Christmas Presents: Done and Dusted

Wouldn’t it be great if someone came up with an app for your phone that would allow you to fast forward through the weeks leading up to Christmas? You could pause for the office party and a couple of nights out with the lads, but ultimately deliver yourself to the middle of the sofa, tucked up on Christmas Eve with your gifts wrapped and stacked under the tree. No fighting the shopping centre crowds, no trying to decipher those peculiar hints from your girlfriend, no stressing over what to get Mum, who never fails to tell you she has everything she needs.

Unfortunately, that app doesn’t exist -- not yet, anyway. But there are alternatives for stress-free gift giving:

1. Consult a personal shopper
Many large department stores now provide a free -- yes, free -- personal shopping service. "We work closely with each customer to meet their needs", says Vicki Butler, a senior personal shopper at Debenhams in Oxford Street, who assures us they can complete your Christmas shopping in about an hour and a half, even if you come in with only the vaguest idea of what you want.

Lucy Francis, a veteran retail adviser at Peter Jones in Sloane Square, counsels customers to think carefully about the lifestyles of friends and family members prior to an appointment with her. In addition, she sets aside time to get to know her clients, assessing their likes and dislikes and getting a feel for their budget before she heads out on the shop floor with them. "By talking through the options with a customer and finding out more about the recipients, we can put together a well-thought-out shortlist."

2. Attend a gift workshop
And if you have no idea? Butler and her colleagues regularly dish out tips and advice at Debenhams’ interactive gift workshops, held on the weekends before Christmas. "We pick out a selection of gifts that will appeal to various family members and others, like your boss", she says. "People usually have a lot of questions and it all contributes to a lively discussion."

3. Go window shopping
If all the personal shopping help in the world still won’t help you figure out your girlfriend’s deepest Christmas desires (and you know you’ll be in trouble if you don’t), Francis’ advice is to take her window shopping. "It’s a great way to gauge the interest of your wife or girlfriend", she says. Still confused? Don’t stress. "If after all your hard work and research she still isn’t happy with her present, shops like Peter Jones will usually exchange it or give a full refund", says Francis.

4. Play it safe
As for Mum, and all your other impossible-to-shop-for friends and relatives, the safest bet is a gift of food or drink, or, for women, beauty treats such as body lotion or a high-end scented candle. For men, you can’t really go wrong with a classic scarf or a smart pair of gloves.

5. Mind your budget
Finally, if your biggest source of stress this year is the economy, rest assured that you’re not alone. Butler confirms that many of her clients this year are worried about how to make do with less. "The thing to emphasise is quality over quantity", she advises. "Think about giving one special gift to each of your loved ones. Buy something meaningful, but affordable. At the end of the day, it will be your thoughts and effort that are really appreciated." That is, after all, the spirit of Christmas.

On-the-Job Shaving for Your Office Werewolf

Do you start your workday looking as freshly scrubbed as Twilight’s Taylor Lautner … and by late afternoon look more like the wolf his character becomes?

For some men, keeping a clean-shaven look throughout the day feels like a losing battle. But bringing your home-shaving routine to the office is not always the easiest (or the most mannerly) thing to do.

So how’s a guy with a 5 o’clock shadow by lunchtime supposed to strike down the stubble? We’ve got several tips:

Give yourself a better shave in the morning.

Do so in the shower to banish any sign of whiskers. For the closest-possible trim, experts recommend a blade that you replace regularly instead of an electric razor.

Stage a second shave.

If you have a gym near the office, hit the weights on your lunch break and then the showers -- this will give you a chance for a second shave during the day. Unless you really are a wolf man, this preemptive attack should last you till well after closing time.

Keep a Dopp kit at your desk.

Include your razor, shaving cream and fresh blades in the kit. Like the spare dress shirt, tie and blazer you have hanging on the back of your office door, the workplace razor can be a lifesaver.

That said, you don’t want to make a habit of shaving in the washroom. For example, do you really want your boss to think you’ve got nothing better to do than groom yourself on company time? Nonetheless, there will be occasions when you have little choice. So if your beard is blooming, arrange to shave at a time when it will not inconvenience others who use the same facilities. Ideally, schedule your shaving session for when the boss has left for lunch or an off-site meeting. Either way, keep it quick, and clean the sink of any shaving residue once you’re done.

Yes, with a little bit of forethought, even the most hirsute among us can remain within a hair’s breadth of being clean-shaven -- the whole day through.

Your Costume Party Playbook

Think of the last party you attended. There was probably music, a lot of people in skinny jeans standing around talking and drinking. Perhaps there was a buffet. In other words, it was like every other party you’ve ever attended.

If you’re ready to shake things up, then consider a costume party. “They’re liberating, and make contact between people so much easier,” says Pierre Sorrant from party store Festimania in Lille. Indeed, a costume not only allows you the freedom to be a different person for a night; it shows your interests, creativity and personality a whole lot better than a button-down and Converse kicks could ever do. To help you jump-start your fiesta, we present to you our favorite themes. Pick the one that speaks to you, or use this guide to get your own creative juices flowing.

Use-Your-Imagination Themes

Part of a costume party's fun is seeing what your friends come up with. If you really want to be surprised, pick an open-ended theme. "You could throw a party around a letter -- like the first letter of your name -- or a country or region," says Thierry Reig from Lyon party store Coti Déco. A Wild West party, for example, might pull in Mexican bandits, hot peppers and Lucky Luke-style cowboys with lassos to rope in the saloon girls.

Gael Tremblay, 31, from Paris, is a banker by day and party connoisseur by night. Of the many costume parties he’s hosted/attended, he particularly remembers one métro theme fête; one guest came as the hunchback of Notre Dame, another came as a pharaoh to represent the Pyramides stop. And Tremblay? "There's a station called Rue des Boulets, so the friend I went with was the boulet -- we told everyone he was annoying and wouldn't leave my side. So we didn't technically have a costume... but at least it was funny!"

Crazy Themes

Although any costume party allows you to let loose, there are a few themes that really put your kooky side on display -- like a crazy hair party. “I went to a really funny one last year at my friend's place," says Tremblay. “He kept bottles of colored hairspray in the bathroom for punishing lazy guests. People showed up with everything from Bob Marley wigs to geek-style hair, parted down the middle and gelled flat."

Or you can show your animal side -- literally -- with a farm party. A homemade rooster costume is super simple: Buy some red and yellow felt from a fabric store and cut or glue it onto the hood of a cheap sweatshirt to create a comb and beak. Draw two big cartoon eyes and throw on some yellow shoes. With any luck, you might even attract a cute chick (sorry, couldn’t resist).

Skin-Baring Themes

For a costume party with the least amount of, well, costumes, try a pin-up theme (way classier than the better-known “pimp-and-ho” party). Girls don push-ups and high heels while guys dress like dapper gents -- i.e., retro suits and shiny shoes. The ladies are the real stars of this theme, but is that really a problem?

If you want to make things a little more gender equal, try a swimsuit party. Tremblay hosted one eight years ago that remains legendary. "Everyone was in a bathing suit or towel. We pumped the heat to its max and filled the bathtub with shaving cream!"

Decade Themes

Party-ready eras range from les années folles (Al Capone and flapper girls) to Roman antiquity, which is rife with cool costume options for guys -- you could be Cesar, a Roman senator, a gladiator...

"Our number one seller by far is ’70s costumes," says Sorrant. But that doesn't mean you can't be original. Dig through your dad's closet or a thrift store for disco or hippy looks, or, even better, choose a celeb from the era. Dress like Claude François, for instance, and put one of his romantic ballads on the playlist. When that song comes on, you'll be the hit of the party.

ItÂ’s Bonfire Night: Gunpowder, Treason and Party!

This 5th of November marks the 405th anniversary of Guy Fawkes’s arrest for partaking in a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Men’s Life Today spoke to food, fireworks and fire safety experts so that you can blow your friends away - metaphorically, of course - with the hottest Bonfire Night of the year.

Dazzling Pyrotechnics
"Early preparation is a must," says Simon Page, the company director in charge of professional displays at Kimbolton Fireworks, one of the UK’s major firework suppliers.  "One of the most important things to do when planning a [private] fireworks display is to realistically assess the amount of space you have available." According to Page, there are two classes of outdoor fireworks available to the public. Category 2 (for smaller gardens) requires five metres between the audience and the display site;  Category 3 (for larger private displays) requires 25 metres.

Once you have your venue in order, you’ll have to think about the budget. Today’s fireworks are stunning, but that razzle dazzle comes with a price; anywhere from £300 for a decent smaller show up to £500 for a 12 to 15 minute display, says Page. So you might try dividing the cost among a small group of friends to make it more affordable.

These days, fireworks are available everywhere from garden centres to web-based businesses. But, as with most products, the quality can vary. "Look for outlets that sell fireworks all year round," suggests Page. "It’s a good indication they stock a well-made product and can offer valuable guidance." Before making any final decisions, though, Page recommends looking at product videos (such as those available on his company’s site: www.kimboltonfireworks.co.uk) to get an idea of how various types of fireworks will perform

Mouth-watering Firework Fare
Okay, you’ve got the pyrotechnics sorted. Now it’s time to build the bonfire - well clear of buildings, fences and hedges - and to think about the food. Traditional Bonfire Night offerings consists of soup, jacket potatoes and reheated sausages. But why not turn up the creative juices and serve a more surprising menu to friends and family this year?

Tim Reeves, Managing Director of Blistering Ltd., one of the UK’s foremost al fresco catering companies, advises firing up a barbeque  "It’s an easy way to serve up hot, interesting food to people outdoors," he says, adding, "Since it’s the 5th of November you should offer your guests something that explodes with fiery flavour." Reeves recommends chargrilled lamb shawarma with sweet chilli yogurt dressing for the meat-eaters, and falafel burgers topped with harissa and minted yogurt for vegetarians. Another important tip: Keep it simple. According to Reeves, you don’t need more than three or four options to please a crowd.

Safety First

Bonfire Night is a centuries-old tradition and can be a lot of fun, but the sad truth is, people get hurt every year. Safety should never be compromised when gunpowder and bonfires are involved; it has to be the first consideration. Take another look at the safety tips we’ve given above. And to complete your preparations, Rob McTaggart, Senior Communications Officer at the London Fire Brigade, strongly recommends consulting the Firework and Bonfire Safety Codes available at www.london-fire.gov.uk/BonfiresAndFireworks.asp. If you need further advice, contact your local fire and community safety centre.

The Definitive Halloween Party Guide

Between carnival (whose organizing associations long opposed any other major costume festivity) and Saint Martin (the holiday in which German children wander the neighborhoods collecting sweets), Halloween never stood a chance in Germany. But then came the Iraq war in 1991 -- and the cancellation of most carnival festivities. Sascha Schnitzer, who writes for „gruselfabrik.de”, the leading Halloween blog in Germany, believes this turn of events (and the resulting need for costume vendors to find another opportunity to sell their wares) was the trigger that launched Halloween onto the German social calendar. Now, twenty years later, the Association of German Sweets Industry ranks Halloween as the 3rd most important holiday after Christmas and Easter -- already putting it ahead of carnival.

Though ostensibly a holiday for children, everyone knows adults love to play dress up and scare one another silly. As such, a number of wild and wonderful public parties have risen up to honor the occasion. Men’s Life Today scoured the country to bring you the very best.

Halloween Burg Frankenstein, Frankenstein Castle
www.frankenstein-halloween.de

The most popular event, attracting upwards of 2,500 revelers, is in the so-called “real home of the monster,” close to Frankfurt. Says Walter Scheele, clerk of the centuries-old castle (it was first mentioned in 948), “The role model for the main character of the novel Frankenstein lived here 330 years ago. That’s proven.” And who are we to dispute it, especially when the festivities are so fabulously frightening? Ninety-nine monsters, including werewolves, vampires and witches, scour the property scaring guests, while sea monsters slither their way through the castle lake. “Don’t be afraid if a scarecrow talks to you,” says Scheele. “That’s normal.”

Halloween 2010 in Europa Park, Rust
www.europapark.de

Halloween at Europa Park, Germany’s biggest leisure park (close to the German-Swiss border), lasts a full month. From October 1, the park is decorated like a witches’ cauldron, with more than 150.000 pumpkins, 6000 corn plants and 2000 straw bales, plus skeletons and high-tech special effects. Though many of the events are designed for kids, there are adult programs too. Our favorites are a dancing show with eye-popping pyrotechnical effects called “DJ BoBo’s Fantasy Goes Halloween” and “Terenzi Horror Nights,” during which seven main attractions in the leisure park -- including a rollercoaster in the dark, a circus with daemonic creatures, and a “labyrinth of horror” -- are dedicated to Halloween.

The Beiß Mich Party, Hamburg
www.beissmich.info

If getting the wits scared out of you is not your thing, then this is the party for you. The only creepy aspect is the location: a 130-year-old dark and eerie vault inside the town hall. The party itself is elegant, so wear a sophisticated costume. Photographers stationed at the entrance shoot all guests in costume and post images to the website. The best costumes -- determined by online voting after the event -- win prizes.

Your Own Party
While you may not have the budget for rollercoasters and sea monsters, you can still organize a pretty great party on your own. The older and gloomier the room the better, but regardless of the venue, decorate it with jack-o-lanterns, artificial cobwebs, plastic skeletons and the like. Schnitzer recommends special effects like black light, and suitable background music like “Rocky Horror Picture Show”. Continue the Halloween theme with the buffet: Put plastic spiders between the plates, prepare a salad in a carved pumpkin, toss a few fake eyeballs on the table. And the drinks? That one’s easy: Bloody Mary’s, of course.