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Air drying

No, not a blow dry bar in East London: “Air drying” or “Air styling” is the thing that we’re all doing now, which is to say – we are not using our hairdryers anymore. Confused? Scared? Don’t be. I have been trying to blow dry my hair into submission since 1997 and I have been confused and dismayed as to… View Post

The five best… toys for the under-5s

Kinetic sand This is just normal sand mixed with some kind of polymer that turns it into the most absorbingly tactile and moreish, perfectly mouldable sand without the drawbacks of actual sand (i.e. gritty, gets fucking everywhere and useless when dry). This never dries out and both my children and I sit with it for a minimum of 30 minutes a time… View Post

Best winter sweater

It’s not getting that cold yet but it is time to start thinking about your winter woolies, because a bizarre thing about shopping in this country is that by the time it gets really, bone-chillingly cold – around January/February next year, there will be no winter clothes available. It’s annoying to have to shop for non-current weather but unfortunately that’s… View Post

School run WTF

I always thought a school run sounded like a laugh, especially if you’re dropping off more than one kid. When I would hear mothers vaguely lamenting different drop-offs I would think “But it sounds FUN! Zooming about in your car, being busy, chatting with your other mum mates.” I thought the complaints were a bit bogus, like complaining that you’ve… View Post

Wall stickers for kids’ rooms

I absolutely love these Quentin Blake illustrations, turned into wall stickers for kids rooms and playrooms. Favourites:

White trainers are still OK

If you’ve been dithering over whether to invest in another pair of white trainers: STOP. They are still going to be going strong through Autumn and Winter and probably through to next Spring. In the same way that Birkenstocks, Tevas and other hideous shoes will still be alright next year, too. I had a pair of white Supergas this Spring/Summer… View Post

Dungarees and best raincoat

All sorts of onesies, jumpsuits and dungarees are being worn with flair and enthusiasm in my part of North London at the moment. I read on the internet that this is part of the “Millennium Mum” trend; Millennium Mums wear denim onsies and dye the ends of their hair pink and “Instagram the shit out of their Saturdays”. No but seriously… View Post

Calling you from 1998

I have lost my phone and while waiting for a replacement to be sent out I went to the shop and bought what drug dealers refer to as a “burner” – that is a Pay As You Go phone with an untraceable SIM card. I like to think of myself as the kind of sanguine creative who can live without… View Post

Dictator by Robert Harris

I picked up this book because a review copy was sent to my husband. I’ve got no idea why. The  random stuff that turns up at our house defies explanation. It’s never anything useful, like sleeping pills or an extra iPhone charger and I spend most of my time carting it off to charity shops. But, anyway, through the door… View Post

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