Online heaven, or is it?

I don't know how I didn't realise before now, but you can buy stuff from Oxfam ONLINE....

Why didn't I know this? I spend my life traipsing around Oxfam and other "cherry tree" shops and this would make my life easier surely?

Although I've just had a look at the site and whilst it is wonderful and I could spend a fortune, I would somehow feel like I am cheating.

For example, I am besotted with vintage Ladybird books and get a thrill from finding one from the Oxfam bookshop that I don't already own.

But online, there are a few I could simply order and receive in the post in a few days time. But they are far more expensive online (one I bought was £1.99 but it is £8.99 online - how did they figure that one out?)

And it simply takes the joy away from actually getting out to these charity shops and unearthing the treasures myself. So I decided to browse but not bother ordering any.

Then I discovered Oxfam sells clothes online too...the clothes are divided into gender, brand, size, condition and price. This is lethal for a second hand clothes fan like me, so of course I HAD to have a quick peek while the husband took the kids to football training this morning.

There's Diesel, Laura Ashley, Coast, Hobbs, Whistles, Boden...the list is endless. You get as many details as possible about the item as well and its FREE UK delivery. What's not to like?

Well, I couldn't put my finger on it, but I decided I still preferred to actually come across fab items of clothing while in a charity shop. It's more rewarding for some reason, yet I often buy new items online rather than hitting the high street.

I think it's a wonderful idea and extremely popular for those in the know, but I have decided to stick to my trips out to the charity shops instead.

Mind you, I will be keeping a close eye on the Oxfam website, just in case, mind!

Anyway I would like to showcase this cherry tree offering today. I bought this tunic top in Beverley, East Yorkshire and wear it loads. It was originally from the swimwear section of Primark, so nothing fancy, but I love it.

At the Prince's first birthday party

Wearing the top with the Princess in Whitstable

I love this place. A dear friend lives there and we are going there soon!

My big fat Greek dessert (and a teething son)

Being ill sucks. I am still very tired now but back with far more energy than I had three days ago.

I do, however, have a little boy by my side at this very moment saying over and over again "Booby, booby, booby". And he is two next month. Do not ask. It's becoming like the "Bitty" scene in Little Britain and is crazy.

Wish I knew how to stop his obsession with me and boobies. I've never had any one so obsessed and it's sweet one minute and a little peculiar the next. My brother calls him Oedipus...

He is teething (my son, not my brother!) and is troublesome at the moment. Nights are bad, I am sleep deprived, he is crying far more than I would like in the evenings. It ain't all a walk in the park.

And here he is at bath time tonight which was very stressful. See the new teeth coming through?

It is always made worse when his big sister laughs at it all

But they do love each other really

The Princess went to her school disco on Friday. I was so proud of her. She looked utterly beautiful and is turning into a very gorgeous little girl. She danced non stop and came home on a high, bless her!

I puffed up with pride as I took this photo

In her lovely new skirt from my dear friend Kerry

Kerry also sent her this Boden t-shirt which she found in a charity shop. Love it!

Talking of charity shops, I have bought the Princess the below Uttam t-shirt which was £1.50 from Helen & Douglas House Hospice in Henley-on-Thames. I love Uttam clothes, I am always drawn to the stunning colours and patterns.

Perfect for an Indian summer perhaps.

And I was delighted to find myself the below skirt from Dorothy House for £6.99. It's also a Uttam design and I am thrilled with it.

You'd never lose anyone in a crowd if they are wearing Uttam!

And tomorrow I am walking the children to school (a mile) to get the exercise, dropping off the Princess, then rushing to catch the train to Henley-on-Thames so the Prince and I can enjoy some messy play outside of the home (phew! No clearing up necessary) and I can use the opportunity to quickly browse the cherry tree shops while I am there.

I don't like to do it for long if I have the children with me (which is constantly!) so I limit myself to 20 mins in total for all the shops. It's not fair on them and it's boring. My obsession with charity shops is my enjoyment, not theirs.

Just about to settle down for the evening now with the husband after a busy but wonderful weekend. My lovely friend came to stay for two nights and we went out to a Greek restaurant last night while the husband stayed at home. We had a lovely time and scoffed our own weight in food. We drank gin and tonics in a pub which was full of people in fancy dress which was a little odd. Then we went to the restaurant and ate a selection of Meze, then over-ordered on the desserts and practically rolled home.

She is the easiest guest ever and always a delight to have over. She lives by the sea in Whitstable and we go to visit her next month and can't wait. It's FULL of charity shops, cup cake shops, tea rooms and vintage stalls and my idea of heaven. We eat crab sticks and ice creams the whole time and she had a non-stop supply of chocolate at the house (which is right on the sea front so we always sleep well). I cannot count down the days fast enough. The children look it there and although my friend doesn't want children of her own, she mucks in so much with mine so it is like a little holiday.

I shall be a whale this summer as can't stop eating, but in a way, this is why I am still fairly happy to breast feed. I eat Gu desserts, knowing my son will drain me of the calories.

Hee Hee!

Childhood books

I get very nostalgic in my old age (36 in September, some days I feel more like 86) and nothing takes me back to my childhood more than the retro Ladybird books I have been collecting from charity shops.

My obsession started four years ago when a friend invited me and the Princess round for a playdate and I came across two old books which reminded me of growing up. The Magic Porridge Pot and The Enormous Turnip.

I will talk more about the books in my next post (and include pics as I bet you will regress too!) but in this post I wanted to celebrate the memories my charity shop books have given me.

I love the way they take me back to my youth. I loved my childhood, I loved the little safe cul-de-sac we lived in, built on the land of a farmhouse in Somerset (and I remember once unearthing a cow tooth which thrilled me. As much as digging up a dinosaur bone would thrill an archaeologist).

Our houses backed onto fields and I had a really happy time with my brother and sister. Actually that's not strictly true, we often fought like cats and dogs but now we all get on like a dream.

Here we are as youngsters (like butter wouldn't melt!)

 

This is my favourite family photo ever (below)

And here are the three of us kids more recently!

My dad converted the loft into a playroom when we were young. We used to climb up the ladder into the attic and I would do my homework, my brother would play with his Hornby train set and my little sister would play with her dolls and Speak 'n' Spell (remember that?!)

Sometimes when we were naughty, my brother and I would race down the ladder and remove it so my sister was stuck up there. Poor mite, she was only five or six at the time.

It's funny how a few charity shop books take me back to those times so easily.

Would love to hear from any of you who remember books from your childhood. I can't ever part with these  ones I have - they are worth so much to me. The Princess loves them and the Prince is already showing an interest.

Work it baby...

I went to a charity shop today (Oxfam) but it was mayhem. Bursting to the brim with shoppers, black binbags piling up by the door. All rather stressful.

I found myself offering to be a very part time volunteer because I would love to give something back to the place I hang out in most. And they look like they really need the help.

I bought a lovely little white chemise style top to wear with jeans for £2.99 (New Look) within five minutes of being there and I also returned a dress I'd bought (Phase Eight £14.99) because the husband's comments didn't exactly thrill me: "Oh, that is striking. Hmmm, those colours. Striking. Very weddingy, isn't it. A dress to wear to a wedding."

Knowing full well I am NOT going to any weddings, other than my sister's on Saturday when I will be the old maid (aka Matron of Honour) and the dress is sorted.

Promptly, I returned it and got my money back. They know too well in Oxfam that I will only spend it in there another time.

So I now have a volunteer form to fill in,  a nice white top and a warm feeling that someone else's husband will LOVE the Phase Eight striking dress that is PERFECT for any female guest to wear to a wedding. Bitter? Moi?!

I visited my friend today who has just had her 4th baby, a baby girl called Ruby. The most gorgeous little dolly. I had an hour and a half of cuddles and then spent the rest of the day doing chores (hoovering flies off the blinds in the conservatory, two loads of washing, hoovering blah blah blah.)

Then we had lunch in the garden. I can't get enough of these sunny days, although it's changing for cooler weather with rain. How typical with the gorgeous weddings this weekend.

And then we released the butterflies William and Kate who have been living with us since they were teeny tiny caterpillars back in February. It's been a really good project for the kids, although I think I probably got into it more than they did.

William and Kate are Painted Lady butterflies and we decided to release them today as they have been butterflies for two whole days. Before that they had turned into a chrysalis. Two weeks before that they were caterpillars. Amazing life cycle.

Here they are above, one has already turned into a beautiful butterfly, these were nearly ready.

Here are the three empty chrysalides above and below 

The above net house was their home

Getting ready to let William and Kate fly

And here they are in all their glory.