sanity girl

I worked for a literary agent for a couple of years and had to read and assess all the unsolicited manuscripts that came in. I would say 99% were total bollocks - dull, badly written, full of cliches, or just stark raving mad. So in answer to your question, I'd say it's because they can't write for shit.

It looks like the 12th December is the best date for most people? What about a venue - any suggestions? I don't get out much in the evenings, so not sure I'm in the best position to come up with any!

I can do either 5th or 12th. Will pencil them both in my very empty social caledar!!

I can do either 5th or 12th. Will pencil them both in my very empty social caledar!!

can't do next saturday as it's mr sanity's birthday. Another other weekend should work

can't do next saturday as it's mr sanity's birthday. Another other weekend should work

I'm definitely in, has to be a saturday or sunday for me (even though it means sacrificing one of my two nights a week with my partner!). How about Saturday 21 or 28 November?

I'm definitely in, has to be a saturday or sunday for me (even though it means sacrificing one of my two nights a week with my partner!). How about Saturday 21 or 28 November?

I'd also be up for a glass of wine with you lovely ladies - sorry Naughty Mummy if we are hijacking your thread, but what about organising some kind of EDF mums drinks? A couple of glasses of fizz and some nibbles at Green and Blue sounds lovely! Ideally it would be at the weekend as my partner works evenings during the week and I'm always home alone with the little one then.

I'd also be up for a glass of wine with you lovely ladies - sorry Naughty Mummy if we are hijacking your thread, but what about organising some kind of EDF mums drinks? A couple of glasses of fizz and some nibbles at Green and Blue sounds lovely! Ideally it would be at the weekend as my partner works evenings during the week and I'm always home alone with the little one then.

Gosh, where to start. Campo dei Fiori is lovely, and also the area that was once the Jewish ghetto. Trastevere over on the other side of the river is also very nice. As for what to see, all the usual sights - Roman forum, the Pantheon (my fave), trevi fountain, spanish steps, vatican city and st peters etc. As for eating - for lunch anywhere with basic decor, no menus and lots of old local folk eating there is a good bet! Spaghetti alla carbonara is a Roman dish, and also puntarelle which are a kind of chicory that as far as I know you only find in Rome. There is a great restaurant in the Jewish ghetto called Da Giggetto that is very lively in the evenings and delicous food. There is also an amazing gelateria near the trevi fountain that only offers flavours made with fresh ingredients that are in season - I think it's called San Crispino. I'll never forget the pear sorbet I had there... Edited to add the name of the salady chicory things that I couldn't remember at first, and also the amazing gelateria

Hello, that did drag by, didn't it! At least I managed to do something productive in the time off and potty trained my daughter - still the odd accident but we're pretty much there and she is doing her thing straight on the big loo - hurrah!

here you are

Letting your friends buy a round and then not getting one in yourself. Stinge drinking

You look great emc, hope you get some genuine responses :)

Find your photo in "my pictures", or wherever you have it saved, right click on it and select "resize pictures", then choose the smallest one. That should work. Good luck!!

Just be careful when you stop breastfeeding to also stop stuffing yourself with cakes and such like and you'll be fine! (I didn't, and now have a bigger muffin top than I did just after giving birth!!)

coming home to find my partner has cooked a really spattery oily meal and left all the dishes and kitchen fall out

ps there's no reason that you can't enjoy hiking, roughing it, sharing bedrooms etc AND be a city girl and wear fancy high heels - I've done both and come out of it a happier more rounded person. Very happy to bore you with my experiences if it will inspire you - just PM me!

12 hours a day hiking is an awful lot, even for a seasoned hiker. Why don't you try going on an organised hiking/adventure type holiday first before committing to this ashram - it seems to me that you have so many doubts that you are not going to enjoy it and you are not mentally ready for it. If it's a spiritual experience you're after, then in my opinion hiking in a beautiful remote place can be exactly that - why punish yourself with all the other stuff that an ashram requires of you?

I hate to say this, but I actually put on weight when I stopped breastfeeding. I weigh more now (daughter 2 and a half) than I did 2 weeks after giving birth!! Having said that, I did loose all my pregnancy weight within 2 weeks of giving birth, which was a bit freakish. Sometimes I look down at my stomach flab and think I should really do something about it, but I can't get myself into too much of a tizz about it - my daughter is the gorgeous one now, and life with 2 year old and working full time is just too busy already. Besides - with regular evenings out now out of the question, yummy cakes are my only remaining vice!

When I've looked at babyfriendlyboltholes they've always been prohibitively expensive. What about looking into a house swap?

I love Marina Hyde You have to read the comments at the bottom for the full laughs

Hi Fuschia, I've also sent you a PM. Hope it clears up soon. x

Get a cup/glass/bowl, place over spider, slide piece of card underneath to trap spider, chuck spider out of window as quickly as possible I've already done this with four monsters in the past two weeks, and this after we had about 20 come out of the cupboards while our flat was being decorated!