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!

Love the boots, Jemima. Well done, Blue and good luck for the move, lucysmam.

Will do proper update tonight!

controlgeek I started a C25K thread last week in exercise. We still have people on week 1, you'd be welcome to join us. Let me know if you want me to link to it.

lucysmam no chance of mooching, only 2 independent pharmacies here, both of which are ill-equipped and over-priced. I ordered hair dye, body moisturiser, exfoliator, hair oil, face mask, nail base coat I have a fingernail missing from shutting it in the door so keeping nails clear to avoid drawing attention to it until I have the full set, stain-removing whitening toothpaste, hand and nail cream, hard skin removing foot cream and vitamins. Thankfully most of it came out of my boots points.

Ta da
Done the MN haircut last night
6 glasses of water
Morning face routine and mascara

To do
Go running
Find my colours
2 more glasses of water

Right, I am back with an update....nails will not be painted tonight as I need to faff around with fish tank to move and don't want to risk poisoning them ....toenails will be re-done though.

Got super stuck sticker off new skinnies with nail polish remover with acetone in....works a treat! they're currently drying to wear tomorrow.

Am not spending £ the rest of the week so will be sharing dp's apple shampoo instead of replacing my highlights one tonight....hope it's not bad as the last Asda one I used! Himself has no hair so isn't too fussed what he gets.

Will be jumping in shower soon so will exfoliate, defuzz, (make sure I take mascara off properly this time so I don't look like a panda ), pumice my feet, and check my eyebrows....there are a few hairs that aren't quite long enough to tweeze and are doing my nut in.....moisturise body/feet/flexitol toe cuticles before painting nails. Will dry & straighten hair too.

Clothes all out for tomorrow. Have gone for a fine knit in cream to go with black skinnies and pumps. Red handbag and possibly red amethyst (maybe something else ) studs for a bit of colour. Will use a line of purple shadow too instead of eyeliner on top lashes. Hopefully will look glam and not clown-like

Hopefully if we move I can look at c25k....only reason I don't atm is because we're in an absolutely shitty area & I daren't leave the house on an evening. It's all locked up as soon as we get back from school & curtains etc done before 6pm!

SevenReasons, that's a kick ass Boots list there! Did you get heat protect spray for hair if you straighten?

How's everyone doing with water intake? I've been managing at least 1.5L which is not too shabby

Today, I've had got lemon water, showered, exfoliated, cleansed,toned,moisturiser (face and body), teeth with blanx, I've drunk water and took the dog for a 45 minute walk. Tonight should be shred but will be ironing labels on school uniforms instead.

Well I haven't been puked on yet so today is a success so far. Have showered, used exfoliating gloves, in-shower moisturised, washed face, eye cream & moisturiser. Used micro pedi & flexitol.

My diet is really bad though. DD doesn't like being put down so I'm eating one handed and lots of sugar.

Busy day as took poor pup to be neutered?! But meant I could clean the house and get my eyebrows threaded in town, also bought a nice raspberry jumper which is one of my colours! Took vitamins, fasted and had pasta and veggies for dinner, did the shred for the first time (omg shaking now) and drunk about 6 glasses of water with only 2 cups of tea today (I normally have about 6!). So will floss at bedtime and put my mascara serum on then, as well as my hand and foot cream. All good so far.

karbea third time's the charm, I really hope this will be the one for you.

Thank you sevenreasons, a link would be good though I don't think I'll be brave enough to join in just yet - with luck it will help my motivation!

lucysmam your outfit sounds gorgeous. Do you have a move planned or are you still at the looking/thinking stage?

First day of fasting went ok, but was ready to cave in to a pork pie with my name written all over it when I got home from work. Went for a 1.5mile walk instead, and am now proudly cooking tea. Luckily DP is doing the 5:2 with me so I don't need to feel jealous watching him eat.

Oooh yes please do a six pack thread trucks I will admit to feeling apprehensive about it! But everytime I look at my stomach I want to cry so I need to take some action.

Exercise fail today- didn't do any, at all. Bit yoga class tomorrow which I love so I will make up for it then.

About to lay out my clothes for tomorrow and then paint my nails a neutral colour for work.

Here's my list of renovations for today.

Hair washed, conditioned, styled nicely and finished off with hair oil to add shine. Eye cream and moisturiser. Whitening toothpaste.
Make up applied and wore nice dress to work instead of usual trousers/tshirt.
Loads of vitamins, lots of water and three pieces of fruit. Breakfast when I got to work. Applied cuticle cream at break and lunchtime and went for a lunchtime walk.
Healthy tea - spag bol with loads of veg - onions, peppers, aubergine, tomatoes.
Off for a nice soak in the bath, exfoliating bath stuff, cleanse, tone and night cream followed by body lotion and foot cream and an early night.

ILikeToClean, what's the mascara serum like? That's one of the things I still haven't looked for.

Control...move has literally been half sorted today...we were starting properly saving this week but dp rang a landlord to arrange a viewing, they got chatting and LL said that he'd be willing to let us move in for the £250 agent fee tomorrow and then pay off bond/first month rent over the next 6weeks! Going to have a proper look tomorrow then literally pack up overnight. Agent for this place is none too fussed about notice so if all goes well we can move Weds! It's literally round the corner from school and has a secure garden and decent bathroom which are the main things this place is missing (and this one is falling down around us).

Just waiting for my toes to dry. Have gone for a very deep red. Fingers were going to be "I have a herring problem" I think it's called from OPI but they can wait until the weekend.

Sorry to clog up the thread, just weighed myself and I've put 3 of the 5 lbs I lost in the past two weeks back on.

I could cry! I've been trying really hard but had a bad weekend with DP being ill etc that I've ended up grabbing takeaway and sweets to keep going. So mad at myself now!

That all sounds very exciting lucysmam!

Have re-done my nails and am typing cautiously while they dry...

Sorted my clothes out for going back to work tomorrow. Have set my alarm for 6am so that I can go for a run and get showered etc before the DC get up. Will be taking a piece of fruit for break time to avoid the staff room biscuit tin.

Managed 5 servings of fruit and veg today, and one oily fish. Lots of water.

Going for an early night now with my book

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/exercise/1839998-Jillian-Michaels-6-week-6-pack-anyone-want-to-re-start-with-me

Six week Six pack thread for paintyourbox

Sounds like everyone v motivated to make themselves fabulous!

Can I join? Tried to read through most of the thread but keep getting distracted by kids! Anyway sounds like a good idea, not sure what I'm supposed to be doing but seems like lads of preening and eating well, so I've done:
Brisk walk this morning and healthy breakfast.
Shower and body scrub followed by moisturiser then I've plucked eyebrows and done base coat, 2 coats of colour and top coat on nails and toe nails with a new chanel nail polish I bought a few weeks ago.
Wore a nice summer dress too and had salmon for tea, I did treat myself to a small slice of cake this afternoon in the coffee shop but only a tinzy piece!!
Will do a face mask tonight.

Paint your box - just draw a line under it and start again. If someone is ill you grab what you can and healthy eating goes out of the window. start again tomorrow. I am off to slimming world tomorrow after a break so am back on a healthy eating plan.

liketoclean have you got a link to the raspberry jumper?
helga do you rate the micro pedi?

I shredded! With the assistance of baby chucking wooden blocks and toddler dancing around to the exercises. Am idiot though as it made me hungry and I ate half a chocolate tart! I guess I would have done that anyway, so at least I exercised!!

I have also cleansed and moisturised, washed and hair oiled hair, had vits, removed old nail varnish (today is manicure day but can't quite be bothered) and defuzzed.

Lucysmam the serum is L'oreal, only tried it for past 2 days so no change yet but will keep you posted!

Lonely goatherd I can't link on my phone but it was a Red Herring from Debenhams jumper with burgundy trim, about £18.

The shred is intense, I'm fairly fit and when it started I thought it was fine, by the end I was shaking walking downstairs!

Thanks trucks

You are totally right Baker tomorrow is a new day. When DP is recovered he is going on a diet (he hasn't been able to exercise for a while but now his op is done he is good to go in about 4 week time) so hopefully we can motivate each other.

I have painted my nails, moisturised everywhere and set out all my work clothes for the week along with accessories and shoes.

Hoping for good weather tomorrow so I can bike to the train station.

ta da did bootcamp, ate three meals only, drank plenty of water, wore an okay dress for play date, shaved ready for beach trip tomorrow (am mostly lasered so can be guilty of ignoring few strays). Admired my skin alot- clarisonic has upgraded it from 4/10 to 6/10 in a month,am v pleased.
to do need to log what I eat in mfp as I eat it, not at end of busy day, squat challenge 60 tomorrow I think (must check!).
Mud mask planned for Weds night.
Well done everyone- v impressed by all the defrumping going on. Do occasionally stare into depths of my wardrobe to consider decluttering but is intimidating!!

Questions:
What hair oil do you all use? Is there a really good one out there I don't know about?!

Are clarasonics worth it? I get blackheads and have quite big pores. I don't mind splashing out if it means noticeable results.

Ta da's:
Woke up with wavy hair, slightly frizzy still though so I need some sort of "hair-do finisher" which will smooth it all down, hence my enquiry regarding hair oil.

Took vitamins, drank warm lemon water, washed, exfoliated, and moisturised face.

Took dog and baby for a walk.

Did mini pedi, used a bright pink No7 polish.

Met DP at the door this eve wearing a frock. First time I've put one on since before DD was born (she's 6 months! ). He promptly declared me "lovely."

Posted too soon!

To do's

Work on diet and water intake!

Eyebrow pluckage needs doing asap.

I'm starting to feel really good about taking some time for myself. Feels nice!

Skin care going great, took my vitamin, clothes laid out for tomorrow, will also be booking hair and eyebrows also broke a nail tip so hands look crap now so ive got to get that done. Strugglin with the water only managed a litre today.

Im going to aldi tomorrow are there any potions and lotions you would recommend?

And my hairdresser does me a wag style blowdry i can blow dry my hair and get the volume but i cant curl with straightners so i need to buy some tongs or would a big hair be better?

Hope no one minds if I pop in to ask a question. I can't have citrus so can't do morning lemon water - does anyone know of a similar cleansing concoction I could do?