Operation Renovation - aka The Christmas Countdown

[HelgatheHairy]

It's 115 days to Christmas Eve!

You can use this thread exactly like you were using the previous thread to keep track of what you're doing, have lists, ask advice etc. As its about renovation rather than strictly beauty, nothing is off limits so beauty, clothes, exercise, healthy eating.

So here we go!

You guys are putting me to shame today! DD has perked up a little and is now repeatedly hitting me in the face and giggling

Cleaned the kitchen whilst she was in the highchair eating throwing her lunch

Vitamins done along with a new iron supplement my friend recommended. Also started recording everything on Myfitnesspal.

Sorry Control but couldn't help giggling at the underwear story! They sound nothing short of amazing!

It's taken some time to get the meal planning right but I've chosen lots of slow cooker stuff in the hope it will keep food costs down and also save me time when I get in at night.

Closetcat, I really need to sort out my shoe cupboard...

Talking about coordinated underwear: for a long time I thought people were joking about having mismatched sets. Seeing the single ones in the shops, I thought:oh, that's nice, they keep the knickers for longer than the bras in the shops, so if the bra is still ok you can go and buy matching again.
Then I realised: I never SEE bras in those patterns. They are actually selling mismatched knickers! Really???!!!
So.... Were my friends NOT joking then???? I went and asked, no need to say they looked at me as if I landed from Mars! Crissake, woman, WHO wears matching underwear all the time?
Ermmmm...me?
Ooooh, hang on, you're from the continent....

I got used to it now, it's been years, but the thought still makes me shudder.

Control I too had a giggle at your undies! Mine always always match! They're one of the few things I am fussy about

Well, dd appears to be getting worse....it's now coming out the other end too So am not hopeful about getting much more done tbh. going to give washing another hour or so on line and then tumble for twenty to finish it off. Have to put curtains/nets/blackouts back up but that'll be it for today. One room looks good at least!

Oh, my ta-daa!

Showered, moisturised, hair done, dress on.
Went for a swim (why did I do my hair? I had to re-do it!), opticians appointment.
Bought a beautiful wrap dress in the sale for £10, serum (olay), night cream (olay again), foot cream (scholl), radox salt bath, vit D ( god, it's expensive!!!! £18 for, ok, 250, but I paid £8 for 100 and another £1 for the second bottle last year!).
I am now the proud owner of no less than 4 spots.

Congrats for beautiful tidy homes :)

I'm just finishing off the kitchen. I need to take another day nurse. I'd really like to do a thorough kitchen clean soon (taking everything out of the cupboards) maybe when we are back from the wedding next week...

I really need to walk the dog and get some food for dinner tonight, but I look a total scruff bag :(

Might have a cup of tea now tho!

Oh, lucy, noo, poor mite! Hope she feels better soon.

I wasn't criticising lucysmam, I do similar. I started posting on this thread and on the FlyLady thread at the start of this month both as part of my resolution to sort myself out. I've just posted my Ta Da list to the Fly thread.

My only problem is all that housework isn't compatible with keeping my nails nice

I always wear matching coloured underwear. It really annoys me when an outfit dictates I need to wear ones that don't match, eg a black vest top with white trousers.

I should really post my ta da/to do lists for this thread too.

Ta Da
Shower, shave, exfoliate
Wash & condition hair
Hot cloth cleanse, eye cream, moisturiser
Brushed teeth with whitening toothpaste
Moisturised body
Dried and styled hair
Dressed
Healthy breakfast
Took vitamins
Make up on
30 minute brisk walk
Drank lots of water
Culled wardrobe of a bin bag full of clothes that are too big

To Do
Re-do nails (chipped them doing housework!)
30 minute yoga DVD
Fish for dinner

It is Monday, the sun is shining and I am feeling positive

Today I wore make-up for the first time in weeks. Was going to doctors for 6 week check up so wanted to look presentable. Just Clinique CC cream, benefit blusher and mascara but it made me feel so much more together.

Our house is in pretty good shape thanks to DH. It's a small bungalow (just 5 rooms plus hall) but when we got it two years ago DH gutted it (he was a carpenter builder). So everything is new. And we have kept on top of cleaning.

Well I was inspired so have managed to clean out my shoe cupboard, DD "helped" by emptying the contents of my underwear drawer on to the floor.

I also have a heap of clothes that I need to eBay, it's time I stopped hanging on to stuff "in case" I get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. It's not going to happen so I need to accept it and move on!

Speaking of underwear, I actually need to buy some that fits, all my bras are too big so need to get measured but it's so expensive

Your poor DD lucysmam hope she is better soon, it's awful seeing them poorly.

Dd is still snuggled under the blanket after three more explosive events bless her. She's just had a slice of toast and beaker of water but daren't give her much else even though she must be starving She's got to have her meds yet....I imagine it might make things temporarily worse (movicol & dulcolax in quite high doses)

Bedroom is complete and I have squeezed in sorting dd1's wardrobe and drawers; and some board games with the girls.

Can't wait to get in the shower and wash today away! Fresh pj's (non matching) & snuggle up with a .

Nail painting is my only planned extra tonight on top of usual routine. May pop a couple of camomile tea soaked cotton wool pads on my eyes too if dd1 settles ok for the night.

Start afresh tomorrow and hopefully this bug will have run its course.

Joining in the house princessing - I've been attacking the window frames in our bedroom. We moved in two months ago and there's been so much else to do but now the room's been more or less sorted out it's obvious how manky they are - thick black mould around the joins, it's disgusting! The old Dettol mould and mildew is doing the business, it's actually very satisfying. Tomorrow's job is to paint one wall, am just going to do it a bit at a time rather than the whole room in one go. So nice to finally have a nice place to hide from the children, er I mean do my pampering.

Painted toes a lovely bright red last night. Am giving my fingernails a break this week. Must invest in some rapid lash stuff, it really works but is so pricey. Also I need to do my crest strips but am scared the dentist will somehow know and tell me off when I see her on Friday so I'm waiting until after that!

I'm exhausted! Dog walked and popped to supermarket, we've chicken Kiev, I wanted something I could just throw in the oven, going to feed the animals then I'm jumping in the shower!
Broke a nail :(

I'm not going to get my nails painted tonight, only just sat down properly & still have the weeks outgoings to work out

Might just pop a coat of polish on with base coat & carry on from there with a second and top coat tomorrow. we'll see when I finish adding up

I'm off to have a nice bath :) and read for a while. About relationships!
And one of these days I shall be stapling the darn tweezers to my forehead! I lost them again. Had my eyebrowd threaded today but I have a few stray ones.

An unusually organised night for us- all the clothes are laid out for tomorrow, all bags packed and healthy lunches made! Can't wait for our 5.30am start

Have done the following tonight- flossed and brushed teeth, cleanse, tone, facial oil, eye cream and moisturiser, body moisturiser applied and vitamins taken.

Now for an early night...

paintbox, not 'unusually organised', but 'this is how it's going to be from now on organised :).
You know, I really understand people who get cheesed off with flylady. But the woman taught me more than my mother did. So yeah, I shine the blimin' sink because now it puts me in a fowl mood to see it messy in the morning (it does happen). I lay out my clothes and my DD's and everything is by the door ready to be stepped over and left behind, as you do, bleary eyed and rushed. I do meal plan and do the laundry monday to thursday, so we can have a free weekend. And do 15 minutes batches for everything.

I am a control freak now.

helga, I forgot to say I'm happy you got to have some rime to yourself and put make up on. You know, I have some scary pictures of me weeks/months after I have given birth and they're not pretty!!!!

Anyway, this evening's tadaah:

Hot bath, radox, defuzzed, heels done, cuticles pushed back. I went on a shopping spree today, I grabbed this shower gel and then put it back: you don't need this! Got in the bath and realised someone (them two) finished my lemon shower gel. I got left with ....lynx shower gel!!! Mind, it is a brand new bottle, at least they put a new one in! I smell like a teenage boy.. Why did he buy that???? We never ever had that before in the house.

Moisturised, foot cream, serum and eye cream. I like my new night cream, it's ordinary olay, repackaged, it's got a bit of pink on the pot. It's either that or I smell the lynx.

Matching pyjamas lol. This is my best pair, and newest. And the sleeves are 3/4 and I have baggy trousers finishing an inch over the ankle.

Ha, back to work tomorrow! No more epic posts, you'll get a break from me. :)

92 days to go

Morning all,

Helga looks like you had an early start- was it baby related?

My Ta dahs for this morning:

1. Shower
2. Cellulite cream applied
3. Body moisturiser applied
4. Makeup done
5. Work clothes on and no scrambling round for tights/belt as I laid them all out the night before.
6. Hair blow dried and straightened
7. Morning vitamins done
8. Hot water and lemon done
9. Healthy breakfast done

It didn't run totally smoothly as my hairdryer blew up mid blow dry- luckily my neighbour was up and lent me hers.

I am now sitting in the warmest train carriage ever- I think they must have the heating on! I have packed my herbal tea bags so I avoid the coffee machine at work and although we are getting lunch supplied today I've taken a healthy salad.

Hope everyone has a great day!

I'm fast becoming a control freak too But everything just runs so much more smoothly when I am organised. Plus as I am hoping to change from PT to FT hours after half term I feel I need to get a good routine going.

Painted my nails last night, just a ridge filling base coat and a high shine clear top coat. I'm looking forward to getting them done properly at the salon on Saturday.

Did my yoga last night too, but I think I overstretched as my back is a bit niggly this morning. I was hoping to go for a run later, but it depends on how my back is feeling. I slept really well after the yoga though.

This morning's Ta Da list:
Shower, shave, exfoliate
Wash & condition hair
Hot cloth cleanse, eye cream, moisturiser
Brushed teeth with whitening toothpaste
Moisturised body
Dried and styled hair
Dressed
Healthy breakfast
Took vitamins
Make up on

Now I'm off to work.

Will post properly when I get to my pc - I've struggled to follow flylady for just over a year. I have no internal desire to clean/tidy, which makes it hard to maintain. Must try harder in this respect.

Today's tadaahs - hair brushed and oiled, makeup done in my new style. Lip lacquer and gloss on. Earrings in. Nail varnish still looking good. Teeth fone, flossed and whitened. Hot lemon drunk. Co-ordinated outfir donned - and I have dig my pashmina out of the wardrobe and am wearing it. Are pashes ok to wear? I mean they're not a hideous fashion crime these days are they??

Just a quicky, both girls only just up so had a mid-week lie in Have to say, am feeling well refreshed but dd2 seems worse today so will be knackered by tonight.

Nails painted last night in my favourite orange polish...ran out of quick dry spray so will invest in some more later in the week.

Off to start my morning routine in a mo & make some plain toast for the girls.

Plan for today is start princessing dd1's room although weather not fab for line drying but not cold enough for heating & airers If it doesn't brighten up I'll dust the walls, wipe round the skirting, polish furniture, clean window and hoover in there today and see what the weather's like tomorrow before taking the curtain/net down. There are also several models made for or at school in there that I plan to photograph and then get rid of ready for this years.

Morning! I think I've morphed from bag lady to fashionista thanks to this thread. The first thing I thought about when I woke up was "what shall I wear today?" That's a first

Off out for the day so it's a grey skinny jean, raspberry scarf grey cardigan kind of day. Woohoo me :)

Have a great day x

paint To be fair I wasn't quite up - was feeding DD in bed. Most of my update posts are between 2am and 6am! I've been wondering bout your username - does box have the same slang meaning in the UK as Ireland? Here it's slang for fanjo.