Anyone interested in the annual Countdown to Christmas "Princessing" thread?

[Helgathehairy]

It's 118 days to Christmas Eve!!

I would actually feel bad if I didn't start this thread. For the last 4 years I have run a Countdown to Christmas Princessing thread. This is the preliminary is anyone interested kick-off. I'm actually just going to copy and paste from last year from here on.

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.

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

I'll have a look for a few more up to date threads when I get a chance.

Last year I added a new aspect - a 5 day kick off for people who wanted to start early/get a head-start on things. The kick off was inspired by this thread 5 day makeover. The general idea behind the 5 day makeover is a few things that would have an immediate effect and things to get you ready to kick things off. So hair, nails etc.

I really need the thread this year (I think I say that every year!) I'm 23 weeks pregnant and not really doing anything to look after myself. I also have a three year old and am permanently tired. I'm due on 22nd December (officially, one mid-wife thought 25th would be more accurate) so will probably spend Christmas in pajamas but would like to look decent in my pajamas!!!

Today I

• stuck to whole 30 diet (day 2)
• don't think I quite made 2L but I did drink a lot of water
• put contacts in, didn't get makeup on though
• went for a run (that's 3 this week)
• did morning skincare routine

Have failed on no screens before bed and evening skincare- have come in late collapsed straight into bed and am clearly on a screen right now! Ah well. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Is this going to be 'the' thread now or will we start properly somewhere else? Can't remember from last time I joined in.

Is productive an iPhone app? I can't find it on the google play store. I must admit that my BuJo is my go to system these days, something about writing everything down manually makes me do it better! I've tried so many apps now and found lovely ones but I never stick to them

Apparently my Mum wants us to have a family photo at Christmas, when I'll have a 6-10 week old So I think I'll be trying to instill habits I can keep up when baby is here so that I don't looks so bloody awful in the photos! I have had pregnancy insomnia plaguing me recently, I feel fine but the bags under my eyes are depressing. So I've added eye reviving stuff to my list as well now.

I did a lot of my dailies yesterday, going to build that one up slowly I think. I'm focussing on building the habit of flossing before my evening brush at the moment, just to firmly wedge it in there. I also have a shop to do today so I will buy loads of nice things for the week if I can fit them into my poxy cupboard space and do a menu plan this morning before I go.

What is threading like? I'd love to try that to get rid of the tasche but I'm so worried about it growing back darker! Bloody Middle Eastern hair, beautifully dark and thick on my head, also dark and thick everywhere else! I couldn't inherit the year-round tan to hide it a bit better though could I

I need to cut down on screens before bed. Now that we're in our new place I've banned screens from the bedroom, but we only finished setting up my PC at 21:15 last night so I did some bits I have really needed to do on it until half ten

Hi Helga I'll try to get to grips with getting myself ready for Christmas. Tried on your previous countdown thread last year. Great to read everyone's progress.

Rattie with threading, because they remove hair from the root it is supposed to weaken regrowth over time.
It is certainly the most efficient way of removing my tache that I have found. It has also kept my brows in a nice shape so I hsve been able to maintain them between sessions.
I recommend Superdrug for threading, much cheaper than Benefit and have done a good job whenever I go there.

Rattie I also have the dark hair on head and face issue, but not a drop of middle eastern blood in my body! I get my threading done at Tesco, as here they have Regis Express beauty salons. I'm in the NW, so don't know if it's the same everywhere!

Thank you Stop & curbside, I'll have an explore of the town in the next few days and see if I can find people who do it nearby :)

Oooh Rattie things have been-a-changing in Catan

New house, new baby on the way , you have been busy !

The hormones hit (sometimes sometimes

70 They have indeed! Not a new house unfortunately, living with the parents for a while The hair on my legs has been growing back much lighter funnily enough! Though my head hair is greasier, so it balances out really

I think I'm doing ok. I went out Saturday night so that's the only night I've not taken my make up off as I was too drunk.

Didn't do my pamper night Sunday as I spent all day on the sofa feeling sorry for myself.

So, tonight I'm making up my face mask and going to put a hair treatment mask on, sort my eye brows etc

This is slipping too far down the threads so I'm bumping it.

Been busy at work so not really done a lot but I am drinking my water like a Good 'Un
Put a blackbag full out to the Charity Shop
Been a bit rubbish with the Pedometer but my job doesn't involve much walking.
Plan to rectify this weekend.

Onwards and upwards.

I love that feeling of filling a bag for the charity shop! Its so satisfying isn't it? I did loads back in June when we went to stay with a friend and brought our stuff back to family's houses in the interim, books mostly but I got two bin bags of clothes too! :D

I'm doing okay mostly, I was supposed to have a pamper day yesterday but ended up not as I was expecting a delivery, said delivery didn't bloody arrive so yesterday was a write off and I can't have my pamper day until at least the middle of next week now :( I'm going to try squeeze in a much deserved bath later though around other jobs and am stuck at home all day again waiting for this fecking parcel if it weren't a huge metal cage I'd leave it for redelivery but I can't risk missing it and I bet that they didn't deliver because it's so big! Bastards.

I've actually gone swimming twice but have had to stop myself at 20 and then 16 lengths and concentrate on legs only which is annoying, back in January I was swimming 30 lengths in 30 minutes and improving on that, which was good for me! But I'm going to use this time to switch between breast stroke legs and front crawl legs to practice breast stroke as I'm awful at it, only learnt to do it as an adult!

Mainly I'm going to Princess my living space today so that I can relax a bit more in it!

I'd love to join in please! I've lost 3 stone and am trying to look after myself a little better so this is perfect! My list:

1. 2 litres of water a day

2 minimum of 10k steps a day

1. wear a little bit of make up daily
2. Regular haircuts/colour
3. Lose final stone
4. Run 4 times a week min
5. Cursory tidy/pick up at home each day

Reality is that I'm doing all of these at the moment, my issue is always doing it in the longer term!

Can I join too please! Hit 40 with a thud, and slowly going downhill Loving a lot of your ideas so I'll have a think, and a coffee (oops!) and come back.

Just dyed my eyebrows, one of the mirrors at work has cruelly unflattering lighting (as in, it shows every detail warts'n'all .)

So now, I look a bit Alistair Darling, hope the shower sorts the over ambitious skin dye.

Well I've been doing well with taking makeup off at night but that's about it

Going to America next week so don't hold out much hope of eating healthy, and my hair will probably be an absolute mess in the humidity!

I'll keep up with the makeup but come back to this thread once I'm back off holiday I think (will still be reading though!)

I slipped up on the snack front tonight and feel rather guilty about it. I think the guilt is good though, as it means that my mindset is changing?!

We're getting near the 100 now (104 till Christmas according to xmasclock )

So tomorrow after my morning ablutions TMI and before breakfast, I'll weigh and measure myself in my Birthday Suit .
Then I have a Start Point.

I have a forrin holiday in 6 weeks so I'll need to step up a bit.
Haircut. Henna. Waxing. Tan Accelerator.

I'll be joining in too, just sat here finishing a vodka whilst DH catches up on MOTD, thinking I need to be healthier & prettier

Hello please may I join.

Basically I had horrible PND last year and I've been struggling since but really on the mend now I think. I hate everything about the way I look at the moment. I just want to try to make some small improvements, they're a bit pathetic sorry, please don't think I'm terrible. I don't really have any time to do anything proper as I'm either at work or looking after my 2 year old. I know that's not really an excuse but I'm trying to be realistic for me!

I'm going to:

1. Get my hair cut and buy some product to make it less frizzy.
2. Wear my contact lenses everyday.
3. Wear a little bit of make up (mascara and lips).
4. Drink more water.
5. Go for a walk at lunchtime.
6. Buy some nicer, smarter clothes for work.
7. Sort out my general disgusting lack of hair removal!

Hi splendide I definitely don't think your list is pathetic. It's always best to be realistic (especially with kids) and aim for achievable goals

I bought some new work clothes from Dorothy Perkins and New Look recently, as I don't wear anything pricey to work (a school!). They had some good bargains in their sales.

Oh thank you! Dorothy Perkins is a good idea. I'm going to take a day of leave and leave DS in nursery that day and get hair done and go shopping. I literally cry when I look in a full length mirror at the moment so something really must be done!

Have been following my routine all week, and feeling better for it. However , was out at a party last night, didn't get home until 4 am (wasn't drinking though), but due to tiredness I've eaten 4 chocolate cookies, 2 packets of crisps and a muffin. So that kind of cancels out all the exercise I did this week :(
Back to the drawing board!

Well, 100 days till Christmas!
On your marks.....

I don't think it is yet is it? It's 100 days tomorrow.

What does everyone want - to stay here or a new thread where we can check on once a week or whenever we can?