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~ Failed Domestic Goddess

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Monthly Archives: February 2016

Epic Fails- Part 5 The Shaggy Perm

24 Wednesday Feb 2016

Posted by niftyfiftyshades in Beauty, Hair, Humour, lifestyle, Personal stuff, Uncategorized

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Beauty, funny, Hair, midlife, Personal, women

imageFleetwood Mac’s Rumours had been in the charts for over a year and every teenage girl wanted the look. Stevie Nicks was the coolest. She had the original grungy hippy vibe, in her floaty black garb and her shaggy perm, she was every teenage boys dream. Therefore every teenage girl wanted the shaggy perm. Including me.

Well, as a penniless teenager, how could I possibly afford the shaggy perm. My mother’s purse strings didn’t stretch to a hair cut never mind an eye watering 30 pounds for a perm in one of the salons on Grafton Street. There was of course an alternative, actually my only option. “Eileen’s Hair Creations”. Eileen was a local woman who passed herself off as a hairdresser, and operated out of a salon above the local butchers. I use the word ‘salon’ loosely, as it was a room with a sink, two chairs and a bench. As you rose the stairs to her door, the smell of the butchers gave way to the overpowering stench of Elnett hair spray. In a previous life Eileen worked in the fish factory gutting fish so it’s a mystery how she reinvented herself as a hairdresser. Although about twenty years out of date, Eileen wore her hair in a tall beehive. Allegedly, she was an expert at doing perms, very popular with her octogenarian customers who were offered free a blue rinse alongside the perm. Eileen had never seen the cover of Rumours and in her mind this Stevie Nicks person must have been a man.

 

 

imageNevertheless, I had to have a perm and the only way I was getting it was to succumb to Eileen’s perming skills. I suppose with hindsight the beehive should have been a giveaway, an inkling as to the standard of style Eileen aspired to.

 

I didn’t exactly look like Stevie Nicks when she was finished with me. I think the problem was that Eileen only had one roller size. The ‘little old lady perm’ size. I emerged with little tiny frizzy curls radiating from my head. I suppose it could have been worse, the free blue rinse wasn’t included.

 

 

imageI pulled my hood up, went home and hibernated for three months.

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imageThis isn’t me but bears an uncanny resemblance

 

My Epic Fails -Part 4 (hair ironing)

22 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by niftyfiftyshades in Beauty, Hair, Humour, Uncategorized

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Beauty, funny, Hair, midlife, women

imageA young girl called Imogen posted a picture on Facebook last week, of her epic fake tan fail. The unfortunate girl used a paint roller to apply it with disastrous results. It’s debatable whether she deserves our pity as she was stupid enough to share this idiocy with 40,000 Facebook users. However she is young and it got me thinking about my own foolish efforts in the name of vanity. The path to perfection hasn’t always been easy. Domestic Godliness cannot be achieved without a few mishaps along the way.

My best friend for the past number of years has been my beloved GHD. In the pre-GHD days of yore, I was extremely vain about my hair. Being a natural frizz ball, I resorted to every trick in the book to banish the tangles. My older sisters would iron each other’s hair. This involved an ironing board imageupon which a section of hair would be combed, covering it with brown paper, ironing said hair and hey presto, beautiful sleek straight tresses, fabulous. All done surrepticiously, without my mother’s knowledge. If caught, no doubt she’d have murdered us.

imageWhen it came to my teenage years, my older siblings had moved on and the one sister left, would refuse to iron my hair unless a bribe was offered. Going out in a state of frizz wasn’t an option so I would plead, beg, loan her my newest jeans, offer to do her bidding, anything. The power went to her head and I came to realise this pleading situation couldn’t go on. In desperation one day after she turned a deaf ear to my pleas, I took matters in hand and decided I would iron my own hair. Kneeling down, combing the hair and with brown paper in place I ironed my hair. It worked, I was in heaven. No longer enslaved to the whimsical nature of my siblings moods, I became a dab hand with the brown paper and flaunted my dexterity with the iron.

imageI suppose it was inevitable that it would end in disaster…

One day the brown paper slipped. I smelled the singeing tresses before I realised that the paper was gone. I lifted the iron and looked in horror at the clump of hair stuck to it. I resembled something akin to a cartoon electrocuted cat…Inconsolable, bereft, I couldn’t even go crying to my mother for solace as I knew she would just say ‘I told you so’ .

I emerged the following day from the hairdressers sporting a new shorter layered cut. It wasn’t bad actually, and I was no longer the slave to the ironing board. Straight hair was going out anyway as the shaggy perm had arrived (don’t miss – coming soon, my epic fails part 5 – the perm)

So my fellow Goddess’s be grateful for small mercies, that we live in the GHD age.

 

 

Gadget Heaven

18 Thursday Feb 2016

Posted by niftyfiftyshades in Uncategorized

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Most wanted….

imageA domestic goddess should always be on the lookout for labour saving gadgets to ease the burden of housecraft. Drudgery is not something I wish to embrace. Over the years I’ve collected quite a few duds, but also some really nifty machines. Of course, apart from being useful, it’s imperative that it looks stylish on your kitchen worktop. Remember you are what you own.

 

 

image1.  The Nespresso machine. I’m in love with it. Good coffee at the press of a button. And those ads on TV with Gorgeous George. If it’s good enough for Mr. Clooney, need I say more.  Verdict  10/10

 

 

image2. The Egg Master. A horrifying tedious affair. May come in useful if you have unwelcome guests. Serve this up to ensure they never return.  Verdict 1/10

 

 

 

3. imageDeep Tea Diver Infuser. All methods of tea making should be explored. Combines my favourite words. Verdict 5/10

 

 

 

 

image4.  Quintuple Bladed Herb Scissors – a snip in time.. Handy for all herb snipping or bush trimming emergencies.  Verdict 9/10

 

 

 

 

 

 

image5.  Mr Tea Infuser – Good for injecting a little fun into your tea rituals. However, there is a caveat, tea always tastes better when brewed in a propper tea pot and served in a china tea cup. Mr Tea reminds me of Himself in this picture.  The resemblance is uncanny.  Verdict 8/10

 

 

 

image6. The Nutri Bullet – Ditch it. Vegetable juice is solely for the terminally naff. Verdict 1/10

 

 

 

 

image7. Mitten Ice Tong – A must have for any self respecting domestic goddess. Useful, understated elegance, says a lot about who you are. Verdict 10/10

 

 

 

 

 

 

image8. Hedgehog Cheese Grater – It may take a little longer to grate cheese but always remember, style over substance. Verdict 7/10

 

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9.  iRobot Roomba. The self vacuuming vacuum. Fantastic. Push a button and let it do the work for you. Time to put your feet up and have another coffee. Verdict 10/10

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Pics courtesy of Bored Panda

Coming soon..Unicorn Sprinkler Shaker  and the Panda Toast Stamp – Too cute to leave out.

 

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Ah!! The 70’s

18 Thursday Feb 2016

Posted by niftyfiftyshades in Humour, lifestyle, Personal stuff, Uncategorized

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family, funny, midlife, women

image

Ahh!! The 70’s
I’m sitting with Himself listening to music in the sitting room at 9pm. The boys are home, but nowhere to be seen. All in their respective rooms doing what they do on their iPads. We may as well live alone.

Why the endless hippy happy reminiscing about the 70’s. Was it really that great? In a word Yes. Despite the fact that our lives were completely dominated by a routine dictated by the TV Times.

I know the whole “Ah! The 70’s” thing has been done before but I’ll add my tuppence worth. Be warned, it will mushy.

imageI am the youngest of ten children. I know it’s regarded as either obscene or selfish to have large families in this day and age, but growing up in the late seventies in Ireland, it wasn’t unusual. Despite what you might think, I had an idyllic childhood. We lived in a tiny three bed terraced house in suburbia, with one TV which we all watched together, in the one room. My mother’s pride and joy, the three piece sofa, managed to accommodate all of us. The sofa alone sat four people on proper cushions, and one on each antimacassared arm. It was a time of learning extreme bladder control. If you got up to go to the loo, your place would be gone. Many a sibling altercation began with ‘that was my seat’.

imageThank God the 70’s was the golden age of comedy as there was no money for any other form of entertainment. Recording your tv programs hadn’t been invented, you had to be at home at 9pm on Tuesday night if you wanted to see Porridge. Top of the Pops the highlight of the week was Thursday’s sorted. TV schedules dictated that we lived our lives in a comforting routine. You couldn’t miss The Generation Game, Starsky and Hutch on Saturday night followed by Match of the Day. You could predict what you would be doing any given Wednesday night at 8.30 based on what was on TV (I think ‘Dave Allen at Large’ was Wednesday or was it The Good Life). Saturday morning Swap Shop. When the TV wasn’t on, the stereo was. My overriding memory of the 70’s is great music and great clothes and great telly.

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The big difference between the 70’s and present day was that you were never alone in anything. We watched TV together and music was a shared experience. On the very rare occasion when there was nothing on TV, we had scrabble. Bizarre, given that my grown up brothers and sisters joined in. If I suggested playing Scrabble to my boys, they’d think I’d lost it completely, and arrangements would immediately be made to have me committed.

imageWe thought The Waltons was just normal family life.  Nothing unusual there. I wish we could return to the 70’s, when the house was full, the telly blaring and nobody ever worried about diet or exercise.
So many things to remember that I can’t go into all of it now, don’t even get me started on the six sisters in one bedroom scenario (and a Granny for a short time), that’s for another day. As is my mothers story (the original domestic goddess) of raising 10 kids on a shoestring while remaining sane and cheerful.

 

imageGranted there were some things I hated. I’m sure it wasn’t all sugar coated happy families, and I’m sure terrible things were happening in the world, but I wasn’t aware of them. In the interest of balance I have to admit there were things I could have done without.

imageHaving to get curlers in my hair on Saturday night to look respectable for Sunday mass the next day.

Sunday mass, something to be endured right through teenage years, although there was always the prospect of seeing some guy you fancied.

Dressing the same as my siblings. My mother made dresses from what looked like curtains material.

School. I went to a convent school run by the Little Sister of Psychological Warfare.

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Ahh!!! The 70’s

 

A Domestic Goddess Mandate

16 Tuesday Feb 2016

Posted by niftyfiftyshades in Humour, lifestyle, Midlife, Uncategorized

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funny, midlife, Politics, women

It’s election time, is there anything more tedious?

It comes around every 4 years, way too often for my liking. Endless discussions on radio, my favourite TV shows cancelled, replaced with dreary ‘leaders debates’. It’s questionable whether the participants can be classed as leaders or if the ensuing shouting match can be classed as debate.

'Well, besides 'liar, liar, pants on fire', how do you feel about our candidate?'

‘Well, besides ‘liar, liar, pants on fire’, how do you feel about our candidate?’

However, there is one aspect that I love, the door to door canvassing by the election candidates.   It’s the perfect opportunity to proffer your opinion on how the country should be run, from a female perspective. Never being one to shirk my responsibility to my fellow man, I always like to pitch my manifesto for a better world. It never fails to provoke some kind of response.

I like to think my ideas are more enlightened than the usual old hat they encounter on the doorstep. Afterwards, I love to watch the way they trundle off down the path, scratching their heads in bewilderment, wondering ‘did that really happen’.

My manifesto for Domestic Goddess’s everywhere.

  1. Reinstate Class system on public transport. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I’m forced to make the daily commute by train, mixing and mingling with the great unwashed. I would be quite prepared to pay extra for a first class carriage. A girl has standards.
  2. imageA tax credit for grooming. Women had long been discriminated when it comes to grooming. We pay more for hair styling, make up, nails, waxing, tanning. Men generally don’t have to worry about these matters (the man in my life anyway). Looking this good doesn’t come cheap. I also believe cosmetics should be available on the national health (I do believe good grooming promotes a sense of well being thereby improving the nations mental health), it should at least be tax deductible. A maintenance grant for upkeep of accessories would be helpful also. When was the last time your man had to have his pearls restrung?
  3. image.jpegSubsidies for dog grooming. Everyone agrees that the issue of exhorbitant prices charged by dog groomers is a national scandal. Access to affordable pooch trimming should be a constitutional right.
  4. Free flowers every Monday to lift the mood of the nation. Say it with flowers, start the week promoting a cheery disposition and watch productivity shoot up.
  5. Introduction of a grant to install a secret wine cellar.    An absolute must in polite society.

 

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 If you consider my manifesto to be lacking credibility, then you might want to see what ‘The Official Monster Raving Loony Party’ have to say.

 

  • Besides leap years, there needs to be hop, skip, and jump years.
  • We will reduce the national debt by selling the castles back to the French.
  • Free Travel for Unicorns and to make unicorns a protected species.
  • It is proposed to introduce free travel on trams and buses for musicians as they bring joy into people’s lives…. Obviously
  • All Food sold in fast food establishments should be clearly marked “May contain traces of real food”
  • All vegetables sold in supermarkets, should be clearly marked “Strictly for oral use only”

Walnut Oil. I am The Queen of Drizzle

12 Friday Feb 2016

Posted by niftyfiftyshades in food, Health, Humour, lifestyle, Midlife, Uncategorized

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food, funny, Health, lifestyle, midlife, women

imageOlive oil.  I won’t bore you with the science but apparently it’s hugely beneficial to the health of my arteries, but only when used cold, not in cooking.  So I’ve been doing it wrong all this time.

Meanwhile, seeking out a  good quality oil in my local deli, I noticed Walnut oil on the shelf.  A quick Google informed me that walnut oil leaves olive oil in the halfpenny place when it comes to health.  As I mentioned in a previous blog, walnuts make you skinny.  Skinny and healthy, well what can a girl do but buy a truck load of it.  I decide I’m replacing butter with walnut oil.

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Day 1.

My breakfast is a honey spelt roll at my desk.  I replace the butter with walnut oil.  It actually tastes delicious.  Never mind that a strange smell wafts around the vicinity of my desk.  Never mind that I have oil stains on my blouse or that my phone is slipping out of my hands.  I feel  joyous, proud, elated that I’ve take the first step to a healthy lifestyle.  I eye my less informed colleagues eating their croissants with an equal measure of disdain and pity.

Lunch is a salad of avocado, peppers, rocket tomato and of course, lashings of walnut oil… I’m getting healthier by the minute.  I can feel my arteries unblocking with every mouthful.  It tastes delicious, I have second helpings.

At home, I decide to have some walnut oil tapenade to tide me over while cooking dinner, a stir fry with yes, more walnut oil. I am the queen of drizzle.

Day 2

Breakfast and lunch same as day one.

Dinner:  Walnut salad with grilled mackerel, with a little walnut oil drizzled on top.

Day 3

Breakfast and lunch same as day one.

Dinner: Broccolli and scallops a la walnut oil.

Day 4

fat woman with pie on weight scaleI’m starting to notice a change in the tightness of my clothes.   I rush to the bathroom scales.  Nooooo..This is not what I signed up for.  Walnut oil is meant to be skinny making not fat making.

On closer inspection, I see that the calories in one bottle of walnut oil could nourish a small nation.

From one Domestic Goddess to another, take heed, never watch shows that involve doctors telling you what to eat.

“Croissants anyone?”

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Wanted: Skinny Mirror

11 Thursday Feb 2016

Posted by niftyfiftyshades in Beauty, Hair, Humour, Midlife, Uncategorized, work

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Beauty, funny, midlife, women, work

I need a new mirror, one that lies.

imageGetting into the lift this morning, I looked particularly bedraggled as I viewed my reflection in the full length mirror facing me. This mirror is my nemesis. Enter this lift at your peril. No matter what efforts I make to look half decent, the mirror tells the same story.

Not just me, every woman in the office hates it. The lighting gives a strange liverish pallor to all and sundry. Too much reality first thing in the morning.

My grooming routine consists of a slap-on of foundation and a dab of lippy. In my dimly lit hall mirror I look reasonably acceptable, blissfully unaware of reality. But enter the lift, and all illusion of vanity is removed. This mirror is a crime against humanity. It shows every little line and blemish and manages to give a cadaver like appearance.

imageRecently the boss asked us for suggestions to make our work place better, a think tank of sorts. Ideas to generate additional revenue or save on expenditure. We were all expected to come up with at least one suggestion. I gave it my full consideration and came up with this. I suggested replacing the mirror in the lift. Replace it with one like the ones in clothes boutiques that make you look both skinny and tanned at the same time. Every woman knows about them. How many times have I bought a dress or a pair of jeans that looked fabulous in the shop, only to get home to find that my lumpy arse still looks feckin lumpy.

My thinking was that all the women in the office would start the day feeling confident and happier in the knowledge that they look fabulous, resulting in greater productivity, a more resourceful fruitful workforce…. Clients visiting the office would feel welcomed and assured when greeted by a better more comely reflection of themselves. A happy client is our main goal, right?

imageI was outraged to learn that not only did my suggestion not receive the full consideration it deserved that it was in fact was met with derision.

Reasons to love a mirror that lies.

  • Makes you feel fabulous, resulting in a more cheerful disposition.
  • Makes you feel skinny, resulting in a more cheerful disposition.
  • Makes you feel sexy , resulting in a more cheerful disposition.
  • Makes you look tanned, resulting in a more cheerful disposition.

What’s not to love?

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Lent and Walnut Whips

10 Wednesday Feb 2016

Posted by niftyfiftyshades in food, Humour, Midlife, Uncategorized

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food, midlife, work

imageIts Ash Wednesday, the first day of lent, the day a Domestic Goddess must insist is a day of fasting.

I arrive in work and the first topic of conversation is what we can’t eat today. Ash Wednesday is a tradition observed by the pagans and religious alike among us, totally motivated by the desire to lose weight, rarely anything to do with religion. Ash Wednesday means meat is out, along with alcohol, sugar and all things sweet.

There’s nothing like being told you can’t eat something to make you salivate at the thought of it, prompting endless discussions about our favourite foods.

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

I whip out my phone and drag up an article in this morning’s Daily Mail to show the girls ‘Walnuts Make you Skinny’. After much discussion we all agree that the nicest way to eat walnuts is in a Walnut Whip. There are many poor own brand imitations to the Walnut Whip but nothing comes close to the real thing.

One of the girls is giving up cheese. Reminiscing about imposed fasting when we were kids prompts tales of yesteryear when cheese was triangle shaped and came in a round box. Calvita was also a favourite. The ads on TV had a blue eyed blond kid telling us that this over processed tasteless yellow gunge was good for our bones, and we fell for it. Don’t forget Baby Belle, where you get to play with the wax wrapper, moulding it into a football to play with. Ah!! The memories. Calvita on cream crackers…..

imageThe good news is that we can eat Tayto crisps today. Although Tayto is a revered treat, technically it’s allowed as it contains no meat or sugar. In case you’re unaware, Tayto crisps have gained legendary status among the Irish. Emigrants ask their loved ones to send them by the truck load. In fact, no respectable Irish household would be without an emergency packet of Tayto crisps.

‘Thou shalt eat fish on a day of fasting’

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A Domestic Goddess needs sustenance and should never forego the pleasure of eating. To cope with all this deprivation and abstinence I suggest being mindful that there are plenty of delicious foods you can stuff your face with all day long and still avoid sugar and meat in keeping with the rules of fasting.

 

imageMy plan for the day is to compensate by eating lots of crisps (5 packets), copious amounts of coffee, croissants and my favourite – scampi and chips.

Slumming it Again

09 Tuesday Feb 2016

Posted by niftyfiftyshades in Humour, Midlife, Travel, Uncategorized

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funny, midlife, Travel, women

imageLast weekend, I took myself off for a trip to the West of Ireland with my two amigos. Where else would a Domestic Goddess go  but Dromoland Castle to rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Actually, we pretended to stay there. Due to my impoverished status, we stayed at the Inn at Dromoland, not the castle itself (which incidently was voted the world’s number one hotel). A Goddess has standards, and clearly the world number two hotel wouldn’t do.

Our home for the night was in the grounds of the grand estate but more suited to the average pocket. That didn’t stop us lording it in the cocktail bar of the castle. What’s a girl to do but sip Irish Coffee by the fireside on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Pretentions of a higher station are called for in such situations.

imageFrom the Inn, it was a ten minute walk in biblical weather to the castle. The howling wind did nothing for our hair as we struggled through the grounds. Such was the tangled mess on my head that I feared birds would attempt to nest. Get inside pronto.

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As we approached the imposing black doors to the castle a thought occurred. Our bedraggled state might be grounds for refusing us entry. The ‘dragged through a bush backwards’ look is never flattering.

A light push and the doors opened welcoming us into a fairytale vision of vintage plush, soft carpets, opulent warmth and more swags and tails than Madame Bovary’s bordello. I half expected to see Lady Edith swish by with the Dowager Countess in tow.image

Pretentions of a higher station required in such situations.

We spent a little time wandering around seeking out liquid sustenance, pretending to be unimpressed. Even passing the ladies you couldn’t help dipping in for a peek (incidently the most fabulous ladies cloakroom I’ve encountered). Eventually, propped up at the bar for some liquid refreshments we chilled. Ah!!, to the manor born.

Adopting a ‘we do this all the time’ stance, all thoughts of suburbia or my little cherubs back home were truly banished (my little cherub is a 6 ft teen).  

Over the years many a famous guest has darkened its doors including Bill Clinton, George W, Muhamad Ali, Nelson Mandella, Johnny Cash..a long list.  However no matter how hard we looked not a rock star nor an American president in sight.

imageTwo hours later we set out for a tipsy walk back to the Inn this time with a blissful disregard for what the weather would do to our hair. A nice gentleman gatekeeper appeared in the courtesy car and dropped us back.

If you think like a Goddess, you will be treated like a Goddess.

Nifty Fifty Shades of Thrifty

07 Sunday Feb 2016

Posted by niftyfiftyshades in Beauty, Humour, lifestyle, Midlife, Uncategorized

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funny, midlife, Thrift, women

Last week, I was feeling rather poorly, not sick poorly, just poor poorly as in depleted bank account. My meagre January pay didn’t quite cover the Visa bill. I did what I always do when I feel impoverished, I put on my Grandmothers mink coat (don’t worry its fake) and took myself into Grafton Street to shop. There is nothing quite like mink to make you feel smug. It always amazes me how differently I’m treated when wearing this. Shop assistants offer cups of coffee, shower me with free samples, proffering hand massages, hold doors open with a smile, in fact no task is too much. It’s living someone else’s life when you don’t care too much for your own.

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Freebies, If you were that way inclined you could save a fortune. It got me thinking about other ways to save a few sheckles. That Mediterranean cruise I fantasize about is not going to pay for itself. I need to be proactive about this penny pinching business.
As a Domestic Goddess thriftyness is close to my heart. With that in mind, I suggest the following rules to live by.

The Discerning Ladies Guide to Thriftiness.

Don’t ever buy Moisturiser again.

Beg borrow or steal a mink coat and take yourself off to the most exclusive department store in town. All you need to do is stand there in the cosmetics hall, and wait for the free samples to come to you.

Serving roadkill to dinner guests

imageThe next time it’s your turn to invite friends around to dinner, how about feasting on a fresh kill by a fellow driver? Get the kids involved. Go out in search of a deliciously-free meal that doesn’t even require a trip to the supermarket. Do not pick up a rotted corpse of a fox. Settle for something smaller like a rabbit. Rabbit is ideal as nobody knows what it tastes like and you can pretend its pheasant or partridge (pan roasted pheasant or partridge confit).

Asking for a dozen free samples, then not buying anything

We’ve all tried an ice cream sample or two before finally settling on a flavor to indulge in. If you want variety just go for a dozen or so samples and then buy nothing. It helps to put on your best Cruella de Ville authoritative voice ‘I’ll just sample that blueberry cheesecake flavour again, just to be sure?”.

Collecting your own mineral water

Clear mineral water is excellent for general wellbeing as well as great for the complexion. Collect your own mineral water. Take a hike up a mountain to find the crystal clear spring waters. Take you partner along to carry the load.

Borrow

imageDon’t be afraid to ask your rich friends for a loan of their new Miu Miu bag or Burbury scarf. Explain that you need something to match new shoes and can’t find the right colour.

 

 

Offer to bring clothes to the charity shop.

This is by far the most cunning tip. Tell your rich friend that you are popping over to Oxfam to drop in clothes that you no longer have room for. Offer to take theirs too. Have a good old rifle through their designer cast offs.

 

Keep in touch with rich friends.

imageHanging out with likeminded thrifty people can be too depressing for words. Rich friends have nicer cocktail parties, nicer living rooms to hang out in, nicer clothes to borrow and might even invite you to their pad in the South of France for a jolly time.

Don’t save coupons.

Coupons are not only are they tacky, but you end up buying stuff that you don’t want. If you have a ‘buy one get one free’ voucher for a toe nail curler don’t be tempted. You don’t need one never mind two. Whipping out a voucher at the cash til is unseemly behaviour, unbecoming of a Domestic Goddess.

Think like your Grandmother.

imageMake do and mend. Learn how to sew buttons, repair zips and fix fasteners. No more disposable clothes. And like Grandmother, put your best foot forward when going out and settle for nothing less than mink when choosing a coat.

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