New Coat

My first full winter in the UK I needed a proper coat suitable for the English weather.  Not entirely sure I know what this is now and I certainly didn't know what that was then given the broad spectrum of weather you are likely to encounter in the country during the months of October - March. 

In Colorado this is an easy questions to answer.  You either need a triple down for the blizzard like conditions or no coat at all.  I've worn shorts in February in that state but of course that was back when my blood was thicker and I was foolish.

In Germany you just needed a raincoat.  All year round.  End of.  You might add a scarf in January but you would definitely need to hang it up to dry every night.

In the winter of 1997-98 I was working in London on Old Bond Street above the brand new flag ship Calvin Klein store.  And I had money to burn.  During my lunch hour I popped in and invested in a gorgeous dark charcoal grey wool coat.  I paid nearly the same as my rent for this garment but I figured it was an investment for life.  It had deep pockets and was double breasted to keep the wind out (when I could get it buttoned).  It went with everything.  It could be fancy or casual.  It has served me well.

I very shortly lost the unsecured belt.  I knew that was going to be a problem when I bought the coat but choose to ignore this miniscule flaw in my investment.  I have stitched and restitched the lining of the coat more than a half a dozen times.  I lost nearly all the buttons and the replacements don't match exactly.  The arms are pilled and given I've gained considerable weight since then the coat hasn't actually buttoned up for some time.  Although I blame this on the ill fitting buttons we all know that isn't really the underlying cause.  The hem had to be repaired last winter just before the coats last outing and I knew then that after 14 years of dedciated service it was time to retire the old girl.

Which of course meant that I had to buy a new coat.  I hear squeals of delight out there from my shopaholic faction.  Regrettably, I am not a member.  Shopping is a competitive sport worthy of an Olympic gold medal best left to well trained experts.  I am not one of those.  I find no joy in shopping.  In fact it is high on my stress trigger list and if I didn't ever have to do it, I wouldn't.

This, however, was inevitable and necessary.  I entered the shop with my shields up and defenses on stun.  I was on a mission.

A long army green puffer coat was too small and made me look like a mouldy marshmallow and I swear those ladies I was sharing a mirror with were laughing at me.  The black shawl coat with the faux fur collar was about 4 sizes too big so it looked like a superhero cape and it wasn't lined so was going to be about as useful as a chocolate teapot in the dead damp cold of January. 

Nearing the point of throwing in the towel I found a long taupe down coat which fit perfectly and didn't actually look all that badly.  I knew if I hesitated I would freeze this winter so I headed for the till.  On my way there I also found a lovely winter satchel which I just couldn't live with out for the bargain basement price of £29.  SOLD!  It would match my new coat I practiced saying for my husband's benefit.

I put the coat on outside after removing the tags and stuffed the old coat into my shopping bag.  So much for respecting the old.  It looked great.  It felt great.

Soon I was sweating like a pig on a spit.  I found myself wishing I'd covered my entire body in anti-perspiration.  I removed the coat and carried it around.  It was a bit like carrying a king sized duvet.  This morning I took the dog for a walk.  I put on the coat and 5 minutes into the walk I had to remove it due to a reoccurence of the perspiration. 

I had executed my plan for a new coat and ended up buying a double sleeping bag.  The weather better turn to sub zero very soon or I will be needing to buy another less effective coat this weekend.  But the satchel is great!

No PJs

I hate bras, tights (or pantyhose as the Americans call them), and high heels (ever since breaking my ankle wearing them at work).

I love pajamas and slippers. One of the first things I do when I get home from a hard day out is to take off my shoes, slip on my slippers and take of my bra. People who pop round for visit unannounced have been known to catch me in my pjs and slippers in the early evening. Or possibly on a Sunday afternoon. If I had my way we would all wear PJs and slippers all the time.

A few weeks ago one of the largest supermarkets implemented a ban on customers wearing their pajamas into the store. Journalists have drawn similarities between this ban and the recent decision by the French government to ban the wearing of burqas in public. They maintain it is as much a cultural affront to wear pajamas to the supermarket as it is to wear a full veil on public transport or into the police station.

There's a huge difference between wearing pajamas and the burqa. The burqa is a symbol of submission and dominance. They obscure your identity and all non verbal methods of communication like facial expressions and body language. Jammies are a symbol of the desire to be free and comfortable. They obscure, well, nothing at all.

Now I've got some very nice pajamas. So nice in fact, I'm not sure you could readily tell the difference between some tracksuit bottoms and my jammies. How do they know I don't dress like that? In fact, those bubble trousers that Vanilla Ice wore could have easily have been mistaken for pajamas.

And the real cultural affront is the length (or lack thereof) of some very small skirts I have seen some girls (and some older women) wear. Or those tiny little skimpy outfits the youngens wear on a Friday/Saturday nights out when they could easily be mistaken for selling their wears by putting it all out on display. Shouldn't they ban those little pieces of string some girls call skirts.

And what about those trousers that boys wear that hang down past their hips threatening to fall down to their ankles at any moment causing them to fall and me and my children to trip over them and get all mucked up by their greasy hair. Now that is a health and safety issue just waiting to happen.

What next? Are they going to enforce that I wear a bra? Makeup? Get plastic surgery?

Luckily, I don't shop at Tesco. Well, I used to in an emergency because they are closer than Sainsburys. But not anymore. Sainsburys I hope you are listening. I would hate to have to do all my shopping at the corner shop where they often greet me at 7 am in the morning popping in to grab some milk for my children's cereal wearing my pajamas.

Diet Progress

I went on a diet holiday whilst I was on my USA holiday. I ate for England and enjoyed every minute of it. I said yes to every piece of pie that was offered and then some!

I was dreading putting myself back on the scales but knew that I had to. I've got a race to run in September! And I was still a ways off my goal weight. I am not giving up.

I was very pleased to find that I'd only put on 5 pounds and have already lost 2 of those. I'm only 3 pounds away from where I was before I left. Hurrah!

Soon I might be able to fit into all those clothes I bought when I was there!

The Rug

I've been meaning to post a photograph of my rug. If you don't know what I'm talking about read this.

The beautiful purchase arrived as promised right on time and has had pride of place in the lounge. It is soooo soft both the children and I love taking our shoes and socks off and walking around on it. the only challenge we have is keeping Bailey (the dog) off of it!

Gorgeous, isn't it?

Shopping Fun

My shopping trip did not end in tears. For once I had more in my dressing room that fit than I could afford (or wanted to afford) to buy.

I had to carefully restrain myself to not buy more than I needed to get me through the next couple weeks. I bought just what was on my list (another top tip from the stylist). I bought things in sizes much smaller than I thought I was although I have to confess I was massively annoyed at the inconsistency in sizes even within the same store. I had one pair of size 10 (US 8) that fit but a size 14 (US 12) that didn't both in the Gap. What's up with that? It sure doesn't make shopping very easy!

I went to my diet group meeting feeling like I was looking gooooood. First time in a long time I went anywhere feeling proud of my appearance.

I can hardly wait to do some more shopping! Boy, never thought I'd hear myself say that again.

Clothing Crisis

My wardrobe has dwindled to next to nothing, which is a good thing but also a bad thing. It means all my fat clothes have gone to new homes. It also means I've got nothing to wear. And I mean nothing.

I've still got 26 pounds to go so I know that in a few months I will need to replace anything I buy but equally I've got to buy because everything is falling off me.

I've been able to nick a few things from the fat club (diet group) hand me down bags but I am in serious trouble.

I rewarded myself with the advice of a professional stylist this week. She did my colours (which instinctually I knew) and advised that every woman must have great fitting bras (which I also knew - see bra post). But she did give me some great advice that I have haphazardly and at my peril ignored for the last 44 years of my life.

1. Wear your trousers long, especially if you are short. Your ankle bone (that round sticky outy thing on the side of your ankle) should never see the light of day if you are wearing trousers. So I guess that is the end of my cropped trousers which are the only trousers I have in my wardrobe. Doesn't break my heart so much as they are hanging off me anyway but they are the only trousers in my wardrobe right now.

2. If you find trousers that fit really well and you really like them buy 2 pairs of them at the same time. Have one pair altered to fit when wearing heels and the other for flats to ensure adherence to rule number 1.

3. Buy jackets in bold colours to jazz up anything. Make sure the jacket fits and if it doesn't get it altered.

4. Find a good seamstress for all these alterations and keep her.

5. Don't wear black up against your face without breaking it up with a scarf or a bold necklace.

6. Skirts should stop either at the slimmest part of your leg (for me this is much longer than I usually wear) or just above the knee (but only in the summer).

7. Get a pedicure once a summer (at the least).

Then stylist then went through my wardrobe. I knew this wasn't going to take long. There isn't anything there! It was nice to know I wasn't doing so badly on my own but a little heart breaking to know that a few of my favourite pieces needed to go to new homes. I've got a list of essential items she made for me to get me through the next few months and we are off today to procure those items.

I've got high hopes of this not ending in tears like so many previous shopping trips of late. I refused to go shopping when I was fat(ter) unless I absolutely had to (eg underwear). I have now purchased some rather flash (and a wee bit sexy) knickers which are meeting with Marc's approval. The last time I went into the shops was just before my trip to India and I wasn't as small as I was hoping I was but I've lost 11 pounds since then so I should not be disappointed.

I've made 3 piles of clothing: 1) Favourites that can be altered for the seamstress 2) Donations to the fat club 3) Suitable to be sold on eBay to fund my new wardrobe

All of those will be delivered to their rightful places by Tuesday next week.

Oh and I got my haircut. Really cut. So cut that even the men in my office noticed.

The future is so bright, I gotta wear shades!

Bras

Men might want to skip this post and red the one about baseball instead. Or if you want to be particularly enlightened to the trials of tribulations of being a woman feel free to read on. I’m not proud.

With all this weight loss going on, my bra situation had reached critical mass (no pun intended). My puppies were hanging down to my navel. I have lost nearly 5 inches around my back and my cup size had significantly decreased. The back was riding up to my neck and the straps were generally falling down around my elbows. The cups were so big I could have stuffed a small animal in them to keep my puppies company.

I was trying to be thrifty and make due with the bras I had. Knowing that I still have at least 27 pounds to go, I have no doubt that I will have to make a further investment if I buy now.

And bras are an investment at my size. It’s not like I can just pop out to WalMart and purchase a 34H….yes, you read that right – H.

I decided I just couldn’t make do any longer. I made an appointment with Rigby & Peller, the famed London store for all things bra related. This store is noted for their personalised and accurate no nonsense fitting service. Oh, and they have a royal warrant. If the bras are good enough for the Queen, they are good enough for me.

Marc & the children dropped me off at the curb and I went in. In no time I was in front of the mirror with a woman man handling my puppies into an appropriate bra and I was out of the store within 30 minutes.

My puppies are now fully contained and maintaining their position rather well. The bra is comfortable (well, as comfy as bras get) and I haven’t had to pull the straps up or the back down once today. I know a return trip will be required in 4-5 weeks but right now it is worth it.

Shopping

Windsor has had a dramatic makeover the last 18 months. When I first moved here, it was difficult to get a decent meal in the town. And the shopping was atrocious. There were some great pubs (outside the town centre) and some good pubs near the town centre. There was an appalling commercial block built right in centre which housed a small supermarket. It was a real eyesore.

But it had its appeal. The town centre wasn't crowded with shoppers just tourists. And Windsor gets a lot of tourists especially in the summer! But tourists don't really go to the supermarket or Woolworths or Daniels. So if you stepped into a shop, you almost had a little oasis.

We would quite often head off to London, Reading, Guildford or Uxbridge to do our shopping. And we never went into the town centre to do our grocery shopping. Parking was a nightmare and there was simply no reasonable selection if you were doing birthday/Christmas shopping. And there was nothing HIP about this town.

About 2 years ago planning permission was granted to tear part of it down and rebuild. Since that time, Windsor has pretty much looked like a building site.

We are nearing the end of this phase and Windsor is looking hot. The new centre opens mid-October although a couple shops are open now. They've doubled the cost of parking in the multi-story car park.

I suddenly realised now Windsor is going to be full of both shoppers and tourists. Oh No! What have we done?

Child Free Shopping

When my children were enjoying their time with their Granny this summer, Marc & I went shopping. OK, this might sound like an odd way to spend quality time with your husband but trust me, it was divine.

We didn't have to stop every 15 feet to go to the toilet.

We wondered through a book store and actually browsed the book shelves rather than grabbing random things that caught our eye as we kept everything else from tumbling down in the wake of our children running full throttle through the aisles.

We bought stuff for ourselves and nothing for the children.

We ate lunch out. Just the two of us. We each ordered for ourselves and no one else. I drank my drink without having to give any a taste. I had to cut only my food. I actually finished every thought and sentence I had.

My husband and I finished discussions that have been going on in our house for the last 4 years.

We didn't rush to get home to save paying for an extra hour for the babysitter.

No one threw a tantrum when it was time to go (ok, I did throw a little one but only because the day had to end!)

Marc even enjoyed the shopping! A little bit.

It was a dream!

What is IKEA?

How do you solve a problem like Maria? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? How do you tell someone who has never heard of IKEA what IKEA is?

I got a comment from Janell on a previous post asking me what is IKEA? Janell lives in the Heartland of America that is also known as Nebraska: lots of corn fields, I mean LOTS! And NO IKEAs for miles and miles and miles (we're talking thousands). She doesn't know what IKEA is.

I thought answering this question would be as simple as a return email which stated that it was a low priced but good value furniture store. But it is, oh, so much more! It's a lifestyle!

The company originated in Sweden. All the furniture is flat packed and you have to assemble it at home. It is a bit like Legos for adults except it is more expensive, the instructions aren't always easy to understand (and the pictures can make it worse rather than better) and sometimes parts are missing. They do have an easy return policy if you can be bothered to drive back there and stand in the queue again.

The stores are huge and you walk through rooms designed using all IKEA products which demonstrate the art of the possible (and the what were they thinking?) in big and small spaces. Neither of which generally represent any space that I've ever lived in. They use a lot of colour and imagination. The stores are crowded and the car parks are impossible especially on weekends.

But it is very easy and some of it is very good. Marc and I furnished our first home with all IKEA furniture. Both of my children are sleeping in expandable IKEA beds with IKEA sheets. Book shelves are what they do best and we've got loads of IKEA book shelves scattered about the house. I've got blankets from IKEA and cushions and blinds and curtains. My kitchen has glasses and pots and plates. All my children's dishes, cups and cutlery are from IKEA.

One of the best things about IKEA oddly is the cafeteria and their Swedish meatballs with sauce. My children love them and I love them. The restaurant is very very very child friendly.

One of the worse things about IKEA is that no matter when I go there or what I go there for I end up walking out of the store with loads of things I didn't really need but felt compelled to buy and felt like I was missing out if I didn't just snatch it up.

This last visit was a case in point. Found nothing there that was actually on my list. Somehow still spent £200. How did that happen? What did I buy? Why didn't I know I needed it before I got there?

So Janell, what is IKEA? An incredibly useful and useless shop all rolled into one. Go check out the web page: http://www.ikea.com/ and be amazed

Catch Up

Some of you keep asking me how in the world I find time to do this. To be honest, it doesn't take all that much time. OK, setting it up was a pain in the backside. I felt really stupid as I couldn't even understand the instructions. I had to learn the whole blogger language first. But I did figure it out after just a couple days. I would say the set up took about 6 hours over 3 days to get it looking the way I wanted it. I am always discovering new things to include and hopefully you will have watched it evolve.

My daily posts take about 10-15 minutes to write. I have some already written and stored in the draft box just waiting for the right time to publish. Others just write themselves when I sit down in the morning. So don't be afraid to start your own!

Also, be sure to check out the family links on the left hand side. These are links that we as a family look at all the time! Finally, at the bottom of the posts, you can subscribe to have my posts sent to you via email. Just click on subscribe and enter your email address. My sister is insisting it isn't working so if you have problems, let me know.

Sunday was a big day of rest for the family. In case you couldn't tell it from the blog, we had been very busy. Sunday we spent the day catching up on "things" in and around the house. Sunday night was going to be a night in front of the telly but we got the most pleasant of invites over to the Austin's home. Sandy and Neil are the parents of Seb's school mate, Aisha and Dharma who will start Nursery will Abigail in September 2007. They had invited some other parents from the school and some of their other friends round to theirs for a few drinks and delicious nibbles. They invited us to come as we were and we did (sweat pants and all). The children played and the adults chatted and drank. It was such a relaxing and fun evening. I loved the spontaneity of it! Thanks to Sandy and Neil for the wonderful night!

Yesterday was back to the whirlwind of taxi service for the children. Sebastian is participating in a "Get Up & Go" programme at school. They are doing a production of Cinderella at the end of the week and he tells me he is going to be a spider. Hmmmmm, I don't remember a spider in Cinderella.....perhaps this is a bit like the Native American Indian in the Nativity story. His face was all painted when I picked him up and he had done some swimming so he was exhausted.

Marc and I finished our Christmas shopping after a particularly panicked moment when it became obvious one coveted gift was in fact sold out and no where to be found. Luckily, my star of a husband found it online!!!! Now I just have to get busy wrapping.......ug, my least favourite part of the holiday season!

Chrsitmas Play 2006

The highlight of the day yesterday was Sebastian's Christmas Play at school. He was a Native American Indian. OK, so you might say you don't remember there being a Native American Indian in Bethlehem but the story was that the angels of heaven were sent to all the corners of the world to find the best place for the son of God to be born. One of the places visited was a tribe of North American Indians. The smallest angel got left behind and fell asleep in a stable. God figured if the stable was good enough for his smallest angel, it was good enough for his son. But first we were treated to songs and dances from all corners of the world: China, Switzerland, Spain, Hawaii, Scotland. The children were fantastic. You could tell how hard they had worked. They knew all the words to their songs and sang them loudly. They knew all the steps to their dances. And the looks of concentration on their faces made all the parents so proud. I cried when we were reminded that the birth of Jesus is meant to bring hope to all mankind. Even if you are not a Christian, it was a touching reminder that this time of year is a time of hope: hope for peace, hope for love, hope for joy.

The Christmas performance was quickly followed by Sebastian's ballet recital. He is the only boy in the group and he only just started this term whilst the girls have been doing ballet for the last 2 years. He loves it and is not bothered by the fact that he is the only boy. He wasn't as graceful as the girls but I can't help but think that everyone is learning a lesson from him. He reminds everyone that there is a boy in the group and that he doesn't hold his skirt but puts his hands on his hips. I think I need to work with him on his positions but as long as he is having fun! Which by the kisses he was giving Amy it was clear he was enjoying himself.

Little Abigail was dragged from pillar to post. Since Jackie was ill, she went to all the performances with me and was desparate to join in particularly at the ballet recital. She kept running up to the children performing and I kept chasing her down. When we drove home from the ballet recital both children fell fast asleep in the car even though it was only 4:30 in the evening.

My Christmas shopping is nearly finished. I am extremely frustrated with American retailers making it nigh impossible for anyone outside of America to use their websites. One customer service representative on http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/ could not believe I didn't have an American bank account. She asked me why everyone didn't have one. I felt myself distinctly getting out of the Christmas spirit as the ignorance of her statement washed over me. Luckily, my sister is bailing me out of a bad situation.....thank god for PayPal! An easy way to send money anywhere in the world with a few clicks.

Today should be a day of rest. I've got a few errands to run and pressies to wrap. Maybe I'll even take a nap.....ah, but that might be too hopeful!

Saturday Circus

My family has one goldfish named Frank, one cat named Murphy, one dog named Baily, Sebastian, Abigail, Marc & I. Given this, Saturday's are a bit of a mad house and yesterday was no exception. Seb went to a birthday party for Timothy (a school mate) who turned 6 in the morning. Marc & Abi picked up a Puppy Kong (which is the chew toy for puppies - obviously - and is supposed to keep the spaz from eating my kitchen cupboards). It is the cylinder object with slots in it to put in treats which the puppy can't quite get to so he just chews and chews and chews. It seems to be working but imagine how frustrated he must be. I hope this isn't doing psychological damage. Do they have dog therapists? Are they expensive? Can I insure for this?

I went to a fashion show (of sorts) with Auntie Mary. The designer is a woman from Kathmandu, Nepal and the show was held in the home of a friend of Mary's cousin. The house was an old stately home that has been broken into a series of homes no less impressive than I imagine the original home would have been. The designer was very theatrical when showing her clothes designs and the fabrics are stunning. All the clothes are made to measure. I got a couple of Christmas pressies for myself including a cashmere cardigan in grey with orange and red stripes. I've never owned a cashmere sweater before. I feel very fortunate. I also got a reversible silk jacket in brown & turquoise/teal. Mary bought this grey and black dress that fit her perfectly so she could take it home with her. It looks amazing on her. My goodies won't be delivered until after Christmas so something to look forward to in 2007!

Sebastian's friend Jamie arrived to sleepover last night. This is Jamie's first sleepover and he wasn't feeling very well on Saturday morning. We served up Spaghetti Bolagnese, garlic bread, and a bit of green salad. Chocolate Crepes were a big hit for dessert. Abigail was desperate to join in the fun but the boys were having none of that and kept thwarting her at every door. But at bedtime, Abigail fell asleep in under 2 minutes. Jamie & Seb didn't go quite as easily. They crawled into the same bed and read (by flashlight) their Pokemon books. Seb was next to fall asleep (in Jamie's bed) and after a few trips downstairs to visit Marc & I, Jamie did finally drift off under the watchful eye of several lights on! He was a champ. I can only imagine how scary it must be to spend the night away from your mum & dad for the very first time in a stranger's house, in a stranger's bed. I mean what if you gotta go wee in the middle of the night? what is monsters invade the house? what if I have a bad dream? who will protect me? I still get scared on my own sometimes. I'm pleased Jamie decided to trust us to take care of him!

I've gotten myself very organised on the Christmas pressie front now that the shopping for the December birthdays are out of the way. It really is inconvenient of Marc & Abigail to have December birthdays but not a lot can be done about that. I always struggle to start the Christmas shopping until the birthday shopping is out of the way! I've got my list and may be very brave (or stupid) and actually try to do some shopping today.

I keep meaning to tell everyone I underwent a bit of a transformation a few weeks back and got my hair coloured and cut. I've had that boring blond bob for ages and really needed a change. I went to a woman named Emma, whose children go to St George's. She does quite a few of the mums at school and I love their hair so I decided to give it a go. And my normal hairdresser seems to have gone bankrupt and disappeared......besides he was the one who kept giving me the blonde bob! I was so pleased with the results. Blonde, Toffee, Red, Short, Very Short, did I say short? Oh, and spiky. How hip and trendy, am I? No more mummy frumpy for me. Now if I can only figure out how to make it work as well as she did! I'm still getting used to it! Emma's shop is The Colour House in Bagshot (sorry to those in the US, but she might be worth a trip!).