Welcome to Hip & Healthy’s 12 days of FITMAS! What is this, you might ask? For the 12 days leading up to Christmas day, we’re giving you a little insight into how some of our favourite wellness influencers are spending Christmas, their favourite parts of the festive season and little nuggets of wisdom!

It’s the last day of FITMAS which means it’s nearly Christmas!! On the 12th day of FITMAS, the H&H team are giving you a glimpse of their best moments of 2017, how to beat festive stress and what their Christmas traditions are!

Sadie Reid, Founder & Director

What are you most looking forward to in 2018?
There are most definitely a few exciting things on the horizon for 2018. My husband and I are expecting our second baby! Plus, we will be launching a really exciting new brand under our Hip & Healthy umbrella…. So stay tuned for that.

How will I be celebrating New Year’s Eve?
New Year’s Eve is a whole different kettle of fish since my little one came along. Gone are the days where we’d party way beyond midnight, with great friends and great food and wine. Now it’s all about getting Max into bed before 9pm so that my husband and I can enjoy a cup of tea, a chat (chats are rare these days since between Max and work, we find it hard to get a word in edgeways) and some yummy chocolate (my husband will buy me Booja Booja hazelnut crunch if he knows what’s good for him.)

How do you avoid festive stress?
Here are my three top tips to beat festive stress:

Build in time to relax! Just watch a Christmas film, have a mince pie, book a massage, go to your Yoga. We get so caught up with work, Christmas shopping, catching up with friends etc. that it’s tempting to have every evening and weekend on your calendar filled with a festive event. Block out at least one or two evenings a week that are just for you.

When you finish work for the holidays – genuinely finish work. Switch off your emails. Focus on family time, not rushing around and remember that work can wait as it is the only time of year when everyone (hopefully) will also be switching off.

Meditate for 10 mins each morning. Do this and anything you’ll notice that you can cope with anything that arises that might be stressful in a much more relaxed, calm way.

Molly Jennings, Content Editor

Is there anything you can’t resist during the festive period?
CHOCOLATE! Anyone who knows me well will vouch for my slight addiction to anything with cacao in it!

How will you be celebrating New Year’s Eve?
I never normally do anything on New Year’s Eve as past new year’s eves have always felt a little bit disappointing and a bit of a letdown! But this year, I’m making an effort! My husband and I are treating ourselves to a couple of nights at The Ned, indulging it lots of yummy food and dressing a little fancy!

What’s been your best moment of 2017?
So many moments! If I had to pick one, I’d probably say spending my summer holiday on the Amalfi Coast and Capri. Both destinations had been on my travel wish list for some time and I completely fell in love.

Louise af Petersens, Retail & Buying Manager

How do you stay fit during the festive period?
Long walks with my family and doggies… having a dog is a great way to get moving during the festive period.

What’s on your Christmas wish list?
de Mamiel Dewy Facial Mist or anything by de Mamiel as totally in love with her stuff and Smythson’s wash bag (totally obsessed)

Cold Christmas or Hot Christmas?
As a Swede, 100% Cold Christmas for me. Cosy fires, cashmere and a glass of red wine is my heaven!

Annabel Armitage, Brand & Events coordinator

Do you prefer giving presents or receiving them?
This year we’ve set a rule that we’ll buy a book as a gift for everyone at the lunch table which I’ve loved thinking of ideas for! Not only do books stop the budget from flying out of the window, it sets an added challenge of giving something really meaningful between you and the person you’re giving to. My favourite part of it though is that they’re all neatly and uniformly wrapped which is great for a gift-wrapping lover like me (and we have beautiful books to choose from at Hip & Healthy).

Do you have any New Years resolutions?
In 2018 I will try to make a concerted effort to be more present. It’s so easy in this day and age to jump from task to task at work and conversation over iMessage to conversations in real life. I always notice I’m much calmer and more approachable when I’m mindful of the present moment. To help with this, I’ll put the phone away more often, and commit to meditating more regularly. Vive la Flight Mode, I say!

How do you avoid temptations at Christmas party?
Always eat before!!! As a teenager, my Mum would lovingly present me with a big (no, giant) bowl of pasta to eat before any party (more in an effort to stop me getting tipsy) but it seems old habits die hard… A big meal before a party means I don’t think of crisps as dinner (and suffer as a result the next morning) and can keep partying longer. Thanks Mum!