I haven't shaved my legs or underarms in six years. Before you begin thinking that I must, by now, resemble some kind of hybrid woman/monkey I'll clarify. Since just before I got married I decided that waxing was the way to go. So, once a month I would go to my local beauty parlour (it's a small town, it really is a parlour, not a salon) and fork out nigh on £40 to get my legs and underarms waxed and my eyebrows waxed/plucked/threaded (depended on mood/therapist). Then I got pregnant and went on maternity leave and suddenly £40 a month was a lot of money to spend on a 'non-essential'. In some ways I felt quite relieved - although I quite enjoyed the hour of 'me time' I was finding it increasingly difficult to spare the time and the guilt and worry I felt about leaving the monkey princess with someone while I lay back and got beautified negated the positive me-time vibe. The problem was, I suddenly had to find a way of removing that excess hair, something I hadn't had to think about in a long time. I like waxing. I don't find it particularly painful and I like that re-growth is soft and reduces over time, but there was no way I was going to self-wax. I thought about (and indeed tried a couple of times) depilatory cream. Smelly, messy and just not much fun. I ended up back with shaving, which I had dismissed out of hand to begin with as I used to just HATE shaving. Regrowth is stubbly and (for me at least) pretty quick. I was never very good at shaving either and always sported nicks and scabs, so it was with a due sense of trepidation that I ventured to my local pharmacy to buy the necessary. I was first of all surprised by how 'feminine' all the products were. There didn't seem to be the pastel disposable bics that I used to get, so I had to investigate the more 'luxury' end of the market. I plumped for Venus with Olay (I know Olay is good so figured this was as good a decision as any). It even came with a little sucker attachment for you to hang up in the shower - brilliant! This morning was the moment of truth...I panicked a little when I realised I had forgotten to get any sort of shaving cream and was weighing up my soap options, but when I read the packaging it said I wouldn't need a separate shaving cream. Hmmm, thought I. This is going to be interesting... Then I shaved. And my God, were my eyes opened. What a truly amazing advance has been made in women's razors since I last shaved! It was smooth and gentle; no rasping, no nicks, and it was quick! I seem to remember scraping away at my legs and underarms for hours! Why had no-one told me? All that wasted money :(
So, in conclusion, I am currently a shaving convert. Let's just see how the re-growth treats me...
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Thursday, 2 May 2013
Yesterday and today's outfit
Yes, well spotted, it's the Monsoon linen trousers again. And if you look carefully, it's the dark green vest too, but anyways... I really like this outfit. The white cardigan/top is from M&S and I just adore it. For some reason it makes me feel presentable, like I've dressed up. 3/4 length sleeves are my absolute favourite. I'm not fond of short sleeves or sleeves because of the bingo -wing issue (and quite often, the underarm hair issue...another post coming up soon on that subject) so 3/4 length feels like a great compromise. I quite like my forearms and I feel more weather appropriate. Pleasingly, this outfit looks almost as nice in the photo as it does in my head ;)
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Another day, another outfit
Today I'm wearing the same tops as yesterday. That's ok isn't it? I mean, everyone does that, right? Or am I the last living person to wear clothes more than once?
The trousers are Monsoon green linen mix. I love linen trousers, despite their ability to wrinkle from just a look. I think these look better than the yoga pants and they are comfy, just not quite as flexible!
I like this outfit in principle, just not on me. Ugh, this thing of actually looking at what I'm wearing is hard, but hopefully it serves a purpose.
Sunny day = Sunny mood
What a glorious day! Yes, I know it's not even 9am yet, but as all parents will appreciate, my day began 3 hours ago so I feel like I've experienced enough of the day to proclaim it glorious! Got a few chores today - firstly, a doctor's appointment for the monkey princess. She has a nasty cough and cold and although I am sure it is nothing more than that as both my husband and I have recently had colds, I want to just get it checked out. Never thought I would be the type of Mum who went running to the doctor with every childhood sniffle, but it seems to be inevitable. Secondly, I have a man coming to fix our garage door, which means I need to stay 'in' all afternoon. Think I'll try and get out into the garden - after all these months of dull darkness it seems churlish to stay indoors.
Anyway, I am currently attempting my morning cup of coffee without a chocolate biscuit. Part of me thinks 'but it's only one chocolate biscuit' and that shouldn't really be a problem. It's more the habit that is a bad thing. I want to try and get back to 'treat' food being just that. For some reason, pregnancy and having a newborn gave me license to eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Not exactly eating for two, just that I saw no point in denying myself the pleasure (and for me it is a huge pleasure) of delicious food when the rest of my life was going into a tailspin. I'm aware that sounds dramatic, but pregnancy and motherhood were things I had never really thought I would experience. It's sounds odd when I say/write it but I never wanted to give birth or have a baby. But I wanted children and I wanted to be a mother, so it became a means to an end. I also had fertility issues and after trying for around 5 years we began IVF. I cannot put into words how absolutely blessed we were to be successful first time around and I had a very easy pregnancy. Labour and childbirth were not great, but are they for anyone? Despite thinking I knew what to expect and had plenty of time to prepare myself, motherhood still hit me like a sledgehammer and pride, embarrassment, whatever meant I felt I had to struggle on without asking for help. Everyone else coped, most of my friends now have two children and they didn't spend their days sobbing and not wanting to leave the house. Looking back, I wonder if I had a little more than the baby blues, but I don't know how useful labelling things is. The fact is, I struggled and I hated myself for feeling weak and unable to cope. Now things are starting to feel much easier and I feel more confident. There are still times when it feels dark and hopeless, but I now know that the feeling will pass.
Apologies for the diversion, but I think it helps explain, and for me to understand, why I feel ready and excited to start being me again, and to improve those things about me which I'm unhappy about.
And look at that, my coffee is finished and I have not ventured near the biscuit barrel. A glorious day indeed.
Anyway, I am currently attempting my morning cup of coffee without a chocolate biscuit. Part of me thinks 'but it's only one chocolate biscuit' and that shouldn't really be a problem. It's more the habit that is a bad thing. I want to try and get back to 'treat' food being just that. For some reason, pregnancy and having a newborn gave me license to eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Not exactly eating for two, just that I saw no point in denying myself the pleasure (and for me it is a huge pleasure) of delicious food when the rest of my life was going into a tailspin. I'm aware that sounds dramatic, but pregnancy and motherhood were things I had never really thought I would experience. It's sounds odd when I say/write it but I never wanted to give birth or have a baby. But I wanted children and I wanted to be a mother, so it became a means to an end. I also had fertility issues and after trying for around 5 years we began IVF. I cannot put into words how absolutely blessed we were to be successful first time around and I had a very easy pregnancy. Labour and childbirth were not great, but are they for anyone? Despite thinking I knew what to expect and had plenty of time to prepare myself, motherhood still hit me like a sledgehammer and pride, embarrassment, whatever meant I felt I had to struggle on without asking for help. Everyone else coped, most of my friends now have two children and they didn't spend their days sobbing and not wanting to leave the house. Looking back, I wonder if I had a little more than the baby blues, but I don't know how useful labelling things is. The fact is, I struggled and I hated myself for feeling weak and unable to cope. Now things are starting to feel much easier and I feel more confident. There are still times when it feels dark and hopeless, but I now know that the feeling will pass.
Apologies for the diversion, but I think it helps explain, and for me to understand, why I feel ready and excited to start being me again, and to improve those things about me which I'm unhappy about.
And look at that, my coffee is finished and I have not ventured near the biscuit barrel. A glorious day indeed.
Monday, 29 April 2013
First day, first review...
OK, so I thought it might be an idea to take a photo of what I wear, in an attempt to objectively review my clothes and maybe come to some magical conclusion about where I am going wrong. Today, a pair of black yoga pants and a pale green top, with a dark green vest underneath. I mean, honestly, what am I doing? Those trousers really enhance the saddle bags and the top is just making me look utterly shapeless. But it's all so comfortable. When you spend the best part of your day on the floor or hefting a baby around, comfort becomes really important. There must, however, be other options. Friends seem to look comfy in jeans, but then they are infinitely thinner than I am (yes, even the ones from my NCT group). I can't remember the last time I wore jeans. I even made the (I now see) mistake of buying jeggings, thinking they were a comfy compromise. They make me look like Max Wall (one for google if you're younger than me!). Actually, having just looked at a picture of Max Wall, his legs were much better than mine...
Enough about the disaster area that is my wardrobe. Let's look at some positives from today... I had a bowl of cereal (Cheerios) for breakfast rather than two slices of toast with lemon curd (I kid you not). Lunch was not so great, cheese salad sarnie, and dinner a steak sandwich. Quite carb heavy. I did manage to do my 10,000 steps though. And I started writing this blog. I didn't bake any scones, or run up a quick pinafore dress for the monkey princess. Nor did I write the first chapter of my novel or read a book rather than watch TV (Masterchef is too exciting...). Still, Rome wasn't built in a day, and I have done better today than I did yesterday. Long may it continue.
Enough about the disaster area that is my wardrobe. Let's look at some positives from today... I had a bowl of cereal (Cheerios) for breakfast rather than two slices of toast with lemon curd (I kid you not). Lunch was not so great, cheese salad sarnie, and dinner a steak sandwich. Quite carb heavy. I did manage to do my 10,000 steps though. And I started writing this blog. I didn't bake any scones, or run up a quick pinafore dress for the monkey princess. Nor did I write the first chapter of my novel or read a book rather than watch TV (Masterchef is too exciting...). Still, Rome wasn't built in a day, and I have done better today than I did yesterday. Long may it continue.
New beginnings
It's the same old story for so many people. I had my first baby in August 2012 (at 38) and now, nearly nine months into this crazy adventure of parenthood, I have decided it is time to come out from my self-imposed social seclusion and come blinking into the bright light of 'the rest of my life'. Don't get me wrong, I was no stick-thin fashonista before the arrival of the monkey princess (our gorgeous daughter) but what with staring down the barrel of 40 I finally feel that there can be no more excuses. So, my aims for the next twelve months are:
Get Fit
I know this is a bit vague and wishy-washy and I need to firm up some details. But the basics are that I need to be more active, for so many reasons. I want to be able to run around and play with the monkey princess without feeling like I am going to die. I want us to have active, outdoors lifestyles and I want to enjoy physical activity. I used to run, and have done two 5k in my time (I know, step aside Paula Radcliffe), and what I remember is that running is actually a fantastic feeling when you can do it without doubling over in an asthmatic heap after just two minutes. I also like swimming, walking and cycling so all of these should be getting a fair crack of the whip in the months to come. Let us not underestimate the benefits of pushing a 25lb baby up a hill in a buggy, or how much you can improve your fitness for free. I noticed the other day that my local park has some of that 'outdoor gym' equipment which, when I feel brave enough, I shall take advantage of!
Lose Weight
I reckon I put on about 2-3 stone when I was pregnant. I've probably lost the lion's share of that (how much do lions weigh?) but the fact of the matter is that I was overweight before I was pregnant. I'm not a naturally thin person, and I hope I am realistic enough to realise that I am never going to be waif like (and not sure I would want to be). However, I also know that as part of Get Fit I will need to lose weight - probably 3-4 stone would be good. I want to try and focus on the fit of my clothes and how I feel in myself, rather than becoming a slave to the scales, but for the record I will probably weigh myself, I dunno, once a month?
Take pride in my appearance
This very much links to Get Fit and Lose Weight. I have no 'style' and never really have done. Clothes have always been a bit of an after-thought for me, and because I've nearly always been overweight (in varying degrees) it's often been a case of buying and wearing what fits rather than what suits. I'm also lazy with hair, make-up, skin etc. These things don't need to take time or money and I can't help thinking that I will feel so much more confident, happy and capable if I am not constantly worrying that I look scruffy and unkempt.
Do more than watch TV
Again, not very SMART but let me elaborate. Every evening I slump on the sofa and watch TV. Not even necessarily TV that I want to watch, just any old thing that is on. I know there are so many other things that I could be doing with my time. I used to be a big reader (that's the commuting lifestyle for you) and I have piles of books around the house just waiting to be read. I've always wanted to write and have made various attempts over the years. I need to focus.
Embrace SAHM (Stay At Home Mum) status
By this I mean I want to try and be an effective and worthwhile SAHM. I need to be more organised, more active and take pride in housewifery and child-rearing. Not in a non-feminist way. It was my choice to not return to work and I really believe that being a SAHM should be viewed as career in itself. There are plenty of skills to learn and master. I've never been much of a cook and I want to change this. I'm quite house proud, but lazy a lot of the time (see above aim). I might even look into some craft activities (me and the rest of the Western world). I'd also like to get more involved with the local community. The town I live in has so much going for it and is going through some big changes at the moment (we have a Masterplan from the local council - how exciting!) so there's never been a better time to get involved and be able to make a difference.
So, that's what it's all about. I'll be posting about the changes I'm making, what works and what doesn't and hope to pick up some useful hints and tips from readers and fellow bloggers.
Get Fit
I know this is a bit vague and wishy-washy and I need to firm up some details. But the basics are that I need to be more active, for so many reasons. I want to be able to run around and play with the monkey princess without feeling like I am going to die. I want us to have active, outdoors lifestyles and I want to enjoy physical activity. I used to run, and have done two 5k in my time (I know, step aside Paula Radcliffe), and what I remember is that running is actually a fantastic feeling when you can do it without doubling over in an asthmatic heap after just two minutes. I also like swimming, walking and cycling so all of these should be getting a fair crack of the whip in the months to come. Let us not underestimate the benefits of pushing a 25lb baby up a hill in a buggy, or how much you can improve your fitness for free. I noticed the other day that my local park has some of that 'outdoor gym' equipment which, when I feel brave enough, I shall take advantage of!
Lose Weight
I reckon I put on about 2-3 stone when I was pregnant. I've probably lost the lion's share of that (how much do lions weigh?) but the fact of the matter is that I was overweight before I was pregnant. I'm not a naturally thin person, and I hope I am realistic enough to realise that I am never going to be waif like (and not sure I would want to be). However, I also know that as part of Get Fit I will need to lose weight - probably 3-4 stone would be good. I want to try and focus on the fit of my clothes and how I feel in myself, rather than becoming a slave to the scales, but for the record I will probably weigh myself, I dunno, once a month?
Take pride in my appearance
This very much links to Get Fit and Lose Weight. I have no 'style' and never really have done. Clothes have always been a bit of an after-thought for me, and because I've nearly always been overweight (in varying degrees) it's often been a case of buying and wearing what fits rather than what suits. I'm also lazy with hair, make-up, skin etc. These things don't need to take time or money and I can't help thinking that I will feel so much more confident, happy and capable if I am not constantly worrying that I look scruffy and unkempt.
Do more than watch TV
Again, not very SMART but let me elaborate. Every evening I slump on the sofa and watch TV. Not even necessarily TV that I want to watch, just any old thing that is on. I know there are so many other things that I could be doing with my time. I used to be a big reader (that's the commuting lifestyle for you) and I have piles of books around the house just waiting to be read. I've always wanted to write and have made various attempts over the years. I need to focus.
Embrace SAHM (Stay At Home Mum) status
By this I mean I want to try and be an effective and worthwhile SAHM. I need to be more organised, more active and take pride in housewifery and child-rearing. Not in a non-feminist way. It was my choice to not return to work and I really believe that being a SAHM should be viewed as career in itself. There are plenty of skills to learn and master. I've never been much of a cook and I want to change this. I'm quite house proud, but lazy a lot of the time (see above aim). I might even look into some craft activities (me and the rest of the Western world). I'd also like to get more involved with the local community. The town I live in has so much going for it and is going through some big changes at the moment (we have a Masterplan from the local council - how exciting!) so there's never been a better time to get involved and be able to make a difference.
So, that's what it's all about. I'll be posting about the changes I'm making, what works and what doesn't and hope to pick up some useful hints and tips from readers and fellow bloggers.
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