Frugal Frump to Fab - 2015

lessonlearned

Re the stresses and strains of life.........

You are so right Chanie there are no easy answers, no quick fix solutions.

And Parsniphead you too are right - grief takes time and patience.

I think I've not allowed myself time to grieve properly. I have been so busy and so focussed on "getting throught it" that I think I've tried to run before I can walk.

This was not a conscious decision - it was just circumstances. My mums death came so fast after my OH's that ive never really had time "just for me". I've just kept going, on and on, like a hamster on a wheel.

I've been fretting too much over dad. Saturday it would have been mums 90th birthday, so I went I over to dads to make sure he was ok because I didn't want him to be alone. Yes he was pleased to,see me of course but I really didn't feel like going and I forced myself despite feeling quite unwell.

Then on Saturday night I tried to sort out some photos - big mistake. The floodgates opened and I couldn't stop crying. Poor DS2 was so shocked and of course being a a bit of a bloke he didn't know what to do other than making me a cup of tea. Bless him - how English:rotfl:

Anyway ive been thinking really long and hard and Ive made a decision. I really need to start thinking about my own needs now.

I shall stop fussing over dad and my sister and I shall stop fretting over the need to find a house for me. If I find the right property soon then great, if not, then I'm not going to stress over it. It won't hurt me to have the summer off, just pottering about in the garden and maybe picking up a paintbrush when I'm in the mood.

DS2 is quite happy me staying here for a while yet - it suits him financially because he has still has an outstanding loan which won't clear until December. And of course he rather likes having his evening meal ready when he comes home from work and the regular visits from the shirt fairy.......;)

So I'm not going to get into a tiz about house hunting, there's no hurry. There's no girl on the horizon so Im not in the way, so to speak.

I think it's more important that I get fit and healthy first, so that's the plan.

maman

parsniphead wrote: »

Thank you for the welcome lessonlearnd. I can't say I'm down really, just annoyed with myself for getting to this stage. Two days if fabbing though has made a difference.

That's a very wise view parsniphead. I had a similar conversation at SW last week. There was a woman who'd got to target a few months back and returned because she'd gained about 10 lbs. She'll soon sort that with a few weeks back on healthy eating. The people I feel sad about are those who lose several stones and then put it all back on and more. Nipping in the bud is essential!!:)

lessonlearned wrote: »

Good Morning lovely ladies

Well not sure if my mojo is back for good, but I definitely feel brighter this morning.

I had a lovely time mooching round the shops yesterday. I picked up some grey/fine navy stripe Per Una trousers, a gorgeous blue vase, and a posh gift set with body oils and hand made soaps. £9 the lot:D
I also bought some new bronzing powder and some basic Boots cologne for day wear.

Glad to hear you're feeling brighter LL. I'm not surprised at how you've been feeling particularly as you seem to be the 'doer' in your family. You've been so caught up in all the practicalities you've not given yourself time to grieve. I think busyness has its place in getting us through a difficult time but space for yourself is important too.


Which bronzer and cologne did you buy? I'm looking for a new bronzer (Benefit one discontinued:() and an everyday cologne is always useful to help the Clarins go further.


I'm pleased with myself keeping up the fabbing. Delighted I've creamed my feet after every shower lately and very mse:money: as I've found two tubes of footcream that need using up.


Have a good day all. Nothing special on tonight until dancing tonight.

lessonlearned

Just having a rest. I went mad this morning, blitzing the bedrooms and bathrooms so now I need to recuperate for a while......

Re the bronzer, it was Rimmel. Not tried it yet. I used to get bronzing pearls by Outdoor Girl but ive not seen anything like them for a while now. I loved them because they were made up of. Three colours, dark bronze, gold and pink "pearls " rather than just one flat bronze colour. Ii think they gave a really nice natural glow, I struggle a bit applying the one flat one colour ones, I find the colour too dense. The pearls had a nice sheen too. I'll give it a go.

The cologne is Boots own lable Eau de cologne. A huge bottle for £4.50. I know it's a bit old fashioned nowadays but I really love it for summer. It's light and refreshing. I bought a little plastic spray bottle for 50p and have decanted some into it. I really ought to get myself a nice handbag atomiser.

Boots own label smells just as good as 4711 and is loads cheaper. I also need to replenish my Ck1 - another summer favourite.

I do struggle abit now with fragrances because so many of them give me a thumping headache. I have to have something light.

DS2 bought me some Gucci for Christmas - sometimes I can wear it, sometimes I have to wash it off within minutes.

It's funny but when I went to the nutrionist part of the questionnaire was about smells triggering headaches. Without even asking me she guessed that lillies, hyacinths and sweet peas all triggered my headaches, isn't that strange.

The worst of all though was Est!e Lauders "Youth Dew ". At one time it seemed to be everywhere but thankfully I've not noticed anyone wearing it for ages. I used to dread it if anyone sat next to me wearing it, within minutes I would end up with migraine.

My mum loved heavy perfumes, Dior was one of her favourites - again too much for me. I used to be strictly a Chanel No 5 girl but alas I cant wear it now.

maman

lessonlearned wrote: »

Re the bronzer, it was Rimmel. Not tried it yet. I used to get bronzing pearls by Outdoor Girl but ive not seen anything like them for a while now. I loved them because they were made up of. Three colours, dark bronze, gold and pink "pearls " rather than just one flat bronze colour. Ii think they gave a really nice natural glow, I struggle a bit applying the one flat one colour ones, I find the colour too dense. The pearls had a nice sheen too. I'll give it a go.

The cologne is Boots own lable Eau de cologne. A huge bottle for £4.50. I know it's a bit old fashioned nowadays but I really love it for summer. It's light and refreshing. I bought a little plastic spray bottle for 50p and have decanted some into it. I really ought to get myself a nice handbag atomiser.

Boots own label smells just as good as 4711 and is loads cheaper. I also need to replenish my Ck1 - another summer favourite.

I do struggle abit now with fragrances because so many of them give me a thumping headache. I have to have something light.

DS2 bought me some Gucci for Christmas - sometimes I can wear it, sometimes I have to wash it off within minutes.

It's funny but when I went to the nutrionist part of the questionnaire was about smells triggering headaches. Without even asking me she guessed that lillies, hyacinths and sweet peas all triggered my headaches, isn't that strange.

The worst of all though was Est!e Lauders "Youth Dew ". At one time it seemed to be everywhere but thankfully I've not noticed anyone wearing it for ages. I used to dread it if anyone sat next to me wearing it, within minutes I would end up with migraine.

My mum loved heavy perfumes, Dior was one of her favourites - again too much for me. I used to be strictly a Chanel No 5 girl but alas I cant wear it now.

Thanks for that. I've still got the remains of a pot of Body Shop Bronzing pearls plus some Benefit One Hot Minute that got discontinued:(. Just googled Body Shop and it seems they still exist!
http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/make-up/bronzing/brush-on-bronze.aspx
I might wait until Body Shop has an offer an treat myself.


I'm with you all the way with cologne, old fashioned or otherwise. My Clarins Eau Dynamissante is like a fresh cologne and I'm still finishing off some Occitane Lavender which is like lavender water!! So how ancient is that!!


My mother liked a heavy perfume too. I've still got her last bottle of Givenchy Amarige, still as strong smelling as ever after 12 years. Just had a sniff.


It's a bright day here so I decided to sort out my jumper drawer. It's been beautifully Kondoed but I realised that I haven't worn lots of them this year and others I've loved. So I sorted out a few for the CS bag (many of them came from there originally) and hand washed the rest. All but one are 100% wool or cashmere so I wanted to make sure they were clean as I won't be wearing them again this year!!


I did sort my holiday clothes as promised. I've got a few 'don't knows' but mostly everything is fine. I could do with a few more vest type tops/sleeveless t shirts and some with sleeves for this country so I'll keep looking.


I plan to sort through 2 shelves on the bookcase next that have files of ancient paperwork in them. Good to have a productive day.:)


And yesterday I tore myself away from wasting time on here and started to read an art (appreciation) book. There are days when I'm happy pottering but I seem to go through phases where I can't motivate myself to do much then get fed up and sorry for myself. So I'm pushing myself to achieve more. I'm sure that fits into fabbing somewhere!;)

Rummer

Hello and welcome Parsniphead, I am glad to hear that you are feeling the benefits of a little bit of fabbing already.

LL glad you are taking time out to take care of yourself.

Maman the clothes choices look great.

My healthy eating is going well and I am getting back into the exercising habit too. As for general fabbing I am still scrubbing up each day and making an effort with clothing and hair however I need to get my makeup sorted.

I rarely wear more that some blush, mascara and lip balm however I put on a full face the other day I looked dreadful . My foundation looked slightly wrong and the eye makeup was not doing me any favours so I think I am going to go somewhere for a bit of an overhaul. Currently I use No 7 for everything makeup based and Estee Lauder for all my skin care so I am considering Estee Lauder for my makeup too. The only thing that puts me off is the cost. However I have wasted a lot on cheaper brands that don't work for me. Any recommendations?

My hair is also something I need to make decisions on. I like it long however it is a bit shapeless at the moment and in need of a tidy up. The colour is a problem too. My hair is very dark and the grey is becoming more and more obvious with only a couple of weeks between dyeing and grey appearing. Not sure if I am ready to have highlights though as I really like my hair as it is.

Gosh I have typed far more than I was planning on! Better stop chatting and start fabbing

parsniphead

Thank you for the welcome Rummer.

I think just taking a little time each day to make yourself look neat and tidy helps. Had lost even the basics apart from washing of course;).

I'm with you with the hair. Mine is very dark brown with lots of very white hair coming through. It wasn't to noticeable really as I had very log hair until the new year, then I decided to have it cut into an very short pixie crop. I,m not sure whether tomdyenit or let nature take its course. I do like to see we'll kept white and grey hair.

Right off to get ready for work, looking a bit better I hope.

pirateyqueen

Morning everyone. My fabbing isn't going particularly well at the moment as I have been ill with a cough and sore throat for about two weeks now. I seem to get hives when I'm ill so that's not a good look (although they are only really noticeable to me I think) and I haven't been able to go to the gym either. Oh well.

I have an appointment at the dental hospital today (I have been waiting nearly 6 months for this) to talk more about my braces and jaw surgery. It is very nerve wracking but I would like to get moving on it. I

Rose_Wood

Morning All.

Its a beautiful sunny day here. I was in the local outdoor pool at 7am this morning and it was just like being on holiday! Such a good start to the day. Even better, I'm down another pound as had a weigh in with my friend after our run. I was especially pleased as I went out with a group of friends for a meal to celebrate my birthday (early as its not till Friday) last night. I resisted a pudding and stuck to slimline tonic with a dash of lime cordial for my drink. I have another 2 possible celebratory meals this week so didn't want to overindulge.

I felt like dressing up a bit last night so wore a pretty dress ( a bit like this) with white high heeled sandals and a short sleeved white short white cardigan with crocheted back. My hair went perfectly for once so I felt really good - and very summery.

Unfortunately, having just got back from a 5 mile run and having swum earlier I don't look particularly groomed at present! A red face and sticky out hair aren't quite the image I want to show to the world. I should really go and get changed but want to play tennis with DS at some point today so don't know whether I should stay like this. I've decided to save any birthday money I get and put it towards a shopping spree for new clothes. I originally thought I'd wait till I hit target but my weight is dropping so slowly I might reward myself sooner with a few new bits - maybe when I get to nine and a half stone.

DH has lost half a stone since I offered him an incentive (Bribe!) just by cutting out bread and biscuits. He is quite enjoying it as I have bought lots of extra meaty bits such as chicken thighs to snack on and we still share a tiny bar of chocolate some nights. I've also cut down on his carb portion and upped the vegetable serving at dinnertime so the plate still looks full but the proportions are slightly different. I haven't told him and I don't think he has noticed so far. His blood pressure has dropped too which is what I was hoping for.

Hope you all have a lovely day.

Rose

lessonlearned

Hello lovely ladies.

Maman - thanks for the body shop tip. Will try those...

Rose - great news about your success with your stealth tactics re your husbands healthy eating, especially with the blood pressure going down, that's got to be good news.

I'm using stealth tactics on DS2 ........he is stick thin but leftto his own devices he would live on junk food, so I give him healthy meals and am trying to wean him off cakes etc.

he really has no weight problems but even thin people can get type 2 diabets if they don't eat properly. I have been watching some food documentaries when he is around so hopefully he is half paying attention........he does at least get plenty of exercise, he has been using a pedometer and is averaging 8 miles a day at work, plus all the lifting etc when he is in the warehouse.

Speaking off exercise, ive been doing some back strengthening moves and using my Swiss ball like a good girl.:rotfl:

Had a great day yesterday, went to IKEA and had a little spend and the lunch at Nandos. Before that I viewed that second cottage.....:eek: Unfortunatley it's a money pit. It's a bank reposession and it shows......

It always beats me how people can neglect their greatest financial asset. Even if you have no money you can still keep your home in good shape. The gutters were clogged and water ingress has caused thousands of £s of damage. All for the sake of 1 hour With a ladder and a stiff brush. Same with the inside - don't dry clothes on radiators, open the windows, air the place out and if necessary wash down with bleach and slap on a coat of anti fungicide paint.

These cottages are listed buildings so you can Imagine the repair costs........I'm afraid ive just walked Away. No wonder the house has been on the market for over 6 months.

Why do people do this, the owner will have lost over £40k off the value of their house......Madness........

Same with my dads cottage. I went in today to read the meters and clear some stuff. The house has been standing empty now For over a year with no heat and no ventilation. It stinks of damp, the plaster is coming away from the walls. It would break mums heart if she could see it. He has finally reduced the asking price but it's too little too late. He's going to have to slash the price now to sell. The house will have lost 25 per cent of its value and all because he wouldn't leave some heating on low......

Of course he wouldn't listen to me. What do I know.... I Only spent 30 years selling houses.:rotfl:

Ah well.......

chanie

rosewood well done on the healthy eating

ll hope your trip to ikea was productive. I have a store not too far away and you've reminded me that I need to get some new crockery.

I've been on a course for work for the past few days and decided to walk there from work. The walk involved going through HYde Park in London. The walk gave me the opportunity to see how the other half live and to slow down and appreciate my surroundings. Despite being a Londoner, I rarely have the time to appreciate the city, so it has been lovely to do so.

I made a sneaky purchase today, a new cashmere jumper. I had one, which I washed for the first time and although I put it on a hand wash cycle and in a pillowcase, it came out of the pillowcase midwash and ended up with holes. I was so annoyed as it was expensive, but I won't make that mistake again. I really do think that natural fibres are the way to go!!!