Frump to Fab 2016 - Lets make it AWESOME!!!

shandyclover

Angry Bear,

My brother wears both Aqua di Gio, and Issey Miyake por Homme. Both smell amazing and he gets many compliments.

He gets the 'proper stuff' for birthdays and Christmas, but I have also bought him the version from Perfume Parlour...

https://www.perfume-parlour.co.uk/

He says the difference is minimal. He uses the PP version for daily use, and the original stuff for special events. Might be a money saving option.

lessonlearned

That's a great idea shandy.

My current go to scent is CK1. Aldi sometimes do something that is virtually identical for about £4. I think it might even be called "One". Like you say you can slosh it around with gay abandon at that price......:rotfl:

Kale. - I have been looking at recipes. One of my favourites is Chinese style "seaweed". I knew it wasn't actual seaweed - I thought it was dark green cabbage. Anyway I was googling how to cook it and get that authentic Chinese restaurant style taste and lo and behold the recipe said use kale.......:rotfl:

Just had another quick sort out, one black bin liner of sofa throws and sweaters and a box of bric a brac, all loaded in the car ready to drop off at the Chazzer tomorrow.

Some of the items were my husband's and relate to the nursing home days which I'm sure you can appreciate don't hold particularly happy memories. I'm ready to let them go. I want to focus on the good times we had and not to have constant reminders of those sad years.

Re "Back to the Weekend". I was born in 1951 and can remember quite a bit about that decade, especially the role of women. It's really staggering how things have changed, especially the educational and career opportunities for women.

I have been very extravagant today - no not really but not exactly MSE.

We don't have working fireplaces in this house because they had been bricked up, so we sort of opened them up putting a wine rack and plants in the dining room and an electric wood burning stove look-a-likie in the sitting room. It's useless and I've always hated it, it's so noisy, costs an arm and a leg to run and doesn't throw out enough heat to warrant its existence........

So I have just ordered a fire that runs on bio ethanol, no fireplace needed and they look really good. They have been around for a while but the early ones were expensive to buy and very inefficient.

Anyway they have finally come down in price and upgraded the specification to be more fuel efficient. So I've bought one.:D

It's funny how technology gets cheaper. Last night on the Back to the Weekend programme it was the 8Os. The first VCRs were nearly £600. Nowadays You can get a decent DVD player for around £30.

Shandy. Yes I thought it was a good idea to invest in the books,. I think if you understand the science behind it and get a thorough understanding of how different foods work then you can be more inventive rather than slavishly following a few set recipes.

hedgesparrow

I'm gonna come out of the closet - Kale is my favourite vegetable.

I have never drunk a kale smoothie though. I buy a bag a week and stick it in everything. Yesterday I cooked fish and to go with it I had pasta. I fried a bit of oil with kale, garlic, chilli, cream cheese and peas and then stirred the pasta into it.

I ALWAYS put Kale in stir fries. I also roast it in the oven when I do a roast. Five minutes before the roast potatoes are done I stick a bunch of kale on top. It crisps up nicely.

It goes in stews too but not too much or it dominates. I have never eaten it raw though - doesn't sound that appealing to be honest.

Not sure if it is unhealthy if you cook it (I doubt it is as healthy anyway) but I love the stuff. We grow it in the allotment but I decimate our crop so we have to buy it too!

Going back in the kale closet now... :rotfl:

hedgesparrow

Oh and you don't have to peel it like carrots and things! Like frozen peas, it's the ultimate lazy girl vegetable. (Really am getting back in that closet now).

coppers

Hi everyone, I've got a fab red nose now. Hope everyone's having a fab time.

maddiemay

If you freeze washed and dried Kale, stripped off the thick stalks, you can take some out of the freezer and it will just crumble to go on/in pasta dishes, pizza, tomato based sauces, smoothies or pretty much anything really. I also saw an article about making kale crisps to eat as a snack, on my list of things to try. See here While you are there look at Lucy's amazing use of colour in crochet etc, her blankets and wreaths just make me want to smile and learn to crochet:D

chanie

It finally feels like things are getting back to normal in this household. OH is on the mend following his chest infection. He has been frightened by how unwell he was and a follow up with the Doctor has calmed him down. The children are also feeling better and OH's car has finally been fixed.

I cleared out our medicine cabinet this afternoon, getting rid of anything out of date. I found lots of boxes of prescription medicines for OH, some going back a couple of years. We had a trip down memory lane trying to work out what the various medicines were. Luckily, it's all keen relatively minor illnesses.

I was given a voucher for a shopping centre at Xmas (the type you can use in most shops in the Centre). I'm going next week, so I've been browsing online to see what's in the shols. This year, I want to focus on buying a couple of more expensive, higher quality items (top end of the high street type items that won't go out of style and make me feel like a million dollars). Anyway, I've seen absolutely nothing that sparks joy. I'm in no rush to spend my voucher, but everything seems so uninspiring.

hex2

My super slim, super healthy, hadn't eaten anything she shouldn't since the late 70s, mother got diagnosed with high cholesterol a few years ago which just goes to show you can't fight your genes. She has the (and I quote) 'nasty expensive cholesterol reducing yoghurt drinks' daily (Benecol?) and says they work. The diet sheet wasn't remotely helpful, she hadn't eaten the stuff it said to cut out for years.

Hope this helps. I probably should get myself tested too. I was borderline for diabetes but a couple of years of mostly paleo should have fixed that.

pink_poppy

I'm a long-term lurker & don't usually post but saw this on the BBC website yesterday about reducing the risk of getting diabetes...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zwfg82p

maman

maddiemay wrote: »

If you freeze washed and dried Kale, stripped off the thick stalks, you can take some out of the freezer and it will just crumble to go on/in pasta dishes, pizza, tomato based sauces, smoothies or pretty much anything really.

That's a brilliant idea Maddie. I'm going to buy some and any I don't use in a stir fry/fresh can go in the freezer. I used to use frozen spinach in much the same way (curries etc.) but DH is worried about the 'blood thickening' qualities of spinach so I stopped.


Is it hugely less mse to buy it in a bag ready prepared than chopping it yourself?

hex2 wrote: »

My super slim, super healthy, hadn't eaten anything she shouldn't since the late 70s, mother got diagnosed with high cholesterol a few years ago which just goes to show you can't fight your genes.

You're right about inherited cholesterol. There was always the perception that anyone with high cholesterol lived on deep fried junk. But I think even the genetic sort can be lowered with good diet/health.


I must say thank you to whoever posted the tips to make up videos the other day (sorry can't remember who but will look it up). I saw a tip that doing lipstick in the order: lipstick, blot, then pencil lipliner, then more lipstick seems to improve the staying power far better than starting with liner. I've no idea why it works but it does!!


I'm off into the city centre shortly and everything on my list is for me!! I'm getting the new mascara while its 10% off in Debenhams (matched by JL), having my feet done at the chiropodist and seriously planning new perfume or at least forming a list that DDs have requested for my birthday and Mothers Day coming up. Will also pick up some everyday body lotion (sticky stuff finished at last!!) and shower gel to augment the Clarins.


Back soon.:)