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.

on DC clothes - I find H&M unbeatable for basics (leggings, tops, plain coloured sunhats, some print dresses) but you do have to hunt hard in the store in my experience. I think GAP has gone a bit downhill vs 5 or so years ago in terms of colours and general finish but still some very cute things to be found. American Apparel does some cute things and I quite like some of the Debenhams ranges - but nothing with blatant logos. Petit Bateau, Neck & Neck and Maan are my lottery win destinations. I find girls shoes tricky - if you don't want pink or lilac there's limited reasonably priced choice.

Dona Ana ciao! Yes, Benetton is really worth exploring. It's less on trend than Zara and H&M and I have bought some really good things there for me too - had a fabulous pair of red cord winter shorts last season that I wore with tights/boots. Only 35 euros and lots of impact!

Oooh thank you all

Have spent the afternoon being shallow and vain planting veggies in the greenhouse feeling v wholesome now.

Boots also do nice girls clothes, good selection of colours lots of yellow and green. I miss living near Benetton, must check out their website. Also if on holiday, the stuff in Monoprix is just adorable.

How annoying Emo, my DD is also a carseat Houdini it drives me mad.

Suburban - I agree there is some great stuff in Monoprix but the best of the best flies out of the shop...

DD has a totally amazing pair of Houli-likes from Monoprix at the moment - so cute!

Thanks for all sympathies - have spent the afternoon baby-proofing the house following a dash to Ikea to buy everything in the child protecting range. I can't believe we didn't do this sooner. Did that classic thing of leaving with a lot more than we intended on getting. Nevermind.

Bloss hope you enjoyed the party and that MiL was a congenial hostess!

Emo that journey sounds shocking - hope you've recovered. DS has taken a safety first approach to driving (he clearly feels someone needed to take the issue of household safety seriously) and sits like a little dictator in the back, commanding 'both hands on the wheel Mummy', 'look ahead Mummy' etc etc. Really quite irritating.

Glad the shoes are working well for you Ollie, I have a nude pair that I wear with everything.

Suburban I would love to see a picture of everyone posting comments so keenly. My ILs are visiting this weekend and I reckon she'll bring it up with me for sure - the DM is her main source of information for conversations. Yawn.

I really like the COS kids stuff - haven't bought anything from there myself, but my sisters, the cool aunties, have done. Gorgeous.

Oh yes red COS does have some lovely stuff.

I defy anyone to go to ikea and come home with ONLY what they had planned to buy. Chopping boards, children's tableware , baskets and plant pots are my weaknesses.

Hello,

Not been shopping much lately, my Zara order is however on it's way whoop! I ordered some peach metallic ballet pumps from topshop yesterday, hopefully they'll be nice :)

Dh and I have been to Stoke park this weekend as it's our wedding anniversary today, today we both had facials and massages, lovely :)

I don't remember the last time I even went into a benetton and I've never heard of monoprix

Will go and see if I can find suburbans article...

Red ikea trips are always like that. We went to idea for lunch today and came out with about 400 towels. I am in seventh heaven as we have been sharing towels, using ancient towels from student days, and generally not living in luxury on the towel front. I bought each of us 2 medium towels, 2 small towels and 4 flannels in their own colour, and a couple of guest sets. There will be no more towel sharing or dis-owning of the many towel! DS1 chose the foulest colours for him and DS2, but I don't care . Glad your DD is better, so scary when they get cuts.

Is there a link to the DM article? . Agree that nasty comments are not representative, most DM readers are bitter old bags anyway.

Emo all our car journeys seem to end up like that. I drove to the west country on my own last week and it was total and utter bliss.

Ollie was it you who asked about stick on/backless bras the other day? Not sure what size you are, but I found backless much better than stick on for me - stick on just felt like, ermm, a sticker on my boobs. Am a D cup though.

We spend almost nothing on the DS's clothes, apart from shoes. DS2 is more or less entirely in hand me downs, and DS1 gets pretty much all he needs from gifts. Occasionally we buy a multi pack of vests or tshirts from M&S or similar. Saying that, I have decided to make a bit more effort with them and will be employing the 3 colour wardrobe rule I think, as DS1 has taken an interest in dressing himself. Mentioned it to my mother as a fab idea the other day and she said she always used to do it with us - red, cream and navy. There's nothing new in the world, is there?

Tried on half of Whistles in JL today (quite a few nice autumn coloured bits) and have concluded I am the Wrong Shape for Whistles. The lovely seam back tees were way too big and sticky out on the arm (and not in a cool oversized sort of way), the sweaters were all an odd shape, and a shirt made me look like a small brick. Ho hum. I think I am not entirely in tune with my improved body shape, and am picking up lots of stuff in the wrong size, which doesn't help. Need to realise I am no longer a 12 except in shops with teeny weeny sizing. This is a good thing, obviously, but taking some adjusting

Picked up a Dr Haushcka booklet in health food shop yesterday, loving the natural ingredients list. Does anyone use anything from the range?

Have done 6 days of insanity, rest day tomorrow. I really need it. It is awesome though. Fitness already improved, for definite.

Purchase report: bought this to wear as a dress if the sun ever comes out. Is a very respectable knee length on me. Also tried on this and this which were both excellent and I will l

Bugger. iPhone fail.

...which I will look out for in the sale.

Hopefully thanks for Insanity info. I just did Shred. Might check out the your one too.

Red how is your dd?
We had the same thing with ds2. He ran down the hall and conked his head on the skirting. But he stood straight back up and I turned around to see a line of blood running down his face from his hair line. I was . It looked like he had been snipered through the window a movie. He was glued and luckily it is under his hair line. Dh cycled so hard to A&E from work he was puce.

Dona welcome, I did an Ocado today and saw a code for Me&Em 20% now idea how it works. But worth a if you can use it.

Emo I love Maan clothes, and have three coats the same for ds2 to grow into. Eek! also love Quincy, Tuss etc. Good quality but obv no logo-ing.

Breton great run!

Great buys Amber

We had a really great time out this weekend. Very indulgent. We went late afternoon and found it funny that someone was telling us they were annoyed with all the yummy mummies who turn up and 'swat their Sunday Times Style at their children'. I was going to say yes it's annoying we leave ours at home to escape them and would prefer not to see everyone else's too. But then thought no going to indulge in feeling pre-dc for a second!

There were loads of them, but luckily you can sit in a separate area.

Noddy, this is the one of the most recent rainwear items purchased on the thread and by a very stylish gal I might add.

everything have done it a few times with DS1 watching and laughing and DS2 escaping, but generally do it in the evening. Not too much of a leap from 28 mins of jillian to 42 mins of Shaun T . Loved Master Your Metabolism, made lots of sense and has us eating much much cleaner. Hurrah for solicitor meeting! Great step.

Am disappointed about Whistles stuff. Really need clothes! Weather is killing my shopping mojo big time though.

Watching original Buffy movie. Such a classic!

She's doing really well Marsha - keeps on saying 'bump' very earnestly to anyone whose eye she can catch. I was shocked by the blood. I wound DH up hugely last night as he was lamenting the scar that she will probably have - I told him to imagine a time in 16 years when, in a tender moment, someone will lovingly stroke it and comment on its beauty. That sounds like a very funny conversation to be a part of - kind of get where they're coming from, actually.

Really like the broderie top Amber, lovely.

I am very taken with the idea of a towel colour for each of the family Hopefully, DH has a really annoying habit of taking a new towel every other time he showers and not bothering to put them in the wash. Limiting him to his own colour may curb things.

Mwah to you Pickled. I've received lots of compliments on that coat too actually - yellow must be a good colour for me. When can we hear more about DD's audition?

Those are seriously cute shoes Annie. My DD would be very taken with them too, I think.

suburban I saw the article this morning and got very excited and pointed you out to DH

I would have been very disappointed if there hadn't been bitching in the comments. Do you want the approval of people who comment on DM articles? Thought not!

We are tight and allow £25 per child per month but that includes things like booster seats as and when they arise. We are lucky though as have Startrite factory shop just up the road so winter boots are £18 and shoes generally £16 which helps. Clothes are mainly H&M with a bit from Monsoon and Gap in the sale or on eBay. Sometimes Sainsbury's. I probably go over that budget for the older ones but DD2 doesn't need shoes or anything yet and we still get given things as gifts for her!

mim nice to hear from you. I get 'basics' included in the grocery budget. Have persuaded DH that this includes Lancome mascara and Xen-Tan face tan but apart from that it's just cheapie supermarket stuff. If I want anything else fancy I have to pay. We also have money set aside for hair each month. Mine is higher as I have lots of grey so have to have highlights (am 34 - too young for the grey...).

icey if you're lurking, hello!

Hi Fleecy, hope all is well!

She's a teeny 3.5 Annie and I'm not buying anything else to add to the 'for when she's bigger' pile (already big) because she grows so slowly - still in her 9-12m stuff at 20 months! We have stair gates still as both DC are just inordinately clumsy. I've tried showing them how to come down properly and encouraging them to look where they're going (duh) and so on, but they are so gung ho - as soon as our backs are turned, it's game over.

And yes to Vit E oil - must remember to get some tomorrow.