Old Coats = New Coats; Old Boots = New Boots

Well yesterday morning standing outside Euston for the Armistice service was a sure reminder that it is now getting cold, this coupled with all the nice warm coats, boots, hats and all round winter woollies in the shops just makes me want to go out and shop, new coat, new boots, new gloves.....the list could go on.  But do I really need new ones.  Looking in my cupboard I have 2 good formal winter coats a black and grey one I bought in the Debenhams sale when I first moved to London about 3 years ago, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it and a lovely red one also nothing wrong with it.  Then I have the brown leather jacket which is about 40 years old or so it was my mom's and I redid the seam in that last year so that is going strong again.  There is also the light cream leather jacket I bought just before I left South Africa oh and don't forget the lovely black jacket/coat I bought last year when I happened to go to work not dressed warm enough and it started snowing.  So actually NO I don't need any more winter coats I have more than enough.  That's 2 formal ones, 2 casual ones and a black one that can go for both!  What my cupboard looked like before I went to the charity shop, goodness knows.  Anyway I decided to spruce them up a bit because not only do I clearly not need a new one but I can make the old ones look new with a few buttons or removing buttons as I did tonight.  To jazz up those old winter woollies instead of buying new ones, (we are on a budget of course)  I delved into my Nan's button box and its old, very old,  have a looksie in your grans or mum's they're sure to have one. 



This is the warm black coat/jacket I bought last year and I think it looks a bit too casual with the duffel's on so...scroll down.



The back of the coat is tapered in, making it look smart from the back especially with a nice pair of boots.



For the more snug look add a woolen scarf, this is normally my Sunday walk round the park wear.

And for the more smarter look, a dressier scarf, of course this will be wrapped around my neck, but you get the point.




Well I removed the duffel buttons and now I'm happy that it can be warn smart or casual:)

Now not forgetting the all important footwear.  Get last years boots re-heeled and polished they'll look as good as new.  And if you are needing new ones wait for the sales, mind you a lot of them have started already and invest in a good leather pair that you can re-heel and will last you for years, taking good care of them with sprays and polishes:) 
So all in all, I think its safe to say we are all set for Winter, I hope.


I guess I won't be spending more money on winter warmers this winter and was pretty good in managing to get all of this in sales over the years:) So yes a great wardrobe on a budget with good high quality is possible!!! And it's how you wear it that counts, its all in the confidence, remember that and each one of us can hold our heads high and walk tall...just don't forget your Scholl insoles.



Winter is comming

Good evening, well this has been a busy week-end.  Blackheath Guy Fawkes last night were amazing, I can’t believe that this time last year was freezing.  This year not so cold but today was a stark reminder that its getting colder and soon it will be winter and cold.  So time to get ready!!!  First what to wear.....I’ve got lots of ideas that won’t cost you a fortune.  Its time to start wearing all those items in your cupboard you don’t wear because you don’t have anything to wear them with.  Spruce up your boots from last year with some good polish and re-heeling.  Yes I did get my Soft Wear boots from Clarks but what a disappointment they didn’t work comfort wise as they were supposed to.  The balls of my feet were killing me so I returned them for a refund and decided I’d save my money and invest in the good leather ones I have.  On my search to ease the pain in the balls of my feet while wearing high heel boots I discovered in Boots that Scholl have brought out a new inner for highheels called Scholl Orthaheel Slimfit.  They fit in to narrow higheel shoes and don’t squish your toes.  You can return these to Scholl within 30 days for a refund if they don’t work, so I figured they should work but at a price of £23.00 my eyes almost popped out.  I decided a google search was called for and I found them on eBay for £16.00 including postage.  So far so good and I’m walking in ease in all of my highheel boots to work, around and back.  Well worth it and saved me a few 100 quid on new boots.  I love my little outfit I pulled together last week, the lace is the trick and it doesn’t have to be anything fancy even if it’s just cream, cream and black go really well together and look very smart.  The black skirt is one I made and the blouse is from Edgars in SA so quite a few years old and in order not to get my stay ups snagged I always wear long socks over the stay up’s underneath my boots.  I like these ones the little bit of cream lace sticks out and compliments the blouse. 



Nice lace stay ups, long lace socks to protect the stay ups, the cream lace matching the victorian lace blouse, black skirt = new work outfit.



Next your home this winter.  We all know that cold is not our friend and we need to get those bills down while keeping warm.  Now in SA we have no central heating, ran out of electricity one year and still managed to keep warm.  An extra warm jumper, socks, slippers, blanket and hot water bottle do the job if you are staying in one or two rooms.  So you don’t have to have the heating on boiling the whole time.  Remember that it is also better to have it on longer at a lower temperature than short bursts at high temperatures.  Check out this website for tips on insulating your home.  Another thing that is not your homes friend this winter is condensation and damp.  When we first moved into our flat we had terrible condensation, fortunately we were able to manage to change our windows and install double glazing with vents.   It made a huge difference our flat was warmer, bills down, and the humidity problem we had from the condensation drastically improved.  Remember water in the air is not good, so don’t dry your clothes on the radiator, don’t leave water lying around because that evaporation has to go somewhere and it goes into your walls.  On the week-ends air your home out opening the doors and windows.  If you do have condensation on the windows wipe it off straight away.  Another big help is a dehumidifier but these can be pricey so for the long term double glazing with an environmental energy certificate is probably the best way to go.  We have invested in a few  Unibond Stop Humidity, Humidity Absorber as well and these really help.  Next blog, how to spruce up your winter coats so they look new and different.

For all the lovely new mommies out there

It seems in the last three months or so 1 out of every 2 woman I know has had a baby, in one week I knew of 7 babies born!!! Really good news if you ask me.  Though I do think their lives have now changed and so to have their routines.  In the last few weeks I've had a few friends ask about tips to tone up and loose the baby weight.  Now as I have never had a child and am not a dietitian who would know what you should be getting in if you are breastfeeding to keep the little one in tip top shape I would suggest checking the diet with your doctor or a dietitian.  I can give you some good tips though which applies to all of us really and does help keep you on the go when you are feeling tired all round.  I might not know tiredness from being kept up late all night but I do know tiredness from getting up early to run or gym, doing housework, going to work, coming home sewing and going to sleep.  Like I said not the same tiredness but I need energy all the same.  Anyway I have worked out if I have a banana or tomato or both first thing in the morning especially before I going running, my energy levels are all go for the day...yey which means at 10.00 I'm not falling asleep at my desk.  I've also discovered if I do feel like I'm falling asleep fresh air and rooibos tea does wonders to wake you up.  Right, back to the eating plan if you are not breastfeeding.  The first thing you have to remember is that you have to burn more calories than you are eating.  So lots of fruit and veg and no rubbish eating.  I would suggest a banana first thing when you have to wake up, then breakfast being All Bran not special K, All Bran with semi skimmed milk, you need the calcium for your bones and skimmed milk doesn't have enough.  Next time your feeling hungry have a glass of water first if your still hungry after that have some fruit or a cracker and cheese.  Make a healthy chicken salad and nibble on that through the day have yogurt, anything that is good for you, no sweets and no biscuits.  Its winter so have some healthy soup for lunch and follow the same rules as the morning if you get hungry in the afternoon.  For dinner have a healthy piece of meat with veggies, brown rice, wholeweat pasta no sauces and no ready meals.  I replace the sauce with cottage cheese on my food.  Get a good cellulite busting cream as well, remember to body brush.  Try the Avon Anew Cellulite I think you can use this while breastfeeing but please double check with your Avon Agent first!!  Or if you are not breastfeeding then try Annique Decrease Cellulite Cream warning however this is strong and it works but DO NOT USE IF BREASTFEEDING. There is also their Annique Body Sculpt . Rember that the creams only work combined with good eating patterns and exercise. 
Right now you have to exercise and no excuses.  Put your lovely baby in the pram and get walking.  Find a hill and to start off with once every 2 days push the pram up the hill keeping your back straight.  Then start doing it every day or twice a day. If you get 5 minutes do my bum exercise from my previous blog, bums of steal take 2.  Get yourself a gym ball and when ever you sit, sit on the gym ball toning your inner muscles bounce baby up and down on it to put them to sleep, roll from side to side with your stomach muscles while sitting.  The things you can do are many.  Want to perk up your breasts a bit, push ups.
I have also had a google and found out that there are some great classes for new mom with baby and pram. Hopefully there is one in your area if not get together with other new mom's in your area and start your own walking group.

http://www.pushymothers.com/
http://www.mummiesandbuggies.co.uk/
http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/diet/150171/New-mums--workout
http://www.beez-kneez.co.uk/
http://www.fitnessformummies.co.uk/
http://www.pampers.co.uk/en_GB/Me
http://www.netmums.com/barnet/local/view/classes-for-you/exercise-classes/buggyfit-class

For those of you who would like a good DVD I found this pilates dvd comes highly recommended. 
As with any exercise the main thing to remember is its all in your head, there is no such thing as "I can't"...just ask my sister that I made her run up the hill she kept saying "I can't Lisa Janey".  And now she runs up it no problems freely by herself. The other thing to remember is no excuses, excuses is laziness if you want to do it you will.  There you go ladies and I hope this helps don't forget drink lots of water and always check first that its okay to do while breastfeeding because like I said I've never had a baby. 

Another spot buster = beautiful skin

I don't know if you can remember or not but a while ago I blogged about how to get rid of spots with   Boots-Tea-Tree-and-Witch-Hazel-Spot-Wand and this week I made another profound find with their Boots-Tea-Tree-Witch-Hazel-Night-Gel.  I found after using it that I didn't have to use the wand every morning as I had no spots sprouting up over night to say a big good morning when I looked in the mirror when I woke up.  As we have had such a weird season change this autumn with it been hotter than it was in summer one day and extremally humid to the next day been fine then hot again, well I feel like I have skin that I should of had in my teens, so I have to admit with not wanting to pay a fortune finding something that worked and keeping to the budget meant the teenage route and Freederm cleansing wipes is what I have been using to cleanse my face with lately and so far so good!!! But I'm also hoping that nature will now play its part with the weather seeming to settle that things will go back to normal:)

I've updated my sewing page as I've finally taking some pictures but below is a dress that cost me £3.00 to make, yep £3.00 and on the 12th of November I've decided to go to a dress making class in Greenwich at Miss Libby Rose so see what else I can do.  Really £3.00 now I just have to find somewhere to go to so that I can wear it out to, good job I've been doing my bum exercices, I hope you still are!





This is from Simplicity pattern 2927 and is the second dress I've made from this pattern, different colours different dress.



I also have some handy DIY advice for your home if you want to save space in a room and the door is in the way looking at getting some folding doors at B&Q or Homebase, they don't cost a fortune look great and create space.  Also if you have any loose wires lying around tidy them up with little nail tacs they are amazingly easy to put in I found out or if you go to the electronics department in the harware store they sell all sorts of little gizmo's these days to keep all those loose wire neatly tide up and out of the way. 

And if you're interested in a Kindle I see the new one is out at Amazon for only £89.00 as I already have one I haven't tried it yet but I hear its brilliant and much cheaper than the orginial one.  I'll find someone who has one, have a go and update you all soon.  But do check it out. 

Bums Take 2 and shoes, glorious shoes.

Right ladies, I realised last week the dreaded sag, you know that feeling when you put your favourite dress on look in the mirror and your bum looks like its sagging, so you take off the dress and stare at your bum in the mirror wondering if you have become bum obsessed, is it really sagging or is it all in your head???? Well I decided that it wasn't in my head, so I took my own bums of steel advice and spiced it up a bit.  Every night this week I have taken one of the techniques and done one leg to one whole song so in total about 400 lifts and yes I think its working and I feel better.  What exactly did I do....well on all fours with one leg straight out behind me I lifted this leg up and down, up and down for about 400 counts and burned like a red hot chili, then I did the other leg.  The next night on all fours again, MTV blaring, kindle on the floor in front of me on all fours I got again and this time did the leg push ups, so leg at 90 degrees and I pushed up for 400 counts each, I also read a chapter in Game of Thrones Book 3.b to which I think I am addicted.  And so I went on the whole week.  This morning I did my bums of steel routine and now if this has gotten easier for you I have another add on, once you've done the leg push up at 90 degrees hold your leg there and turn it out at a right angle (this is commonly known as the dog peeing position) and lower it down, then up and flex the leg completely out bring back in down, up out for a count of 25.  Remember to limit the not so good for you food and stick to wholewheat.  And get on your gym ball, rock your baby (if you have a lovely one, most of my friends do, hence the mention) to sleep while bouncing up and down and working your abs at the same time. 

A dear friend of mine has mentioned Nia Classes that she attends in Bahrain.  So if you're up for trying something new and different give it a go.  I haven't yet but if you do, leave a comment and give your thoughts on it. 

Now I know I haven't updated my sewing pages lately but I've had a bit of a bad run, with things not working out but the good news is I managed to make a dress today with no hiccups, so I'm back.  I'll need to take some pictures and upload them all.  Watch this space.

Well I have being on the look out for new winter boots, I was very good and saved up some pennies:)  I've been looking at the Clark's SoftWear Range they do not look like old lady boots and are so comfy to walk in, I've found the older I get the less the balls of my feet can take walking in my beloved high heels, but I've heard this could also have a lot to do with all the running I do.  So Soft Wear it shall be, the name says it all.   There is also Foot Glove and Insolia from Marks and Spencer's, though I've only seen one pair of shoe boots in the collection that I'm thinking of getting.  But if the weather is getting cool fast and I only need a knee length pair, I'll wait for the sale before getting the shoe boot pair, if I don't really need them now.  Always a savvy shopper, I can't say it enough if you don't need it don't buy it, save the money for something your really need. 

Bums of steel

We would all like bums of steel or at least a more toned bottom that isn't sagging.  Honestly I think a toned round bottom is way better than a tiny sagging one.  So how do you tone your bottom so that it works? 

Right get out that exercise mat and whether it is in front of the TV or with the music in, if you're well balance you can even read a book or magazine at the same time. 

Right let’s start, lay down on your side keep your body straight resting your head on your arm.  For a count of 25 lift your top leg up pulling your leg taunt and keeping your tummy muscles tight, the bottom leg should be straight but if you need help balancing hold your bottom leg at a 90 degrees right angle.  When you move the leg up and down do this slowly going up as high as you can so that the tummy is muscles work and pinching the butt at the same time.  Once you have done 25 don't put your leg down keep it up and pulse for 25 in the mid air then go back to doing another 25 up and down slowly.  Finished DON'T PUT THE LEG DOWN, hold it half way and do 25 mid air circles forward and then 25 mid air circles backwards, the bum should be starting to pinch about now but we're not finished. Next with the same leg we're going to do extended leg curls lying in the same position with the same leg do a leg curl but move your leg upwards as in the first exercising for counts of 4 leg curls.  When you are finished turn over and do the same on the other side. Remember to keep your body taunt, don't fling your legs and don't lean forward!

When you have finished that get on all fours and extend your leg straight backwards and keeping the body taunt, lift it up and down for a count of 25 then same as previously pulse mid air for 25 and then return to doing 25 slowly up and down.  When you have finished keep the leg in the air and do leg curls for 25 slowly when you have done the 25 keep the leg up holding it the foot parallel to the ceiling, your leg at 90 degrees and push upwards. Imagine a plank above you and you have to hit it with the flat of your foot, do 25 and by now your bum should be burning.  Remember to go slowly. 

When you have finished that do 25 counts per each leg of static lunches and then do 25 counts on each leg of lunches keeping one leg static and the other leg moving forward, then swap legs. 

You will probably be cursing me now but your bum will be saying thank you. 

Do this at least 3 times a week and you will see a difference I did, my bottom use to sag but after all the lunges and leg exercises it doesn't anymore. 

Remember when you walk shoulders back tummies in chest out and bum taunt.  It really will work your bum and if you want to boost the work out above find a steep hill and walk taunt up the hill and down, try alternating do the walk one day and the exercises the next day, a toned flat bum can be yours.  Remember to cut back on the junk and sweets, eating healthier food and away you go. 

Another thing to try is looking for walks in your area, especially as its autumn in the North of the World and spring in the South of the world.  Google walking trails, take a friend, take the family make a day of it but get outside and get walking. 

If the bum starts to hurt and pull then it’s working....good luck. 

Pretty faces

Well as we are currently basking in 29°C heat in London at the moment and South Africa is going into summer I hope you haven’t forgot about your sunscreen.  I can’t stress enough how important it is to put on sunscreen all over.  Put it on when you put on your moisturiser in the morning and it should be at least an SPF30.  Nivea has a new one out that supports  your skins natural tanning abilities while still protecting it from harmful damaging rays.  And don’t forget to make sure your moisturiser has an SPF in it of at least 15, preferably 25.  If it doesn’t then try Simple’s face range of Sun Sensitive Protecting Facial Lotion, in an SPF25 or SPF50.  I know £10 is quiet a bit but you only use a little dollap and it goes very far.  The best thing is that it isn’t oily so your skin doesn’t break out in spotsJ 

While on about the sun been out though I am looking forward to winter and wearing my winter woollies the sun is still strangely out at the moment and I know we all want a tanned body but please remember sun beds are not the way to go.  They are highly dangerous and though you might not see the negative effects now in years to come you will.  Ever wondered why all those older sun kissed ladies look like they have perhaps one two many wrinkles or their skin is a little bit thin...too much sun is the answer.  Now I know orange is not a good look either but the self tanners you get in the shops these days aren’t at all bad don’t turn you orange and don’t smell bad.  I use the self tanners that you put on straight away, you can see where you have left a gap and it washes off straight away and apply just lightly to my legs when I need it.  It would look funny after all if I was all of a sudden tanned all over as I’m naturally fair and yes I’m proud to be so fair. 

Now while I’m not a fan of wearing foundation myself because I think if you don’t need to wear it don’t your skin will be better for it but if you do wear foundation a lot I came across an article in the Stylist tube mag last week and though I just had to share which might be old news to some of you but is newish to me.  Make up now also repairs, improves and provides anti ageing agents tooJ 

There is Clinique’s Repair Wear Laser Focus all-smooth Makeup SPF15 selling at about £27.00

Revlon Age Defying Cream make-up with DNA Vantage SPR20 selling at about £13.99

And one I found while searching all of these: Max Factor Ageless Elixir 2 in 1 Foundation

Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick  doesn’t just colour but contains a blend of shea, avocado and antioxidant rich white tea extract....think I might look at getting me some of that but I’ll wait until they have a free gift or 3 for 2J

And for the most delicate skin that we have the eyes there is:

Clinique Lid Smoothie Antioxidant 8-hour eye Colour for £ only available from 1 November.

Revlon Grow Luscious lash Liner treats lids to vitamin E, ale and chamomile as it colours.

Maybelline New York Volum’ Express the colossal Cat Eyes Mascara for £7.99 is a collagen and jojoba enriched mascara that promotes lash growth and is not clumpy.

Now remember don’t buy for the sake of it rather safe the money and look out for great 3 for 2 offers, most stores already have their Christmas goodies in. 

 A little tip I picked up the other week which is has nothing to do with makeup but I just thouhgt' I'd share is when you next have a picnic and don't want the blanket to get all dirty buy a cheap shower curtain for £1 from the pound shop and put it underneath the blanket.

Thanks for reading ladies please feel free to click following on the left so I know who I’m blogging to and if you add by email you’ll get an email every time I update. 

 Next time some more tummy exercises.