to burst with the cuteness of it all.

• Packing up some of DD's clothes ready to give to some friends who are popping over this afternoon - this made me a bit sad actually, but in a good, look how much she's grown way.

Hopefully good that you've finally scratched that VWA itch; am so impressed by your firm resolve in what suits/doesn't. Your final wardrobe will make you so happy when everything in it is perfect.

I really like that wallpaper Fritzi - will you decoupage onto the chest of drawers or just use paste? DD's chest could do with an update and I am tempted to copy you.

Amber sorry you're feeling like that - is DD weaning/getting ready for weaning now? Might make a bit of a difference? I got to that stage with both of them and had to stop (9 months for both) as I grew to hate every feed and they seemed to want more rather than less. I had to go away overnight with each of them to get them onto the bottle though, which you might not feel happy doing yet. You can only do what's right for all of you but I know that the exhaustion, particularly with DD, became insurmountable and I wasn't functioning as I should have been.

I love the 'little things' lists too! Mine:

• DS, DH and I cuddled up on the sofa together just before DS goes to bed
• a really great purchase or putting together a really great new outfit
• texts from my lovely friends wishing me well
• DH and I teasing each other
• an unread copy of Grazia
• reading DS stories, he gets so into what's happening and has to chip in excitedly all the time
• my beautiful engagement ring, 3 years on and both the ring and (usually) what it stands for, make me glow

I'm feeling much happier today than I was over the weekend; thanks so much for everyone's understanding and sympathy as it really did help. I took your advice and told DH at an opportune moment about needing lots of love at the minute. He didn't say a lot (a man of few words, unlike me!) but I think it's made a difference. I got boiled egg and soldiers in bed yesterday morning!

It really is freezing here and I'm actually now hoping that baby stays put for another week or so as the thought of venturing out to hospital in the middle of the -8 night does not appeal! Sounds like lots of you made the most of the snow. I've left it to DH and my mum to play with DS in it!

mim good luck with your scan tomorrow. Try not to worry about size of the baby - I know that's easier said than done! Hope you are feeling ok and being pampered.
zembo I am keeping my eye out for a cheaper Stella and dot necklace. Not too sure about the silver thing though; can blondes with fair skin wear it? I tend to wear both gold and silver (and afore mentioned engagement ring is white gold so hope silver isn't a real no go!) Colour experts Nyeand hopefully, advice please!
ollie your roulade had my mouth watering! Well done!
annie I love your snowboots! Can I ask you how you achieved the no tearing with your DC2? I had a relatively good VB with DS but was in a fair bit of discomfort for 10 days or so due to grazes and tears. Any advice welcome, but not if it includes something I should have done months ago!
pickled big congrats to your clever DD. You must feel so proud. I approve of the blue bonnetts purchase and love how colour confident you are.
ny that Paris hotel looks amazing. Pleased your coated skinnies desire has been fulfilled!

Some nice bits in The Times fashion sections this weekend. Who was it who fancied the acne green jumper? They featured it and suggested an alternative from LIttlewoods! Liked the feature on hightops too but definitely won't be indulging; they're so not me!

Does anyone have a Goat dress? I've always fancied one of their signature colour block shifts and have seen a few in the mags lately, never in real life though.

DS is sleeping, the house is tidy, I'm going to have a hot bath!

I also wanted to say emo and amber hope your days have improved and you are feeling ok. That whistles scarf is lovely emo and my DH said exactly the same about my gorgeous grey cable knit fingerless gloves!

Some lovely 'little pleasures' lists which have had me nodding away in agreement.

My list also includes:

• getting into a hot bath and then refilling it with hot water once its started to cool ( i love long baths);
• cycling on a sunny day;
• sitting on a beach at the end of a hot summers day with DH, reading or people watching and just feeling utterly content (memory from pre- DC holidays);
• going to buy something and finding its the last one in stock - be it clothes or chocolate, i always take it as a sign it was meant to be mine;
• finding something you thought was lost;
• buying frivolous purchases for myself such as flowers, notebooks, a new mug etc
• opening a brand new book and reading the opening paragraph;
• DSs under a blanket watching a Dvd and both chuckling away;
• Listening to DS1 impart his 6 year old wisdom to DS2 on important issues such as lego or hot wheels;

Hopefully - meant to say, Ripped isn't that much harder than Shred I think - just different. Particularly if you start at L1 and work your way up. I think doing the same workout too much doesn't challenge your body, even if you up the weights. I am aching today from L3 and a bit of L4 of Ripped on Saturday because it is new to me - but that is good as it means it is working!