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?

onlywantsone Climb aboard. What would you like to improve on? I agree with the teeth brushing on more than just beauty level but, my teeth are less than perfect due to my tea and sugar habit
Well I went for my run & jog and feel I'm on track to major improvement Please join me anytime

Cream on feet done last night. Sit-up this morning (big tick) Dry hair and off to work? Going to take crackers and apple to work. How are you all doing?

took chipped nail varnish off and filled nails down to nice an shapely.

Applied hand cream, to hands feet - moisturised legs and bum :-)

Have washed, dried and straightened hair and applied make up

Am wearing coordinated clothes and very funky pink converses

is off to take DD to nursery....

Only Have not got to the coordinated clothes yet. That is another level for me. Hmm just noticed the pink Converses. I think that's a great start for me. I'm going to pinch it. Hope you don't mind? I'm too lumpy for the rest BUT working on it.
BUT I'm doing the Pete Cohen 5p in a jar reward thingy, roughly
So for today I
sit-ups (even though Ds woke me up from a deep sleep at 5.30am) 5p
glass of water 5p
Did not have the chicken Satay or crisps at work. just sandwich, peach and water 15p
walked from one appointment to another 30mins
5p
Went to the gym a little exercise and a swim
10p.
Cream all over even bum 5p
On the road to Divahood now!
How are the rest of you doing?

oooooh I had a bad day today. Have had a glass of wine and a packet of crisps . However, I did only have a salad for supper .

Have kept up with pampered feet and face this week though.

Clothes have not been particularly stylish today as was just cold and miserable when I got up this morning and put on a not particularly lovely jumper with boots and skinnies. I am sure it looked fine - just didn't feel particularly lovely in it!

RealMrsJohn. Today is another day. Hope you enjoyed the salad. I forgot to say I had a nip of sloe gin! Skinny jeans, well done as I really don't have the figure for them yet! But I'm working on it
This evening I will try a bit more maintenance. Off to work now.

hiya, i would love to join!

i have been working on me recently so the support should really help
iu have booked an appointement for waxing next wed while the kids are in the creche, i took them yesterday for settling in the creche, im hoping i may be able to get my haircut the week after if they are ok there, as have been desperate to chop half off since nov

i took the kids to music group on the bus on mon but walked home instead am hoping to do this weekly now, as i find it hard to exercise due to time, if the kids settle in the creche will also do an hour gym class, i used to go every week when i was allowed to take ds into the class and dd was ion the creche but now need to get ds to stay in the creche for an hour

So any tips i havent thought of to improve my appearance and figure? any recommendations for fitness dvds?

littleducks Looks like you already have a plan. I found my Ds was okay as a baby in the creche, I wasn't working so had spare time to get everything done and started to lose weight. Then he communicated very clearly to me he didn't like the creche even though the girls were lovely. Then I went back to work.... say no more. He cried I didn't have time.
Now he's 4 yrs he has warmed to the creche so off we go tomorrow in the afternoon. I'm going to the gym Saturday morning at 9am then we swap and I go swimming with Ds.
More ideas later

I use a very old The Crunch with Karen Amen Video from the mid 90's.
I also have a Nell McAndrews Ultimate Challenge I've read consistantly she is the best. I bought it two years ago, didn't do it. Now that you've meationed DVD's I've dug it out and I'll try it tommorow. I tell you what I thought. I do miss my Jane Fonda videos

Theres a fee for ads modernmama

Interesting comment justgreat Hi modernmama I suppose your already there and can offer expert tips? I will just add my 20 top things are very different from yours Vive la différence

Well, another day to get closer to a new glamorous me. How is everyone else doing?
Ds is at Nursery for the morning I've got lots of chores.
So in between them I'm going to do sit-up's and Nell's DVD.
Ds wanted to go into the creche so 1 hour in the gym.
If I have time get my fringe trimmed!

Disaster at the gym. Opened my bag and found I put an odd pair of trainers in the bag They are both white and look the same from the heels as I grabbed them (one for Gym one for muddy running!) I couldn't go out in odd trainers! It will remind me to always pack a swimsuit for these occasions.
So I used the time to have a shower and use cream all over.
Littleducks Nell McAndrews* DVD very good got me sweating and didn't get in anyone's way, great.

P.S Got fringe cut as well

Not got time to read all of this atm, but want to make sure I can find it easily later. At the beginning fo the year I decided I would try to look after my appearnace a bit more, be a bit more groomed. Doing OK so far, and now am feeling like I want to lose the excess weight and shape up. Will come back for top grooming tips later!

Btw my top tip of the moment if forget nail polish, get a buffer instead. Brings up a lovely shine and no worries about chipping it.

Welcome JammyQueenOfTheNewYear
Yep! Going to take that tip as I can't wear nail varnish at work and clear nail varnish might damage the nail in the long term (my podiatrist say so)
Come back with a plan you don't have to read the whole thread we are busy women after all apart from my MN habit

Hello, can i join in please?

Am a SAHM mum at the moment, have a 4 month old DD and really want to feel better about myself.

I have long wavy hair which looks nice when i can be bothered to do it properly, but as i don't go out that much during the week i just scrape it back in a ponytail

Do you think i should make the time to sort out my hair every morning when i don't really go anywhere?It does look so much better when it's down but i just can't be bothered

rarebreed - don't feel about not being bothered with your hair. It's hard when your LO is small. I'm impressed that you're acknowledging it could look better. Personally I'd say it's fine not to spend long on your hair if you're at home, but I think it's one of those questions that only you can answer as only you know how much time and energy you have and how spedning that time on your hair makes you feel.

I went out tonight and followed some advice from here and dug out my jewellery box and got out dangly earrings, rather than just sticking with the studs I wear all the time, and also a bracelet that matches the earrings. And yes it did make me feel different. It was good.

rarebreed, maybe invest n some nice hairclips etc so you canvary the style as it ont be long before your dd starts hairpuling if you leave it down? Not going too well here as my dd has a d&v bug so will be starting again on mon hoping she has recovered, did buy some new shoes though to stop looking so scruffy

Welcome rarebreed jump aboard. Okay just an idea. Only do your hair when partner or family are around in the morning so you have some time to do it. Get a good hair cut so when you do have the time it falls into place, nothing worse than spending time on hair that still looks naff at the end. Agree with hair clip. Radcal, but does short hair suit you? If it does go for it but a very good up to date style.
JammyQueenOfTheNewYear I think your cooking with gas!
littleducks baby steps. This has to work around everything else. Wish I could see the shoes?
Well people. Today I have earned:-
Hot water with lemon 5p
Circuits 10p
Swim with Ds 5p
Lunch of cracker salmon, cream cheese & cucumber instead of bagel with butter etc..5p
glass of water 5p

See you later. I want to read some updates (because I'm nosey).
Luv Starbear

I'm going to keep my hair long but will definately be buying some nice hair clips and will try a few different styles, am just so sick of it being in a ponytail! Thanks everyone for the help

I went shopping yesterday and treated myself to some nice new clothes, am going to wear them aswell, instead of saving them 'for best' Does anyone else do that?

They are still flat shoes (and from clarks )to dh's disapointment but both my reliable pairs of shoes fell apart this week so immediate action was called for, as i wore the broken shoes all week in fact just realised clarks is online so i have these most comfy shoes i have ever worn but £££ and these much nicer in khaki i bought from brantano so paid ever so slightly less and the second pair were 50% off

rarebreed if it suits you french braids are practical and can look very cool but it is a case of suits you or really doesnt

starbear ypou have just inspired me to drink some water, that i can manage today

littleducks LOL 'dh's disapointment' Did he want red stilettos and no knickers?
Those shoes are so me. My flat brown DM's were almost the same. Ask him did he want something sexier? Then ask for the cash to buy them as a treat for HIM!
Off to play with DS and drink water.

my dh thinks my taste in shoes is boring, they were to replace these in black and brown so i do see his point about being very same-y but (to my knowledge) has never worn high heels so doesnt understand why i want flats to push the buggy, but i need comfy shoes to encourage lots of walking to get skinny and toned!

am off to check out dvd recommendations on amazon