The Addict Wears Prada | A Real Shopaholics Story

Clad in cashmere, a fresh-face cleansed with La Prairie and a Mulberry Mitzy slung over my shoulder. I looked the epitome of ‘success’. But what lurked beneath the glossy exterior was insatiably eating away at my marriage, my career and my sanity.

Addiction wasn’t supposed to look this good!

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Class of 2018 – Year 6 Leavers – A Parents Guide to the Emotional Turmoil of Leaving Primary School

The tears started rolling last October when Hugo’s year group sung with 7k other school children at the O2; I defy any parent with tweens not to shed a tear when they break into Ed Sheeran’s ‘Castle on the Hill’ en masse! Since then, it’s fair to say I’ve been a bit of an emotional wreck – not just due to Hugo’s perseverance to stay in school (read: not get his troublesome arse suspended), but the year of proud moments and revelations that come, unexpectedly, with year 6.

I just wish someone had warned me last September that Year 6 would knock my mothering socks off – house captain nominations, singing at the O2, SATs revision, SATs exams, school residential trip, school productions, SATs results and leavers events. Not to mention the currently gentle lapping waves of hormones which will inevitably become a tsunami in the not too distant future!

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Life’s Little Luxuries With Fatface

I might be flouted as “fussy” by those nearest and dearest come present buying season, even to the point I’ve renounced presents to avoid disappointment and for the simple reason I don’t need anything else in my life. This might sound annoyingly self-righteous and oh-so on-trend for banging the anti-materialistic drum, but those aren’t the foundations of my protestations. I do believe in the whole “less is more” ethos, I don’t always live it, but believe in it I do – it comes down to the fact I just really know what I like (and, more accurately what I don’t!) and get twitchy at the thought of undesired crap being thrust my way.

I feel the same when it comes to my wardrobe – not much makes the cut, there’s a few rules about what infiltrates my Trojan-like fashion fortress…

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Ditch the G&T, It’s All About Robinsons Fruit Creations #Ad

I have a confession. It may appear from my online antics that I’m partial to a G&T almost every night of the week, after all, isn’t that what us “mum bloggers” (must stop cringing at that title!) do – blabber on the internet, moan about our kids, then guzzle G&Ts while munching on a left-over fish finger amuse-bouche?! In reality, I drink 1, maybe 2, G&Ts a week; I can’t stand wine and gag at the thought of any other hard spirits; in truth, I have the taste-bud maturity of an 8 year old. Which is tres noble and at least one thing I do that might be good for my insides, but somewhat embarrassing when you ask for a squash at a friend’s house in the evening. Mr OG has long asked “what kids drink did you want with your meal this evening?!”

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Frozen Green Smoothie Recipe with Breville Blend Active Personal Blender & Accessory Pack #Ad

Anyone that follows our everyday madness over on Instagram will know how proud I am of H & B for being scouted for the Chelsea Advanced Development Squad. For every inch they were thrilled their ball-kicking dreams were coming true and pride that spilled from my every pore – dread finally set in at our new, life destroying, petrol consuming schedule. With football related travelling, training and matches taking up 15.5 hours (minimum) a week, some days it leaves the boys with little more than 3 waking hours in which to eat, get dressed, relax and argue with each other – which used to take up a lot more time!

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