Frugal Frump to Fab/Winter Solstice

lessonlearned

maman wrote: »

H

I try to include something 'improving' for my brain too. .........

As for my 'brain', most days it's just reading a decent newspaper but I keep trying.

That is spooky. I have been thinking along the same lines - I do like a bit of intellectual stimulation - oo-er sounds a bit pompous when it's written down like that.

OH and I used to have lots of interesting talks and discussions - sadly - due to communication difficulties we don't really do this now.

(This is what I mean when I say that "my" OH died a couple of years ago - what we're left with is the shell of what he used to be).

Anyway today I went out and bought the "The Sunday Times". I don't really have time to devote to a quality broadsheet each day, so make do with the Daily Mail (or as we laughingly call it - "The Daily Facist").

And for reasons of economy I stopped buying the ST which is daft really - it's only a couple of quid and you get a whole week's worth of reading, all the cultural stuff as well as news, views, the colour supplements etc .

Anyway I've been really self indulgent today - relaxing on the sofa with my paper and a second :eek: cup of coffee.

This winter I intend to get into reading mode, will draw up a list of must reads and then put my order in at the library.

Today my attention was drawn to a book which is a cultural analysis of David Bowie songs.

Cultural analysis is not everyone's cup of tea I know but as an inveterate people watcher it's right up my street. The ins and outs, why fors and reasons behind stuff is what fascinates me. Maybe I should look at doing a psychology course one day.

There's a good series on the box at the moment - an in depth look at the development of film. The commentator's voice and delivery is a bit off putting but there's some good stuff there.

Speaking of films, Sweeney Todd is on tonight - Johnny Depp -mmmmmmm

Colin Firth - v- Rufus Sewell - what do you think ladies. Close call but RS for me I think - it's the husky voice that does it for me. (He was in "Tristram and Isolde" the other night - not as Tristram (he was dead soppy) but as King Marke.

It was OH'S voice that swung it for me when we first met, very distinctive and melodic. I love a man with a "voice" - John Hurt, Richard Burton etc.

Anyway off to prepare dinner etc.

lessonlearned

maman wrote: »

I have too many large, open pores on my nose and chin so I'm hoping this will help.

The aspirin face mask is good for this - it's the salicylic acid that does the trick.

Just mix three aspirins with a drop of warm water to form a smooth paste. Leave 10 mins. Don't use on dry sensitive areas. Once a week only.

Willow92

Will go with the celery trick

I've offered him grapes before and he wrinkled his nose up at them.

maman

Meant to be doing something else but just had to but in....

I'm not a huge film fan, no patience to sit for very long, but Colin Firth and the wet shirt in Pride & Prejudice does stick in the memory! He was good in The Kings' Speech too but for different reasons.

I had to respond to the mention of Richard Burton's voice. I love 'educated' Welsh accents and Richard Burton's voice is just the way my father used to speak. Brought back lovely memories.

Back later.

sophistica

Funny about the bric-a-brac dealing. I have been thinking the same - the only way to get rid of the higher end pieces is to rent a stall at an antique fair! And Lesson Learned I know exactly what you mean about being free when you have your family settled in a nursing home. However I have had heart palpitations and insomnia...and I am being to think that the day of getting everyone sorted my never come...when I get back from Italy I am going to start putting myself first. I notice that when I need someone no one is around. Last year I was given the bad news that my father had only a 50/50 chance of making it through the night. I was so upset I knocked on a neighbour's door but they could n't speak because they were worried about the wife who had a bladder infection!!!!!! We should all resolve to give ourselves a higher priority in our own lives and the fabness will follow.

Bitsy_Beans

LL don't forget to check online versions of the broadsheets
Gotta be Colin Firth every time <swoon>

Eaten far more than I should today, my 2lb loss at this rate will be reinstated in the blink of an eye!!!

Carmen

Hi Everyone,
Sorry I have not been around for a while
Lots of 'stuff' going on, some good some bad but, I have been trying to keep up with everyone's posts.
Apart from the odd blips you all seem to be doing quite well :j

Willow, from my own experience (many years, many diets) I always had to be in the right frame of mind to take action about my weight problem. That could vary from bloated discomfort, tight clothes or just down right misery! At the end of the day it was ME that had to take action, ME succeeding and ME also failing:(
Like most challenges it can be difficult but the final result is worth it
I believe you have three positives, you joining this thread, your age(easier to lose weight when younger) and your great avatar :rotfl:
Keep trying your light bulb moment will come.

Hi Twinnie, my, what a roller coaster you have been on since I last posted! I'm pleased to see you and the family have now come to a positive decision regarding the care home, always a sad decision but I know you will take the positives from it (((LL)))
Thank you for the great tips and advice you continue to share with us, I really must try that aspirin face mask.
Richard Burton, James Mason, Anthony Hopkins beautiful voices. Even though John Hurt has a lovely voice a picture of Quentin Crisp always pops into my mind Even in Merlin (love it) as the dragon :rotfl::rotfl:

BRB

Callisto

Hello ladies,

Lurker reporting in! I really need to discover some fabulousness as I am going to be a bridesmaid for my younger sister in January. I lost five stone over about four years, but I have put 13lbs back on this year! I stopped trying with diet and exercise once I reached goal weight (which looking back is just silly, I put all that effort in and then thought I could go back to being lazy!) I am back calorie counting with a vengeance and aiming to exercise four days a week. My first weigh in is tomorrow morning, eeek!

I have just started an Open University environmental science course, very interesting so far. I would love to work in this area eventually, so I am trying to find out if there are any conservation/environment volunteering I can do as I'm currently looking for a job after my temp admin job ended.

Willow92 wrote: »

Will go with the celery trick

I've offered him grapes before and he wrinkled his nose up at them.

If my OH waved anything biscuity at me when I'd specifically told him the situation, I think I would be threatening to hit him over the head with the celery! Not that I am advocating violence or anything, just that what he is doing is disrespectful. My OH eats all sorts of rubbish, I often catch him eating crisps for breakfast and he comes back from the shops with dry roasted peanuts, crisps, chocolate etc. I make sure that I do a meal plan so that we have healthy meals most of the time. I always save some calories for the weekend so I can have pizza or chocolate as I don't think complete deprivation works, it needs to be a balance between healthy and not so healthy.

lessonlearned wrote: »

Anyway today I went out and bought the "The Sunday Times". I don't really have time to devote to a quality broadsheet each day, so make do with the Daily Mail (or as we laughingly call it - "The Daily Facist").

And for reasons of economy I stopped buying the ST which is daft really - it's only a couple of quid and you get a whole week's worth of reading, all the cultural stuff as well as news, views, the colour supplements etc .

Anyway I've been really self indulgent today - relaxing on the sofa with my paper and a second :eek: cup of coffee.

This winter I intend to get into reading mode, will draw up a list of must reads and then put my order in at the library.

Colin Firth - v- Rufus Sewell - what do you think ladies. Close call but RS for me I think - it's the husky voice that does it for me. (He was in "Tristram and Isolde" the other night - not as Tristram (he was dead soppy) but as King Marke.

It was OH'S voice that swung it for me when we first met, very distinctive and melodic. I love a man with a "voice" - John Hurt, Richard Burton etc.

Definitely Rufus Sewell for me, it's the voice and those eyes, I'm a sucker for lovely eyes! Although I was entranced by Colin Firth when he was in Pride & Prejudice (as I imagine every woman was!), but Rufus still wins. I haven't seen Tristam & Isolde, I will keep an eye out for it, I have some Amazon vouchers to use...

I love the Sunday Times, however it can take me weeks to finish reading all of the additional magazines, I still have one from mid-September I haven't read! I don't buy it very often, but when I do it is a huge treat. I'm currently keeping away from the library as I have been given so many books lately that I can't fit any more on the bookcase, so I want to read and give away as many as I can to the local charity shop. I am trying to declutter, but it is not going very well as OH is a huge hoarder...

It is a bit of an epic post, sorry! I will join in more regularly and hopefully posts will be littler.

I am off on holiday next weekend, a week in a caravan in Devon, not quite as glam as Italy, but it'll do.

Carmen

MrsW, sending you hugs. Take care of your self especially as you know you have a very busy time ahead.
Belated welcome to all the newcomers on the road to fabdom.
Have a good holiday In Italy Sophistica.
Lizzie, sorry your holiday was not as good as expected
Tru, I had a lovely break in Mevagissy with some girlfriends, we stayed in the pink house up on the left as you approach the harbour from the left.Is the lovely pasty shop still there? nom nom:drool::drool:

Welllll, my journey to fabdom is still on going. I have lost about 7lbs in the last 6 weeks :j But, the last three days have been dreadful, I have eaten so much carp so will have put some of it back on :mad: Never mind, tomorrow I start again

BRB

lolly101

maman wrote: »

I like the sound of your changes lolly, well done you for experimenting. If you don't try and all that! I must say I did laugh at the idea of you and Mrs Woolfe of an evening. She sitting there with her face pack and you doing cleansing and creaming in front of the laptop!!:rotfl:

Lol, I do everything in front of the TV and laptop - moisturising, painting my nails, ped egging, etc... it's my attempt at multitasking :rotfl:

lizzie157 wrote: »

hi,
Lolly- I'm also from NE derbyshire and yes it is the same course. There was a on -line tutorial but it seems to have disappeared from my page, may have to get on to tutor about it. Good luck with your course was thinking of going for 1 that had an exam myself but chickened out in the end-maybe next year.

Wow, very close by! The OU pages are a bit funny for the first few weeks aren't they. My tutor group forum keeps appearing and disappearing, I wish they would hurry up and sort it out as it's my only way of communicating with other people on the course! :mad:

sophistica wrote: »

I think decluttering should be part of our fabness regime...you cant feel fab if you are surrounded by a load of stuff you dont want or use.

Definitely! I have waaayyyy too much stuff, and it really does get me down sometimes. The house can look tidy(ish!), but I know that every cupboard, wardrobe, drawer, etc, is filled to bursting point - DS1's underbed drawer has already collapsed under the weight of a thousand toys, and he's only had it two years! :eek: It is something that I definitely need to work on.

Willow92 wrote: »

You're all doing so much better than me

We are both relatively new to the thread and are still trying to get into a 'fab routine' so try not to be too hard on yourself.
Instead of thinking that other people are doing better, try and see their posts as inspiration... a snapshot of where you will be in a couple of months time!

RE the food shopping, can you split your budget so that you both have a certain amount to spend? Then you can buy whatever you like, and he can buy whatever he likes - then if he comes in overbudget, he will have to delete something of his! Either that, or maybe buy the essentials (milk, bread, etc - anything that you both need and use) together, then split any remaining money so you can both buy your own 'extras'.

Hi Callisto! :hello: Welcome to the thread :j

Well I have been feeling terrible over the weekend. I'm aching all over with occasional shooting pains in my arms, legs and neck. I've also got hot and cold shakes. It's almost fluey, but not quite as bad. I've not been right for over 3 weeks now. It started with a cold, which led to a cough, and now... well I don't even know what's wrong with me now!

I'm feeling quite annoyed with myself that I've not felt up to doing much this weekend. I know that I can't really help being ill, but I think that being run down has led to it - so if I had looked after myself better than I probably wouldn't be feeling so terrible now. I'm now concentrating on sorting my immune system out and pampering myself on the inside as well as the outside! I'm going to get as much fruit and veg as I can, drink more water, and get at least 7 hours sleep a night - I'm currently on 5.5-6 hours a night, which is a killer! I'm wondering whether I should also start taking some kind of vitamin tablets, but don't know if I should go for something in particular or an 'all in one' type of thing?

LL, your smoothies and milkshakes sound fab. I used to make them for myself and DS1 a couple of years ago thinking they were great for him, but was told that they were a big 'no no' when he was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic, so I haven't really bothered since. My blood sugars are pretty good though, so I'm going to start making them again for myself as they really are a great way of adding extra fruit and veg - I do well to get '3-a-day' at the moment .