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Roll up, Roll up, It's the annual Countdown to Christmas "look after yourself" thread

89 replies

Helgathehairy · 27/08/2014 11:07

It's 120 days to Christmas Eve!

Now that I've got your attention.

Call it what you will - Princessing, amazoning, Operation Renovation - the ideas behind the threads are the same. We want to look good for all those Christmas parties, get togethers and critical family members and we want to start building small habits into our days NOW so we're not trying to find something to wear when we should have left 5 minutes ago.

This will be the third Christmas thread but I can't take too much credit. I basically took most of the ideas from this thread.

The idea, in a nutshell, you make a list, it can be as long or as short as you like of small habits that will help make you feel better, look better, feel more in control, more prepared for Christmas.

The original princess thread had one list that everyone worked off of. I think it's better to personalise your own list but I'll post that list here for inspirtation.

  1. 8 glasses of water a day
  2. Exfoliating
  3. Using some kind of teeth whitener
  4. Using some kind of regenerative face cream
  5. Intensive nail care (feet and hands)
  6. Some kind of eyelash growth serum
  7. The Shred / other intensive exercise
  8. At least 2 extra fruit & veg
  9. Healthy breakfast daily.

10. Hair oil (moroccan hair oil for eg, or kerastase etc)
11. No alcohol during the week
12. Daily vitamins
13. Body brushing
14. At least 2 servings of salmon or other fatty fish per week.
15. One early night once a week. Suggest 9PM.
16. Regular hair removal
17. Give up one naughty favourite item e.g. chocolate/crisps
18. No more fizzy drinks
19. DAILY body moisturising.
20. Warm water with lemon first thing in the a.m.

This is the shout out I did to see if anyone was interested the first year and there are a lot of list ideas in there.

As I said before (I think, this is getting long now) not everything on your list has to be style and beauty related. Other incarnations of this thread have included things like sorting clothes and decluttering in general. On my list I have an item to meal plan and make sure 2 days a week I'm prepared for the 5:2 diet. I'm also going to try and follow Organized Christmas so I'm not flapping at the last minute (although I have it easy, very small house and we go to the PIL for Christmas Day)

I'm going to include a few links now that are helpful. I'll get my list up soon, at the moment I just have it written in a notebook, and the notebook is in the same room as a sleeping baby so I'm not risking going in there!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/1771443-Fuck-I-look-like-a-middle-aged-frump
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/1406737-How-to-be-groomed

I thought I had more links than that but can't seem to find them right now! Not a bad start though. Will be back later with my list.
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Marylou2 · 27/08/2014 12:18

I would love to join! I've put on a stone this year and it just can't be there at Christmas.

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lordnoobson · 27/08/2014 12:47

No. Get this outta here

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lordnoobson · 27/08/2014 12:48

(Plus you lot don't do this already ? ShockGrin )

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Helgathehairy · 27/08/2014 13:10

marylou I have a stone (at least) to lose as well. Any plans on how you're going to do it?

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BiddyPop · 27/08/2014 13:42

I'm in.

I do the Holiday Grand Plan on organized Christmas. Great for the house, and Christmas prep, not so good for the person.

I turn 40 this autumn, and while I am currently the skinniest of my siblings (I was shocked on hols by that fact!), I am still a 16 pushing 18. And I should be better groomed than I am at present (the surface is ok, but only the surface).

Getting myself fitter, healthier, and leaner, are all on the cards this autumn.

Starting with drinking my water.....

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LavalavalavaLamp · 27/08/2014 13:54

I'm bfing and ravenous all the time and have got into really bad habits with sugar. Will have a bit of a think but for now my list will be;
Drink plenty of water
Hot water and lemon in the am
Eat plenty of fruit/veg each day
Limit chocolate bars/cookies/biscuits/any other empty calories to once a day
At least 20 minutes of walking every day
Try to do yoga again
Get haircut regularly

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BittersweetSymphony · 27/08/2014 14:24

Definitely want to join with this! :)

Am thinking mine will be:

  • Doing the curly girl method properly
  • Attempting to limit chocolate to once a week
  • Trying to actually do the shred five times a week (and finding an alternative for when level 3's 10 days are up)
  • Trying to drink 8 glasses of water a day


Will try and think of more :)
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TeaAddict235 · 27/08/2014 14:28

same here lavalamp, i'm bf too and have developed a sweet tooth. so here's my mid year resolutions:

hair mask every 2-3 weeks,
more lemon/herbal teas,
get back into exercise full stop,
incorporate a face mask once a week into the scedule,
dye the items that i've been planning to since spring,
look after my nails and stop them looking like the hands of a dumpster diver

once step at a time Grin
firstly I think that I'll seek out a hair mask as I need to go to town. Aussie moist is calling me...

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leadrightfoot · 27/08/2014 14:33

OH dear god, 120 days you say


Well my list starts with

  1. mend broken ankle - if this is via surgery then get ankle back to being flexible by doing the exercises the physio will demand if not via surgery then I will still do the physio exercises. I want to be back at the gym properly by Christmas and toned again (why do humans lose muscle tone so quickly!)
  2. I will stop the gratuitous alcohol in week consumption
  3. I will stick to the low carb side of life properly and not let every day become a "small cheat" day - it does me no favours so I need to get a grip and woman up.
  4. I will actually be ruthless with my wardrobes before I change the seasons and stick it all back in storage - it will be culled and fit for purpose
  5. I will buy some not-4-inch-plus-high-heels for work as I don't think said broken ankle will appreciate these any more.
  6. These new shoes will fit with said culled wardrobe
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Helgathehairy · 27/08/2014 14:49

I'm breast feeding as well although DD is 12 months now. I have an insane sweet tooth because of it and really need to cut back.

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 27/08/2014 15:19

OK, I'm in for this.

I need to lose weight and shape up my middle. But I'm waiting for gall-bladder surgery and a referral for my ulcerative colitis (that sounds like I'm making excuses there doesn't it Blush )

Currantly: I'm drinking loads of water (peri-menopausal flushes) .
Cut out cheese ( aggrevates the gallbladder) white bread (but I don't know if seeded bread aggrevates the colitis, I don't eat much bread now)
Crisps - empty fat calories, I do eat some baked rice crackers when I want something with salsa.

Major wardrobe cull last weekend, buying some jumpers and tops, but keeping away from my safe option navy, grey and black/white. Embracing colour, jewel tones.

I have jeans that are brand new but I can't get them on. Still glaring at them but I'm determined. They haven't gone in the charity bag.

Hair is short, dyed, so that's okay.
Skin quite well behaved, but I need to step up to more serums and moisture.
Hands are starting to feel the wrath of the cooler weather, I have cream in every bag now.

When my DC were in Junior school, I used to walk with them 2 days a week, 20 minutes walk (so doing that 4 times a day, twice a week) I work 3 days.
I miss that now, though at the time, I couldn;t wait till they started Secondary,

I tried swimming, but I'm rubbish not good due to my shoulder .


On the Plus Side though.
I wax / epilate so my legs and armpits are fairly respectable.
I have some fake tan so I'm going to try that ( to give me a pretend I've-been-on-holiday-look)

Making an effort to wear make-up, not loads but my short hair needs some fripperies.
And wearing everything in my wardrobe, not just "the grey top covers my bum, I'll wear that ".

So by Christmas: less belly, no gallbladder,a peaceful colon, some nails to paint, smooth skin, no crepey wrinkles...........would be nice Wink

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nickdrakeslovechild · 27/08/2014 15:34

I am so in, got 2 stone go to get into my lovely Christmas velvet trousers. I look like crap at the moment so vitamins are coming out and come on lets do this!

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GirlsonFilm · 27/08/2014 15:41

Ok I'm in I need to lose 30kg by next summer so a Christmas target gives me something a bit closer (and less easy to put off starting the diet).

So my are aims are to:

  1. Focus on diet, but eat well rather than starve myself.
  2. 3l of water a day
  3. Alcohol once per week.
  4. Make up & hair done daily
  5. Sort wardrobe and put away anything that doesn't fit and throw out anything that doesn't make me look my best


I
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lisam78 · 27/08/2014 15:43

I'm in too! I am also on the autumn rejuvenation thread, and I've put my list on that, hope it's ok to be on both! I joined the summer one and really enjoyed it, it really kept me focused on those little things that are the first to go out of the window when you are pushed for time (and I always am!) I am back at work now after ML, so now more than ever, it's important to look groomed and feel good about myself. I'll add list later if that's ok Smile Smile

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GiniCooper · 27/08/2014 16:19

I'm definitely in.

I'm good enough usually but the last few weeks of the holidays have been late nights, lazy lunches and too much alcohol

My skin, hair, nails -crap.
Body, flabby and sluggish -crap.
Clothes, need a sort through and need to buy basics so not crap exactly so -could be better.

Starting... NOW

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Helgathehairy · 27/08/2014 16:30

So instead of waiting till day 100 I was thinking Monday 1st September might be a good day to start. It will be 115 days to Christmas Eve.

How do ye feel about that?

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Ladyofthehouse · 27/08/2014 17:40

I'm in!!

Already exercise every day and don't need to lose weight but hair, nails, diet etc need a bit of work!! Walk the dog lots and constantly on the go with a 3 yr old and a 4 yr old!

Like the idea of starting on the first September....week my dd starts school so feels like fresh start! And have funeral to get through first.

My list will be ( loosely based on your original one as inspiration but no spare cash so needs to be cheap!):

1 drink 2 litres water a day.....including herbal teas
2 at home facial twice a week (including plucking eyebrows) and body scrub 3 times a week
3 home manicure twice a week and pedicure once a fortnight....get nails looking good! Moisturise hands and feet every night
4 7 fruit and veg a day.....5 veg and 2 fruit
5 healthy breakfast daily
6 use hair oil/ treatment 3 times a week
7 alcohol only on Fridays, Saturdays and either Thursdays or Sundays ( this will be my struggle!)
8 take vitamins and vegetarian omega tablets....they're in the cupboard ready!
9 one early night a week....9pm sounds lovely!
10 give up crisps!!! Once I start I can't stop!!

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MrsMinton · 27/08/2014 17:48

Sounds a plan to me. I'll look at the lists and make one and then I'm in if you don't mind??

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EdithDickie · 27/08/2014 19:27

I would like to join please. I need to have a think about my list though so will pop back tomorrow.

Good luck everybody!

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Stillstarving · 27/08/2014 20:14

I wrote a huge post complete with list but it has vanished. Will add list again later but for now would like to join! Serious renovation required for frumpy lumpy woman!

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LiveInABox · 27/08/2014 21:56

I'm in! Just marking place for now, my first aim is:

  1. Drink more water!

Will come back later with more.
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lk26 · 27/08/2014 22:05

Marking my place as just about to go to the land of nod.
Need 2 stone off and to get fitter and back in shape post baby. Though said baby is 20 ruddy months now and god I look awful.

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Fevertree · 27/08/2014 22:06

I'm in too. Will look through some of your links and add my own list shortly. Going back to work on 8th Sept after mat leave so becoming more organised will be on there too. Thank you!

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GiniCooper · 27/08/2014 22:10

Ah jeez, I was getting into the swing of things already today.
Plenty water, no nibbling, didn't clear my plate at dinner.

Then had an unexpected caller, armed with wine and chocolate. It didn't end well.

Right. Monday it is then!

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chloe0408 · 27/08/2014 23:01

Can I join in please? Here's my list so far:

  1. Continue with diet
  2. Find some sort of wrinkle cream and use it daily
  3. Keep on top of body hair even when hidden under clothes
  4. Don't let eyebrows grow out of control
  5. Set out outfit night before when working
  6. Vary my shoes more
  7. Nails weekly
  8. Wear at least foundation every day
  9. Get a hair cut

10. Can't think of a 10 ATM haha

So exciting!
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