Frump to Fab 2017 - A Whole New World

chanie

sugar I have no doubt that you can deal with anything that life throws at you. You are right to pick your battles though.

Maman I always take the bare minimum when on holiday. Only because I hate unpacking when I get home. I’d take a small tub of Vaseline as it’s multi functional, so you can use it as a lip moisturiser/gloss, on dry skin like feet (hope you are sticking with your routine), on your eye lashes etc.

I’m off work today, as I have a stinking cold. I dragged myself into work yesterday and felt rough, but thought I’d get over it quicker if I took the day off. I did pop out to get my underarms waxed and my eyebrows threaded, as I haven’t had it done for ages. There is a salon just down the road so I was in and out very quickly.

Tiggger

Maman I often travel on hand luggage only, especially for one week to Spain or Tenerife. In my plastic bag I take sample size moisturiser(from Clarins) and serum (from a gift set so smaller). I also decant my shampoo, conditioner and shower gel into hotel sample bottles as they are smaller than travel sizes and adequate for 6 day’s (I don’t wash my hair every day though). I take a roll-on deodorant. I take facial and eye make up remover wipes, so no liquids - I try to have a 2/3 used pack of facial wipes to take. I put in a sample foundation or tinted moisturiser from Clarins. I also put in a 30ml factor 30 and 50 sun cream as I’m sensitive to some. After I’ve gone through customs I then buy larger size sun creams and a shower gel to share with Hubbie in Boots/Superdrug which I leave behind at the end of the week! (it’s still cheaper than paying for checked luggage,) Hubbie takes a small tube of toothpaste which we share.

Make-up wise I take a nude eye shadow, my grey liner pen, mascara and my everyday lip gloss and one lipstick, as well as a Benefit Brow sample. If I have space I add a bronzer and brush. All of this goes in a mesh pencil case.

Hopefully this helps, enjoy Poland, we’ve been twice to ski and loved it.

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

Thank you Maman. Women invariably have to be strong and capable, especially when like me, they are a single parent.

I still have my hacking cough and sore throat, but they feel a little better today. I am hoping for daily improvement from today.

I do not go on holiday to far flung countries, but when I stay in a hotel in the UK, I try to travel as light as possible. Even my suitcase is a special lightweight, solid body, expandable one. One of my nieces is getting married in February 2018, so that is our next upcoming hotel stay.

Maman enjoy your trip to Poland

lessonlearned

Hello lovely ladies.

Fab Friday today!!! Let’s rock this!!! I am not “glammed up” but am nicely and warmly dressed. My hair is styled and looking good: love the new colour - much warmer. I don’t even need to wear make up unless I want to, so very pleased with the result.

My friends have just gone back. We had a lovely time, very busy so looking forward to some quiet time.

They do love to shop......:rotfl: so the plus side is I managed to source some great bedside lights and some new glassware when we went to Ikea (they don’t have one near them) and I also managed to make a good dent in my Christmas shopping when we went to the MacArthur Glenn retail park.

I am tired now though so looking forward a a nice quiet weekend to catch up with myself.

Lots of eating out and I have put on a few lbs so need to eat simply for a few days. Still lots of food in the fridge and the freezer is full to bursting so hopefully a nice low November food bill.

Interesting chat about packing for holidays. I can travel light but obviously the six weeks holiday is going to be a bit more challenging.......I estimate 2 weeks of fairly cold weather, one week of getting soaked every day in the rain forest and then three weeks of hot weather. No laundrette on the Magellan......should be interesting.

When cruising you can take as much luggage as you can handle, there are no restrictions. On the 33 night Caribbean cruise one lady took 7 full sized cases.:rotfl:

The only stipulation they make is that the cases aren’t too heavy. One of our connecting coaches has a limit of two x 23lb cases in the hold and then normal hand luggage. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

I am going to buy lightweight rain gear, maybe a cagoule type and also a large waterproof poncho. I need to visit one of those outdoor type shops and see what’s suitable. (it will be wet and hot) A pair of ankle wellies so that shouldn’t take up too much room. I have a fold up dual function umbrella/insulated sun parasol which should be ok.

A couple of thick sweaters, wear one, pack the other, one pair of boots which I will wear for travelling, and a good warm coat which i will wear. Two or three lightweight sweaters and maybe a couple of lightweight cardigans would be useful. That should see me through the various weather stages. And then just t shirts and tops which can be rinsed through by hand for the hot weather.

I find pashminas and shawls very useful for extra warmth and they take up very little space. So all in all I think two cases should be fine.

Although there will be at least 6 proper formal nights the dress code for the other nights will be smart casual so I can still change for the evening. I am certainly not going to attempt to take 42 different evening or cocktail dresses. Some will just have to be worn more than once. No one will care, assuming they even notice. A different shawl and or jewellery will be enough to ring the changes. A lot of my dresses are lightweight silks so can be rolled up very small. For the rest I will just mix and match separates and dress them up with a bit of bling in the evening.

Toiletries, make up etc I can streamline but I will need to take a good selection of otc meds. They can be very expensive abroad. Just over 2 months to go. I do want to try and buy a fold up telescope (for stargazing) and a pair of binoculars but again they shouldn’t take up too much room.

SUgarbaby...hope you are feeling better now and I too think you are right to be philosophical about Lambeth.....no point banging your head against a brick wall and making yourself ill. I guess sometimes we just have to know when to accept defeat gracefully and move on with our lives. I don’t believe in allowing bitterness to eat into our hearts and souls, it can be very destructive.

Maman....when do you go to Poland. I bet it will be fab.

Right I’m off for my walk now and then a spot of lunch and then a bit more tidying up. I will leave the real catching up for the weekend, there’s no hurry.

Have a lovely weekend.

chanie

LL what a ‘terrible’ dilemma you have about packing for 6 weeks ��.

If I were going, id invest in some vests and other undergarments. If you wear these under your everyday clothes, you should be able to wear your clothes more than once as they won’t have much contact with your skin. You may be able to wash the undergarments in your cabin.

Also check out peshtemal towels. They are Turkish hamman towels, which are thin, but absorbent. They are quite fashionable at the moment. I have one ��.

I’ve just got back from the hairdressers, having got my roots done. Was very much needed though. I also popped into Lidl and picked up some thermal leggings and tops for work.

I have quite a lot of running around this weekend. DS starts his first holy communion classes tomorrow and they will be running every week until June. We will also be doing some fireworks at home this weekend.

Hope you all have a nice weekend.

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

I had my breast screening this morning and then I managed to get a Doctor's appointment. I was totally fed up of dealing with so many different symptoms. I now have a course of antibiotics which hopefully will finally do the trick and I can get myself back to work on Monday. The Doctor gave me a Fit for Work Certificate that says that I can only do light duties for 2 months from Monday.

I have kept in touch daily with my manager and today she said she has a meeting scheduled for the 2 of us next Thursday at 1pm to talk about my emails and my letter about annualized pay. Hopefully all will be resolved on that day.

My everyday solid silver hoops with crystals have worn out. One of the posts broke off from the earring and it would not have been worth getting it repaired, so I binned them. I shall have to get a plain pair of silver hoops as the replacement.

I have not made much effort fabbing today because I am feeling exhausted. Clean and tidy had to be enough today. I had a lovely long, pampering bath this morning, which was quite restorative.

maman

Hope this is a good week for you coming up sugarbaby. If the antibiotics kick in and you get the pay slip issue sorted that'll be real progress. Shame about your earrings, it's always a shame when favourites wear out. You'll just have to keep on the look out for something and manage with plain hoops in the meantime.


I'm off to Poland next Sunday (12th) LL. It's only for 6 nights so that's why I can manage fine with cabin luggage only just like I did in Prague back in March. Most of the time I'll be wearing jeans and jumpers under a big coat. There's no dressing up for restaurants like on the cruise ships just a smart jumper and no one can see the boots under the table!:D


Thanks for all the input on the toiletries and travelling light everyone. It's the 10 x 100ml limit on liquids that's the problem but for a short trip I can manage with moisturiser doubling up for various other creams to leave space for conditioner and mascara etc.


I had my massage today and it was brilliant. Just so relaxing. When I talked to her about the problems getting an appointment she admitted it was her fault. She'd been so inundated that she cut back on the advertised appointments to get through those already booked in. I'm having another in three weeks time.


I was so pleased when she was doing the massage that I'd defuzzed my legs and kept up the foot creaming.:D


Other than football which is unusually at 3 p.m. on Saturday, I'm looking forward to a quiet weekend. Hope you all enjoy yours whatever you're doing.:)

LaineyT

I really hope that the antibiotics help with the symptoms Sugarbaby and you feel better soon. That sounds like positive news with your pay query at least.
Poland is on our list of places we would like to visit Maman mind you it's quite a list
Not too much fabbing has gone on today, I did give myself a mini pedicure though as wearing lots of boots plus bed socks has meant that my feet have become a tad rough again, I use one of those large file things in the shower followed up with lots of cream.
We are heading to Edinburgh for a few days on Monday, as we are going on the train need to pack relatively lightly so will decant all my beauty products into smaller bottles and take a minimal selection of make-up, think foundation, eyebrow pencil, eyeliner, mascara, tinted lip balm and perhaps some flash balm just to oomph things up if needed.
I did pop into town today for a few bits, including some padded insoles as my short boots are a tad thin on the soles and can hurt my feet if I walk for any length of time in them. I also picked up a new jacket in Fatface, it's forecasted to be colder and a tad wet in Scotland so found a nice wax type jacket with a pack away hood that I can layer up with jumpers etc. It fills a hole in my outer wear selection.

We are out for brunch tomorrow but otherwise not much else is planned, perhaps a nice long hack on Sunday if the weather is good.

Love to all x

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

I am not yet fully recovered, but I will be returning to work tomorrow though.

I can not afford to stay at home from a financial point of view and from a health point of view. I have struggled to get any kind of exercise since I have been ill, as I was just feeling too rough and had little energy. I have managed to keep my weight steady until now 3 weeks later, but I have only gained 1 pound, which I am really pleased about.

I have had to miss so many social opportunities over the last few weeks, but I am going to Karaoke in Forest Hill tonight. I will take it easy and mostly enjoy listening to other people sing.

I am busy getting loads of washing and drying done before I go out later so the whole family is prepared for the week ahead.

chanie

sugar good luck with your return to work next week.