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This page includes Our Philosophy, short biographies, and our 'progess reports'. The most recent update is at the bottom of the page.
We believe in caring for ourselves. Looking lovely is not about wearing expensive clothes – in fact, money spent on clothes is money wasted if you’ve neglected the basics of looking after yourself. Looking lovely is a result of keeping as healthy as possible, looking after your face, hair and body, dressing to suit your body shape, life-style and budget, plus getting out and keeping active. We believe that regular contact with family and friends, and keeping up interests outside oneself are at least as important as good grooming. We will give you information, ideas and prompts about all aspects of looking after yourself and your wardrobe. There will be a new plan every week, so keep logging on.
We often suggest that you make a note of items you wish to purchase in your Beauty Diary. You might suppose that we are referring to something unusual, or expensive. In fact, all either of us uses
Pat Foster is a housewife and unpublished author. For many years she worked in local government, but when offered the opportunity of redundancy she cheerfully said goodbye to all that. When she is not redrafting her current work-in-progress (Respect for the King), she fills her time with friends and family, shopping and reading. She has seemingly boundless enthusiasm for fashion magazines, despite her irritation that they too frequently feature skinny teenage models and are often biased towards London.
Tricia Robertson is an ex primary school teacher turned Pilates Instructor. She is also a mother and grandmother. After discovering the benefits of Pilates for herself, Tricia decided to train as an instructor. Her local Pilates classes grew in popularity, leading to a complete career change for Tricia. Her outside interests include family and friends, reading, lifelong learning, visiting the gym and swimming (or rather relaxing in the jacuzzi). B*
** Tricia's Update 1st July. June has been a month of activity. I enjoyed a visit to Eastbourne for the lawn tennis championships, see our Tennis page. We had a lovely family day out at Legoland Windsor. Tickets cost £35.00 each adult, under 3s free. Rather than spend over £70.00, we logged on to lastminute.com where tickets were available at around half price. We purchased using a credit card for extra online safetly, printed out the ticket voucher from the email sent to my in box, then exchanged the voucher for entrance tickets at Legoland. This was easy to do, saving us £35.00. Children do need to be at least 90cm tall to go on rides for safety reasons. This was checked carefully by the staff. We had a great time and our little visitor thoroughly enjoyed riding on the skyrider train and the children's helicopters.
Last Saturday, I went shopping with my husband. He isn't a great shopper in line with many guys so we built treats into our day. We visited Lewes in East Sussex where I checked out fitness clothes for work in the Gossypium sale. The organic cotton yoga tops were discounted from £25.00 to £4.50. Luckily one was left in my size (these do come up fairly small so if in doubt buy larger), plus I purchased two as gifts. Following Gossypium, we had a lovely lunch in Seasons vegetarian cafe. Seasons is located at 199 High Street, near to Gossypium on the other side of the road. It is hidden away in a basement down an outside stairway with pot plants. The atmosphere is one of community. Seasons has boards advertising local organisations, secondhand books to purchase for charity plus books to read in the restaurant. If you dine at a busy time of day, people will sometimes share tables. The food is homemade, delicious and healthy. Where possible, ingredients are organic. My husband loved his nut roast, my bean burger was wonderful. We couldn't resist the desserts either, but it was certainly worth every calorie. In my defence, I chose yoghurt with my crumble. Following further errands, time had marched on to 6.00pm. We popped in to The Tiger Inn in the village of East Dean to relax before returning home. The Tiger is a traditional pub which also serves meals. On winter evenings, there are often candles lighting the tables. It is very dark inside the pub as the ceiling not only has lovely beams but it is painted dark brown. Just one tip, if you visit The Tiger Inn, don't sit near the men's loo. On our visit the door constantly banged. We had to move tables as there was a continual procession of people in and out with the door crashing between each person. In summer you can relax outside at the tables adjacent to East Dean village green so we ignored the breeze to move outside which was very pleasant. We have been taking advantage of the summer with walks. I've been exercising outside in the garden when possible and my husband has managed to sail a few times in spite of fairly strong winds for the time of year. = Pat’s update 16 July 2008 I have been entertaining a succession of summer visitors, trying to squeeze the daily chores into less time so that there is more time for outings. I have enjoyed visiting places I have not been to for a few years, taking guests to National Trust houses and gardens. One of our guests lives in a city, and requested rural walks. I was happy to oblige by taking her on long rambles along the cliff tops by the sea, and up the river valleys to seek out country tea gardens.
The weather has not always been as warm as we would wish. When Tricia wrote the feature on ‘A Really Useful Wrap’ for the style page I think she was envisaging using a wrap to ward off sun. I have sat through a few concerts in churches or halls with my wrap covering my legs to ward off goose bumps. However, on many occasions the music was subline, and took my mind off the cold. I particularly enjoyed Robert Cohen playing his cello at Charleston Manor. It was a lovely summer day when I attended the Civic Service for our new mayor, where I was delighted to learn that she has chosen Smile Train as one of her charities. Do take a look at our feature, and think about what you might do to help. Wonderful husband and I were very proud to attend to attend our daughter’s graduation ceremony at the McEwan Hall in Edinburgh. We enjoyed an extended weekend in Edinburgh, which I have described on the Out and About page. Closer to home, I visited a new beauty salon called Autonomy Wellbeing at 48/50 High Street, Seaford. It has only been open a few weeks, and offers a wide range of treatments. I really enjoyed my pedicure, and hope to visit again soon.
Tricia's Update 11th August Although I have been running a reduced programme of Pilates classes and individual sessions due to the holiday period, I've been extremely busy. It's the season where I organise dates, halls and payments, promote my classes, sort out the accounts, update the website etc. etc. Teaching Pilates has all the concerns of running a small business; although it sounds like a romantic escape from the real world of work it really isn't. This, plus my lovely family, have kept me more than occupied. To escape, my hubby and I have been visiting Littlington Tea
I've been staying with family quite often recently, and have tried to reduce my packing as much as possible. Throughout the year, I save the free samples of shampoo, conditioner, moituriser, face make up, hand cream etc. from magazines plus any complimentary items if I visit a hotel. These come in really handy when travelling as they are so light and fit into a make up bag easily. In the coming weeks, I have two Pilates training courses to attend. It's important to keep up to date with developments and meet other instructors. I'm also attending a garden party locally for women in business to promote Pilates plus I've booked in for three one to one Pilates sessions myself to further develop my own technique. All very busy but I love it! Pat’s Update – 21st August 2008 I have been travelling and visiting friends. It can be a struggle to keep up the Cleanse Tone and Moisturise routine when moving from place to place, and a few times I washed my face with shower gel. I don’t recommend it, as it left my skin feeling rather dry, but it’s better than skipping cleansing completely. I had a lovely trip to Liverpool, arriving just in time to glimpse the departure of the Tall Ships Race. The quayside was almost solid with spectators and as soon as the ships were out of sight it seemed as if everyone wanted a cup of tea – including me! After a long wait I shared a table with a couple from Southport. We chatted about all the recent changes in the city, My main purpose in going to the city was to see the Gustav Klimt exhibition at the Tate Liverpool. This beautiful display of his paintings and applied art is worth the trip, and only there until the end of August.
Back home, I have been getting my wardrobe in order. This includes tackling some boring tasks such as repairing clothes and taking shoes to the menders. I have tried to maintain a reasonable level of fitness by walking and was happy to have a couple of Pilates lessons from Tricia. On a lighter note, Tricia and I have received a ‘goodie bag’ of Arbonne products from the USA, which we will test and review next month. = Tricia's Update 11th September September already. I really can't believe it as we seem to have missed out summer this year. Maybe next year will compensate. I've booked in for Balletcise classes as it involved aerobic exercise indoors in a warm, dry hall. Dance is great fun and I'm really looking forward to starting on Monday. Over the summer, I attended several one-to-one Pilates sessions. As an instructor, I'm only too aware of the benefits of another instructor assessing my technique as it isn't always possible to see your alignment yourself. My instructor is also a physiotherapist, which meants I can learn from her to cascade the new learning to my own clients, which benefits everyone. I belong to a group of Pilates Instructors who train together locally too. We have recently met with a Pilates expert to study the shoulder, have another training session this week on choreography followed by a workshop in November learning about pain. A plan I hatched for the autumn was to only purchase Fairtrade clothing or to buy from charity shops. This is on ethical grounds but the charity shop component does save money too. I did fail once when fitness tops were £5.00 each in the Jumpers sale, this was just too great a bargain to pass up as the reduction was from £20.00. I purchased six for work. A good condition pair of Per Una jeans in Oxfam were just £4.95. Martin's Money Tips website has provided great tips this month. We have booked cheap double rooms at £9.00 a night and £19.00 a night for visits to family as a result plus received a voucher for £5.00 off at 'Slug and Lettuce'. An exploration of the various voucher codes websites gave a discount of £20.00 off our new phones and a free organic veggie and fruit box valued at £15.00 from Abel and Cole. It doesn't take long to check out these websites when you are ordering on-line anyway. Set the discount against your hourly rate of pay after tax and a little on-line exploration can seem worthwhile. On a positive note, the churches have an event in the UK this month called 'Hope 2008'. I'll be attending a couple of these next week.There should be local events so keep an eye out if interested. We have a family fun day and events for adults. Our local 'Back to Church' Sunday (on 21st Septebmer) for folk who haven't attended for a while is being held a week before the national event on 28th September. If you are new to church there should be other new people at participating churches attending on that day. I'm off now to check out my bras. Today's suggestion on the looklovely.net daily diary is to check the condition of your underwear. As I discovered I was wearing a bra where 'my cup runneth over' the other day AFTER I had returned home, this could be a good idea! Much better to sort it before venturing out the door. Pat’s Update – 25th September 2008 In recent weeks Wonderful Husband and I have hosted a few garden barbecue parties that have turned out to be indoor parties thanks to the long spell of damp weather. This is only a small complaint; we spent a few days with farming friends who have had real problems with their crop harvest due to sodden fields. Those of us who dwell in towns often forget the challenges faced by those who put food on our tables. Despite the succession of wet days, I remain hopeful that the My other wardrobe purchase was far more utilitarian: I had orthotic insoles fitted at Sole Solution in Eastbourne. I have slightly flat feet, a condition that sounds amusing, but means that my feet roll inwards when I walk, causing my knees to hurt. I have tried to consciously correct my posture, but this is no longer enough. As I believe that it is difficult to look lovely when my feet hurt, I have made the decision to do as much as possible improve my foot health. The technician at Sole Solution made a thorough examination of my feet, listened to everything I told her, and took time to ensure that the insoles were a correct fit. She explained that it would take a while to get used to the orthotics, and told me to come back for a check in a few weeks. Tricia and I attended a networking garden party for women in This week I saw the first Christmas puddings and cakes for sale, a sure sign that summer is nearing an end. However, they did look yummy, and they were Fair Trade – on sale in Oxfam. @ kkkkkkkkkkkk kkk Mm Tricia’s Update 16th October
October is hectic. My work really kicks in after the summer break, as many new clients book into autumn Pilates courses. My time-table is twelve classes a week, plus up to five 1-1 sessions. Each class requires mental alertness as I need to be aware of adaptations to the moves for people with medical issues, in addition to demonstrating the physical moves at different levels. This makes teaching Pilates extremely interesting and rewarding. Another challenging aspect is learning everyone’s name! A friend has a theory that, as an ex-teacher, the little box in your brain for retaining names is full, which makes learning new names difficult. I love this theory. It beats the theory that I’m loosing it. For example, over the years I have taught around 600 children. Add parents, grandparents etc. and this makes around 1,800 people. Plus another 400 children from years of voluntary youth work. In total, 2,200 people before I even begin to count five years worth of wonderful Pilates clients, my friends, etc. However, I have no excuse for calling my grandson by my son’s name when we visit the zoo (my brain just goes back twenty years, it believes I am in my 30s. How lovely). I recently enjoyed a 'Choreography and Pilates' workshop for instructors, involving five hours of training. In November, I’ll be running a Saturday morning session for my clients linking the Pilates moves into choreographed sequences, using this learning. Sadly, my Balletcise class failed to run due to low numbers. I have a ‘New York City Ballet’ dvd instead. Several brightly coloured shoe boxes containing Christmas gifts left my home this morning to wing their way to Eastern Europe. It saddens me that our own kids have so much at Christmas and these little ones consider items such as a toothbrush, a Christmas gift. If you’d like to help a child feel cared for at Christmas, see our feature on the Reaching Out page. Inexpensive toys such as a skipping rope, toy car, a small ball etc. with soap, toothpaste and a flannel can help brighten up a child’s life at little cost. Don’t forget to add a donation to assist with the transportation as lack of funds restricts the number of boxes sent. £2.00 for each box was requested by ‘Mustard Seed Relief Mission’. The suggestion for today on the looklovely daily schedule is to check to see if any of your shoes need repair. Last year I ended up rather inelegantly on my bottom, as the heels on my boots were worn, leading me to skid in the rain. I’d love to keep a little dignity and not end up on my bum again so will definitely be doing this. Right now. Pat’s Update – 11th November
I have been travelling with Wonderful Husband to visit members of our families. A visit to Portugal gave me the This autumn I have started learning something new, enrolling in a course on Political Philosophy. The topic certainly stretches my mind, and I enjoy listening to the other members of the class engaging in thoughtful discussion.
When we travelled to the USA to visit my family I took along Christmas gifts, thus saving postage (but in no way cancelling out the air fare). We were there the week of the Presidential election, a very exciting time. I am trying to prepare for Christmas with time to spare this year. My cards were purchased back in January, at half their original price. When I put them away, I made a note on the calendar, so that for once I know where to find them. Many tasks are outstanding, but I intend to follow our Countdown to Christmas plan so that I can enjoy the holidays this year. There is one thing that I shall leave until the last minute, and that is buying chocolates. I know somebody (who shall be nameless) who bought some chocolate Christmas tree decorations and ate them all herself. However, I have given myself another sort of treat, but only because I think it is therapeutic. Last month I developed a nagging ache in my right shoulder and decided to try having a professional massage. The first one made me feel so much better that I decided to get a massage at regular intervals. I find the ideal time is at the end of Friday afternoon, as I then feel relaxed and ready to enjoy the weekend.
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Our Philosophy
is a simple, small paper notebook that can easily fit into a handbag. My current 'Beauty Diary' cost 39p, Tricia's uses a tiny notepad that was free in a Chrismas cracker as it fits into her purse beautifully.
The most recent guest has limited mobility, so a bit of research was needed in planning visits.
Gardens. It is an historic venue set in the heart of the Sussex countryside. There are traditional cream teas, scones, cakes plus a small selection of lunches available. Littlington Tea Gardens look lovely and have a natural feel. They have sheltered areas but no inside seating area. A garden centre on-site has reasonably priced plants available plus there is a shop selling gifts, fudge and local honey. The walking locally is wonderful (and necessary after the cream tea). Be prepared to walk along narrow footpaths through fields. 
The tiny Lullington Church nestles in the hills nearby and is well worth a visit. The church is located on the South Downs Way. It has stunning views across Cuckmere Valley. Lullington Church seats just twenty people. It was originally larger but was rebuilt after a fire devasted the building. 
and they said that I must visit the new Liverpool One shopping centre.
My Wonderful Husband took some time of work and we went to Amsterdam for about a week, where we stayed with a friend.
Pictured are smart Next trousers and a Principles top from Oxfam at £4.95 and £3.00 respectively, both in new condition. Scope had a sale of new shoes; also shown are boots I picked up for £2.50. They don't seem to me to be robust enough for day to day wear but will be OK for light wear for evenings out as they have a sweet little heel. They are also wide and soft where my poor old bunion rubs so a good buy.
sun will shine somewhere, some day, and I will happen to be there.
business.
opportunity to wear the dress that I purchased in September; now it is at the back of the wardrobe until summer comes again.
I have tried to follow my advice to re-use my existing wardrobe.
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