Frump to Fab 2024

SandyShores

helensbiggestfan said:

Sandyshores.  Do you watch fashion/style videos.  There are literally hundreds on you tube.  If you do a search say for "Over 50s" style you will get loads of ideas.  

Thanks helensbiggestfan there are a few people I follow on FB/insta and watch their videos, but I'll have a look on youtube too.  I think my biggest barrier is probably my 'padding' which arrived after the start of menopause and really knocked my confidence.  For a few years I couldn't shift it but gradually I lost 22lbs and that made a huge difference.  I've been yoyo-ing a little - just putting on about 5lbs and then losing it again.  5lbs doesn't sound like a lot but I can really feel the difference.  I'm determined to lose that 5lbs again plus 5 more, so have started eating healthily again (i.e. dropping the chocolate and snacks) and now adding more exercise into the week.  I'm far from being the 'healthy weight' BMI and haven't been there since pre-children, but I know my clothes will fit better with just a few pounds gone.

I was reading everyone's comments about beige clothes - I used to wear a lot of beige when I was younger (I feel it was the shoulder pad era) and then I seemed to move onto the black office wear.  But recently I've been buying much brighter colours and its so true that I automatically feel brighter in them.  The other thing I've been sorting lately is my hair, it had definitely gone frump but is now on its way to fab thank goodness.

I just wanted to say to @artistlifestyle that I love a garden too.  We moved into a new build property just a few years ago - a blank space and bought but lost a lot of plants to the horrible soil that they left in the garden.  But its amazing what has survived and I can see the shape of the garden developing.  I want it to be a little oasis and hopefully my plan will come together this year. 

helensbiggestfan

Good Morning Lovely Ladies.  

Just having a 5 minute break.  Cleaning day.  Lol. Chiro tomorrow so I want to get all the heavy work done today and then get the full benefit of my treatment tomorrow. 

 I have made an executive decision!!!!  I have just rang my go to handyman and asked him if he fancies a regular gig mowing the lawns for me.  He said yes.wahoo!!!  It seems daft to have to keep paying for massages and chiro and then buggering up my back again with lawn mowing.  

As my husband used to say "why have a dog and bark yourself". 

I have just splurged and ordered a portable infra red sauna.....basically a test drive to see how effective they are.   If I really like it and it helps with my aches and pains then once I've moved I will have a proper wooden sauna.  You can get small versions which can be used indoors, nowadays you don't need to have those outdoor cabins.  Many of my friends and family in Belguim have saunas and they swear by them. So,......I thought I'd just buy an inexpensive portable one to see how I go.  It will fit in my spare bedroom and won't be in the way.  

 I have also ordered a garden umbrella because this garden has very little shade.  This means we shall probably have the wettest, most miserable summer in history!!!!   So you know who to blame. Lol 

Picked up some nice  bargains from the chaza the other day.  Two tops and a dress for £4. I am sooo looking forward to switching out my wardrobe, putting all the winter stuff away but alas not yet. It's a bitterly cold wind here today.  

Sandy. Re your new build and starting a garden from scratch.  You didn't say what the soil was like. Is it heavy clay.  It certainly sounds poor and lacking nutrients.  From my experience in selling new builds I am afraid that usually the soil has a lot of heavy clay and landscaping is often skimped and perfunctory.  The quality of top soil is often very poor and very often the ground is compacted, sometimes containing rubble, stones and all sorts.   When they do lay turf  they don't really prepare the ground properly just shoving the turf on top and of course no one bothers to water it.  The resultant grassed areas might look ok for the first couple of years but in the longer term they  just dont thrive. Very often any shrubs or trees the new owner plants really struggle.  

 My last house wasnt a new build but the garden had been neglected for several years and the soil was compacted.  I used something called claybreaker. (Amazon).  It comes in granule form which you scatter on the top of the soil after you have just broken it up a bit.  It took several goes but it really helped. I noticed that the worms had returned, always a good sign.  😂.  At one point I had even contemplated buying some worms because the soil was so bad but in the end I didn't have to because the claybreaker stuff did the trick.  

The lawn was also in a very poor condition because the turf had been laid on top of gravel with that blue plastic weed suppressor underneath the gravel. No wonder the lawn was sickly and starting to die. I couldn't afford to have the whole lot redone so I employed a lawn company who came and treated the lawn with weed killer and fertiliser every few months.  It didn't cost much, usually around £25 per treatment.  It kept the lawn looking respectable.   

By the time I left that house the garden was gorgeous, even if I do say so myself.  Lol.  I did a drive by recently and the front garden still looked nice so improving the soil did pay dividends.  

Well done on the weight loss.  22lbs is a real achievement.  

Right better get cracking.......

Makingabobor2

Great idea to get the handyman to mow the lawn. I have regular massages and then do something that will just undo all the good that has been done. You can't put a price on your health

helensbiggestfan

MB2.  Yes I too have been and to a certain extent still am a devil for undoing all the good work of a massage or physio or whatever.    My mum used to tell me off for exactly that.  I am finally learning some sense. 

I don't wish to be a Moaning Minnie but I am really struggling with joint and muscle pain at the moment, lower back and right shoulder.  I have been relying far too much on Ibruprofen and I am determined to avoid it.  I had intended to mow the lawns today but I have finally admitted defeat.  Enough is enough.  

 This aging milarky isn't all it's cracked up to be 😂.  

Makingabobor2

helensbiggestfan said:

MB2.  Yes I too have been and to a certain extent still am a devil for undoing all the good work of a massage or physio or whatever.    My mum used to tell me off for exactly that.  I am finally learning some sense. 

I don't wish to be a Moaning Minnie but I am really struggling with joint and muscle pain at the moment, lower back and right shoulder.  I have been relying far too much on Ibruprofen and I am determined to avoid it.  I had intended to mow the lawns today but I have finally admitted defeat.  Enough is enough.  

 This aging milarky isn't all it's cracked up to be 😂.  

Have you tried doing some stretching exercises first thing in the morning, I always do.  The lady who's group I am in on FB, does a great Flow Pilates session as well, which is a great help. 
The other thing I do is to use one of those wheat packs that you heat up in the MW, great for when my shoulder or back hurts. I just won't take pain killers unless I am in absolute agony. 

helensbiggestfan

I had a lurgy last week so struggled to exercise, kept coughing.   I have just restarted doing some Pilates type stretches first thing.  3rd day today.  Hopefully things will improve soon.  🤞

SandyShores

Spot on with the description of my garden.  Clay is supposed to be very nutrient rich, but it can be really compact (especially when its been a building site) so it makes it difficult for plants to spread their roots through.  I've removed a fair amount of rocks and rubble too.  Glad to hear it was all worth it in the end though it feels like a very long term project, and ours is finally beginning to feel like a garden and not a square plot after 4 years.   We've started to get to know which plants like the type of soil we have, and I try not to spend too much on plants just in case they don't survive - love a free cutting or a plant gift.

I'm another one who usually ends up lifting or digging after a chiropractic treatment.   I find a 20 minute walk helpful, but a stretching session sounds good.  Also a wheat bag fan - mine has lavender in it and smells lovely.  We definitely need more maintenance as we get older, but its all worth it .

artistlifestyle

Hello again. I love reading all your updates. 

I was lucky with my garden as although I live in a new build it was built on an old garden. The lawn is awful, badly laid with seed, not turf. I do need to use weed and feed, not sure if too late in the season to still do this. The dratted 4 week chest infection has delayed everything this year however where I dug the borders the soil was really good and I’m generous with FYM and blood and bonemeal. The shrub hedge I planted in 2021 has done really well, it’s very random and gives colour and interest all year, and I’m having some stakes delivered this week to hopefully make it even better and stop it leaning forwards so much. Last year I sold my little corded mower and bought a light cordless one, on special offer, and that has made mowing so much easier for me. I can cut the lawn in ten minutes. I know I will have to get help when I can’t manage but at the moment it’s ok and I enjoy it. I love being outside. 

The last few IKEA items for the studio are coming this week too for the final organisation. I just have to keep going as I have so many fun projects to complete once everything is in place. I paid £10 delivery rather than go on a 60 mile round trip. Again this was delayed because of the persistent lurgy. I’m going back to work next week so now slowly re-building up my activity levels and getting my mojo back. May and June are always my favourite and best months of the year. 

Also I am trying to get my healthy eating back on track as I had to make do with Complan and ready meals as I was much too unwell to cook. The Telegraph has an amazing meal plan for a week, all budgeted and so healthy so I’m defo going to try some of those. The link is below, if links are allowed.

I have a haircut booked for Friday, a lovely mobile lady comes here. Last cut 3 m ago. That’ll make me look and feel heaps better. 

Have a great week. 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/diet/nutrition/healthy-meal-plan/

SandyShores

I don't think its ever too late to weed and feed artistlifestyle.  Mr Shores is about to use some lawn weedkiller on ours, but will wait a bit then seed and feed throughout the spring/summer.  He managed to get out and cut it the other day and its incredible how much neater the garden looks and feels.  The flowers popping out here and there make a difference - I just nipped out to feed the birds and there was a lovely calm spring like feel in the air.  I love a shrub hedge too and ours also coming on nicely - I even managed to squeeze a £7 (Tesc0) fruit tree into the corner.  

It feels like my garden (a bit like the house) has moved onto the stage of adding the nice bits now, rather than what has felt like the slog of getting the structure right.  Its much more enjoyable - less hard work and hopefully less expensive.  Thank goodness I still work otherwise I'd be mooching round garden centres every day for the summer

I'm also in the middle of purchasing Ikea furniture to finish off my office/craft space, and I have a haircut Friday - I feel like we have parallel lives going on here.    Can't wait to get my hair done, I didn't straighten it yesterday and it feels like it has gone wild.  Interestingly (for me) all the greys the old hairdresser insisted on covering up are actually not as bad as I thought.  My new hairdresser seems a lot more sympathetic towards the more natural look I'm going for.  I'm not trying to look years younger, but want to look the best for my age.

Makingabobor2

Very much had a "Me" day today and feel so much better for it. Had Reflexology and sinus/head massage this morning, then went and bought myself a 4Kg Kettlebell, which I have been saying I wanted for a while now. The exercise lady I follow does a brilliant Bone Loading class, and it will be so much easier with a kettlebell, rather than using 2 x 2kg weights.  
So just messaged my hairdresser to see when she can fit me in and then hopefully the week after next, I will get a Reiki session booked in as well.  Tomorrow I may go to the garden centre and use up my remaining "free" coffee for the month. Trouble with that, is I always end up spending more money on other things....lol