My day... highlights included a bargain buy of top, skirt and jacket from Barnado's charity shop in Bitterne. You can't beat Bitterne precinct. It has to be the top shopping experience in the UK, if not the world. It has EVERYTHING you need, like 3 holiday shops, 7 or 8 estate agents and 4 or 5 banks. Not much room left for anything else you might think - but No! A health food shop, a bowling complex, 3 cafes (tried May's Munchies for first time today - great!). I think I should be awarded the job of tourism manager for Bitterne. Can't imagine that it pays much, but I like challenges.

The reason I was buying clothes is because I am starting a new job after Christmas, I will be teaching 2 days a week from Jan to April. Year 3. Cool eh? I can't wear jeans to be a teacher so thought I would invest in some 'smart' clothes. So with that and working for Southampton Vineyard Church I will be shifting over the border from 'stay at home mum who works a bit' to 'mum who works more days than she stays at home'. Although I have never felt easy with the stay at home mum tag, as I am hardly ever in. So I have always been a going out mum, now I guess I will be a 'going out to work and for fun mum'.

Interesting the labels we wear and why. Mine mainly say 'Barnados' right now.

I do worry when buying charity shop purchases that someone may have died in them. How would I know? Maybe if they had been buried in them there would be tell tale signs - worm holes, singed edges possibly?

Kayxx