Rellies, Balance and Getting Lucky

I'm mostly really on the ball with my admin, but occasionally something will slip through the net. Like this post.

So I'm taking you back a couple of weeks, to when I ignored my own dressing rules and stuck with the day's "lady-wot-lunches" outfit for the evening's bar meal, even though normally I'd prefer jeans.  Pub = Jeans, one of The Pout's simple dress codes!

Out with rellies.  My Sis, two cousins, and me, at The Rockie, my local.  My lovely local ladies.  We had a great catch-up.

You can already see the fish and chips on the left of the table.  And because I've been amiss considerate in withholding food pics until my previous post, let's address that balance some more with the rest of our meals! 

For our table was piled high with other tasty morsels; sausage and mash, a seafood platter.  It groaned under the weight of this abundance.  Then I groaned the next day when I dragged myself on to the scales!  Or the balancing scales, as I think they were originally called, though sadly my electronic scales are a cruel imbalance of aspiration and reality check.

Here's my dish.  You'd think my tempura prawn tails would have had been a slightly calorie-friendly choice with that pile of salad stuff on the plate.

But then a side order of double-cooked chips had counter-balanced any hint of healthiness!

Yes, I'm all about balances today, folks.  And posting oversights.

For if I'm fessing oversights, I'd better open up to this one too.  This little pic was also in my drafts box.

There are a few things I don't skimp on in retirement, like my beauty essentials.  My quality-budget balance.   A few weeks ago I shopped for three of my four staples, YSL false lash mascara, Clarins Gentle Eye Make Up Remover and Clarins One Step Facial Cleanser (orange extract).  I've used these products for about 15 years and I love them for two reasons. 

1) They are one-stop-shops so fit in with my lazy-girl, corner-cutting approach to life.  A flick of the mascara wand or a swipe with the cleansers and the job is so effortlessly a good 'un.

2) These staples leave my lashes, eyes, and skin feeling good.  Noticeably so as when I was in Southampton a few weeks ago and I used facial wipes for travel - well, on awakening after the first day of using them my skin felt so taught and dry.  I don't use night cream, believing that the skin should have time to relax and breathe, and my skin feels so beautifully soft when I wake up after using the Clarins facial cleanser the night before. 

So I stick with these products, hang the cost.  Their priciness is off-set by their efficacy and my life gets balance, harmony, order.

And I got lucky! When I did the essentials shop recently in Creaseys,  my local department store, I totally lucked out and the freebies kept coming! I was allowed to choose three products from Clarins; and the mascara came with two gifts as well.  5 gifts!!  I haven't used them yet so nothing to report back on.  But I will.

Sometimes I have to buy these beauty essentials on line because of logistical issues, like the 100ml flying restriction.  But mostly I buy in the high street.  I get a great personal service and just occasionally I am showered with freebies! 

And we pensioners like freebies, eh?  Life's give-take balance.

Do you have any beauty product must-haves?

Products that never let you down?

Products that you don't ditch, even when money is tight?

I'd love to hear.

A la perchoine.

Dress Code For An Hygienist Date





This little passageway always looks inviting, with lots of hanging baskets - by summer, blooms will be spilling out all over the passage.  It lures me, like a siren.
But it belies what is within ...

My dentist's surgery!

How many times I must have walked along this passageway in the 40 years I've been a patient?  And I've Walked The Passageway all those years because, in my view, this is the island's (and possibly the world's) bestest dental surgery and is staffed by the kindest, professionalest and sympatheticalest people (some new words for you, spellcheck!)

But, I must fess up - I am a bit of a baby when it comes to visiting the hygienist.

And, oh joy, yesterday was one such visit.

Yet, I survived - I always do!  And I feel such a Big Girl afterwards.  I want to celebrate my being so brave. 

So I did.  I celebrated in our department store, Creaseys, conveniently placed just a few doors down from the surgery ... co-incidence?  Or clever market positioning? 

I treated myself to a few goodies then allowed myself to linger awhile on the way back to the car, taking in the morning's glory ...

A monument to Victor Hugo who lived in exile on the island for 15 years, during which time he wrote many novels, including Les Miserables.  His house is now owned by The City of Paris and is open to the public.  It is an A M A Z I N G experience - if you're visiting do take a peek, see here for details.

Oops.  Nope.  That's not Vic.  He's up at Candie Gardens.  This is Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's bloke. That is why the pier where this monument is and where I was parked  is called the Albert Pier.  Oh silly, silly me.

But on the positive side, I have now told you about the wonderful VH house.  

You're welcome!

One of our visitors' marinas, pretty empty at this time of year - it will be pretty chocka by next month.

One of our locals' marinas - not short of a boat or two!



Well, what does a girl wear for an hygienist date? Has the world gone that crazy that there is a dress code for it?  I'm hoping not!

Anyway, clearly my mind was elsewhere; focus was not on outfit selection as I seem to have distractedly thrown on a Woolovers cashmere/merino V-neck and jeans.  

Dress code: comfort.  End of.  Fin. Slut.

In the pic, I'm tearing my hair out in fear and looking none too happy.  Would you be?

Do you fear a trip to the hygienist?

A la perchoine.