Frontlines . . . frontlines . . . frontlines . . .

If the thought of shopping, cooking and cleaning for a festive dinner party between now and the end of the year is just too off-putting, you can have a lunch or dinner catered for up to 16 guests (minimum 10) by Marlfield House at the Co Wexford country house and restaurant’s pop-up in a Georgian house in Dublin 4.

Dinner or lunch, including champagne and canapes, and four courses with paired wines, costs from €95 per person. The cooking and serving will be done by Marlfield staff. And the washing-up? That won’t be your problem either. Further details from Margaret or Laura Bowe,

tel: 053-9421124.

* Kick-start theChristmas season with a performance of Handel's Messiahin St Patrick's Cathedral. The performances by the Culwick Choral Society take place on Sunday and Monday November 23rd and 24th, and are in aid of the charity One Family, which supports one-parent families. Tickets are €28, from tel: 01-6629212 or onefamily.ie

Laugh your yoga pants off

They say laughter is the best medicine and, if so, Catherine O'Dea is running a practice that is designed to tickle your funny bone. Laughter Yoga Dublin might sound like something The Office's Steve Carell conjured up in Scranton, but it is rooted in yogic practice and is (no sniggering down the back) considered an aerobic exercise. Diaphragm exercises and yogic breathing teach you an involuntary sort of ha ha that will generate belly laughs that also exorcise negative feelings.

A 10-week session costs €40 but cynics can just dip in and out as needed to boost your bonhomie for €5 a time. The sessions take place on Tuesday evenings from 6.30pm to 7.30pm at the Travel Lodge in Rathmines, Dublin 6. For further information, tel: 01-4922892 or see laughteryogadublin.com. Alanna Gallagher

Women of substance

The Solomon Gallery has returned to Dublin city centre and now occupies a bright white space beside the Westbury Hotel. Its latest exhibition is a series of bronzes by the sculptor Bob Quinn, drawn together under the title Strong Women. The figures embody a range of themes, from mischievous romance in The Elopement to quiet dignity in After the Soldiers Left; and emigration is addressed, as a group of women form an anguished line in The Leaving, but resound as a beautiful wave of joy in The Returning. Emotions are evident, from the tender encircling of a pregnant belly in Stars Look Different Tonightto serene disappointment in The Letter. Pictured here is the genesis of Quinn's project, two greater-than-life-size friends setting out on their Best Night Ever, on permanent display at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. The gallery's Christmas show, opening on December 2nd, will include a glorious pearlescent silkscreen print by Damien Hirst as well as sculpture by John Behan and Anthony Scott. Strong Womenby Bob Quinn is at the Solomon Gallery, Balfe Street, Dublin 2, until November 24th. See solomonfineart.ie; 086-8142380. Joyce Hickey

Lighting up living spaces

Róisín Fitzpatrick (pictured) is a Bray-based artist who turned to creativity following a brain aneurysm and near-death experience. The work features hand-sewn Swarovski crystals on large-format silk canvases. She exhibits her creations in New York and has garnered a following. Her work hangs in Natirar, Richard Branson's recently opened spa in New Jersey, and in the Fitzpatrick Grand Central Hotel in Manhattan. For more see roisinfitzpatrick.com. Prices start from €1,200. Alanna Gallagher

Word on the street: Plotholes

What it means:When you head out to your local Cineplex this weekend, better bring your head-torch and caving gear. Because you might find yourself plunging into a vast plothole, with no way out except through some very convoluted script rewrites. Plotholes are gaping inconsistencies or implausible events in movies that completely undermine the film. And Hollywood is riddled with them. Scriptwriters, in hot pursuit of high concept, often forget to neatly tie up their plot elements, leaving huge cracks in the storyline for cinema audiences to fall into. To avoid these plotholes, it's not enough to simply suspend disbelief – you'd have to hang it from the highest scaffold.

Where it comes from:It's best not to examine your favourite movies too closely, otherwise you'll be driven crazy by a plothole that just cannot be resolved. Why do Marty McFly's parents forget ever meeting him in 1955? Why doesn't Bruce Willis notice that nobody talks to him except a boy who "sees dead people"? And how the hell did Andy Dufresne stick the poster of Raquel Welch back over the hole he dug in his prison cell wall – from behind? Plothole-spotters are having a field day exposing such anomalies, but take my advice: don't let a completely unbelievable script spoil your enjoyment of a good flick.

How to say it:"Okay, at the end, we'll say that it was all a dream, or they were dead the whole time – that should tidy up any plotholes." KEVIN COURTNEY

INDEX

WHAT’S HOT

Motor Tax officeThey phone you up when you've stupidly given them the wrong Laser card number

Amphibian KingGreat fitting service for running shoes, or, our favourite, trail shoes, which are running shoes for people who don't like running. On the Dargle Road as you come into Bray

Going to live rugby matchesEven with a game as bad as Leinster v Munster last Friday, the walk to and from the stadium is special. A modern pilgrimage

Age Delay Night Cream for Mature SkinFrom Tesco's own brand Skin Wisdom. A good product and just €4.99. You don't get to say that very often

'Dublin 1911'Edited by Catriona Crowe, this has to be the most beautifully designed book of the year. Take a bow, Fidelma Slattery

Palindrome timeWe really enjoyed our moment of perfect symmetry at 11:11:11 on the 11/11/11 yesterday. Roll on 12/12/12

Heroine ChicSwedish chain HM's newest collection is inspired by The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, both the Swedish detective novel and the film. Heroine Lisbeth Salander is dressed by rock stylist Trish Summerville in the new American film, which is out after Christmas. Lisbeth's punk collection, also designed by Trish Summerville, is in HM from December 14th

Good enough to eat

Guests at the opening of The Marvel Room in Brown Thomas were handed free Chanel, YSL, Lanvin and Victoria Beckham handbags – to eat. These little cookies, sweet reproductions of their expensive leather counterparts are the work of Kay O'Grady in Dalkey, who started her confectionery business a couple of months ago. She is a drama teacher and her sister is the London-based Irish jeweller Merle O'Grady. She says her work in London with children cutting out shapes and playing with dough gave her a headstart when she started making personalised biscuits for friends. Since then, she has fashioned everything from hairdryers, teapots and moustaches in biscuit format for baby showers, birthdays and other special occasions. Her latest offerings, such as Miu Miu sparkle shoes (above) and Stella McCartney green satin pumps, will tempt those hungry for edible treats. See kaleidoscopebakery.com. Deirdre McQuillan

Bags worth shouting about

If you've nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. It's an adage that has often been repeated, but sometimes it's worth ignoring words of wisdom and going your own way – as Tina Craig and Kelly Cook, the names behind the handbag blog – bagsnob.com – discovered, when criticising DKNY lead to a collaboration with the US brand. The pair designed five "essential" bags with DKNY – the tote, travel and treasure (pictured below, left to right) and the trendy and clutch – to cover all sartorial eventualities, and the results are five sleek, slick handbags that will easily go from day to night, from office to bar. "We wanted to create a collection for the modern-day Amelia Earhart," said Craig of the collaboration. "A girl who knows what she wants and gets it done herself – all while looking gorgeous." The bags are available from Net-a-Porter.com from mid-November. ROSEMARY MAC CABE

Party gear is go

Today sees the launch – just in time for, gulp, the Christmas party circuit – of the Penneys Limited Edition Collection in branches nationwide. It's a glitzy, glamorous collection of dresses and jumpsuits (right) with a vintage-inspired twist. There are drop waists, delicate sequined embellishment and halterneck chain details for glamorous nights on the town. A sequined shift dress (€25) is the perfect antidote to a winter wardrobe full of black, and sheer sleeves provide an extra bit of anti-freeze coverage. Team yours with coloured opaques, a beehive and drop earrings for a 1960s vibe. Also available, though not until mid-December, are these coloured snakeskin court shoes (€15). The purple jump suit is in store mid-November. The Limited Edition Collection is priced from €13 to €25. ROSEMARY MAC CABE

WHAT’S NOT

Death . . .One of the big two certainties in life gets a contemporary twist with a new cheerfully named website deathireland.ie helping Irish people at home and abroad to keep track of funerals

. . . and taxesSelf-employed folk are up to their oxters in receipts as they scrabble to meet the November 15th online tax deadline

The death of Yves Saint Laurent's muse, Loulou de la FalaiseA fashion girl before that meant making billions. And great fun. We'll miss the name

SupermarketsThey move everything when your back is turned. Result: total disorientation. Is this some sort of test?

Salmon, mustard, unwearable tealDo we have to embrace every single aspect of 1940s fashion?

Vitamin pillsIt's much more chic to get your vitamins from food these days. Start munching those Brazil nuts

Red lipstickForget what the magazines tell you about the Christmas season, this is the last thing you should wear to a party. In real life, red lipstick is blooming tricky unless you are under 30, and bring your own lighting director

Cos envyLove, love, love the clothes. Unfortunately they cannot be worn by women with breasts. It's all those high necks . . .

Inappropriate restaurant small talkYes, we know you saw a fascinating documentary about nitrates and cancer but we were enjoying that bacon sandwich