Christmas is coming:)

The holidays are coming, the holidays are coming, they say its not Christmas until you hear the Coca Cola Christmas Ad and even though I haven't heard it yet this year and maybe I'm just not watching enough TV but I've seen plenty of references to it on Face Book.  So the question is are you ready for Christmas.? Well I am though I'm not in the Christmas mood yet at all, we bought our tree yesterday but I have yet to go to Christmas market so that's my plan for next week-end.  But tonight I have had my Christmas gift box out, the box that I use for the whole year to store my Christmas gifts in that I buy through out the year in the lovely London sales.  One good thing about the recession if one can say there is anything good is there are lots of sales.  So in short my Christmas shopping is done and don't get me wrong it still took me hours through out the year and going from shop to shop to find the right gift for all those special friends but I didn't have to run out at the last minute or get crushed in the Christmas rush; mine is done.  Plus the money I've been saving every month in my little shoe piggy bank which I tell myself I can't spend as its for Christmas presents can now be used on me:) For my own Christmas gift.  So do yourself a favour for next year, buy in the Christmas sales ensuring you always have birthday gifts through out the year and in the sales through out the year will ensure Christmas next year will be sorted.  Don't forget the Boots Christmas gifts will still be 3 for 2 as they are now after Christmas sometimes at half the price.  If you have children after Christmas is the time to shop but as I said one thing we can be grateful for in England is the sales and this year they have started early because of the economic climate.  Now don't get me wrong I'm all for buying on the Internet and shopping around for a bargain but because of the economic climate the high street is suffering so I've deiced this year if I can afford it and it costs me a pound or two extra I'm going to buy a few things from my local high street, every little bit helps doesn't it at the end of the day. 

And if you're looking around for a new outfit for the Christmas party and budget is tight try this new website I have been introduced to call Swishing....it allows you to instantly swish online using virtual money credits.  You swap clothes with other swishes, its free, you can specify what you what, even if it must be brand new.  You swap your clothes you don't wear for credits and start swishing.  Swishing sends you your first free post bag whish you post back to them with your unwanted items in, you get virtual money credits for those items and all you pay for is the postage of your new item.  So get swishing and if asked who recommended you please say I did, I get some credits:)

So start your 2012 Christmas shopping early, miss the crowds and remember to keep saving a bit every month towards Christmas and then you get a nice surprise like I did tonight when its actually all done!. 
Merry Christmas. 

10 brill winter ideas and yes a cold rememdy too.

I have realised that it takes me all of 2 minutes if not less to finish a whole slab of cadbury's chocolate.  Now yes I know this is not good for my body at all and even though I tell myself I run it off, a slab a day is not good for the budget either!!!  So my solution included a slab of chocolate and corn flakes. I remembered that when I was younger we always helped my mom make cornflake chocolate clusters as a treat.  So idea number one.
1.  Make chocolate last longer, I can now make a whole bar last a week with cornflake clusters.  Melt the chocolate on the stove over a boiling water and be careful, pour over a lot of cornflakes, mix and place in cupcake holders, pop in the fridge and there you go.
2.  If you have little ones this will keep them busy and no doubt they will keep asking if they are set yet, so put them in the freezer.
3.  As winter is on the way I have a new cold remedy thanks to my lovely cousin Marian and for me it works.  As soon as I feel a cold coming on or wake up feeling a bit flu'ie I have this: Cold and Flu Relief Echinacea, Vitamins C & Zinc (in my experience the chewy one from Bassets are nicer) a good multi vitamin and my addition to the remedy is Vicks First Defence, remember to follow the directions, not to overdue and check with your pharmacist first.  Oh and Marian has odourless garlic vitamins too:) 
4. As England lacks a bit of rain of late and my hair has been incredibly static, solution, hair mouse not a lot just tip your head upside down and rub some in, works, wonders.
5.  If your office is cold solution, hot water bottle and don't laugh at least you'll be warm. 
6.  Not sure what to do for lunch for the winter, get a flask and make some super full of goodness veggie soup, lunch sorted.
7.  Don't want your bin to smell, put the smelly things in a plastic bag, tie it and pop in the freezer until rubbish day.
8.  Spread your vegetables cuttings over your garden even though its winter, they're great for the soil, it helps to turf them over though a bit and come spring your soil will be rich and ready. 
9.  Drinking too much coffee....can't stand the taste of green tea though you know its better for you, try rooibos green tea or get some fruity caffeine free antioxidant tea and combine the two.
10.  If you are a slave to coffee, limit it to one bought cup a  day or better yet every few days, saving the pennies and don't forget to only go to the stores with reward cards, after 10 your next one is free:)
Keep snug and warm and don't give up on the fitness, it will also help keep the colds and flu at bay.  So happy exercising:)

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.