GAL APPROVED Holiday! Your Xmas Tree Rockefeller Style, REI in NYC, Younger Skin & Gifting Clean Water

By DIVAGALS | December 2, 2011 | Entertainment

LIGHT. Just how does the Christmas tree look so amazing each year at Rockefeller Center? And how did they find this year’s 74-foot-tall Norway Spruce? The DivaGals got the answers Wednesday night at the official Rockefeller Tree Lighting in New York City, which aired on NBC. Head Gardener Eric Pauze found the tree while driving by the private residence of the Keller/Crawford family in Mifflinville, Pa. “You couldn’t miss its height,” he declared during the lighting festivities. It takes about two weeks to decorate the tree with 30,000 energy efficient LED lights. While the tree was drinking about 90 gallons of water a day when it first arrived in the Center, “it’s down to about 25 to 30 now,” Eric shared. The tree will also have a great life after its appearance in the Center.┬á “We take the trunk and mill it into lumber for Habitat for Humanity, and the branches become pulp for paper to make books.” Eric also gave us some tips on making your own tree looking incredible this season. “After you buy it, knock it on the floor and make sure all the needles don’t fall off,” he advised. “Keep it away from heat. Put it in a nice area, put some water in it every day and it will take care of itself.” Happy tree caring!

CLEAN. Want one of your holiday gifts to be a little out of the box this season? How about giving the gift of clean water? ZeroWater filtration dispensers have one goal: to eliminate all total dissolved solids (salt, metal, lead, etc.) from your drinking water. But how do you know if it’s working? When you get a dispenser (which come in three sizes), you also get a TDS meter to measure its degree of filtration, zero being the best reading. The DivaGals did our own non-scientific test with a glass of NYC finest tap vs. a glass of ZeroWater. The Results? Tap ΓÇô 46, ZeroWater ΓÇô zero. It may take a moment to get used to the “clean” taste of your water, but isn’t it worth it? Now if you really want to take your gift to the next level, also make a donation to Matt Damon‘s charity, www.Water.org, which will help someone less fortunate also have access to clean water.

CLEAR. Ever thought to yourself, I wish I still had the face of 25-year-old? Now you can, literally. Cellure, the latest anti-aging skincare breakthrough, has opened a location in New York City’s SoHo to help you achieve clear, younger skin through six products. Along with anti-aging cleanser and toner, there is the concentrated serum — and this is where it gets interesting — a collection of stem cells derived from healthy 25-year-old adults that adds a boost of powerful proteins to stimulate your own skin’s fountain of youth, according to the company. At the sleek, white storefront you can purchase a trial kit and play with the products in one of their private sink stations; an electronic screen takes you through the whole process. Need a holiday incentive? Purchase Cellure’s new Hero Set: a REWORK: Eye Treatment and REGENERATE: Serum Booster, and receive the RESTART: Skin Cleanser free! This offer is available through the end of December. Visit CellureΓÇÖs Soho location at 422 West Broadway and learn more at www.cellureskincare.com.

SHOP. For the perfect gift for your outdoorsy friend, check the new REI store in New York City’s Soho district. Housed inside the historical Puck Building at Broadway and Lafayette, the environmentally-conscience company utilizes and showcases original elements from the 126-year-old location, such as restored chandeliers, wall art made from old printing plates and a steam engine that the sub-basement is built around. REI’s motto is to “inspire, educate and outfit” people for human-powered activity. Biking, skiing, rock-climbing, running equipment; it’s all in REI’s 35,000 square-foot space.┬áKnowing how New Yorkers love amenities, REI offers extras like a bike and snowboard concierge on its ground floor and the REI adventure kiosk. Not the outdoor type? There is still a good reason to be one of the first 1200 shoppers when then store officially opens its doors at 10 a.m. this morning: free on line beverages and tote bags or gift cards, and to purchase this majorly hot Emerson tote from Eagle Creek (pictured) for $145. Miss Friday? The store is doing three days of giveaways throughout the weekend. Check out more about the store and its lifetime membership program at www.rei.com.