Frump to Fab 2026.

chanie

a bit of fabbing for me this weekend. i got my roots done, then waxing and eyebrows today. it’s amazing how much better you feel when you get it done.

my hairdresser reminded that i was her last the first client during lockdown - she did my hair 1-2 day before lockdown and as the lockdown lifted, i made sure i was first. Ditto with waxing (and Mcdonald’s for the children).

Wednesday2000

I got my roots done this week too. My hair is so much lighter than when I first moved here. It was really dark brown, but the sea air kept taking the colour out. I spoke to my hairdresser about that and she said the same thing happened to her hair when she moved here from London. I went to see a good show at the theatre called The Signalman on Thursday.

It is my 50th birthday next week and I'm actually quite excited for my birthday this year. I'm going to Brighton that I love and then to Bournemouth for a couple of days. My friend from school and sixth form lives in Poole so we are meeting her and her husband for dinner. I have five dresses to take with me, but I might look for something else today while I'm near the shops for my class today.

I have lots of plans and a massive to do list for when I get home, but at the moment I just want to have a break and relax for a week. It will be weird not having any classes or appointments for a whole week as I have been doing so much.😀

helensbiggestfan

Good morning lovely ladies. Sorry I have been awol. I have been a bit under the weather with some kind of lurgy (courtesy of my grandchildren) and in all honesty time just seemed to run away with me. Each day I thought I must post and then before I knew it the day was gone. I kept falling asleep on the sofa ……….anyway apart from some congestion and my ears feeling a bit weird I am starting to feel much better. I think finally seeing the sun occasionally is helping.

Wednesday. I too have been thinking about having someone to help me with a deep clean. I shall be going away for Easter so probably sometime after that. My shoulder has been playing up again and I feel maybe I too should think about getting a regular cleaner to help with the heavier work. I have managed a bit more decluttering and organising. Getting there.

Hope you have a lovely birthday.

Chanie…..I did chuckle at the "3 Lidls" saga. At least you got the coat in the end. Persistence Pays Off. Lol.

Wuthering Heights seems to be getting some mixed reviews. By all accounts it's not very faithful to the book. If I'm honest I'm not particularly a Brontë fan, neither Jane Eyre nor Wuthering Heights. I'm not really into "Brooding Men". Lol. Neither Heathcliffe nor Mr Rochester hold much appeal. I like my men to be urbane, witty and amusing, not silent and sulky. Mean and moody men are boring and too much like hard work.

I do like a bit of "bad boy" though, I like a bit of excitement and fun……😂🤣

I too am trying very hard to avoid ultra processed foods, trying to eat simply and cleanly, organic where possible. So far I haven't seen much improvement with joint pain but my digestive system is definitely much happier. It can be a bit more work and yes a bit more expensive but I think it's worth it. I think it's starting to pay off. I'm not losing any weight yet but I feel "leaner" and definitely less bloated so it must be doing something.

chanie

@Wednesday2000 happy birthday, hope you had a great one.

@helensbiggestfan hope you are feeling better.

Over the past few months, i’ve been thinking about putting my emergency kit together in case normal life gets disrupted for whatever reason, particularly with what has been happening in the world in recent months. Like many people, we have lots of thing around our house, but i thought it important to think more strategically and actually think about what we would need and put some of it together so its readily available. i recently bought some tea lights and candle lighters from Home Bargains as they were really cheap and now im moving on to a first aid kit. i’m turing into a right prepper!!!

helensbiggestfan

Good Morning Lovely Ladies.

Beautiful sunrise this morning. I might even go and pull a few weeds out later if it stays sunny.

Chanie……..Had to smile at your "prepper" comment. I was never a Girl Guide but I have always had a bit of a "Be Prepared" mindset. As some of you may know my mother was Belgian and she lived under the Occupation and lived with real shortages. My dad was ex military so our house was always well stocked with food, OTC meds, fuel etc. I guess I just assimilated it and continued trying to be prepared for the unexpected. It's even more important now that I live alone. although we do have online shopping now, which helps if you can't get out and about.,

Not wishing to get political or too negative but I agree the world is looking increasingly more unstable. I have had to reduce my exposure to the news networks and social media. Just too many rabbit holes. That might sound like I'm being an ostrich but I learned long ago that excessive worrying and doom mongering doesn't really help. In fact it makes things worse. Fear paralyses and affects our ability to think straight and strategise.

Currently waiting for my plumber to do a boiler service this morning. This house is so cosy and comfortable. It is the first time I have ever reached the end of winter not owing the power company. A win. 😁

Chiro yesterday so feeling a tad delicate today. So I am going to try and book a haircut this week. All systems go.

Watty1

I'm also reducing exposure to news. Part of what @helensbiggestfan said at the start of the year about small steps to improving the environment in which I live. The news just made me anxious for what might come next. ☺️

In other news, biopsy done, just waiting for results now. Could be 3 - 4 weeks. New dentist found and he refused to do an implant and whilst he agrees with original dentist in some respects he suggested trying a crown on the tooth so that is booked for next week.

Whilst recovering I was rambling around the internet as one does and found a site with make up advice for women over 40 and by the end of the videos there was a mascara, an eye pencil, a highlighter and a lipstick in my shopping basket. I hate the lipstick (it makes me look old), the eye colour is very subtle, the mascara fab and the highlighter really good so some wins and I've thrown away some old make up that I didn't really use. No point in it cluttering up the pot. I will probably throw the lipstick out but I'll try it a few more times to be sure.

Quick review of make up removal options and I have purchased some more muslin clothes as the couple I have were around 10 years old and very threadbare.

This month I decided to really focus on health which I took to include how I look and feel and not just the functional dental / hospital stuff. So wardrobes next.

chanie

@helensbiggestfan i agree about not overthinking current affairs, as it’s easy to get caught up in it all.

@Watty1 it’s a shame the lipstick didn’t work for you, but i do think that sometimes, it’s just as helpful to find out what you don’t like as much as what you do like.

2Scratters

Good afternoon all,

as I have been absent for 4 weeks it's nice to catch up.

Grr I started this post hours ago and accidently deleted it 🙄

I have a small make-up bag full of lip products. I currently carry 3 different ones in my handbag and what ever gets pulled out gets used. However I have a lip brush too to get into the bottom of the tube, who would ever have thought they work like an iceberg. There is half as much in the bottom. I don't do much facial stuff never have but to look into what I have you would never guess. Why do we do this? it's our imaginary self that was sold to us. I am good with her at my age and will continue to use them up. There are other make-up bags with other stuff in too which will be worked through.

Have a great weekend

2 Scratters xx

chanie

@2scratters well done on all your fabbing.

I’ve been trying to focus on frugalism recently as i’ve noticed we seem to be getting less of our money. A relative gave me a load of their items to sell -clothes, shoes, bags, costume jewellery, much of it hardly used or brand new. it made me realise two things;

1. to regularly use everything - wear it and enjoy it.
2. most of the items are natural fibres, which is becoming increasingly harder to find.

Watty1

Checking in. Have decluttered some more make up and bought two new eyeshadows (thrown out more so this is a win). Also have finally cleared my wardrobes out and am busy unsubscribing from shopping sites. I do not need more clothes, and, fortunately i seem to have lost a little weight so some items now fit which was a win.

The bathroom cupboards still seem full of stuff but when I feel a bit more up to it I will make a sort through. In the meantime no new purchases are to be made. I'm astonished how many "spares" I have.

At least with things put away in some kind of order I can see now what i have, and, getting dressed in the morning is so much easier.

My focus this month was really on health and I've managed to tick quite a few things off the list. Temporary crown is being done properly today and tomorrow (only taken 2 years to get that booked in), still waiting for some test results but those are at least in progress. And .. drum roll .. I've made a meal plan for the week ahead. The plan is to start using up the random stuff in the cupboards and eat "proper" food now.