She lets Get The Gloss in on the recipe, plus what she's buying for her girlfriends this year and how she keeps body and mind in balance over the festive period
Christmas planning for me starts really early, as I have family living all over the world. The first step is working out where we will be spending Christmas. The fun part, of course, is decorating the tree and always high on our planning list. I love to do it with the boys and hang all the ornaments we have collected on our trips. Our favourites are a kangaroo on skis from Australia and a glittery yellow taxi cab from NYC. It’s always exciting to rediscover those two.
I like to give unusual gifts and I love surprises. At times, I’m probably too extravagant. I take time to think through what I would like to gift and often start planning months before. I love to create interesting Christmas sacks for the kids filled with fun and beautiful things. My boys are February babies so I often find myself splitting the gifts between birthdays and Christmas.
I shop for presents in whatever city I find myself and love finding quirky little stores around the globe. I love New York City, there are so many cool stores, especially downtown. The bigger department stores such as Selfridges and Harrods in London are fabulous. Melissa Odabash, and my good friend Debbie Von Bismarck are also great gifting ideas for men and women. Online, I’ll head straight to Net-a-Porter for my favourite fashion, lingerie, beauty and wellness brands. And of course, everyone receives Welleco products for Christmas as well.
What I buy for girlfriends
My favourite way to treat my friends at Christmas is to give them the gift of health and beauty. This year I will be giving them WelleCo’s beautiful iconic caddy in limited edition platinum. It is designed by Australian glass artisan Jasper Dowding and is inspired by René Lalique’s iconic 1930s' Guerlain perfume bottles. It’s UV-resistant to protect The Super Elixir’s 45 live plant-based ingredients, which include Chinese herbs, digestive enzymes, prebiotics and probiotics that help fight inflammation and ageing, promote strong immunity, bright skin, good gut health, stable blood sugar levels and energy. It looks gorgeous sitting in the kitchen and is beautiful inside and out. Could there be a better gift? I also love to gift lingerie from my Elle Macpherson Body Collection . I choose sporty sexy pieces of lingerie and beautiful silk pyjamas.
On waking, I add ginger, mint and a pinch of cayenne pepper to my usual hot lemon water. It has a great detoxifying and fat burning effect which is necessary this time of year!
Getting organised
I am organised because I need to be! I always have my smartphone handy. I don’t like to keep it in my pocket or in my hand consistently, due to the EMFs ( Electromagnetic Fields ) that devices emit, but I keep it close by. I use a Shinola notepad and pen so that I can I jot down ideas and thoughts when I have them or I’ll forget!
I love my calendar planner and am diligent about scheduling everything. Top priority is my physical wellbeing: diet, exercise, and getting enough sleep and then the kids' school. Our holiday family get-togethers include kids, parents, friends and dogs. Business appointments and personal appointments get scheduled. They are just as important as each other. If a personal engagement is in my diary, it happens.
Self-care in party season
For me, this is just a matter of being extra diligent with my usual daily wellness routine. On waking, I add ginger, mint and a pinch of cayenne pepper to my usual hot lemon water. It has a great detoxifying and fat burning effect which is necessary this time of year! An hour later, I take my two teaspoons of The Super Elixir greens in 500ml of filtered water for firm, plump, hydrated skin. I find my complexion is a great health barometer and can show how I’m feeling inside.
For me, once the holidays are here it is not about being a purist, but finding balance and emptying the ‘toxic cup’. On party-free days, I make sure I am properly nourished, exercise, and sleep properly. On those days when I have a party to go to, I drink lots of water and take my daily Nourishing Protein chocolate smoothie with homemade almond milk. It gives my energy levels an extra boost and keeps me going. Late nights tend to throw my levels off track.
My daily exercise routine helps keep me grounded, energised and feeling good about myself (I am flexible with when, where and what I will do). Over the holidays, I might increase my daily sessions from 45 minutes to one hour in the mornings, doing something I love. It could be yoga, stand-up paddle boarding, or I’ll jump on my bike and ride to the beach for a swim. On holidays, I also do an activity in the afternoon with the family.
Christmas in the sun vs Christmas in the snow?
That’s a tough question! I always feel comfortable in the great outdoors so both are inspiring options for me. Miami and Australia are both home to me and I love the warmth and sea. Christmas in the sun is spent swimming, surfing, paddle boarding, and water-skiing with friends and family. I do spend a lot of time in Aspen, and feel very at home there. It’s all about skis, hikes and road bikes, which is a big sport in Aspen during the summer. During Christmas in Aspen, we ski from first tracks in the morning until last lift down in the evening.
How I balance festive indulgences
I make sure to drink at least two litres of filtered water and work up a sweat every day to support my body’s natural detox process. I try to balance my festive food indulgences by taking The Super Elixir first thing every morning. It contains two types of mushrooms – shiitake and maitake, which when combined makes for a powerful immune booster.
Sleep can be elusive this time of year! I try and get my seven hours a night - it restores my body, allows antioxidants to counteract free radicals and means I am at my optimum every day. I have a bedtime routine that I try to stick to especially during the holidays! I have a hot shower or bath before bed, then a cold shower, and a cup of Sleep Welle Fortifying Calming Tea. It contains hops, valerian and skullcap that together help encourage sleep.
I’ve been blessed with wonderful Christmas gifts along the way. But nothing beats the feeling of love when I’m with my family.
Love, Elle
The Platinum Caddy with 300g Super Elixir Alkalising Formula is available on Net-A-Porter soon, £96 and on Welleco.co.uk as part of a Deluxe Gift Set £160