Mum on the Run - Trolley Dolly (Cos jumper, Hobbs shoes, Zara skirt)

So there I was making soup, unloading the dishwasher and wondering how I was going to stop our four year old from shouting "See you suckers" to her older brother's friends.

I was also thinking about how our eldest managed to cause hysterics in her French lesson by using her croaky voice to do an impression of Darth Vader.  I think her exact words were "Luke Skywalker, I am your father".  She hadn't appreciated that her class had gone silent - apparently she was too engrossed in her impression to notice.  Twenty, thirteen year old girls in hysterics.  Glad I wasn't in control of that class.

At that point I decided to take a look at the other blogs that have been long listed for the Marie Claire best fashion blog awards - boy what a mistake that was! 

For a start, I am probably old enough to be the mother of many of the other bloggers.  There they all are, long limbed, shiny hair, with time to take lots of photos of each outfit, all of which are beautifully styled and posed....and then we come to my blog.  Oh flip!  Photos taken in a 20 second window before rushing to the car, generally by our ten year old if not by our daughter when she was three!

If I wore the clothes that the younger bloggers are wearing I would look like Eddie from Absolutely Fabulous.  Which would certainly get me noticed but for all the wrong reasons.  I wondered whether in including me in the long list the lovely people at Marie Claire are simply complying with a piece of anti-discriminatory legislation - perhaps I am their token oldie!

So whilst the title of today's post represents a glamorous, if not slightly sexist, phrase - the "Trolley" in my world is more of the supermarket variety.  However, I have tapped into the colour of the Pan Am uniform in my blue Hobbs shoes and blue Cos jumper.  That, however, I am afraid is where the similarity ends!

I love Hobbs shoes - I bought these a couple of seasons ago as one of my first Spring purchases but for this season I have my eye on these, the Hobbs Guildford loafer in navy patent.  At £149 they aren't cheap but they will last for years and they are a wardrobe staple so......

I will style them with skinny jeans or peg trousers with a silk T or shirt, a cross body bag and off I will go - in style (and comfort)!

Mum on the Run....has been long listed for a Marie Claire fashion blog award!

Apparently I am doing quite well with some of my New Year's resolutions.  Our youngest commented today that I keep saying "yes" a lot.  So at least I have made progress in that regard.

However in other areas I am not doing so well.  Having not yet had a chance to shop for myself since the sales started (I know, how can that be?) I decide to have a quick scoot around the internet this morning to see what I could find and that's where things started to go terribly wrong.

My whizz around Reiss, Whistles, Boden, Jigsaw, Warehouse and others left my metaphorical basket on its metaphorical knees under the weight of the items  in it - and our bank account somewhere else entirely! However my guilt was assuaged (yep, needed the dictionary for that one!) by the fact that, as referred to in a post many moons ago -"it doesn't count until you decide to keep it." So that's all right then for a few days at least. 

Of course we all know that one should only buy "investment pieces" in the sale, and that is how these "bits and bobs" came to be in my shopping basket:

Reiss trench coat - £147 down from £295.  Now no one can argue that this isn't a wardrobe staple can they?

Reiss cross body bag in one of the colours for next season, reduced from £195 to £55 and of course some dancing shoes! Also from Reiss and reduced from £159 to £63.  I think that I'll let the bag off as a wardrobe staple but the shoes - possibly pushing it a little but I'll reserve judgement until they arrive. 

And finally for this

evening this blazer from Boden which is now £49 instead of £195, in navy.

Having completed my purchases, I was thrilled to hear from Marie Claire that my blog has been long listed for the Marie Claire blog fashion award.  So, New Year's resolutions aside, I was justified in popping these things into my basket.  The rest of the items,when they arrive, may feature in other posts as photographs, or as outfits, or indeed in London (and possibly Marie Claire itself) if the blog is short listed.  Now if that isn't the best excuse I have ever had for shopping then I don't know what is!

If you would like to vote for styleguile, please go to www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashionlonglist - thank you!

Mum on the Run - the 12 days of Christmas and beyond!

This is the outfit that I wore for the last of my "12 days of Christmas" feature - Gap jumper dress, Gap striped top, Cos jeans, Jigsaw necklace and shoe boots.  Sorry that it's late - I have been distracted the last two days by the return to school (for some) and clearing up our kitchen which has been flooded twice in two days. 

The first time it was the plumber who flooded the kitchen.  He was demonstrating that our shower wasn't leaking.  However water came pouring through the ceiling, through a light and all over the floor in bucket loads.  Fab! 

Today the kitchen was flooded in four pints of milk courtesy of our three year old who knocked it off the worksurface as she expertly licked the bowl after we had made a cake.  The bottle promptly split in two on impact. The most distressing thing wasn't that my purple Boden Uglies are now splattered in milk, nor that I found myself wearing crocs to clear the mess up but rather that I found the crocs rather comfortable.  No - it can't be happening!

Anyway, before I swapped my biker boots for crocs, I was wearing jeans, a Gap cashmere roll neck and an Oasis cream leather jacket plus my Primark bag in preparation for a day of food shopping, cooking, washing and general jobs! Yippee!

Mum on the Run - the 12 days of Christmas - packing for a weekend away

Packing for a weekend away can always be a bit of a struggle.  It's all too easy to take lots of clothes and still have nothing to wear but a bit of time planning your outfits can pay dividends in the long run.  Here's how I did my packing for our trip away.  I started with the easy things first:

]Running stuff!  I always run with my friend when we go away. (In fact this was my first mistake.  Apparently we will be running twice but I only bought one lot of gear.) Thank goodness for washing machines!

Nightwear/loungewear is pretty straight forward too, so that's  another one ticked off the list with ease! Now on to the actual "outfits". Travelling there....

This was the outfit I wore to travel in - grey Cos jeans, cream Monsoon top, Next pink long cardi, Oasis scarf, bangle and  Stella & Dot necklace....

The New Year's Eve outfit which you saw yesterday.....

Today's outfit for hanging around at home, walking the dog, going to Pizza Express and just generally feeling comfortable in - Gap jeans, H&M top, Warehouse jumper, Hobbs necklace...

An outfit for travelling home in tomorrow - striped Gap top, grey jeans, Gap jumper dress, Jigsaw necklace and shoe boots. Finally, a few of my favourite things....

Some lovely handcream which I had for Christmas (the thank you card will be on its way shortly!) Jo Malone perfume, Liz Earle serum, mac lipgloss and Bobbi Brown eyeshadow and not forgetting....

Cath Kidston weekend bag, make-up bag and wash bag. I have loved Cath Kidston for years and will continue to shop there even if my daughter and her friends shop there - unlike Jack Wills which I can't do - or Hollister.  Hollister! Don't even mention Hollister to me.....

Mum on the Run - the 12 days of Christmas - a New Year's Eve outfit

This was the skirt which was ordered from John Lewis and which I paid for to arrive a day later - that being Thursday. In fact it arrived two days later but because of its late arrival, the delivery fee was refunded together with a £20 discount - so that was a top result!  The skirt was from Kew 159 - metallic slub bell skirt (I am still not sure what the 159 part of Kew's re-branding is all about but there we go!)

We are with friends for the New Year and staying in, eating and drinking lots!  My friend and I decided to get dressed up (slightly) even though we weren't going anywhere.  However I suspect that shortly after dinner we will put our PJ's on and chill out!

I have put the skirt with the same top that I wore on Christmas Eve (Hobbs jumper) opaque tights, shoe boots, H&M ring, Stella & Dot bracelet. Sometimes it's good to see things in a photo - I was slightly concerned that the "bell" aspect of the skirt was going to be too bell like for my liking but I think that it is just about OK.

Hope that you all have a fabulous New Year's Eve!  See you next year.   

Mission Hollister Part 2 - It's not a pretty sight (largely because I can't see anything in there!)

You may remember that on 12 December I wrote a post entitled "Mission Hollister".  This was a tongue in cheek account of my many unsuccessful attempts to purchase a Gift Voucher from Hollister.  Since then I have had emails, comments and discussions with many others who have encountered similar problems and I have to admit to being somewhat relieved as it makes me feel less of a dinosaur!  It's not my style to stick my neck on the line and to criticise a brand but for flips sake!  So, here are some of the other tales I have been told:

• One lady, unable to see the price of an item due to the totally and utter rubbish (my words not hers) lighting in there took an item to an assistant to ask what the price was. The assistant couldn't find the price either.  When asked why the store had such inadequate lighting the assistant said that it "added to the ambience".  I like it!
• Another lady, having picked up an item, had to go and check out the nearest lightbulb to find the price, where she met other customers doing the same thing.
• Another lady went in with some information about a sweatshirt that she wanted for her daughter.  She took details of the sweatshirt, what it said on the front etc but was told that without the code they couldn't trace it.  Top service! Mary Portas would love that one!
• Another lady had to queue in a snake around the shop and half way down the stairs as the number of staff was so inadequate - or, in fairness to the store, it could just be that it is so popular that it simply couldn't cope with the number of customers - so I might let that one go for now but they could do with some more tills;
• Another lady went in with her elderly mother who has a condition which means that she has difficulty seeing in certain light. She couldn't see her daughter which caused her to panic and because she couldn't see, she then tripped over a rug.  Now whilst some of the above are vaguely amusing, this isn't in the slightest.  Have they never heard of Occupier's Liability for Dangerous Premises or all of the Health and Safety Legislation?

I know I know - I sound as if I am ranting and really it's not that bad. My friend and I have decided that it's the messing about with our senses that we can't deal with. 

You know that whole school disco thing of no light, lots of sound and the smell of sweaty bodies was fine at the age of 14 but now - being starved of light whilst at the same time our auditory and olfactory senses are overloaded (I was told that they pumped the smell of their fragrances through some system in their stores) means that we get dis-orientated.  It's an interesting concept really isn't it?  Employing methods that are used to torture people to sell clothes?  But somehow it works. I am still struggling with it!

Mum on the Run - the Twelve Days of Christmas - A Mango lace skirt and biker boots plus a guest on the blog!

Today I worked backwards and decided on the footwear first, (biker boots- on the basis that we might be going for a walk) and then fitted the clothes around the boots. I chose this Mango lace skirt because it's comfortable and put it with an H&M striped long sleeved top and Oasis striped jumper to make it less dressy.   My Reiss pea coat and humungous leopard furry gloves completed the outfit when it was time to head out.

My friend Sal dropped round today and kindly agreed to be photographed.  She had on a lovely printed jumper dress which looked as though it was from Jigsaw but which she in fact bought from Sainsbury's for less than £10 - (in fact it was nearly free after she used various discount vouchers - a real bargain if ever there was one!)  She put it with a Jigsaw cardi, leggings and Dune boots. She had done a great job of lifting an inexpensive item by mixing it with a more expensive piece. I thought that her hat was from Jigsaw too but apparently that was also a fab bargain.  Having short hair I can't really do the whole woolly hat thing but I think that Sal looks great. 

Mum on the Run - The twelve days of Christmas - a bit of a Cos day!

I have found a brilliant way to get a new wardrobe for yourself - sort through your ironing pile.  It worked for me!  I reckon that I could do a whole week of posts based on what was lurking in the ironing cupboard.  The above Cos shirt dress was one such item.  In fact I knew that was there but I had totally forgotten about two pairs of trousers and a couple of tops that had been languishing there since I last ironed (circa 1995). 

The three muskerhounds and I went off to visit a school friend of mine this morning, which was followed by a trip to see my Mum.  All went well - no ornaments broken, no-one offended, no-one wet themselves or puked anywhere and strangely there was no fighting.  Yes, I behaved rather well today I thought.

Given that we were up and out by 8.30am I had to make a quick decision on what to wear.  I wasn't sure whether the grey Cos jeans would really work with the navy shirt dress but in the end it was fine.  I put a striped Gap top underneath the shirt dress and a chunky Oasis cardi over the top together with a Reiss belt and the shoe boots - which have been my saviour (why does that word always remind me of Cliff Richard?) this holiday.

I quite like the shirt dress over trousers combo - it makes me feel kind of dressed up without feeling like I am wearing a dress - if that makes sense!  I love the way we women have all these psychological things going on in our heads in relation to clothes.

Mum on the Run - the 12 days of Christmas: A Zara skirt and cable knit

I have never seen so many miserable looking men as I did this morning when I was in John Lewis.  I felt so sorry for them as they stood leaning against the racks trying to look interested as their wives held up yet another piece of clothing for them to look at, which to them looked exactly the same as all the other pieces they had already been shown (and quite possibly, as far as they were concerned, the same as the entire contents of her wardobe.)

Just so that you know, the John Lewis website is not up to speed with what is going on in store and some items which are discounted in store aren't discounted online.  However, I found that if you call customer services, you can buy the item at the full price and they will immediately refund the difference.  A bit of a faff I know but it's worth it if there's something that you particularly like but which isn't in store in your size.

Anyway, as to the outfit.  I haven't worn a skirt for a while and the red shoes deserved a festive outing so I put them together and worked in some pinks and purples as well - none of which "matched" but given the neutral background it didn't matter. Quite often my clients are nervous or reluctant to put things together which, in their eyes, don't match and I encourage them to have a play around.  As long as the background is fairly simple - black/navy/grey/beige it's good to mix the accent colours and frankly no-one notices anyway! Mixing it up a bit makes for a much more versatile wardrobe.

Mum on the Run - Ugg(lies)

Remember how a few days ago I featured the silver sparkly party shoes by the "shoe tree"?  Well, I have now reached the stage where the heels have been replaced by sheepskin boots - and oh how nice they feel! 

I find it somewhat ironic that one of the ugliest styles of footwear known to man are called Uggs. It's a bit like the word Acrylic having the word "cry" in it.  It says it all really.  I have nothing against Uggs in principle and I totally get where people are coming from when they talk about how warm and comfortable they are but frankly, I wouldn't be seen out in a pair.  (When I walk through the door however it's a different matter!)

Anyway, the above aren't Uggs at all - they are from mini Boden and even better they were in the sale.  The first pair which I bought last year for our daughter - on account of the fact that I wouldn't want "mini boden" across the back of my ankle but which I then proceeded to wear on a regular basis - are now a little worn. The fact that they go up to a size 6 is great and I love the colour too.  Predictably the tan ones are sold out but they still have the blackberry and raspberry colours in stock.

Mum on the Run - Boxing Day outfit

I am not proud of it but today I had a fight with a three year old over a can of coke, putting dents in it in the process (the can that is, not the child). There we were, playing monopoly after lunch and my three year old nephew came and swiped my can from under my nose, ran off with it and started drinking it. I hot footed it to where he was where we wrestled over the can for a while before he gave up, looking at me in the process as if I was a complete and utter idiot.  On reflection I can't say that I blame him.

So, given that we were visiting family and I knew that there was little chance of us making it out of the front door once we had arrived - although I did pack sensible shoes just in case - I thought that the silver party shoes deserved another airing -as did the party trousers.  I put them with a TopShop blouse, Boden cashmere cropped cardigan and a TopShop necklace.  I don't really like the feel of the blouse against my skin and so what I do is layer a very thin cotton top from H&M underneath. It doesn't add bulk but it does just make it feel that bit nicer and it means that I am more likely to wear it than otherwise.

I should just say thank you to the lady who let me know that she likes my PJ's above any other outfit - I will remember that next time I am unsure of what to wear!

 

Mum on the Run - the 12 days of Christmas - Christmas Day outfit 2!

So there we have it - just gone 5pm and I am in one of my Christmas presents - which also happen to be one of the most unflattering garments known to man (or women) - PJ's.  It's not really an outfit, rather a state of undress!  These are Cath Kidston ones and a present from my hubbie.  I am so relieved to be in them - I can now snuggle up on the settee, watch TV, play games and just chill out.

I chose them as the print reminded me of a fabric that my Grandma had in her bedroom when I was little - her curtains, covering her bin, the skirt round her kidney shaped dressing table, the fabric on the cushion of the dressing table stool - and when that was replaced the fabric was recycled into pinnies -and so it went on.

Enjoy the rest of your day! x I hope that you too are comfortable and cosy!

Mum on the Run - the 12 days of Christmas - Christmas Day!

At last! It's here - Christmas Day. As I watch Top of the Pops I now feel quite Christmassy - unlike at 3.30am, 4.10am and 5.20am which is when our son came in to tell us that he couldn't sleep.  Apparently the words "bugger" and "off" featured in my vocabulary - hardly full of Christmas spirit was I?!!

This was the dress that was bought to fulfill many functions this Christmas and it is doing its job well - fulfilling the criteria of being able to be layered (there's a vest, slip and long sleeved top under this baby, which is necessary as I can't get a cardi over the top due to the shape of the sleeves) and loosened. The print hides the things that I have already spilled down it and it is long enough for me to crawl around on the floor without scaring the nation. The photo below shows the sleeves off in all their Christmas glory!  The dress is from Great Plains and I put it with some black opaques and  Hobbs NW3 lace up shoes in purple.

There's another outfit coming along later.....

Mum on the Run - the 12 days of Christmas: Christmas Eve outfit!

I started off the day with a run with friends - it was hard work but worth it and on the way home I nipped via M&S just to take a look at the queues (sadly, they weren't very long) and to see whether they had any cookies to sample as by then I was in need of sustenance.  How scuzzy is that?

There were various possibilities for the day ahead including the cinema, dinner out and going round to see friends - so I wanted something to cover all eventualities.  At the moment I am opting for clothes that can be layered and/or loosened as necessary!  So, I wore a black metallic Jigsaw dress with a black Hobbs '50's style jumper underneath, M&S grape coloured tights, leopard belt, lots of cuffs/bracelets and shoe boots (again)!  The length of the dress is good for me and there is a fullness to the skirt which works well. 

Did any of you see the photo of SJP wearing bright blue tights last week?  They may look good on her but on the rest of us?  I am not so sure.  Anything that could possibly elicit comments of "your legs look like they belong to a budgie/frog" from one's husband should probably stay on the shelf.  I do think that men have a certain objectivity about clothes which can be fairly spot on.  They don't get caught up in the moment of what is "on trend" or "current". They just say it as it is and sometimes they aren't far wrong! (Of course at other times, they are way off the mark.)

Have a lovely Christmas Eve - how exciting!

Mum on the Run - the 12 days of Christmas - a night out at a friend's house

So what is it about Christmas that brings out the nesting instinct in women, similar to when we have our babies?  In that case it is more understandable that we want the house to be ship shape as it is quite possible that another five years will go by before we get back on top of the game.  But with Christmas.  Did I really need to handwash all my "woollies" (as my Grandma called them) in time for the BIG day, or polish all of my boots or wash all of the towels.  Nope. Not at all. But I did anyway.

Anyway, enough of that!  Last night we went round to our friends' house for dinner.  Whilst I didn't want to be too OTT I wanted to feel a bit more dressed up than just jeans.  So I opted for Topshop navy peg trousers, Oasis sparkly top, H&M fur coat, stella & Dot necklace and shoe boots (which I have recently dug out of hibernation and I am so glad that I have. They cost me £17 from F&F at Tesco a few years ago and are perfect for now)!

Mum on the Run - The 12 Days of Christmas

So, anyway, after the trip to the cinema yesterday, it just so happened that I found myself in Birmingham with an hour to spare whilst our daughter and her friend did a bit of shopping. What a lucky break! I thought it only right that I check out the Reiss sale, which I did, thoroughly.  The one item that I really liked, and which I have had my eye on for a while was this fluffy feather gillet in oil blue (although I tried it on, I have to admit that I gave the hotpants a wide berth - see below).



The fact that it is made out of turkey feathers was not lost on me.   Also, the fact that it had been hugely in demand because one of the girls from TOWIE had been seen in it put me off slightly.  Now I really don't like to be judgmental, stereotypical etc but is that not enough to damage the street cred of any brand? It's a bit like my husband wearing a Jack Wills hoodie - which he keeps threatening to do.  (Just watch those share prices tumble!) So it stayed on the hanger which was probably just as well because shortly afterwards I saw a lady with a very orange face wearing one.

Instead I headed to French Connection and bought the shirt which I am wearing above - which I really like but which is rather hidden by the thick jumper and trench coat which I was wearing in preparation for my trip to the high street in the rain.  So so far day 2 of "the 12 days of Christmas" has not been a great success but we are off out later so I hope to bring you something a little more interesting.....

Mum on the Run - outfits for the 12 days of Christmas

Now that my husband has finished at work, Christmas can really begin for us so I am going to do a feature, somewhat inspirationally (!) entitled, "the 12 days of Christmas".  Each day I will show you what I am wearing over the Christmas period, to include outfits for trips to family, to friends and staying at home. 

Have you read those articles about how, if people aren't really doing anything much at all, they make it all up to look as if they are uber busy or uber popular and post fake tweets and photos on facebook?  Well, there won't be any of that going on - if we're a Billy no mates family for a few days that's fine by me!

Due to the unseasonally warm temperatures, the wardrobe possibilities have opened up a little, so it's no longer all about thermal vests and the heaviest jumpers I can find.  I can even get away without wearing socks - steady on now!

So, today for our trip to see Arthur Christmas - (don't I know how to show the family a good time) I have opted for skinny jeans, sparkly jumper and shoe boots with a spotty scarf.  I have taken account of the fact that we won't have to walk too far, so heels can be worn.  Yippeee! You might notice that over the next 12 days the skinny jeans get replaced by slightly looser clothes!

Mum on the Run - A little bit of layering goes a long way

Don't you remember how, as a child, the bread that you took to feed to the ducks was always so much more appetising than the bread that you had at home - however out of date it may have been? I was reminded of this today when we discovered the chief refuser of food (our youngest) happily sitting on the bench munching a slice of wholemeal bread (not mouldy, fortunately) whereas normally she would turn her nose up at it. It also amazed me how all three children were equally desperate to throw the first slice of bread to the ducks, despite their varying ages of 12, 10 and 3.

I had a major trauma today in that I couldn't find my husband's Christmas present.  There I was on the phone to John Lewis asking them to check that it hadn't been left in the store etc etc and then, having raided all of my usual hiding spots, I had a flash of inspiration and found it in our son's room. Really, I should have just rung my husband (chief snooper extraodinaire) at work and asked him where it was as no doubt he knows - but he was busy fearing for his safety at a court hearing so I decided to leave him be.

Anyway, as to the clothes for the day - it wasn't cold outside so I thought that it would be nice to get away without a coat.  I layered up my black Jigsaw Jersey dress with a Gap snood and a chunky knit from Oasis and just added a turquoise belt and pink gloves for colour. Later on the ballet pumps were swapped for biker boots so I could keep up with the three musketeers when they were out on bikes and as for the belt - that got discarded somewhere around mid-day when the youngest decided to take it off and put it it round her neck.

Mum on the Run - Time for a Party!

It was party time at our house last night.  A few girlfriends, some fizz and a lot of chatter! The Zara trousers had their first outing and they were - well, just black trousers really but given that the lighting represented a Hollister shop it wasn't suprising that the jacquard leopard print remained hidden.  I really like the length and the fit and am looking forward to wearing them in daylight. I wore a Topshop top that I have had for a while as I couldn't find anything else that I loved enough to spend money on it.  I also wore a new black sparkly belt from Coast.

These were the shoes that I wore for the evening.  I liked the style of them - they are a real change from the chunky high platforms that have dominated the shoe scene for a long time.  I haven't worn heels this thin, or this pointed, for a long time, if ever in fact but the shoes were surprisingly comfortable (and very sparkly too)!  They are available from Dune and currently in the sale.  Below is a photo of the party scene, pre-guests!

  I feel that at last we are starting to get into the mood of Christmas.  Hope you are too!

Mum on the Run - A chapel service (or two)!

Yesterday my Mum and I attended two carol services at school.  I thought given that it was Christmas I ought to dig out my churchgoing type of gear so on went the Hobbs boughts (at least 13 years old now) a very traditional Jigsaw coat, H&M navy leather gloves and a new bag.  I kept it modern with a leopard print scarf. Actually that's a complete lie - it was just the nearest one to hand and I thought that chapel might be chilly.

On seeing the bag my son said "Oh Mum, you've got a new Mulberry."  Well identified I thought for a ten year old boy - other than the fact that it was £5 from Primark! It's great - just the right size for keys, phone, money and of course - tissues.  I am definitely turning into my Mum. I can no longer watch the children do anything without crying!! It's all downhill from here!

Mum on the Run - Mission Hollister

I am on a mission and that mission is to buy something from Hollister - a gift card in fact for a Christmas present. 

You would think that it would be easy - it being a shop and all that, whose main aim, one might assume, would be to sell to the public.  Apparently not.

Attempt number one saw me going into the store.  The first thing that struck me was how dark it was.  I thought that having a shop which was so dark that you couldn't actually see what was being sold was an interesting concept. Still, I am prepared to accept that I am old fashioned like that and the stores that spend a fortune on fancy lighting are missing a trick - and at least they were being environmentally friendly.

The till, I was told, was upstairs.  So up I went.  Now, I am pretty healthy but by the time that I got to the top I was able to breathe a bit less easily than when I was at the bottom.  There I found three tills, one shop assistant and about 533 people in the queue. Being British I don't mind a bit of a queue - in fact if you grew up near my local chippie, you got pretty used to queing on a Friday night - but that was ridiculous.  So off I went. Apparently the fact that it had been a busy weekend meant that most of the staff were too tired to turn up for work but enforcements were on their way. Jolly Good.

Attempt number two saw me return to the same store, go up the same stairs to the same tills.  "Aha" I thought, "my luck is in". This time there was no one queing but that was probably just as well because they had run out of Gift Cards.  How can a store run out of Gift Cards in the run up to Christmas?  Anyway, there it was.  So off I went (again) - stopping to speak to the Manager on the way to point out to her, politely of course, that running out of Gift Cards at Christmas probably wasn't the best PR/marketing policy ever invented.

Trip number three saw me literally do that - trip over a leather pouffe thing which was placed in front of a leather chair which was presumably there for customers to take a rest in when they could only get one member of staff to serve the queue of 533 people.  My friend and I did see the funny side of it but that, combined with the hideously loud music (not so environmentally friendly after all so let's untick that box), lack of lighting, lengthy queue and general irritation that I already feel on just seeing the signage meant that I left for a third time WITHOUT A GIFT VOUCHER! 

The problem that I have is that it would appear that 6, 341, 611 people have "liked" Hollister on Facebook so the problem must be with me.  I know that I am not cool, or trendy, but neither am I prepared to accept that I am such a duffer that I don't "get" the whole Hollister think.  No, I need to get a grip and so, in the spirit of Christmas, I will try again tomorrow......

Mum on the Run - party trousers - a decision made!

And so I have made a decision on which trousers to wear to my party.  The Asos pair  were discounted immediately on account of their high waist, stiff material and the fact that they finished at a less than flattering length.

The decision was then between the Jigsaw ones at £115 with the flower jacquard print....

and the Zara ones at £25.99, with the leopard print jacquard (if that's not a contradiction in terms!)

The composition of the two wasn't dis-similar, although the Jigsaw ones are dry clean only and the Zara ones can be washed.  In terms of the print, both are very subtle as they are black on black.

There was a hole in the pocket of the Zara ones (not good) but they fitted really well and were even generous by Zara's sizing. (I always check to see if items start at a size 6.  If so, the sizes tend to be true or on the generous side. If not, then the sizing can come up smaller.)

The Jigsaw ones clearly weren't the same pair as the ones I had tried on earlier in the week - either that or I had put on half a stone in a few days, because they were very snug!

So anyway, the Zara ones won.  The price was great and they just have that added flexibility that I need at the moment both literally in that I can move in them more easily and also because I won't mind if a small one heads to me at a vast rate of knots with sticky fingers as I  know that they can be stuffed in the washing machine. I still love Jigsaw all the same though!

I definitely think that there is room for a pair of printed trousers in my wardrobe - they just need to be subtle, which these are.  They are a good shape for lots of ladies - tailored but slim and unless you really need a wider leg to balance out your hips, they could be a winner!

Mum on the Run - What to wear to your own party?!

The thing is, I have decided to have a party.  It's probably not a wise thing to announce on a blog but I doubt that hordes of people are going to turn up and do something outrageous like, I don't know, snap my orchids or blow out the White Company candles.  Plans are going well so far - really well.  I have five toblerones and six packets of Wotsits - the trouble is that I keep on eating the toblerone so I won't even have much of that left by the time the party arrives but at least the Wotsits will be intact - I think. Not that anyone will want to eat them.  Apart from me that is.

So, what to wear?  Well I put on the invitation that everyone should be comfortable and that thermals and elasticated waists were permitted.  People might think that I am joking but I am deadly serious.  Another reason for liking the dress that I featured yesterday was that I can wear my thermals underneath it without anyone knowing.  I am currently sitting here in my sweat pants with an elasticated waist so comfort is important!

I decided that some "evening trousers" might be a good start and there are quite a few cropped jacquard pairs out there at the moment.  The first ones that I tried are these:

Asos trousers as featured in this month's Red magazine.  I have to say that they weren't all that they promised to be.  At £30 they were £20 less than as quoted in Red (not to say that Red got it wrong) which was a plus but the fabric was stiff and they are uber high waisted, which isn't always necessarily that flattering or that comfortable.  They were also too short on me - finishing at an unflattering length.  So they are a no.

The second pair are:

This pair of black jaquard trousers from Jigsaw which have a flower jacquard print.  At £115 they are a tad on the expensive side but they are amazing and look lovely.  The flat front and side zip is very flattering....I can feel a dilemma coming on. 

The third pair are these ones from Zara which feature more of a leopard jacquard print.  At £25.99 they are a great price and are currently in my kitchen waiting for me to try them on. However the huge stew and endless pieces of toblerone are preventing me from doing anything this evening, other than slobbing on the settee in front of the TV - so that joy (or not) will have to wait until tomorrow.

I will report back tomorrow when I will have to make a decision - although if I decide on the Jigsaw ones, I will probably lie anyway.  The next dilemma will be the shoe one - and then the top one.  In fact I will probably run out of days to complete my outfit before the party so my track pants, complete with elasticated waist, and my thermal top will reign supreme.   Now, as to whether the thermal should be cream or black - oh crikey, I can feel another dileamma coming on!

Mum on the Run - the perfect "Christmas" dress

This is the dress that is going to work hard for me over Christmas - really hard!  It has already done a party at a friend's house, the ballet, a Mum's night out and a meeting today. Given that I only bought it on Monday it's doing fairly well for itself - and it has still got two carol services to go.  The cost per wear of this little baby is going to be minimal!

Now, it won't be everyone's cup of tea and the print looks better in the flesh than it does on the photo but I do think there is something to be said for finding a "one dress fits all situations" outfit. This is what I like about it:

• it's a decent length
• it has three quarter sleeves which are a nice shape
• it has a slip underneath for added warmth - all of the above make it easy to wear - I can bend over without startling anyone in my company, reach up without flashing my knickers - you get my drift! 
• the print means that it won't show marks easily (I know, lazy or what!)
• I can wear black, brown or cream with it
• All of the hard work has been done for me so I don't need to worry too much about accessories
• It was from Great Plains and wasn't too expensive.

Great Plains is definitely worth taking a look at - they have some nice pieces at a good price and the mail order service is good.  Here's a link to it http://www.greatplains.co.uk/index.aspx?mscsmigrated=true.  By the way, it appears that there is now a sale on so if you see my dress at half price, please don't tell me.

Oh by the way, just to let you know that my new website has been launched and if you would like to take a peek, you can find it at www.bethgoodrham.com

Mum on the Run - Boden cropped trousers

Some don't like the look of cropped trousers - and I kind of get that.  It can look as though your trousers are a bit short but I got over that years ago when colleagues teased me about some cropped trousers I was wearing.  I like them and think that they can be really flattering - even if you are on the petite side - in fact especially if you are on the petite side - provided that they finish at the right place.

I was styling all day today so needed to be comfortable - hence the pink pumps with the Queen Mother heel! I put the trousers with a Cos jumper, Boden jacket and pink Marks and Spencer leather gloves and I was good to go.  I was also good to come home and take the trousers off by the end - let's just say that whilst comfortable, they are fairly snug!

Mum on the Run - Pink Coats

I thought that it was jolly nice of Louis Vuitton to include pinks in their window displays.  In real life, the colours are much closer to my coat than they look.  I also thought that it was good of them to make sure that the shop was closed as I was passing - just so I couldn't be tempted. 

I have a theory that people like to see bright colours on others, even if they would rather not wear them themselves.  A bright coat, shoes or bag will always elicit a chirpy comment - even if it is along the lines of "you know what they say about women who wear red shoes!"

This year I have had lots of people ask me where I got my pink coat from.  The reason that I say "this year" is because my coat must be at least 5 years old now - if not more - and it was from Benetton.

I have found some alternatives on the high street, should you be tempted to replace your black coat with  a pink one (go on, I dare you!  It goes with black, navy and grey and makes a nice change).

So, as for my chosen coats, they are all pink but all diffent in their styling ranging from a fairly smart work coat, to a very simple streamlined on trend shape, to a sweet 1960's style coat.

The first one is from Jigsaw and costs £249, however, Jigsaw is holding a 10% sale on Thursday so if you do like it, you might want to wait until then.  Although it is double breasted, so in theory less suited to ladies with a fuller bust, the two rows of buttons are quite close together so it is actually more flattering than some designs and looks less like you have targets on your chest!

The second coat is from Jaeger Boutique - it is currently in the sale with 50% off and costs £199.  I quite like this design - it's very simple, slightly cocoon shape so very up to date and slightly more casual than the Jigsaw one.

The third coat is from Oasis and costs £65 but look out for offers. It's called "Dolly" which pefectly describes the shape - 60's, girlie and very pretty.

I hope that I have sown the seeds.......

Mum on the Run - A Kate Moss for Top Shop Tea dress, Cable Jumper and Biker boots

Having had three children, all sense of self respect of dignity left me years ago, which is why I am not afraid to show you this photo of myself grinning like an idiot whilst standing like a flamingo.  Having taken the photo my son said "that's fine Mum - you don't need to take any more". I should have realised that his desire to get to WH Smith to add to his collection of force attack Star Wars cards far outweighed any obligation to me to stop me from looking a total geek.  So there we have it!

Anyway, today I gave my Kate Moss for Topshop dress its first winter outing.  It must be well into its third year now but I still really like wearing it as it is just the right side of flippy/pretty without being too girly.  I stuck my cable knit from Warehouse over it and teamed it with M&S tights and Hobbs biker boots. I noticed the other day that the jumper also comes in grey.  Whilst it's not everyone's cup of tea and won't suit all bodyshapes, I have to say that it is doing me proud so far!