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!

They look good .hopefully. Like I said before, shred and fake tan is all you need! I've been shredding for almost 2 years.
icey, eurocamp have a parc on the coast near Lisbon that I quite fancy, and last year we went to Rome with Key Camp. There are beaches there, but don't know how good.

Do you know, I literally cannot remember the last time I wore a swimming costume or bikini apart from to the local pool with DS1? Maybe I should dare to bare when we go on holiday this year (even though said holiday will probably be to Plymouth rather than Monaco).

So, who's planned their MU outfit already?

Gosh. They are awfully short hopefully. Very daring! Models bum looks as if its gobbling them up though.
Shred again for me this evening. Even though Ive managed to stay under the calorie requirement, albeit by 30 or with the help of exercise, I haven't shifted a pound. Explain that NY.
Good idea re the Indian Scarf. We even got a free drink on the house! And the waiter commented on my perfume!

Good morning All

All this talk of shorts and bikinis is making me long for sunny weather - it seems to have rained non stop here for the last few days.

Icey, hope DD is over her cold. Maybe the baby will make an appearance today.

MiM, glad that Looby has been able to give you some advice - hope things go your way today too!

Marsha, have you sorted out you shoes/bag conundrum? Nice selection of bright bags at Mytheresa.

Red, how was the gig?

It was, um, interesting Pickled. The bands that followed were more to my taste, but it was nice to catch up with my friend and a lovely little music venue discovered.

Bloss I can't see the top as am on the IPad - will have a look tonight on the laptop. The Zara one is lovely Portia, will have a good look later.

Thank you for linking to the knickers again MiM, will buy later.

DC are amusing themselves with my antique charm bracelet, coral necklace and a box of tampons. Must dash!

Morning all! In a desperate attempt to beautify myself for MU and distract from lack of shredding, I put some super expensive Sisley eye-mask on after showering this morning. My eyelids are now all red, swollen and itchy. My hands are a disgrace too, as I have been weeding the garden every day for the last week. Hate gardening gloves. I'd better not experiment with any self-tan or I might have to sit in a cave of my own .

bloss Bet you look fab in those shorts!

icey Mallorca would be great: Fantastic beaches and Palma is a fab city and easy to get around with DC.

ollie Have you survived the double shred?

I cannot wear orange but what do we think of this colour-block jumper?

Fritzi, it's just like this Jigsaw dress that I thought would look good on the right person .

Gorgeous clutch for all you Winters

Thanks for holiday suggestions- fritzi- I loved Mallorca when my friend and I went with dd last year- would def like to go back. Just have to persuade dh that Palma is a 'real city'.

at your dc's choice of toys red.

Pickled-maybe it will come today (and maybe I will win the lottery )

dd's still a bit snotty and very contrary but well enough to go to playgroup thank goodness- don't think I could take another morning of 'now you be a baby bird/fairy/fisherman/George pig' etc etc etc! Wonderful that she has such a good imagination but I'm looking forward to the day she can play with her sibling instead of as well as me .

Hopefully- wow those shorts are short! Worth a try though.

Sorry your beautifying didn't work out as planned fritzi. I laughed at the image of you alone in your cave Perhaps some pyrotechnics a la pickled would detract from the red eyes?

Think I'm going to order the topshop leather holdall that MiM linked to the other day. I need to somehow slip it under Dh's radar though. Could be tricky.

Really like that bag Fritzi and the sweater. I have a very similar in the biscuit colour way. I think it suits me, but am sure that is not a particularly good "winter" colour!

Good to see you are all as confident about the leopard shorts as I am . I am sure they'll be too short, but on the very slim off chance that they aren't, I have to try them. At least I can return in store! Regardless of whether I keep them, I really must crack on with some kind of waxing and fake tan effort. My legs are just plain scary at the moment, and knowing my luck there'll be a warm spell and I'll be stuck in jeans for it.

Fritzi ouch! Hope your eyes recover soon. I have to wear gardening gloves, as I am phobic about touching anything remotely resembling a worm or a slug. I don't mind them being in the vicinity, but touching them is yuck. DS1, on the other hand, likes to 'rescue' them when I'm digging and make them new homes in clumps of earth. Like the colour block jumper, btw.

My gut ache has at least done the job re: weight loss - I am another 1/2lb down. Every cloud, right?

Have just spent a productive half hour fixing the computer. This is unheard of, but frankly I was worried that leaving it to DH again would result in us having no computer any more. Some quick googling, a Philips screwdriver, and no more black screen of death!

Hopefully, there is no end to your talents .

Ooh, finally bought some decent dumbbells too. Went for (I think) these ones as they were on sale in the shop I went to. The maximum weight per dumbbell is only 3kg, but I figure I'll worry about getting another set when I'm more comfortable with doing those kinds of weights! Current weights are only 1.5 and 2.5kg (and I hardly ever get to use the 2.5kg ones as DH always wants them), so plenty of room for improvement. I do not anticipate me doing chair squats with a v raise with 3kg weights any time soon

Morning!

Beautiful day! Am still in cashmere polo neck and scarf though as chilly. Need to focus on sunny hols and white jeans as major motivation for buffing bod....

Hello entropy (vin!).... Nice to see you . Its Dolce in a different guise

Scarf-DCs don't hunt. Maybe in few years once they have mastered basic riding skills. DH good rider...I am not.

Icey - how exciting. Bet you can't wait to meet baby now!!!

Amber - hope things better. We do all go through phases like you are going through. Both being sleep deprived doesn't help. Maybe get his mother to babysit for a night and have a night away - just the two of you - and a long lie in the next day. I find even the most normally equitable and caring of men just don't get how we feel sometimes.

I bet Eddie Redmayne would though Or at least my our mind would be elsewhere anyway. Did I just say that?

Chair square with a v raise. (shudders) God, I hate them.
Ok, off to a meeting.
Who is Eddie Dauphin?! Must Google later!

Eddie = Birdsong (amongst others.)

Icey - would second Blosss recommend for Eurocamp/Keycamp or something similar as they are def sites near cities. Depends on your budget of course, but they offer chalet accommodation that doesn't mean being all in one room - in fact you could have 3 bedrooms - which is an absolute godsend when you have young children. I guess a villa is the next step up, but having spent some time googling 'villas near Nice' as part of research for the 40th birthday trip away I am doing with friends, I can confirm that (unsurprisingly) villas don't come cheap. Chalet with plenty of eating out to save the washing up is the best of both worlds (usually other children around for your DD to play with too.)

Rufus - shred should only be judged on measurements unless you are actually overweight, which I would put money on that you are not! It will help longer term by lowering body fat and building lean muscle, all of which allow you to eat a reasonable amount without actually putting weight on.

Having said all that I am feeling rather podgy this week - combination of enjoying my food and the time of the month (TMI alert) Over the last few months my periods have got heavier and my bloating/pre-menstrual symptoms have got a lot worse. The internet warns me that this could be the peri-menopause . Not much I can do, but I am not sure I am ready for this, dammit!! Just back from an 8 mile run and will see if my weight has stabilised by next week before panicking pre-MU - to be fair, it usually does after the monthly podge recedes slightly.

Love the shorts BLoss - and I do like the ones you have ordered Hopefully but I fear my legs and bottom would not look like the photo (although there is an argument to say that they are not going to look like a 19 year old models legs in any item of clothing I wear )

NY don't shatter my illusions! In my head you are the exercise queen and definitely have the legs of a 19 year old model [not at all weird]

Speaking of exercise, I finally watched the Horizon program on exercise that I downloaded a week or so ago. It was really interesting, but I have to say I was relieved that the presenter didn't suddenly get the physique and health of a teenager just by exercising for 180 seconds a week! Interesting that it made any difference at all to his health though.

Ah, there is only so far you can wrestle with your genes Hopefully . There are parts of my body that might be able to bear comparison with a 19 year old model (so modest...) however legs and arse are def not on that list. Even if I went on some crazy raw food diet for the next year/ran the London marathon. Tis the way I was made. Harrumph. I know logically that I look alright at my dress size/height, but the grass is always greener, right?!

Thanks for that NY. Must measure, although I dread doing that. Also I am if the opinion that you have better legs and arse of any .19 year old model. Fit and toned much better that underweight and hungry!

Afternoon,

I admire all the shredders and calorie counting everyone is undertaking. I don`t have an exercise routine at all. ! ( apart from gardening). I suffer from a lack of motivation.

Though as I live on the top of a hill I do exercise my legs just walking, I would keel over if I ran.

I liked that top you linked to bloss similar to a velvet white blouse Ive seen. You are tall and willowy arent you NY lucky you.

Very daring shorts hopefully you have the style to carry them off :)

Fritzi top more coral than bright orange good casual wear.

red good choice of toys.

I am spring cleaning ( well trying) and looked more closely at a bag that DP gave me last year that I didnt like</span> its actually by Loewe and make nicer on reflection.

make=much ( please let us re-edit mumset)

NY, you have a fantastic figure.

Dauphin, part of the attraction was that I used to quite like my riding clothes, even down to the hairnet I had to wear. I can't bring myself to wear J brand jodhpurs now though. Or hairnets.

No shopping here today as I restocked on Liz Earle (15% off with the code RED2012 though you have to call them to apply it).

Fritzi, ouch!

I like Eddie Redmayne in the Burberry ads.

Slay, I think Loewe is a lovely brand, my dad has their bags (weekend bags not handbags :o).

A faint little cry of help from me. Just had another Ollie faff over boots (wasnt meantto be shopping, just walking past a shop after my Dutch lesson)

Tried these on which were a good height, v comfy, good neutral colour and had amazing leg lengthening properties but i couldnt decide between them and the KG Sweep in tan which are not available over here so would have to get in UK (JL now sold out of my size as well). Ive been holding off as wanted to try on in RL to check colour and fit. The tan of the kg ones looks a very dark tan so maybe not as versatile as these ones which reminded me of the colour of ASH Jalouse.
Sad as it may sound, I couldnt bring myself to purchase them without asking you lot! Now Im home, I think I like them even more. It was the last pair. Are they ok in W&A land as you know I cant be trusted when it comes to footwear! Be honest now.