holiday gift guide: give Redken

There are tons of gift sets out there for women but what about the men in your life? Don't they deserve something just as special? Redken saves the day with two great grooming kits. The Grooming Essentials Gift Set ($21; pictured here) is the all in one kit designed to gently cleanse hair and skin. It includes Redken For Men go clean daily care shampoo to hydrate the scalp, and strengthen the hair, grip tight holding gel that provides excellent control and shine without flaking when styling hair, and cleanse acid balancing cleansing bar to gently cleanse, smooth and refresh the skin. Or pick up the Mint Essentials Travel Kit ($12.50) for all his travel needs. The four products from the Redken For Men Mint Active Line all come in travel sizes that are airport security friendly: mint clean shampoo, cool finish conditioner, mint fix sweat-resist gel, and new mint rush hair & body wash. There's also a sample packet of mint shape forming paste to keep his style in place. Visit www.redken.com to locate a Redken For Men salon in your area.

holiday gift guide: give Weleda

Every mom needs a little R&R now and then (actually more now, than then). But with little time to slip away, we have to make do with the resources at our disposal.

The new Pomegranate Regenerating Body Care Kit from Weleda offers the perfect escape, even in the comfort of your own bathroom. Why pomegranate? Says Weleda's European holistic esthetician Lilith Schwertle, “As we age, our skin’s own rebuilding functions begin to slow. The active ingredients in pomegranate seed oil, including fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants, help encourage your skin’s natural regeneration process.”

The kit contains hand cream, body oil and body wash.

Hand Care: It does everything a good hand cream should do--ie, moisturizes skin and makes hands look more youthful--but it smells amazing too! Thanks to those Turkey-grown pomegranates. It's recommended to be used twice daily for four weeks to prevent roughness, but I definitely felt a difference after only three applications.

Body Oil: I typically prefer macadamia nuts that are chocolate covered but those blended into this innovative formula are just as sweet. Apply twice daily to preserve skin's elasticity and firmness. Don't forget your neck and decollete area.

Body Wash: Use it with a loofah in the bath or shower to exfoliate dead skin cells and leave your skin glowing. While you're lathering up, vanilla, sandalwood, blood orange and neroli make it a rejuvenating aromatherapy experience.

Go to Whole Foods or www.usa.weleda.com and stock up on this great stocking stuffer for yourself and your other mom friends.

travel essentials for the home

Here's why I like this product. Sure, it makes your airline seat more comfortable. But I'm a stay-at-home mom and probably not flying anywhere anytime soon. Instead, I plan on using it at home. For example, my daughter wakes up at 5AM. After I take her out of her crib and cuddle her, she usually falls asleep on the couch next to me and I end up sleeping sitting up for another 45 minutes before she wakes up for the day. Soft Hugwear's Travel Essentials Set ($20) can help. I'd put the mask over my eyes to block out the rising sun outside the living room window, lean back on the comfy neck pillow and throw the mini blanket over my lap. The neck pillow would also come in handy when I'm reading a book to her before bed and she falls asleep before I finish but I still have to sit still for a few minutes until she's really zonked out. The ear plugs will likely be a lifesaver when my son decides to play all three of his bongo drums at the same time (trust me, it happens). The Soft Hugwear collection is priced between $3 and $29 and is available exclusively at Walmart locations nationwide and online at http://www.walmart.com/. Stock up now!