Avidly gazing at spring/summer looks, while Wisely purchasing caghouls......

[notyummy]

Hi all!

Sorry about the rain/hairdo situation Hopefully.

I am eating G and Bs Mint dark choc as I write Verity.

Bloody cold here. And wet.

Suburban, great article and lovely photo of you and your DD.

Bloss, that's funny! I'd rather be warm (showing my age).

Really like my Gracie too and eyeing up AH bags for the sale. Does anyone remember when the sales started last summer? I think I was probably in hospital having DD2.

MiM, totally agree with Looby, he couldn't go away without you agreeing to take solo charge of your darlings. I use Liz Earle too, it's pretty reasonable compared with some brands but it does take a chunk out of your money every now and then. DH and I give ourselves an allowance too but I explained a long time ago that his trip to the barbers costs £12, me to the hairdresser min £45 etc, and really he is so lucky I have dark hair so don't require highlights. He agreed that it is Essential Maintenance. :) He draws the line at Kérastase though.

Looby, nice house pants as my DH still insists on calling them!

Blue, your outfit sounds lovely.

I have a cold, not feeling too good, may have to go back to bed.

Oh and Reine, lovely dress.

I have really cut the amount I spend on the DDs, what do other people spend? DH was getting annoyed about it as we have a lot for DD2 from DD1, and DD1 is getting very fussy and he noticed that she will only wear a few things from her wardrobe anyway.

On the school run but just wanted to say suburban you look amazing in the DM pic. Great choice of clothes. Your blog will be bombarded today and rightly so.

Enjoy the Bank Holiday those of you that have one.
First day back to school after half term - and I have booked a facial. Back later - with a shiney face!

suburban just read the DM article. Well done. General tone was positive and LOVELY picture of you and your DD- have you asked DM for a copy??!

looby please step away from Boden pull ups!!! I understand your need for comfort though. After each of my DC I lived in sweaty Betty yoga pants for a bit. Will try and find a link.

looby the sweaty Betty pants I was talking about www.sweatybetty.com/trousers-dept1050_pg1/

Or White Co Looby

Massive sigh of relief. But if out of the 250 photos he took if that is the best, I dread to think what the rest were like.

pickled I must remember that book for my brother at Christmas he loves nothing more than to pick me others up on bad grammar.

Rufus a lot of that sort of thing down in Kerry, I love it because no otherwise awkward family/social occasion is ever short of a

Ants the lovely photographer took some extra pictures of DD dancing and marching for me. Must remember to email him again.

Decameron I don't spend as much as I could on my DD's clothes prefer to put the money away in case she is anything like me and develops expensive tastes as a teenager. I do feel a bit mean sometimes though because she already loves shopping and unpacking new things when we get home.

Still really enjoying your blog and love the dress Reine

MiM another tactic is to introduce DH to expensive skincare, I bought mine some Clinique bits once which he now re buys so understands the costs. Of course this isn't a great tactic for overall family finances but gets him off my back .

I had been spending £300 per month on them and DD1 has just refused to put on a lovely and very expensive pale pink cardigan. DH may have a point. He says that they will look for nicer clothes as teenagers and stick to Gap sale and H&M for now.

RIP Sweaty Betty yoga trousers (2004-2009)

Great article suburban, really positive.

decam, I buy stuff at the start of the season and add bits if necessary, but then we so rarely go near shops so the temptation is not there.

I am going to a party today and the weather is filthy. Colder than Chrustmas day apparently. I am wearing double knitwear: the grey asymmetric Jigsaw/MU breakfast top with new black cashmere chunky asymmetric cardigan over. MiL is hosting. Does not believe in heating. Will wear black jbrands and 50/50s.

Morning all! Very tired here after a night on Concussion Watch after DD managed to conk her head on a chest and split it open. We panicked and called an ambulance . It did look a lot worse than it was, in fairness; so much blood! She has been glued up and is in fine fettle this morning. Us not so much.

Suburban the piece is really good; lovely picture too! Will be sure to pop back during the day in order to support you in the face of any DM misogyny. Your blog will be going wild today, no doubt.

Decam I've seriously reined myself in now; my two are such a mucky pair. Limit myself to trousers/knitwear/special dresses in the Boden previews and then everything else is H&M/sale Gap/local Charity shops (have found a little gem here which consistently has lovely stuff).

MiM I get my hair cut a lot less than I should as I begrudge spending valuable clothes money on it!

Amber we bought our cot at a second-hand Steiner School sale (so ideal for co-sleepers and other items of a hippy persuasion) and its made by Global Nursery Products, who no longer seem to be making them/in business. It's very similar to this one.

Sound slike you're having a lovely weekend Blue. Hope you enjoy your facial Ollie and a big wave to everyone else. Will be back later - am trying to stop DH from wrapping DD in cotton wool.

Portia - I have friends from the 94 promotion...

Thanks red, will check it out!

decameron I do a big mini-Boden shop for them each season then top up with H&M and Next t-shirts for DS to trash at nursery and quite a lot of Gap for him too. Also buy his jeans from Next because they are the ony ones which fit him properly. DD lives in leggings/vests/cardis as she is a thug who trashes everything she wears. She has not worn a dress since she was new. I also buy a lot of John Lewis for DD, and PJs/swimwear are always JL for both. Total spend c. £100pm for both I'd say. I spend a lot more on myself, but as I rarely vomit or defecate on my clothing I feel justified in that.

looby white co yoga pants all the way here, and I wore my IO maternity leggings for a few weeks after too. You are wise, I bought J Brands 3 sizes bigger than normal which fitted for about a week. I think I just totally lost hope of ever being slim again!

On way to MILs after an unprecedented display of kindness from me, I didn't want her to spend the BH alone. Must be hormonal or something. Will go into Tunbridge Wells for lunch so planning a browse in Fenwicks as a reward.

decameron- I have always been pretty frugal with spending on the DC and myself also (until I came on here)!
I probably spend around £100 per month, possibly a bit more on the three of them. I only ever buy them clothes in the sale, usually for the year ahead. However, DD2 has nearly all hand me downs from DD1 and my parents are generous e.g. they ask what the DC need for Christmas and I will ask for dressing gowns/ PJs or whatever and they buy lovely White Company ones, etc.
I find shoes is the greatest expense as it isn't always possible to find them in the sale at the necessary time and they need more and more pairs as they get older, especially girls!
It depends on your level of income/ expendable income though as with everything else and I'm sure I would have no trouble spending more if there was more available. :)

Thanks for the post baby trouser tips and will try to do comfort with a tiny bit of style. I have been looking at the WC ones and the Sweaty Betty also.

suburban- congratulations on the article. Will read it all later!

Red glad DD is ok this morning. They seem to get over such accidents so quickly whilst we as parents are traumatised for far longer!
Portia love the Masterchef themed party, what a great idea.

Bloss how funny about the rugby outfits. They must have been freezing.
Pickled - your daughter sounds so talented. Hope you get good news on the audition and job front soon.
Dona hello from me. How long have you lived in Rome for? Its DHs favourite city and friends of ours go every year just for the shopping!
Reine am loving seeing your blog and business develop. You are obviously enjoying the whole process too which is wonderful.

NY and others - am waiting for DH to arrange his annual sailing holiday before I can commit to the MU. Should be sorted out later this week so will know for sure then

Mango has a few nice dresses in at the moment for those of you after a not-too- expensive dress fix? Some great colours - lots of corals, cobalt blue and greens.

Wave to Ollie, I've been in Rome since last autumn but feel very much at home here.

I've avoided Mango for years but saw a surprisingly good tweed bolero there the other day (slightly Chanelesque but done in Armani colors IFSWIM). Am in fact thinking of going back for it - I have so many shift dresses (LBDs in particular) and this would complete the outfit when I need my shoulders covered.

Decam (?) thanks so much for the jersey day dress link. I found one that looks exactly like my thing. Do you have any of them. Do they crease?

Well done on the article Suburban! You looked lovely, hope you can get a copy of that pic. Find it hard to see how you'd get any negative comments. If so we'll sort them! [tough guy emotion]

Just read some of the comments under the DM article. Nearly all of them miss the point completely and some are downright nasty. I'm going to get clicking the red down arrows and will also write a comment.

As Rufus says, time to sort them out (I'll hide behind you Rufus!)

Red, glad your little DD is ok, that must have give you quite a scare.

DonaAna, I have the cap sleeve ruched dress, the martini dress and the tulip dress and none of them crease. Though I haven't worned the cap sleeve dress yet, tbh. I also like DKNY summer dresses, pick em up on your next trip to the US!

:o at Amber and nice of you to go visit your MIL.

Thanks, DH wants me to spend £100 per month unless there is something they need in particular that is extra. So that should be do-able! DD2 has lovely clothes as DD1 was mostly in Emile et Rose, Cacharel, etc. PFB and I was over-excited at having a girl. A waste of money looking back!

I thought all three of you came across very well in the arcticle.

Thanks, Ollie I haven't looked at the comments, and frankly I don't think I will...

So sorry to hear about your DD Red like Ollie said it is more scary for you.

Decameron am sure £100 is doable. It is shoes that always tip me over, but they are an essential. Sainsbury's do strangely nice and good quality girls clothes, lots of navy. DD has a breton raincoat from there which I would love an adult version of .

Don't surburban, I don't think the online comments are at all representative of normal readers' viewers as only really bitter horrible people ever seem moved to post! V depressed at the prevailing 'stylish mums clearly vain / vacuous / don't care about their children view. Crops up on here too doesn't it. Strange that some mums love the ''if you have time to brush your teeth you're doing well' line too; I just don't get it. Is it mrscb who coined the line that it doesn't take any longer to put on nice clothes? So true.

suburban your blog is great and will be getting loads of positive responses today; I think you should still be glad you did the article.

I have a small but very co-ordinated wardrobe for DS with some special Bicester bits from Ralph Lauren and Paul Smith, Boden purchases with codes and select choices from Zara and even Next. I actually envy how capsule and stylish it is and he gets to start again each season! Probably only averages out at £50 pm or less. In fact wish I could be so efficient with my own wardrobe!

Hope you're warm enough bloss! My MIL doesn't do heating either, I often keep my coat on.

Sorry about your poor DD red.

Don't bother reading the comments.

Shoes and coats for them may have to be extras! DD1 refuses to wear navy as it is a boy colour, grrr.

Forgot to say that I am loving my new nude shoes. Had a trying on session last night (as out for a nice dinner on Saturday evening) and they go with so many things. How have I managed wihout them for so long????

Ive just had my say on the DM website and clicked a lot of red arrows.