stress-busting holiday gifts

(ARA) - It’s that time of year again -- the holidays are almost upon us. Actually, I’ve seen Santa hanging around some Rochester area stores since before Halloween! But since it seems that every magazine has a gift guide, here are a few ideas that might help reduce the stress at the end of the hectic holiday season, or even after a hectic day at work!

Invigorating Showerheads

Nothing can ruin a shower experience more than a weak shower spray. So give the gift that everyone can enjoy -- a superior showerhead. Look for one offering a strong, invigorating rain-shower experience that provides full coverage and envelops the entire body in warmth and high performance water sprays.

Specialized showerheads allow your gift recipient to choose the distinct spray setting that suits their mood - “relaxing” wide spray, “invigorating” concentrated spray, and combination sprays that offer both experiences. Oh, and the side benefit of these showerheads? If you share the household, you share the experience!

Music to Their Ears

Relaxing music is a great way to de-stress and find your inner peace. How about adding music while enjoying a soothing shower? New water-resistant radios, CD players, or even MP3 players with iPod docking are inexpensive and readily available with features such as hooks or suction cups to make them an easy addition to the shower. Add in a CD of tranquil sounds and your loved ones will soon enjoy melodies in the mornings or bliss before bedtime.

Soothing Support

For those who prefer long soaks in a hot bubble bath, add a bit more comfort with a bath pillow. However, today’s bath pillows have come a long way from the blow-up variety. Try a new waterproof massaging bath pillow. With contoured shapes to support the neck along with built-in massagers, you’ll make your loved ones feel like they’ve just spent a day with the masseuse.

Got Your Back

This one is my personal favorite. It’s a power shiatsu back massager. Set the pad on a chair, plug it in, and voila! You have a personal masseuse! Well, maybe not that good. But this device is really good at relieving back stress. It works both in shiatsu and rolling modes. The shiatsu can dig in pretty deep, so it may not be for everybody. But the rolling part seems gentle enough. You’ll still need a real person to do your neck, though. This device doesn’t go up that high.

The “Wrap” of Luxury

Once the soaking, soaping, and soothing are complete, make sure your loved ones can finish their spa experience wrapped in luxurious warmth. A soft terrycloth robe, perhaps with the extra touch of a personal monogram, will put the final glamorous touch on the entire experience.

Hopefully these spa-inspired gift ideas will help you make your holiday shopping a bit more festive and fun. And the smiles on your loved ones’ faces will definitely make your days merry and bright!

For more information on these gifts visit www.moen.com or www.homedics.com.