Perfect Pins

I am naturally very dark with dark brown hair and eyes. But I have very pale skin.

One of the unfortunate side effects of such colouring is that my hair stands out. A good thing for the hair on my head. A very bad thing for the rest of my body hair.


My daily ablutions included a constant need to shave my legs etc.

I also have slightly sensitive skin, and my legs would only accept shaving if they were soaked in a hot bath prior to applying the razor with a sensitive shaving gel ideally.

This palaver always drove me potty, especially since I still ended up with legs that were covered in tiny red dots - irritated skin around a hair follicle.

Oh, what do?

The answer came pretty easily a few years ago and it also came at a very reasonable price.
I came across the these.


They are common bath salts.

I kept getting them with gift sets in anything from joke test tubes to fancy boxes and beautifully etched bottle.

I do not like bath salt, they for me are not a bathing essential

So, as nicely packaged as they were, the bath salts just gathered dust at the bottom of the bathroom cabinet until it was eventually chucked in those annual clear outs we women have.

Until one evening during a bath I discovered a use. Take roughly one tablespoon of bath salts into the palm of your hand and rub all over a nicely soaked leg. Then shave as usual.

I end up with the smoothest of legs, no nasty irritated skin from the razor and very soft skin. I then, after patting dry, slather a cheap body lotion all over the affected area for added indulgence.

Clarins have a body scrub which is divine but at roughly £30 per pot this is a very frugal alternative. Plus I often find bath salts can be picked up in charity shops for pence.

My legs.

Often on the discount shelves of beauty stores. I have even added a base oil then some drops of rosemary and / or lavenderr oil for exfoliating my hands.

Please note though, I would advise keeping such salts away from open cuts  / grazes and from delicate skin areas. Getting salt in an open cut hurts like hell.

Honestly try it, a few attempts and your pins will be ready for our glorious British summer of BBQs, shorts and Pimms.... um wait oh heck!

Frugally yours
Abigail
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Food Waste Friday

Every Friday, I link with Frugal Girl in an effort to shame myself into reducing my food waste.

After last week of being away, one would think I should have nothing to report.... Oh dear what a disappointment am I?

About three quarters of a pint of milk on the left and about half a tub of sour cream. I would actually try the sour cream, but it has all separated and looks rank. I would have taken a picture but did not want to hurt your delicate sensabilities.

Ho hum, better luck next week.

Frugally yours
Abigail
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I Love A Bit Of Tat.

Hello Harriet. Thank you so much for visiting me - x

I love a bit of tat. If it changes colour when you touch it, or means that something can hang on a wall that should not hang on a wall then I can be persuaded to spend money.

Do you know those Pound shops, well I have the biggest one in the country a few steps from one of our offices. I went in there today and boy do I get excited.

I came out after 15 minutes having spent £11.

I know £12 is a lot of money, but £10 was spent on these

They are sponges, you only add water and they will clean anything. Some examples -  sole marks from laminate flooring, scuff marks on skirting boards, baked grease  accumulated over many years on hobs (TC's new house) and my personal favourite the mural painted by my 3yo nephew and friends on the white spare room wall in felt tip...... there was much a screaming and a squawking and a shouting and a crying that Sunday afternoon so I understand.

Anyhoo, no-one has asked to review them. So buy them, don't buy it is none of my business. What I am trying to state is that my local supermarket wants about £3-£4 for them branded and the local £1 store sells them for just....um wait a minute I have the receipt somewhere....oh yes £1.

My sister cannot get them down south so I have a standing order to buy up any cheap sponges upon sight. 10 today. Apparently some of her friends saw them and want them too. My tenner will be refunded by my sis when I catch up with her.

I also bought 2 boxes to post items. 50p each and they take a pair of shoes perfectly so I use them to send off my ebay sales. The price is included in the P&P. So a legitimate expense I think.

I have a friend who gets just as excited as I do over such tat and I thought it might amuse you to see a few of our purchases. The rules are, it has to be cheap and basically tat that fulfils a need you did not realise you had.

Please note these are links I found and I am in no way related to the sellers or endorsing their products.  

These are my favourite.
A toothpaste dispenser
handbag dispenser

Frugally yours
Abigail
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The Lurgy

Sorry about the radio silence, damn typical for me. A few days off and  I come down with the lurgy. For quite a few years I always got flu over Christmas (3 times in 8 yrs). 6 years ago after a particularly nasty bout that landed me in an ambulance just before NYE and then a month off work as I had complications – Pneumonia and Pleurisy.

Now, I do admit to being quite precious about my health. Every year I queue for my winter flu jab.

I had thought it was strange that whilst I was staying with my sister I was so shattered and falling into bed at about 10ish after a relatively quiet day.

Thursday it hit me when I woke up that I had come down with a cold and over the weekend it hit my chest. I spent Friday in bed and pretty much the same again on Saturday. Sunday, I  watched the tennis had snooze and kept being sick due to coughing all the time whilst viewing the washing from my few days away piled in a visable corner.

I really am not a lazy person but tidying the mess after returning from a few days away was just beyond me.

I made it into work on Monday and again today. Each day feeling a little bit more normal with the aid of over the counter cold remedies.

I hate being ill, but with a history of nasty chest infections. The only sensible course of action is to make sure I look after myself, otherwise history repeats itself and I end up in my parents spare room wheezing and barely able to talk.

Anyhoo, a quick update on life.

I have put aside the petrol money I need until it is Pay Day again and now have only a small amount for daily expenses to last 3 weeks until 2^nd August. I have also transferred all the money I made from Ebay and put it into my savings account, which are still looking worryingly low.

I have though done a big food shop and spent  about £40. I will update the food page in the next few days. I did spend some of that money in M&S food hall after receiving another £10 voucher from an online research company. Already £2 of the way to my next.

Glad to be feeling better but upset at the £11/£12 I have had to fork out on over the counter remedies to make me feel normal. Day Nurse in my humble opinion is the only effective “cure” for a cold and bad congestion. But it is soooo expensive £5.85 in my local Chemist. I needed 2 boxes and am still having to take it today to get though all my cold calling without coughing down the ear of a prospective client. 

I am so glad to be feeling better, but I think it means I owe The Chap a big thanks as especially on Friday night when I was just a blubbering mess on his sofa in a completely black mood about savings, hobs, garage doors, holidays and debt. Poor guy!

Frugally yours

Abigail

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Monday 9th July

Hi
I am ill. Be back soon.
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Another Day of my week off gone..

After a bit of a spend over the weekend and yesterday on sunglasses and cocktails, I dialled it down today and my sister and I just spent the day doing family activities.

We took my nephew to his golf lesson followed by swimming, then back home to play with a friend of his.

I am sitting writing this in my sisters study listening to the pair of them discuss spider man and batman. It really is the most hilarious thing I have seen. My nephew just asked his mate if he wanted to help him whilst he had a poo. So M's friend sat and chatted to him whilst he went about his business in the bathroom. Perhaps it is the true side of friendship?

Having a three year old running around is the most exhausting and exhilarating of situations. I was woken at 6.45am by M who then insisted on playing with my mobile phone. So I thought I would make myself useful and so I got up and made my sister and bro in law a cup of tea and some toast to eat in bed.

I probably should be doing some sewing or wash the car or 100 other useful jobs. But the reality is this No Spend Day has been the best ever.

Frugally yours
Abigail
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My Ever So Seldom Seen Glamorous Side.

Hello and welcome to my new follower Fran. Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to sign up. It is appreciated - x.


I have had the most fabulous weekend and day today.

Staying with my friend S was great. She welcomed me on Friday after work with fresh seabass and chocolate cheesecake. The meal was so delicious and she really makes me feel so welcome. Plus, S has the most amazing uber posh collection of lotions and potions and offered her entire collection at my disposal whilst I had a bath. Even S said I smelt superb after. Fully exfoliated everywhere and primed primped and preened to the fullest extent. It was pure bliss.

A night in her very comfortable spare room brought homemade breakfast muffins in the morning and a bacon sandwich. Then we caught a bus to covent garden and tootled around. I only invested in 3 scarves on a market stall all in different shades of animal print £7.50 total. (the lady did me a deal). They will make very nice presents for friends later in the year and 1 may well find its way into my own collection.

4pm saw us outside the theatre for The Mousetrap. The world's longest running play already having done 25000 performances over nearly 60 yrs. It was great . A small theatre, very intimate and it was excellently excuted. Kept S and I guessing until the very end! I will not say any more, as they do ask at the end of the show not to reveal the nature of the "whodunnit" to anyone. I would recommend a visit if you are visiting London anytime soon. It was also one of the most reasonable, at £35 for a ticket. Wicked last year cost us £60.

After the show we popped to my very favourite bar One Aldwych for lychee martinis. 

They are eye wincingly expensive but the most delicious alcohol cocktail  you will ever ever drink. We actually had 2 as they gave us 1 free for having kept us waiting 7 minutes for our first. At £12.50 plus service charge per drink, that I believe, is what is known as a result. Besides as the day had only cost the price of a bagel and 3 scarves. I think I could justify it as S had paid for my theatre ticket for my birthday.

I met my sister on Sunday outside of Harrods. Her son and hubby had gone down south for the day to visit family so she hot footed it to meet me for some serious window shopping in the best corner shop in the world. We tried on every kind of make up known to man. My sister looked and tried on a £6000 watch. I looked at Channel handbags, Louis Vuitton gloves and the pet department.

We got treated like royalty by the staff and even saw the most brilliant sale deductions. I love Rado watches and the diamond one I absolutely love was reduced from £4k to £1900. So, I got 2...... hahaha kidding!

At the end of looking at everything top to bottom. We left with no bags and no purchases. However we did both buy a sandwich whilst we there for hours. The bill came to £40 for both of us. But, I think they deserve my £20 for the way we were treated. At one point they even charged our mobile phone for free whilst we ate lunch.

Harrods is such a point of interest in the capital, filled with luxurious goods for the super rich. But, there are also so many items in for the average pocket too. However, this frugal blogger thoroughly enjoyed my day window shopping, and certainly for 6 hrs enjoyment did not begrudge them my £20 for the luxury of eating a club sandwich in the most amazing surroundings.

After transferring to my sisters yesterday, I was woken up early to my nephew determined that we should play with his new batmobile i bought him as a present (£1.50 - ebay) until it was time to drop him off at nursery. Sis and I then donned macs to visit the nearby Kingston where my absolute favourite TK Max is situated. I did then at that point capitulate and bought some new sunglasses - Moschino - reduced from £180 to £29.99. They should last me years. What do we think?

I had given myself some extra money for my weeks holiday from work and whilst I would never have paid £180 for glasses, and certainly could get some new glasses cheaper..... well they make me feel like Audrey Hepburn, and Jackie O all rolled into one. 

Ah, to heck with it, I love em! And it has not been an expensive weekend at all.

My sis is my best friend and her and her family make me feel so welcome, my nephew M who is 3 constantly wants to play so this afternoon we played matching games, fishing games and snap. I also lay on the bed with him whilst he went to sleep as a treat so my sis and her hubby could have a little peace and quiet together. Together we read stories, play with cars and he loves to look at photos. My reward? As he went to sleep this evening with my arm curled around his chest, my georgous, handsome kind sweet nephew sleepily murmed 'I love you Aunty Abigail' and kept kissing my hand. I love my new glasses, and scarves and even my £20 sandwiches. But, would give them up in a heartbeat along with my health for that bundle of mischievous loud energy that I have no doubt will be pounding through my bedroom door at 7am tomorrow determined to play horsey...

Frugally yours 

Abigail

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