Top 10 Sanity-Saving Holiday Hacks

It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it's also the most stressful—between traveling, buying gifts for everyone, and handling loads of decorations and clutter, you've got quite a bit of work to do this holiday season. Here's how to make sure it goes off without a hitch.

10. Limit Your Other Commitments

The biggest deterrent to what you get done is time. As you're getting out of work for the holiday week, make sure you've tackled everything you need to, so you aren't stuck working over the holiday. Get ready for guests ahead of time, and prioritize what you actually need to do (you don't need to go to every party and get a gift for every acquaintance. Check out our tips for saving time over the holidays and you'll find the whole week is a lot less stressful. Photo by goodrob13.

9. Avoid Stress When You Travel

If you're traveling over the holiday to be with family, you're going to be facing double the travel stress of a normal weekend. Check out our start to finish guide to stress-free travel for tips on packing, getting out of work, and getting to your destination pain-free (and check out our top 10 tips for heading home on a holiday weekend, while you're at it). Image remixed from Chris Brindley.

8. Get Great Deals on Gifts, With or Without Black Friday

Missed Black Friday? No problem—it isn't always the best time to find deals anyway. We've written a lot on how to survive Black Friday, but you can find deals on your gifts any day of the week, especially if you shop online. Check out our five favorite deal sites for a little help, and be sure to get that expedited shipping so it gets to you on time.

7. Give Better Gifts

If you're struggling to find good gift ideas this year, we've got some resources to help you out. First, do a little research on your giftee and find something without being cliché. If that isn't helping, check out our official Lifehacker gift guides for all sorts of ideas, from apps and web services to gadgets, organizational gifts, and even custom-built computers.

6. Give a Used Gift With FInesse

Maybe you don't have a lot of cash to spend on gifts, or maybe you have something you aren't using that you know one of your friends would like. As long as you're up front about it—and as long as it makes sense for the gift—you can give a used gift, or regift an item someone gave you. The key is being honest. That said, if you want to do it without getting caught, we have some tips on doing that too—just be prepared on the off chance your recipient finds out!

5. Get the Most From Your Gift Cards

Whether you're giving or receiving gift cards this year, there are some tricks to getting the most for your money (and getting rid of gift cards you don't want). Check out our list of everything you need to know about gift cards to see more—just be sure you give them away quickly before they start losing their value. Photo by Arvind Grover.

4. Wrap Your Gifts Like a Pro

Chances are you know how to wrap a gift, but what about when it's something in a less-than-traditional shape? We've shared a number of ways to make up for that, from the more festive methods to a simple "Ravioli" method that will work with nearly anything. Of course, you could always just put them in a cereal or oatmeal box first, then wrap as usual. Photo by Robin Phinizy.

3. Get the Better of Your Unruly Tree

So you've picked out the perfect tree for your living room, and maybe even put together a clever watering system to keep it green. But once the holidays are over, ti's time to pack it up—which almost seems harder than cutting it down was. Here's how to pack your tree without spending a dime, and when you're finished, you can get that extra sap off your hands with some toothpaste.

2. Dig Up the Post-Holiday Clutter

Holiday preparation may be stressful, but at least you have the holidays to look forward too—the post-holiday cleanup is a much sadder tale. Luckily, with a bit of patience this year, you can make next year's holiday prep much less stressful. Here's how to pack up your decorations neatly and declutter your house now that you have a ton of new stuff lying around. If you have any broken ornaments, you can recycle them into new ones, and you should also check out how to keep that holiday music in iTunes without it annoying you the rest of the year. Photo by SAJE/Shutterstock.

1. Turn Your Unwanted Gifts into Cash

Chances are, not every gift you got was a winner. That doesn't mean you need to let it collect dust in your closet, though. Instead, return it or sell it for something better. Most stores are pretty lenient about taking things back after the holidays, but just in case, check out our guide to returning anything without a receipt so you're prepared for the Boxing Day battle.

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A Lab On Fire Liquid Night ~ new fragrance

A Lab On Fire has launched Liquid Night, a new fragrance developed by perfumer Carlos Benaïm:

Rich raw materials transformed into a smooth and defined scent, Liquidnight created by perfumer Carlos Benaim explores the hidden depth of the night in New York City.

The notes feature bergamot, lime, saffron, sage, lavender, hinoki wood, incense, vanilla and musk.
A Lab On Fire Liquid Night is available in 15 or 60 ml, 15% concentration. It can be found now at Colette in Paris, or pre-ordered from Min New York.

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Grossmith Black Label ~ new fragrances

Niche line Grossmith has launched the Black Label collection, comprising four new modern fragrances: Floral Veil, Amelia, Golden Chypre and Saffron Rose.
Floral Veil ~ ”An enchanting white floral with an underlying cool aspect. Vibrant citrus notes and green accords provide an attractive contrast to the rich floral heart of geranium, rose, ylang, tuberose and vanilla orchid. The composition rests on a warm smooth base of cashmeran, amber and musk. The contrast between the cool top notes and warm, opulent floral heart make for an intriguing composition.”
Amelia ~ “A soft and elegant modern chypre. This very feminine scent was created in honour of Amelia Brooke, Simon’s great grandmother who was the key to his discovery of the lost perfume house. Amelia’s father was the founder, John Grossmith. Amelia opens with enticing notes of neroli and osmanthus which develop into a smooth floral heart of rose, peony and jasmine, supported by warm amber. Patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver and cashmere musks form the long-lasting and rounded base.”
Golden Chypre ~ “A bright and contemporary interpretation of the classic chypre Golden Chypre conjures up images of late summer sunlight on leaves as their colours begin to change. Spicy notes of cardamom and nutmeg are blended into the opening bright citrus accord. Notes of rose, geranium and heliotrope provide a beautiful balance to the vibrancy of the opening, whist the patchouli lends a warm, earthy quality. Dry, smoky vetiver leads seamlessly into a sensual base of woods, amber and musk.”
Saffron Rose ~ “An authentic and complex oud combining saffron and rose to create a wonderfully rich and opulent scent. This striking composition entices with spicy notes of saffron and cinnamon, supported by a beautiful rose. The heart is comprised of exotic myrrh, oud wood and tobacco, which lend a stunning smoky quality to the fragrance, developing into a luxurious base of creamy woods, labdanum and dark animalic accords.”
Grossmith Black Label Floral Veil, Amelia, Golden Chypre and Saffron Rose are available in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Parfum.

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Anna Sui Rock Me! ~ perfume review

I should begin by admitting that I’m a longtime fan of Anna Sui’s clothing designs and her entire aesthetic. I’ve been known to haunt the Anna Sui boutique in New York, just to browse the latest outfits (and costume jewelry, and fragrances), and I always admire the shop’s décor. I also enjoy the music constantly playing in the background, which sounds like the mix tapes I used to compile for myself and my friends in the late 1980s. Sui has always referred to rock music as one of her inspirations, and her shop is decorated with posters featuring bands from the Woodstock era through The White Stripes and Radiohead.
Since she has always combined fashion with these kinds of cultural references, it makes sense that Anna Sui has just released a fragrance described as a “tribute to the electricity and energy of rock-n-roll.” Rock Me! is an Eau de Toilette with listed notes of pear, green orange, and peach skin; honeysuckle, jasmine, and waterlily; and cedarwood, amber, and vanilla. The bottle is adorable, as Anna Sui fragrance bottles always are: it’s shaped like a purple-and-red guitar and embossed with butterflies, stars, and peace signs. If Jimi Hendrix had a granddaughter, she’d probably love displaying this bottle on her dresser.
Rock Me! is promoted as a “wild young floral fruity essence,” and it comes across more as pop music than as glam or classic rock. Its personality is expressed pretty well by an animated “Rock Me” video: butterflies release twinkling music notes from a guitar, pixies perform a catchy theme song, peace signs and flowers tumble across the screen, and the model Agyness Deyn makes a few appearances, looking over-accessorized but cheerful. The fragrance itself is also bright and neatly structured. The opening phase is a sherbet-like orange-peach blend, slightly acidic around the edges.  Some airy florals bloom in the middle of the fragrance’s development, mostly lily and a mainstream sort of jasmine petal. I don’t notice any pear or honeysuckle, which is fine with me, because those two notes can often feel sticky-sweet on my skin. My favorite part of Rock Me! is the dry-down, when the citrus-smoothie notes melt into an amber-cedar base that feels clean but warm. (When I smelled the fragrance on another woman who was wearing it, I noticed the vanilla more on her than I did on myself.) To summarize, Rock Me! is definitely not wild, it’s youngish but could easily be worn by someone past her teens, and it ends up fruity-woody rather than fruity-floral.
Rock Me! lasted longer than I expected for an Eau de Toilette with so many fruit notes, and I enjoyed it, although nowhere near as much as I love the original Anna Sui fragrance (a powdery tea rose) or even the technicolor gourmand Night of Fancy. It’s a bit more grown-up than some other scents in the line (like Secret Wish or Dolly Girl), and oddly enough, it reminds me of Jean-Paul Gaultier’s Ma Dame, which also employed Agyness Deyn as its “face.” I’m always hoping that Anna Sui will release a dark, spicy rose fragrance, or something quirky like a violet-patchouli blend that would better “match” her clothing and her boutique, but maybe I’ll get my wish next time around.
Anna Sui Rock Me! is available in 50 ($58) and 100 ($74) 100 ml Eau de Toilette. It is sold at Target and Anna Sui boutiques.
Note: If you’re an Anna Sui fan living in Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, or Taiwan, you can enter a Rock Me contest; the grand prize is a trip to New York to attend the 2010 Anna Sui fashion show, something I certainly wouldn’t mind doing mys

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Dolce & Gabbana The One Desire

In collaboration with Procter & Gamble Co. Global Prestige , Dolce & Gabbana are launching a new fragrance named The One Desire, a successor of the popular fragrance The One, launched in 2006. In addition to this debut scent, The One women's fragrance collection includes L'Eau The One , Rose The One and The One Lace Edition . The new fragrance follows the trend of black bottles and its most distinctive feature is its carefully nuanced composition.

“This is for the woman who wants to feel unique, beautiful and sensual. She owns the room when she enters. She’s not just noticed, she attracts the attention of everybody and is sexy but not vulgar," said P&G Prestige vice president Luigi Feola.
The One Desire reveals in the top notes a citrusy blend of bergamot, mandarin, lychee and lily of the valley, emphasizing the glamour and glory of a woman. The heart blooms with seductive tuberose which is cleverly laid out on the base which is made of caramel, vanilla, sandalwood and musk. The scent is designed by Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce, in cooperation with Givaudan's in-house perfumers.

DOLCE&GABBANA THE ONE DESIRE

bergamot, mandarin orange, litchi, lily of the valley
tuberose
caramell, vanilla, sandalwood, musk

The fragrance arrives in a black bottle with gold-colored details. The name (Desire) is also inscribed in gold and hand-written in the Sicilian Baroque style by Stefano Gabbana. The One Desire will be available as 30, 50 and 75 ml eau de parfum. The advertising campaign was photographed by Terry Richardson, and it features celebrity actress Scarlett Johansson. The One Desire fragrance will hit the shelves in January 2013.—WWD.

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Top 10 Windows 8 tips and tricks

Customize your tiles

Make the most of your Windows Start screen tiles by adjusting the sizes, where they are located, and what is listed.

• Move any tile by clicking and dragging the tile. While moving a tile, if you need a larger view of the Start screen move the tile towards the top or bottom of the screen to zoom out.
• Use your mouse wheel to scroll left-to-right through your tiles.
• Any Desktop shortcut or program can be pinned to the Start screen by right-clicking the icon and choosing Pin to Start.
• In the bottom right-hand corner of the start screen is a magnifying glass with tiles, click this icon to get a zoomed out view of your Start screen. In this view, if you right-click on a group of tiles you'll be given the option to name group, which can be useful if you have a group of related tiles (e.g. games). In this view, you can also click and drag a group to organize your tile groups.
• Create a new speed bump between tile groups by moving a tile to a speed bump.
• Resize any User tile or Live tile by right-clicking the tile and choosing resize.
• If there is a tile you want on your Taskbar, right-click the tile and choose Pin to taskbar.
• Show admin applications on the Start screen by clicking Settings in Charms, click Settings, and change the Show administrative tools from No to Yes.
• In Internet Explorer 10, you can also pin any of your favorite web pages to your Start Screen.

Windows 8 keyboard shortcuts

Knowing at least some of the Windows 8 keyboard shortcuts will make your Windows 8 experience much more enjoyable. Try to memorize these top Windows 8 shortcut keys.

• Press the Windows key to open the Start screen or switch to the Desktop (if open).
• Press the Windows key + D will open the Windows Desktop.
• Press the Windows key + . to pin and unpin Windows apps on the side of the screen.
• Press the Windows key + X to open the power user menu, which gives you access to many of the features most power users would want (e.g. Device Manager and Command Prompt).
• Press the Windows key + C to open the Charms.
• Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings, which is the same Settings found in Charms.
• Press and hold the Windows key + Tab to show open apps.
• Press the Windows key + Print screen to create a screen shot, which is automatically saved into your My Pictures folder.

See our Windows shortcuts page for a full listing of all Windows shortcuts.

Know your hot corners

The corners on your screen are hot corners and give you access to different Windows features. Below, is a brief explanation of each of these corners.

Bottom Left-hand corner

The bottom left-hand hot corner of the screen will allow you to access the Start screen, if you're in the Start screen and have the Desktop open, this corner will open the Desktop from the Start screen.

Tip: Right-clicking in the left hand corner will open the power user menu.

Top-left corner of the screen

Moving the mouse to the top-left corner and then down will display all the apps running on the computer. Clicking and dragging any of these apps to the left or right-hand side of the screen will snap that app to that side of the screen. Each of these open app icons can also be right-clicked to close or snap.

Right-hand side of the screen

On the full right-hand side of the screen will be given access to the Windows Charms.

Taking advantage of search

The Search in Windows 8 has been significantly improved when compared to all previous versions of Windows. To search for a file or run a program in Windows 8 from the Start screen just start typing what you're trying to find or want to run.

As you begin typing, the results will start appearing on the left-hand side. In addition to being able to search for files and run programs, the Search also supports limiting the search to apps such as Finance, People, Maps, Photos, Mail, Music, Videos, Weather, and much more. If what you are searching for is not a file or program, click on the app you wish to use as the search. For example, if you were searching for "New York" and selected the Weather App you would be shown the weather in New York, NY.

By default, Search organizes the available Apps by how frequently they are used and then in alphabetical order. If you want to keep your favorite app at the top of the Search list, right-click the app and choose Pin. Pinning the app will lock it in place regardless of how often it is used. If there is an app you don't want (e.g. Finance) you can turn on and off any of the search apps through the PC settings, which is found under the Settings in the Charms.

Bonus tip: The Search is also found through Charms and can also be opened by pressing Windows key + F.

Running two apps side by side

Any app can be pinned to the left or right-hand side of the screen. For example, open the People app and then press the Windows Key + . (period) to move that app to the right-hand side of the screen, pressing the same keys again will move it to the left-hand side, and pressing the same keys again will make it full screen. While an app is pinned, any other app or program can be opened and loaded into the available space on the screen. For example, in the below picture, we've opened a browser window and have the People app running to monitor our social networks.

Any open app can also be pinned using your mouse by clicking at the top of the tile and dragging it to the left or right-hand side of the screen.

Bonus tip: The Desktop can also be pinned to the left or right-hand side of the screen.

Note: In order for snap to work properly your resolution must be at least 1,366 x 768.

Windows 8 Task Manager

The Windows 8 Task Manager has been significantly improved over previous versions of Windows. Some of the new changes include showing a total percent usage at the top of your Processes, which makes it easier to determine total memory and CPU usage, improved Performance graphs, a Startup tab to see startup processes and their impact to system performance, and the App history tab (as shown below) that gives you the total resources an app has used over a period of time. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to start exploring the new Task Manager.

Use a picture password to log into your computer

Windows 8 includes a new feature called Picture password, which allows you to authenticate with the computer using a series of gestures that include circles, straight lines, and taps. Enable this feature if you want a new way to access your computer or have a hard time with passwords.

1. Open the Windows Charms.
2. Click Settings and then More PC settings
3. In the PC settings window click Users and then select Create a picture password

Bonus tip: A four digit pin password can also be created and used to access your computer.

Take advantage of Windows 8 apps

Windows 8 comes included with several apps to help you get the most from your computer. Below are just a few of the included apps.

People

Microsoft touts the People feature in Windows 8 because they understand how many people are using social networks today. In the People feature you'll be able to connect your Windows computer to all the major social networks including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Once connected, you can pin the people app and monitor your social network (as shown below), use People in Search to find people, and get an overview of what is happening in all your social networks.

Reader

The Reader app will give you PDF support right out of the box.

SkyDrive

The SkyDrive app will give you access to the Microsoft cloud service SkyDrive, which allows you to store your photos, documents, and other files in the cloud and access or share those files with any computer with Internet access.

Store

Take advantage of the Windows Store and install one or more of the thousands of available apps designed for Windows 8. The Store is found in the Start screen, or use Search to search the Store app for any apps that you are trying to find.

Know the answers to common questions

Windows 8 is the biggest change to Microsoft Windows since the introduction of Windows 95, which was released all the way back in 1995. Since so many people have grown up with Windows, it can be difficult to transition to a new way of doing things. Below, is a short list of the most common questions previous Windows users will have.

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Top 10 Windows 7 tips

Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts

Use the below Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts to make the most of your Windows 7 experience.

Windows key and the arrow keys

Pressing the Windows key and Left or Right arrow keys will dock the window your viewing to the left or right-hand side of the screen. Pressing the Windows key and the Up arrow will maximize a window and pressing the Windows key and the Down arrow will resize and then minimize the window.

Use Shift: To stretch a window vertically, press the Windows key + Shift + the Up arrow. If you have multiple monitors use the Windows key + Shift + the Left or Right arrow keys to move the window to another monitor.

Windows key and plus and minus keys

If you ever need to zoom in or out of what is being displayed on your screen press the Windows key and the + (plus) or - (minus) keys. Pressing the plus zooms in and once zoomed in the minus will zoom out.

Clear all background programs

If you are not viewing a window in full screen and have other windows open in the background clear all background open windows by pressing the Windows key + the Home key.

• Full listing of computer shortcuts

Use the Windows 7 search

Find and run anything in Windows by using the Windows 7 search box. Click the Start orb or press then Windows key and type the name of the program you wish to run or file you wish to edit. Windows 7 will usually do a good job at finding an exact match and simply pressing enter will execute that program or open that file. If more than one match is found, use the up and down arrow keys to select the file you wish to open and then press Enter.

Running as administrator: Some programs may require administrator mode in order to function properly. You can run any program as administrator from the search box by typing the name of the program you want to run and then instead of pressing Enter to run the program press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to run as administrator. If you want to click and run a program as administrator hold down the Ctrl+Shift and then click the icon.

Take full advantage of the Taskbar

Pin programs to the Taskbar

All programs can be pinned to the Taskbar and allow easy access to your favorite programs without having to use the Start Menu. To Pin a program to the Taskbar right-click on the program or shortcut to the program and in the menu choose the Pin to Taskbar option. Alternatively you can also drag the icon to the Taskbar.

If you want to remove a pinned program, right-click on the Taskbar icon and click Unpin this program from the Taskbar. Alternatively you can also drag the icon off of the task bar and then click Unpin this program from the Taskbar.

Move the icons and pinned programs

Any pinned or opened program on the Taskbar can be moved and arranged. Left-click on any icon on the Taskbar and drag it to the location you want it to remain.

Windows key and a number

Pressing the Windows key and a number on the top row of your keyboard will open the Window corresponding to the open program on your Taskbar. For example, in the below picture of the Windows 7 Taskbar, Firefox i the first icon, Control panel is the second icon, and Adobe Photoshop is the third icon. If the Windows key + 3 was pressed, Adobe Photoshop would become the active window. To make it even easier arrange your icons (as mentioned above) from left to right by most frequently opened.

Pin your favorite folder

If you frequently access the same folder (e.g. your favorites, my documents, Dropbox, etc.) pin the folder to the Windows Explorer icon on the Taskbar. To do this drag your favorite folder to the Taskbar until you see Pin to Windows Explorer. Once pinned, right-click the Explorer icon to access that folder under the Pinned section.

Open a second instance

If you want to open a second instance or window of a program that is already open, press and hold the Shift key and then click the program icon on the Taskbar.

Get to the Desktop

Click the Desktop button on the far right edge of the Taskbar to get to the Desktop.

Customize the Notification area

Windows Vista and Windows 7 allow the Windows Notification area (aka Systray) to be modified. By default, many of the icons shown in the past are now hidden and give Windows a much cleaner look. Customize this area to make icons show or not show by clicking on the up arrow next to the icons and selecting Customize, as shown in the picture to the right. Once in Customize you can choose what programs show, don't show, or only show notifications.

Improve the quality of your text

Use the Windows ClearType Text Tuner to improve the overall quality of all text you read on your screen. To start the ClearType Text Tuner click the Start Orb and type cttune.exe and press Enter.

Enable and disable Windows 7 features

Turn on and off Windows features by clicking Start, typing features and press enter. In the Programs and Features window on the left-hand column click Turn Windows features on or off and in the Windows Features box check or uncheck the features you want enabled or disabled.

Use the Reliability and Performance Monitor

View the reliability history of your computer by using the Reliability Monitor. Click the Start orb and type reliability and press enter for View Reliability History. In the Reliability Monitor, you'll be able to view the overall reliability of your computer and be able to identify any past problems your computer has had.

If you want to view the performance of your computer in real time use the Performance Monitor. Click the Start orb and type performance and press enter for the Performance Monitor. In the Performance Monitor, you can view your computers performance in real time or view a log of your systems performance.

Re-enable underlined keyboard shortcuts

By default, Windows 7 has the underlines for keyboard shortcuts like those shown in the picture to the right disabled. To re-enable these underlines in all Windows programs follow the below steps.

1. Open the Control Panel
2. In the Control Panel click Ease of Access
3. In Ease of Access click Change how your keyboard works
4. Finally, check the Underline keyboard shortcuts and access keys and then click Ok.

Rename multiple files at once

To change the name of multiple files at once highlight all the files you wish to rename in Windows Explorer and press the F2 key. Type in the new name you wish to use for all files and press enter. Once done all files will be renamed to the name entered followed by a unique number.

Install Windows Essentials

Install missing Windows software by installing the free Windows Essentials software package that includes: Windows Live Family Safety, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger, SkyDrive for Windows, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Live Writer, and Microsoft Outlook Hotmail Connector.

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