Countdown to a Frugal Christmas, The Friendly Frugaleers still knitting,nattering and money saving!

[QuiteFabULousDahling]

New Fred

girlie thats so interesting, my new nivea moisturiser makes me sneeze and the roof of my mouth itch, I thought I was just being odd. Maybe not caring about my skin for so long ever has made me allergic to it? I only tried it twice. Sigh. One day I will grow up and take care of myself.

Suncream makes my eyes water too girly, in fact it makes them really sore. Which is a problem as my colouring is pure Celtic!

Children in need is making me cry already. I won’t be watching much more but I have made my donation

That's funny other people react to creams as well, I thought it was just me being a weirdo 😂 I'm fair as well wolf so will put up with watery eyes when it's very sunny but where possible will avoid the sun and wear a massive hat!! It's annoying on holiday as often my eyes are so bad I can't read my holiday book!!

Who is watching children in need then?

Gosh lonely I'm sorry to hear that. That sounds really hard. How does he stand up if he can't feel his leg? I tried to stand up with a dead leg once when rushing to newborn ds in the night and the crash was quite hilarious. I just fell right over. Your poor dp, what a time he must have.

Evening people.

Firmly in the no makeup no moisturiser no pluck the eyebrows.... I am very fortunate that I have good skin and nice shaped brows (thanks mum). It is as well because I have really shakey hands so when I put make-up on it looks like a 3 yo has taken to my face with a Sharpie.

I did not have a nsd.. I bought my bobbin brownie bicycle. £250 from £385. In lovely mint. I even got a compliment from a taxi driver on my way home.

I can’t keep up with commenting on everything at the current thread speed, sorry!

Nursie I’m sorry for your loss and that it has been so hard. I lost my dad in May and still have a little cry quite often, and I probably will for a long time. He was a lovely dad, and deserves to be missed, but it sure is hard

Wolf, you’ve been amazingly productive, I read your post and then had a lie down

I don’t even understand some of the chat about beauty products, much less do it 😂😂😂. I really should though as I am in my 40s and not getting enough sleep so not exactly looking my best. I hardly ever sometimes moisturise and put cream on the dark circles under my eyes but am never convinced it makes much difference. I use a bit of light formulation as I hate the pancake look but like the blotchiness evening out, and then a dot of blush. Occasionally mascara, though I sometimes forget and rub my eyes so tend not to do that much, and occasionally lip gloss /lipstick but most often just lip balm. I had a proper instruction before my wedding and did it all properly and it did look really good, I must admit, and still very natural... but I definitely don’t have that much time every day. And can’t remember what I learned now anyway!

Meadow both of my Dc have been more like yours, ie difficult to put down! They never minded me being in the actual shower for a short time as they liked the noise / watching the water, but everything else was/is pretty difficult. It does get better but then they can go through clingy /needy phases here and there again (as DD is doing now ).

I just leave my hair to air dry anyway, even though it’s so thick it takes more than half the day to dry. On other days I just spritz it with water and fluff it up on the way out of the house in the morning. Makeup takes less than a minute. Literally. So a 2-min ‘beauty’ regime. That’s it. I really need to make more effort. Maybe I’ll head over to S&B for Beauty 101.

DS has been really agitated (and therefore difficult) for a couple of days but no one can work out why he’s upset. I really wish he could talk expressively . I am tired from recent work craziness and have a ferociously sore throat, so no doubt I’m coming down with something . A quiet evening is in order. DS is just having stories with DH now and then we’re having our hm meatballs and tomato pepper sauce. I’m starving.

Oh Curvy, not that junction no. If I’m following you right I’m in the other direction...

Haha Sea
I will translate !
Wash face,slap on cream,dot a bit of slap on and out the door !

Could your DS be brewing something like a sore throat and not be able to tell you ?
Would a "just in case" dose of calpol help?
You have had way over your share of illness lately so I hope not .

Jeese today was a day of high and lows. No spend though.

Actually that's a lie. £2 Gregg's, £1.65 scone. I sinned massively mammy

Evening all.
Spends today £57 on food shopping
Lunch £10, but for me and ds2 as he had an appt at the royal London. Plus travel.

Sea I live in Stratford, but very close to Forest Gate too so I thought you may live near Liverpool st, as you have said you live in a naice part of London, but my geography and sense of direction is awful, I cannot read any kind of map and was very suprised that I remembered where to change to get to the hospital. (You don't need to tell me where you are)

Fluffy, is The Ordinary only available on line?
Also, I have black spot things on my nose, I know they are not blackheads, but can I get rid of them?

Evening all! Friday at last!

My skin care routine varies between proper cleanse/tone/moisturise with lively Clarins stuff and quick once over with a baby wipes and stick some moisturiser on depending how tired I am. Tonight it will be the latter. My nails are a mess. Every day I plan to sit and file them and every evening I forget. Hair is only washed twice a week but length and texture means I get away with it. In fact it gets very dry if I wash it more often. I had to wash it to receive when it was shorter but since haven't had it cut in nearly a year the sleek bob has grown out anyway.

NSD apart from DD's non-uniform money for CIN.

Home.

We’ve been out. Dparents baby sat and dh and I went out with the boss his wife and the rest of my team (8 in total) for dinner and a movie. The new fantastic beasts. Yay. It was amazing

Boss’ wife is lovely. She brought bubbly and snacks and we hired out the vip box and had a cinema picnic. Also work paid which was super generous and lovely. I spent £12 on pic n mix and a Fanta. Mmmmmm.

born my eyeliner is an old body shop one. It’s almost finished. I’ve got the benefit one to try next. And then after that a nyx gel one. Not sure how I’m going to get on with that. Suspect application may take some getting used to.

Am currently using a body shop navy blue eyeliner pencil on my lower line. But usually opt for black. My preference is a dior one. I wasn’t a fan but was given two and actually prefer to my usual black kohl liners. Lone lasting. Decent size and have a smudger. The bourgois ones I used to buy don’t. They are a pinch at £20 ish but I only tend to use one at a time and use them until they’re finished...

That should have said ‘foundation’ not ‘Formulation’. Goodness knows what random collection of letters I actually typed.

Thanks Quite - I am particularly baffled by all the brands. Not even heard of some of them! I must do some research...

DS could be feeling unwell, it’s really hard to tell unless he gets a temperature or stops eating. Hoping for a better day tomorrow, and especially Sunday when we go to PILs.

The Cold has developed beautifully this evening so I’m away to my bed shortly with a nice dose of Night Nurse 👋🏻

I'm going skin care shopping tomorrow and I hope to find what I need. My eyes seem to be getting more and more sensitive and with all my other problems...Well I will just have to wait and see.
If any of you wonderful people have any more tips and advice, it will be greatly appreciated x

em how likely are the beauty counters to give samples?
Thanks

Morning everyone
How come I can't sleep in

Curvy the beauty counters always give samples! I have stockpiled the lovely Clarins oil. They give me some every time I buy foundation. I'm slowly working my way through it. Also some toner that they have me last time and beauty flash balm which I love. I might ask for some of the full size ones for Xmas though.

Hope you feel better soon Seacow.

Shopping planned today. Aldi and then in town. Need to get some birthday and Xmas gifts.

I thought getting a job closer to home, I would have loads of time to start a skincare/make up routine. Hasn't happened

We need to buy a new oven as our conked out recently. Not what you need in the run up to Christmas. Fortunately the fridge is pretty empty so hob/microwave food are on the shopping list until next weekend.

Children calling me. Will try and catch up properly later.

Place marking, as I haven't had chance to catch up and it's a busy weekend here.

Hoping all are well.

Aldi and Iceland today so circa £100
Fantastic beasts this afternoon here too.
Need to get a birthday and a sympathy card

Morning all. Wicked revenge...I got dp up at 0630(! He got back at 11pm) to move his what turns out to be, the whole front of a car, bar the bodywork. We have an engine crane now, but no lifting strop. Turns out webbing dog leads are very very strong! Moved out of van without incident. He's taken dd1 off voulenteering, the van has to be back at 9.

What I do today depends wildly on which post offices I can renew my driving licence in. I have the very final "we are about to revoke your licence" letter. Feeling it won't be very local. I wish I had the ability to just get things done.

Also a £55 morrisons spend (easy this week, we're about out of food), will take a list and finish off in aldi.

Yoga, run, washing ... I have such a glamorous life.

curvy most of them do but you have to ask. If you’re after a moisturiser (for example) talk to the counter staff tell them what you want and could they recommend something and do they have any samples you can try.

I tend to do all my beauty shopping in boots. Ours has clarins Clinique dior smashbox Liz earl ysl channel counters. You get the points and I’ve found that the staff there are less scary than the department stores.

Just ask. Remember. You don’t ask you don’t get.

Also at present boots are doing great deals re the big premium brands and their Christmas gift sets.

Riding today. It is foggy so I suspect we’ll be in the sand school today. Dh has next week off.

He’s up with ds now. They’re having boiled eggs. Apparently it’s getting messy. I’m in bed with a cuppa.

Next week I get paid. Hoorah. And as I’ve been back to work for 6 months now I get the 10% of my salary that work held back as a retainer while I was on mat leave. That is a welcome boost. So that’ll go to paying off credit card and some towards savings.

I have £400 now in my “other” account. It’s definetly the easiest way for me to save. Money is in another bank.

We also have the best of Paul Simon playing. This morning I’ve heard my two faves. Diamonds on the soles of her shoes and me and Julio

Morning all!

How was DP after his mammoth drive Lonely?

The cold is out in full force but I slept okay thanks to the miracle of Night Nurse. Up with the DC this morning and DS is driving me nuts - he’s still whining constantly and screeching randomly. He keeps whining about a cheese sandwich but I know he isn’t hungry because he’s just eaten 6 blueberry pancakes . Dd is throwing plastic frogs on the floor from her high chair and then shouting till I pick them up. Grrr. I hope DH surfaces soon.

I might moisturise today. You lot have made me feel inadequate!