September Beauty favourites – my recommendations for the over 50’s lady

On By elaineandjohnIn Retirement Lifestyle, UncategorizedLeave a comment

This is my first post about beauty products. I know you’re saying – ‘Not another blogger talking about beauty products’ However most bloggers are still in the young and beautiful category. There aren’t too many who blog about age appropriate products for the more mature woman. Let’s face it (I think there’s a pun in there somewhere!), the vogue at the moment is sculpting, well you only have to look at Liz McDonald on Coronation Street to see that its not a good look for the over 50’s – Sorry Liz but that’s my honest opinion.

So I hope I can post about products that are helpful for the over 50’s of this world who still want to look their best without the use of surgical or aesthetic enhancements.

I will make my stand here about my thoughts on aesthetic procedures and enhancements before I proceed any further. I am not a fan and would not choose to go down that road, purely a personal choice. I have colleagues who work in the field and in fact I ma being encouraged to work in the field as I possess an Independent Nurse Prescribing  qualification.  Also many of my friends have undergone cosmetic procedures in one form or another. My opinion is that I don’t think many people are actually improved by procedures. I find it hard to think of a single celebrity who actually looks better or more youthful -they just look the same age but with cosmetic enhancements!

I am fortunate to be comfortable in my own skin and have the attitude that if you don’t like my wrinkles then tough! They are very much a part of me and who I am – I prefer to call them laughter lines. Plus I have been blessed (or not) with big boobs and I think they are a hindrance – they ruin the shape of many an outfit and dictate the type of clothes I can wear. I don’t think they are an asset at all.

Right, lest get to the subject in hand. Products I have bought in September that I like and recommend.

The Righteous Butter Diamond Edition Body Cream by Soap and Glory

Entering competitions is one of my hobbies and purchase of this product was necessary as entry to a competition. It was quite expensive but the prize was a diamond so I thought I’d give it a try. I never have a shower or bath without moisturising afterwards.

This is a lovely product -thick and luxurious with a pleasant fragrance. My skin felt silky after use. As the name implies there is a shimmer in the product – a subtle sheen that stays on the skin and lasts most of the day.

I would recommend this – as a mature lady my skin is now drier than before and needs a thicker product – this does the job and I will continue to use it. It isn’t the cheapest around though between £8 -£11. I won’t use it every day just when I’m going out and want to smell nice.

Lee Stafford Coco Loco CoConut MOusse

I have always had fine hair but it is even finer now with the joys of the menopause. I like to use a mousse that can add body as well as hold. I was attracted to this by its pink packaging, shallow I know!, plus I love anything with the scent of coconut.

The packaging claims to give “big bouncy hair that feels naturally cushioned, NOT crunchy and leaves hair smelling Deliciously Cocunuty. Day and Night”

I’ve used it quite a lot, I can’t claim that it adds volume or bounce, there are other products that I prefer, however I love the smell -it’s delicious and for that reason I continue to use it, unless I need an extra boost for special occasions. Again this isn’t the cheapest around £6 for 200 ml.

L’Oreal Paris Nude Magique BB Cream


I was recommended this product to try. As well as mature skin I also have some sun damage with areas of darkened pigmentation plus some red veins. Nothing major or horrific but I like to wear a base to even out my skin tone.

I have tried other BB creams and liked them but you do have to colour match. The beauty of this one is that it comes out of the tube was a white cream but once it goes on to the skin it blends and compliments your own skin tone. Don’t ask me how it does it. I apply with my finger tips and a little goes a long way. With just a fine application it quickly evens out my skin colour. On very natural days I don’t have to use a foundation.

It’s a big hit with me and is inexpensive around £7. I would highly recommend this if you need this type of product.

Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid for Lips


I  have always had thin lips – lipsticks never stay on no matter what I try – liner, primer, concealer, foundation, plumping agents. You name it I’ve tried it. I have drawers full of lipsticks and  glosses, in fact I’m quite obsessed. I think that by buying more I can find a miraculous cure or something to change my anatomy. As I’ve already discussed – fillers and aesthetic enhancements are not my thing so I have to make the best of what I’ve got.

With that said I bought this product. It used to be said that Matte lipsticks are not good for mature ladies- very drying for the lips and can enhance the appearance of very fine lines. I tried it anyway and have to say I’ve been very impressed by it.

The features I love are that it looks good on, lasts without frequent application, does not feel drying at all for a matte lipstick. I can apply this and it lasts for a couple of hours, it does fade a little but I can still see evidence of colour – which is a miracle for me. I chose shade 05 Nude Flush. Don’t be fooled by its name its actually quite pigmented. It costs around  £6.99, but often stores have offers.

I hope you like my suggestions. If any of you over 50’s out there have recommendations I’m all ears – please don’t hesitate to contact me, or if you ahve similar suggestions let me know. Comment on my post or email me at: earlyretirementrocks@gmail.com

 

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Moo’s Monday Musings – what I’ve learned about Manchester City this week -a female fans view

On By elaineandjohnIn ManchesterLeave a comment

1) The Pep revolution rolls on – I am ‘old City’ when there was a banana skin at every corner. With that in mind I naturally approached this new era with trepidation – what if Pep comes to us & it all goes horribly wrong? Well what can I say – no-one is more shocked and surprised than me at how well it has all gone! I’m living in dreamland! The guy truly is a genius – and with a sense of humour that all Could fans can relate too! Long may it last!

2) This new start and era truly means that every player has the freedom and confidence to get forward at every opportunity – this is emphasised by the fact that Girl Clichy scored this week. Great to see. Clichy is a player who performs week in and week out without any real glory.

3) In the early days of the great Sheikh Mansour’s takeover City have been accused of ruining football by ‘buying’ success. With this in mind I am so proud to see Manchester City Women win the Women’s Super League today with games to spare. The Abu Dhabi Group are reinvesting in the glorious game. We have 3 other affiliate teams around the world and have invested in the emerging Women’s Football movement. Plus an ever growing academy with top class facilities. This is fabulous to see – giving something back to the future of the game. To all my friends who support Manchester United my question is – you’ve boasted about being the richest club in the world for years – what has your club done for the game in terms of reinvestment?????

4) Injuries are the downside of the game – we wait with baited breath for news about Vincent Company and Kevin de Bruyne – indications are that Ginger Kev, as he is affectionately known by the fans,  may be missing for a few weeks, maybe four. The news about Vincent is so quiet that I’m beginning to fear the worse for our Captain Fantastic.

Neighbourhood Manchester – Restaurant Review

On By elaineandjohnIn Food and Eating Out, Uncategorized2 Comments

Myself and OH are foodies and regularly eat out or just visit venues for drinks – I think we’re trying to work our way around most Manchester haunts – a hard task we know as the number of new places to eat and drink are multiplying every week – a tough job but we’re tough enough and ugly enough to try it!

 

I’m going to post reviews of places we visit, some reviews will be retrospective – but I will use the same format for each review and hopefully have accompanying photos for most – yes I confess I’m one of those people who can’t eat a meal or have a drink without taking a photo!

I also will judge each bar against my husbands 10 second rule – if no-one at the bar acknowledges our presence within that time we leave! Harsh maybe but my OH is right in saying that in most places the cost of 2 drinks is more than the average working persons hourly rate so custom should be valued – yes the staff can be very busy and be serving other customers – that’s not a problem, however he likes the server to at least make eye contact and state they will be with us soon. I’m pleased to say that most places do pass this test!

I recently visited Neighbourhood in Spinningfields Manchester for lunch with my husband. The venue describes itself as an all day eatery and late bar. It’s a popular venue for the smartly dressed customer.

The following paragraph is a quote from it’s own Web page

“Neighbourhood is a restaurant and bar inspired by the vibrancy and accessibility of the food and drink scene you typically see in New York, Las Vegas or Miami. It’s a place where you can grab brunch, coffee and a quick snack, afternoon tea, cocktails or dinner – it literally caters for all, offering something for everybody.”

We received a nice welcome at the door, our table was ready but we asked if we could have a drink at the bar first. What my opinion was is covered in my template. Anyway here goes with my first Manchester Restaurant Review

  • Name of venue visited

         Neighbourhood Manchester 

  • Reason for visit

Late lunch with husband

  • Time and day of visit

Friday 3pm

  • First impression

Friendly welcome, looks and feels like a New York restaurant/bar. Great decor – loved            the Emerald  green leather chairs

  • Time to get servers attention/service

Met at the door by friendly staff – immediate attention.

  • Food quality

Good menu and choice. I had the tempura prawn starter – was delicious, OH had the               Lil burgers as a starter – 3 small burgers on a platter – he said they were really                          good.

Tempura Prawns
Lil Burgers

For mains we both had salads – Cobb Salad for me and a Chicken  Caesar for OH Nicely presented but nothing out of the ordinary.


We washed it down with a bottle of house white which was very nice indeed. Above             average taste for a house wine.

  • Quality of Service

service when seated was average, some delay for food and drinks service, but on the                whole good. Some friendly conversation and interaction – an important factor for us.

  • Evaluation

Nice venue – drinks pricey, looks like a venue where people want to be ‘seen’. There                were a few guests enjoying afternoon tea – the selection on offer looked good.                          From looking at the venue and the  other guests, we would say it is somewhere for a                treat or a special occasion. Not somewhere to visit  regularly.

  • Would I visit again?

Yes. Would definitely take girlfriends for a treat.

As a footnote I must state that we visited as a prize win from a twitter competition run by Neighbourhood and the food and a bottle of wine was free. Thank you Neighbourhood very generous. Special thanks to Jake for arranging and hosting.

 

Blue Moo’s musings 3 things I’ve learned about Manchester City this week

On By elaineandjohnIn Manchester, UncategorizedLeave a comment


Well we’re 1 week into the season and it’s very early days but here are 3 things I’ve learned this past week:

  1. There is already a big change in the set up and approach to games under Pep Guardiola. The play is positive, always looking to move forward. An awful lot less of last seasons slow, sedentary, backward passing play. The team are still settling into this and I am certain there is plenty more to come!
  2. Joe Hart looks a certainty to leave the club. I have very mixed feelings about this, he’s been a loyal servant to the club and has expressed and voiced his love for the club time and time again. There is often no reward for loyalty, I have experienced that on a personal level during my career so I can empathise with some of the emotions he is feeling right now. However, I can see where his limitations lie and I myself have criticised his distribution on many occasions. Without any stats I’ve always said that at least 50% of his goal kicks end up with a player from the opposing team. There is no doubt though that he has benefited greatly from playing for the club both financially and as a player. I wish him very well wherever the next phase takes him, he will always have a special place in the hearts of the fans.
  3. There is an irritating part of the pre-match security process that remains from previous seasons. Now this is something that grates with me intensely! I fully appreciate all the searching of bags and supporters that takes place. What I find crazy is that any supporters who have a drink of juice, bring water or juice in their bag have it confiscated. There are bottles all lying on the security benches at the entrance of each turnstile. I fail to see the logic behind this – if people are bringing children, or they have coughs, or even are diabetics and need a supply of sugar why can they not be taken into the stadium. The cost of buying inside is extortionate and fans pay enough particularly parents. The answer will probably be given that it is a security and safety issue – they can be used as a missile to throw – hence why when you do purchase a bottle inside you are treated like a child and the cap is taken off and confiscated. My counter argument to this is that if a supporter brings a thermos flask with hot contents , tea, coffee, soup that can gladly be taken in. So my question is which is the greater danger a plastic bottle with a cold content or a heavy flask with boiling hot contents??? I cannot fathom this out – anyone knows the answer or reasoning please let me know.

  Life’s simple pleasures – A day at the seaside – Llandudno

On By elaineandjohnIn Retirement Lifestyle, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment
Llandudno Pier

I haven’t really posted yet about my travels – John and I have enjoyed several holidays and short breaks a year over the past 16 years. However, after our recent holiday in Croatia we feel that we may wish to take a break from frequent overseas travel at the moment – we are all suitcased out! Winter sun holiday excepted.

There are still many places in the UK that we still haven’t visited. The beauty of my free time in retirement is the opportunity to take short breaks. John has reduced his hours too and works 4 days a week, Monday to Thursday now creating a better work life balance. This has afforded us the opportunity to plan activities on our newly created Freedom Fridays!

Freedom Fridays

Last Friday we booked a night in Llandudno, Wales being top of our wishlist following the fabulous performance of their National Team in Euro 2016. I have to admit that I often find myself booking hotels online after a couple of glasses of wine and I have embarrassingly been known to book the wrong dates before now. Not sure I should admit this publicly but hey – it’s out there now! Anyway I’m glad to say that this booking was a total success. I booked into the Llandudno Bay Hotel for the one night. I know this is a very short break but one of these a month is good for the soul. I hadn’t researched hotels like I usually do without wine on board – this booking was originally made for the night of the Euro 2016 final in case Wales made it! We then transferred it to this new date. The hotel was described as a boutique hotel. We discovered during our stay that it had been open about a year located directly on the sea front with a terrace outside. The interior decor was fabulous, lush curtains and upholstery. I loved it especially the public areas. We ate dinner in the restaurant, it wasn’t cheap but the food was delicious and the service was excellent, there was the added extras of an amuse bouche and a palate cleanser.

Dinner at The Llandudno Bay Hotel

As for Llandudno itself, I really enjoyed my day there. It’s an Edwardian seaside resort retaining many of its original features. There’s even a Punch and Judy show. We strolled  along the sea front and down the Pier, with an obligatory ice cream of course. It brought back happy memories of my childhood holidays with friends and family.  We made our way to the cable car with a view to riding up to the top of the Great Orme, however it was 3.30 when we reached it and the last car from the top was at 4pm. You can walk down but I hadn’t done my homework and was unsure of the time it would take to walk down. Therefore we didn’t go up the Orme but will make sure we visit again to do so.

Llandudno seafront

My tag line is seeing life from a new perspective and I truly do see things differently now I have more time. I really see the things around me and take pleasure in little things. I have visited Las Vegas 4 times and love the bright lights, glitz and glamour but I get the same thrill from a day like this. Recalling the aforesaid childhood memories of the seaside, feeling the sun and breeze on my face, eating an ice cream, looking at the cheesy rides and stalls on the Pier. I hope to have more days like this – simple pleasures.
Do you have  a favourite place to visit in the UK? Or a favourite hotel? any suggestions or inspiration gratefully received to help us plan further days out for Freedom Fridays

comment below or email me at: earlyretirementrocks@gmail.com

Thanks for reading

Elaine

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My first visit to RHS Tatton Park Flower Show – is this a must for a retiree?

On By elaineandjohnIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Considering I am a proud Mancunian and have never lived anywhere else I am surprised that I have never visited the Tatton Park Flower show before.  Every year I say that I must go but until this year it hasn’t happened. This is it’s 17th year, having been first held in 1999. Maybe because it’s held around the time of my birthday, July 23rd, I’ve usually had a few days away or other plans, or more likely not enough time. The full time worker’s biggest hate – not enough time!

Well this year I have been in retirement a whole year – GOSH where did that time go?? And believe it or not I still feel that there aren’t enough hours in the day, as you may know I still work 60 hours a month until colleagues are trained up to take my place in the team, but even with so much free time I keep myself so busy loving life.

So this year was to be my year for a visit to the show. My decision was also greatly helped by free tickets won in a competition sponsored by Croft Original sherry.

My husband was unwell in the week of the show and was hopeful of going with me but on the day decided he still wasn’t well enough, it was too late to mobilise a friend so I went alone. I am used to visiting places alone, it is something I actually like to do!

I travelled to the show using public transport, even though I can drive I am getting used to using Public transport more as we do not wish to run 2 cars. I think I could write a post just about this topic alone.

Anyway, I must stop rambling and get to the point. After a longish journey by bus and train I finally arrived at the show ground. It was a scorching hot day (at last sun in Manchester!) and as I had been travelling nearly 2 hours my first stop was at the very temptingly parked Ice cream van – just inside the show gates. I decided as it was my birthday weekend I would enjoy a Mr Whippy with a flake, as I enjoyed a leisurely stroll round.

I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon at the show and didn’t feel the slightest bit lonely. There was so much to see from immaculately grown vegetables to the creatively erected show gardens. It wasn’t my first ever visit to a Flower show as I went to Hampton Court with friends over 20 years ago. From my very poor memory I seem to remember that it was more crowded than Tatton.
Tatton was very well organised and I was struck by how spacious it was. There was plenty of seating from benches, to deckchairs and tables and chairs for visitors to rest and  enjoy refreshments. 

I’m proud to say that I’m trying to be more thrifty, which is a big ask for me as I am a spendaholic! I bought a sandwich and a bottle of water at Little Waitrose at Manchester Piccadilly station and claimed my free cup of tea as a cardholder. All for £2.50. So as I had won my ticket my whole day cost me under £20 – that’s what I call a result. As stated earlier it was a scorching day and I was pleased to see that there was also plenty of shade and toilets without queues.

Oh and the flowers weren’t bad too! In fact they were incredible so beautiful and lovingly grown and diplayed. I enjoy my garden, especially my new one, which has been landscaped and planted so well by the previous owner of our house. It is so easy to maintain with well planted borders. But it’s fair to say John and I are only fair weather gardeners who keep it neat and tidy so that we can sit in it and admire it whilst drinking beer and wine. it must be lovely to be so enthralled with growing and cultivating. I have so much admiration for green fingered people.

All in all I had a wonderful afternoon I enjoyed a leisurely stroll around in the sunshine and was enthralled by what I saw. The majority of visitors appeared to be 50+, some may question whether it is that we become boring and lacking adventure in our third age. On a personal level  I like to think that I am content and enjoying the simpler things in life now I’m retired. I gain pleasure in looking at life from a new perspective. I have time to smell the roses!

As an added bonus my pedometer showed that I had walked 15,266 steps and covered 4.7 miles! My efforts to improve my fitness levels continue.

Have you been to a Flower show? Or have you visited somewhere for a lovely afternoon that you want to share? Please comment and let me know, I love hearing from you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My first visit to Manchester Fringe Festival – The Minge on the Fringe

On By elaineandjohnIn ManchesterLeave a comment

 

Well as a proud Mancunian I’m ashamed to say that I did not know that my fabulous City held a fringe festival – redfaced!

I was invited to accompany a friend to a production at this years festival. My friend has been interested recently to try new entertainment experiences.

I think I am a regular theatre goer but I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t sure what to expect with this unusually titled play! Although as I think I have a playful sense of humour I was expecting the same from it. I wasn’t wrong. The play was held in the lower ground floor of a Manchester Bar – Bandit, Mugger and Thief. It was a full house and the audience was probably around 30. An intimate gathering.

We were the last to arrive, got in by the skin of our teeth and the play started straight away.

It was a play about holding a play at The Manchester Fringe, the theatre  company was The Lipstick Thespians, and contained a cast of 4.

The story follows these four fabulous females on a journey of friendship, self discovery and a little bit of Acting! – cheesy and a send up of themselves. It was an hour long and past quickly in laughter and delightful enjoyment. Without a Minge in sight!

I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be sure to visit the Manchester Fringe Festival again.

As afootnote I must add that the only negative was that I encountered a member of the current Coronation Street cast in the loo’s afterwards – before I could stop myself I commented how different she looked out of character – she was not impressed and scowled – apologies, I know how irritating these types of comments can be – after 36 years as a nurse I wish I had a pound for every time one of my patients family members made the comment “oh I didn’t recognise you with your clothes on!” when meeting me out of uniform .

 

Croatia – the delight of the Adriatic

On By elaineandjohnIn TravelLeave a comment

 

As usual there has been a large gap between posts – I can totally agree with all retirees who claim they are busier than ever! My OH has commented recently that he does not know how I found time to work full time!

Every day is filled with activities – even if they are cleaning, catching up on TV, hobbies  meeting friends etc. The once mundane activities of cleaning are actually enjoyable now I have time to do them, especially in my new house they have become a pleasure – well almost.

One thing I have been busy with is a fabulous holiday to Croatia. We absolutely love this country and have only seen a small part of it. My interest in the country stems from my love of football (well that’s a surprise!). During Euro 1996 the Croatian National Team entered a team for the first time following the Baltic crisis. I thought they were a great team, some great players including Davor Suker and Slaven Bilic, now manager of West Ham.

At the time I said to John – I want to visit there some day and watch that team play!

It took a while but in 2010 we finally got to visit. We stayed in Dubrovnik in a fabulous hotel called The Grand Villa Argentina, just outside the iconic City walls. A beautiful hotel in a stunning location. Like most hotels in Croatia, they are not located on beaches but have naturally formed bathing platforms on rocky outcrops next to the sea. This hotel has a fabulous pool on the edge of the Adriatic and breakfast is served on an outdoor terrace. We loved it

. On that trip we visited the small town of Cavtat 14km away by boat trip. This trip was recommended by friends. Well on arrival it was love at first site. A small resort built around 2 horseshoe bays, which are visited by spectacular yachts and the quay sides are edged with fabulous restaurants and cafe bars serving great local beer, wine, cocktails and produce.

We have stayed in this resort 4 times now, we find it perfect. Dubrovnik itself can be very busy and crowded within the walls during the day from the visiting cruise ship tourists. Cavtat is laid back, picturesque and not too busy. There is a great crowd there, a mixture of the locals and tourists. Maybe I’ve become a tad boring but I dislike karaoke and so called traditional English bars. I love the European laid back Cafe culture. I would say that many of the tourists who stay here are 40 plus but that does not mean it is dull. In the bars at night a lot of the locals come out to drink and eat, many young in their 20’s. It has a real ‘trendy’ vibe and the locals are so friendly. Visitors are enthralled by their fabulous manners and chat.

Even though I am addicted to football, I really dislike the loud, brash English football shirt wearing tourist, I don’t mind seeing football shirts being worn, after all football is a great conversation opener, but I dislike the loud, drunken behaviour that sometimes goes with it.
On 3 of our visits now there has been a football tournament on. 2 Euro’s and a World Cup. In Cavtat, all the bars and restaurants put up outdoor TV screens when games are scheduled. The sound is unobtrusive but visitors and locals alike can watch games. I have watched the Croatian National Team play whilst visiting there. The locals appear in their team colours with  their flags. They are quite vocal but not too rowdy, although it is handy that you cannot tell what they are saying, but it all looks friendly enough!

Unfortunately they have lost and left 2 tournaments when we have been there, here is the difference that makes me warm to these fabulous people even more. There are no histrionics, tears or acts of frustration, they just shrug their shoulders and carry on their normal business, continuing to enjoy their evening and chat as if nothing had happened. I commented to one of our waiters how well they took defeat. His reply was “tomorrow is another day, the sun will still shine!” A great response and attitude.
It is a lovely place, with wonderful people. Don’t be put off by their dour faced exteriors – engage in conversation and they come alive – great wit and humour. They appreciate you visiting their wonderful country – after all tourism is their biggest earner! The views and scenery are delightful, a lovely mixture of the clear Adriatic , framed by Mountains, beautiful flowers and Pine trees. All my friends always comment  how beautiful it looks when they see my photographs on my social media pages.

It is an ideal destination for the over 50’s who wish to experience a chilled, relaxing holiday with beautiful scenery and a friendly welcome.

And finally I cannot end without mentioning the beer and wine! I think two of their local beers Karlovacko and Osujszco are 2 of the best I’ve ever tasted, plus their red wines aren’t bad either, Plavac and Dingac. Such a pity they don’t export, although I know M&S stocked a Plavac for a while.

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Social Media enhances my life in retirement

On By elaineandjohnIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

wp-1463998272960.jpeg

I think I’m addicted to social media – At least that’s what my nearest and dearest tell me! My husband says he always have to talk to me over the lid of a laptop or tablet, but when he wants some titbit of information he encourages me to get on my computer thingy to see what I can find out. He is 57 and doesn’t engage with social media independently despite my encouragement, nor my brother who is 66. In fact he is distinctly suspicious of the whole idea of Social Media. They only hear the negative experiences of social media e.g. cyber bullying, hacking. I can’t preach enough about what a marvellous invention it is. Since I’ve retired I’ve found it to be invaluable – life changing in fact. I have used it to keep in touch with friends and family, keep up to date with news , help me prepare for a house move and indulge my favourite hobbies and save money.

To expand on this I will give some personal examples: • Keeping in touch with family and friends: Since retirement I have now joined the ranks of ‘ladies that lunch’ . Making times and dates to meet up is so much easier using social media – we use Facebook and Twitter so when arranging a day, time and venue we use group chat facility. We can all converse together, chat and make decisions of where and when – often the choice of venue is something one of us has seen advertised on a social media posting. Before using this medium of communication it would take a whole round of telephone calls to arrange – doing it this way saves time and money – can all be done timely and painlessly. • Keeping up with the news – I find Twitter to be super fast at posting any breaking news items – almost on the spot news – information is shared as soon as it happens. My husband will tell me something newsworthy and I can more often than not – reply “Yes – I know I saw it on Facebook/Twitter last night!” I’m a huge football fan, my team is Manchester City, and player injuries, gossip, team announcements are all announced first on social media. • I am moving house and with also being newly retired I see this as the perfect time to declutter and finally organise my life and home. Never having been the best at this I needed some resources to help me and boy have I found some and it’s all on YouTube – this seriously is my latest addiction. There isn’t a single bit of information that cannot be found on there. There are video demonstrations about everything to do with organisation. I am now subscribed to some great channels, who have provided me with fabulous hints and tips. A lot of the advice on storage and organisation are done on a budget too – so vital in retirement – we all want to see our hard earned money go further – I have now even found a fabulous new way to fold clothing in drawers for maximum usage of space and making clothes more visual – no more rooting looking for that one top you know is buried somewhere! My new mantra is “creating order leads to a more productive lifestyle which in turn leads to feelings of calmness and peacefulness” So, I hope you’ve got the message – Social Media is not just for the young! To all of you retirees – go on give it a go – don’t be scared it really is your best friend and helps save you money – there is no need to buy a daily paper – the information and articles you want are all here. My local paper The Manchester Evening News publishes all its headline stories first on Social Media.

Are you a social media addict like me or do you feel that it’s not cool in your 50’s and retirement to engage in these platforms of communication? Let me know your views I’d love to hear from you.

If you want to know more contact me: earlyretirementrocks@gmail.com 

I am always happy to spread the word

 

I hate my shape!

On By elaineandjohnIn Fashion for women over 602 Comments

Like many women of my age I hate the shape my body has taken on in recent years. I have become the stereotypical middle aged, menopausal apple shape and I detest it with a passion.
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I am only 4 foot 10 inches and have been petite most of my adult life. I felt that things started to change in my 40’s for me when I stopped working shifts and became a full time University student to study for my Masters Degree in Health Sciences. It was a great 2 years, studying at home sat in front of the computer for hours not having to dress smart. I could slob about in track suit bottoms. Then I would travel to the University every week along with my colleague. We were sponsored by our employer to attend and retrain. We were staying in a hotel every Wednesday night, eating in the pub, regular breaks in the University refectory. Within 3 months I had gained a stone and a half. No running up and down a busy Neonatal Unit burning calories. From that time onwards I was never able to lose this weight and despite taking up running, going to the gym and paying a Personal Trainer it stayed and I have continued to gain weight. It got worse again when I returned to shift work at 50, again for my role. I then returned to nights, days, 13 hour long shifts, short 7.5 hour shifts. Sometimes working nights and day shifts in the same week. This I feel totally knocked my metabolism off kilter. This coincided with the menopause.  Nothing has helped me shift weight. I can lose 7lbs and then I plateau. I have tried Slimming World, Weight watchers and an Extremely low calorie diet, living on liquid replacement drinks of 450 calories a day. This did help me lose 1.5 stone, but it didn’t stay off too long after my husband came out of work and took over the cooking. His Desperate Dan portions contributed to more weight gain.

 

18 months ago my GP advised me that I had to try and lose weight due to a medical problem. She had great empathy and prescribed me Orlistat, a fat binding tablet to help me. She and other medical colleagues have all said that due to my hormonal state and irregular shift patterns I could not maintain a steady Cortisol level and this was inhibiting my chances of losing the weight. I was informed by my GP that in some people these tablets do not work. Well yes, you guessed it I was one of the people they did not work for. I lost my usual 7lbs and that was it. If you’re not familiar with these tablets they bind to fat and help you excrete 25% of your fat intake in your stools. (Sorry for those of you with weak stomachs!). It also involves eating a low fat diet or the side effects are very unpleasant!

 

So here I am half a stone lighter but stuck! I feel I need a miracle worker. I am surrounded by colleagues who are losing weight for fun on slimming world and I’m not.

I am very interested in clothes and fashion. I regularly get compliments on my appearance. I have to say I work hard at buying clothes that disguise my middle. However they are not the clothes I wish to wear. I long to wear the lovely body con dresses worn by Lorraine or Ruth Langford. Sadly it’s not to be, to add insult to injury I also have big boobs! Fitted jackets are also problematic.

This week I decided to go shopping to buy some dresses for summer and a couple of social events I have been invited to. This was an unmitigated disaster on the whole. Changing room mirrors are brutal as we all know. I came away with nothing that I really wanted, no smart dresses, just a couple of casual tops for my summer holiday overseas. I came home feeling very low indeed.

But I am a very positive person – my cup is always half full, and I found some positives. I went to a charity ball this week and wore a cocktail dress that I have had in my wardrobe for a couple of years it had only had one previous outing. I admit it was tighter than when I last wore it, but overall I was happy with how I looked in it.
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I then thought about where I had got this from. It was from a design brand called So Fabulous, I have a few of their pieces that I buy online from Fashion World. Reflecting on this I realised that all my favourite dresses were purchased from that website. Other brands I have purchased from Fashion World that suit my shape are Joanna Hope and Closet.  This provoked me to have a browse and sure enough I found several that I liked. I ordered them and when they arrived I was delighted with them. There is light at the end of the tunnel – hallelujah! Thank you for this fabulous company.

They are a mixture of dressy and casual and are fabulous. They were a pick me up and made me happy about myself again. My best dresses tend to be A line and I have accepted, that although this shape is not top of the fashion charts at the moment, they suit me and can make me look OK. The message is find a style that suits and stick to it. It’s no point squeezing myself into a body con dress just because I want one if it’s going to accentuate my middle! My pet hate is ill fitting clothes.

There are other fashion brands that I can always turn to such as Wallis and the wonder that is Pepperberry, by Bravissimo for ladies with big boobs. Their clothes are worthy of a blog post of their own.

Now I have decided on my personal style that doesn’t mean I am going to give up the quest for weight loss. I have a new strategy, after much soul searching I realised that I was probably consuming more wine and beer that I cared to admit. If I put my hand on my heart I was not counting these empty calories in my diets. I was probably consuming the equivalent of a day and a half’s extra calories per week. This is one of the pleasures and vices of my retirement. Lots of lunches with friends plus lazy evenings in front of the TV without the worry of an early start for work.

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So I am abstaining from alcohol for the next 4 weeks before my holiday and following a slimming world diet. Watch this space and see if there is anything to report on this front. Onwards and Upwards.

Have you got any tips for weight loss in the menopause?
Or is there a go to fashion style you favour for your body shape?

I’d be interested to hear from you