Oh so Special

Let us pause for a moment to reflect on the unsung genius behind the Special K marketing campaign. Well, what's your first thought when a woman in red appears on your TV screen? For me at least it's always the same - "ah, must be Special K".

So ingrained is that pernicious “stay special” message that even when the newer chocolate-loaded or honey-soaked varieties find their way into my shopping basket they’re accompanied by a definite feeling of virtue, like I’ve made the healthy choice and picked up something really wholesome.

Today, munching Oats ‘n’ Honey out of the box as my virtuous post-dinner snack, it crossed my mind to wonder whether this was actually the case. 3% fat really sounds too good to be true: what’s the catch?

I can only assume it's stuffed with crack.

Plans and schemes

For the next week and a half I’m a woman on a mission. Every day of this hard-earned leave I will do something extravagant, unjustifiable and completely credit-crunch inappropriate.

I’ve spent a relaxing weekend doing useful house things (aka clearing out the wardrobe for an influx of shiny new things) and making plans. The Boy du Jour is off work for the week too – actually, he's off work entirely, but that’s another story – but the upshot is that I have a partner in crime for all my brilliant ideas. Who knows, he may even have a few of his own ;)