AVID, WISE and keen to debut our Spring buys

[Russianred]

Inspired, eh?!

Hi everyone,

Hope good weekends being had by all..DD1 slowly recovering but DD2 very poorly now..

Have finally ordered the yellow bag after much dithering,in the end decided that snow or no snow my other heave around had a hole in the bottom..not very stylish at all!

red the party sounds fabulous fun and oooh to marrying at MRO.

mim sounds like you had a wonderful day.

vb I hadn't considered a colour scheme maybe I should create a mood board?

yummy your mum sounds cool..my mil was a force of nature and I would very much like to always have zest for new experiences like her.

nye It wouldn't hurt to try a chat with a GP..nothing will be set in stone.Also I do think it's hard when a lot of people around you have a certain level of help to imagine that's the norm.my RL friends and I don't have family help for various reasons..distance,sickness,crapness..but I remember a friend of a friend with a 5 year old,who is actually a really lovely lady,complaining because her 70 something year old mum didn't clean when she came round..I can only imagine her expectations are set by her direct peers experiences which seemed slightly unreasonable to me.

Sorting out paperwork and have come across a picure of a DD as a baby..but which one? ..ooops

pickled now you have time to write that novel you've promised me
what will happen to your new working wardrobe?

yet another free listings on e bay where I haven't got my act together..gah,must do better.

I love that swimsuit bloss ..but was a bit alarmed it said it was unsuitable for the sauna..am intrigued by what happens!glad you got your bike too.

red are you serious? That's where DH and I had our very first kiss! How funny that it should have significance to both of us!

How funny Amber! We had a great time there - 100 guests at trestle tables with jugs of London Pride, fish and chips and flowers everywhere with 100 more in the evening for dancing. And your evening?!

NYE-we have those pods. Poached eggs are one of my very favourite things! Would echo the idea of arranging to see friends overnight at weekend- either them to you or vice versa as a good way of not feeling alone. I live 4 hours away from parents so when dh is away (for up to 6 months as he has been) then weekends can seem very long. I don't plan something for every weekend, perhaps a couple each month.

Love the triathlon plan Bloss. There is an article in the Sunday Times Style mag today about how 30 and 40 something ladies are increasingly looking for more challenging workouts. Did you read it? It didn't mention Jillian but it should have done, obviously

Just stopping by to quickly say thanks Red for the link, that hotel looks lovely! Will add it to the list to look at with DH later.

Am working, will catch up properly later on.

NYE I think to describe the issue as situational is simplistic, but you could try:

• filling the weekends, as others have said - staying with people etc
• conversely, if you feel you're spreading yourself a bit thin with work things/social things/stuff you've committed to doing/going to, maybe try doing a bit less? Stick to the essentials and work out what of the remainder will make you feel happier or less happy
• forcing the support network into place in terms of XH. I know he has done his best to train you out of demanding anything of him, but I really think (and I have said this many many times before, I know) that a more formal/regular contact where it is useful to you (i.e. he puts DS to bed, or has him overnight, or whatever you decide you need, not just what suits him or when he can fit it in).
• decide what is making you blue, and change it. Easier said than done, but maybe focusing on improving just one thing that isn't right would improve your mindset for the rest of it?

I do hope you're getting support and wisdom from this thread nye. I do think a regular, fixed timetable for your DH would allow you to make plans for yourself. Then you could join clubs and meet other people, and be your own person again. I think you said before you'd been with XH since you were young. You are different now. You have to put yourself and your wellbeing first.

I am overjoyed at the responses to my fitness posts! To paraphrase Jillian: let's get strong physically so we can be strong mentally ready to face any obstacles that life has in store for us. We have no idea what's coming, but our best defence is a strong body and a strong mind.
The days are getting longer and I am trying to pluck up the courage to mention running to DH. For some reason he is suspicious of runners, thinks they're running away from something! I did read that article notyummy and it has whetted my appetite even more. I think I'll have a look at the couch potato to 5K thing, to start again.

I am going to Chester tomorrow to run some errands and will probably drag the dcs to some of my favourite shops. On the way back I am picking up the bike from Mil's where I had to leave it as there was no room in the car yesterday. DH is having a towbar fitted this week, then we're getting a bike carrier thing.
Felt like spring here today.

notyummy, bloss I read that article too and immediately thought of you two .

red Party sounds fantastic. I miss sharing carefree time with DH too.

amber Affair? Cannot wait to hear the whole story at MU

nye Hope you'll find a way to get support in whatever form you need it.

Oh yes I am that scourge of mumsnet - the OW. I'll get my coat, shall I? DH is also OM. Not proud but the result has been two happy marriages and my ex-fiancé is engaged to his partner so it has ended well for all parties.

red I'm afraid it was considerably less glamourous than your evening - team drinks, DH and I went to the bar to fetch more wine, and after 4 months of fighting attraction ended up snogging. Unfortunately my best mate ended up going home with the barman later that evening so it remained a secret for a whole 3 hours! Can imagine it would be a lovely place for a wedding reception, full of character!

everything- absolutely, PM me- am in now for the evening and will check e mail later. :)

Ooooh BAFTAs. I love an awards ceremony me!

Icey i really laughed at your links to the imagiinary neon bag!!

Apuski ouch for DS, ballloons have caused a few bumps here too. Hate them.

NYE I thought Bloss's advice was spot on. You need regular time to yourself, know it sounds v corny but Im a big believer in having time off from being a Mum and having time to be just 'me' again.

I getting very disillusioned with my weight loss. Weighed myself this morning and Ive not lost ANY despite doing shred 5 times a week for the past 4 weeks. Ive stopped weektime drinking, eating bread, having second helpings etc but guess I need to reign it in a lot more. I was about 5 kilos lighter this time last year!!!

So, about to order the Clean & Lean recipe book - but do I need the diet book as well or will following the recipe book be enough?????

Fritzi I got so bored with Level 1 that I moved up to 2 and find it goes a lot quicker. Not that its working

Ollie I am feeling bored of weight loss too - I haven't lost an ounce for about two weeks, although I think I look a bit better. I haven't been perfect on the diet front, but am pretty active. I think when you are a sensible weight to start with it is v hard to shed lbs. I think I will have a bit of a cut down of white bread/pasta etc for the next couple of weeks, as I find I get indigestion while Shredding if I have anything to stodgy like that for dinner. It's a bit dull though. Have also started adding in a circuit or two from BFBM before Shred, as I really am not finding it hard enough by itself atm. Am going to order Ripped at some stage too.

We are watching Baftas and being rude about acceptance speeches. Quite fun actually.

Bloss you are like my very own Jillian on my shoulder

Gearing up for the week ahead. Hope my poorly boys are a bit healthier tomorrow. They seem to be on the mend, and luckily I seem to have shrugged off the lurgy.

Hello all.....so I was an occasional lurker but recently have been following your amazing thread far too much to stay silent and not contribute. Your wise words of advice have been really helpful at the moment given various stresses in my life; am also on a mission to improve my fitness and I very much enjoy the shopping links of course too.

In terms of W&A credentials I credit you lovely ladies with the following successful purchases...the Lkb Davinia and Zara cigarette trousers for work bloss, Goldsign Misfits Scarf and MrsCB I bought your Zara blazer this weekend.

Have had quite a successful weekend S&B wise in addition to the blazer...will attempt links here so pls forgive if they don't work.
Lily & Lionel Dove Scarf;
Zara Breton Very bargaineous and soft

Not sure if I will be able to keep up and post much (am also busy working mum) but wanted to say hi!!

Hi bretonbee, thanks for posting. Hope you stay around!

I need to tell you all about the novel I'm reading . It is like Little house on the prairie for adults! I came across it after another of her novels was in a kindle advert last week. I know some of you will know what I mean! It is this one!

Amber meant to say, MUs are great places for sharing stories of how you met DHs. Mine was a, , holiday romance with a twist and get Pickled to share hers - can't remember all the details but remember shrieking with laughter at her storytelling

Hello bretonbee what a lovely first post! Big welcome to you - please stay and post when you can?!

You have good taste Breton

Ollie - all the stuff I read now about weight loss is that its 80% diet and 20% exercise.

And to actually lose lbs when you don't have masses to lose does mean not eating a great deal in my opinion.

Clean and lean is typically either 35g of porridge with water and berries for breakfast or lean chicken with greens. A snack mid-morning of 100g chicken breast (ideally poached) with some cucumber or avocado (not much though).

Lunch could be 2 eggs scrambled with a spring onion - tiny knob of butter but no bread.
Suppers are good but lordy they're small - I've made lovely coconut prawns thing but all you get are 5 tiger prawns.

I'm losing about 1.5lbs a week which is slow though.

My plan is then to up the exercise - am aiming to run 3 times a week which I'm hoping will help me maintain my weight when I reach my goal.

Amber - was ahem slight overlap here too.

Hi Breton, nice to have you here!

MrsCB that is a seriously dull sounding diet! I do mostly rely on being very active, but I think there comes a point when you really have to seriously restrict calories in order to lose any appreciable amount, especially, as you say, if you're a reasonably weight to start with. I'm hoping that a bit of a refined carb reduction plus extra exercise will help me shift a few more lbs, but not sure what I'll go for if that doesn't work!

ollie The CleanLean Cookbook has got a 2-week diet plan but I bought it just to get some new and healthy recipe ideas. Made buckwheat pancakes for breakfast yesterday and was a great success with DD and DH too. I couldn't follow the diet as such because it involves quite a lot of snacking on meat-based things which I couldn't do. I only eat meat about once a week.

I thought about when I was at my skinniest in the past and realized that I never ever achieved it by dieting/exercising. There was always some drama involved and the weight-loss just a by-product of terrible stress and/or hardly eating at all. I'm trying to focus on the positive side now, i.e. having a healthy body despite having a few kilos more but deep down I still want to be that skinny girl. Without the unhappiness of course...

bee Welcome!

scarfy How was your weekend with Alexa?

Well, I've just done my daily 'DM browse with a cuppa' and have to say I'm mostly underwhelmed with the Bafta dresses this year. Did like Michelle Williams quirky book clutch tho.

MrsCB thats interesting about the diet/exrecise split. I feared as much. Im just frustrated that when I was shredding this time last year (nothing like a MU to get me star jumping ) I managed consistant weight loss on a weekly basis. I quite like the sound of the C&L foods as like chicken, eggs and prawns etc so will order today. I just wish I didnt like cake and bread so much and had more self control.

Its true what they say about hitting 40 and everything slowing down though. How depressing.

Meant to say Verity I was thrilled that we picked out the same MD stuff - how funny. Thats a good tip about taking pics as Im always forgetting where I had seen things or what they looked like.

HL dress has been dispatched so watch this space. If it doesn't work on me, Im going to give the Me&Em dress a whirl.

Oh the diet is ok - some lovely recipes actually - its just that quantities are small.

Fritzi - I don't do all the snacking either as would rather not snack really.

Mrscb- I would expire on that little food .

Diet/exercise split is interesting (and depressing) but not sure that's true for everyone. I suppose you're not going to achieve supermodel skinniness through exercise alone but at the heart of it it really is just a case of calories in vs calories out.

Welcome bretonbee-good name, good taste- please stay!