I have spoken before of my deep love of mumsnet. I am still enamoured. I suspect the shine is going off it for mr auntiegwen aka mr adventures, although I don't think he can really claim to be mr adventures any more such is the pitiful amount of blogging ie none of late.
I am an ad man's dream. I am hugely suggestible. So if someone takes the time and trouble to log on and spout about how good something is, I am going to believe them.
To date I have bought on a mumsnet recommendation,
Sainsbury's luxury leggings - best quality, last for ages, wash well
Branch 309 - ex display shoes form office and schuh - we have bought 5 pairs from here, very good for cheap UGG boots, EBD got a fab £29 pair and I even persuaded my dad into the UGG slippers, which he loves
Lanacane ani chaffe gel - stop sniggering, it's apparently the same formula that Smashbox use in their make up primer and it is 1/3 of the price
Longchamp - La Pliage large shopper, fab bag and will take loads of work files plus all the assorted staff I need all day every day to survive
Tresseme 7 day keratin shampoo & conditioner - I have very soft and straight hair now
Yesterday I succumbed to Alpha H skin care - apparently it's brilliant for cleaning out your pores. I shall report back and let you all know. don't worry not with before and after pictures, I'm not that unkind.
I'm sure it's just displacement as I haven't bought the handbag despite the 30% off in the sale.
Today I am trying desperately not to buy a Morphy Richards 9 in 1 steam cleaner - they are the dog's apparently. I feel that getting excited about household appliances rather put me in the Per Una category.
Today I am going to stick to Am I being unreasonable, it's cheaper than chat & style & beauty. Say hi to wifeandmotherandlotsofother if you see me.
Friday, 20 June 2014
Sunday, 15 June 2014
I heart MH
Have I mentioned how much I love living in Market Harborough this month? No? how remiss of me.
We have no cinema here, we were supposed to get one but there has been a community group and a business joint initiative thingy that has gone bodge and we aren't getting one. That is the short version.
Please don't feel sorry for us, no siree, we have a film club. Oh yes, Market Harborough has everything you could possible want. Our lovely film club meets in the local theatre, we have a big screen, tippy up seats and a bar. Take that Odeon.
We went on Friday and saw The Monuments Men. We had a drink in the bar, a lovely chat, a film we enjoyed and it was every bit as good as the cinema. All for a fiver each.
Fabulous.
And the icing on the cake...
We were the youngest there by a good decade.
I love Market Harborough.
We have no cinema here, we were supposed to get one but there has been a community group and a business joint initiative thingy that has gone bodge and we aren't getting one. That is the short version.
Please don't feel sorry for us, no siree, we have a film club. Oh yes, Market Harborough has everything you could possible want. Our lovely film club meets in the local theatre, we have a big screen, tippy up seats and a bar. Take that Odeon.
We went on Friday and saw The Monuments Men. We had a drink in the bar, a lovely chat, a film we enjoyed and it was every bit as good as the cinema. All for a fiver each.
Fabulous.
And the icing on the cake...
We were the youngest there by a good decade.
I love Market Harborough.
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Welcome to the house of vom
We have a black cross on our front door. I am ringing my bell and crying out "unclean, unclean" We are a house of lurgy. My stepson The Boy Wonder spent the weekend vomiting and sleeping, not to be outdone my husband has spent today vomiting and sleeping, He scared the beejeezus out of me as he recounted how he pulled into a lay by on the way home to barf and woke up 20 minutes later with the engine running and the handbrake off.
He's not even got life insurance.
My Eldest Beautiful Daughter and I were on Skype tonight and I was telling our tales of woe and sickness and she asked if I was more sympathetic to illness now, she loves to recount the phrases that were trotted out when she was pleading for a day off school. Before I was a teacher, I spent 15 years as a nurse, I probably wasn't sympathetic to pleas of illness. Sympathy clearly was a shift time only concept. The ones she favours are
"Have you a limb hinging off? No , well get that uniform on"
"You're sick are you? Let me take you to the hospital, I work there, I'll show you what a sick person looks like"
"Put a plaster on it, it'll be fine. Stop your crying"
Then I became a teacher and still had no truck with school avoiding issues. Apparently EBD's upbringing has made her the strict teacher she is now.
And she is a VERY strict teacher.
He's not even got life insurance.
My Eldest Beautiful Daughter and I were on Skype tonight and I was telling our tales of woe and sickness and she asked if I was more sympathetic to illness now, she loves to recount the phrases that were trotted out when she was pleading for a day off school. Before I was a teacher, I spent 15 years as a nurse, I probably wasn't sympathetic to pleas of illness. Sympathy clearly was a shift time only concept. The ones she favours are
"Have you a limb hinging off? No , well get that uniform on"
"You're sick are you? Let me take you to the hospital, I work there, I'll show you what a sick person looks like"
"Put a plaster on it, it'll be fine. Stop your crying"
Then I became a teacher and still had no truck with school avoiding issues. Apparently EBD's upbringing has made her the strict teacher she is now.
And she is a VERY strict teacher.
Friday, 6 June 2014
A Handbag
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a lady in the middle years of her life, must be in want of a good handbag.
Or is that just me?
Maybe it's because you're never too fat for a handbag? It wouldn't matter which designer I chose or how much money I spent, I'm still going to look like a pig in a frock in most of them. Not even once has a handbag made me look chubby. And I am very old and have had a lot of handbags.
I am looking for the holy grail of handbags, I want something that will be big enough to carry all my stuff. I have a lot of stuff, I know from past experience if I leave any of the stuff out, I will need it and be peeved with myself all day for leaving it at home. I want it to look smart and business like ( because clearly I need all the help I can get with that one) I want it to say "Look here, you young things, I am a serious lady with a serious handbag, I may be getting old but with that I am gaining gravitas. And I have a lovely handbag"
I have spent a fair bit of time on my handbag quest. I have even joined a handbag forum ( courtesy of mumsnet, of course, I can't do anything without mumsnet approval) I have decided upon the handbag for me.
It is a lovely handbag.
It is a thing of beauty.
It is expensive.
Click HERE to see my object of my covety covetousness.
Oh I can do all the nice lady things justification maths, cost per wear blah blah blah, I know I will use it , I know it is good quality. I know I could sell it if I got bored and still get some money back. But can I really spend that kind of money on a bag?
DISCLAIMER - if the nice PR people at Mulberry wish to send me a free handbag to play with, I will blog the live long day about them, I will stop people in the street and force them to admire the Bay, truly I will, there will not be anyone who knows, reads or has contact with me that will not hear the joys of Mulberry. Promotion has no impetus like a middle aged auntie with a free handbag.
I just cannot bring myself to hand my card over, it seems obscene just to pay the money. I really, really want this bag. My lovely husband has said he'd buy it for me but I can't let him. I could take the money out of my wee nice lady things savings account but it seems like I haven't earned it, despite the fact that any money going into the account has been earned by me.
So I have come up with a cunning plan, in this plan I get to buy the handbag but I have to earn the handbag. I can't do any more hours at work so I have to give up something and then save the money for the bag. Once a Catholic, always a Catholic.
So, suggestions welcomed for what I can do that will leave me a spare £1000 ish in my account but won't get me arrested or divorced.
PS - I am completely aware of this being a #firstworldproblem, I am completely aware that people are starving and homeless and really struggling and I have the luxury of even thinking of buying a handbag. I know, I know... mea culpa
Or is that just me?
Maybe it's because you're never too fat for a handbag? It wouldn't matter which designer I chose or how much money I spent, I'm still going to look like a pig in a frock in most of them. Not even once has a handbag made me look chubby. And I am very old and have had a lot of handbags.
I am looking for the holy grail of handbags, I want something that will be big enough to carry all my stuff. I have a lot of stuff, I know from past experience if I leave any of the stuff out, I will need it and be peeved with myself all day for leaving it at home. I want it to look smart and business like ( because clearly I need all the help I can get with that one) I want it to say "Look here, you young things, I am a serious lady with a serious handbag, I may be getting old but with that I am gaining gravitas. And I have a lovely handbag"
I have spent a fair bit of time on my handbag quest. I have even joined a handbag forum ( courtesy of mumsnet, of course, I can't do anything without mumsnet approval) I have decided upon the handbag for me.
It is a lovely handbag.
It is a thing of beauty.
It is expensive.
Click HERE to see my object of my covety covetousness.
Oh I can do all the nice lady things justification maths, cost per wear blah blah blah, I know I will use it , I know it is good quality. I know I could sell it if I got bored and still get some money back. But can I really spend that kind of money on a bag?
DISCLAIMER - if the nice PR people at Mulberry wish to send me a free handbag to play with, I will blog the live long day about them, I will stop people in the street and force them to admire the Bay, truly I will, there will not be anyone who knows, reads or has contact with me that will not hear the joys of Mulberry. Promotion has no impetus like a middle aged auntie with a free handbag.
I just cannot bring myself to hand my card over, it seems obscene just to pay the money. I really, really want this bag. My lovely husband has said he'd buy it for me but I can't let him. I could take the money out of my wee nice lady things savings account but it seems like I haven't earned it, despite the fact that any money going into the account has been earned by me.
So I have come up with a cunning plan, in this plan I get to buy the handbag but I have to earn the handbag. I can't do any more hours at work so I have to give up something and then save the money for the bag. Once a Catholic, always a Catholic.
So, suggestions welcomed for what I can do that will leave me a spare £1000 ish in my account but won't get me arrested or divorced.
PS - I am completely aware of this being a #firstworldproblem, I am completely aware that people are starving and homeless and really struggling and I have the luxury of even thinking of buying a handbag. I know, I know... mea culpa
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Decorexia
I have always had a fairly minimal house, perhaps because my family home is so full you can only move sideways in it and they think a surface without stuff and a wall without pictures is a complete waste of space. If you want to see what the Palace of Versailles would look like in a very ordinary Glasgow maisonette (or 4 in a block if you're one of us chosen people), you want to visit my mum & dad.
However in my middle years...
I find myself buying heart shaped things, all the feckin time, there can't be a room in my house without a heart shaped thing in it. To expand this hobby I have taken to buying heart shaped things for the villa, so not only am I imposing my lack of imagination on my nearest and dearest, I have now inflicted it on the good paying public who rent from me. Yesterday I spectacularly bought heart shaped things, in total, 3 pictures with hearts on, 2 cushions with hearts on, 1 metal hanging heart made with tiny bells ( I know), and no less than 8 hanging wicker hearts. I also bought bunting ala Kirsty Allsop but that's a whole other story.
I have taken the buying of small bowls to an extreme art form also. We have a surfeit of small bowls, some are also heart shaped but it's not compulsory. I like bowls, I am particularly attracted to wee bowls. When you have crisps or nuts or snacky thinks it's so much nicer to have them from an attractive bowl.
Candles are also a particular passion, at present in my lounge, I have 25, some arranged in groups, some in bowls (you see, there is another purpose for a wee bowl) we have candles everywhere, inside and out. My husband who monitors our heating on a fancy graph, some Tado thingy that self regulates our heating so you don't have a timer any more (don't mock, Christ he needs something to occupy his mind, living with me) he can tell from his fancy graph when I have lit candles as the temperature increases. I am less impressed with the new fancy thing, I don't have the control thingy, he has one on his phone, if I get cold I have to light candles and put a cardie on or ring and ask him to switch the heating on. Still I have stuff and he has gadgets.
My house is filling up pretty quickly and my ever patient husband has learned not to ask what things are for, he just admires the heart shapes/wee bowls & candles and checks he is still a bloke, living in such a full house.
I am off to the beautiful house for a week, I am taking my husband, my stepson, my parents and several heart shaped things, some bowls and more candles with me. I will buy gin from the duty free and imbibe hourly from 11 to 11 as the combination of my mother telling me the same thing over and over and the boy wonder showing me how he jumps into the pool over and over will most certainly require a more relaxed (aka drunk) auntie to cope!!!
My starter for 10 was yesterday when I was chatting to my mum on the phone, she arrives tonight and I had said how nice it would be to see her. She replied that she was also looking forward to seeing me and then added "and your husband" As I am a very polite auntie, I said " Andrew is looking forward to seeing you too" She closed the conversation with, "Well, I don't know about that but I am looking forward to seeing your husband"
See you in June
However in my middle years...
I find myself buying heart shaped things, all the feckin time, there can't be a room in my house without a heart shaped thing in it. To expand this hobby I have taken to buying heart shaped things for the villa, so not only am I imposing my lack of imagination on my nearest and dearest, I have now inflicted it on the good paying public who rent from me. Yesterday I spectacularly bought heart shaped things, in total, 3 pictures with hearts on, 2 cushions with hearts on, 1 metal hanging heart made with tiny bells ( I know), and no less than 8 hanging wicker hearts. I also bought bunting ala Kirsty Allsop but that's a whole other story.
I have taken the buying of small bowls to an extreme art form also. We have a surfeit of small bowls, some are also heart shaped but it's not compulsory. I like bowls, I am particularly attracted to wee bowls. When you have crisps or nuts or snacky thinks it's so much nicer to have them from an attractive bowl.
Candles are also a particular passion, at present in my lounge, I have 25, some arranged in groups, some in bowls (you see, there is another purpose for a wee bowl) we have candles everywhere, inside and out. My husband who monitors our heating on a fancy graph, some Tado thingy that self regulates our heating so you don't have a timer any more (don't mock, Christ he needs something to occupy his mind, living with me) he can tell from his fancy graph when I have lit candles as the temperature increases. I am less impressed with the new fancy thing, I don't have the control thingy, he has one on his phone, if I get cold I have to light candles and put a cardie on or ring and ask him to switch the heating on. Still I have stuff and he has gadgets.
My house is filling up pretty quickly and my ever patient husband has learned not to ask what things are for, he just admires the heart shapes/wee bowls & candles and checks he is still a bloke, living in such a full house.
I am off to the beautiful house for a week, I am taking my husband, my stepson, my parents and several heart shaped things, some bowls and more candles with me. I will buy gin from the duty free and imbibe hourly from 11 to 11 as the combination of my mother telling me the same thing over and over and the boy wonder showing me how he jumps into the pool over and over will most certainly require a more relaxed (aka drunk) auntie to cope!!!
My starter for 10 was yesterday when I was chatting to my mum on the phone, she arrives tonight and I had said how nice it would be to see her. She replied that she was also looking forward to seeing me and then added "and your husband" As I am a very polite auntie, I said " Andrew is looking forward to seeing you too" She closed the conversation with, "Well, I don't know about that but I am looking forward to seeing your husband"
See you in June
Friday, 9 May 2014
Normal service will resume shortly...
My blog has gone a bit bodge, that's a technical term obviously as you all know how fan dabby dozey I am with technology. I thought I'd lost a bit of it as there was a lot of white screen but if you go away down far enough some other stuff is there, I don't know how to fix it, clearly, so I shall cross my fingers, keep writing stuff and hope it repairs itself.
I am having a bit of a run of broken/lost/problematic things at the moment. Our hot water tank appears to be leaking, we found this out when a patch of water appeared on the ceiling of the room below. The auntiegwen approach is to wrap the leaky bit in flannels and keep drying them out however I am now married and married to the kind of person who likes, nay needs to fix things, yes dear readers I married an engineer, he has a full complement of tools and fixery things but the water tank is winning at the moment. There has been lots of draining of things and turning water off and turning it back on, we still leak and every time I was my hands the water comes out with a ferocity and viciousness previously only seen in a hormonal and exam stressed BBD. I get soaked every time. I am tired of this game now.
I have lost my fitbit which made me sad, tis a sort of posh pedometer and was a Christmas gift.
Work has needed lots of patience and I don't have that much spare as general life is taking most of mine.
But huzzah, tis Friday and I have a very nice bottle of wine in the fridge for tonight, we have pizza and gogglebox (which I love, love, love).
Not too shabby, have a good weekend everyone
I am having a bit of a run of broken/lost/problematic things at the moment. Our hot water tank appears to be leaking, we found this out when a patch of water appeared on the ceiling of the room below. The auntiegwen approach is to wrap the leaky bit in flannels and keep drying them out however I am now married and married to the kind of person who likes, nay needs to fix things, yes dear readers I married an engineer, he has a full complement of tools and fixery things but the water tank is winning at the moment. There has been lots of draining of things and turning water off and turning it back on, we still leak and every time I was my hands the water comes out with a ferocity and viciousness previously only seen in a hormonal and exam stressed BBD. I get soaked every time. I am tired of this game now.
I have lost my fitbit which made me sad, tis a sort of posh pedometer and was a Christmas gift.
Work has needed lots of patience and I don't have that much spare as general life is taking most of mine.
But huzzah, tis Friday and I have a very nice bottle of wine in the fridge for tonight, we have pizza and gogglebox (which I love, love, love).
Not too shabby, have a good weekend everyone
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
The 7 days of laundry
My youngest daughter continues to be a source of wonder to
me. This is a photo of her bed.
Another view
Tis fairly grim, is it not? So how can a child that messy be
so clean in other ways? I do her laundry, I'm ace at laundry, it is really one
of my best skills. And in 1 week, and I repeat for clarity, 1 week, my child has worn (and I did count and then
write it down so I didn't forget)
11 pairs of pants, 9 pairs of tights, 8 pairs of leggings, 7
pairs of jeans, 7 bras (and you know how sorry I am that it wasn't 6 as I know
some of you are singing along to the 12 days of Christmas)7 t shirts, 6 pairs
of socks, 4 shirts, 2 dresses....
and one skirt.
My argument in days of yore was always that
clothes should be hung up or put away like regular humans but as I am afeared
of the BBD and even more afeared of the BBD during AS levels, I am just washing
whatever is put in the basket, I am fairly certain that most weeks I am re
washing clean clothes but as conversations with BBD scare the bejaysus out of
me, I am letting dirty laundry get clean. If we have a brief 2 minute exchange
of words and there is no eye rolling (her), deep or sharp intakes of breaths (me),
slamming of doors (her), tears (either of us) I just count my blessings and go
on my merry way. If she passes her a levels and goes to uni, we can tidy up and redecorate
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