All the ladies on your list deserve to be lavished in only the finest of luxuries—but you don’t have to pay for expensive spa visits—for you or your friends. Treat yourselves to Bath & Body Works products for the at-home salon treatment.

Bath & Body Works wants you to “be good to your hands” with their products, and we wholeheartedly agree. Your hands do the dirty work, all day long, of lugging shopping bags, pulling out your credit card and fumbling through your fabulous purse—shouldn’t your skin be soft and manicure look on par with your designer leather handbag? Even staying at home, your fingers type on the keyboard and dial buttons on your phone! The polish needs to be maintained; the rough patches need to be kept at bay!

And don’t forget the footsies! All that trudging through malls will wreak havoc on your soles! You need a Fizzy Foot Soak! And you’ll need attractive toesies peeping out from the golden (the color!) sandals or slides you should treat yourself to for those holiday and New Year’s parties! You’ll need a pumice brush, a buffer, a lotion and a fabu polish color!

Keep in mind, all your girlfriends are dropping just as hard as you, this season, remember them when it comes to spoiling and lavishing! You could make it a party!

Post-Thanksgiving shopping, especially on Black Friday (with its doorbusters) is crazy! I say, shop online at the best stores–and still get some deals!

Amazon.com — Find everything from books and CDs to doggie duds and even food. I mean they have practically everything!

Banana Republic.com — This is the place to go for special luxury items she may not normally buy. Check out their cashmere section.

Bath and Body Works.com — Most women appreciate one gift from Bath and Body Works each year. The Gift Sets are always charming, and fill your needs in a pinch. B&BW are perfect for little items in her stocking, Santa!

Crate and Barrel.com — The delightful shop has all your home needs, plus tasty cooking and holiday decoration treats. I think they have the best Ball Ornaments, anywhere.

Gap.com — A great stop for fulfilling basic apparel needs. November 25 — 27, buy one item, buy 2nd for 50% off.

Circuit City.com (and Circuit City!) — Technical gadgets & media. This store is actually a cheat for the list. I include it because you can place an order online, then head right out (or lazily later head out) to your nearest Circuit City to pick it up. Your order will be ready in 24 minutes and you’ll avoid too much craziness.

Pier 1 Imports.com — Pier 1 is a lovely shop filled with unique, precious gifts for the home. What’s really great about them during the holidays, though, is especially their fab, fab gift wrap!

Do you return a lot of your gifts? Are you the dastardly re-gifter? I never hold on to one of my favorite presents : cold hard cash. If I can pick out some clothing and accessories, I’m content. Receive enough money for something Coach? Blissful.

My family likes to get holiday shopping done before even Black Friday. I, generally, like to accomplish most of it in the solitude and calm of my bedroom computer chair! I have been, however, shopping for fun and picking up a few things (including sweaters for moi, oh yes).

On the first official season trip I embarked on with a couple members of my family, there was a smidgen of crazy going on. (Yes, my family’s one of the daft ones.) Yes, I bring it up to complain again, but this time it is just a funny story…

I was about to pay for a few items for my Mum, when my Aunt placed an item on the “rack.” It was a little stocking giftee I’d mentioned would be nice for a certain … name with an “L.” In some confusion, I had become expected to pay for my own present!

The loons!

Well, I refused, natch. Yet, I know it shall be mine.

Depicted: [Ugg boot] Not Cool.

Hate Uggly Uggs? This “says it all” tee is sure to be a hit, and is cooler than the “real thing.”

Designed by Paul Frank, sold at Delia’s for $22 (buy two graphic tees, save $10).

There is a vast stretch of urban wonderland called Sawgrass Mills, a 1.5 mile long mall filled largely with outlets. It’s a good thing. Not so nice are some of the sale-rack finds, such as this t-strap high-heel espadrille platform.

Wow.

Airport-safe shoes?
Fuhgetaboudit, they’re ugly!

I’ve flown many times, and not once were my fabulous shoes hijacked by a stylish terrorist! It’s sick and dirty that I have to put my precious shoes through the belt and walk barefoot, but I live through the painful situation every time! And I end up in a fabulous, usually tropical, setting!

What people should be concerned with is the issue of filling up half my suitcase with the necessary assortment of shoes. I mean, allow more luggage and allow more carry-ons! I don’t need the worry of me going to Ft. Lauderdale and my shoes ending up in Cleveland — or worse! on some other lady’s feet!

Oh!

I hope you and your footwear will be happy and safe this holiday trip!