Mum on the Run- holiday day 4

At least the sun was out today.  I say at least because that, together with the increased wind meant that the waves were great and we were out bodyboarding by 8.30 am.  Boy was it cold - really cold.  At one stage I lost sight of one of the children - not great really.   I was near the shore and she wasn't - not only that but she was the other side of a rather large wave which obscured her from view.  There was a moment of panic but then she appeared.  So that was good.

The rest of the day was spent on lots of different beaches, eating ice cream and crab sandwiches, waving the children off as they went off flying and generally having fun.  Our youngest has added to her repertoire of bad habits by taking her trousers off and pulling her pants up her bottom as if she is wearing a G-string.  She thinks it's funny.  I wonder who she's copied it from because it's definitely not me - personally I can't stand the thought of the things.

Anyway, to today's outfit - having been in the sea first thing I was really chilly, so I layered on a vest, shiny new long sleeved top, denim shirt and navy trousers. I am so glad that I didn't bring anything decent as the youngest seems to have taken to wiping her nose or ice cream face on whatever I am wearing, or wiping her dusty feet on me.  The bag isn't even my own - it belongs to my friend who has many more stylish pieces on holiday with her  - but she has only one well behaved child who is nine and who she can fend off before she gets too close with her sticky fingers.  Anyway, I liked it so thought that it ought to make a guest appearance.  It is navy moc croc and is from Banana Republic.  All I can say is I hope that she has some more pieces for me to pinch tomorrow - I am starting to get perilously close to having to start recycling my outfits - oh well, I am certainly doing my bit for the capsule wardrobe.  Trouble is I think that the emphasis might be a bit too much on "capsule" and not enough on "wardrobe"!    

 

Mum on the Run- holiday day 3

My photo from day 2 has come a bit of a cropper but I will try to post it when I return home.  Today saw us playing on the beach, visiting family and generally faffing about.  The crab consumption remains high and the fruit and vegetables around here are amazing - so we are being fairly healthy.  Even the calvados contains fruit - result!

Our three year old is keeping us amused and has developed some impressive habits - swearing and burping (both ends) with great gusto and great glee.  Her favourite phrase is "Oh, you silly old bugger." We keep trying to explain that none of these habits are really acceptable in polite society but given that we are all trying not to laugh at the time, she doesn't seem to be taking us terribly seriously.

Having not packed a huge amount to take on holiday, today was really a question of wearing something different from the day before, as opposed to anything else.  I have an inordinate amount of striped tops with me so went for plain muted colours today - straight leg jeans, white long sleeve top, lilac top and cream cardigan.  I remained warm and comfortable, it worked on the beach and on the monkey bars at the play area so all was fine by me.

Jeans Gap, White top Topshop, Lilac top Gap, Cardigan Hobbs, Sequin trainers M&S

Mum on the Run - The first day of our holidays!

We had an early start today down to Southampton airport - gosh I love that place!  it is staffed by really friendly local people who make travelling such a pleasure.  We were met by an elderly gentleman with a big grey beard who showed us where to park and the lady at the check in let me check in all the bags and sort out the boarding passes even though strictly she shouldn't have as my husband was busy parking the car.  I can't imagine either of those things happening in Gatwick.  I have been flying out of Southampton for years - even when it was nothing but a hut.  It has gone a bit swish now but you will still find the odd bird flying around in there.

Anyway, a holiday demands the odd new item of clothing and I picked these jeans up when I was in River Island on Friday.  I had written off red and pink as being too bright but these, I can handle. In all honesty I was probably partly seduced by the fact that I could get into a size 8 Super Skinny jean in there, whereas in Topshop the other week, I couldn't even get a size 10 past my calves.  However, I also liked the colour and decided that they weren't too green that I was going to be called frog legs by our children.  

Given the colour of the jeans, I concluded that they needed a neutral colour - either black, navy or white so I went for navy - but will try white next time.  Oh and just in case you wondered, they are really comfortable.  When I am at home I will style them differently but for this week, practicality is the order of the day.

On arrival at our destination we headed to one of our favourite cafes for crab sandwiches and have just had crab linguine for dinner - so you will be pleased to know that the crab consumption is high.  Oh and we have done our first session of body boarding and it was fab.  Cold, but fab!

Mum on the Run - holiday packing

We are off on our hols tomorrow so I am madly trying to pack and work out whose luggage allowance I can pinch for some of my own things.  We have just bought our youngest one of those Trunki suitcases and I have to say it's looking promising.  Apart from her computer and some Peppa Chocolate balls, there seems a remarkable amount of space - so that's certainly an option.  Maybe the Dora stories will just have to stay at home for a week.

I don't think that we are going to be experiencing a heatwave in the Channel Islands but I can't wait to go.  Most of all I am looking forward to crab sandwiches and tea on the beach with proper cups and saucers (not that I drink tea but I like watching others do it.)  We will body board, eat Guernsey Ice Cream and play on the beach.  All very famous five!

So, there may be a break from pictures for a while with them appearing on my return or I may manage to do them whilst I am away.  Whatever, it's not going to be a showcase of designer gear - more likely thick cardigans and fleeces - but that's fine by me if it's fine with you!

Enjoy half term and see you soon.

Mum on the Run - return of the navy!

It was only a matter of time before navy made a reappearance in my outfits.  I had a day off yesterday but unsurprisingly it returned with avengeance today! 

This morning I was doing a Wardrobe for a lovely lady and then I returned home to do some work, get ready for our holiday and, amongst other things, try on a wetsuit for size - now there's a sight!  Our twelve year old said that her wetsuit made her look larger than she really is - ha, she has no idea!  I now  have to work out how I can avoid standing next to her for a week whilst we are both wearing them - especially if there is a camera nearby!

Anyway, back to the outfit - these are some trousers that I found in Cos this week - nice thick cotton, supportive and not cut too thin in the leg - always a bonus!  The cropped length means that they will also work with flats as well as heels.  I put them with a cream silk Whistles blouse and some Zara sandals and I was done. 

Trousers Cos, Blouse Cos, Sandals Zara

Mum on the Run - toning greys (and no I don't mean my hair!)

I had a mixture of things to do today so I needed something to cover all basis - a couple of meeting, plus some shopping and then the usual pick up and ferrying around to different activities.

There's something about wearing a white shirt that makes me feel smart.  Strangely for me, there was no navy, stripes, sequins, leopard prints or bright colours in today's outfit - and I found it quite refreshing!  I could have worked in a bright bag or bright shoes but decided to keep it tonal. 

Trousers and jumper Gap, Shoes Dune, Bag Mulberry, Shirt Welsh boutique!

Mum on the Run - Red shoes

Another Monday, my favourite day of the week.  Our youngest and I did "the balls" followed by seeing a friend, pottering, cooking, going to ballet and getting the other two from school (all very mumsnet!)  I had put these red shoes away for the summer, but it was such a dull day that I thought a splash of colour wouldn't go a miss.  I layered a white shirt under a bat wing v neck jumper, added some straight jeans and I was done.  Not an accessory in sight but not to worry.

Shoes Kurt Geiger, jeans Gap, Shirt Zara, Jumper White Company

Mum on the Run - Silk and denim

After work today, I did the school run on foot so wore straight leg jeans, converse and a silk printed shirt (which isn't as shiny in real life as it looks here). I like that whole silk and denim thing - a bit of luxury and a bit of scruff often works!

Mum on the Run - White flared jeans

I was off down to Worcester today recording a style slot for BBC Hereford and Worcester's morning radio show. I wasn't quite sure what the weather was going to be up to.  It wasn't warm enough to go bare legged so I decided to give my white jeans another outing. My leather jacket is warm without being bulky so I put that with lots of green for a change - and it's amazing how many people commented on how much they liked the green - even the assistant in Laura Ashley bless her!

Jeans H&M, Jacket Oasis, T Fat Face, Scarf Zara

Mum on the Run - Leopard and pink

My plans to shop for the Belbroughton Style Event next week were foiled by a poorly 12 year old.  So, that meant a day at home working.  Because I wasn't really sure what would be happening today (there was a chance that 2 out of the 3 were going to be home) I went for a fairly plain navy shirt dress and then added pink and leopard accessories.  
Dress Cos, Pink top Gap, Bag Mulberry, Shoes Clarks

Mum on the Run - It's cold. Bring back the tights!

I don't know about you but recently I feel that I have been in limbo - rather like when Kate was dumped by Prince William - would she or wouldn't she be the next Queen of England?  Except my being in limbo didn't stem from whether Prince William wanted to marry me or not but rather, will it be warm today? 

There I was, merrily jigging along (probably a bit like Kate pre-dumping), the sun was shining, the winter clothes had been put away and I was certain that it was set to stay like that until October and then bam!  Here we are, cold again.  I was resolute in my refusal to dig out the tights but then I realised that I couldn't continue to wear trousers and thick socks until the sun came out again.  So, whilst Kate hit Mahiki with lots of young men to show Wills what he was missing, I have resorted to wearing tights as I refuse to be backed into a corner by the weather. I doubt my wearing tights again will have little impact on anything of any significance but the point is this - I have taken control again and you know what, I feel much better for it.

Mum on the Run - A dress for a night out

Last night we went to a friend's 40th birthday party. We were all hoping for warm weather so that we could go outside but it wasn't to be - not that it wasn't a brilliant night, it just meant that I had to resort to tights when I would rather not have done!  A bit of suffering for one's outfit is fine but being freezing - no thanks!

I wanted to give my navy French Connection dress an outing so plumped for that despite the cold.  I added a cream mock croc leather belt, gold shoes and a patent clutch (which goes with everything!) 

I have to say that I have no idea why it looks as though I have tan lines on my bare shoulder - I don't think that any part of me has seen the sun for at least five years.  Remember when Zara Phillips rocked that look at her brother's wedding a couple of years ago - if I had been the Queen I would most definitely have not been amused! She certainly let the side down with that fashion faux pas.

Dress -French Connection, Shoes Carvela, Bag and Belt both Reiss

Mum on the Run- Summer Dresses

Today was an odd day.  The BBC were in the house filiming for the "Doctors" series and so there was a murder in our kitchen - they always seem to film odd story lines in our house - affairs, STD's, murders - you name it, we've had it.

The fact that they were filming meant that we couldn't get back in until 6.30pm which would have been fine, other than the fact that my husband was knocked off his bike first thing this morning.  He was OK, a bit battered about, but it turned into a bit of a long and stressful day and at the end of it, I didn't feel like smiling for a photo.  So, instead here are some of the pretty dresses that I spotted whilst in the shops yesterday. 

The top one is from Ted Baker and is just really simple but pretty and great for those who are straight up and down and who don't have much of a bust.  The second dress is from Reiss - very Marilyn Monroe, in a lovely colour and it also comes in a bright green too - great for curvy figures.  The third dress is also from Reiss and must be their take on a Victoria Beckham dress.  The length is good and the colour is very this season.  The flared skirt is great for those pear shaped ladies who need a bit of assistance in disguising their hips.  So all in all, the shops aren't doing too badly for us ladies at the moment when it comes to occasion dresses.  Have a lovely weekend.

Mum on the Run - a throw back to the 80's!

Oh what a lovely day - I was shopping in preparation for the event that I am doing at Belbroughton on 26th May but I was also just having a general browse and picking up odd bits for clients.  There are some lovely pieces out there and I could have easily bought five really pretty going out dresses, which unfortunately wouldn't serve me that well on a daily basis - so 4 of them remained in the shops.  The 5th will no doubt make an appearance here soon! 

Because I was in out and about I needed to be a little bit smart(ish) but not too smart and it was important that I was comfortable for walking around the shops.  So, on went the navy M&S peg trousers, sequin T from Topshop, Gap denim shirt, Zara navy sandals and bright blue Topshop belt. I think that this denim shirt looks like a bit of a throw back to the 80's, but I kind of like that.  I saw a woman today with a haircut that would have matched beautifully but I think that might be a step too far!

Mum on the Run - bright shoes

It was a bit of a hectic start for us this morning, which I knew it would be, so I did some pre-planning for today's outfit.  I was seeing a client first thing and this was followed by a meeting with Laura Morris from mumtomumpreneur services (http://www.mumtomumpreneur.co.uk/)  I have to say, if you are thinking of setting up a business she is the lady to go to for all sorts of advice. 

After that it was time to pick up child number three, then home, then walk to pick up number two, then home then out again to pick up number one.  Then home and collapse (after dinner, bathtime, stories etc) though not for numbers 1 and 2 who are currently watching the apprentice and hopefully learning how not to be precocious, arrogant and cocky - or maybe that's exactly what they are learning.  Quick, switch the TV off.

Outfit: Trousers and top Cos, Leather jacket Oasis, shoes Jigsaw, bag Mulberry

Mum on the Run - Modern day smart

Sorry for the lack of picture yesterday.  I was at home with our son who had been up in the night with a bug, so neither of us were looking particularly pretty!

Today I had a meeting with some lovely people.  I am so lucky with the people that I meet in this job.  Some of the people in my last job were lovely too but many of them were in prison having done not very nice things to other people which made it a bit difficult to ring them up for a chat. 

I decided to go to today's meeting a little bit "suited and booted" but in a more modern and less corporate way.  So, I put some black slim leg trousers from Ted Baker with a black Gap jacket, Alexander McQueen top, grey Reiss shoes and Mulberry bag.

Mum on the Run - Tips for organising your wardrobe

Today not only was I a Mum on the Run but I was also a Mum on a Bike. Our son and I set off at 8.30am for our bike ride, returning later not only happy but also covered in mud.  Well, I suppose if I will go bike riding along canal tow paths after torrential rain the night before, what can I expect?  So that put paid to today's outfit - and I had only just got that particular pair of jeans comfortable again having washed them recently.  It's taking a bit longer to get them to that stage too at the moment - not sure why but just after Easter my jeans take on a life of their own and seem to shrink a bit. Well I assume that's what must happen as I can't think of any other reasonable explanation.

Anyway, so to the point of today's post.  Over the years I have arranged my wardrobe in varying ways.  I have grouped similar clothes together-all trousers, all skirts, all jumpers etc.  I have also done it by colour - from light to dark and then dark to light. Finally I think that I have cracked it! 

In addition to my wardrobe, I now have a separate hanging rail on which I hang all items which are printed, have colour in them, are new, are this season's "shape" or which I think I ought to wear more.  Each morning I go to that rail first and select the item around which I want to build my outfit.  This leaves the plainer pieces in the wardrobe because I figure I'm never going to forget to get my jeans out, or pick a plain navy cardi to keep out the chill. 

We are all creatures of habit and have a sort of "default" setting when it comes to clothes and this is a good way to challenge it.  Have a go and see what you think - and if at the moment you don't feel that you have anything that you would put into a bright/printed/ etc category don't despair.  When you are next out shopping, assuming that you have the rest of the basics in place, try looking for something which would jump out at you in the mornings and say "its my turn today, pick me!"

Mum on the Run - A Whistles Dress

In an ideal world, on a day like today, I would have been wearing something along the line of this dress from Whistles - or it could have been Reiss, or Marc Jacobs or Milly but you get the idea - it would have been pretty, floaty, carefree and ever so slightly impractical - because of course I would live in a world where impractical was OK.  No-one was going to chuck or wipe anything down me and I wasn't going to reveal any underwear when bending down to get a rigid three year old in to her car seat.

Except that it is an imperfect world and my less than perfect outfit (part of which I had ironed, I hasten to add) got soaked just before I was going to get my photo taken for this post and so yet again I resorted to the fluffy dressing gown, which I was modelling when the postman came the other day.  The soaking occurred as a result of a new piece of barbeque equipement/sparks/dry decking/the hurrid need for a watering can full of water.  Well, you can picture the rest. However in the manner of looking at life through a positive lens, once I have blown the ash off it will be fine - and I can wear it again without washing (or ironing) it.  Fab!

Mum on the Run - a simple outfit

Today was again a bit of a "wardrobe staples" kind of day - three items only - jeans, T-shirt and giraffe print converse.  It's not going to set the world on fire but even if I am wearing a T-shirt, which is a rarity, I like it to have a bit of sparkle or bling about it.

I was doing a bit of dashing here there and everywhere, still moving the children's bedrooms around and doing trips to ballet/tennis and so on. Remarkably at one point I was even a bit hot- but it didn't last for long.  Can't wait for some consistently warm weather again so that I can dig some dresses out.

Mum on the Run - Wardrobe Staples

Today was a day of wardrobe staples - Gap cargo trousers, Dune gold wedges and my Monsoon lace top. All feature fairly frequently but that's the point about having some basic items that work with lots of other things.  I find all of them comfortable and given that I was at a networking event - which was held in a soft play area - I had to strike that balance between being able to whizz down the slide (which I did!) and being able to hold my own in a professional sense - which I think, and hope, I did!

Mum on the Run - White flares

I knew that it would happen one day and today was the day - I was recognised - by the postman!  I was busy minding my own business working from home when there was a knock on the door.  It was the postman with a parcel for me. Having signed for the parcel the postman said to me "I heard you on the Radio the other day" - and there I was standing in the above outfit plus fluffy dressing gown and thick socks to keep warm - what an advert I was for my services!  That plus the squeak of "Oooh, well I never" and me scuttling back inside was most impressive.
So, to today's outfit - white flared jeans from H&M plus a collarless shirt silk shirt and gold wedges.  All a bit 1970's but in a non brown cheesecloth kind of way.  I never have liked brown clothes - I think it has something to do with the old brownie uniform, which I never could bring myself to wear - I just hated that brown and yellow combination.  I suppose the fact that my sister had been expelled for giving the "V" sign to brown owl meant that my brownie career was over before it even started. Ho hum.

A word about H&M jeans - they are a good price and they come in in-between sizes too - so a 27/29 etc.  Definitely worth a try.  The above style is called & Flary.