And so we Wisely turn away from any summer purchases to Avid thoughts of stylish winter coats. Which means (surely) that the sun will shine, after wool jackets are bought....

[notyummy]

Stamp

That's very sad, Georgina.

Glad you are having a great time and did not get lost, Ollie!

Hope your house is finished soon, NSG.

I've been reading the frumpy thread. Agree with you about grooming, Bloss (bon voyage to your parents, btw). I always feel I look much better when my hair has been blowdried but I am rubbish at doing myself and still have lots of wispy bits from growing back after DD2.

I lost my temper with DH this morning, told him he'd better book some time off soon or there'll be war. He said he told his boss yesterday that he is not working weekends any more, we'll see. He also offered to buy me the Acne boots to mollify me but I told him to stick it (possibly will regret refusing that offer:)).

On an S&B note, I am wearing skinny CE jeans (bought before they changed the cut and ruined them), red Farhi top and navy ballet flats. With frumpy hair.

We are off to the library and for croissants. Have good days!

Also, he thinks the Acne boots cost half what they actually do.

Which Dr Briffa book do you have, MrsCB?

deca Agree with groomed hair making all the difference for looking or feeling groomed. At the hairdresser's right now to ger my roots done. Hope DH can get some time off work. I have somehow reconciled myself with DH working so much and having so little time to spend with DD or go on holidays. I am really worried about his health though and have noticed how tired he looks.

Feel v sorry for those of you with hard working DHs - there's a lot to be said for being piss-poor and seeing one another (which we might actually do once we move).

Just popped out to get gifts for DS1's nursery teachers to go in the little zippered purse/make up bags I made them, it glorious sunshine here today.

An ploughing through sick-making to do list. Still sick-making

It's just that Dd1 is off now for 8 weeks and I'm often up from 5am. I was thinking about it when Hopefully said that her DH often gets up with her baby. I don't expect that and I have long accepted that we rarely see him Mon-Fri but I am not doing weekends on my own any more or going on mu own to Ireland. He is wrecked too and I think his health will start to deteriorate unless he gets more exercise. He is not overweight but he is 44 now and constantly stressed. I've added to it, no doubt.

Good luck with your to do list, Hopefully.

I'm not very good at very groomed. Have to do the highlights every so often and really need to cut hair just as it gets too long, otherwise it bugs me. But feel better more tousled. Less done.

I feel for the long hours on here. Hope you have a good holiday to relax.

Georgina what a shock for your friend .

Always hope it is all ok today.

decam I can totally empathise with you on this point. DH is off next week and aside from one agreed telecon, it has been stated that NO work is to take place, or rooves will be hit. I can grumble too much as he does get up with the kids in the morning, but he is off to a wedding on Saturday, again leaving me to handle swimming lessons, soft play etc. single handedly, so I am putting my foot down. He actually has the brass neck to come home from that stag do last weekend and complain the dishwasher hadn't been emptied! Also suffering from wispy hair issues, unsuprisingly.

Obviously all that pales into insignificance when I read about georgina's friend. How utterly tragic. Should really stop moaning about DH, at least he's here.

Waiting for 3rd delivery attempt of VL...

Hope everything goes well today Always - what a shock for you all. Will be thinking of you.

Georgina I really feel for your friend, the not knowing must be gut-wrenchingly awful.

Decam have you told DH you are worried abut his health? Also think of yourself in putting your (Acne-heeled?!) foot down - keeping everything going will no doubt be having an impact. Hope you have a lovely day today.

Bloss first days of holidays are awful. But you're right in that there is no feeling like the breaking up from school feeling.

Am full of whinge today, I won't be too self-indulgent and go into it, but it's probably because I'm a bit hungover. Off to visit elderly relatives on the other side of London today. Woo hoo.

Dd2 and I are in a race to grow our hsir. It's cancelling time off when he has already promised to take it that is extremely annoying, but yes, not important really. Hope the VL arrives!

Passes Red coffee. Yes, I told him he can go to gym at the weekends, it would be a good stress reliever.

georgina I have somehow missed what has happened to your poor friend's husband but am guessing it is the worst possible thing. So sorry.

My DH has his own business so works crippling hours, probably 70+ a week, but they are of his own choosing and he LOVES his work so thankfully is very cheerful about it. He is gone before the DC and I wake up in the week but gets up with DS both Saturday and Sunday and does almost all his bedtimes. In fact he's probably entitled to be on a thread somewhere moaning about me! No, joking aside, I think you really have to negotiate what works best and keeps everyone as happy as possible, which is of course different for every family. Hope those with stressed overworked husbands get a bit of balance back very soon.

Drizzling here but I'm telling myself it's the last day of it (please!). Going to go for a mooch in John Lewis with the baby as need some birthday presents and some new bits for her. Going to check out the zip ankle skinnies in GAP too (although I simply will never learn that their trousers are always too big for me even though they might pretend not to be in the fitting room).

Georgina that is so awful about your friends husband.

Bloss ds2 was in terrible form for the first few weeks days of the school holidays. It was as if he had to detox from school. He's in top form now, a different child.

oh Decam It's really tough, your poor dh probably feels caught in a treadmill and you never get a break. Is there a local teenager who could come in every afternoon for a couple of hours, just to give you a break and be an extra pair of hands. I was in a similar situation when my boys were little and I look back at that time as 'my lost years'.

MiM living in the middle of a building site is hell, just think of the F&B!

I'm off to collect dd from a sleepover now, apparently they were up at the crack of dawn, so I am expecting a very trying afternoon and early bedtime tonight.

deca I only have one DD to look after and she wakes at sensible hours. You have every right to feel tired, frustrated or whatever. Can you get a babysitter who looks after the DDs during the holidays for a couple of hours or takes them to the playground while you have a nap?
I can so relate to what you are saying. Cancelling plans is the worst. I always used to feel so disappointed and rejected whenever DH's work came first. I know he hates the long hours and being constantly available for work too but I also understand that this is part of what he gets paid for. And he loves his job. Doing the MBTI last week on holiday and reading our profiles together just confirmed how different we are and how obvious it is that there are differences between us from time to time.

Sorry long post..,

Decam it is tough. For both of you I imagine. And I agree cancelling things is annoying. I really hope you can get someone to help out.

On a lighter note, MrsCB you made me laugh with "you need more clothes, and I don't there is anyone else in this thread I would say that to". Totally true. Have just removed an extra few hundred pounds on top of various training/deposit rent money from savings to get some stuff.

Won a Reiss suit on eBay the other day. Perfect shape, but v small scale pinstripe, which i didn't notice. Am tossing up re-selling vs wearing vs dyeing (probably a non-starter as it is dry clean).

I'm going to start getting someone in once a week again, possibly twice, so I am a bit nicer to him! He does hate the long hours like your DH, Fritzi, but wants the salary (decent but he still does more than they expect, I'd say) so the DDs can grow up in a nice area, option of private schools etc. Well put, Verity, the lost years is right! I often look forward to them being a little older, better sleepers, etc, which I shouldn't do. Anyway, in hairdresser with CBeebies on and a comic for DD1 as DD2 fell asleep.

Oh I so empathise on the DH's working long hours. Mine has always done so but its been pretty dreadful the last few months - he also does a lot of exercise though which is crucial for his health/stress levels but its jolly hard when you're the one doing all the children stuff and there is a real danger that he becomes peripheral to family life.

DD under the weather with high temp and cough so has spent the last 2 nights nose to nose with me in bed so if I'm not ill with it next week I'll eat my hat.

I've got the Escape the Diet trap book and have followed the rules from the BIWI bootcamp threads on here - apart from I have coffee and wine too.

Suburban - the new look cypress alikes just arrived and my god they're utterly fab look so much more expensive than they are so thanks!

I'm not naturally polished but have been trying to make an effort. This thread is my favorite - especially the reader comments. Very useful tips! Most important things: regular haircut and highlight maintenance and blowdrying and ironed clothes.

Another warm and sunny day. Morning in Marant, Hasbeens, green Zatchel. Spotted the breton-skinnies-ballets flats mumiform at the local playground Took DD1 out for pizza margherita (a way to make her eat tomatoes!) and for a dessert of hot chocolate and a praline. Love doing this with her.

Opened the NAP box. Marc Jacobs chambray shirt and the APC denim shirt looked good - the rest a bit meh and will go back.

Sympathies to all whose DHs work long hours. I used to be like that, resentful and waiting and feeling trapped, going back to work has helped a bit. My DH was very stressed too - I fully supported it when he became interested joining a gym and have arranged that he can go there 3 or 4 times a week. Both weekend mornings and two nights per week - in exchange I can go out for a run or to spend time with friends basically any time I want to. Works well.

Oh having some help is crucial to keep the resentment at bay - do it Dec. Nanny and my lovely cleaner keep me sane.

MrsCB what material are the soles of the Cypress-lookalikes? They look nice in the pic...

Mine is free time and a cleaner. Those two things (although expensive) have been really great. Especially the free time.

Me too re. my beloved cleaner. And she does ironing. Who coined the 'happy wife, happy life' mantra on here? Love that.

Come on the pink boots! So excited about them, hope they live up to expectations.

Does anyone else follow the blog little soree? Some lovely things if your DC are little.

spree that was supposed to be.