A stitch in time

I LOVE craft night! A bunch of lovely folk and happy hour on the vino, crafty skills of all shapes and sizes and the best bit - no kids. It is bliss. And so recession friendly.

Tonight I have met new folk, learned old friends have talents I never knew and finished a hand made christmas present that I'm rather chuffed with even if I am complimenting my own wares.

It just gets better and better, there are tips on revamping charity shop clothes to give them a fresh and funky makeover - think retro with a twist, what more could a girl want? My post baby wardrobe is aching for a makeover and I'm thinking funky-mummy rather than frumpy-mummy but have bag-lady-mummy coffers to make it happen. This could be the answer. Watch this space.

Window shopping - Pah!

A day in the North Laines with hubby, toddler boy and baby. After shoes for toddler boy, yet another pair. Blimey they get through them. Happy to shop for the kids, getting them cute stuff is a pleasure. But oh how I'd like to shop for me.

Temptation, temptation everywhere. The clothes, the bags, the books, the music, the nick-nacks and jewellery, all so delightfully desirable and painfully out of bounds.

There was a time when window shopping was all fine and dandy, 'tis the cheapest way to shop afterall and comes with no post purchase regrets. However when all you can do it gaze at the goods it gets a tad wearisome. It was the big purple bag that did it. So huge, so purple (or blue, or brown), so cute with the oversized clasp and alice-in-wonderland size-blip appeal, so expensive, so out of reach. Ah the torture of it. Okay, there are worse things to be tortured by, I'm not a political nincompoop but some days a bag is all a girl needs. And I've been so good.

Still, I'll probably not want it this time next year. If I'm to be extravagant then better to use the indulgence up on something with a little more wear in it. Best keep eyeing up the windows then...

Pumpkin goes a long way

Halloween, two babies under two and what do you get? A party! Yay! Kick start at 3pm so kiddies can eat, play and wreak spooky havoc before bed. Yawn.

Party on a budget? Oh yes you can. One roll of lining paper turned into happy ghosts, grinning skulls and pumpkin heads thanks to the miracle of scissors and a felt tip pen. Actual pumpkins leering from the mantelpiece, apples dangling from string and a few carefully located candles. Well you don't want a two year old arsonist on your hands, totally ruins the mood. I know Halloween is supposed to be scary but it isn't supposed to be lethal.

All that pumpkin flesh baked and prodded into cupcakes, soup and lasagne, with the addition of just a few affordable extras like goats cheese. Inspirational final foodie touch - sausage pumpkins with homemade sausage meat and a pack of readymade puff pastry. All up prob cost about £15 to feed everyone - everyone being about 14 adult bods and 4 kiddies. Not bad at all. Booze was a bit extra but hey, what's a party without a drinkie?

But you know what, money spent isn't important when you have such a great time with friends and family. It was spook-tastic fright-fest.