Happy Holidays! We want to take this opportunity to thank you for reading our blog and for making Belladerm the wonderful place that it is! We love seeing all of you and wish you a wonderful holiday and some time to slow down and relax! Enjoy the season even though many of us are grumbling a bit about the frozen tundra we find ourselves in! It is fireplace weather so go cuddle up at the end of a long day in front of a cozy fire if you’re able!
This month you are no doubt scurrying around preparing for Christmas and we hope to make your life a little easier by providing some tips. Here they are:

• Men are notoriously hard to shop for. If you are struggling to pin down a good stocking stuffer or gift idea for your special someone or your dad, son, brother…you might want to check out this link. It is full of ideas. If you sign up for our newsletter, you’ll see an exclusive offer for gift cards at Belladerm. That is always an easy gift, too!
• Are you hosting a holiday party where people are bringing items? Would you like to share your child’s wish list with relatives? We’ve never personally used this service, but have heard it is pretty slick and there are so many things you can do with it. Bringit is a free, easy way to organize people and events.  This online tool has free accounts or if you really need more gusto you can even sign up for a paid account.
• Looking for a fun and pretty holiday treat to set out? This is even one that the kids would love to help with. It is easy and very festive! See for yourself and then click here for the recipe.

Mid-November hits and it you can almost feel something different in the air. Besides the crisp, cold wind chill, that is! You can feel it when you stroll into your favorite mall or store – a certain energy and urgency is felt everywhere you go. Do you ever get to New Year’s Day and think, “WHAT just happened? It was all a whirlwind!” The holiday season can be so much more enjoyable when you stay focused on taking care of yourself and letting the little things go. Yes, I know these days it is harder than ever to not want to keep up with everyone else and make impressive little custom Pinterest-inspired name placards for the Thanksgiving meal BUT really, wouldn’t you rather be in a better mood for your loved ones? Missing out on some precious sleep to make crafty goodies is something you might want to reconsider. Maybe pick a few special areas in which you will be an overachiever – an amazing Christmas lights display or tree decor, a couple of impressive new recipes at Christmas, extra-special gifts this year – but vow to not run yourself ragged doing it all perfectly.  In the end, the memories with your family are what counts, so stay focused on that!
A couple of tips for the season:

• Keep a bunch of generic but well-loved gifts on hand and stocked up so you don’t have to leave your house at the last minute. There is always someone that slips through the cracks or who you just spontaneously want to thank with a little gift, so this will come in handy!
• Experts suggest taking a time out from the holiday hustle and bustle to enjoy a hot cup of coffee, a steamy cup of soup or a “leisurely”, but healthy meal. This will not only fill you up but boost your energy and your immune system for all you still have to do. We have some fabulous ways to give you a little break from the holiday frenzy. Watch for specials from Belladerm to treat yourself! 
• Don’t cut out exercise during this time. You may need to scale back to fit in all of the things you need to get done right now, but keep up some sort of routine. You’ll need it to deal with the the holiday hoopla you’ll encounter.
• We know you can’t do this every night, but choose one night a week to wind down with a cup of hot chamomile or a hot bath about an hour before you head for bed. This will recharge your batteries.
• Keep eating well and making sure that your body is getting vitamins C & zinc to combat the germs circulating everywhere.
• If holiday weight gain is a worry on your mind, think about keeping a casual log of what you consumed each day. When you are accountable, you can make better choices. Better yet, find a pal or spouse to discuss progress with. And allow yourselves special treats. It is the holidays, after all! Even just focusing on portion control helps a great deal!

This time of year can be maddening when you look in the mirror and see red eyes, puffiness, allergy “shiners” and a red nose. And all about the time you want some nice family photos for the Christmas card.  They have termed it “allergy face” and there ARE ways to combat it! Zyrtec found in a study that 81% of women with allergies don’t believe they can fully cover up their symptoms, however.
You’ll find loads of information online, but some of the fast tips you can glean are:

• DO use extra moisturizer as the allergy meds can dry you out, making skin appear more flaky
• DO use a humidifier as another method to keep skin more hydrated
• DON’T do nothing – there are many wonderful products and things you can do at home to help
• DO consider using a silvery eyeliner or a blue eyeliner, which will combat the redness and make the whites appear more white
• DO layer a bronzer with blush to chisel the cheekbones more, which helps a puffy face look better
• DO apply cold compresses to swollen areas – a cold spoon is a popular choice for puffy eyes
• DO draw attention elsewhere with bold color, like on your lips
• DO buy a green color correction concealer and play with it until you find what works best – layering under skin-toned concealer