Ten Ways to Re-use Your Old Clothes

I have to admit I'm one of these annoying waste not, want not types. People who know me will agree, we have a fairly large house. You can't actually get into many of the rooms though, for the stuff I have acquired and refuse to chuck out. Should you fancy doing a museum exhibition on toys from the late 1970's to 1980's, well, I can provide you with near enough my entire original toy box. Chock full of yellow lead paint Rubix cubes and other noxious things which I don't want my kids to play with, its only use in the last few years has been for a museum exhibition and for something to get out and look at, discuss and put back again.

Should you require a baby walker, well I have at least 5 thanks to a Mother and Baby magazine product trial I did for them. I can't get rid of even one, as I don't know which one baby Fifi will prefer. Its the same with pushchairs (Ive discussed this before), highchairs, books, clothes, cookery items and so on.

There are reasons for this; For example, the Frost French season one cardigan that I took to the charity shop in an act of blatant clearing out, now worth a fair few squid due to their designer fame. For, me even more distressing is the loss of the series of concert tickets detailing the bands I saw in the early 1990s, this included Oasis, Pulp, Blur and Nirvana before they made it big (sob). However, I have Freecycled a lot of stuff, curtains, curtain poles, grill pans, rabbit hutches, carpet, bags, jars and so on. This would be good if I hadn't actually looked at Freecycle and acquired a lot more stuff to replace it all. I'm banned from looking at it at the moment.

Anyway, back to my recycling week pledge, to recycle textiles. Now, if I don't buy anything, there won't be a net overall gain in stuff in the house, so this will be good. I have to admit, Ive not actually been actively doing the pledge long enough to show the results. Although I will try to over the next few weeks. However, I thought I would share with you some of my tips for recycling textiles when sewing (please remember though, if the item is really good, its worth Free-cycling, Ebay-ing or sending it to the charity shop);

1. Use your scraps to make applique letters for kids T-Shirts or an apron like Anjie did here.

2. Make a quilt or a rag rug from the scraps.

3. Use old bed linen as lining in dresses- the dress I made for my sister's wedding for baby Fifi was lined with one of our old duvets!

4. When you get fed up of your old duvets, simply cut them down and make them into ones for the cot/ junior beds. I've done this really successfully for Toddler boy and it really requires no skill whatsoever. You could also make some sheets for the cots this way very easily.

5. I have re-used hubby's PJ tops and old work shirts by using the fabric to make myself and Toddler boy tops and T-shirts depending on the fabric. I'm also intending to make baby Fifi some simple shift dresses.

6. You could use fabric to make little party bags, this way, the kids can even keep the bag. You can even make toy storage bags this way.


7. You could use some of the fabric to make little soft toys.

8. Shorten old fashioned long skirts or dresses, this is easy to do and can give something a new lease of life. You don't even need a sewing machine, just a needle and thread would suffice.

9. Add ruffles and flowers made from your old scraps of material to plain T-shirts and dresses to create a bit of detail.

1o. Use old fabric to make t-towels or dish-cloths


For those of you who are using the old, 'I can't sew' excuse. Here are a couple of helpful web-sites:
Burda Style
About Sewing

Don't forget buttons on your old clothes, you could use these on all the new clothes you make, or you could give them to the kids (provided they don't eat them) to stick to home-made birthday cards etc etc. Zips can be re-used again on bags, new clothes or even as applique style designs on things!

Happy sewing, don't ask me if you get stuck though, im a relative beginner myself!

Ten Ways to Re-use Your Old Clothes

Recycle Week

I've been so busy recently, I feel like i'm swimming round and round in circles, like these ducks. I am so far behind on the laundry, dusting, hoovering, tidying, general cleaning, gardening and cooking, that I can't even begin to tell you how messy this house is. The mother - in - law has silently condemned the place, offering to come and tidy and clean whilst I'm holiday. This lack of ability to do anything has spilled over into the blog, where I have been tagged by a number of different people and haven't had a chance to do anything about it. However, I thought I had better do my good deed for the week and respond to Amy's tag as recycling is an important issue, one that Ive discussed here quite a lot and one that Ive not been very good at since baby Fifi was born.

Amy has flagged up Recycle week to me, basically a chance to make a pledge to do a bit better with an aspect of your recycling I have decided that for recycle week (and the foreseeable future as I'm a bit late on this one). I am going to recycle textiles. This is actually a bit of a cop- out for me and I have a burgeoning love of sewing. I'm actually getting quite good at re-crafting clothes and Ive a wardrobe full of freshly made 'designer' stuff.

I do tend to waste the scraps though, so I think I am going to use them to make a quilt, something that I have never done before. I have been inspired by One Girl who I found via Metropolitan Mum's blog which is just fab. If I don't manage to do this, I'm up for mowing the lawn. Thereby achieving weight loss exercise and peace as my forfeit. Its a win-win situation!

Now, I have to tag five other bloggers, I'm hoping they might have a go, even though its a bit late in the week:

Little Garden Helpers- I'm sure we would all like to hear some of your tips on what you can do in with stuff the garden!

Anjie- I bet her re-cycling even looks nice!

Metropolitan Mum- I don't think she has been tagged and it would be good to hear some tips from a German/ Swiss/ British perspective!

Mrs C- A local blogger to me

Vic at Glowstars- Because I don't think Ive tagged her before and I love reading her blog!

I'm incredibly lazy so, Ive pinched the rules straight off Amy:

1. Visit http://www.recyclenow.com/ and sign up to one of the pledges to waste less.

2. Share the details of your pledge on your own blog.

3. Chose five other bloggers, who will also be up for a bit of recycling fun.

4. Come back to this post at The Rubbish Diet and share your pledge with others, by placing a link to your pledge in the comments field.

5. Optional - as a thank you to all involved The Rubbish Diet will be publishing a British Mummy Bloggers' Recycle Week carnival on Monday 29th June. To be included, simply submit your favourite post revealing the progress of your pledge by Saturday 27th June - email to karen[at]therubbishdiet[dot]co[dot]uk.

Recycle Week

I've got a hard head

One of my work colleagues was sent to Iraq with the TA. He sustained an injury when a spanner hit him on the head. He was driving along and some joker had placed it in the sun visor screen thingy of the truck. I don't think there was any permanent damage, apart from to his pride. I can feel his pain as I have sustained a remarkable number of head injuries in the last two years as a result of having kids. And that's on top of baby brain itself. It's a wonder I can actually communicate at all. Still, my mum always said how everyone remarked how hard and heavy my head was. Its natural selection, for a reason!
Take, for example, the other night. Whilst playing a rather heated game of Shut Door , I was head butted by toddler boy, sustaining a nose crack so hard that not only did by jaw feel like it was imploding, but I also have a rather fetching lump on which to balance my glasses.
That's not all, I have also been directly hit on the head by a whole carton of Formula milk. See it is bad, bad, bad stuff. It doesn't fit in any of our cupboards, they are crammed full of contraband not to be seen on display things like chocolate and crisps. Therefore it lives on top of the refrigerator. Not good. A plastic Little People garage can also sustain quite a blow when knocked off the top of a wardrobe. Whilst, the box of Start-right tots shoes that hit me the other night causing me to crook my neck could be considered a minor blow.
I think I'm doing quite well though, hubby was playing football a few months ago with Toddler boy and hit his head, on the whirly bird washing line. He knocked himself out, to be awoken only by Toddler boy hitting him on the head.
Perhaps we need to invest in some crash helmets for our daily parenting duties. I wonder if Toddler boys hard hat will suffice...

I've got a hard head

The Waiting Game

As far as I can see, having children is all about waiting. So those of you not used to queuing and waiting for hours and hours for stuff better get in practice. That's it, off to the Post Office on pension day, its the only way to get a bit of practice. You see, so far, my journey of parenthood has involved:

• Waiting for 9 months for birth
• Waiting for three days in labour
• Waiting for the baby to move
• Waiting for sleep through the night
• Waiting for the first smile
• Waiting for the first word
• Waiting at the doctors surgery, once for two and a half hours with a screaming poorly child- I think I blogged about this
• Waiting to find the time to read a book, watch television in peace, do some sewing. I still spend a lot of time on this one
• Waiting for the summer months so the kids can play in the garden
• Waiting for lunch/ tea/ coffee at numerous cafes with other mums
• Waiting for a bit of peace and quiet. I'm told this could be a long wait
• Waiting until they reach 18.
• And, now with one week until my annual summer holiday (a week in North Norfolk), waiting until they get chicken pox.

My advice to anyone considering a child, go on some sort of course to develop and enhance your skills of patience and resignation, and start living the slow life.

The Waiting Game

Bang, Bang, Bang! St Albans Pilgrimage

Each year in St Albans we have a big pilgrimage where we celebrate the life of St Alban, the first British Martyr. This year was no exception with enormous Roman soldiers, lions and monks and so forth all processing from Verulamium Museum up to the Abbey and Cathedral. I don't have any pictures of this, as I was actually doing my good deed for the day helping out with Young Archaeologist Club. However, I'm informed that Toddler boy marvelled at the beheading and particularly liked the bit where the executioners eyes fell out. More! More!

Later on in the afternoon, I was released from the shackles of looking after other peoples kids for free on a Saturday morning. Yes, I am mad. This meant I was able to enjoy some of the tail end of the events. This included a fantastic drumming session outside the Abbey lead by Ruth of Mish Mash Music.
Toddler boy attends Mish Mash so we thought he would enjoy it once he settled into the session. That he did. Although, I have to admit I didn't realise quite how loud it would be. I hope baby Fifi isn't deaf now. I did do the responsible thing and move the pushchair away a bit, although she did seem to be rocking out, so I didn't want her to miss the fun.

Once Toddler boy had banged away to his hearts content, even leading a bit of the session, he did 40 minutes on the bouncy castle. Oh, to be young! This was after walking for at least 2 miles over the course of the day. All in all, a fun day.

Bang, Bang, Bang! St Albans Pilgrimage

Silver Cross Halo Pushchair Review

Silver Cross Halo Pushchair Review

I have a dirty secret, I have 4 pushchairs. It seems perfectly reasonable to me, you see, over the last two years I have been struggling to find the perfect pushchair for every occasion. This has lead me to purchase :

* Silver Cross Linear Freeway Pram system- The first pushchair I had, great for shopping as it has a large basket and ideal for putting the baby in a range of different seating positions.

* Out and About Nipper 360- brilliant for the beach, easy to push, comfortable for baby, but does get the odd puncture. I did use this for jogging occasionally and its great for that.

* Maclaren Quest- for the car and general nipping about, quick to collapse, a classic buggy, everyone has one.

* Phil & Teds Sport Buggy- for transporting two screaming kids at the same time.

I was quite happy with this number. Although hubby feared for his life and the porch is straining under the tangled weight of metal. However, then I was given the opportunity to review another pushchair. So, we come to pushchair number 5! The Silver Cross Halo

Why I'm keen to give Silver Cross a chance!

Silver Cross are a long established British Company, having produced their first pushchair in 1877. Its this name and heritage that attracted me to purchase the Linear Freeway. However, I have to admit, its this pushchair/pram that lead me to buy the others, as it was a bit of a mistake purchase for me.

I bought it over the Internet and didn't realise how big the frame was when the pram was folded. It just about fitted in the car boot. Lovely to push and with a big shopping basket, I used to walk all over St Albans proudly pushing my sturdy buggy. Until the handle snapped off miles from home. I was having a bad day, suffering from Post Natal Depression and I literally felt like sitting down on the kerb and giving up. I looked at (then) baby boy and that gave me the energy to move, but I vowed not to walk too far with the pram again.





I digress, I was really delighted to be given the chance to review another Silver Cross pushchair, as I really felt that the problems I had with the Linear Freeway (which was fixed and I still use) were down to me.



At Last! On to the Review
For me, there are several aspects of a pushchair which influence how favourably I consider them. So, I thought that rather than do a Pro's and Con's list which has been done very eloquently before, I thought I would take you through my thoughts on the various aspects of a pushchair which are important to me:

Ease of Construction
I'm not known for my ability to work technical things, this includes constructing potentially difficult items such as pushchairs. When the Halo arrived, with a very apologetic TNT man in tow- who had actually managed to lose it in the depot, toddler boy and I were extremely excited, so we tore the box open and tried to put it all together without instructions. It wasn't all that easy, so I had to resort to using the instructions. There are two types of instruction, written and pictures. I used the pictures and within seconds I had constructed it. Then in a further few seconds, Toddler boy had installed himself and he remained there for the next hour or so, revelling in the most luxurious chair in our house.


Ease of fold
The pram collapses using a trigger system either side of the frame. From what I can tell this is a fairly standard feature of the Silver Cross prams. I found the mechanism to be a little bit fiddly, but once the pram was folded it was very small and there is a handy carry handle.



The wheels are really easily removed and as the pram folds flat, this means that it will fit into a very small space. I think this ability to fold flat is a major benefit, as it means that if you are short of space you really can cram it somewhere very small. Just think, no longer will you have a car boot rammed full of things wedged into tiny crevices when you take your next British Summer holiday. You could easily stash the buggy on the floor behind the drivers seat and still fit your baby seat behind there. (Well, you could in our Zafira anyhow!) For me, all things said, I would argue that for the comfort you get for the baby, its better than the Maclaren for the car boot.

Longevity of Use
The Halo is suitable from birth until toddler. The seat reclines to flat and the stage 1 car-seat attaches. This is a major bonus. However, my toddler did look a bit snug in it, as you can see from the image on the left. One of my major bug bears with it is the fact that you can't attach a buggy board, which means its only suitable if you have one child. However, I guess it all depends on the age gap between your kids. For me at the moment, wandering about with two kids, I can't really better the functionality of the Phil & Teds. That said Ive enjoyed pushing this so much that I'm prepared to take the baby sling with me and swap the kids around as need requires.



Use with a car seat?
I have to admit, that I haven't really used the car-seat- puschair option with either of my kids very much. However, the fact that it converts into a travel system with the addition of the Ventura car seat, means that it offers a remarkable range of flexibility. I actually own a Ventura car seat as it goes with my other Silver Cross Linear Freeway pram. So, I can say with experience that fitting the car-seat is a bit of a doddle.


Looks
The Halo is a fabulously trendy looking pushchair. It comes in three different colours and I would be happy to have any of them. I received a couple of positive comments about it whilst out shopping which I was quite chuffed about.


Storage




Image; Halo storage system, with raincover and baby-sling in the bungee cords and Babymel change bag hanging from the frame!



I have to admit, I do walk about with almost the entire contents of our house, except the kitchen sink. I've been known to have 3 change bags on occasion. Its a sort of knee jerk reaction to being out in early streamlined days and having to deal with an exploding poo which lead me to have to sacrifice my t-shirt to baby ( I did have a jumper). That said, for me, this is one area where the Halo really falls down. There isn't a proper storage basket, rather a system of stretchy cords in which, once you have wedged the rain cover you can't fit a lot else. When I hung my change bag off the handle however I adjusted the bag it still seemed to push the seat sightly forward. I wasn't very happy with this. For storage, the Silver Cross Linear Freeway is really excellent.


Raincover
The Halo has the best rain cover I have ever seen, It simply drops over the top of the whole pushchair. Brilliant.


Ease of push
The Halo is incredibly easy to push over normal street surfaces, it glides. This really made it a pleasure to push, apart from the handle which after a while started to stick in my hand. I think this could be remedied by a bit of padding. For the sake of completeness I also took the buggy over grass, cobbles and gravel. These surfaces proved a bit harder to push on through and were also a bit juddery on the wrists. However, if you are not worried about yourself, the suspension was excellent and the little traveller within the pushchair was nicely cushioned from the bumps. If you live in a bumpy country place then I would recommend the Out and About Nipper 360.


The Canopy
One of the things I love about the Out and About Nipper 360 is the canopy, its long and provides a lot of sun shelter for the baby. This is a feature that I look for on pushchairs having endured a whiney baby and toddler for hours on end complaining about the sunlight. When I got the Phil & Teds, I actually purchased the additional UV canopy/ screen net thing, which I have found very handy. Phil who designed the Halo and who was talking about it at the British Mummy Bloggers meet has really come good on this feature. The canopy is generous and there is an additional UV screen which can be folded back. I approve of this feature very much! Some people have mentioned the lack of a window, personally I don't I use that very much anyhow, so I'd rather not have one, than have the thing flapping about or providing an area which isn't UV protected.


Comfort for the baby/ toddler
This is a crucial aspect for me and I would say that both baby and toddler look very comfortable. There is a lovely cushioned seat pad included and a really good foot muff system which clips on. The seat can be reclined to any position with a handy webbing strap at the back, which was very easy to operate. I personally like this sort of system which is why I really like the Out and About Nipper 360 pushchair. However, on the Halo its much easier to operate as you don't need to fiddle about with strapping clips. There is an ingenious system which means you literally flick one lever and pull the straps.

The baby is also nicely cosseted away within the pushchair, protected by the Halo of metal which gives the pushchair its name. I really really like this feature as it really helps you to keep the baby away from the prying hands of strange old ladies who seemed to have a compulsion to poke Toddler boy and grab baby Fifi's hand. In my opinion, for this feature alone, its worth buying this pushchair. But then, I can be a bit stand-offish and fussy with my kids. Message here for any old ladies reading this, look but dont touch!


Quality
The fabric used is clearly of really high quality, it feels nice to the touch and looks as if it will last. I really like the foot muff and seat padding. The silver paint (?) on the frame is a bit disappointing as it looks as if it will scratch off quite easily. Overall the Halo does feel like a good quality product, unlike some other pushchairs I have looked at.


Cost
At first glance, £275 it seems a bit pricey, but then I thought about it and I realised that for my first pushchair I spent £375! As a result, I actually think that for what you get its very reasonable. Think, you are effectively getting the stroller that you would inevitably buy after that first pram system, but one that has pretty much all the functionality of a pram system.


So would I buy it?
After testing it and using it over the last couple of weeks, I have to say YES. I really genuinely have grown to love it. In fact, Ive even been going about with a baby sling, so that I can swap the kids around if Toddler boy gets fed up walking. The main disadvantage is the lack of a shopping basket, but that said, for popping around the shops on a Saturday afternoon, it's fine. I am also informed that I could purchase a special bag for it (if I wasn't so mean I might be tempted). I just like the way it glides about the pavement whilst feeling solid and I really like the way the baby/ toddler sits inside it.

I'm lucky, I can chose to keep the Halo, so I think I can now give away my Maclaren and my Linear Freeway and streamline the household buggy collection down to three. My thanks go to Silver Cross, my faith in the quality of your brand has been restored and I'm really proud to own a British pushchair.

Silver Cross Halo Pushchair Review

Sod the Isle of Wight Festival i'm off to the British Mummy Bloggers meet

This weekend I had a choice, the Isle of Wight Festival or the BMB get together at the Rainforest Cafe. The Pixies and Neil Young are perhaps my most favourite musical artists in the whole world ever. No choice there then, a free lunch it is. And I'm glad I went along too, after all, I can relive my youth via ITV 2, but I cant meet other like minded sorts via the television. Yet! oh, unless I enter some sort of panel show I suppose.

Silver Cross are the fab British company that sponsors British Mummy Bloggers, and generous they are with it. No crisps and cheap wine on offer here. A big stuff yourself, sod the diet, eatathon. With added storms, as it was in the Rainforest Cafe after all. Toddler boy doesn't really like storms, so he was a bit traumatised every half hour. But you cant have everything and he loved his pizza and the wallet he got in his goody bag.

I also managed to blag the Doodle Highchair to review, I feel blessed. Ive been very lucky recently getting the Halo buggy. Or perhaps Ive developed a lot of front and pushiness in asking. I have to admit, since most people took the train, think I was also in the minority of people who could actually take it home. Slightly hindered by baby Fifi, I didn't manage to chat to everyone, but I did meet Metropolitan Mum, Surprise Mum, Maternal Tales, Thames Valley Mum, Notes from Inside my Head, And One More Means Four, Part Mummy, Part Me, London Mum and Perfectly Happy Mum. Not to forget Daddacool, who I already know, but was good at balancing the babies. I apologise if Ive missed anyone! I'm still suffering baby brain.It was great to meet so many people there many of them feel like I already know, as Ive spent time reading their blogs. I also met Susanna head mummy blogger, hats off to her and Amy for organising such a great event.
I'm not good at talking to people I don't know, it reminds me of cringe worthy university freshers week moments. However, everyone was friendly and chatty which was great. Thanks for being nice to me and making me feel part of it. Blogging is a special little world and I'm glad to be involved. To join British Mummy Bloggers click on the box at the bottom of the page.

Sod the Isle of Wight Festival i'm off to the British Mummy Bloggers meet

Gardening

Ive been experiencing a little bit of the work that is required to live like Tom and Barbara Good (anyone recall the BBC sitcom The Good Life?). Check out my guest blog here at Little Garden Helpers.

Gardening

Arghhh (or a blood curdling scream)

Toddler boy has developed a new and effective attention seeking device. The blood-curdling angst ridden chilling scream. Its the sort where you think, that perhaps he has broken an arm, bloodied his nose or seen the most horrific spider. But think again, this scream has been used this week for;

• Dropping a pen
• A twisted sock
• Shutting a notebook
• Being unable to undo his cardigan
• Noticing his sister is asleep
• Being unable to undo his Velcro trainers
• Discovering that his snack is strawberries and not chocolate
• Numberjacks coming on the television

There you have it, another reason why I'm a frazzled wreck of a woman, always on the edge, seeking the comfort of talking to strangers in Waitrose and rather fond of chocolate.

Arghhh (or a blood curdling scream)

Testing, testing!

Zooarchaeologist is currently testing the Silver Cross Halo Buggy. Performing a series of off -road (the park), indoor (the library) and outdoor (a stroll to the shops) she will put the buggy under the most extreme conditions imaginable (this includes dragging todder boy along and steering one handed).

A detailed report will follow, but initial thoughts:

Baby Fifi is nicely and safely cosseted away within its seat. I like this, less opportunity to be poked and proded.

My mum loves it, it is her choice over the other 4 pushchairs we own. She thinks its sturdy and safe.

The lack of under-seat storage is proving a bit of an issue, although I do have a handy Babymel change bag which has special handlebar attachments, so that helps.

I thought the handle was a bit uncomfortable to push after 3 mile walk, I would like a bit of padding.

I love the cosy foot muff.

It folds quite small considering my car seat will attach to it.

It looks WELL nice.

So, there you go, initial thoughts, a bigger, better brighter review with exciting action images to follow.

Testing, testing!

A trip without kids

No, not a fall, but a full blown adult experience (cough, cough). A literal p*ss-up in a brewery. The wedding of our friends at the Shepherd Neame brewer in Faversham, Kent. An fantastic day was had by all and the bride looked beautiful. However, it was only the second time we have been out sans babies. I felt as if something was missing, as if I had forgotten something. I have become so accustomed to being constantly harassed, that I am simply uncomfortable without the stress of a toddler clamped to my leg whilst I'm walking along jiggling baby Fifi.

Take for example, when the food arrived, a sumptuous three course feast, what did I do? I instantly carved up the plate full of food into different portions. At a loss of what to do with my additional available food, I felt the urge to pass it onto hubby. He was understandably disappointed. Free to go to the loo unimpeded, I took ample opportunities to go there. I suspect the other guests might have wondered what I was up to. But, hey, the luxury of being able to go in peace cannot be underestimated. Or explained to the non- parent.

For a few minutes towards the end of the night, I began to feel a little bit like I did prior to babydoom. It was weird, a sudden urge to get drunk, dance the conga and flirt with hubby. Just as well that my sensible side got the better of me and I asked hubby to take me home. Going back indoors, I snuck upstairs to look at my two beautiful sleeping babies and reflect on how my life has changed. I don't think I really exist without them anymore. My life is complete when we are together as a family.

A trip without kids

A Lesson; Check the toybox regularly

Our living room is absolutely chock full of toys, its like a sort of toy jumble sale, after a herd of elephants have visited and trampled on everything. The situation is so bad that we are often forced to the safety of our bedroom after the kids have gone to sleep, just so we can have a view that's free of small red, yellow, green and blue plastic things. So, I decided to have my monthly clear out and remove to toddler's bedroom operation.
This was when I discovered penicillin. EURGHHHHHHHHH! Lurking within the boot of one of the toy cars was the mould pictured above. The worrying thing is that the growth was quite big, indeed I would go so far as saying it might be a couple of weeks of growth. I suspect toddler boy has been checking on its progress as he has been taking a bit of interest in the aforementioned toy recently and I just assumed he was doing his usual sort of play.
As far as I'm aware, this sort of mould gives off tiny spores into the atmosphere, OMG we have been breathing them in! They have been spreading, mutating like swine flu or something similar. I thought hubby has been behaving strangely recently. Who knows what I'll find stowed away next time I do some cleaning...

A Lesson; Check the toybox regularly

Sleep: A picture blog

If only I could utilise this time for sleep myself...

Sleep: A picture blog

Its Like Bridal Asda

I kid you not! I actually overheard somebody using this phrase in the street in St Albans. I don't think they looked as if they were about to get married , so I can only assume that this is a comment about fashion darling. Pretentious place that it is, it really is worthwhile wandering around the streets of St Albans looking nonchalant and listening in to the conversation of others.

Speaking of fashion, I'm very conscious that very few of my clothes fit. I know I'm always moaning, but really, I can't shift the baby weight. So, I've been going round and round and round the shops to try to find some decent, reasonably prices, appropriate clothes. I haven't found anything. There just isn't anything in my size, price-range and appropriate for a mum of 2. Anything that isn't a luminous coloured ra-ra skirt, a micro- dress, frumpy beyond all words or excessively priced, is generally found in a supermarket. I'm not sure about the conditions in which most of this stuff is made and that puts me off buying it. Therefore I am stuck in a fashion rut. I mainly wear the same dress (one which I last wore when I was five months pregnant with baby number one), a pair of Gap jeans and a selection of tight T-shirt tops.

I have taken matters into my own hands. From now on, the majority of stuff I wear is going to be manufactured by own hands using material sourced at St Albans market for approximately £2- £3 per metre. The image above is what I am working on at the moment, I haven't done any machining yet, that's for tonight. However, I designed, tailored and cut my own pattern for this. The material was £2 and so far I have spent about an hour, from conception, working on it. When I actually machine it all together I'll model it and post some other pictures. If anyone knows how to attach PDF files in blogger I can do a quick sketch of the pattern and PDF that up here.

I also have a wedding coming up at the weekend and I am minded to make a dress for that. As I have some very very nice fabric, I thought I would try to find a pattern, in case it all goes wrong. In doing so, I have found this brilliant website Burda Style. It has lots of ideas, tips and perhaps more usefully downloadable dress-making patterns. Some of these are even free, so I can see that its a resource I will be using a lot.

Its Like Bridal Asda

Cost Benefit Analysis; Husbands

Uses/ Benefit

1. Load him up like a packhorse with children. Illustrated by the image where he has the capability of carrying both toddler and baby.

2. The washing up

3. Driving the car at the weekend

4. Heavy digging work in the garden

5. Building things, DIY, including in particular painting ceilings

6. Setting up, sourcing and using complex electronic equipment

7. Stinky nappy changes at weekends

8. Cleaning the fishtank

9. Massage duties

10. General person to moan to

11 Producer of baby sperm

12. Someone to love

Cost

1. Dinner needs cooking

2. Ironing shirts

3. Must engage in conversation; can be tricky when tired

As you can see its worth getting/ having one :)

Cost Benefit Analysis; Husbands