Frugal Frump to Fab - 2015

VJsmum

beluga wrote: »

Happy Friday!

Had a busy day today, out at 9 for an appointment, home for 1 and back out again ten minutes later. Went for lunch and a wander round the shops with my sister, got some pyjamas, a candle and a faux fur collar thingy. All on sale, and with birthday money so I don't feel too guilty! i did try on a couple of things that looked just OK, but I remembered this thread and put them back - if they're not perfect then I'm not buying! Got in at 5 and straight back out again, DH goes out on Fridays so we have a coffee date when he finishes work.

Just had some soup and toast for tea, but now that I've sat down the sore throat and headache I've been trying to ignore have hit me

I've got a busy day again tomorrow, so tonight I'm going to drink lots of green tea, have a bath and an early night to try and feel better. I haven't been eating enough fruit, so I bought some orange juice for some vitamin C. I know actual fruit is better, but my IBS doesn't tolerate fruit very well!

Hope everyone has a fab weekend! x

Here is the list of top 10 foods with vitamin c


http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/vitamin-C.php

DD265 wrote: »

Hi all

Welcome to the thread Justamum and Ellsbel



Congratulations, how exciting

I have been keeping up with my fabbing - just buffed my nails as I don't really want to paint them. I may paint my toe nails tomorrow though as working from home so plenty of time for them to dry!

I need to get some new trousers for work. I have three pairs currently - one pair I can wear with heels but the hems have dropped and the zip is broken (half repaired). The other two are too short for heels and if I'm honest, my flat boots too. All three pairs are baggy on the bum and thighs because of the weight I've lost.

The dilemma I have is: as I am not customer facing, do I wait until I have lost more weight to buy new trousers? Also I would want longer to wear with heels but I don't have any to wear over winter. I already have these in red and they are so comfortable that I'm leaning towards getting them in the black too:

http://www.hushpuppies.com/UK/en-GB/Product.mvc.aspx/19442W/90709/Womens/Vivianna?dimensions=0

But they are pricey. Maybe I will settle for something from Tesco/Asda instead!

I'm with maman - buy the dearer ones, if you can. I am sick of cheap shoes and in fact had to spend some money putting proper soles on a couple of pairs as I kept slipping . I now have a bit of a fear of slipping. I find TK max good for shoes. Got three pairs for just over £100 recently, including a Dune pair which retail at £85
Also the "slobbing out rather than fab - ing" I got some great fat face pJs for Christmas, which do make me feel fab whilst slobbing

Ellsbel

Morning all.
Feeling a bit demotivated this morning and fighting the urge to return to bed!
Nothing planned for today apart from household chores, dog walking and picking youngest up from school - early finish today.
Will avoid being too "slobby" though, dress-wise, and after I've had a bath I'll put some light make up and my perfume on.

DD265

maman wrote: »

I think if you know they're comfortable I'd buy the boots. If you buy them ASAP you'll get loads of wear out of them this season and maybe next. If you work out cost per wear they'll be worth it. You'll still be wearing them when the Asda ones are in the bin!

I'd buy just one pair of new trousers that fit with your boots and just wash and wear until you reach the weight you want. In an emergency you could always wear one of the current pairs.

VJsmum wrote: »

I'm with maman - buy the dearer ones, if you can. I am sick of cheap shoes and in fact had to spend some money putting proper soles on a couple of pairs as I kept slipping . I now have a bit of a fear of slipping. I find TK max good for shoes. Got three pairs for just over £100 recently, including a Dune pair which retail at £85

Thanks both, I found them brand new on ebay for less than £65 so that's not quite as bad! I do have a pair of wedges from Tesco which are lovely and really comfortable but I'm not sure how long they'll last and the grip is OK but not amazing. My problem is I want footwear with a chunky sole (for comfort and grip) and that just isn't smart. One pair of trousers is a good idea too - I could repair and probably alter the longer pair I have already so they fit a bit better.

I have taken my vitamins this morning but otherwise no fabbing yet. Although - I did manage near enough 8 hours sleep and sleep is something I've been lacking recently. I usually leave home between 6-6.30am then don't get home until 7-8pm and by the time I've eaten and done what I feel I need to do it's 11.30pm-12am before I get to bed!

I used to follow the FlyLady routines and I will probably start those again when I get my own place although really I ought to use it now. I keep saying that when my to do list is cleared of the big stuff I can relax. :rotfl:

lessonlearned

There is a website which shows close ups of some celebs feet. I think it's called worst celeb feet. There are some horrible sights, bunions, deformed toes etc - all in the name of fashion.

Comfortable well fitting shoes are a must. Your feet will thank you when you are older.

Unfortunately it does seem that you have to pay a bit more if you want something that is both comfortable and stylish. So on balance, if you are on a really tight budget, it's best to have fewer shoes, but better shoes.

One thing I had drilled into me when I was little was about taking care of shoes. My dad was chief shoe polisher and he also used to act as cobbler too, heeling and soling all the family shoes himself.

He maintained that polish wasn't just to make shoes look nice and shiny but that good quality polish feeds and nourishes the leather, helping keeping it supple and waterproof.

By the way leather shoes like bananas.;) Just rub leather shoes over with the inside of a banana. It feeds the leather and makes it shine....
Don't try it on suede.

DD265

I have a horse so am well versed in the art of leather care, although I have to confess that his bridle is currently green with mould as it hasn't been used since October-ish. It's so bad that I won't put it in the car to bring home for cleaning but have committed to doing it at the yard this weekend

Just gotten dressed and perfume on - how much better do I feel?! I didn't feel bad before but now I feel fab

silvasava

[QUOTE=lessonlearned;6751989

One thing I had drilled into me when I was little was about taking care of shoes. My dad was chief shoe polisher and he also used to act as cobbler too, heeling and soling all the family shoes himself.

He maintained that polish wasn't just to make shoes look nice and shiny but that good quality polish feeds and nourishes the leather, helping keeping it supple and waterproof.

By the way leather shoes like bananas.;) Just rub leather shoes over with the inside of a banana. It feeds the leather and makes it shine....
Don't try it on suede.[/QUOTE]

Absolutely with you LL - my dad looked after our shoes. Sunday mornings we had to give him all our shoes that needed cleaning. I've still got the old tripod 'foot' that he used for soling & heeling - and its in use!!!
He always used wax polishes to feed the leather & help waterproof them. I'm still very fussy over the care of my shoes - in fact I still have a pair of Candy Pink slingbacks I bought in '67 and they still come round in fashion about every 7/8 years If you are on your feet all day DONT wear cheap shoes - pay for leather &they'll pay you back in comfort & care.
Just got back from the gym -trainer has changed my programme & its a bit of a struggle at the moment but I'll get there - off to shower & get clothes sorted for a get together with friends tonight

lessonlearned

Pink sling backs - I remember them well.

I had a pair of pale pink patent Mary Janes when I was in my Mary Quant phase.....I thought they were the bees knees.

I thought They looked particularly fetching with my Oxfam (real) fur coat :eek: - pale pink mini dress, pale pink plastic hoop earrings and Miners peppermint pink lipstick.

Oh the shame....... I thought I looked wonderful, with hindsight I realise that I probably looked like a hooker.

In my defence I was only 15 :rotfl:

Yes, I have made plenty of sartorial errors in my time.

My back is killing me today, so just taking it easy - bit of decluttering and a bit of domestic goddesing in the kitchen. I've booked a Physio appt for Friday so will just be gentle on myself till then.

maman

So glad you're making an effort ellsbel. You don't need to anything major every day. I find as long as I achieve something, however small it makes me feel in control.


So something on the domestic front is fine. There are heaps of people on the OS boards feeling overwhelmed by domestic chores that feel much better when they do flylady. Or people who see household finances getting out of control who cope much better when they get into meal planning and budgeting. So far today what I've managed is my basic fabbing (shower, moisturise and blow dry) a machine load of washing and put a SC of lentil soup on as part of my healthy eating programme. Oh and I read the newspaper! I count that as it keeps me informed and my brain in gear!!:rotfl:Hoping to manage a bit more decluttering later. That, and cooking supper might be all I achieve for today.:D

lessonlearned wrote: »

One of the garden centres near me has a concession for Edinburgh Woolllen Mill. They are not high fashion but are very good for classics and they are usually very good quality. they often have half price offers which makes them very good value.

I think a lot of the merchandise is overpriced tat and all the shops are just clones of each other. All selling virtually identical clotheS.

The once mighty M&S has gone downhill, whilst I always felt that BHS is M&S,s plainer dowdy sister. as for Next I havent bought anything from them since the 90's. They used to do Good tailoring then and I used to buy a lot of suits from there when I was Corporate Woman but now their office wear just looks cheap and nasty! And yet their menswear isn't bad at all. DS2 recently bought a half decent suit from there and he has had a few nice shirts from M&S.

A lot of the high street chains seem to manage reasonable menswear so why are women so badly served. Grrrr - makes me cross. Don't they want my money. :rotfl:

Have to agree about the tat and the variation with men and women's clothes. Personally I'm not a fan of EWM, seem to cater for the elderly round here but I know exactly what you mean about Next and M&S. I used to buy a lot of their suits too. When I found my purple dress in M&S at the weekend it was in amongst all their failures from last season. So loads of cashmere sweaters they'd ruined by putting all sparkly beads all over them and faux pas in sizing. My dress was only there because it was labelled a size 8 when in fact it's more a small 12 so I can understand why nobody bought them. Similarly loads of really short skirts and dresses in really big sizes which really wouldn't have looked good on supersize women!


I had to walk through the men's department from the car and they have some lovely classics although my DH has stopped buying their shirts as they're skimping on fabric and the arms and body are now too short.

VJsmum wrote: »

I find TK max good for shoes. Got three pairs for just over £100 recently, including a Dune pair which retail at £85
Also the "slobbing out rather than fab - ing" I got some great fat face pJs for Christmas, which do make me feel fab whilst slobbing

My purple shoes are Dune from TKMaxx. Unfortunately the shoe racks are often half empty. The shop was half empty (of merchandise) when I was in there last. I think it was just post Christmas but did wonder if they're in trouble.


I quite like Fat Face and White Stuff for some bits. You have to be discerning as they can be a bit over embellished for me (like Per Una) but they do some lovely tops and really pretty skirts (similar to Boden).

silvasava wrote: »

Absolutely with you LL - my dad looked after our shoes. Sunday mornings we had to give him all our shoes that needed cleaning. I've still got the old tripod 'foot' that he used for soling & heeling - and its in use!!!

I think it's called a 'last'. My grampa had one of those and always repaired shoes and boots. I can't remember what the metal bits on toes and heels were called but I used to love clacking along in them! I think a lot of shoe cleaning went out of fashion when trainers became everyday wear and a lot of young people today live in Converse.


Thanks for the info about hair mousse. The one I have (John Frieda blonde) makes my (thin) hair a bit claggy but it does give body. It makes it hard to get the blow dry brush through so maybe I'll try using a bit less.


Damp but not so cold here. I had thought of going into town but it doesn't look inviting. So if I get bored it'll be more decluttering for me.:)

newthrift

LL i'm in the Derbyshire hills too the markets really have gone down hill it's a shame, sometimes they have a decent stall at the local market town but not often. I do enjoy the Farmers Market that appears once a month at a different town but I don't get chance to go down every time.

I have a snow day today, I think I could get in to work by now if I go really really slowly but it just isn't worth the risk and I would rather them take a holiday day off me in lieu, i'm not fussed as only there until 30th June. I am making sure I don't waste the day though and having a good de-clutter and tidying up as I go too. Just had a lunch break and thought I would pop on quickly to check in. Going to get the log burner going and carry on cleaning then hopefully I will get time to have a nice bubbly bath before my lovely Finace gets home for tea

Take care if the weather is bad with you also, think of neighbours and keep warm - ideally indoors with a nice hot cuppa!!

lessonlearned

Would that be the farmers market at Belper....

We had a bit of snow here last night but it didn't lie. It's just wet and miserable. I should be doing stuff but I feel really lazy......

I have a nice beef casserole bubbling away in the SC so I might just fire up the oven and do a bit of baking. It will warm the house up nicely and fill it with yummy smells.

I know winter hasn't been particularly hard this year but I'm fed up with the cold weather now. Luckily spring is just round the corner.....
I'm really looking forward to feeling some warm sun on my old bones.

My OH used to joke that I must have some lizard DNA because I was so disinclined to move when I was cold. I'm ok when the sun shines, even if it is a cold winters sun without much heat and There is frost or snow in the ground. It's the damp miserable grey days like today that I hate so much.

I think rather than a big summer holiday I shall opt for a winter sun holiday next winter - somewhere warm and exotic. I've not had a proper holiday since OH got sick so I think I deserve one this year.;)

Ps if you look at my signature, you'll see I'm doing quite well with my atttempts to earn or save extra income. That has gone into a separate account which I'm hoping to keep aside for holidays and treats.

I don't suppose I'll manage that much every month, but it's a great start to the "fun fund":D