While I have been housesitting (in between jaunts to Leics and brighton) I have been back to cooking in a kitchen (hurrah!). I did a load of roasted veggies yesterday - courgette, onion, butternut squash, tomato etc. Gorgeous!

I am doing it again tonight but then stirring in a tikka masala sauce as I fancy a decent indian to make up for the god awful Korma I had in Hove. Talk about sweet! Bleh!

Any ideas on what to buy my one year old niece. She lives in Oz so ideally I want something I can buy on an Oz website and have them send to her (lazy I know)

I'm really tired tonight. I've hardly exercised this week, but never mind. It's one of those weeks I feel like I need rest more than I need movement.

Poor tiredy you!

I'm fresh outta baby ideas! Trying to figure out for a newborn boy is bad enough!

How about dedicating a tree or something for her? She'll be overcrowded with toys!

Was out for dinner last night, had swordfish salad and stole naan bread and garlic bread The carb monster in me took over a little bit! Then I had half a Flyte bar - those things are godawful! I wouldda rather had a milky way!

I nearly got up for HIIT this morning - the alarm went off, I got out of bed, but it was still DARK! and it was all cloudy and misserable, so I've decided to do it at lunchtime!

I'm no good with baby ideas. In my ideal world children would pop out at the first words/toddling stage. IMHO the birth pressies are more for the parents than they are for the kids. DH's Mum has a nice idea - for each child born she gets a couple of newspapers and magazines of the day they were born plus the CD (or record!) which was no. 1 and wraps them up in a pretty box. Its a lovely keepsake.

I'm not at all right today - the dentist visit on Tuesday was pretty bad and its left me with a dreadful headache and a really bad clonking noise on the right hand side of my jaw each time I eat. I feel very down in the dumps, we went to the beach to walk / swim the dogs yesterday and I felt very tearful all the time even though going to the beach is something I love.

Chris, yes, my final decision was to have them all out rather than just leave the few that the X-rays showed had decent roots until the disease thing got 'em. So, thats all the back teeth out. I can now honestly say that I don't have a filling in my head!

Next Tuesday he's going to take out the eight front ones I'm completely dreading it - he says it'll take an hour and its best to have them all done together to get the shock over and done with. It feels so strange planning to have (what looks like) eight perfectly good teeth out. The new teeth are ready and look great - better than my real ones -and so they should considering what they cost! but I won't be able to use them until my poor gums heal up a bit - about a week. I told DH that I don't want to see anyone until I look normal - he thought I was joking, but I'm not! I asked the dentist how long it will take to get used to the new teeth and he said some people never do and only wear them to go out - well, this is one fat chick who will DEFINITELY get used to them even if it kills her - I am NOT going to spend the rest of my life eating stuff I don't have to chew.

Peacock 2 - I think 'Chavalanche' is an excellent word to describe a bunch of chavs. We went to Cleethorpes yesterday and it really is chav-central. I have never seen so many hoodies, scraped up pony-tails and bling in one place.

Woo hoo! I'm wearing a size 14!! We went to a Monsoon retail outlet place and I fell in love with a top (£55 reduced to £5.50) - they only had it in a size 18 or 14 (I'm a 16) so I picked up the 18 and was walking to the counter when DH said he thought I was making a mistake and I ought to try it on before I bought it. I'm glad I did, the 18 completely swamped me and the 14 fitted great. Monsoon sizing is strange, I normally find a Monsoon size 16 a bit tight (they generally come up smaller than other makes) so I don't know what happened with this one. No matter what the reason, its still nice to wear something with 14 on the label.

for your poor toothies.

Well done on the 14s though! That's great!

Poor Sarah Ann and her toothy pegs


I got a lovely Khaki colour sheer kaftan from Monsoon when I was in Brighton. It was in the sale. I love Monsoon but only in the Sale!!

Ah... but Kevin won't accept it as my mini goal achievement (which would mean a pressie) - he says I only get the next goal pressie when I get a pair of size 14 jeans from Next. Miserable toad!

I make DH stop off at the Monsoon retail outlet at Pontefract everytime we go past it along the motorway. It drives him nuts but I just couldn't afford their stuff if I had to pay full price. (How can they justify charging £55 for an normal everyday top????)

Kyk - You could always send a nursery rhyme CD - kids love them and parents have mainly forgotten the words so it will get thenm up to scratch too.

I don't know any good Aus websites but I am sure someone does! Try to avoid toys - as has been said before, the baby will be swamped by them but most kids love listening to songs (even if parents feel if they hear "The wheels on the bus".. one more time they will scream!)

Sarah Ann - where exactly is the outlet (I feel a trip coming on).

We are going to the peak district for my long run on Sunday! Unfortunately I doubt DF will be able to keep up!

Its at a place called Glasshoughton near Castleford (which is near Pontefract) - just off the M62. Hope this multimap link works: http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.c...e=100000&addr1=

I love the Peak District - we take the dogs to the reservoir for a swim and a long walk on the transpennine trail.

We've decided on going on the Pennine Way from Edale.

I'm sweating like a horse! I just did 20 minutes HIIT with my skipping rope in the car park! Easier than figureing out running speeds etc - unfortunately won't help with my half-marathon time. Oh I need to book some flights for that!

Hah! 2frus - you don't need to do that to sweat - er ok I mean I don't! I am having what I assume are "the sweats". Every morning (I am commuting while house sitting) I have two lovely puddles streaming down both sides of my face and they pool on my chest and the same at the back of the head. Lovely.

I could not find my wet wipe tissues so had to mop up on my jacket sleeve - I wasn't wearing the jacket as it has to be 'Siberia' for me to wear anything like that.

What with that and my weepy right eye that is constantly watering and plus being that TOM I am leaking all over!!! Nice.

At least 2 frus put some effort into it. I can stand still and get sweaty!!!