Head of the house

Forget Sunday dinners, or long bracing family walks . . . the chance to lunch out with your ma and both return perfectly coiffed is far more appealing. Pzazz salons at Powerscourt Townhouse Centre and Stillorgan are offering three options . . . treatment and cut or treatment, half/full head of highlights and cut. All come with lunch, glossy mags and lots of coffee to accompany the bonding ritual.

With prices 70- 165 per head, the packages will be available from January, although vouchers can be bought for Christmas.

Double time

They are the ultimate new bits of blingf but with Philip Stein's Teslar watch, it doesn't end there. Displaying two time zones, they also counter the electromagnetic pollution produced by mobile phones, computers and DVD players by creating an electromagnetic force-field of its own. The result . . . more restful sleep, increased energy levels and improved concentration at work. Now available from Anike at Brown Thomas.

Tony heritage

Art luvvy alertf a major retrospective of painter Tony O'Malley's work has recently opened in IMMA, spanning the career of one of the country's most important Irish artists of the past 100 years. The exhibition comprises more than 60 works, drawn mainly from private collections. The exhibition runs through the wet, wintry months until 1 January. Part of our visual heritage indeed.

Kitchen synch

For those who look longingly at the doors of The Clarence Hotel's now defunct underground club, there's a chance to re-live the glory days and do something for Charity on Saturday 5 November. Head to The Vaults in the IFSC, chuck some dosh in the bucket and dance to seminal Kitchen DJs Podje, Dave McDonnell and Warren Kiernan. All proceeds to Our Lady's Hospital and Research Centre in Crumlin and advance tickets can be got by emailing info@collective-music. com. All that's missing is the little watery moat around the dancefloorf

In a Puddle

If you can't keep your kids out of the rain . . . a physical impossibility these days . . . Puddleducks waterproofs are the perfect armour against the elements. Designed and manufactured by a Cork-based company, the collection of dungarees, all-in-ones and fleece-lined jackets are lightweight and designed with children in mind (and are PVC and teflon-free). Highly visible and with reflectors, the waterproofs come in a variety of colours to suit superheroes and princesses alike. Check out www. puddleducks. ie

Book 'em

It's small, it's perfectly formed and it's the funkiest laptop we've seen since Apple got creative. The Flybook is a compact computer that comes with all the desired facilities in an even easier to carry size. It's wifi compatible, there's a GPRS Sim-card slot, it plays DVDs and its touch-response swivel screen is handwriting-sensitive so can be used to take notes.

Costing 2,120. Find out more on www. flybook. biz.

Swirl-sational

Those who have a problem passing pick 'n' mix stations in shopping centres are in for an even worse time with the arrival of HB's Swirl It kiosks at the Jervis Centre, Northside Shopping Centre and The Square in Tallaght.

Choose from a variety of ice cream flavours and then add fresh fruit, chocolate chips, myriad sauces, crumbled cone, nutty clusters, sweetiesf best to do the skinny jeans shopping first.

Flights of fancy

If Heathrow stopovers mean added hours and stress to a journey (as opposed to a chance to lash off on the Paddington Express for some frenzied shopping), The Sheraton Skyline Hotel is now offering ultra-plush, triple-glazed day-rooms with blackout curtains in the quietest part of the hotel.

Whether between flights, delayed, exhausted, in need of a power nap or just wanting to unwind, the hotel also has bars, restaurants and a swimming pool that's infinitely better than any airport lounge. Accessible by transfer coach from Terminals 1,2 and 3, at 88 for day-occupancy, it's a smart in-transit option. For more information, check out www. sheraton. com/skyline.

Melanie Morris hotshots@tribune. ie