Frump to Fab - A Whole New World.

FreetodoasIlike

I can now access the internet (hooray). It wasn’t my iPad it was our router and Virgin have replaced it free of charge. It’s surprising how most of us rely on technology (which we take for granted) and miss when it’s not working. I agree with comments about the news and like others just turn on for the headlines. The weather here (North-West) has calmed down now, but a huge drop in temperature compared with last week. The torrential rain yesterday was atrocious! I had to venture out as I got a call from my elderly mum who lives in sheltered accommodation who had run out of the essentials (she’s showing signs of early dementia so I have to go when she calls as she gets confused and upset if I don’t). I looked like a drowned rat when I got there, despite wearing my waterproof clothing. Like you Sugar I went to Morrison’s (not my first choice of supermarket but near to my mum’s) and was totally taken aback by the large amount of people who weren’t wearing face masks (surely not all of them are exempt for medical reasons). 

I’m sorry to hear of health issues Helensbiggestfan (by the way, why are your initials LL?) That puzzles me. I’m 64 but sometimes feel more like 84. I’ve suffered from sciatica for several years and have tried most things but the pain won’t go away. Some days it’s better than others so I just put up with it. Before lockdown acupuncture helped a bit so I think I’ll try that again and commit to the exercises that my physiotherapist gave me (I’ve not been doing them and I need to make the effort). Has anyone tried using a vibration plate? I’ve read reviews that they only work for weight loss if you exercise on the,(as it is supposed to increase the intensity of the workout) but I’ve also read reviews from people who suffer from sciatica/joint pain etc who have found some relief using them.

Maman I thin you asked a question about my eyebrow tattooing? The micro-pigmentation did’t really hurt but the micro-blading I’ve had in the past did. I also had my lips tattooed a couple of years ago and I wouldn’t recommend it. It didn’t hurt too much during the actual process as I was given an anaesthetic but boy when that wore off I was in so much pain I could hardly eat or drink. I was warned about the pain and that the colour would change over a week - from a ghastly blue time to orange (not a good look) and I was supposed to go back for a top-up to correct the colour but didn’t. I would not recommend this process at all, but maybe I just had a bad experience.

FreetodoasIlike

Sorry - posted too soon and pressed the comment button rather than the edit,  so apologies for some typos time should have read tinge! I was also going to add a final paragraph about how much I’m enjoying reading the thread. I’ve only just joined but will read back from the beginning to get a little background of the ladies who post regularly. 

thepurplepixie

Well very embarrassing incident yesterday and Maman played a part in it!  Well she mentioned foot masks, I'd thought about buying them a couple of weeks ago and wasn't sure if they were worth it but yesterday I thought I'd give it a go as I assumed Maman must have found them useful.  So I put a pack in the trolley, got to the self checkout paid and left.  As I unloaded the trolley I moved my  handbag and the mask fell over, it wasn't it the shopping bag.   Frantic search for the receipt and sure enough I hadn't paid for it.  Very embarrassed me going back into the supermarket to pay thanking heavens I hadn't been stopped for shoplifting.  I couldn't face using them last night but might give them a go later.
I think my online shopping is safer.

Wednesday2000

I washed the bedding and all my autumn pyjamas today and put the winter duvet back on the bed. I also bought some stationery and a 2021 calendar. It does feel very close to autumn, unless we have an Indian summer.

I wonder what next year will bring for us! 

I was thinking that every year I say I will go to a carol service at Christmas and I never do and this year I might not be able to. This time in lockdown has made me think of all the opportunities I haven't taken over the years, especially social events. 

I did try a new clay face pack today. I have run out of my Lacura cream but I still have the Lumene one. I think I will start using the hydrating cream before it as my skin is looking a little dry for some reason.

helensbiggestfan

Hello lovely ladies....

FTD. To answer your question why I am called both LL and HBF. It's a long story but basically when the site layout changed I was locked out from my original user name LessonLearned so I had to Reregister.  However, so many know me as LL and it has just stuck.  

As my dear Aunty S used to say......."I really don't mind what people call me, as long as they don't call me late for my dinner". 😉  

Well my massage yesterday was heavenly, all the knots in my muscles were gently eased out.  Feel tons better.  Im going  to try and book another for next week. Really work on ironing out all those kinks.  

Well....here's a thing.😂🤣.  I have had amazon prime video for a while now but it was only yesterday I discovered there is loads of exercise stuff on there.  Anyway technophobe that I am I actually figured out  how to put stuff in a separate section that I can just go straight to without having to sift through loads of films, tv specials.  So now I have a nice library of exercise videos, tai chi, yoga, pilates, Zumba. And even a Bollywood dance/fitness routine.  Should be fun.  

Anyway this morning I made a start on Zumba.  I really can't manage proper classes at the Moment because there is no way I could do it for 1hr - I would end up in A&E with a cardiac arrest. 😱. But this way I can build up slowly.  Told my chiro today what I'd done and she was well impressed.😂. Gave me the all clear, saying she knows I won't be stupid and will build it up sensibly rather than going at It bull at a gate.  

I've got a week off chiro now because she's on holiday next week so hopefully I can really concentrate on building up my exercise regimes at home.  

FTD. I So get what you mean when you say you are 64 but sometimes feel more like 84.  Me too. And it's horrible but I'm determined to reclaim if not my youth then some of that youthful energy. 

I am going to be completely honest and say that I am the most Unsporty person you could possibly imagine. Could never summon up the enthusiasm, it always bored me to tears.  When I was at school I loathed all forms of team sports with a passion. I got into no end of trouble for being un-cooperative but in my defence I was just hopelessly uncoordinated. I found out when I was in my 30s that I'm mildly dispraxic although my fine motor skills are fine. I am proficient at sewing, knitting etc but just don't ask me to catch or hit a ball.  I can't run for toffee. I can swim well enough but I'm not keen on swimming unless it's in somewhere warm like the Med or the Caribbean.  😂🤣. Can't stand the chlorine in public pools and I often feel it's like being in a bacterial soup.  Who knows what nasties are in the water.  When I tried swimming in public pools I just seemed to get one infection after another. Loathe gyms for the same reason.......all those sweaty germ ridden bodies. Urgh. 😂  So of course Covid is the last straw for me.....there's no way I will be going back to a gym for the foreseeable future.  My chiro did suggest "wild swimming". Not for me.....far too cold.  😱😂. 

Having said all that, as I have got older I do now value the worth of exercise and finally have got the message. Our bodies do need it, they were designed to move.  I really do think it's a case of use it or lose it. And, as daft as it might sound, exercise can help us manage joint and muscle pain.  I also firmly believe It's essential to get plenty of exercise  if we want to stay fit and healthy as we age.  I am determined to age well and stay out a nursing home .......

I have learned that it is pointless forcing myself to do exercise I don't enjoy because no matter how much my head tells me I need to do it, if my heart isn't In it I will find any excuse not to do it.   So I think the trick is to find something you like. For me I love dancing. So do Maman and SUgarbaby. They are both very keen advocates.  I also enjoy yoga, pilates and tai chi.  I even don't mind working out with small hand weights. I just put some music on.  

I cannot tell a lie sometimes I do find it very hard to motivate myself, especially when I'm in pain but I have found the longer I leave it the worse it gets.  The one thing that I think that has helped me in the long run was that I was a typical 50s  child in that I walked miles every day. I bet you did the same.  Even as a teenager I used to often walk several miles to and from work. I think that helped build up good strong legs. It certainly kept me lean.  And for entertainment, it was always dancing, several times a week.  So again building up good strong bones.  So despite being hopeless at most forms of sport I think I did build up good reserves of muscle and bone strength, providing a decent base line.  So hopefully the damage caused by the caring years and the car crashes can be undone and I can rebuild my strength and fLexibility. Muscle memory is a real thing so once you start retraining them they should respond well. FTD do try, start very gently, maybe take a couple of paracetamol to take the edge off the pain.  Don't overdo it, just a few minutes to start with and then build it up gradually.  

Even Arnie had to start somewhere......he didn't become Mr Olympia overnight.  😂

Popped into a chazza on the way home and picked up a pleated black and gold evening skirt £2, two pretty bracelets 50p each and three paperbacks for £1. Will probably save the books for winter or lockdown.  So £4 spend in all.  I do love a bargain. Nice and warm and sunny now, going to go and pull out a few weeds and enjoy the sun.  

Maisie_Moo

Sorry I haven't been posting for ages but have been reading along and really enjoying the posts. Like LL I kept getting locked out but hopefully that's sorted now.
Was spurred into action by LL's mention of not being at all sporty, I thought that's me ! Always hated running, tennis, you name it the only thing I am good at is swimming. I went to an all girls school back in the 60's and we all hated games and PE (well apart from a couple) the thing was I was voted to be games captain as they new I would choose the easiest option for the day.
Anyway I now got to yoga twice a week, have been going for around 3 years and I love it, makes me feel completely reenergised.
I also walk a lot , I sometimes don't manage 10,000 steps a day but over the week its around 50,000.
I quite agree that you do need to do something that you enjoy otherwise you don't stick at it, so I am pleased that I found yoga a bit late in life.
Hope your dental appointment goes ok Maman it's definitely a bit of a faff, my husband had to go as he had chipped a tooth and like you he had to answer a lot of questions before hand and wait in the car park until they rang him. The only thing I would like is a hygienist appointment but a friend told me they are doing it the old way with the scrapers ( whatever they are called) so think I will hold fire for now. We pay monthly and neither of us had been since December.
Going back a bit I loved the stories of where you worked as a Saturday job, we didn't have an M&S nearby so I worked in the local fruit and veg shop, quite enjoyed making displays of apples and oranges, but the local boys used to come in and cause chaos ( I suppose I secretly enjoyed it ) but I hung on to the job until I left school.
Horrendous weather here yesterday, Beds/ Northants border blew a fence panel out I honestly can't remember it being quite as bad , much calmer today though.
Well I will try to post more often as I really enjoy reading all of your posts.

maman

So sorry I almost made a criminal out of you pixie. 😁 The foot masks are a bit like doing a deep conditioner on your hair. My feet felt really soft and refreshed afterwards.

I used to be a regular churchgoer Wednesday. For various reasons I've let it lapse over the years but I have always gone with DD1 to a crib service on Christmas Eve. This year, the clergy had changed and a sort of 'happy clappy' pair had taken over. Not to my taste but we enjoyed the carols. All fine until they asked people to share Good News. Then the woman priest decided that we should be giving thanks for Brexit!!! I won't be going back there. ☹️

I had to have a tooth taken out yesterday. It's been loose for ages and getting worse through lockdown and nothing could be done. ☹️ It's a bit sore and swollen today but OK. I have to go back in a couple of months to decide what happens next.

We had an amazing time at the theatre. The best part was meeting up with friends but the play was excellent and we had a nice lunch and a few drinks. The weather was good so ideal for an outdoor event. I wore my black and white wrap dress, black sparkly fit flops and took a black pashmina just in case but it wasn't needed. 😁🌞 It felt really good to dress up and put a bit of makeup on and thanks to Rishi it was incredibly good value. 😁

FreetodoasIlike

Thank you LL - that’s what I’ll call you from now on. I now see that you started the thread. You have given me some very useful advice on health issues. My pain is mainly in my leg, so it’s definitely sciatica. I had an MRI scan nearly three years ago and it showed “wear and tear of the facet joints”. I had to google what the facet joints were of course. I just try and get on with things. You’re absolutely right when you say that you have to keep moving,  My physiotherapist says the same thing. I agree that “exercises” are boring and I make every excuse not to do them. On your advice, I’m going to go on Spotify, put my headphones on and download some 60s and 70s music and boogie. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve done that, I can tell you! I used to shut the blinds and do it often a few years back. Hey ho, no-one can see me and I’ll get a lot of pleasure of dancing around to my favourite songs. I love ABBA (who doesn’t?), Queen, Roxy Music and my all time cheesy favourite is Edison Lighthouse “Love Grows where my Rosemary Grows”:as it brings me back to when I was 16 at the school disco. Not cool to admit to this though!

FreetodoasIlike

PS - forgot to mention, would dance to ANYTHING Motown.

maman

Ironically, I love sport but not doing it. 🤣 I've even coached a very successful netball team and taught swimming. I usually get my exercise from dancing and a weekly walking group but that's not happening at the moment. ☹️