A Zim Christmas wish list

 Many people have been commenting on how difficult it is to get into the spirit of Christmas, when sweltering temperatures are a far cry from the traditional, cosy white winter depicted on Christmas cards.
Fortunately, we will never have the extremes of cold they are currently experiencing in the UK, but nor will we ever have quite the same Christmas indulgence of the West.  In mulling over a traditional Zimbabwean Christmas that we can make our own and be proud of, I thought devising a Christmas season ‘wish list’ would be a good place to start.
Since time immemorial, Christmas has been the season of spreading good cheer, of spending time with your family and of sharing, caring and giving. Of love, compassion and of family bonding.
However, it is not a surprise that a large number of people nowadays do not spend Christmas with their families. Instead of spending Christmas with their family, they prefer spending it alone or with friends and colleagues. This is indeed a sad reflection of our times. But more than this, it is a good wake up call for all of us who have been blessed with a good family and great kids, to make sure we spend quality time with them this Christmas and anytime we can throughout the year.
How about putting a smile on the face of someone less fortunate? There are so many local charities in desperate need of support whether it’s financial or practical. Take a bit of time out to help someone else and you’ll be amazed at how fulfilled it will make you feel. If everyone did a little bit, it would go a very long way.
Long walks with the dog. There are good reasons to incorporate this into a Christmas wish list. It will make the dog happy!
Any form of exercise, however, gentle or vigorous, is a good form of stress relief and may help in keeping off the potential weight gain with the festive over-indulgences.
Decorate with local crafts. We have a wealth of talented artists making local crafts out of natural elements or brightly coloured beads.
They are a fabulous way to make a Zimbabwean Christmas truly our own, and their purchase will probably put a smile on the crafters face.
And now on to the more self-indulgent wishes…
Everyone wants to look their very best at the parties and social gatherings through the festive season. The new Skin Spa in Joina City is offering some delectable treatments and luxury packages towards this end.
Top of the list, before Christmas, is their Summer Splash package: a combination of a full body exfoliation followed by a golden spray tan, then finished with a luxury manicure and pedicure. This will give anyone a gorgeous holiday glow, even if you haven’t been fortunate enough to spend time on a tropical beach.
The Skin Spa heralds in a new era of luxurious pampering and specialist skin treatments, never before seen in Zimbabwe.
For those of you at a loss as to what to buy your loved ones this Christmas, make them feel truly special with a treatment gift voucher. And remember, men can be treated too!
What about a few stocking fillers? Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch would be a surprising addition to any lady’s Christmas stocking. It casts its make-up magic and lines and other small imperfections literally “disappear”. It is a little pot of silky-smooth, oil-free skin perfector, which fills and smoothes as it glides invisibly over the skin. In fact it’s a bit like applying a perfect and much younger-looking second-skin!
The secret? Line-filling and skin-smoothing Acacia Micro-Pearls — miniscule spheres of dehydrated Acacia — which lodge themselves in wrinkles and like tiny sponges swell and plump the skin as they absorb moisture.
Using the fingertips, stroke sparingly over the skin, just where it’s needed . . . over wrinkles, fine lines, open pores and any other imperfections.
Instant Smooth can be worn on its own, over a day cream; or worn over a day cream and under foundation or powder.
Another good idea for a stocking filler is a bright coloured lipstick! Clarins Le Rouge No.7 is a great Christmas party colour, and a fun way to lift any lady’s spirits. Remember that red lipsticks need the accompanying lip-liner to keep them in shape.
And for the man in your life . . .? For most of us an Aston Martin under the Christmas tree, can’t even be dreamed of, unless it’s in dinkie form.
If the truth be known, most men would probably appreciate some pampering as much as the ladies. A perfect way to break your man into the idea of a bit of luxury is to buy a Couples Therapy package from the Skin Spa. This means he won’t be thrust into a foreign environment completely on his own, but will have you there, enjoying the same treatments, by his side. And the bonus, you get to spend some quality time together and get pampered too!
Whatever you do this season, do it with a giving heart.

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