The day after Mothers Day.  I think there are a few mums who need a break after that!  Time for some classic movies, I think.  I love the classic Hollywood movies so today I thought that I would share with you a clip from YouTube which shows some of my favourite actresses.

As you watch this, and listen to the lovely music which accompanies it, think of me sitting with my feet up watching Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Going out can be a drama for the plus-size woman.  It is really difficult to find something to suit the occasion that is available in anything over a size 14.   A search of the internet will turn up lots of listings for swimwear and maternity gear with the odd smattering of lingerie thrown in.  If you are looking for PM wear then the hunt is long and hard. 

Enter Kivalin.  Kivalin is an Australian online store that specialises in clothes for plus-sized women.  Their range includes evening wear and dresses.  The even have some light weight tops and jackets which can be worn with sleeveless tops if you prefer to be covered.   The range includes a lot of lace and velvet, and has a slight touch of the romantic goth about it, but there are also the designs that are classically elegant and will never date.  One such gown is pictured below, with its soft flowing lines and simple diamonte feature at the waist.

Here is a sample from their collection.  If you really want to party on a Friday night, then take your plus-sized self to this great online store.

Ok, I am an adult.  Really.  Like many adults, though, I find myself really liking these characters from the Mr Men range of books. 


Little Miss Naughty is one of my favourites.  The good thing is that I can sneak her in as a gift for my daughter.  This one is available from Cool Things.  She is made of vinyl and measures 21cm tall while sitting, and 23cm wide arm to arm.  There are other characters from the Mr Men range also available, but I am a sucker for this wicked grin.

A watch with remote controls?   How snazzy is this?  It is the perfect gift for any teenage boy and to make it perfect, it is currently on special at Deals Direct for only $9.95.  Its non-special price is only $14.95.

 I bought one for my eldest son and he thinks that it is incredible cool.  The best part is that the remote control on the watch works from a greater distance away from the TV than the actual TV remote does. 

He wears the watch to school every day because it looks good in its sleek, masculine design.  There are no bulky buttons to give away the fact that this is no ordinary watch.  I often wonder, though, how often a tv might mysteriously turn itself off during a special program at school!

The watch comes with a 30 day guarantee and though we have not had the watch for the 30 days yet all is still working well.  Let’s face it, even if the remote stops working it is still a great price for a watch. 

Costume jewellery can sometimes be more exciting than the real thing, and often it is more collectable.  The names Chanel and Schiapparelli bring stylish bling to mind straight away. 

On a recent visit to YouTube (inspired by Donna-Marie from Small Business Diva) I found this clip which gives a little history to the rise of costume jewellery.  If you have never considered collecting it before, you might change your mind after this.

Just think of what you have in your jewellery collection at home.  It could be tomorrows treasure!

Warm me up, it is winter!  Ok, it isn’t really, but we are having a wonderful taste of it right now.  I just want to curl up and stay warm.  Traditionally, for us, winter was full of comfort foods like soups and stews.  These were full of vegies and very healthy.   These days stews and casseroles seem to be looked down upon, which is really sad.  A few more of those and our diets would be better off.

This is a soup recipe that my mother always made.  The quantities are up to you, really, and depend on your tastes.  Mum always made a huge pot that lasted us (a family of 7) for 2-3 days.    This is my version of Mums soup.

Lamb Shank and Barley Soup

4 lamb shanks
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions chopped
3 carrots chopped
2 parsnips chopped
½ bunch celery chopped
4 handfuls pearl barley
2 bay leaves
A couple of sprigs thyme
1 tbsp vegemite

Put tablespoon oil into a large pot on high heat. Fry onions until they soften. Place trimmed lamb shanks on the top and cover with water until shanks are just covered. Bring to the boil and add your vegetables, barley and thyme. Add the vegemite, which takes the place of salt.  Put a well fitting lid on  and leave to simmer for a couple of  hours.  After it has simmered for a 2-3 hours you can take out the shanks.  The meat will flake from the bone and you can add the meat back into the soup.  If you are not a Vegemite kid, you might prefer to add salt and pepper now. 

We ate these in huge bowls with hot toast, and our night was perfect. 

The soup can be made ahead as the flavours develop over time.  It always tasted even better the day after it was made.

Do you have an online store that you want to promote for free?  Perhaps you have a blog that specialises in shopping?

My Day Off has just started its list of Top Shops and it is looking very empty.  Yes, it is really that new.  Would you like to list your online shop?  It doesn’t cost a thing to list. 

To keep your page at the top of the list you will need to have people visiting from your site so we have a selection of little buttons for you to add to your site that people can click on.  Each time the button is clicked on your ranking will go up and you will be lifted higher on the Top Shop list.

Why not list now while you have almost no competition? 

The cold nights have arrived here in the southern end of Australia and Friday night is fast becoming the perfect night to stay in and snuggle up somewhere really cosy.

These embroidered Mia Lucce pyjamas would be really comfortable, not to mention stylish if you just happen to be caught in them!  Available from Ezibuy, they have been designed with an Asian influence on their styling.

Add this lovely, soft, faux fur blanket and you will feel warm and snug as you curl up beneath it.  Available from DealsDirect this is a queen sized blanket in a lovely, soft rose colour.  The breathable outer fur lining is made from 100% Acrylic while the inner layer is made from comfortable and warm Polyester. 

Now just add hot chocolate with marshmallows and a good movie and you will be set for a great night in.
 

European style charm bracelets are all the rage at the moment.  They are much easier to wear than the chain style bracelets where the charms dangle from the links.  These bracelets are slinky like a snake chain and the charms are little beads that slip onto the chain. 

The lovely thing about this style of bracelet is that you can add charms made of many different materials and, in effect, design your own.  Pick a theme or a colour scheme and collect beads to suit or just add the bead that catches your eye.

Start your own collection now.  Starter bracelets and charms are coming soon to Beauty Banquet .

Beauty Banquet has taken 20% off everything in the Silver Jewellery category for this week only.  Visit Beauty Banquet today before you miss out.