Innholdsfortegnelse for Tuesday, December 26, 2023 i Woman's Own

All the hard work and planning is finally about to pay off – Christmas has arrived! But I bet there’s something a lot of us would like but are unlikely to find under the tree – and that’s time. It’s one of the things money can’t buy – but in this issue we’ve done our very best to help you make the most of yours, and save precious minutes. On p26 we’ve got hacks to cure a cold in just 24 hours, and on p32 whip up tasty canapés in 10 minutes (unannounced guests will be impressed!). If you’re planning a New Year’s Eve party, on p40 we’ve got bargain buys to add a little sparkle, and for 2024 inspiration, turn to p30 where three readers share their new beginnings…

She turned 75 this year and Judy Finnigan has made no secret of the fact she prefers the slower pace of life which comes with ageing, admitting that, ‘I like a peaceful inner life.’ Yet it seems the star is starting to struggle with her appearance as she grows older. After watching herself on her daughter’s reality show, Chloe Madeley: A Family Affair, Judy confessed that she’s shocked by her appearance these days. She explained, ‘You know the old trope when you’re walking along, glance into a shop window and think “who’s that old crone?” before realising with gruesome dismay that it’s you? Or you look at the mirror and see your long-dead mother staring back at you?’ ‘I LOOKED AT MY ANCIENT SELF WITH COMPLETE HORROR’ A CONSOLATION PRIZE…

A GROWING PROBLEM Probably not the time to raise this, but it’s not just the goose getting fat, is it? The latest Health Survey for England stats estimate that 25.9% of us are obese and a further 37.9% are overweight. Even more depressing, 23.4% of 10-11-year-olds are obese and 14.3% overweight. Obesity costs the NHS around £6.5 billion a year and is the second biggest preventable cause of cancer. From sugar taxes to cracking down on fast-food joints near schools, governments have tried various solutions, but none seem to work. So what do we make of the suggestion (made by one of my Jeremy Vine show colleagues) that we start charging the obese for NHS services? Controversial, but do they have a point? On one side, it might encourage more…

Whether your Christmas to-do list is out of control or you’re worrying about paying the bills, you’re not alone. It’s natural to feel strung out from time to time, but especially during the festive period – unsurprisingly, 51%* of women say they find it stressful. Take our quiz to reveal your triggers and try our expert techniques to keep tension away. Try our speedy test... 1 What are you most likely to do at the end of a hectic day? ♥ Slump on the sofa exhausted.❄ More Christmas prep – it’s never-ending.★ Scroll through social media – it’s your guilty pleasure.♦ Write a huge to-do list for the next day. 2 What do you struggle with during the festive period? ♦ Saying no to the demands of other people.★ Squeezing…

Crostini 3 ways PREP AND COOK 10 MINS MAKES 48 Simple to make and great for a crowd. This will be enough for all three toppings on this page. YOU WILL NEED 2 skinny baguettes, cut into 1.5cm slices 3tbsp olive oil HOW TO DO IT Heat the oven to 200C Fan/Gas 7. Put the baguette slices on a baking tray, drizzle with the oil and season. Cook for 10 mins until golden and crisp. EACH OF THE FOLLOWING RECIPES MAKE 16 PREP 10 MINS Roast beef toastie Rich and cheesy with a fiery kick, use any combo of cheese you fancy. YOU WILL NEED 16 crostini100g pack roast beef, torn into crostini-sized pieces120g melting cheese, crumbled or grated (we used blue cheese and Cheddar)1tbsp horseradish sauce or English mustard3tbsp…

Real life behind the headlines He became one of the youngest child killers in British history for the torture and murder of two-year-old James Bulger. Jon Venables was just 10 when he committed the terrible crime along with his friend Robert Thompson in 1993. The pair were released on licence in 2001, but Venables has been recalled to prison twice – once in 2010 and again in 2017 – for possessing indecent images of children. Six years on, Venables faced a fresh parole hearing last month, with the decision not yet made public. James Bulger’s parents were left devastated and furious. ‘Deep in my heart, I know he will abuse and kill another innocent child like my son,’ said Ralph Bulger, James’ dad. Every year, around 300 people are handed…

HOLLY WILLOUGHBY, 42 ‘I’m obsessed with Christmas pudding – we can’t be friends if you don’t like Christmas pudding. It’s my ultimate favourite with lashings of brandy butter… And, of course, a Snowball cocktail or three!’ PETER ANDRE, 50 ‘Christmas in the Andre household is very fun! If you’ve ever seen Home Alone and how mad it is with all the kids running around, it’s like that but double it – triple it! Obviously none of us are left home alone, but it’s the fun madness of it.’ CAROL VORDERMAN, 62 ‘I adore every single aspect of Christmas – the roaring fires, the carols and the twinkling lights. I’ve always regarded it as my special time… [but] the Christmas presents we love most can cost so little.’ LORRAINE KELLY, 64…

STRICTLY SENSATIONAL ‘EMBRACE THE WAY YOU LOOK’ It may be cold outside but Dancing on Ice judge Oti Mabuse set temperatures soaring when she stripped off in a pre-pregnancy lingerie shoot. The former Strictly star, 33, looked sensational as she modelled her own collection for Bravissimo. Speaking about the campaign the body positivity champion shared, ‘I love Bravissimo. I’ve always found something that fits me, that’s comfortable and gives me confidence. My whole collection has been designed to empower women and I’m so proud of it.’ Oti continued, ‘Working with a brand whose focus is on women feeling strong, beautiful, and empowered is something I’m hugely proud of.’ Fans flocked to compliment the dancer, with one writing, ‘Just the most perfect body!!!’ as another said, ‘Omg Oti is absolutely stunning,’…

SCANDI STYLE Team with your favourite pair of jeans. Jumper, £27.99, sizes xs-xl, H&M NEW FLAME Bring the scents of the season into your home. Candle, £10, M&S RED HOT For a great at-home mani. Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Hot Chilli, £3.99, Boots WONDER GLOSS Shine and deep nourishment. Collagen Lip Oil, £12, beautypie.com RETRO REVIVAL With a flattering high waist. Trousers, £39.50, sizes 6-24, M&S FAMILY AFFAIR This British brand has cosy knits for the whole family. Clockwise from top: man’s tank top, £59.95, sizes s-2xl, woman’s red jumper, £69.95, trousers, £59.95, boy’s jumper, from £34.95, chinos, from £24.95, man’s green jumper, £59.95, sizes s-2xl, trousers, £59.95, sizes W30-W40, girl’s jumper from £29.95, skirt, from £27.95, woman’s cream jumper, £69.95, trousers, £59.95, all ladies’ sizes 6-26, all…

Wandering the aisles I picked up matching babygros, matching blankets and finally two matching brown teddies. It was summer 2022 and after going to the hospital at six weeks pregnant with intense pains in my legs just hours earlier I’d found out I was expecting identical twins. Now I couldn’t wait to dress them in cute outfits and watch them learn to walk and talk together. I was already imagining how adorable they’d look in their matching babygros. My partner Ali, then 33, and I had both been stunned when we’d been told - and couldn’t believe how lucky we’d got. I was already mum to Harry, five, while Ali had Isla, six, and now we’d be adding two more perfect little babies - our happy little family would be…

MEDS ARE STOPPING SALON TREATMENTS Q After my business went bankrupt, I had what can only be described as a breakdown, and was prescribed fluoxetine. It’s been a few years, but I’m now back on my feet financially – so much so that I’m looking into laser treatment to remove unwanted facial hair. But my therapist wasn’t keen to treat me while I’m on fluoxetine. Should I stop it? A Fluoxetine (Prozac) can cause you to be overly sensitive to light. In an ideal world, your therapist would probably like you to be off this medication for four weeks before treating you. Your GP may well be happy for you to wean off your medication, so ask for a call to discuss it. Do I really need an op? Q…

Understated elegance Nudes aren’t boring – they’re stylish, understated and the perfect thing to offset a bold eyeshadow look. Revolution Satin Kiss Lipstick in Cupcake Pink, £5, revolutionbeauty.com, is a bargain. It’s very similar to a designer lippy, and it’s the perfect beige with a hint of pink. Annie Model behaviour I’ve used this colour for years. Lasting by name, lasting by nature, Rimmel London Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in 001, £5.99, Boots, stays intact through numerous cups of tea on a cold day. The shade has a hint of blue undertone – it’s a great colour for making teeth look just that little bit brighter. Stephanie It stick I love a hard-working buy that really earns its spot in my make-up bag. 3INA The No-Rules Stick in Pink, £15,…

£15 AND UNDER…

CLUES & ARROWS Fill in the clues in the direction of the arrows Sudoku To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each column and each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Wordsearch In Indian cuisine, which food takes its name from the Hindi for ‘slap’ or ‘flat’? The answer is the one missing from the grid. CHAICHAPATIDHANSAKGHEEJALFREZIKOFTALASSIMASALANAANPANEERRAITAROTISAMOSATANDOORIVINDALOO CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Logo (6)4 _ Page, star of Waterloo Road and Bridgerton (4-4)10 Receptacle (9)11 Brings home (5)12 Ana de _, actor in No Time to Die and Deep Water (5)13 Hospitable to all (4,5)14 The _, 2022 spy thriller directed by 26 Across and starring 4 Across, 12 Across, & 3 Down (4,3)16 Shade (4)19 City in India (4)21 Ryan _, actor who starred with 12 Across…

Film WONKA Out now in cinemas The origin story of Roald Dahl’s confectioner creation sees Timothée Chalamet don the top hat alongside Hugh Grant’s Oompa Loompa in a musical extravaganza from the director of Paddington. Take chocolates… Music CLIFF RICHARD Cliff with Strings – My Kinda Life (East West Records) Out now The legendary Cliff Richard celebrates 65 years in the music industry with his new orchestral album. Cliff’s biggest hits and favourite tracks – including a duet with the late Olivia Newton-John – are accompanied by a full orchestra. A truly harmonious album. Performance JACK AND THE BEANSTALK 16 Dec 2023 Until 28 Jan 2024 Birmingham Hippodrome, Hurst St, Southside, Birmingham B5 4TB Tickets from £18 Everyone’s favourite Brummie Alison Hammond stars in the city’s pantomime adaptation alongside West…

‘SPOILT’ BY SIMON Music mogul Simon Cowell is said to be worth £478 million, but it seems that having all the money in the world can’t help perfect the art of gift giving. One year, the 64-year-old didn’t please former X Factor host Dermot O’Leary with his choice of present. In 2015 Dermot, 50, revealed, ‘The worst gift I ever got was a couple of years ago – a voucher for Botox from Simon Cowell.’ He added, ‘Charming, and unused.’ Not everyone wants the same as you, Simon… ROD: ‘I FELT SO STINGY’ Prior to their infamous feud, Sir Rod Stewart revealed that his long-time friend Sir Elton John, 76, put him to shame one year thanks to his rather impressive festive gift. Rod, 78, shared, ‘For Christmas I bought…

W alking into the bathroom I saw heart-shaped tea lights flickering around a bath full of foamy bubbles. ‘This is lovely,’ I gasped. ‘You deserve it,’ William, then 34, said. It was July 2017, and no one had ever run me a bath before, but William, my partner of a month, was the most thoughtful person I’d ever met. As I sank into the hot water, he went downstairs to entertain my children, Loren, then 14, and Kieran, 12. He was great with them and I wondered how I’d ever got so lucky. William and I had met in 2002 working at the local swimming pool. We’d had a brief fling after I split with the kids’ dad, but neither of us was ready for a relationship – until now.…

Have you heard about? SHORT BURSTS OF EXERCISE CAN BOOST LIFE EXPECTANCY No time to workout? You only need 22 minutes* to make a difference. Looking at data from nearly 12,000 participants aged 50 and over, researchers discovered that doing this daily may reduce your risk of dying if you have a sedentary lifestyle. But you need to be exercising vigorously, meaning you shouldn’t be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath. It worked for me Tracey Nicholls, 43, from Dorset ‘I developed puffy eyes after a course of penicillin, which I thought was an allergic reaction, but when this didn’t clear up, it felt more like eczema or blepharitis. I now use Hydrosil Dry Eye Gel (£9.50 for 15ml, hydrosil. co.uk) twice-daily, which contains…

Health ask us We don’t speak Q My sister and I fell out 15 years ago on her wedding day. Even though I was right – her ex was a liar and a cheat – she maintains that I ruined her big day. I still feel hurt that she’s never admitted that I was speaking the truth to try to help her. She’s since moved to Australia and we have no contact, but she’s coming home next month for the first time in seven years. I’m dreading it. A There are a number of things you can do to make this situation easier for both of you. Either you can send an email asking for a truce and suggest that you both put the past behind you, or you explain…

‘Age is nothing but a number’ Fiona Lambert, 60, works in fashion and lives in London. Smiling into the camera lens, I’d never felt more proud of myself or more positive about my body. And the fact that I was wearing just my underwear wasn’t deterring me either. It was March 2023 and at 60, I felt incredible and I was loving showing off my new confidence. I hadn’t always been so comfortable in my own skin, though. For years I worked in fashion retail but being in such an image-focused industry meant that as I got older, I started to lose my confidence. ‘Getting older has never been in style,’ I’d joke to friends. I didn’t share my age with colleagues as I suspected it would mean I wouldn’t…

READER QUESTION Q Whenever I set myself a New Year’s resolution to save money, I find it hard to stick to it. Do you have any tips? A If you’ve got a friend or family member who is also trying to save cash, why not buddy up and support each other so you don’t have to go it alone, suggests Fidelity International’s Emma-Lou Montgomery. You’ll be able to encourage each other to keep going, you could swap money-saving tips and you can keep each other accountable too. Go green for less Write a list of everything in your freezer and update it when you use things up or add items. It’ll help you keep track of what’s in there and make you less likely to forget about items lurking at…

And… relax 19-26 December 2023 ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr Take time to consider where you need to make healthy choices. As the year ends, create more time for yourself and a daily discipline to support you. TAURUS 21 Apr – 20 May On 22 December, write three desires for the new year. Jupiter preparing to turn direct in Taurus at the end of the year will bring increased energy and clarity. GEMINI 21 May – 20 Jun Are you noticing the signs the universe is sending? A conversation with a friend, feathers and number patterns remind you of the guidance surrounding you. CANCER 21 Jun – 22 Jul The last Full Moon of the year is in your sign on 27 December. What is ending in your life?…

THE RICH by Rachel Lynch (£9.99, Canelo, PB) As a psychologist in an elite neighbourhood, Dr Alex knows all the dirtiest secrets of the filthy rich. There’s Carrie, who leads a luxurious life in a mansion – and would rather no one knew how she got there. Henry, on the other hand, has a dangerous obsession with other men’s wives, while yoga fanatic Grace hides a dark secret behind her shiny online image. When a local woman, Monika, is brutally murdered, all eyes fall on her jealous husband Tony. But Dr Alex knows she can’t rule out any suspects, because beneath the luxury and wealth of their pristine community lies a world of shady motives and deceit. This slick thriller is bursting with juicy surprises. THE BURNOUT by Sophie Kinsella…

FOWLER THE BETTER It’s a Christmas to chill out for EastEnders legend Natalie Cassidy this year. As well as the normal two-week break scheduled in for the residents of Albert Square to enjoy some cheer, the actor has almost a month off – but she will still star in this year’s hotly anticipated Christmas episodes. ‘Just a sprinkling of me,’ my old pal tells me as she counts down to some family time, ‘But you’re going to love it!’ STILL CARRYING THE CAN! It’s 50 years since the legendary leather-clad Suzi Quatro hit the UK No 1 spot with Can the Can and she’s been celebrating with a sell-out tour five decades after appearing on Top of the Pops back in the 70s. ‘It was a wonderful feeling,’ she recalls…