Frugal Frump to Fab-u-lous Dharrrrrrrling Winter Solstice to Spring Equinox

lessonlearned

Hi Everyone

As the header says I'm really struggling at the moment.

It seems to be just one step forward two back.

I have been trying really hard these last few days to eat healthily, get some sleep and rest, and have even managed to start some exercising. OH seemed to be getting better, I caught up with some outstanding jobs and even managed to start some extra fabbing in the form of a good defuzzing and face mask on Saturday.

Ah I thought progress at last.

Then wham - mum fell - luckily not hurt and then yesterday morming OH fell off his commode.......He's ok but quite shaken and unfortunately his chest also still seems a bit ropey.

I took one of his friends to see him and I could see that he was shocked at OH's further deterioration. I guess because I see OH every day I don't always notice the changes - it's only when I see the shock on someone's face and I see OH through someone else's eyes that the truth hits home.

Anyway........

Tonight my chest pains are back, with a vengeance. They're keeping me awake and I feel dreadful. I know they're "only" stress but they are unpleasant.

As I say one step forward and two backwards.........

EH - glad to hear you are feeling better now.

Fosterdog - some great progress there. Sorry to hear the PCOS is bad, don't push yourself too hard - you can increase your exercise and work on the weight reduction when you feel better. Some good house fabbing there. Oddly enough DS2 and I finally got round to putting up some paintings yesterday - a splash of colour makes a big difference.

Speaking of colours yes Heebie - it was me who had their colours done. One of the best things I ever did. I would like them done again because my hair has changed so drastically. At the time I had them done my hair was auburn, now it's more or less white and I'm not quite sure I'm making the best choices sometimes.

When my hair was auburn I was apparently classed as "Deep Autumn" and I was advised to go for the traditional autumn colours, deep russets and reds, coppery bronzes, olive greens, mustard yellows, heathery purples. I was told to basically think autumn leaves and moorland heathers.

Now that my hair is white - some of those coppery colours don't seem quite right but I don't know what to replace them with. Even my eye colour seems to have changed, having gone from brown to more of a hazel mix. Weird.:rotfl:

I like "winter whites", creams, denim/air force blues. Reds and mustard yellows are still ok. Blacks and navies are an absolute no-no, they make me look like a corpse,although charcoal grey seems ok.

Any reds have to be scarlet or brick red, any reds that go towards the blue spectrum such as burgandy gives my skin a grey/bluish tinge and makes me look like I'm having a heart attack.:rotfl:

Other than my favourite scarlet I never wear really bright colours such as jade green or bright turquoise . Pinks of any description are out of the question apart from "dusky pink". The worst colours for me (apart from blacks and navies) are the apricot/salmon colours although I can wear burnt orange.

And after all I've said about bright colours I recently discovered I can wear that bright lime green that is around.

I had my colours done for free but it can be a bit expensive. I think Maman had a really good idea and it's one I've copied.

If you buy from charity shops and are only a paying a couple of pounds then you can afford to take a few risks and experiment and perhaps try something that you would not normally consider. If you wear it a couple of times and decide it's really not for you then you've not wasted too much money.

Another cheap option when trying new colours is to just buy a few cheap T-shirts from somewhere like Primark. If you really hate them then you can just wear them round the house or as a vest under your sweater in the winter.

Don't forget you can dye clothes easily and cheaply so if you do make mistakes and buy something you hate you can always change the colour with a pack of dye.

Ooh what a long post. I think I'm sleepy now so going to try and go back to sleep again.

bratz81

maman - thanks for the tips about charity shops. I've had a mooch round some near me and tbh I think they're far too expensive for what they're selling...some stuff second hand is dearer than something new in Primark!
I know they have to make money but even so, it's more than I can afford so they'll have to do without my custom!

lizzie157

Well just when you think things are going well......

DD1 started a new job a few weeks ago, wasn't happy about it myself because of her mental health issues but obviously it was her choice. Unfortunately they are putting on her already and were unpleasant with her last week wanting her to go in on her day off, not asking but demanding. This has set her off on a downward spiral again. I really don't know how to help, tbh in my opinion she should be concentrating on getting stable mentally but it's just not possible with how difficult it is these days to get ESA, pay the rent etc. It's awful to think but the fact that she doesn't have the oppurtunity to get properly well without any stress could result in v. serious consequences, when I believe if she had some proper support she would be well enough to continue working. My heart sinks when she rings in a state because she feels life isn't worth living anymore and i don't know how to help.

H's ESA medical is also looming. :eek:

On a brighter note DS3 starts his apprenticeship this week so fingers crossed that all goes well there.
DD2 has been visiting the horse over the weekend and that seems to be going well. She has plans to visit most days this week and is really enjoying it.

((hugs)) for those that need them I'm off to meditate - need to focus and try to find some positivety.
Have a good day everyone.

lessonlearned

Lizzie - sorry to hear about your daughter. It sounds so unfair. You must be so worried about her. I'm sorry I've no words of wisdom:o
perhaps one of our gals can come up with some tips as to how you can help her.

Yes - sometimes it does seem that we make a little progress and then it's all snatched away again - as per my "moany" post in the early hours of this morning:o.

I would like to say I'm back on top of the world again. I would like to but I can't:rotfl::rotfl:

Never mind, on the plus side I'm having my hair done today so at least I'll look a bit better even if I don't feel it.

We've had a light dusting of snow. The roads seem ok but I will do a bit of shopping whilst I'm out and about just in case there is more on the way.

Ah well - time to start the day. I too feel a bit reluctant today. I'd like to just go back to bed and stay there until all the nasty stuff just goes away.......

podperson

Morning all,

bratz - I would second the charity shop suggestion. When I was back actually losing weight I would just buy a everyday few bits from either there or cheapie shops (primark/matalan/supermarkets). No point in spending a lot if you're hoping to lose more, but a few decent fitting clothes to see you through can be a nice confidence boost. Also try different charity shops, there are about 6 near me on the same street, and the price difference between them is ridiculous! BHF is the worse I find - which is annoying because in my area they always seem to have the nicest stuff in! :mad:

EH - what a muppet that guy must be! As others have said he's the one missing out so try not to take it to heart. I've had a few 'questioning my life' stages - and looking back I think they were the best things for me as they made me focus more on what I actually wanted/where I wanted to be and what I should be doing to get there.

heebie - ooh, big news on the move, hope it all goes well x

fosterdog - sounds like you're doing really well. Don't be too hard on yourself with the exercise, hope you feel better soon x

LL - *hugs* it does seem never-ending sometimes doesn't it. Hope both your mum and OH are ok after their falls. Try to take it easy today - I know easier said then done.

Lizzie - sorry your DD is find the new job stressful. Tbh they don't sound particularly nice and maybe she should be looking for something else and just see it as a 'stop gap'. I know I find things less stressful if I know they're just temporary and I only have to 'put up' with them for a shortish period. I don't know what her issues are but has she had anything in the way of CBT therapy? If so could she perhaps revisit her notes on this for ways to calmly react without getting herself upset. Or if not maybe she could look at something on self-assertiveness - just to give her some 'strategies' for calmly and firmly telling them no when they put on her.

Anyway, had an ok weekend. Didn't do anything I was supposed to do :rotfl:but had a productive writing weekend for the first time in a while so feeling quite happy about that. Fabbing has slipped a bit though so maybe have a catch up on that tonight. Got a sore throat as well today so really hope I'm not coming down with something.
Hope everyone has a good day x

[Deleted User]

So sorry to hear that some of you are having a difficult time. I hope things look up soon. Sending virtual hugs to anyone who needs them.

maman

[Deleted User] wrote:

So sorry to hear that some of you are having a difficult time. I hope things look up soon. Sending virtual hugs to anyone who needs them.

Me too! I'm sure we'll all start to pick up when the weather improves. Hope you're coping after being up in the middle of the night LL.

There was a photo of Helen Mirren in my paper today. She's coloured her hair pinky for Breast Cancer Awareness:


I noticed she was wearing a higher neckline (must have listened to the 'crepey' comments) and her hair seems to be much shorter than usual. This photo of her looking up also cut down on the wrinkly neck . I like those group photos at weddings where everyone looks up for the same reason;). Hope you do that in your photos pod.:)


I've done a little bit today which sort of counts as fabbing:

• portioned up a huge, healthy chilli I made yesterday for the freezer
• sorted/shredded some old paperwork and filled in an HMRC form to be sent off (no it's not a late one;))
• polished some boots and shoes that were looking the worse for wear after recent weather
• showered, slathered and styled my hair (getting desperate now as I'm having to use a hot brush to give it shape). I'm off out later so will dress smartly and do make up then.

I don't know if anyone else does this but I tend to have toiletries I use for 'best' and 'everyday' stuff. So my best, special occasion body wash and body lotion is Clarins but my everyday is usually something someone's given me or my (fussy) DD has passed on like M&S Royal Jelly. Actually the M&S stuff is OK but it smells like ice-cream!
What I wanted to ask was: do you make distinctions or use good stuff all the time? If you do buy relatively cheap shower gel and body lotion: which brands would you recommend?

lessonlearned

Interesting question Maman.

One of the nicest body lotions I ever used was a cheap baby lotion that I used to buy in a Spanish supermarket. It smelt divine, it made my skin feel like silk and cost 1Euro for a huge bottle. Wish they did it here:rotfl:

I have some lovely posh stuff from Boots organics range at the moment that my sister bought me for Christmas (she works there and gets all sorts of freebies and goodies).

I tried Aveeno hand and body lotion on my legs. It is supposed to be the best for dry itchy sensitive skin. Wast of money - hasn't made a jot of difference.

The only thing that is helping me at the moment is Oilatum which is designed for excema. I'm using the bath oil and I hate it, although it seems to improve my legs a bit. Makes a terrible mess of the bath too.:rotfl:

I am aiming to go and have a look in the health shop and try some SLS free bath oils or bubbles. For body oils I am going to go back to making my own.

I use approx 60ml of grapeseed oil, to about 10-15 drops of essential oil - depending on how strong it is.

In Mediterranean countriesa lot of women use olive oil but I think that smells a bit "olivey" for me.

I also used to buy an olive oil based lotion in Spain which was really rich and creamy but really sank in nicely and again my skin loved it. Again very cheap (didn't smell of olives) but I've never seen it here.

I do like olive oil soaps and glycerine based soaps. Much kinder I think than lye soaps.

I've just started buying my OH Pears soaps and shower gel because he has very sensitive skin. They are lovely, smell gorgeous and his skin is very happy with them so I'm thinking of having a go too. Not too expensive, £2 for the hand wash and the shower gel. Soap is about 70p ish.

I've only ever seen the shower gel in ASDA, although I have seen the soap elsewhere. The chemist in ASDA actually recommended it. You can buy it in the ordinary shopping area, you don't have to get it in the chemist bit.

My skin is so dry now, especially my legs that if I find something that suits I just use it, irrespective of price. If it works and soothes my skin that's reason enough for me to buy it.

As you know I recently bought some Clinique moisturiser in desperation £27:eek:. Thankfully I've now found a nice Aldi one for a fraction of the price. :rotfl: So far my skin loves it.

[Deleted User]

Good question Maman, I have tried different things over the years but my skin can be quite fussy. Body moisture I use Dove - both shower gel and body moisturiser. I tried Bio-oil before but did not really like it.

A few years ago my face had a reaction to some moisturiser that I had been given for Christmas so I now need to be careful what I use. I tend to use Liz Earle but also have a mix of things right now after Christmas - I have Decleor and Clarins and am using them up before I go back to my Liz Earle.

There are also some local (Scottish) handmade products that I use - Skye Soap Company do lovely soaps and a fab foot cream and Highland Soap Co do a fab selection of organic handmade products. I am just back from a weekend in Skye so I stocked up while there.

I seem to just use up toiletries in any order, not keeping anything set aside as 'good'. I do however do set aside clothes as 'good' and then never wear them!

lizzie157

Hi sorry LL didn't read this morning just posted. Hope you are feeling better and your mum & OH.
I too am having skin issues, I've always had sensitive skin and have to be carefull what I use. I've come out in a rash on my arms which s very itchy and yes I've broken the skin scratching -even though I've tried not to. I'm not sure if it's something I'm using (wash powder, fabric softner or beauty products so now begins the elimination process. I'm contemplating a cream for eczema from purenuffstuff a small pot is only 50p plus postage so I figure it's worth a try.

PP- DD1 is just undergoing a process of trying to establish what is actually wrong with her via the hospital. She is convinced it isn't just depression as her mood swings from high to low at the drop of a hat. Yes I've told her to look for something else, I know many people don't like their job but it's not goin gto help her health when she's not well to begin with.
Hope your throat doesn't develop into something nasty.

allie I do that with clothes too - am trying to get out of the habit -it's hard!
off for a relaxing soak now....