Frump to Fab 2018 - Fabulous Dahhhhlings

maman

I'm assuming all is well with the new washing machine sugarbaby

You never fail to amaze with your resourcefulness. Great eBay sales. :T

I've had a few different stylists over the years but mostly at the same salon or followed a stylist to a new employer. I started with the owner but he got busy as he opened new sites, then his manager who started his own place and then moved abroad. Now I have the senior stylist that my DD has used throughout. I went to them first when I met someone whose hair style I admired.

Thought of you today money . I bought a vintage C&A dress from the CS. It has a panelled skirt which had some seams open as slits. I didn't like that so I was sewing them up. It's a size 12 and it's old so it should be one of your real sizes.

Out of curiosity, what do you think of as 'diet' meals?

moneyistooshorttomention

maman wrote: »

Thought of you today money . I bought a vintage C&A dress from the CS. It has a panelled skirt which had some seams open as slits. I didn't like that so I was sewing them up. It's a size 12 and it's old so it should be one of your real sizes.

Out of curiosity, what do you think of as 'diet' meals?

Oh yes re those vintage sizes. I think this is the 3rd time I've been on a diet??? The first time was when I was in a vintage clothes shop (wearing clothes labelled the size 14 of that era - 1980s??). I saw a Marks & Spencer skirt I liked and thought "Nah - it'll be too big for me - as the label says size 16". You guessed it. "Apparently size 14 me" found the size 16 skirt too small.

Diet meals - well I'm basically on the Slimming World Green Plan. Today's lunch was a Syn free SW cauliflower and potato soup (carefully minus the grated cheese I normally like to put on soups) and two pieces of toast (I save my "healthy extras" and Syns to have bread at lunch, as well as breakfast.

Dinner tonight was a Syn Free SW aubergine and tomato bake. Now it was a modern-day SW recipe - and therefore not syn-free on my older style SW diet. So I omitted the goats cheese they had in it and used quark instead. So I had my aubergine/tomato bake with brown rice and steamed spinach (with squeeze of fresh lemon juice on it).

If I wasn't on a diet - I'd have used that goats cheese. I'd have probably drizzled a bit of olive oil over my spinach, as well as the lemon juice.

Bored stiff with the diet - but prepared to stick it out - because I can't see me putting the weight back on again this time. I've got more time to think about what I eat now that I'm retired. Even more to the point - I've gone virtually teetotal (now that I longer have the stresses of That Job I had and I've got through the first couple of years here, with neighbours "raising hell"). First the job and then neighbours of current house did rather "drive me to drink" and there were blazing rows at intervals with them, as they tried to "walk over me". Now I'm planning on only having wine on "occasions" (like "nice" meals out or a monthly social thing here that involves wine-drinking).

I think it wasn't so much the wine per se that put on weight - but the combination of it robbing me of willpower temporarily and giving me an attack of The Munchies. I've found that the only booze I can drink without The Munchies coming on is champagne it seems (which I'm on too low income to have very often:(). During the week I was out at a social thing where I had only one small glass of wine - and that was enough to trigger The Munchies and I came back home and ate more than I otherwise would have (so that was 4 meals worth that day). I've not been able to figure out why wine triggers The Munchies for me - I just know it does.

silverspirit

I need one good face item, I have a good serum and rose oil, it needs to be acid exfoliator according to my new guru caroline h. Any recommendations before I start to trawl her site?

pollypenny

Morning, ladies. I've been a real lady who lunches recently, with consequences on my weight!

I'm at the top of my 3 lb wriggle room and have an afternoon tea,on Thursday eith the Grumpy Old women group, as well as dinner on Friday with the rugby lot.

Have to be strict fasting to allow for this. I worked hard to lose the two stone and didn't too much on size 10 trousers to blow it.

Probably go the cinema today - no ice cream treat allowed.

The wine is the hardest to give up, though, money!

moneyistooshorttomention

:rotfl: re that wine comment Pollypenny:rotfl:

I don't think about it as much as I did I know - so that helps.

Still frequently trying on clothes I intend to wear again to keep me "on the straight and narrow". Managed to put on/do up/move in a belt I bought in my early 20's this morning:D. It was on the loosest notch and was not comfortable - but that'll be one item of clothing "reclaimed" soon:D. Last time I tried it on I was gasping like mad to do up that "loosest" hole - so progress is being made slowly.

Have bought myself two sets of glass food prep containers recently (they've only been on The List for literally years:cool:) and a 3rd set is en route currently. Then I'll be that bit better able to monitor what food I'm having/have it be ready in advance - so I don't "grab and go" for whatever food I think of first.

The biggest size I'd accept being is real size 14 (that means the label on clothes saying size 12 now) per se. Size 16 (now labelled as being "size 14" usually) is the start of the outsize clothes range. So "label size 14" clothes are not an option for me.

maman

silverspirit wrote: »

I need one good face item, I have a good serum and rose oil, it needs to be acid exfoliator according to my new guru caroline h. Any recommendations before I start to trawl her site?

I'd be pleased to hear what your guru recommends silverspirit and then when you try them how they work. I have a couple of Clarins ones that are OK but I came by them in gift sets so not necessarily ones I've chosen.


I'm assuming that if you're following the old Green plan then you could be a vegetarian money. I love my wine so much:o that if I didn't use most syns for that I wouldn't have any problems:D. What do you use your syns for? I'm sure you know that if you really like having cheese with your soup then you could use your HEA (2 of them on Green) for that or syn the goats cheese. I'm probably preaching to the converted but the worry is that if you treat SW as a diet rather than a healthy, long term way of eating then you'll get bored and give up and/or return to eating the old way that made you gain in the first place. I know I sound like I'm a preachy SW consultant (which I'm definitely not) but after 8 years at my preferred weight I know that the structure to limit treats and have plenty of balanced healthy food that SW affords makes sense and really works:). Well it does for me.:o


Dancing tonight so another skirt called for. As it's still fairly mild I might wear my navy Boden jersey dress and the new navy leggings underneath. That way I can take off my cardigan if I get hot and my feet wont feel too hot either compared with tights.


I think I have everything sorted for tomorrow. I must make sure I pack enough make up as I tend to wear a bit more in the evening than during the day. Other than that I'm pretty organised both for the event and the stop over in the hotel.

humptydumptybits

I'm feeling fab, or should that be smug? I've now not only bought and wrapped all the Christmas presents I've also done the cards not to mention helping the GC with their presents which are nearly all done and wrapped, they've just got to think of a couple more.


My next plan is to do some batch cooking and freeze some meals for when the hordes descend. I reckon I've got to do 3 roasts, Sunday before Christmas, Christmas Day and the Sunday after Christmas. Then we will probably have a meal out and maybe a takeaway so if we have a leftovers Boxing Day I reckon that leaves me with 4 days to cater for, if I can do somethings ahead like chilli, lasagne, cottage pie then catering should be much easier. I plan on doing breakfast everyday, some days a fry up, some a pancake breakfast and a few cereal/toast days. I'm hoping they will sort out lunches either going out and about or helping themselves so if I've got dinners all sorted I should be laughing. Well I'm hoping that is how it goes. Anything up to 12 people here each day for ten days is a marathon, some days it will be down to 4 or 5.


Any suggestions for meals or how to survive will be most gratefully received.

humptydumptybits

I have a cunning plan! If we have a meal out when the first 3 arrive we could then have another meal out when only the last two are here. Reduces the number of meals I need to cook to 3 roasts and 3 others. I think it is also easier than a meal out for 10 or 12 with ages from 1 to 71.

maddiemay

silverspirit wrote: »

I need one good face item, I have a good serum and rose oil, it needs to be acid exfoliator according to my new guru caroline h. Any recommendations before I start to trawl her site?

not posted here for ages, RL been getting in the way, but do read regularly:D

I am a CH groupie and have been for years.
Budget ranges to look at might include Superdrug, some great products and no animal testing, Nip N Fab, First Aid Beauty and Garden of Wisdom at Victoria Health great product checker against skin type on the last one.

Most, but not all of CH recommendations are more expensive right up to eye watering. Pixi Glow Tonic is quite gentle, l use it a lot, think it can be found in M&S and very large branches of Boots as well as at Pixi and generally on-line.

If your skin is at all sensitive start very gently on acids and build up usage, I always start new ones with a slightly damp cotton pad for few uses, otherwise my skin rebels:eek:

There are probably lots more, but brain given up on me for now:D

maman

Good to see you calling by Maddie.:) That Pixi Glow tonic came up as recommended when I did a search earlier. Boots stock it and, assuming it's not better value anywhere else, you can buy it online and have click and collect to a nearby store if you have one. I find that really useful as then I don't have to rely on items being in stock in the larger branches in the city centre. Plus I think the Boots Vantage card is really good, probably one of the better loyalty cards although you do have to check that the product price is comparable.


That sounds like quite a feat having all those visitors humpty. I used to do a massive family party for 30+ but my niece is doing it this year.:D I always did hot food as I found it simpler than masses of nibbles. My two 'go to' meals were either lasagne or a beef in red wine casserole. When my SIL hosted she'd often do a casserole or a curry and keep them warm in slow cookers. For the lasagne I'd make a couple in those huge foil trays and then some smaller ones in my usual dishes. The big ones were all used in the party and if I needed more I could fall back on the smaller ones. If not needed they could go in the freezer.


Can't believe how dark it gets so quickly. I suppose with the good weather it's crept up on us.