I know you’re all feeling neglected. I have left you, dear readers, to fend for yourselves at the busiest point of the shopping year. I have no words to beg your forgiveness. But please know, it was all in the name of shopping.

There is SO much shopping to do at the end of the year. Teachers’ gifts. Chanukah presents. Christmas presents for Working Boy’s colleagues. Sandals for the kids. School shoes for the kids (if you want to be SUPER sneaky and miss the January queues. Their shoes fit for a year – they will not grow out of them over the 6 week vacation). It has seriously been one long shop-a-thon. With no time
to write about it.

And it is by NO MEANS over. I woke up this morning to find my email inbox crammed with all the Boxing Day steals and deals. So if there’s anything you’ve been hanging out for, and it wasn’t discounted in the lead up to Xmas, as retailers vied for our affections, it is BOUND to be on sale
now. Some retailers (Zimmermann I’m looking at you) put their sales up Xmas Eve, I assume to avoid having to do any work on Xmas or Boxing Day, but only scheduled the email sale notice for the 26th. Some savvy shoppers (Shopping Girl, I’m looking at me) deduced this could be the case and nabbed their dress reduced before it sold out. Winning.

My inbox this morning.

However, I’m not going to be doing so much shopping in the Boxing Day sales. I think it’s time to dedicate some of the budget to what I really need. Saucepans. As opposed to what I don’t actually need. Another dress. When we moved into our house in August last year, it emerged that every pot and pan I owned was rendered useless by the now, much adored, induction cook top. Despite the fact that we had invested every last penny we had into our house deposit, I informed Working Boy that we would have to dig deep and find a few MORE pennies for some induction compatible pots and pans. I bought the bare minimum. 18 months later I am still cooking with the bare minimum and every time I want to make soup and pasta AT THE SAME TIMES, or more than one type of vegetable (which anyone with children who like each type of food SEPARATE will relate to), I curse myself for forgetting that every once in while frypan trumps shoes. So this Boxing Day, it’s all about the pots.

Being able to differentiate between essentials and frivolity has always been an issue of mine, and it’s
not only noticeable in my somewhat sparse cookware drawer. Yesterday I flew to my hometown of Perth. Packing for myself and 4 small to medium to slightly big people is sometimes not the easiest task, but Perth in summer is not complicated. Per child I needed, 5 t-shirts, 4 shorts, 2 boardies, 2 rashies, 6 undies, 2 pyjamas, 1 thongs, and…….packed.

I don’t know who I think I am but for myself I packed…..a little unsuitably. I packed my runners and compression leggings (Who knew I had compression leggings? I don’t even KNOW what they are for, let alone when I bought them). At some stage in the packing I moved away from Michelle Bridges and began chanelling Talitha Getty. If I were Kate Middleton with multiple appearances and poolside parties, I would be well packed. Presumably, if I were Kate I wouldn’t have been packing myself in the first place, but details, details.

I have come to Perth. To chase a toddler around parks. To dig sandcastles at the beach. To watch the children roast in the sun, jumping on the trampoline. To lie on my parents’ sofa. To eat icecream. It’s not a fashion capital and I’m not going to any celebrations. The only paparazzi snapping will be me, behind the camera, lens trained on Baby N, the cutest of subjects. It’s too hot to exercise. And even if I wanted to,
I am too busy lying on the sofa. So where the hell are my comfy, hanging out clothes? Why am I packed like Poppy Delevigne on her way to her nuptial festival in Morocco? Why,
Oh Why, have I packed for an It-Girl’s St Tropez vacance when I have as much chance of having that sort of holiday as……as……as……well that’s just it – I have absolutely 0 chance of having that holiday.

On the bright side, at least 4/5 of us are suitably packed so that’s an 80% success rate, really.

Anyway must dash. We’re off shopping. For Baskin Robbins. Yep I’m off to take the kids for ice-cream. In 100% dry-clean only silk.

XOXO Shopping Girl