High Maintenance on a low budget, Anyone going to join me?

[starbear]

I'm fed up of being out of shape, scruffy Mummy. From this week I'm going to watch less Telly get more exercise in and start looking groomed. Any scruffy bugger want to join me. I plan to be a Diva by summer.
I'm sitting here in a Fleece, green 'Tu' Sainsbury's old t-shirt, men's Gap jeans and brown flat trainer type thing, eyebrows need doing and hair needs cutting. Time to change. Anyone want to join a support group?

I'm going to try and sort out outfits for the week as that's my biggest time waster in the mornings and for myself I'm going to keep my toenails painted all year round, not just in summer (ie August)!

Right, tomorrow I am starting on the wii fit again and I have just ordered this.

And I am ordering the colour me confident book from the library and the the body bible.

use the smart coach oin here for running program - it is free

here

I'm going re-join my running club tomorrow. I've got flat feet. So I had to give up as it caused various injuries. This has been sort of solved now by a podiatrist and some insole. I'm a bit embarrassed as I keep returning and leaving. I don't think they will mind.
watched Cranford of course. But not going to watch 'Hunter' boring crime thing and going to fold some clothes and look after my poor feet.

Salt water baths - for your feet that is

Okay - I have fsix outfits sorted and my face feels lovely and clean and smooth.

Can anybody recommend a product to help sort my nails out as they are really thin and bendy?

Yep brought the salt this morning and a nice scrub. Ta! I read all the magazines and books with my tea and biscuit just I don't put it into practice. ..... Until now of course.

Marigolds - the yellow gloves,wonderfull for keeping the skin on your hands and your nails much nicer - no point putting lovely hand creams on your hands and nails and then not using Mrigolds

accessorise every day

think statement jewellery or and scarf/ hat/ brooch / patterned tights

discover the colour palate that suits you.

Be honest about whether or not black near your face is deadening
Wear scarfs with your black tops if this is true

Only buying within a certain colour palate will save you tons of money and make everything pull together much better

I agree that colour is vital- and once you know which ones suit you, you'll never again have to wonder whether one item matches another - as everything matches you.

Simple steps that make me feel better are:

lip salve (peely lips are not a good look)

pluck eyebrows every day (and any buggers that spring up on my chin

moisturiser with fake tan in it (I got the Olay one half price in Tescos this week).

Even when I'm slobbing in ill-fitting jeans and a crusty top, I feel better knowing I have done the above.

I also walk alot, free, healthy and a great stress-buster. Now I just have to remember to drink water, I tend to exist on coffee and wine. I must really add in some other fluids.

Much the same as bunny expect change wine to vodka on the weekends .

I always try moisturise my bod after shower/bath and alternate one day with the stuff with the fake tan in it and one day normal stuff. (I use whatever is cheapest, asda own make is meant to be good)

I tint my eyelashes at home.

Whiten teeth at home.

I sometimes get the acrylic nails done when money permits, I know there not everyones cup of tea but they really make me feel 'made up'.
Otherwise a quick file and the clear nail polish is great as well.

When I drop ds off at nursery, I go a walk which takes me around 40 mins, its the only chance I get and doesn't get in the road of anything else, at weekends dp is there and I just get up and go out first thing, otherwise would not do it, my arse has now hoiked itself back up to where its roughly meant to be, instead of a foot lower .

The walks are really the biggest thing, and best to do first thing before you do your make up/shower etc (if you can stand going out manky first thing)

I'm not starting from the basement I have always used Marigolds 1, because I like germs to be killed with very Hot water 2, My mum told me to from when I was little. Hand face, body cream and lip salve is a must as I work outdoors so the cracks will hurt. I do miss it sometimes and regret it. it's just I bite the hard skin so I will file my nails & skin then put cream on my hands.

lilacclaire Be careful with the acrylic nails as fungus can develop underneath and serious damage to your normal nail.Make sure the place you go to has Hygiene certificates.

Okay, I've read all the above posts thank you for all the tips. Hope others can use them too.
My babysteps for this week are:-
1,put cream on but do it everyday not when things feel dry.
2, Put day off outfits together
3,Throw out clothes you never wear or want to wear
4, Drink lemon and hot water
5,Pluck eyebrows every other day.
6, Buy 1 pair of good looking well fitted jeans.
7,sit ups everyday
8, 1 trip to the gym (better than none)

is in your list of self improvement this week?

Bold won't work neither all the words I used ??? I meant to say
WHAT IS ON YOUR LIST OF SELF IMPROVEMENT THIS WEEK?

Ok - thank you Starbear

So I have:

Binned old clothes (did that last week and found clothes at the back of my wardrobe had fogoten about that I likeeee)

Put all my clothes together as outits

Been to the gym today

Polished and filed nails

Had three portions of veg/fruit with lunch

Marigolds and hand cream today and every day

gym

sorted out outfits for the week

hot water and lemon

tinted body moisturiser

Can I join in? I work at home and have recently started making an effort, after realising that I'd slid into a world of ponytail, no make-up and jeans and jumpers, without really noticing.

this book is good (although it looks a bit offputting) and has toned me up no end - I put on a DVD to watch, and do the exercises while barely even noticing.

Am going to try tinted body moisturiser, be better at eyebrows, and sort out fingernails more rigorously.

I also go running at the weekends which makes a massive difference, and is (obviously) free. It clears my head and makes me feel much more confident. We live in a seaside town, and I love running along the coast path looking at the waves.

It was the first grey hairs that were my wake-up call. I do get to the salon every 6 weeks now in my anxiety to hide them - not cheap but I think if you have good hair other things fall into place.

Hair is your crowning glory and always has the biggest effect on your overall appearance. If you notice on make over programs, it is the hair they always leave till last - this gives the wow factour at the end of the show.

A good hairdresser will sit you down with dry hair and talk about what you want done, before the hair is washed and looks like well wet hair? Get a good cut that you can manage will be far better than getting a cut you think you can manage.

Sometimes aswell let your hairdresser have there say in what they would do, they spend all day cutting hair and have a much better idea of what suit which face and what fine hair will be better in which style etc.

I am waiting for DH to get home and I know its lazy but I'm hoping he'll get in late so I can't get to the running club at 7.30pm I didn't do the sit ups Must break the cycle
I agree a good hair cut is a must. And so is some movitivation. Now I've posted this I hope DH does get in as I will go.

Depends what sixe you are ? if you are a size 8/10 then i could kit you out for a whole year for about £100 from our local charity shops

well I have been very good today

Got up at 6.30 which gave me time to have relaxing bath, smother self in body lotion and get face on before kids had woken up at 7.15. Result was a calm, together mama who wasn't trying to cram everything in to the usual 1 hour morning rush.

Went off to Boots this morning and stocked up on some cheap and cheerful essentials for new beauty routine.

Drank my own body weight in water (or at least it feels like it!

Went to the gym whilst DCs were in tennis classes, as opposed to sitting there supping cappucino.

Skin-brushed before shower this eve; exfoliated face and slathered on face pack and whilst that was doing its stuff I gave self mini-pedi with scrub and luscious new foot cream. Was downstairs in front of Corrie, in my pjs by 7.45pm

Am even giving up my nightly glass of red......well for the next two weeks anyway

mmmm following with interest - how do you whiten teeth at home? I am trying to do nails in front of the tele same night every week and have pamper night for maintainence of all things hairy . Sit ups infront of Lipstick Jungle for me tonight!

I am not sure about the teeth whitening thing - I am sceptical of once you start you have to keepdoing it as the stains are worse - i.e the first time youget it done then drink coffee or eat chocolate they get stained even more as the enamel is not as good as it was and it becomes a vicious circle?

I have no proof of this, just a couple of coments in the dentist that i over heard

Would be interested to know?

I get my teeth whitening stuff from dentist, just ask them about it next time your in.