Ways To Prepare For The Holiday Season — As Seen On CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin”

The holiday season is upon us, and that means we’ll be making great memories with family and friends — whether it’s cooking Thanksgiving dinner together, trimming the Christmas tree, baking gingerbread men and festive with the kiddos, attending holiday light displays with the family, snuggling up to watch Christmas films, or sharing cocktails and laughs at office holiday parties. To help you better navigate the holiday season, I went on CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin” to share some must-have products that will help you better prepare for the packed days and nights ahead. From radiance-boosting skincare products to anxiety-reducing supplements and alcohol-free seltzers, here are some goodies to help make your holidays merrier and brighter.

To view the segment, click here and keep reading for the scoop on all the products seen on air!

CeraVe Skin Renewing Nightly Exfoliating Treatment

As temperatures drop, skin tends to stop losing its radiance. Why? Well, the cold and dry air all around us can lead to a build-up of dead surface skin cells that essentially dull our shine. Exfoliation, then, is key if you want glowing skin during the holiday season. To improve skin’s luminosity and boost hydration, I recommend using CeraVe’s new Skin Renewing Nightly Exfoliating Treatment ($24.99 at Amazon and drugstores nationwide).

This amazing new exfoliating treatment is an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) serum powered by a 5% blend of glycolic and lactic acids that promote skin’s natural exfoliation, sloughing away those dead surface skin cells to reveal a more luminous, even, supple layer of skin. The formula, then, helps to smooth fine lines and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and dark spots— all without unwanted side effects like flaking and redness.

Moreover, the dermatologist-developed formula is ideal for these cooler months since it’s specifically designed to hydrate skin and help it better retain moisture. To that end, the serum includes hyaluronic acid to instantly hydrate skin, giving the complexion a dewier and bouncier appearance, as well as three essential ceramides that help to maintain and reinforce the skin’s protective barrier so it can lock in moisture.

Olay Firming Body Lotion with Collagen 

Now that we’ve got a glowing complexion, it’s time to focus our attention on the skin below the neck — after all, the last thing we want when we slip into our sequined, metallic, sparkly holiday party dresses is to notice that our legs and arms are looking flaky, ashy, cracked, or dull. For skin that’s nourished, moisturized, soft and smooth, check out the new Olay Body Lotion Collection.

Crafted by Olay Skin Experts, the collection combines niacinamide, which is found in Olay’s proprietary B3 Complex, with prestige skincare ingredients such as collagen, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. Each fast-absorbing, non-greasy body lotion hydrates to rejuvenate skin’s surface cells for visibly firmer, more radiant skin over time.

There are three lotions in the collection: the Olay Firming Body Lotion with Collagen; Olay Nourishing Body Lotion with Hyaluronic Acid; and the Olay Revitalizing Body Lotion with Vitamin C. I’m obsessed with the Olay Firming Body Lotion with Collagen as it moisturizes and plumps skin, diminishing fine lines and giving skin a tighter, smoother appearance. And what’s better than taut and radiant skin when twirling around in your holiday frock?

Each Olay Body Lotion is just $9.99 a retailers nationwide.

Secret Fresh Collection

Speaking about must-have beauty products, what is more crucial than deodorant? If you forget deodorant, you’re setting yourself up to have a pretty stinky day —  literally. To avoid any such mishaps, look to the Secret Fresh Collection, which provides 48 hours of sweat protection and odor control. The sweat-activated formula immediately traps odor and releases fragrance, so you can smell nice even when you’re having the naughtiest of nights at those holiday parties!

The Secret Fresh Invisible Solid deodorants come in several light fresh scents including Lavender, and each deodorant is just $4.99 at mass retailers like Target, Walmart, and Walgreens.

Zhou Nutrition Mind + Mood Collection 

The holidays may be a festive and joyful time, it can also be a pretty busy and stressful time. From figuring out travel logistics and accommodating out-of-town guests to planning and cooking elaborate meals, balancing a packed social calendar with our day-to-day obligations, and working our way through our holiday shopping lists, the holidays can leave us feeling anxious and drained.

Luckily, Zhou Nutrition’s Mind + Mood Collection offers a variety of science-backed supplements that will help you better cope with the season’s stressors.

First, when your daily to-do list is as long as Santa’s Nice list, you need to stay focused and remain on task. Enter Zhou Nutrition’s Neuro-Peak, which contains clean ingredients like gingko biloba and vitamin B12 that improve memory, focus, and clarity. You’ll be ticking off the items on that to-do list and feeling accomplished and in control!

Next, we have the brand’s Ashwagandha supplement, featuring an adaptogen blend that incorporates 1200 mg of calming ashwagandha, along with other adaptogens like reishi mushroom, rhodiola and holy basil — all of which help your body better respond to stress. Since stress can lead to a weakened immune system, it’s important to rely on adaptogens like those in this product to help our bodies retain equilibrium.

Finally there’s the Zhou Nutrition Energy & Focus supplement, which combines caffeine and L-Theanine for a focused, smooth energy boost without the jitters or crashes. While many of us swig cup after cup of coffee when we need some pep in our step, we’re all familiar with the unsavory crash that follows these caffeine power-ups. But L-Theanine, a non-protein amino acid, manages to attenuate the adverse effects of caffeine (anxiety, increased heart rate, insomnia, etc.) while still allowing it to work its brain-boosting magic.

Each of these is $14.99 at Walmart, Amazon and ZhouNutrition.com

Q Mixers

To help your cocktails reach new heights and earn kudos from all your holiday party guests, stock up on Q Mixers, the world’s best carbonated mixers. Q Mixers are made with the highest quality ingredients, so they contain no high fructose corn syrup or artificial preservatives – instead, they feature only real ingredients, have less sugar than traditional mixers, and they’re perfectly carbonated so your drink never goes flat.

Q Mixers are carefully crafted so the subtleties of great spirits shine through — whether you’re working with rum, gin, tequila, whiskey, bourbon, or vodka. Q Mixers is available in 12 spectacular flavors, including the new tropical Ginger Beer, which has an irresistible spicy edge to it.

A 4-pack of Q Mixers retails for $3.99 at retailers like Target, Walmart, Whole Foods and Amazon. Make sure to visit QMixers.com for easy and festive cocktail recipes that will delight your holiday party guests!

Hop WTR Sparkling Hop Water

If you love watching football and swigging back a few beers, but you’re looking to cut back on your drinking – or to refrain from consuming alcohol altogether — it’s time to discover Hop WTR.

Hop WTR is a non-alcoholic brew of crisp, bold hops, sparkling water and mood-boosting ingredients purposefully crafted with no calories and no sugar. It’s the ultimate booze-free refreshment choice for beer lovers. Why? Well, the hops used will totally remind you of that full-bodied flavor your favorite IPA but, with no alcohol or calories, this is a significantly healthier alternative to beer.

Not only is HOP WTR great-tasting, but it’s packed with stress-busting adaptogens and nootropics like L-Theanine and Ashwagandha, so you can crack open a cold one and get that chilled-out feeling you crave – without the alcohol, the hangover, or the beer gut.

You can find HOP WTR at H-E-B or HopWTR.com

Hiyo Sparkling Social Tonic

Next up, if you’re looking for a refreshing, fruity, fizzy drink that’s non-alcoholic, Hiyo is just the ticket. Hiyo makes it easy to maintain a booze-free lifestyle during the holidays with its alcohol-free seltzers, which are vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO.

Each Hiyo sparkling social tonic is made with premium organic ingredients including mood-boosting ingredients like ginger, turmeric, and Ashwagandha. Moreover, each Hiyo seltzer contains only 25 calories and 5 grams of sugar so you can rest assured that this isn’t just some sugar-packed mocktail or soda in disguise. Each effervescent beverage is a truly satisfying alcohol alternative that’s flavorful and packed with functional ingredients. Hiyo comes in a variety of flavors including Blackberry Lemon, Watermelon Lime, and Peach Mango.

Visit DrinkHiyo.com to order!