Innholdsfortegnelse for 31-Dec-2019 i Woman's Weekly

Here it is – the serial is back! Your favourite read has returned, just in time for you to kick back and relax after all the Christmas festivities. And I’m sure you’ll agree, the three-page story in this issue is a sparkling way to begin. You can find it on page 50, which will be its permanent home from now on. In other news here at Woman’s Weekly, we’re all about keeping warm this week, from delicious hearty recipes that are filling but low calorie, to easy layering fashion, and even a pom-pom scarf to knit and cowl to crochet. I love a bit of leopard print in the winter and have brought you my favourites below, all under £20 – hope you like them!…

SHACKETS Half shirt, half jacket, these can be worn under a coat now or left unbuttoned in place of a coat when the weather warms up. If you have a bigger bust, avoid buttoning them all the way up, while petite frames will suit the proportions of belted or cropped designs. ANKLE BOOTS Pick the right boots and they’ll see you through all seasons, especially if you avoid chunkier designs and opt for a more elegant block or kitten heel. They can be worn with trousers and jeans, but also look great with skirts in the spring. Plus a small heel will make your legs appear that little bit longer. CARDIGANS They’re so versatile – wear them over tops and under jackets for an easy-to-strip-off layer when going from outside…

✣ Write a diary Keep a food and symptom diary to track which foods result in bloating. Cut out gluten-rich foods for two months. ✣ Check eating habits Eat small amounts slowly but often. Don’t talk as you eat, it makes you also take in air. ✣ Avoid triggers Fizzy drinks and chewing gum can be troublesome. ✣ Prevent constipation Eat more fibre, drink more clear fluid and take regular exercise. All help bowel function and reduce bloating. ✣ Check fluid retention Monitor your weight twice a week, note bloating symptoms and keep a menstrual-cycle diary to check for cyclical bloating.…

Should they have refunded my money? Q I went to have my car cleaned at the local car wash and the guy persuaded me to have the most expensive one. But when I got back into my car, it had not been done properly. One of the men agreed with me and told the manager. He said he’d get it done again, which he did. I asked for my money back as I’d wasted a lot of time there and he refused. He said I’d had the service so he couldn’t refund me. Myriam, Birmingham A You may find this annoying but I’m afraid he’s right. They did the job, although I know not the first time round, and you paid for the service. You’re therefore not due any money…

Knitted scarf MEASUREMENTS  Approximately 150 x 24cm/59 x 9½in. MATERIALS 3 x 100g (82m) balls of Hayfield Bonus Super Chunky (100% acrylic) in Silver Mist (678) and 1 x 100g ball in Pink Shock (686)*. Pair of 10mm (No. 000) knitting needles; 8cm pom-pom maker or card. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk. TENSION 10 stitches and 18 rows, to 10 x 10cm, over garter stitch, using 10mm needles. ABBREVIATIONS  St(s), stitch(es); k, knit; inc, increase 1 st (by working into same st twice); gst, garter stitch (every row k); k2tog, k 2 sts together (to decrease 1 st). NOTE Yarn amounts are based on average requirements and are therefore approximate. SCARF With 10mm needles and Silver Mist, cast on 2 sts. 1st row: K. 2nd row: Inc in first st,…

“We never had these when I was young,’ said the man in bright red trousers, who was eating his second sausage-wrapped-in-bacon on a stick. ‘We did have cheese and pineapple on a stick, although most people ate the pineapple and left the cheese on the table.’ ‘Oh,’ I said. ‘Do you remember cheese and pineapple on a stick?’ ‘Oh yes,’ I said. ‘Did you eat the cheese?’ We will stop there for a moment on health grounds. The How to Write for Woman’s Weekly guidelines are very specific on this point. The thing to most avoid, they advise forcefully, is boring the reader so much that they bang their heads on the nearest table in frustration, thus risking injury for which the magazine might be liable. With this advice in…

Spellbinding! Pick up your needles and wool and cast on the magic of the Harry Potter films with the ultimate knitter’s guide to the Wizarding World. With more than 25 knits, there are patterns for clothing and keepsakes straight from the movies. Harry Potter Knitting Magic by Tanis Gray (£22.99, HB, Pavilion Books) is published on 28 January 2020. DO YOUR BIT Did you know that one million plastic bottles are bought worldwide every minute and only 9% of plastic has ever been recycled, resulting in 12 million tonnes of plastic pouring into our oceans every year? To do your bit, try this reusable bottle. Made of stainless-steel and featuring some amazing marine prints, it’s both eye-catching and environmentally friendly. It costs £24.99 and 25% of profits from sales go…

Celebrations in Scotland Edinburgh hosts three days of world-renowned Hogmanay events, including concerts, a torchlight procession and traditional ceilidh, as well as the main event – a New Year’s Eve street party and spectacular fireworks display; edinburghshogmanay.com Alternatively Head to the tiny Aberdeenshire village of Stonehaven, to behold the ancient Fireballs Ceremony. Accompanied by traditional pipes and drums and several wee drams, participants swing huge balls of fire around to burn off bad spirits; stonehavenfireballs.co.uk Parties in the South West What started as a bit of fun for the locals of St Ives is now one of the UK’s best-known New Year celebrations. It’s a proper fancy dress affair – thousands flock here in bizarre gear to enjoy the harbourside parties, pub crawls, bands and food stalls, and fireworks light…

“It might be a surprise to find out I’m interested in photography when I’ve spent my life in front of a lens because of my acting work. But since I was eight years old, I’ve enjoyed having a camera with me, and I’ve documented my life through photographs ever since. To me, photography is mindful. When I feel stressed, I take my camera and go for a mindful walk, taking photographs as I go. ‘I take my camera and go for a mindful walk’ It’s a throwback in many ways to how my photography journey began. As a young boy, I lived in a mansion block in West London with my family, which included, in another apartment, my grandfather James ‘Jimmy’ Jarche. A celebrated press photographer, he spent his days…

‘I had a light-bulb moment’ Julia Kelly, 49, lives in London Any new mum will know that the nights can seem endless. A newborn baby needs to be fed, but the process of turning on the light, lifting them from their cot and sitting with them can mean they struggle to sleep afterwards. And when baby doesn’t sleep, no one does! I have three daughters – Jade, now 17, Anna, 15, and Erin, 12 – and when I was breastfeeding, I found night feeds difficult. By 2014, all my girls were at school and I had free time, so found my creativity kicking back in. Thinking back to their early days, I was suddenly struck with an idea. Mums need a light that’s small enough to attach to clothing or…

Don’t stop checking YOUR SKIN IN WINTER Checking yourself naked in front of the mirror in the winter may not  be fun, but it is important to give yourself the once-over every six to eight weeks. Skin cancer cases have gone up fivefold in the past 40 years and the initial signs, such as changes to moles and your skin, don’t only show up in the summer. If there’s a change, get it checked. It’s important to be sun smart from March into November, using an SPF of 30-plus and looking for at least four-star UVA protection too. It’s not just skin cancer. The biggest cause of ageing, other than time, is sun exposure, so it’s vital to protect your skin. Keep it hydrated by moisturising twice a day. You…

A Faecal incontinence is actually common but, due to the taboo associated with talking about it, many sufferers feel alone. Simple strategies may help – if you are constipated and get ‘overflow leakage’ around the hard faeces, treating the constipation and increasing fibre and fluids may help. Conversely, if your motions are too soft, or you have diarrhoea, the anal sphincter may not work so well, letting loose motions leak out. It can be common as we age and lose muscle tone, especially postmenopausally. In this case, reduce fibre, alcohol and caffeine, and avoid sweeteners containing sorbitol, to firm up the stools. Your pharmacist or GP can help with treatment for either problem. Using small incontinence pads will help temporarily – ask your GP to refer you to the local…

Winter warmers Ideal for semi-shade, these honey-scented beauties are a beacon in winter, blooming through frost and snow. Grow them in borders, under trees, over banks, or in raised beds and containers, where you can appreciate their attractive foliage and rose-like flowers borne on upright stems. They’re bee-friendly too – tiny larders of early nectar – and will self-seed freely, gifting you more plants for free. Growing guide ✣ After planting, keep hellebores well-watered, and mulch with leaf mould, gravel or chipped bark (this will help keep the flowers free of mud splatters after heavy rain). ✣ It’s a good idea to snip off dying or tatty leaves to control leaf-spot disease, as well as show off the flowers. ✣ In late spring, remove faded flower stems and old leaves…

SARA STERLING, 66 Tell us about your look My wardrobe is a mix of brands, as I live between here and the USA. I like a smart, classic look with a modern edge. Today, I’m wearing a Zara coat. I love the hot pink shade and it always gets compliments. My boots, bag, trousers and scarf were all bought in the US. And the best bit of your body? I’ve always had good legs. KIMBERLEY HERITY, 50 Tell us about your look It’s casual and comfy with a dash of colour. I love winter pastels – pinks, pale blues and caramels are my favourite shades. My jacket and hat are both by Moncler. The down jacket is so cosy and I love the mix of textures. Underneath, my red polka…

FIND A MAN In Scotland, the first-foot tradition holds that the first person of the year to enter a household dictates its fortunes. A ‘lucky’ first-footer is a dark-haired male bearing a coin, a lump of coal, bread and a drink. TOSS FURNITURE In Italy, it’s the custom to toss out old possessions to embrace the New Year. Clothes, toasters and even sofas have been known to be flung from windows. EAT 12 GRAPES In Spain, it’s tradition to eat a grape for each strike of midnight. Eating all 12 on time is said to bring a year of prosperity. DON POLKA DOTS In the Philippines, roundness is thought to signify prosperity, so it’s considered lucky to wear polka dots for New Year. BREAK PLATES In Denmark, New Year’s Eve…

ONE FOR ALL Lanolips 101 Ointment Multi Balm Green Apple, £7.99, Victoria Health This thick yet ungreasy salve nourishes dry winter skin wherever you’ve got it. THAT’S HANDY Barry M Nail Shot Avocado, £3.99, Boots Tend to dehydrated nails and raggedy cuticles with this nourishing treatment. SEEING RED? E.l.f. Soothing Face Primer, £7.50, elfcosmetics.co.uk Calm wind-bitten, flushed or rosacea-prone skin with this aloe, vitamin E and B5 formula. AND BREATHE Bloom Collection Mandarin and Lime Basil Eau De Toilette, £8, Superdrug Light, sharp and herbaceous – like a breath of fresh air. SOFT AND GENTLE Belei Gentle Cleansing Milk for Normal Skin, £8, amazon.co.uk A mild, non-drying cleanser from Amazon’s first skincare range. SNAP IT UP L’Occitane x OMY Limited Edition Shea Classic Hand Cream, £8, L’Occitane With its arty…

Bloating has many causes, few of which are serious, but which lead to a feeling of fullness, discomfort and excess wind, sometimes accompanied by burping or passing wind. Many are related to gut issues, although fluid retention may be another factor. The causes Simply regularly overeating, or even having a single very large meal, both of which we all may do over festive periods, can lead to the feeling that your tummy is overstretched and uncomfortable, and your clothing feels tight. This can then lead to burping and indigestion as the pressure in the abdomen increases, pushing stomach contents back up the gullet, or the need to pass wind and open your bowels more often to relieve the pressure below. When we eat, we also swallow air – eating small…

1 CHEMICAL REST Rest hair from products, heat, colouring and bleaching. Use just baby shampoo and conditioner. Improvement may take some months. 2 DIET AND VITAMINS Make sure you eat at least five-a-day fruit and veg, and use a mineral and vitamin supplement including zinc and vitamins A, B, C and E. 3 TREATMENT Male-pattern baldness can affect women; treatments such as minoxidil, available privately, may help. Men can try the hormonal drug finasteride. 4 SEE YOUR GP Iron deficiency, thyroid and skin problems, and stress may all be relevant, so get your GP to check. You may need blood tests before treatment.…

yourastrologysigns.com ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr This is a good time to make plans. Think about your goals and take baby steps. TAURUS 21 Apr – 21 May Your creativity is at an all-time high. Put some time and energy in and watch the magic begin. GEMINI 22 May – 21 Jun New friends and exciting encounters are indicated for you. Will you get out and about to take advantage of these aspects? CANCER 22 Jun – 23 Jul Financially you could receive a boost or a bonus. Focus on what you have in your life and watch it grow. LEO 24 Jul – 23 Aug Venus is activating your relationships in a positive way. You can have peace and harmony if you are willing to put in the…

The Assistant by S K Tremayne, (£12.99, HB, Harper Collins) Ever wondered just how much your virtual assistant knows about you? When newly divorced Jo moves into her best friend’s high-tech luxury house, Electra takes care of everything. But when Electra starts talking directly to her and claims to ‘know what she did’, Jo begins to question her sanity. A disturbing, thought-provoking and gripping read, exploring the dark side of virtual assistants. The Fall and Rise of Sadie McQueen by Juliet Ashton (£7.99, PB, Simon & Schuster) Sadie loves Cherry Blossom Mews, where she has opened a small spa. As she heals from her own tragedy among her lovely neighbours, her peace is threatened as the mews faces disaster. Charming and full of twists. Meet Me at the Museum by…