IN's guide to making your holiday shopping as easy as mince pie.

By Sarika Chawla

It's that time again! Before you head to the mall to sit on Santa's lap, check out part one of our holiday gift guide to learn about the trendiest, the silliest, and the sweetest treats for the special ones in your life.

Bangles, Baubles and ... Solid Gold?

What better time to share your deepest feelings than the holidays? Celebrity jewelry designer Udi Behr offers up his unique new line Love & Pride that celebrates same-sex committment. Leave a surprise for your honey under the tree with a gorgeous silver or gold committment, promise, or wedding ring embracing your love and pride. www.loveandpride.com.

Has your honey been a good boy this year? Shower him with luxurious items from Raffi's Jewelers. He'll get the gift of a lifetime from a stunning collection of high-end and custom jewelry, including rings, watches, and even a sweet trinket for mom. Raffi's Jewelers, 89-8 Santa Monica Blvd., W. Hlywd. (310) 652-7407.

Beauty Bliss

Fight Christmas morning breath with Crest Glide Deep Clean dental floss. A special ingredient delivers a blast of coolness for a wintery-fresh sensation, and lets you know that you've de-plaqued all those hard-to-reach places. Not only does it make a sweet little stocking stuffer, but also a great subtle Secret Santa hint to your stinky-mouthed co-worker. $3.49-$3.99. Available in stores.

Holiday travel taking its toll? Give your face the lift it needs with Fresh's In-Flight Kit. The three-step program begins with gentle cleansing towelettes to remove impurities, followed by an in-flight mask with Moringa seed extract, and finally a post-flight serum with green coffee that revitalizes and refreshes. All encased in a cunning little zippered case that's easy to toss into your carry on. Available at www.fresh.com.

Transform yourself into a mysterious lady of the East with products created from ancient beauty rituals. Based on the novel and upcoming film adaptation, Memoirs of a Geisha, the Kyoto Empress Gift Set features a blossom-decorated box including floral-scented eau de parfum, rice face wash, flower petal face mask, and refreshing bath gel with sake. A luxurious way to bring out the geisha in you. Available at www.fresh.com.

Metrosexuals stand back. The greatest gift of all is eternal youth, which now comes in the form of flawless skin from Metro Male. The Metro Skin Care line includes and essential cleanser, moisturizer, and anti-aging cream for purification, balance, and protection. Available at www.mymetromale.com.

Eye-Candy Calendars

Sweet-faced, smooth-chested boys are the highlight of Steve Underhill's 2006 calendar, Boy Next Door. Whether they're playing with puppies or posing soulfully in overalls, these guys are sure to please all year long. $14.95. Available in stores.

It's the gift that keeps on giving. The men of Dieux Du Stade (Gods of the Stadium) strip down to their naughty bits in their 2006 calendar. Photographer Fred Goudon shows off the beauty of the 36 nude and semi-nude French rugby champions as they grace the pages every month of the year. Available at www.amazon.com.

They ought to be in the pictures, and they are! Sing a song for Santa with the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles's first-ever GMCLA Goes to the Movies 2006 calendar, featuring chorus members in poses from all your favorite movies, like Patton, Gone With the Wind, and Star Wars. It's gorgeous, collectable, and fabulously gay! Available through 1-800-MEN-SING at www.gmcla.org.

Artist Jeff Compasso showcases the gorgeous male figure in his 2006 calendar Malescapes. Twelve stunning black-and-white images come to life above oversized boxes to keep track of your important dates all year long. $19.99. Available at www.jeffcompasso.com.

Impress your loved ones with 13th century poetry and a practical gift rolled into one. Fusion artist Rassouli complements Rumi's empowering words with timeless paintings. It's the perfect tool forcontemplating life while knowing what day it is! $14.50. Available at www.FusionartInternational.com.

Jerri Hall may not have "kept" him around, but Slavco's starmaking qualities are on full display in his 2006 calendar. The cover has got him shirtless and drenched in rain. 'nuff said. Available in stores.

Fashion Forward

Jorge del Busto's expertise in the fitness industry was a natural way for him to launch his new activear clothing line, Energy Up. Made with natural and organic fabrics in bright colors and bubbly shades, the sophisicated yoga comfies ands signature caps are the perfect addition to your workout routine. Available at www.energyup.tv.

Miss those Superman Underoos? Pretend you're a kid under the Christmas tree wearing Undergear's new retro-inspired collections that appeal to your inner child. Our favorites? The adorable fire engine/ambulance pattered briefs and matching tee, and the superhero-inspired red, white, and blue starred set. Available at www.undergear.com.

Gizmos and Gadgets

Destress your mom with a Magic Bullet. The versatile appliance is the most compact food prep device in the world, with a specially designed blade and bullet design that can do virtually any job in under ten seconds. Make smoothies, gourmet coffee drinks, soups, and a dozen other yummy treats. Available in both tall and short bullet cups. $99.99. Available in stores.

Holidays stress got you breaking out like a teenager? Zap your zits away with the with Zeno, the first over-the-counter medical device to treat acne. Handheld and portable, it'll be the most electric stocking stuffer of the season! $200. For more information, see www.myzeno.com.

Gifts From the Heart

The Barclay Butera Foundation has designed unique items to help raise funds for AIDS Project Los Angeles. The lavish, white-on-white pillow features the words "Angels in L.A.," and specialty votive candles come in a custom box set of three. Donate money in the name of a friend, and APLA will honor them with a cherished gift. ÊAvailable at www.apla.org and www.barclaybuterafoundation.org.

Make a real difference and adopt a pet to spend the holidays and beyond with you. Adopt a dog, cat, bunny, or any other animal that you'll fall in love with at your local shelters. See all Los Angeles shelters at www.laanimalservices.com.

Holiday Treats

Fairy tales really can come true this season with the richest, chewiest, Fairytale Brownies Try out all all 12 flavors, including layered caramel, chunky chocolate chip, flaky coconut, and our favorite, original chocolate. Available at 1-800-FAIRYTALE or www.brownies.com.

Venice-based teahouse Jin Patisserie offers up gorgeous wooden and silk gift boxes of chocolates, each one handmade by chocolatier Kristy Choo. Each piece is a visual work of art, with layers of fresh, pungent flavors unfold in your mouth in a crumbly-creamy sensation. Treat your buds to unexpected tastes like Sea Salt Caramel, Lemon Grass, Chrysanthemum, and Caramel Clove. Call (310) 399-8801, or see www.jinpatisserie.com.

Literary Corner

Make a gay man's DVD collection complete with Advocate editor Alonso Duralde's new book, 101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men. This comprehensive guide covers everything from mainstream spectaculars to indie secrets, from All About Eve to Xanadu. Availble in stores.

Get your kicks the old fashioned way with Tom of Finland's mouth-watering The Comic Collection. It's the only compilation of Tom of Finland's popular panel stories, spanning several decades in five 192-page volumes. Best of all, the elegantly designed books are sized to fit in just one hand. $39.99. Available at www.tomoffinland.com.

Ever heard the story of how Sunset Boulevard the movie became Sunset Boulevard the musical? In her juicy coffee table book, A Fine Romance, entertainment historian Darcie Denkert opens the curtains on Hollywood and Broadway's historical relationship. Royalties will go to the Motion Picture & Television Fund and The Actors' Fund. $45. Available in stores.

Peek inside the private lives of your favorite gay men with Tom Atwood's photography book, Kings in their Castles: Photographs of Queer Men at Home. Stunning images of 71 men, including Edward Albee, John Waters, Junior Vasquez, Joel Schumacher, and Todd Oldham, offer a whimsical glimpse of how the home reflects personality. $35. Available in stores.

Teach your friends and family all about pot. No, not that. Jonathan Adler, who has designed for Will & Grace and the Today Show, his first book, My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living shares tips and treasures for a "happy chic" world. $34.95. Available in stores.

For the guy who has everything but appreciates a hard bod, Slide is a brand-new coffee table book from photographer Kal Yee. Seventy stunning images of firm-figured males embody Yee's energetic process that draws the model towards the camera. Get it personalized with an autograph dedicated to your sweetie at $45. Available at www.slidethebook.com.

Share the holiday spirit with the little tykes in your life. The Tailor's Gift: A Holiday Tale for Everyone, written by IN's own David M. Stern, tells a heartwarming tale of hope and compassion. Follow Shimmel Cloth, the tailor, and his trusty flock of sheep as they save a town that has suffered from disaster. Gorgeously illustrated, it's great for kids of all ages and backgrounds and a lovely tale for families to share. $17.95. Available in stores and at www.tailorsgift.com.

Glamour, luxury, and voracious lust rule every page of Chi Chi LaRue's Warning. The oversized color fashion photographs by Greg Thompson feature Chi Chi's sexiest Rascal models, including Johnny Hazzard, Jan Fischer, and Eddie Stone, showing off all that glitters and more. Available in stores.

Music to His Ears

Charge up your elegant holiday dreamscape as electroclash duo Avenue D sticks it to the man with two self-released albums, As Free As We Wanna Be and Eurawesome. $10. Available at www.avenued.com.

Bette and Barry are together again! Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook pays tribute to the enduring brilliance of jazz vocalist Miss Peggy Lee, with Barry Manilow taking his spot as producer. Together the two conjure up soulful interpretations of Peggy Lee's memorable canon. Available as a traditional CD and as a DualDisc, including never-before-seen home movie footage of Peggy Lee. $18.98. Available in stores.

Deck the halls with Broadway's Greatest GIfts: Carols for a Cure, Volume 7. You can't stop yourself from singing along as entire Broadway community comes together to raise money Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, offering holiday music from nearly every Broadway musical. The two-CD set is sold for six weeks only at participating Broadway shows, and are available at www.broadwaycares.org.

Grammy-winning singer Anita Baker treats her fans to musical delights in A Christmas Fantasy, her first ever Christmas album. Sing along to classics like Frosty the Snowman and I'll be Home for Christmas, as well as a tune from Rodgers and Hammerstein and three new songs. $18.98. Available in stores.

The sensational Diana Krall jingles her jazz with her new album, Christmas Song, featuring a dozen familiar tunes with a swingy twist. Backed by the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, the Canadian-born vocalist offers up bluesy cool renditions of classics like Winter Wonderland and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. $18.98. Available in stores.

Mom's in town so you can't hit the clubs? Get ready to shake your S in the comfort of your own home! DJ Kimberly S. unleashes her second mixed CD, Global Groove, delivering a prime-time blend of disco house grooves, soaring vocals and booty-shaking beats. $16.98. Available in stores.

Show everyone that Mother Britney isn't all sugar and spice with the release of her remix album, In the Mix. Relive the golden years as Mrs. Federline croons perennial faves I'm a Slave 4 U, ...Baby One More Time, and offers up a holiday treat on a platter with the previously unreleased And Then We Kiss. $18.98. Available in stores.

Bring home an award-winning musical with the original cast recording of Judy's Scary Little Christmas. After peforming two standing-room-only engagements in Los Angeles, the cast has returned to bring forth the musical mix of a 1959 Judy Garland Christmas special and The Twilight Zone for this marvelous stocking stuffer. $19.95 Available at www.judychristmas.com.

You saw him featured The Apprentice, then you heard him on XM Radio. Now singer Levi Kreis' new album, One of the Ones is being released just in time for the holidays, where his mellifluous vocals and poignant lyrics about his relationships with men (and one women) will melt your heart. Available at www.cdbaby.com.

Ever since UK-born singer/songwriter Ellie Lawson left her major record label, this iTunes queen has been unstoppable. See what the buzz is all about in The Philosophy Tree, a melodic crop of fruity pop.

$16.98. Available exclusively in Barnes & Noble stores and on www.barnesandnoble.com.

For the true music lover in your life, give the gift of 30 years of historically essential and innovative music with Windham Hill's 30th anniversary CD release, A Quiet Revolution: 30 Years of Windham Hill, a four-CD collection including artists George Winston, Jim Brickman, and Cesaria Evora, plus never-before-released live tracks. $49.98. Available in stores.

'Tis the season of love, fa la la la la...The Rent Original Motion Picture Soundtrack reaches out to those who have been waiting 525,600 minutes for the film, and opens up a whole new generation of drama geeks. Original stars, including Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs, and Idina Menzel sing over 30 songs such as Seasons of Love, and La Vie Boheme. Available in eight special edition formats, each with cover art featuring a different cast member. $27.98. Available in stores.

Doo wop wop away this Christmas as celebrated jazz singer Jane Monheit releases her first holiday-themed collection, The Season. Seasoned and sweet, Monheit works with her quartet on inventive renditions of an eclectic repertoire, including the Carpenters' Merry Christmas Darling. $18.98. Available in stores.

Angie Stone, the First Lady of neo-classic soul returns with the CD Stone Hits: The Very Best of Angie Stone, and the concert DVD Stone Hits Live: The Very Best of Angie Stone offering some of her greatest tunes. The CD includes tracks like "Wish I Didn't Miss You" and "More Than a Woman," and the DVD includes gems like "I Wanna Thank Ya" and "My Man." $14.98 and $18.98. Available in stores.

Country artist Terri Clark expresses her unique voice in the long-awaited album, Life Goes On, celebrating the true spirit of country, from line dancing to honky tonk. $13.98. Available in stores.

Onscreen Desires

It's the ultimate gift box from the ultimate entertainer. Barbra Streisand's early TV specials are now available in one set, with My Name is Barbra, Color Me Barbra, The Belle of 14th Street, Barbra Streisand: A Happening in Central Park, and Barbra Streisand and Other Musical Instrument. If you missed them the first time around, these five DVDs will bring you back to glamorous, fabulous times. $59.98. Available in stores.

Believe in love this holiday season with the DVD release of Cher: Extravaganza - Live at the Mirage. Filmed at the climax of her 1991 Heart of Stone tour, the Dark Lady is joined by a band that includes her son Elijah Blue and soul singer Darlene Love. So gather 'round ye merry ones for a sing-a-long including After All and If I Could Turn Back Time, plus three special bonus tracks. $14.98. Available in stores now.

From the show that's still reeling from Elvis' pelvis come two DVD compilations, proving that rock 'n' roll is truly here to stay. The three-disc set Ed Sullivan's Rock 'N' Roll Classics shows off rare performances from rock legends. Mototown Gold on the Ed Sullivan Show features historical performances taped from 1864-1971 from some of Motown's biggest names. $39.99 and $24.95. Available in stores.

Stationery Surprises

Stuff your sweetie's stocking with rare gifts from the queer past from Homobilia.com. The collection includes sought-after vintage erotica, real photo postcards, vintage advertising, and exceptional photography, capturing the gay experience from days gone by. Available at www.Homobilia.com.

Shopping for holiday cards has never been so easy -- or so rewarding! L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center offers five whimsical holiday cards for the special ones in your life. Treat your sweet to a special card with an image of two boys locking lips under the mistletoe, or choose from several more. Best of all, 40 percent of the proceeds benefit the Gay & Lesbian Center. $37.50 for a box of 25. Available at www.LAGayCenter.org.

Getting tired of the nativity scene? Show your artsy side this season with an exclusive set of holiday gift cards from the MOCA store. In partnership with 12 artists, these mischievous, joyful, stunning, and amusing pieces blur the line between art and popular culture. Available at www.moca.org.

Give your honey a little Reichen this season. Love and Pride Jewelry offers up Amazing Race star Reichen in a series of animated, interactive online greeting cards. You can even "dress or undress" Reichen in Love and Pride jewelry and holiday attire. For each card sent, a contribution will be made to Marriage Equality. Available at www.sendlovegreeting.com.

Unique Boutiques

It's the place that's seriously for the guy who has everything. Darren's gift store specializes in affordable, offbeat items for a perfect package under the tree. The one-stop shop features items from faux alligator-skin clocks to leather-bound boxes. 5406 West Pico, L.A. For more information, call (323) 965-8181.

Did your pooch write to Santa this year? Heavy Petting offers affordable gifts for your pet's greatest desires, including grandiose doggie beds, giant cat trees, and bejeweled collars to satisfy the diva in your Dachsun. 8229 Santa Monica Blvd Ste., 102, W. Hlywd. For more information, call (323) 656-2626.