AVIDLY addressing the key questions that WISE women ask....like 'full refund or credit note only?' and 'what this would item actually be on a cost-per-wear basis?'

[notyummy]

Hello all!

Amber I can't believe you are up early again. I would love to have a word with your dh. I hope you get some rest at your parents.

Decameron Iove you mum's pep talk to dh, I must remember that for the future. Sorry about your laundry accidents, v annoying. Hope dd is back to herself today.

portia are you going to brave Dundrum on thursday for Marni? I can't decide, I'm not mad about what I've seen but I feel kind of obliged to go! Last year for Lanvin I arrived about 9.10 and was told to come back at 11, by which time most of it was gone. I think you'd have to be there from the crack of dawn to get the pick of it.

MiM and Icey hang on in there.

bloss you are v kind - I like to picture myself surrounded by beautiful things too, but the reality is usually Ikea and lego

ollie I love the sound of your bookshop

apuski hope you're on the mend today

Our builder is hasseling us to decide on a layout for our sittingroom, the crucial decision is where the tv will go, I have to decide today, hate the pressure

Have lovely Sundays everyone!

Golly Amber - I've tried to be a bit sympathetic to your DH as know that in every other area you're very happy together but lordy - he's on a bit of a self-destruct mission at the moment isn't he? Posssibly not helped by mil yesterday - can imagine the 'oh darling you work so hard - let amber wipe your bottom for you'

I had an amazing lie-in until 7.15am. DH then brought me coffee and said 'assume you're not going for a run as its raining' [smirk] Well never has my running kit gone on so quickly and off out the door I went. I just don't know where my children get their stubborn side from

And I am so sad all I think about when running is this will make me look better in my white 811's.

If thats the motivation MrsCB then so be it, good for you!

I am sort of hoping that having a day out/Sunday lunch planned will bring in labour, sod's law and all that.

Where's Fritzi?

Amber, did your MiL come over yesterday to help DH look after the DC? Could there be a bigger issue here around how 'competent' your DH feels about being in sole charge of the DC? We've all been where you are now Amber, it does get easier, just as long as you keep taking about it to DH.

Off to rugby and hockey with the DC, hope the rain keeps away.

mrsCB that's exactly my motivation too, I want to wear white skinnies this summer!

MrsCB sounds like good motivation to me! I am holding on to thoughts of shorts while I get seriously back on the healthy eating wagon. Does anyone else find that the more healthily they eat, the worse they feel after indulging? Pigged out a lot bit Friday and yesterday and have a really sore bloated tummy today. Am going to have a week of minimising refined carbs and lots of Shred to get the healthy feeling back.

Off to start some semi-sourdough as it makes me less bloated than normal bread.

Yes I can't indulge anymore. I feel too bad. Alcohol out too as even a bit makes me feel rubbish. The only thing left is two espressos in the morning. But I enjoy those too much.

I am thinking of getting white MiH Paris! Quite a new thing for me.

Amber hope you are having a good day at your parents.

Verity loved your dream!

amber- you sound patient as a saint! I would have had a screaming fit, I'm afraid and left the DC on his bed. Please don't turn yourself into the general dogsbody/ 24 hour constant child carer because it will make you so unhappy and resentful longer term. Apart from that, it isn't good for DH/ your relationship or your DC to see mummy slaving away and doing everything in the house. I completely agree with you about teaching little girls and boys to help around the house. Yours are too young obviously but my DD1 (9) and DS (6) are not bad and will do simple things with a bit of nagging!
I was thinking exactly the same as pickled about inviting MIL to lunch yesterday. Is it because he doesn't think he can cope with the DC himself? Has he ever actually looked after both DC alone? It could be a very useful and sobering experience for him, especially if you ask him to cook, do the laundry, keep the house clean too. :)

Hopefully/ NYE/ colour experts- is this a good colour for an Autumn or is this better?
Any other ideas welcome. I ideally wanted something in more of a boyfriend style but verity's TS one in navy has completely soled out within the past week!!

I thought that this was pretty in the Jigsaw sale the other day and this and this. They also have a v comfortable, relaxed looking Chambray dress and the Jersey Drape dress here in a nice pink ? good for Winter ladies.

Need to sort out the ramble upstairs!

Well, I packed a small suitcase as was intending to go for a few days and on the doorstep DH started to cry and asked me not to go in a very small voice. We sat down and talked and I think we have come to a resolution, which is going to be an equal split of rest opportunities and a cleaner. I have also had words re MIL because she did her usual trick of staying late and torpedoing any sort of evening we might have had in spite of DH taking her aside and having a word about us wanting some time together. She was also at pains to tell me how little the DCs missed me while I was out.

pickled and looby I do think there is an element of him worrying about having the two of them. He is excellent with DS and before DD came along coped very well while I went to the shops or out of an evening. DD will not settle for anyone else and will take bare minimum from a bottle and isn't great with solids so I can't blame him too much. As it was she was fine and he is already volunteering to do it again.

apuski you are SO right about agreeing the night before as DH is terrible on first waking and also huffs and puffs and faffs about getting up so much I get wound up and find it impossible to get back to sleep. This is something we've agreed on going forward.

mrsCB that's MIL to a T. Am thinking of taking up gym membership to get more me time.

decameron well done your DM. I won't let mine loose on DH as she would rip him to shreds!

Hopefully can you come round and sort him out for me - you've got the right attitude, whereas I am a soft touch!

I really hope things change, as this is a deal breaker for me. I can't be with someone who won't occasionally put me first. I think he knows this now as he has been very apologetic and even tearful. I suppose Saturday morning will be the litmus test. Am luxuriating in very hot bath now and will go out for some retail therapy later. You are all too kind and I'm sorry for monopolising the thread with my domestic tedium!

mim and icey really hope those babies get going for you today!

looby I love jigsaw this season!

Sounds like he definitely needed that reality check Amber. Hope that things can spring forward from here for both of you. Enjoy your bath and your shop! As an aside, we were having the same issues a while ago and made the decision to forgo lie-ins as it was causing too many problems (understand this isn't what you want now as you need the rest from DD's night wakings). Now we all get up together and take things from there.

Looby I've seen that chambray dress and agree it is very nice! I might take a further look as I loved wearing Fritzi's chambray jumpsuit so much last year.

MrsCB that is motivation indeed. There was a feature on EA in yesterdays Times (made me think of you Bloss) and it reminded me that I would quite like to be able to wear white jeans. Must start shredding again. I was reading about Tracy Anderson's individualised workout programme the other day and that looked quite interesting. Has anyone tried her stuff?

Lovely to be going out for lunch MiM, enjoy it! Also, can you re-link to the knickers you recommended, have been searching for them but am convinced you linked to a multi-pack and can only find single pairs.

Amber fingers crossed that he's woken up and smelt the porridge and is a bit more useful from here on in. It will be interesting to see what he does next weekend. Glad he has discovered that looking after two is not, in fact, utterly terrifying and should be a bit more confident with that. Remember that the only way for him to gain confidence looking after them is to actually do it, so make sure he does! I really hope that this is a corner turned for you all (and I'll be round there with a big stick if it isn't ).

Looby the first isn't absolutely ideal, but if I really loved the style I would probably get it, as I think it would tone in with other autumn colours reasonably well. The gold hardware warms it up a fraction too. The second one looks a great match for the autumn off whites though.

Marsha I am reaching that point with alcohol - think my weekend-long sore tummy is due to drinking on Friday, and I only had perhaps two medium glasses of wine.

Really want to buy lots of stuff, but am trying to be sensible as I need to wait until I've made my business decisions in the next couple of weeks and worked out whether I'm going to be shopping for a work wardrobe or more casual clothes. And it's raining so don't want to pop out to Warehouse to try on shorts. Boo hiss.

Well I'll be doing the style day so that will be a start. The lady I saw actually does it in two halves of c. 2.5hrs each so that should be easy enough to do. She was hinting at dramatic so who knows. I think there's a bit of natural in me too...

Colours gave MIL something else to snark at. Clearly the fact that some of us would rather not look like a washed out old hag offends her.

Me too Hopefully, I really want to buy a very pretty (floral print?) top to go with MiHs.

Amber you poor thing you are in MiL hell. Deflect, ignore, block is all I can say. Good your dh is changing his ways.

But I feel frozen in my bag / shoe dilemma.

I love the colour of the Lanvin. More greeny than there, chartreuse rather than yellow.

But I'm keen on a Céline bag. Trouble is that's a strong colour too. Colour here on far left, but the one I saw is a simple tote type thing, in Selfridges.

Also why can't I find an image of this bag, it's in Selfridges and not on any online site. Don't they know we do links here??

I can't do both at the same time, can I really?, I'll look as bright as a traffic light.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Still nothing. Am starting to despair. Dh got short shrift last night when he suggested I'd got the dates wrong. Resigning myself to induction on Saturday

Glad you've got things out in the open Amber. Sounds like he's realised he's gone too far so hopefully you can move forwards.

Good work on the run mrscb. I use that sort of reverse psychology to get dh to go out running .

Hope you're having a nice lunch MiM. I too am utterly fed up of the same 3 tops and 2 pairs of jeans. Every time I wash them I think it ought to be the last time!

Where did you decide vin?

Amber Im very pleased that DH has finally taken notice of how you feel. He obviously sounds pretty upset - and rightly so. Sorry you had to reach rock bottom to prompt action though. Like Apuski, DH and I now agree on lie ins the night before and as soon as either DS wakes, the one whose lie in it is now disappears to the spare room.

Icey hang on in there - you that is, not baby Icey who if he/she (but I think its a she!) is reading this, please make an appearance asap.

Hopefully can't wait til the MU to hear about your career choices. Am very intrigued.

Am annoyed with myself that I kept the Oushka bag - I am just not keen on the colour. Everytime I look at it I think hmmm and wrinkle my nose. Time to look for something else - sigh.

Spent the morning at a new ship museum. Was really well done - beautifully renovated building, lots of interactive displays and great cafe/shop (it passed the Ollie hot chocolate test with flying colours - had a huge glass of hot milk into which you tipped big chcolate buttons to melt - fab!). DS2 was running around inside a huge whale thing for ages and then said he felt fizzy - he meant dizzy. I had to smile.

There is a pic on page 20 of ST style mag of jumper like my Sandro one, like this one but with orange stripes at bottom and cuffs.

Ollie is your bag a different brown to the Dover? I am hovering over the 'order now' button and don't want to get it wrong!

Amber So glad that you and DH have reached an agreement

For those of you loooking for something floral what do you think? or this?

The movie on the Longchamp site made me think of Bloss in her shorts!

Think its the same Hopefully. Its a very red brown - reminds me of the stain you use to paint fences! I wish I had gone for the Nude. Will upload a pic to my profile so you can see it compared to the Boden tan one from last year which is more my sort of brown. Of course its a personal thing tho.

Thanks Ollie, that would be great. I am rather liking the nude too. Will have a look at your upload and then get my HoC swatches out and decide one way or another!

That Boden one was lovely ollie I was considering it myself. I was looking for a tan bag last year and couldn't find the right shade so know exactly what you mean. Gave up in the end and bought a grey Modalu, which I then quickly got bored of and sold for twice what I'd paid for it on EBay after Pippa Middleton did me a massive favour and carried the day after the royal wedding. Oddly all my bags are winter colours (purple, navy, black, grey, dark red) the only one I have wrong is my gold LKB Annina, and TBH, I don't care!

Hello! What a horrid rainy day. But I'm on the sofa under a blanket while BOTH DC are sleeping - divine.

Enjoyed my brief stroll in town on Friday, cut short by DH finding out and coming to meet us in our favourite bar for a quick drink. Lovely but I would have liked to go to Topshop . Went to whistles though, was actually underwhelmed by the things I'd earmarked online but got another hazel t shirt (in white, to join the navy and purple I already have) and an absolutely gorgeous lily and Lionel scarf that I annoyingly can't find anywhere online to link to. Typically it wasn't included in the 25%off but I just couldn't resist it. It's in a pale blue, peach, pink and cream abstract print. Perfect for summer and I don't feel guilty as a new scarf was on my SS wishlist.

amber so glad to hear about the breakthrough. Fingers crossed that changes will be made. Pleased you enjoyed HoC and your colours sound delicious. Still have absolutely no idea what I will be.

mrscb I am a great fan of white jeans and wore them last summer with a very soft, very slim fitting chambray shirt from TS. Funnily enough wore it yesterday with my navy skinnies. Did you see the loose on from anthropologie that Wendy wore? I have been thinking about getting it, although it is looser than my usual style. Love that whistles top.

hopefully love the leopard print shorts! And how you'd style them. I always feel very frustrated at my poor record at wearing shorts, although I have a couple of pairs. I have very slim legs but sadly they are pale and veiny and I never seem to be organised or skilful enough on the fake tan front. However I did discover the Sally Hansen makeup for legs stuff at the end of last summer which made me feel less self conscious about going bare legged, so will endeavour to do better this year.

vin hello. Hope you got your deposit sorted and have started packing. Good luck with everything and wishing you happiness.

icey and mim I completely empathise with how you are feeling! Remember that induction can be fine icey. Not long now and you will have your gorgeous babies to cuddle.

verity like your dept store fantasy. I still daydream about owning a little boutique; I imagine it to be like a mini mywardrobe but a shop version! If I didn't love being an English teacher I'd be very tempted to give it a go.

Is that a no on orange Celine bag and bright Lanvins? It is isn't it.

Any idea on what colour bag to have with chartreuse Lanvins greatly appreciated!

Is this Marni a bit drab?

Hopefully - my laptop wont let me upload pics to the MN site - having all sort of problems with it since it upgraded itself last week. Id say its a pretty accurate colour depiction on the Oushka website but PM me your email address and I will email the photo?