Unless you live in the tropics or the Southern Hemisphere, the holiday season is not only a time of joy and fellowship; it is a time of dry, itchy skin and dry eyes. If the forced-air heating, with its arid, recycled air, doesn't dry you out, lack of sunshine will. And if that doesn't, too much alcohol consumption will. And if that doesn't, the extra load of indoor fungi and bacteria will (the result of leaving doors and windows constantly shut).

What to do, what to do?

1. Turn your house into a jungle, with lots of large house plants misted frequently.
2. Drink the recommended six to eight glasses of water per day.
3. Leave a window opened in your bathroom and bedroom, just a crack, especially at night.
4. Place bowls of water all over the house, to increase the humidity in the air.
5. Have a happy, rewarding and growth-filled holiday and New Year.