Check It. Method's hollyberry holiday hand wash.

The day after Thanksgiving is when officially Christmas decorating can begin. I like to wait until December 1 to really get into the holiday spirit - and now that it's that time, this hand soap is at my sink.

I picked up a bottle of Method's seasonal "hollyberry" soap at Target on Monday night, and each time I wash my hands I feel like Christmas is in the air.

Method products are available at Target, and at some supermarkets and drugstores - including drugstore.com. Also at methodhome.com.

holiday hand wash, $3.99

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: drugstore.com

Check It. NYX 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette.

Makeup palettes are fun and convenient - especially when all the colors in one are appealing.

L.A.-based NYX Cosmetics has four new eyeshadow palettes in their Runway Collection - and Casting Call is just great for the holidays. Shimmery neutrals are my favorite kind of eyeshadow. These ones have an easy-to-apply powdery texture and look very pretty on the skin.

After watching Gwyneth Paltrow's performance of "Country Strong" at the CMA's a couple weeks ago, I remembered how good a gray eyeshadow with some sparkle can look.

The NYX shadow palettes are sleek and black and slim enough to fit in an evening clutch--great news as holiday party invites start rolling in.

$9.75 - available through nyxcosmetics.com, Urban Outfitters, and Ulta Beauty.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: the BEAT

Eat In. Candy Cane Swirl.

From baking (gingerbread cookies!) to clothing (Christmas sweaters!), the holidays just make everything better. But now that it's the weekend, let's add some alcoholic drinks to the mix!

Now normally, I'd just take the lazy route and add some peppermint schnapps to a steaming cup of hot cocoa (topped with an abundant amount of marshmallows, of course), but we can get fancier than that. Here's a recipe I found on whattodrink.com (not that great of a site, but a good place to start getting ideas) for a surely wonderful concoction named Candy Cane Swirl:

Make It. Gingerbread tips.

I originally set-out to write a post that would demonstrate how simple it is to make delicious and beautiful gingerbread cookies. Unfortunately, I have no business pretending I'm Martha Stewart. I ruined my first three batches. But! That 4th batch came out pretty sweet. So, let my mistakes save you from your own cookie trial and error. Use these tips to get it right... the first time.

• DO use Trader Joe's Deep, Dark Gingerbread mix. The flavor is rich and spicy (and it's pretty much foolproof).
• DON'T coat your baking sheet with cooking spray. When the timer for batch #2 went off, my cookies were floating in a puddle of fake buttery goop.
• DO use parchment paper.
• DON'T wing it. Baking 5-7 minutes at 375 does not equal 10 minutes at 320*.
• DO chill your dough between batches. If the dough gets too warm, your cut-out will not retain its shape.
• DON'T buy the Betty Crocker cookie icing for decorating. Just trust me on this one.
• DO incorporate chocolate. Adding nonpareils to decorate and cover the sloppy icing on my snowflakes proved to be both tasty and pretty.
• DON'T eat them all at work the next day because you forgot your lunch at home. Or do. I don't really have any regrets about that, actually.

*And just what was in the oven that made me think I could bend the rigid rules of baking? Magic Cookie Bars--a specialty of my boyfriend, Adam. They came out perfect, of course. Find the recipe here.

-- Heather Robertson

Eat Out. Eggnog cupcakes.

That's right, folks. Christmas came a little early this year in the form of eggnog cupcakes. From the geniuses who brought us the ice cream cupcake, and tasty combinations of royal white with Nutella butercream and red velvet with cream cheese frosting, this holiday season we are treated with two seasonal flavors for rich, moist cupcakes.

The folks at Frosted Cupcakery in the Belmont Shores neighborhood of Long Beach have brought us two innovative flavors: gingerbread with lemon buttercream frosting and eggnog with eggnog buttercream frosting this season.

What better way to say "Happy Holidays" than with a big piece of rich, delicious cake? You can't argue with a gift that costs $2.95 each.

And, they have "pupcakes" made from jars of chicken and beef babyfood, so your pooch doesn't feel left out this holiday season.

Does it get much better?

Frosted Cupcakery is located at 4817 E. 2nd street in Long Beach.

-- Lauren Williams

Photo credit: Frosted Cupcakery's Facebook

Check It. L. Ron Hubbard's Winter Wonderland.

This scene right here? This is L. Ron Hubbard's Winter Wonderland. It's taking place right next to where I work... in the heart of Crazy Town. It's pretty innocuous during the day, but this place gets freak-show nuts at night*. Santa is there posing for pictures, Christmas carols blare in both English and Spanish through tinny speakers, piping-hot churros are sold to small, gloved hands, and one of Hollywood's best artistes is on stand-by, ready to render a caricature of every priceless moment. Oh, and the Dianetics crew is administering stress tests.


The above guilt-trip aside, it's sort of lovely: Scientology tries to bolster its image with a family-friendly gift to the community. Instead, it manages to further prove its status as a non-religion by embracing pseudo-Christian symbols. I mean, does your local mosque ever have a display of menorahs? But that's what I love about it--and what I love about the holidays and Los Angeles in general--all the unabashed contradictions.

A churro-fueled ploy to get tourists to do the Xenu shuffle and a Hollywood Holiday tradition since 1983. Check it out at on Hollywood Blvd. at McCadden Pl.

*That's right, they don't come out until after dark.

-- Heather Robertson