Ode to American Apparel

There are no words. I keep hearing the words.  An article here, an article there.  Usually in the Guardian and written by somebody who clearly squeezed themselves into a disco pant on multiple occasions in 2009, even whilst simultaneously hating the brand and all that it stood for, and how in hindsight everything seemed so…

High Heels: Aren’t We Good Enough As We Are?

I am five feet one inches tall. On a good day. On a day when I am stretching and standing on the tippiest of tippy toes, like we all used to in primary school when trying to prove we were taller than a similarly-sized friend and therefore obviously much more mature, serious and commanding of…

Giving Myself a Mummy Makeover

It’s Mother’s Day!  Yay!  The one day of the year when we are allowed to lie in bed all day being fanned with giant feathery fans by our children, while they behave perfectly, bring us an endless selection of dainty morsels on silver trays and present us with giant homemade cards Pinterest would be jealous of. Or…

Having a Baby: How I Have Changed

There are many ways that having a baby changes you. For example, it makes you look like a bag lady.  This was an actual term that one of my colleagues used, as I wandered into work one chilly morning, bundled up in my Mum Parka and my Mum Trainers.  The old me would not have done…

Why Being a Single Parent is Actually Fine

I am fine.  I am totally, totally fine. Now, I realise that by saying that I sound like I am actually not fine, and am merely trying to convince myself of it, and that I am probably sitting in a rapidly cooling bath right now with mascara streaming down my face, hugging my knees and cradling…

The Desperate State of Shopping with No Money

So today I was so desperate to get out of the house that I sat in Starbucks for an hour sipping a latte. A LATTE.  This is very bad on the money-saving front.  That £2.25 would have bought three days worth of food in the halal shop.  At least I didn’t buy any cake.  This…