Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget.

Wednesday2000

savingmore said:

just wanted just wanted to pop in and say Hi and to say how much I really do enjoy these threads, (and fab to frump).  i enjoy the company, chit chat, thoughts, feelings and ups and downs of real life.  You motivate me to keep going. 

Yes, I look at this thread, the Frump to Fab thread and the Cooking for One thread the most on this forum. I used to look on the discussion bit but I got really bored with Brexit talk!

Wednesday2000

The long, furry hot water bottle is great. I got a leopard patterned one. I really like having it beside me in bed at night. It's like hugging a big warm teddy bear, lol. It really soothes me! Excellent buy. £25 on Am*zon.

It's my 44th (eek!) birthday next week and I'm going to a concert on Friday night (Stereophonics at the O2) after having dinner and drinks at home and then just watching films at home on the Saturday.

I have got someone to take care of my dogs so we don't have to board them at the vet so we saved some money there.

My husband is working this weekend. I said he didn't have to but we have our early retirement to save for so he wanted to. I am just doing some housework today, dull, but it has to be done. I have been tidying and organising still. I rearranged the stuff in my airing cupboard this morning. I also moved my bed around to the opposite side of the bedroom so it rests against some low white shelves. On the shelves I put fairy lights, my oil diffuser that lights up and my white church flickering LED candles as well. It looks very nice, a sanctuary.

I'm just about to read the rest of my book, it's called Getting Comfy - Your Morning Guide to Daily Happiness.

helensbiggestfan

0ooh your bedroom revamp sounds fab.  Tres Chic,  

That book sound interesting. I have been reading about the importance of good morning routines, setting the tone for the day, setting us up for success or failure.  

Champagne Moments today, treating myself to a nice smart suitcase with four "all direction" wheels. Not strictly a need, definitely a want but it will make my life easier and save wear and tear on my shoulder. Popped into a chazzer. Picked up a fab warm woollen poncho/cape thingy, £2.50. I love them, so useful and versatile and 3 books for £.  So a nice little haul there.  

Im just cooking a casserole and a cauliflower cheese (my eldest son's favourite) for a family lunch tomorrow, so some nice smells wafting through the house.  Very cold and windy here so going to cosy down and Hygge this evening.  

All is good.  

luxor4t

helensbiggestfan said:........ 

I have bought my rail tickets for Scotland and, as is my custom, I have splurged and treated myself to first class.  Yes, a naughty and unnecessary additional expense but I hate travelling like a sardine in a tin.  I like to travel in comfort and style, it's one of my little indulgences.  🤣

Just in case you -or anybody else - did not know, there is an additional joy to First Class, some station have dedicated "Lounges" - details are buried in amongst this page  https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/44863.aspx

sugarbaby125

My Champagne moments on Friday was going to Streatham Odeon to watch the film Dark Waters using my Groupon Odeon code online. So I paid a total of £4.75 rather than £13.25 which saved me £8.50. 

Odeon says ….

This film is inspired by the shocking true story of the tenacious attorney (Mark Ruffalo) who uncovers a dark secret that connects a number of unexplained deaths, due to one of the World's largest corporations. In the process he risks everything - his future, his family and his own life to expose the truth. 

Mark Ruffalo is superb in this role, he lives and breathes the character. Anne Hathaway is his wife and she does well in the role until the sons are all grown up when she hardly looks a day older than when the youngest son was born. I found this film totally engrossing. I would give this film 9/10 

Today I went along to Highgate in North London to do my Introduction to Acting Workshop. Normally I am never late to arrive anyway, but sod's law, of course I ran late, due to roadworks near my home. The roadworks were not mentioned when I looked up the route by public transport on TFL Journey Planner yesterday evening.   There was no sign of any roadworks when |I came home from the cinema yesterday evening, so that 6 or 7 minutes that it took me to walk to the next bus stop to start my journey, had a knock on effect. Then when I came out of Highgate underground station, I could not see the venue I was looking for. I had the good sense to ask 2 people to point out the venue to me and the 2nd person used their smartphone and the postcode, which luckily I had on me to locate the venue.  The entrance was set back from the road and also very poorly sign posted so initially I walked past it and had to backtrack, 


My late arrival left me somewhat flustered, but I quickly removed my leather jacket, my leather gloves and my scarf and putting my bags on the sofa in the room, I joined the other people in the circle. There were only 5 of us and the tutor Jenny. There was Tim, Rochelle, Chandray, Vicky and myself. Jenny had us all stand in a circle and then she asked each of us to give ourselves a 2 word title including our own names. Tim went first and chose Tigerish Tim as his new moniker. Then Jenny asked Tim to act as if he was stepping onto a stage and he had to become a pantomime version of himself and say I am Tigerish Tim but also act the words as he was saying them. Oh dear, Tim did a terrible job, so Jenny gave him further direction and asked him to do it all over again. After several attempts by Tim at getting in right but getting what was required of him woefully wrong, Jenny moved on to Vicky. Followed by Chandray, then Rochelle and then last but not least it was my turn. The 3 other young women also could not seem to understand what Jenny expected them to do. I on the other hand got it right at the 1st attempt. I think this was due to the fact that I am an avid fan of Pantomines having taken my children to them when they were younger. Jenny complimented me on my 'acting' and told the other 4 to think about what I had done and then try again. 


Tim was not happy that Jenny had complimented my acting and my use of my voice and could not hide his annoyance. For the rest of the workshop which was 3 hours long Tim was a bit passive aggressive with me, but I chose to ignore his antics and got on with getting us much as I could from Jenny's workshop. I did have to step out of character, when I was acting an improvised scene with Tim as he chose to swear at me in character and no way was I going to ignore that. Jenny seemed surprised at my objection, but I pointed out to her that a doorman (bouncer if you prefer), would never swear at a member of the public trying to  gain entry to a club as that would be gross misconduct resulting in the loss of his job. Even men are capable of jealousy and envy when a complete novice to acting is constantly being complimented deservedly by the tutor and he is incapable of following direction and kept on making mistakes. 


Tim obviously felt that as the only amateur actor in the group, he could not be that bad at doing improvised acting. He even made a point of saying to Jenny that normally, he has a lot of time to work on his acting when he is doing amateur dramatics, but here Jenny was only giving him a few minutes to understand what he needed to do. It was the same for all of us, and no one else was having Tim's problems.   Maybe it was just that the rest of us in the group were female. 


In life we all meet the Tim's of the world, that even when they come to a place of learning, arrive at the venue, thinking that they know it all. They think they will just be able to show off their existing skills and have another stage to feel superior in front of another group of people. I laugh a lot at people like Tim, rather than letting them get me all riled up. 


It was a really fabulous experience and if I was not saving every pound and penny to ensure I can achieve important personal goals in 2020 and 2021, then I would have signed up for a course of acting lessons. 

helensbiggestfan

luxor4t said:

helensbiggestfan said:........ 

I have bought my rail tickets for Scotland and, as is my custom, I have splurged and treated myself to first class.  Yes, a naughty and unnecessary additional expense but I hate travelling like a sardine in a tin.  I like to travel in comfort and style, it's one of my little indulgences.  🤣

Just in case you -or anybody else - did not know, there is an additional joy to First Class, some station have dedicated "Lounges" - details are buried in amongst this page  https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/44863.aspx

Yep, keeps away the riff raft.😂🤣

I know that sounds awful but it's part of the reason I choose first class.  

In another life I used to have to travel both to and from London and to and from Scotland on a regular basis.   A minimum of once a month to Scotland.  I got sick and tired having to stand on packed trains, of people pinching my reserved seat and refusing to give it up and of the crowds of drunken football hooligans and assorted yobs.  I also got heartily fed up with being propositioned. I had a couple of very nasty experiences when I felt very threatened and I swore I would never do either journey again in second class when travelling alone.  I don't mind travelling second class  if I am travelling with someone else. 

ok I was younger and more attractive back then and I'm probably in no real danger of being the recipient of unwanted male attention these days but even so I just prefer the comfort and comparative safety of first class.  It's a personal choice but for me it's worth the extra.

 It's the same as not choosing the cheaper hotel in a dodgy area.......😂. 

helensbiggestfan

wow SUgarbaby .......that sounds fun.  Having seen you on the box I bet you were great.  I definitely think you should look at doing something along those lines one day., you are a multi talented lady with a bright and vivacious personality.  You would be great on the stage or TV.  

Good that you didn't  let Tim ruffle your feathers.  You're right, we often come across the Tim's of this world.  😂

Dark Waters is on my list, as is Military Wives.  Some good films in the pipeline.  

savingmore

Thanks a lot LL....derrière suitably kicked.  i watched a fascinating TED talk tonight about why behaviour is hard to change, namely what is in front of us is more present than a goal in the future.  yep....got it in one.  i can do it, but need to be in right frame of mind and not travelling too much......hate to say it but am in south africa until monday (work) and it’s lovely and hot and beautiful views.  have a lazy day off tomorrow to enjoy my self catering accommodation (with pool).  i have been watching the news back home, what a miserable winter.  was hoping i would come back to spring, but doesn’t seem that to be the case.  of course, nothing guaranteed with flights, there is coronavirus here, and travelling back via a north african country where there were plenty of chinese in masks two weeks ago, so not quite sure what to expect come monday.....

sugarbaby125

helensbiggestfan said:

wow SUgarbaby .......that sounds fun.  Having seen you on the box I bet you were great.  I definitely think you should look at doing something along those lines one day., you are a multi talented lady with a bright and vivacious personality.  You would be great on the stage or TV.  

Good that you didn't  let Tim ruffle your feathers.  You're right, we often come across the Tim's of this world.  😂

Dark Waters is on my list, as is Military Wives.  Some good films in the pipeline.  

Thank you LL. I have always wanted to try my hand at acting, but I may have to wait until 2021 until I have the funds to pay for a course of lessons.  I have had a taster of what skills are involved in learning to act and it has given me a hunger for more. 

Wednesday2000

Sugarbaby - that guy sounded a right pain in the *neck* You dealt with him well.

I will look for that TED talk on behaviour change Savingmore. I do love a TED talk. I watched one the other day about envy and comparing yourself to others that was good.