Innholdsfortegnelse for 9-Dec-2024 Double Issue i Woman

Talk us through your Christmas cooking routine, Prue – when does prep start? Does the whole family chip in? I cook by myself, but anyone is welcome to help if they want to. We have the usual roast with all the trimmings. I’ll have done a lot in advance: stuffed the turkey, rolled up the pigs in blankets, made the bread sauce, gravy and Cumberland sauce, Christmas pud, brandy butter and prepped all the veg I like to have as much done as possible so I don’t spend Christmas day in the kitchen while everyone else is having a ball. What are your Christmas Day cooking essentials? A glass of champagne for the cook! And that the children and their new Christmas toys stay out of the kitchen. What is…

For the King, it is a secret Christmas sadness. He has not seen his second son for almost a year and his two grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, for several years. The King misses Prince Harry desperately, but the reason for the lack of contact is understandable. His advisers fear a new act of betrayal by Harry, 40, if he were to meet him face to face. According to an updated biography of the King, Charles fears ‘legal jeopardy’ if he speaks to his litigious son. He and his courtiers worry that if the King was to say something privately that Harry could then use in his court case fighting the loss of his taxpayer-funded security, the case would collapse. It wouldn’t just be awkward. It would be a disaster. As…

JUMPSUITS A well-fitted jumpsuit with a defined waistline is a chic, comfortable and versatile option for any occasion. Opt for festive hues, such as rich jewel tones, shimmering metallics, or timeless black, to make a statement. Whether styled with strappy sandals or sparkling flats, an effortlessly elegant all-in-one ensures you look polished and ready to celebrate in style. DRESSES WITH SLEEVES Sequins and shine are a must-have for party-season dressing, adding instant glamour to your look. When it comes to choosing your perfect dress, seek out styles with flattering details, such as wrap silhouettes or A-line shapes, which will enhance your figure without being too restrictive. TOPS Whether you opt for dazzling all-over sequins, sheer sleeves, or more elaborate feather details, these stylish tops will instantly elevate your favourite pair…

8 ways to raise your money game in 2025 Every year we tell ourselves we’ll be better with our money; plan more, save more, achieve more. Sound familiar? Find out what steps you need to take to create the future you want by getting your money straight and setting goals. 1 WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? ‘If you prioritise your own happiness with one important spend this year, what would it be?’ asks Sara Jane Maxwell, founder of Wealth-coach.co.uk. ‘Next, ask yourself how you can make it happen.’ 2 GET THAT PAY RISE Decide what you’d – realistically – like to be paid and ask how you can get there. If you’re employed, this is about preparing and making your case for a pay rise based on your achievements, or if self-employed,…

Salmon pâté and croissant crostini We’ve used hot smoked salmon for the pâté, but you could also make it with smoked trout or mackerel. MAKES 30 PREP 25 MINS COOK 6 MINS ✱ 2 all-butter croissants, sliced 5mm-1cm thick For the pâté: ✱ 165g cream cheese✱ ½tsp paprika✱ 1tbsp capers, finely chopped✱ Zest 1 lemon✱ 150g hot smoked salmon fillets 1 Heat the oven to 180C Fan/Gas 6. Arrange the croissant slices on an oven tray and toast for 3 mins on each side until golden, then set aside to cool. 2 In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, paprika, capers and lemon zest until smooth, then flake in the salmon. Fold everything together, keeping the salmon in chunky flakes, season to taste, then cover and chill until needed.…

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ARLENE PHILLIPS Unlike former Strictly star Arlene, 81, we like to eat our Christmas puddings, rather than wear them! OLLY MURS As if his garish jumper wasn’t enough, singer Olly, 40, accessorised with tinsel and some reindeer ears. LORRAINE KELLY Telly favourite Lorraine, who turns 65 on 30 November, looks just like a Christmas present with her stylish bow jumper. AMANDA HOLDEN To get into the Christmas spirit, Amanda, 53, swapped her glamorous dresses for a festive jumper. And she still managed to look good! BEN SHEPHARD Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer… we bet This Morning’s Ben, 49, had that song stuck in his head when he wore this festive knit. PADDY MCGUINNESS Ho, ho, ho! Comedian and presenter Paddy, 51, looks hilarious with Santa’s little legs hanging from his jumper.…

PRINCE ANDREW AND FERGIE ARE EXPECTED FOR CHRISTMAS! After a tough year for William and Kate, the Waleses are looking forward to Christmas and catching up with the Royal Family – including, it seems, Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York. Primarily though, once Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have broken up from school in mid-December, the family will decamp to Norfolk. Anmer Hall is their sanctuary, and after Kate’s cancer diagnosis, chemotherapy and continued road to recovery, this festive period will be more special than most. Traditionally, Christmas for the Royal Family is held at Sandringham House with a black-tie evening do on Christmas Eve, when presents are exchanged, and one or two visits to church on Christmas Day morning before lunch, followed by the monarch’s speech.…

They separated when he publicly came out as gay back in 2020, but four years on and the pair are close once more. While Phillip and wife Stephanie Lowe never divorced, their relationship hit another rocky patch when Phillip’s ‘unwise but not illegal’ affair with a younger male colleague came to light last year. He said of his relationship with Steph at the time, ‘She is extremely disappointed because I lied to her as well,’ adding, ‘Things are not brilliant right now.’ However, it seems time has been a healer and this year they’ve been spotted on several family outings with their daughters, Molly, 31, and Ruby, 28, and even bought matching cockapoo puppies. Most recently, Phil was pictured with Steph on a night out in London as they guzzled…

SIMPLE ACCESSORIES This side-swept style is chic and effortless. The beauty of a great accessory is it adds pizzazz to all hair types, even short styles. 1 When hair is wet, create a neat side parting using 2pk Pin Tail Combs, £1.50, Primark. Blow-dry hair into your desired style. 2 Take a small section of hair and secure it above the ear with your choice of accessory. Crystal Hair Snap Clips Pack of Two, £12, claires.com; Silver Tone Christmas Bow Hair Clips, £12.50, next.co.uk; 5pk Faux Pearl Hair Slides, £3, Primark; Snowflake Salon Hair Clips Pack of Two, £10, accessorize.com. 3 Use Mermade Hair Mini Styling Wax Stick, £6.50, mermadehair.co.uk, to smooth down any wayward strands on the side, and then you’re ready to party! GLAMOROUS WAVES Soft waves are perfect…

How to cure a hangover fast Waking up and feeling rough is often inevitable after a festive drinking session, but there are some tricks to make you feel better. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the only way to avoid a hangover is not to drink alcohol. Yet with Christmas just around the corner, this can be easier said than done. Hangovers can feel excruciating and are caused in part by a chemical called acetaldehyde, which is created when alcohol is broken down by the liver. Acetaldehyde is toxic and can cause inflammation of your major organs, such as your brain and liver. Alongside this, alcohol causes you to pee more, leaving you dehydrated. It also has an irritating effect on your digestive tract and can…

Pet expert Don’t forget your pets Christmas is such an exciting and busy time for most of us and pets can often get caught up in the chaos. You want them to share in the festive spirit, however this can sometimes feel challenging. Here are some of the most common questions we get asked as vets in the lead up to the big day. Create a calm and happy space Q How can I create a safe environment and help my pet adjust to the presence of new people in the home? A Christmas often brings more visitors to our homes, which can make it difficult to balance hosting duties and looking after pets. The usual household routine may be disrupted, which can affect your pets too. To help them…

Nina Toussaint-White’s first big TV role was as Bradley Branning’s girlfriend Syd in EastEnders in 2009. Since then, she has starred in dramas including Shetland and Showtrial. In The Primrose Railway Children, a feature-length adaptation of the book by Dame Jacqueline Wilson, she plays Sarah Robinson, who’s living a comfortable life in Glasgow with her children Becks (Ida Brooke), Perry (Tylan Bailey) and Phoebe (Ava McCarthy) when they’re suddenly uprooted to the Scottish Highlands. Here, Nina reveals more… What can you tell us about your character? Sarah is a strong, hard-working mother, who will go to the ends of the earth to protect her kids. In the film, we see her carry the world on her shoulders, as she scrambles to hold everything together in a bid to protect them…

‘I love the build-up, especially the night before’ With her 65th birthday falling this week, 40 years of breakfast TV under her belt and her first Christmas as a grandma around the corner, Lorraine Kelly has a lot of reasons to celebrate. ‘I put my Christmas tree up right after my birthday on 30 November,’ she admits. ‘I used to have a real tree, but we’ve got an artificial one now because Ruby [her daughter Rosie’s dachshund] would be climbing to the top of it.’ Ruby even makes an appearance on the Christmas Day episode of Lorraine’s self-titled show, as her own dog Angus ‘wouldn’t behave himself’. The show is pre-recorded, but it’s the perfect way for Lorraine to get into the festive spirit. And she clearly loves filming the…

Style | Beauty | Health As the festive season nears and your social calendar starts booking up, make sure you’ve stocked up on your party polishes. Whatever the occasion, these high street varnishes promise to keep you sparkling all day and night, adding an instant dash of glamour to any outfit. Take your pick from metallic bronzes, deep reds, moody blues and disco silvers.…

Columnist Buffet tricks everyone should know Now that the big day is approaching with alarming speed, it might be a good idea to have some strategies in place ready for the festive get-togethers. After all, our bodies have been temples this year, haven’t they girls? We’ve walked, jogged, lifted, sweated, stretched and filled our souls with carefully planned nutrition so much so that our muscles are strong and firm, our hormones are calm and our Christmas velvet trousers from two years ago fit like a glove. Brilliant! So, I refuse to let you cast all that aside and shove it on the back-burner till January – oh no. Contrary to popular thought, the party buffet is an easy one to tackle. The thing to remember is you can move away…

We’ve all dreamt of a white Christmas tucked away in a cosy cottage, à la Cameron Diaz in The Holiday, or breaking with tradition and heading for a winter sunspot. In these cash-strapped times, house-swapping is a great, low-cost way to create magical holiday memories that relies on trust, sharing and goodwill. Last year, HomeExchange, which has more than 150,000 members and which lists properties across 145 countries, reported that the number of exchanges finalised per day in the UK was up 181% compared to the previous year. And while real-life home swaps may not offer Jude Law on your doorstep or guaranteed snow, there are other attractions to switching homes over the festive period, as these two women attest. ‘THE PERFECT BRITISH CHRISTMAS’ Hazel Barton, 55, used to live…

IF YOU LOVE TO WIN PRIZES THEN VISIT comps.womanmagazine.co.uk What connects the actors Andrew Garfield and Jeff Bridges? To find out the answer, solve the crossword then arrange the letters in the shaded squares to find the six-word answer. ACROSS 1 _ Gerwig, film director (5)4 Sunrise (4)6 At this very moment (5,3)13 Accompaniment to lightning (7)14 Displaying (7)15 Sweeping utensil (5)16 Home and _, TV soap (4)17 Advertising motto (6)18 George _, author of 1984 (6)20 Facial feature (4)21 Intoxicated (5)22 Mixture of red and yellow (6)25 Limb of an octopus (8)28 Belched (6)30 Precise (5)32 Wuthering Heights singer (4,4)34 Women getting married (6)35 Winged creature (4)38 Very dirty (6)39 Light purple (5)40 Sir Isaac _, scientist (6)43 Lower limbs (4)44 Hugh _, actor who starred in House (6)45 Army personnel…

With four major planets entering different signs, we are heading into new and unexplored territory. It’s going to be a year of innovation and adventure. Expect tighter regulations on social media, more whistle-blowing sensations and big leadership changes. Could our own King hand over the reins to William? Anything and everything is possible under these stars… The Year of the Snake comes in on 29 January. According to Chinese astrology, 2025 is going to be a good year, one of transformation, renewal, passion and energy. It is also a Number 9 year; a year of completion and compassion. A 10-year cycle is ending, so we’ll all be tying up loose ends, accounting for past errors and recycling old material. There is already an energy shift taking place, and it will…

The Wizard of Oz Some celebs, such as Dame Joanna Lumley and Springwatch host Michaela Strachan, watch movies on Christmas Day that aren’t particularly festive. ‘The Wizard of Oz would be my choice because it revives memories of Christmases past – I watched it so much when I was a kid,’ Michaela tells us. ‘I know it’s not strictly speaking a Christmas film, but it’s got that wonderful sense of magic.’ It also revives memories for Ludwig star David Mitchell. ‘It’s just such a gorgeous film and brings back a lot of childhood memories,’ he tells us. Meanwhile, Joanna cites Gone with the Wind and Breakfast at Tiffany’s among her favourite films, and says they may get a play on December 25, ‘after we’ve enjoyed a little fresh air!’ A…

IS THERE ANYTHING MORE NOSTALGIC THAN CHRISTMASES PAST? Do you remember the anticipation before the big day, pondering endlessly about what should go on your Christmas list? I would lovingly write two or three things down, pop it into an envelope and leave it by the fireplace to be wafted up the chimney like something out of Mary Poppins. And I was like a jack-in-the-box on Christmas Eve, repeatedly coming downstairs to report to my exasperated family that I was far too excited to sleep and couldn’t possibly be expected to go to bed (again). I remember waking up on Christmas morning to the weight of my stocking, balanced precariously on the end of my bed. I’d run down the corridor to open it with my brother. Our stockings always…