Countdown to Christmas princessing

[Helgathehairy]

Just a short message. Every year (well for the last 3 anyway) I have started a thread for a princessing countdown to Christmas. It runs for 100 days to take us up to Christmas Eve. I'll do a proper message and links later as I need the laptop. This is the "anyone interested" thread

Me!

I am already on the Countdown to Christmas weight loss thread that people are starting/have started on this week.

Perfume in bed Purple? I like it! How often do you use the Garner summer cream?

I'm interested. I would like to lose a stone by Christmas and just generally look/feel better about myself.

My youngest starts school this September so I'm hoping I'll have a big more time to go walking/do some exercise.

Since I started work in January I haven't been doing as much walking as I used to. Since I stopped I've put on just over a stone and I want it off!!!

Punk I saw £295 for eyebrow tattoo ( faux hair or powder whatever that is) though the salon was closed .
I have tried dye but my brows are very sparse so it just looks worse (I'm going lighter with my highlighting so dark brows will make me look a bit Alistair Darling)

I've decided against the NoNo.
My leg and armpit hair is fine/patchy after years of waxing so I might just buy myself a better epilator and alternate wax/epilate.

I;m waiting to see a dietician too . Diverticular Disease means I've had to alter my diet quite drastically.
I've been keeping a sporadic bust/waist/hip and weight log since January but I'm very disappointed with my progress.
I've shifted 5-6lb since lare June, not 'dieting' as such, but my new food choices do cut out loads of food groups.
It's not to lose weight, it's to lose pain, which it has done I'm glad to say. I just hoped I'd shift some

I'm in!

Need to drink a lot less coffee and more water
Lose weight (very hard as have thyroid issues and am often on steroids for serious eye condition)
Use hand cream and look after my nails
Not let my heels go to pot and get all hard and cracked again like I usually do over winter

I'm in! I am pregnant and will be 23 weeks on Christmas day, all being well. I want to feel good about myself

I need to pop out baby end of this month and get my body back... Not sure this can be done by Christmas

Count me in. I'll try to drink more water and actually use the millions of beauty products I have!

Is this like self improvement? Of the physical kind?

I'm in \o/

I've prepped my breakfast, lunch and am snack to take to work tomorrow ;)

Shegot It really can be whatever you want it to be. My next thread should explain a bit more about what this is about.

The term "Princessing" was invented back in 2011 by a poster called Blackswan. It was the year of the royal wedding and she proposed that every year you should get ready for a wedding you were attending as if it were your own.

I took that idea and ran with it!

The general idea behind that original thread and all the "Princessing" "Grooming" "Operation Revnovation" threads since has been to make small sustainable changes that help make you feel better. To make this measurable, most people finds it helps to make a list - not too long, no more than 20 items really of the changes you want to make. The original thread had one general list but as no two people have the same priorities I think it's better for everyone to have their own individual list. To anyone in need of inspiration the original list was:

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.

You don't have to post your list but I would recommend you write it down somewhere for yourself.

Next post will have links.

Ooh Fabby. I'm in. We're off on a Beach holiday on Boxing Day (don't hate me- this summer's holiday was 8 rainy nights under canvas)
I'd like to lose a stone and sort out my face (saggy) I'm going to do a sort of modified Perricone.
Thank you for starting this!

How to be groomed
I'm a frump
The 2012 Princessing thread
Original princessing thread

I'll post more links as I find them but there are a few interesting ones theres.

DH actually needs the laptop for the rest of the night for work so I won't be posting any more big long messages or links but will still be around on the iphone. I'll try and include a few more interesting links tomorrow as I have them saved on the phone.

Ooh lists
I like a list.

Off to find a pencil and paper...............................

Ooh, can I join?

I want to -

1. Loose 1 stone
2. Drink 3 litres of water / herbal tea per day
3. At least 30 mins exercise 5 times per week, combination of running, Zumba and Jillian DVD s.
4. Cleanse and moisturise twice per day
5. Proper nail care
6. Give up diet Pepsi

I'm sure there will be more. Karcheer, I'm up for starting early with you. 1st September seems a good date - new month, new start!

I think I'm in, I'll have a think about my list...

Ohh Hello Helga ,
I've been with you on some ofyour journeys into princess dom the east bits
However , we are going on holiday in early january , and there's about a stone of flesh I don't want to take with me
And I want smooth hair free skin
And an age suitable bikini
First holiday without the children !!!!!!!

I've found an interesting link which has given me an idea

5 day makeover

Basically this poster has long term goals but is kicking things off with a shortlist of things that would have an immediate effect.

So, especially for those who want to start early, how about a shortlist of things you want to sort before the thread kicks off properly. Just things that will have an immediate effect. So things like hair, nails and eyebrows.

Obviously everything is money dependent but lack of cash need not be a barrier. So for example instead of a hair appointment, try to spend some time on Pinterest or youtube to get some ideas on how to style your hair differently. Nails are easy to do yourself and I got some really good eyebrow wax strips in boots recently (can't remember the name right now but they were near the false lashes - think they might have been eyelure)

Just for ideas I'm going to post the list from the 5 day makeover thread

Dye eyelashes/brows
Do pore strip
Deep-condition hair
Facepack
Body exfoliation
Manicure
Pedicure
Fake tan
Sort out wardrobe - get autumn clothes ready
Chuck/Ebay/give away things I never wear
Wash make-up brushes
Sort out make-up bag, and piles of beauty stuff I've bought but never used
Watch beauty tutorials on YouTube
Wear moisturiser underneath gloves/socks in bed
Sort underwear into matching sets, ditch the grey shiat
Sort workout gear out, so I actually have nice things to wear to the gym
Have a sauna/steam at the gym
Do workout from Workouts App

Ooh Starter For Ten then:

1: wardrobe cull. Should've been today but I'm still ploughing through my post holiday washing. I have clothes to put in the attic (have my Space Saver Bags ) and some to recycle. Aim to sort on Friday or Saturday.
The manky stuff needs binned and I will ruthlessly go through it all.

2: dye my hair (but I CBA waiting for Superdrug to open today so I didn't buy any) when it needs it. I'm usually pretty good here, it's the hair cutting that needs to be kept up to date. I need 6 weeks maximum. 7 week hair looks cack. When I get to superdrugs, I'm bulk buying .

3: new bras. Plan to go to London (without teenage DD, she'll be in school ) to have a proper fitting not just me grabbing something beige and underwired off M&S shelves and hoisting my boobs into it.
Then off to M&S for new pants to complete the look.

4: I drink loads of water (hot flushes) so I need to pee at least twice at night. Meh. I don't drink alcohol anyway and since I switched from cow to soya , I drink less coffee outside of home.

5: I'm not a breakfast person. Needs to change. I can do a smoothie or make time for cereal

6: more protein. Eggs I suppose (vegetarian, minimal dairy). I don't eat chocolate except dark so I've cut down, it's not as easy to pick up a bar unlike milk chocolate

7: I scrub in the shower once a week but I don't use lotion, should start

8: fake tan I bought the St Tropez gradual tan and it's really good. I'm aiming to buy the shower on one too. Need to keep up with the waxing if I want to tan to work though.

9: wear some make-up daily - on holiday I didn't at all. I don't for work but I do on non-work days. Should make more effort, minimal must be brows and mascara

10: step away from the leggings. Well, that's a lie but only wear good ones. I have bought some Next jeans for A/W.
I realise as I get older that better quality but fewer clothes is the way forward. I am going to buy some Uniqlo jumpers.

That's enough I reckon.

I did a wardrobe cull not too long ago and emptied a whole drawer in my chest of drawers but I've stalled now because I'm TTC and there's no point buying "good" clothes that I (hopefully) won't get the chance to wear. I'll update for a/w from Pennys and New Look.

Post holiday attempt at grooming has left me slightly orange ,just with garner summer body. A glam ,groomed me for Christmas would be excellent.

I'm in! Big shop in boots today, resolved to use all products bought

Yaaayyyy! I'm in! Only, if it costs money I'll need an estimate.....