Innholdsfortegnelse for 12-Dec-2022 i Woman

Guest columnist REMEMBERING THE QUEEN AT CHRISTMAS There will be one much-loved granny and ‘Gan-Gan’ missing from the Royal Christmas this year, but the new Princess of Wales is determined that the late Queen will be there in spirit. Kate is hosting a special carol concert at Westminster Abbey, which will pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth, her 70 years of service and her values of compassion, empathy and duty. I can reveal that it was Kate’s idea to honour her late grandmother-in-law in this way, and to invite many of those who worked for the late Queen and her charities as guests. The festive service will be held on 15 December and will be broadcast on ITV1 on Christmas Eve for us all to sing along. Prince William is expected…

Nifty nails Sad-looking nails will ruin your glam but regular polish risks smudging before you’ve even left the house. Avon Ultra Colour 60 Second Express Nail Enamel, £4, avon.uk.com, is a speed-dry polish that will have your nails looking salon-fresh in a couple of minutes. With a built-in base coat and top coat, the 25 shades are so punchy you only need one coat, so after 60 seconds you’re dry, smudge-proof and good to go. If you prefer the natural look, use Essence French Manicure Tip Pencil, £1.30, Wilko, on the tips of your nails to neaten everything up. Turbo tan An all-over bronzed glow is a serious confidence boost. Like a little black dress, a deeper tone will flatter your figure and streamline your silhouette. Most self-tans require a…

Christmas means endless social events and plenty of parties! If you’d like to lose weight and feel great on the dance floor – without ever having to go hungry – then we have the perfect plan for you. That’s because we’ve teamed up with WeightWatchers to help you lose weight with its new flexible path to sustainable weight loss. The programme helps you achieve your goals with the latest science, an incredibly supportive community and premium content you won’t find anywhere else. About the plan WW’s Points® system and algorithm make healthy eating simple by using the latest nutritional science to simplify complex food labels into one easy-to-use number. The system guides you towards a healthier pattern of eating, with foods that are higher in fibre, protein and unsaturated fats…

Whenever I hear the first few bars of a Christmas song, I don’t feel the warmth or excitement that others feel when the festive season begins to creep upon us. I just feel numb, with a silent dread washing over me, that yet again I face another Christmas without my son. Damien used to love Christmas, decorating the tree and suggesting what Christmas film the family should watch. As a child, he’d excitedly reel off a list of presents he wanted to ask Father Christmas for, and even when he became a teenager he loved spending time with the family. Damien was such a kind and funny boy, a keen guitar player who loved to read – at 16, he made me and his dad Ed so proud of the…

THRIFTY HEATING TIPS TO SAVE CASH As it gets colder, here are some tips to help you keep your bills down: ✱ Unless you have excellent insulation, keeping your heating on low all day will ultimately use more energy and hike your bills. It is better to put the heating on only when you need it. ✱ Some energy experts say cling film on your windows can help keep your house warmer. While it can (depending on your windows), insulating film may be more effective. You can buy it at Wilko for around £5. ✱ Don’t forget to bleed those radiators. This ensures they are heating up fully. Boost your savings Interest rates have risen and while it is bad news for borrowers, banks are starting to release some decent…

Hey pesto Christmas tree pastry bake Simple yet eye-catching, this is a great way to add that festive spirit to any party! SERVES 10 PREP 15 MINS COOK 15 MINS ✱ 2 x 320g packs ready rolled puff pastry ✱ 4tbsp basil pesto ✱ 4tbsp sundried tomato pesto ✱ 50 pitted green olives ✱ 20g sweet drop peppers ✱ 100g mini mozzarella balls ✱ Chives, to garnish ✱ Mayo mixed with a little extra pesto, to serve (optional) You will need: ✱ A star cutter 1 Heat the oven with a large baking sheet inside to 180C Fan/Gas 6. Unroll both sheets of pastry, leave one on the baking paper and spread with basil pesto. Spread the other with tomato pesto, then sandwich together, so both fillings are on the…

GOLDEN GLOW Switch off your standard lighting and illuminate your table with battery-powered fairy lights trailed down the centre. Position your table near your Christmas tree and use LED tealights in glass holders to boost the glow. DIY CENTREPIECE Cluster candles in rustic planters in the centre of the table. For a touch of nature, surround the candles with moss and trail ivy down the sides – any cuttings from your garden could work for this. Top with pine cones for a winter woodland look. Tapered candles, £4 for 10, rustic pillar candle, £8, cranberries votive candle holder, £15 for two, all John Lewis & Partners FAMILY FUN If you’ve got kids, keep them happy with some kitsch styling and catchy slogans. For a touch of fun, mix up baubles…

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Columnist A DIFFICULT TIME FOR SOME For many of us, Christmas is a time of celebration, fun and togetherness but – for all sorts of different reasons – there are plenty who dread it. As soon as those cheesy adverts start hitting the telly, it’s easy to believe that everyone is sitting around an enormous, expertly decorated table, surrounded by their entire loving family, eating a perfectly cooked turkey before someone plays the piano and everyone launches into a game of charades. So let’s remind ourselves that, very often, this is not the reality. Lots of people have far smaller Christmases, without all the fuss and fanfare, and still manage to have a jolly nice time. And perhaps, for some, it’s what they’d really like to do – if they…

CELEBRATE CELEB STYLE Julia Bradbury ‘My plans this year are just to absolutely languish in the family time. The cancer diagnosis made me rethink my entire life – it’s a shame it takes such a shock to jolt you into reality – but I’m just so incredibly grateful for what I have. I’ve got young children so I just want to have the best Christmas with them.’ Gordon Ramsay ‘When it comes to the Christmas lunch, it should be a family/team effort. Don’t feel you need to do it all yourself – get everyone involved so that you don’t exhaust yourself.’ Paul O’Grady ‘Don’t buy a pet for Christmas! It’s the worst time of the year to be introducing an animal into a home, what with all the people, the…

Scents have the power to totally overhaul your mood, so if your festive feelings haven’t kicked in yet, we guarantee this luxurious three-wick candle will get you there. With a blend of eucalyptus, fir branches and cedarwood notes, this woodsy fragrance smells just like a Christmas tree – so it’s an extra handy buy if you’ve opted for a faux tree this year. American brand Bath & Body Works has always been one we liked to stock up on while on holiday, but excitingly they’ve just launched at Next. Bath & Body Works Fresh Balsam 3 Wick Candle, £29.50, Next…

Tied with a bow Ponytails aren’t just practical, they can be party-ready too. The trick is ensuring hair has plenty of shine before sweeping it back and securing it right on the crown, so spritz with Andrew Fitzsimons Prism Shine Hair Spray Smoothing Mist, £11, Boots. Finish it off with an elegant black velvet ribbon, like GWYNETH PALTROW. You don’t need to splash out on pricey hair accessories – just grab a bow from a holiday gift or head down to the haberdashery! Snatched back If the holidays are about being a bit extra, then LOUISE REDKNAPP has nailed it with XXL length and a super-snatched half up, half down style. Take the top section, parting hair from above your ears, and secure at the crown. Warm a dot of…

Doctor The clinic We’ve all heard the phrase ‘burning the candle at both ends’. It’s used to describe someone who’s packing a lot into life. But there’s a newer term, ‘burnout’, which seems to be linked – because if you burn a candle at both ends, it doesn’t take long for the flame to be extinguished. Everyone reading this will have faced stress at some point, and low levels can actually be useful to help motivate you. But if stress is experienced in large amounts over time then it can lead to burnout, which involves feelings of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion. Symptoms can include racing thoughts and feeling overwhelmed, which make it hard to focus. Your mood may be affected and you might feel angry or irritable,…

Christmas means something different to everyone. For some people it’s the smell of roast turkey and stuffing filling the house or a sea of presents under the tree. For others, it’s tucking into mince pies while watching a classic festive film such as It’s a Wonderful Life. My perfect Christmas couldn’t be further from any of those ideals, and for the past 20 years I’ve spent Christmas abroad. Sun, sand, sea, relaxation and a change of scenery is what Christmas is all about for me, my husband Jason, 52, and our daughter, now 17. Of course, it hasn’t always been this way, and as a child I enjoyed a more traditional day with my parents and younger sister. I loved waking up early, a light dusting of frost (or if…

Money expert We’re all getting into the spirit of Christmas as radio stations start to blast out Christmas tunes and the TV is filled with ads encouraging us to spend, spend, spend for the best Christmas ever. But this year, soaring living costs are also playing on our minds and we’re all looking to make cuts as household budgets are tightened. Here’s how to slash your festive spending without turning into the Grinch… Set a budget, avoid debt Christmas does not have to break the bank and the only way to make sure it doesn’t leave you skint for the new year is to set a budget. Before you start shopping, I recommend you take a good look at your expenses – make sure you have enough to cover bills…

Sheridan Smith stars in the title role of six-part comedy Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything, which follows a Manchester girl with a long list of addictions, including smoking, alcohol, pills and… Terry’s Chocolate Oranges! But after an embarrassing incident at her brother’s wedding lands her in hospital, she decides she needs to ditch the vices that are destroying her friendships, family and work life. Here, Sheridan reveals more… Tell us a bit about Rosie… She’s single, with a great family and is very much a career girl. She seems to have it all, but she’s a very complex character because she is suffering with the illness of addiction. She’s flawed, but lovable. Is it just a comedy, or are there some heavier moments, too? There are many situations that Rosie…

Quiz CHRISTMAS TELLY MEMORIES Take our quiz about TV from festive seasons gone by 1 Which classic sitcom on BBC1 had a festive special called The Desperate Hours in 1976? 2 Archie Mitchell was killed on Christmas Day 2009, but who was revealed to be the killer a few months later? 3 In special episodes of BBC1 sitcom Mrs Brown’s Boys, what festive item usually causes problems for the Irish matriarch? 4 When did Raymond Briggs animation The Snowman and the Snowdog first air on Channel 4: a) 2007 b) 2012 or c) 1999? 5 Which Oscar-winning British actress appeared in the 1971 Morecambe & Wise Christmas special? 6 In EastEnders, whose affair with Bradley Branning’s wife Stacey was exposed on Christmas Day in 2007? 7 Which former politician did…

MATALAN Why not try muted metallics and pops of bright pink for a fashion-forward Christmas colour combo. Sizes 8-20 M&S Add some glamour to your get-up with luxe-looking fabrics and party-ready accessories. Sizes 6-24 TU CLOTHING Shimmer and shine without breaking the bank – TU Clothing has you covered for all occasions. Sizes 8-24 KIMBERLEY WALSH X DP Check out Kimberley Walsh’s latest edit for dorothyperkins.com for feel-good clothes that will see you through this season and beyond. Sizes 8-18 JUDI LOVE X VERY For the ultimate party wardrobe, look no further than Judi’s latest collection with Very. She’s injected her signature style into these flattering, standout pieces. Sizes 14-28 M&CO Head to M&Co for a touch of sparkle, plus one of the chicest Christmas jumpers we’ve seen! Sizes 8-22…

Columnist Your healthy Christmas countdown starts here! So, team (can you tell I have my no-nonsense voice on?) Christmas is approaching and the diary is filling up, all of which is lovely and exciting, and fills our hearts with festive twinkliness. Or does it? I know that some people fear the disintegration of normal life and just wish it was all over before it’s even begun. After all, if you’ve worked hard at nailing a good health, fitness and nutrition regime over the past few months, you’re going to be pretty loath to put it on the back-burner for the festivities, or any other reason for that matter. My advice is to keep up what you can in the run-up to the big day. However small, there is always something…

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IF YOU LOVE TO WIN PRIZES THEN VISIT comps.womanmagazine.co.uk What connects DJ and former Catatonia singer Cerys Matthews and US actor D’Arcy Carden? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the three-word answer. ACROSS 1 Peculiar (5) 4 Wrestling from Japan (4) 6 Stopped from speaking (8)13 Variety of tea, _ souchong (7)14 Bomb thrown by hand (7)15 Capital of France (5)16 Paddles (4)17 One who fires arrows (6)18 Power tools (6)20 Farm animal (4)21 Christens (5) 22 Comment (6)25 Double-crossed (8) 8 1991 film, _ Scissorhands (6)30 Time of darkness (5)32 Reddish-brown vinegar (8)34 Very young children (6) 35 Plant stalk (4)38 _ Holmes, TV presenter (6)39 Beatles song, _ Days a Week (5)40 Garden tool (6) 43 Created (4)44 Handbook (6)45…

This year may not get off to the best start, but by December, we’ll look back on a year of fantastic highs. Take the coronation, for example. Are we proud? Yes, we are. However, the global economy will struggle and, in response to major crises, leaders we have come to love (and hate) will fall. Then there’s Mother Nature, who seems determined to go to any lengths to show us her power. There are echoes of 2011 in the astrology, which applies to each of us personally and the global picture. Pluto will enter Aquarius, on the plus side, encouraging fellowship, but compromising communication. Compassion, healing and matters of the heart should be at the fore, but we face a continuing battle with conspiracies and scant resources. Whatever your sign,…

WINES Found Alicante Bouschet 2021, 750ml, £8, M&S Bursting with vibrant berries and cherries, the subtle sweetness is followed by nutty and smoky olive notes. It can be enjoyed at room temperature with Christmas dinner or, alternatively, chilled and served with charcuterie and party food. Specially Selected Douro DOC 2019, 75cl, £7.99, Aldi The perfect winter warmer. Hints of festive spice and plummy tones make this wine ideal for the colder nights. Notes of milk chocolate and cedar add to the luxurious feel of this great-value bottle, which is £3.99, half price, until 11 December. Mimo Moutinho Arinto Vinho Verde, 750ml, £5.29, Aldi Light and refreshing, this fruity white is full of zesty lime, with hints of melon and apple flavours. A slight sweetness balances out the acidity, making it…