The race is on to (finally) wear our summer clothes. It's the Wise and Avid Olympics - off we go!

[Russianred]

Athletic leap on To new thread.

Red Glad that you are starting to feel better. I hope that Suburban is also on the mend.

Bag is lovely Bloss

Doña your style board is very inspiring, we don't live in a broadband area ( they still exist in Ireland!) so am viewing it on the IPhone!

I'm really enjoying the A/W wishlist thread. I don't know whether to get the navy Jalouse, or the Boden navy ankleboot wedges, does the Jalouse give a flattering leg shape when worn with skirts? I would prefer them as I think that the stacked heel will take more hacking.

DH is away at the mo, so is DD3, so I brought the 2 Ds out for dinner last night, which was fun, they both have summer jobs working me, and are also compiling their A/W wishlists! DD1 is trying to loose weight and despite upping her exercise regime and altering her diet hasn't managed to shift a pound, any tips would be gratefully received. She's doing the shred as we speak!

Yesterday sounds lovely Decam, I also say 'because I said so'!

Morning.

I don't get Twitter. Have tried to send tweets, but they don't show up on the person/company that I have tweeted feed. Totally lost on me. Anyhow, they emailed me saying "Thanks for your patience" (Grr, not "sorry for our delay") and are going to send them to JBrand for 'inspection'. Hmmm.

Glad you are on the mend Red, but agree the camping would probably set you back again.

Love the blue one Bloss. That scarf is lovely Rufus.

Glad you had a good lunch Decam, have a lovely time off today.

The house is filthy. We have given up DS's room to house the new staircase, so our bedroom now sleeps: DH/Me/DS/DD. Also, DH works from home in there and the contents of our loft are in there too. It is a tip, and I have given up looking stylish today. Sorry for being a moaner. DS is really playing up too with all the disruption.

Portia I really like the leg shape Jalouse gives me, wore them loads with maternity dress/skirts last winter.

Portia4 - DP and I are childfree at the moment and are on a diet! He eats sushi for lunch (I eat a bit more as have less to lose) and then I make a vegetable soup or low-fat protein+salad type dinner (grilled chicken and tomato salad). We go to bed hungry but it really works. Carbs for breakfast only.

MiM, maybe head out for the morning! I hope J Brand will be more helpful.

Is she cutting down on white carbs, Portia? Your DD1 looks very slim in the photos.

St Petersburg sounds amazing.

Reine, we ended up walking from Richmond to Kew and went here, I kept meaning to go. We went early evening so it wasn't too busy. They have a children's menu if you have fusspots like DD1. DD2 had smoked salmon!

Portia is she eating plenty of lean protein (chicken/tuna/other fish) and drinking tons of water? Those are the things that really help me. I think eating 'clean' helps a lot too - limit white carbs quite strictly, plenty of whole foods, no processed crap (I somehow can't imagine your children eating processed crap, but there you go ). Also getting plenty of sleep and remembering that exercise doesn't actually enable you to eat that much more.

Portia, I like jalouse with skirts too. They look good in the navy. I tried to sneak into Comptoir to buy these yesterday but DH started going on about how many pairs of boots I already own.

Reine, have a great holiday.

Rufus, nice scarf, and it's of New York, what's not to love!

MiM, I think that it is unfair of Matches to send the jeans off to J Brand, your contract was with them, not the manufacturer. However, maybe you'll get a satisfactory answer out of J Brand.

Just popping up for a quick hello - sorry not to have caught up! I'm completely gripped by the Olympics - it is all just wonderful!

Quick question - what shoes do you/did you/would you wear to work with smart dresses (and tights) in A/W? I'm having a bit of a crisis about how high a heel I can get away with next term. I have some knee-high black boots which are secure and comfortable but not very stylish iyswim...

darknessvisible - I bought some flat grey-blue suede over the knee boots in Sergio Rossi last year and they are absolutely great with winter dresses - nice fine elegant foot.

bonsoir that kind of boot does sound promising. I do feel that I need a bit of height to help me feel more authoritative with the students

bloss - I saw this and wondered whether it might fit your bag brief velo tote

Oh wow, now that bag is a beaut...

Channelling a SE classic/gamine look today in navy/white cap sleeve breton, indigo skinny Goldsigns (which are my favourite jeans ever) and black ballerinas. Green Gracie adding to the classic look further! Totally not my look, but I feel like Audrey Hepburn, which is never a bad thing!

Off to let DD scream the nursery down during her settle. Happy days.

portia, depends how much she wants it, but if she really wants to lose weight she should do the no junk challenge which is on my holiday countdown board and get on my fitness pal. It's bloody hard. Like I say, depends how much she wants it.
I gave taken Roxy and Vince shopping and having a nice cup of tea.
Love the jeans rufus, but the orange and green on the scarf would put me off.

Portia I would say at her age she shouldn?t cut down on amount as it might play havoc with her metabolism just make sure what she is eating is the good sort (wholegrains, no junk etc)

It is (IME) a fact that between mid teens and early twenties ?puppy fat? really does exist (somehow related to hormones). She will probably find it drops off naturally soon enough and at that point may even miss her youthful smooth cheekness and perfect curves. I thought I was fat at that exact stage in my life, whereas every man I met seemed to have a wholly different view on things .

Aaargh! You see? I'm useless at this colour business.
Bought AMAZING trousers from Baystan today. Will try to link later.
Portia agree with GoS. Do NOT let her cut down on amount or calorie count. Focus instead on eating healthily and no processed food. Again like GoS says, she will miss those plump cheek bones and smooth skin soon enough, as that "puppy fat" drops off naturally. I lo

iPhone fail!
Anyway I look at girls that age and though they might not be super slim, they look so amazing.

oh yes rufus that lovely roundness of youth. You never get it back really. I have 2 stunning neices at that stage now. I know they are plagued by insecurity even though they look so gorgeous. One of lifes ironies that you never really appreciate it when you have it.

I remember wishing for more hollow cheeks as a teenager. I have them now but (strangely!) everybody looks at my face and knows exactly the age I am

Dona, I want to go to St P now!

I've still got my youthful plumpishness .

Having a sneaky peek whilst at work, cheers Bloss.

Reine, you so deserve a holiday, when do you leave?

Decam. it's so lovely that you and DH can take the girls out to nice places to eat, I'm sure mine were much older before I could actually relax and enjoy the experience.

A large glass of wine for us and making DD1 walk two miles beforehand helped, Pickled!

I do remember complaining about my chubby cheeks and my mother telling me that I would be glad when I was older, I didn't believe her at the time. I was about two stone lighter in university, I looked far too skinny when I look at photos at the time.

Ollie, some nice new things in the White Co, I think you'd like them.

Am at the thought of you 2 stone lighter Decam. There would be nothing of you there!
When I was about 15 was 7 and 1/2 stone, but then puberty hit (yes, very late developer). I'm around 8st 3 or 4 now, but if I ever drop down to 8 or 8st 1 (always stress induced. I never can lose weight otherwise) I look bloody awful.

Sarah came to meet me in Italy and was shocked at the sight of me, I was so skinny, Rufus, she still mentions it. I couldn't see it at the time.

Dona Thank you so, so much! Wonderful tips - have sent them straight on to her. She is at Hermitage today - was her big reason for going and is staying in a hotel very near to it in order to pop back when she feels like it. Yet to hear back from her, but imagine she will be very appreciative.

Have spent the morning in the park and in IKEA, getting a new bed for DD after she made an adventurous escape from her cot last night. Was a bit of a moment for me (this is tragic) as I bought her the bed I always wanted as a child, but my Mum insisted was ridiculous and wouldn't stand the test of time. The Minnen bed - will be decorating with fairy lights at some point in the near future. We also ordered her a scooter for her birthday as she is such a little daredevil and loves stealing DS' at any given opportunity and going for it. Thanks for the O bar tip Amber have ordered the 3-in-1 to at least make a stab at safety when riding.

Decam you do some some very beautiful boots. But surely there is space for another black pair? The CdeC are lovely. Am also very taken with the navy Jalouse. Wondering if I can justify them in the workwear bracket?!

So glad training is going well Hopefully - look forward to hearing more.

Rufus I was definitely chubbier in my late teens in the way GoS describes - I am a similar weight now, but distribution of weight so vastly different - the body tends to hang on those pounds in strange places in the teen years. Good that she is being sensible in her approach with exercise though.

Very jealous of all the Olympic attendees - should have been much more on the ball with getting tickets and getting there. Think we may pop to London towards the end of next week and take our chances.

And a question - DD has a lot of friends who are the younger siblings of DS' friends. Can I invite just the younger lot to DD's b'day party? Am going to suggest DS has one friend otherwise it becomes a whole marauding tribe and it will stop being a party for DD, iykwim. She's turning 2 and he is 3.8.

I would just invite the younger children, Red, unless the parents are staying at the party and have no one to mind the older kids. The bed sounds lovely. I get DD1 all the things I wasn't allowed (Barbies, for one, I know, I know). Definitely room for more boots, but they must be a stealth buy. :)