Kitchen - Super dry

For myriad reasons, January should be all about the nesting: bank balances and bodies need to recover and there's a good chance you've received some excellent box sets over Christmas, which will get you through many an evening. But we're still in the market for some cheap luxury, and this tea towel (€16 from Urban Outfitters) will have us attacking domestic chores with relish.

Jewellery - Drop goal

If you're looking for a last-minute present for her, it really doesn't get better than these snow-drop chandelier earrings from TopShop (€X). They're seasonal, they're gorgeous and they look so much more expensive than they actually are.

Party time - Turn it up to '11

It would take a very special event to make us brave town on New Year's Eve, but the Mixed Tape NYE party in Vicar Street, Dublin, could just be that gig. It's an evening of songs and collaborations with Cathy Davey, Neil Hannon, Lisa Hannigan, Jerry Fish (right), David O'Doherty and Richie Egan from Jape, to name but a few, and promises to be an absolute blast. Tickets €35, doors, 8pm.

Television - Flour power

Food writer Nigel Slater did not have a happy childhood; after the death of his mother from asthma, aged nine, he was starved of affection, as he documented in the book Toast. Cooking proved to be his solace and paved the way to a new life, and now the book has been made into a TV film, with Helen Bonham Carter starring as Slater's detested stepmother. Visually, it's a feast of nostalgic food, such as Artic Rolls, that will bring back many memories for children of the '60s. Toast, BBC One, 30 December.

Accessories - Wild in bed

Just when you thought it was impossible to squeeze anything else animal-print into your life, you were wrong. Behold, the leopard-print hot-water bottle from New Look (€12). Clearly, it's an absolute essential right now, as well as being stylish, and honestly, after you buy this, you will never, ever need to buy anything animal-print patterned again.

Make-up - Comprehensive coverage

Of all make-up products out there, it's foundation that we demand the most of: it has to give coverage but not be invisible; we don't want to shine, but nor do we want to look caked in the sutff. Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua, out on 14 January, ticks all the right boxes and best of all, it's suitable for all ages. It's a very good winter investment; €38.

Literature - The jazz age returns

The Baz Luhrmann remake of The Great Gatsby is going to be unavoidable next year, which makes it a perfect time to reacquaint yourself with some of F Scott Fitzgerald's finest short stories and novels. Penguin Classics' new and beautiful hardback editions of his writings mark the 70th anniversary of Fitzgerald's death. These will look great on your bookshelves, but the real pleasure comes from reading them.