Frump to Fab - Summer Solstice Sizzler

faithless

Thanks for all the well-wishes about my back, I'll have a look at the Alexander Technique tonight I think, as it's already far too nice to stay indoors!

Re back pain easing techniques that people suggested sharing, mine are physio exercises, then Pilates,
lying on back with knees above hips, lower legs parallel to the floor, like you're sitting in a chair - called the Static One Hundred' - the weight if legs through the spine feels nice, feels like it pushes my lower back into right place

hip rolls - lying on back with knees bent, feet flat on floor, back still, rolling both legs to one side then the other

Also yoga not sure that this actually helps physically, but I always feel better for a while afterwards - think it helps mentally to deal with the pain. I've found improving my mood makes the back pain seem less/easier to cope with, and the opposite is also true - if I feel down because my back hurts, or something else triggers it, it's easy to get into a cycle of not exercising, eating junk, feeling crap, and the back pain seems worse then.
Must get back into healthy eating pattern that I was on til 2weeks ago!

Right, hope everyone is enjoying the sun, I had the day off yesterday, so did a pile of washing, all dry in record time, an extra Pilates class (in the week all the Pilates classes at my leisure centres are in the middle of the day so only SAHMs and the retired can go, grr) some gentle pottering in the garden, feet soak and pedicure last night, whilst watching terrible wedding programmes, yay (OH is away for the weekend) and eating pizza, cider & Minstrels -oops.

Am off to wash the car, going to be careful with back, but needs doing so badly! Then Pilates, swimming and maybe mooch around the charity shops whilst wearing one of the summer dresses I fished out of my wardrobe and washed to refresh yesterday!

Have fun in the sun ladies!

faithless

OOoh, I forgot to mention, in Asda last night when I bought a terribly unhealthy supper, I also got a pineapple for 90p ish that came with a free gadget that you screw into the top and it pulls out peeled, cores rings of pineapple! Might be of use to all those trying to eat more fruit!

Welshwoofer - mango is ripe when slightly soft to touch about an inch from stem. Usually changes colour a little to have a red or yellow tinge to the green, but go on touch not colour. Aldi ones are usually sold hard as rocks I think. They're a little tricky to prepare for the first time, so Google a video of it - stand on its narrow side, cut either side of stone, take these sides and cross hatch them, down to but not cutting the skin, then bend outwards, you get lots of little mango cubes popping up to you!

lessonlearned

Good morning earlybirds. :rotfl:

Another hot one by the looks of it. Going to put the 2nd lot of washing on in a minute. I did lounge curtains yesterday, as well as the usual mountain for OH and DS2. Would you please three loads of washing yesterday and not one item was mine. :rotfl:>

Today stripping beds and doing bath towels. At least they will dry quickly.

Going to visit OH early this morning and take him out for coffee somewhere before it gets too hot. Tonight I'm going to a BBQ.

Thanks Faithless for all the back tips - some great exercises there. I've not come across the Static One Hundred - sounds nice (ifyswim). I do the hip rolls one every day.

I agree that back ache - well any kind of pain really - seems to be worse when we are tired, stressed or generally feeling a bit low. Our mental state does seem to affect how we cope with pain, so yes I'm sure yoga helps.

Enjoy your "home-alone girly weekend" - does that mean you get possession of the TV remote control.:rotfl::rotfl:

WW - enjoy your fruitathon. Sorry about your hay fever. I used to suffer really badly but for the past few years have been ok. I was only thinking that the other day when I drove to see OH. The nursing home is in the country and it's a really pretty drive. Derbyshire is in full show off mode at the moment, fresh greenery, blossoms and flowers, fields full of rapeseed - a nightmare for hay fever sufferers.

Have a great day everyone and like WW has reminded us - don't forget the sunscreen.

the_cat

Lizzie - if you want to give the pony one last attempt, I have a suggestion. Many riding instructors operate as freelancers. To get a qualified professional opinion, book a lesson and have the instructor help your daughter with the bridle and discuss your issues with him/her. If there is time, let the instructor see your DD in both the care and riding scenarios and then ask their opinion as to the suitability. Costs are not cheap (what is with horses?!!) at about £20-£25 an hour but as a one off would help you come to the right decision

Day one of healthy eating yesterday and it went well. Today will be a challenge though as doing a buffet lunch for an event today and there will be lots of bad food there. Will eat an early sarnie at home before I leave I think to limit the damage!

Take care in the sun everyone and have a great day.x

WelshWoofer

lessonlearned wrote: »

WW - enjoy your fruitathon. Sorry about your hay fever. I used to suffer really badly but for the past few years have been ok. I was only thinking that the other day when I drove to see OH. The nursing home is in the country and it's a really pretty drive. Derbyshire is in full show off mode at the moment, fresh greenery, blossoms and flowers, fields full of rapeseed - a nightmare for hay fever sufferers.

Have a great day everyone and like WW has reminded us - don't forget the sunscreen.

Well, I've just made the situation worse by mowing the back lawn:( If I want to sit out in the sun today it had to be done and there's only muggins to do it. I used to pay a man to do it but needs must and the £20 a month is better spent on other things.
I agree with rape seed - I can't even look at it on the telly without sneezing!:rotfl::rotfl:

Right I'm off for a shower to get rid of the pollen and then to the post office to post an academic book I sold on Amazon - only a tenner but I don't use it anymore and its like having a £10 note sitting on the shelf - all going into the holiday fund.

My meet up with the dog walking frind has been postponed until tomorrow so I have the full day to myself - and one of the best things about being single Faithless is not wrestling the remote from a man! So the plan is post office, hoovering and dusting downstairs, a couple of loads of washing, and a bit of schoolwork whilst sunbathing.
Enjoy your morning with OH LL!

System

Completely rubbish with the diet today, pizza and cornetto for tea lol, so tired after all the sitting in the sun

I have made some healthy meal choices this week, eaten more fruit & veg, and done more exercise than usual, it will be interesting to see if making small changes and keeping with it can lose weight in the long term or if I'm just kidding myself :cool: I know gimmick diets just don't do it for me so this is the only other option.....

Hope everyone has had a nice day with no burnt bits

WelshWoofer

Morning all!
Hope you're all enjoying the good weather?
Spent a nice afternoon in the garden and started off the tan. I also bought two maxi dresses - one is a bright turquoise and red flowery number and the other is cream and navy. I obviously had to get shoes to match so got some flat strappy sandals in red with some leather flowers on them and some navy wedge sandals - both from Matalan at the bargain prices of £12 and £14 each:T
Thankfully, they are both flowing fits and don't show any lumps and bumps - one was a size 10 and the other an 8!! (Admittedly it was a big 8 and like a tent, but thats one that the label won't get cut out of!). Now if it were trousers it would be a very different matter - a size 12 is probably snug at the moment:o

The fruitathon is going well - just fruit all day and a salad for tea, with straws and rasps for picking on in the evening.
The same will happen today. After looking at my thighs in the changing room yesterday its desperately needed.:mad:

The bedding is in the machine, the dog has been walked before its too hot and the house is nice and tidy. I'm going to do some schoolwork and then go for a walk with a new friend and the dogs

fedupandskint

I've walked the dog early morning and just back from quite a hard work run too. Boiling out there and didn't see anyone else running but did yesterday in the heat of the afternoon dripping with sweat as they ran past me - nutters!

That's todays main exercise done and dusted and I'm just deciding whether to have a walk up to the shops or not or have a lazy day at home

lizzie157

Bitsy_Beans wrote: »

Lizzie my positivity hit the floor with yours coming out in sympathy. However I'll not have you knackering your shoulder struggling so am prepared to don my size 8's (yes my feet are that big ) and give him a kick up the 'arris. Huffing and puffing indeed. Hope things work out with the pony xx

Can I borrow your feet :rotfl::rotfl:. Another rough day yesterday, won't go into it too much am sure you are all bored by it by now. In short some fabbing stuff has gone awol. :mad::mad: Have looked everywhere that I may have put it to no avail, no one else has seen it so it seems to have vanished. So not much fabbing here till its replaced or found. Even my suncream was in it. Can't 100% say I've not misplaced as my heads in a mess a moment again.:o:o If its not turned up by next week will start replacing my stuff. Suppose thats the only positive thing about it I can replace all the things with better versions.

WelshWoofer wrote: »

Morning all!
Hope you're all enjoying the good weather?
Spent a nice afternoon in the garden and started off the tan. I also bought two maxi dresses - one is a bright turquoise and red flowery number and the other is cream and navy. I obviously had to get shoes to match so got some flat strappy sandals in red with some leather flowers on them and some navy wedge sandals - both from Matalan at the bargain prices of £12 and £14 each:T
Thankfully, they are both flowing fits and don't show any lumps and bumps - one was a size 10 and the other an 8!! (Admittedly it was a big 8 and like a tent, but thats one that the label won't get cut out of!). Now if it were trousers it would be a very different matter - a size 12 is probably snug at the moment:o

The fruitathon is going well - just fruit all day and a salad for tea, with straws and rasps for picking on in the evening.
The same will happen today. After looking at my thighs in the changing room yesterday its desperately needed.:mad:

The bedding is in the machine, the dog has been walked before its too hot and the house is nice and tidy. I'm going to do some schoolwork and then go for a walk with a friend and the dogs

Go you WW the dresses sound lovely. DD1 was trying to talk me into buying a maxi but I'm not very tall and most of them seem to be too long. I'm a snug 12 atm too.
Am sure though with the mindset you've got atm you'll get where you want to be.

the_cat we are going to pony later, we aren't going to attempt to tack up just be there maybe a bit of grooming. Have emailed a behaviourist/instructor and will see what is said. Unfortunately I just haven't got the money to do go down this route if its going to be a long haul. Unless the owner is willing to help out, obviously this would benefit her aswell so she might be. Perhaps DD2 will realise of her own accord that this pony isn't suitable.

Enjoy the sun everyone - apparently its here til Tuesday

Am just going to chill for a few hours. Need to try and get rid of the anxious feeling in my stomach that's been there all weekend.:( x

System

WelshWoofer wrote: »

Now if it were trousers it would be a very different matter - a size 12 is probably snug at the moment:o

Oh how I would love for my trousers to be a snug 12 :rotfl:A snug 14 is all that fits me at the moment! Your new clothes sound nice