Task #2: Uniqlo Heat Tech
Next thing on The Independent‘s agenda: thermal undergarments from Uniqlo. I was pleased these came up, what with them being fairly cheap and me having no heating. Perhaps if I change into a thermal polo and leggings combo the moment I walk through the door I might be able to get away with not turning my daze-making electric heater on all winter! Imagine the cost savings, which can all be ploughed straight back into the business.
I hobbled off after work last night (return of the stress fracture: no running for a while) and caught the bus to Oxford Street to get the thermals in. £9.99 a piece for a black polo neck and leggings, which I’m wearing today under a dress (which I daringly removed for the photo). I can report that they are soft, warm and not deadly unflattering, and that I’m throughly enjoying the Independent agenda as opposed to all that Guardian palaver.
Having a break from the cookery has already made me lose a couple of pounds in chub and save a great deal in sterling: I’ve realised that most of my money was going on ingredients. And I’m seeing a lot more of my friends already as it’s easier to fit a social life around a calendar of events and purchases than around cooking from scratch each night. So far, so darn good.
Lily Donaldson
Silly Simpleton
I haven’t really worked out how to get the images the same size, even after many months of doing this, and for that I can only apologise and promise to do nothing to remedy the situation. I also haven’t worked out how to pout without looking, as Photographer Cari (she’s reached Capital Letter status now) put it, like a stroke victim. Mind you she seemed to think I did OK in this attempt. You should see the ones we rejected.
Marks out of 10: 7
I bought the Uniqlo stuff I was supposed to, although the article mentioned £6.99, neons and camouflage, none of which I paid any attention to – I thought it too wasteful to buy something I clearly wouldn’t wear. I also have to deduct a few points for failure to pout alluringly and failure to stand against mountainous backgrounds. What is it with The Independent and mountains anyway?
I've always found it funny when people write letters to the Guardian's Weekend magazine complaining that the recipe ingredients are too middle class and the fashion only looks good on thin people. After all, it's just a magazine. Or is it? I decided to follow its recipes, fashion and lifestyle advice as closely as possible, to see if the aspirations promoted therein can really be achieved by the average reader who is not especially wealthy, not necessarily model thin and is obliged to work regular office hours. This blog has no affiliation whatsoever with the Guardian but I link to the Weekend magazine website for the purposes of illustration. 
Guardian Girl 
I think this is a very good replica photo – after all, the same background served as a mountain yesterday.
I’ve never been convinced about pouting alluringly – sounds like an oxymoron.