Frugal Frump To Fabulous Summer Solstice to Autumn Equinox

lessonlearned

Hey Pod - good to hear things are going well with the job situation. I knew you'd come good.....:rotfl: I predict great things for you.

You are motivated and have drive and aren't afraid of hard work. You are made of the "right stuff". I am sure that working for yourself/freelancing etc will be the making of you. Much better than working for an employer who can't see your true worth and value.

Re - the dinner party. I usually take flowers for the hostess, and perhaps some posh choccies.....

Recently I took some "After Eights" for a bit of a joke. Very retro. A sort of homage to all those cheesy 80's adverts on the TV.

My friends thought it was a scream and despite all the giggles we wolfed down the chocs - even the men joined in. It sparked off some great conversations about the 70's and 80's - dinner parties, culture, fashions, tv programmes etc. We had a great night.

As a matter of interest - have any of you seen "Abigail's Party". If not, do try - it's a hoot!. It's about a 1970's dinner party from hell.

Anyway Pod - enjoy your dinner party....

Talking about viewing - Anyone watching the "White Queen". Fab.

Now that Game of Thrones series 3 has finished (Wow!!!!) I have download it onto DVD and have taken them into the nursing home for OH. Half of the staff are now hooked......:rotfl:

Hewie29

Well I'm one very proud mum tonight, my son has gone off to his end of year prom, all suited and booted.

He certainly looked very grown up and of course extremely handsome.

Not much else to report, no extra fabbing done today, feeling exhausted my all this working lark, should have listened to everyone and had some more time off. Oh well had to start back somewhen.

Shocker day of tennis, lots of top seeds going out, including Federer, do you think it could finally be Murray's year?

Time_to_Get_up_and_Go

Ok so this week started ok with very high hopes and has come down crashing around me! How do you snap out of the "oh what's the point" mood?

With the hospital visiting I've not been organised in the evenings and no exercise this week. It was agreed that tonight was MY night but low and behold it never comes off there's always other things that have to be done! It's put me on a foul mood cause I've not been to my exercise class!!
Also feeling terrible with hay fever too, anyone got any remedies? Nose was bleeding etc it was so bad earlier.

How do you all do it?! You all must have very strong personalities to be so positive, I'm feeling a bit week!

Rant over with (sorry)

WelshWoofer

Morning all!

LL - great news about the property developing!:beer:
Pod - hope the dinner party went well.
Hewie - its my prom tomorrow, its lovely to see the kids all done up and grown up.

Time to get up and go - we all have our off days, its the little things that make the small differences. I am a bad hayfever sufferer too - your doctor will be able to prescribe superstrength antihistamines (stronger than anything over the counter) that are more helpful, also Beconase spray helps me if used regularly. Its always there though, just made a bit more bearable.

Well ladies - I am on strike today. You may have seen in the news about the teaching strike in the North West. My school is shut to pupils and most staff are on strike. I'm not going on a rally or march or anything like that but I am losing a day's pay. I agree with what the union is saying but don't think they are going about it in the right way - but having been brought up in the Welsh valleys in the 70s/80s (miners strike etc) I can't go to work on principle.

So today will revolve around not doing any school work, going dog walking, swimming and cleaning the house. The Fling will be popping round after work (he's in a different union) so that's something to look forward to.

Its the school prom tomorrow evening and its a proper dress up event for the staff too (actually quite a good night out!). I have my new fabulous long strapless evening dress to wear and those new sexy killer heels so am all kitted out. I'm having my hair blow dried in the afternoon to make me feel "finished". Nobody (apart from my gay best friend) knows about me and The Fling at work and he's the organiser of the prom so I want to look as good as possible to get some secret appreciative looks Daft isn't it!

Right, better get the dog walked and think about swimming. Hope everyone has a good day.

lessonlearned

Good morning ladies

Another nice day here by the looks of it. What's happening - that's two days of sunshine in a row - has the world gone mad.:rotfl::rotfl:

WW - enjoy the prom - your outfit sounds really fab. It's great when you get the chance to go for all out glamour. I do love a "red carpet" look.

TGG - try not to get too despondent. The whole point of our fabbing ethos is easy stages, baby steps. You will have off days but just do what you can. Just a squirt of perfume to start with. If that's all you can manage some days then so be it.

As we say on here its not a sprint - it's a marathon. The whole point is you start small and gradually build up until fabbing becomes so second nature you don't even notice you are doing it.
If you miss a few days here and there it's no big deal. Just get back on the wagon when you can.

Hospital visiting is both time consuming and exhausting. I know you feel you have to be there for the patient. I found that I felt so guilty when I didn't visit my OH that it was easier just to visit......

It went on for 4 long months. I felt half dead by the end. I don't know the answer to that one. If you can have just one day off a week from visiting it might help.

My OH has been in a nursing home for 18 months now. I no longer visit him every single day. It's a good 30 minute drive each way - I just can't do it everyday so now I just pace myself - about 5 times a week.

Now of course my mum is in a nursing home. I've not worked out a programme - perhaps every 4 or 5 days. Once a week seems a bit too infrequent but 2 a week would be rather a strain. I'm just going to play it by ear. My father is behaving very badly at the moment and whilst my mum is ok with me she is giving my sister a hard time.

I know it sounds mean of me but when my parents are being so difficult I just don't feel like visiting them. At least OH is always sweetness and light. Once I'm there I enjoy his company although the visits are always rather bitter sweet and tinged with sadness. I don't think there is a day that passes when I don't have a little weep in the car on the way home.

Anyway, whatever you decide about the visiting, always remember it probably took several years to become a frump - you can't undo the damage in a couple of days. It will take a little time and a fair bit of patience.

When this thread began I was an absolute wreck. I looked so old and haggard. I looked like a right bag lady. Trust me - not a good look;)

I still need to lose some weight, I'm still not as fit as I would like and I still have days when I never seem to get a minute and I end up feeling washed out.

It happens.

But my wardrobe is better, my skin and hair are better, my health is improving, my bank balance is certainly better. I'm getting there - slow but sure.

Just start with a bit of grooming, sorting out your wardrobe etc. Just make a little effort with your outfits. Wash and style your hair. If you have time and you like wearing make up then a slick of lippy and a flick of mascara can work wonders.

When you get a minute give yourself a mini manicure and paint your nails. You can do that whilst watching TV.

Over time the little things will add up.

Remember the elephant - one bite at a time. :rotfl:

Bitsy_Beans

Time_to_Get_up_and_Go wrote: »

Ok so this week started ok with very high hopes and has come down crashing around me! How do you snap out of the "oh what's the point" mood?

With the hospital visiting I've not been organised in the evenings and no exercise this week. It was agreed that tonight was MY night but low and behold it never comes off there's always other things that have to be done! It's put me on a foul mood cause I've not been to my exercise class!!
Also feeling terrible with hay fever too, anyone got any remedies? Nose was bleeding etc it was so bad earlier.

How do you all do it?! You all must have very strong personalities to be so positive, I'm feeling a bit week!

Rant over with (sorry)

Hey you're not weak, Rome wasn't built in a day. I certainly wasn't this positive a few years ago, it's been a gradual evolution, mostly by osmosis I reckon :rotfl: my change in general attitude came from another thread on MSE, people who were upbeat, saw the good in any given situation, acknowledged setbacks but picked themselves up and carried in anyway. It takes time to change attitudes and lord knows I am not Pollyanna everyday
Sounds really cheesy but when I find I am struggling with negativity I look up inspiring videos on YouTube for a bit of a boost

Anyway enough of me rambling.
Fabbing today will consist of spending a bit of quality time with H who has a day off in lieu today. I am trying to do OCM every night and I need to increase my water intake as I think that's not helping my skin. I hate it though, hate needing the toilet every hour :eek::o
I will do some yoga tonight, am always too tight in the mornings until I've been up and moving around some.

WW enjoy your day off, even if it is without pay xx

Pod glad you're enjoying your new job, hope it all pans out for you x

LL good luck with the property developing x

Hugs and high fives all round xx

his_missus

Morning all,

A wise (but slightly barmy) man once told me "It's not about whether the glass is half or empty, you should be thankful you at least have a glass and there's something in it."

I think he meant always count your blessings; you may not have everything you want but you do have some things.

No fabbing news to report but little kitty is giving us plenty of opportunities to laugh. He was walking ove rthe kitchen worktops this morning (the first time he's managed to jump up onto them) and tried to walk over the sink which was half full (or half empty? ) of water. It seems he's no feline Messiah and got very wet feet, legs, tail and tummy.

Count your blessing

evilsquid1603

hello everyone!

WW - enjoy your night out tomorrow!

I'm off out tomorrow too, we got an invite sent round work for a free Christmas dinner at the Village hotel. looks like they are doing a trial run for their Christmas party this year, we all saw the words "fizz reception" "3 course Christmas dinner" and "free" and decided we should all be there! my friend that I have a bit of a "thing" with is coming with me. should be a fab friday!

Time to Get up and Go - it took me a while to get there, don't worry! just take your time and the small changes really do start to add up!

lizzie157

Time_to_Get_up_and_Go wrote: »

How do you all do it?! You all must have very strong personalities to be so positive, I'm feeling a bit week!

Rant over with (sorry)

hi don't be too hard on yourself - everyone on here has 'off days' sometimes in my case 'off weeks' the trick is to get back on the horse and not give up and as everyone has said it does pay off in the end.

pp- good luck with the freelancing I hope it all goes well

ww - enjoy the prom outfit sounds fab

DD2 has been ill again despite her scan finding nothing so will just have to see what they say at her next hospital appt.

DD1 is still struggling with the debt and seems determined to get a loan by hook or crook so don't think there is much else i can do there so am stepping back and will just have to hope she manages to get it all straight in the end.

Showed her the dress i have bought and she thought it looked lovely but H came in as i was still in it, told me i looked like a fat lump. Thing is i know i don't - yes i might still have a bit of tummy fat but nothing a bit of shapewear won't sort out - he just hates it because it makes me look good. :rotfl:


Not feeling too fab atm - have a cold so am trying to have an easy couple of days before i get on with some decluttering and think about the next step on the business plans.

Hope you've all had a fab friday.:)

heebie-jeebies

Hi Ladies,

I'm coming back out of lurkdom to rejoin you. I have been keeping up with you in the last few months but I need a big kick up the backside to be fab so I'm here.

I think I told you all that I was moving back to the UK and I'm here now in a new town and settling in well. I have plenty of things to look forward to in the next few months as well (including Silverstone on Sunday :j) so I'm happy.
Fab-wise, my routines have slipped a bit so I need to get back onto that.

I did have a colour analysis a few weeks ago so starting to think more about how I look and take the time in shopping for the right clothes.

I will try and keep up with you a bit more this time.