We’ve launched a search to find three of the grumpiest people in Britain for our new Cracker Panel.

For the first time, being dull, grouchy and humourless will be a positive asset for a job application with the successful candidates being asked to judge the quality of jokes used in our Christmas crackers. Only jokes which are so good they make even the Victor Meldrews of Britain laugh will make it through to the final list.

If we’re still awake by the time we’ve finished reading your CV, then, clearly, you’re the wrong person for the job. Candidates can nominate themselves but we’d prefer applications to come from close family, friends or colleagues, who may be in a better position to support their claim.

Posts will be part time, and payment will be performance related. Any bonus will be payable in Debenhams products.

Want to apply?

We’ll need five brief but powerful reasons why each candidate is up to the challenge. Email your application to jokepanel@debenhams.com by 30 November.

Check out our current Christmas crackers

Here are some of the worst Christmas Cracker Jokes…

Q. Who hides in the bakery at Christmas?
A. A mince spy.

Q. What’s the fastest thing in water?
A. A motor pike.

Q. Why do birds fly south in winter?
A. Because it’s too far to walk.

Have you heard a worse cracker joke than these? Leave it in a comment below.

The BBC website recently revealed the Toy Retailers Association’s top toys and gifts that everyone seems to have on their wish list this Christmas.

I’m such a big kid when it comes to the festive season and as much as I love Christmas shopping, I understand that for some people it can be a bit of a chore. That’s why we’ve made sure there’s plenty of gift inspiration online including the must-own favourites for children (or the adults who still like to behave like children).

Good news for mums and dads is that the top toys for this Christmas are, on average, less expensive than last year - leaving you a few pennies spare to treat yourself.

As featured on the list, here are some of the gifts we’d recommend to keep the little ones amused. Act quickly though, these must-haves might not be around forever.

• Bakugan Battle Pack
  

• Battle Strikers

• Kidizoom Camera

• Monopoly City

• Princess Peppa’s Palace

• Sylvanian Families Caravan

Celebrities like Fearne Cotton have been sporting the lace tights trend recently and now everyone in our office is lusting after lace.

It’s a really simple trend to wear as it works with so much of your wardrobe. Team it with your skirt suit to add a little something extra to work outfits, spice up that little black dress with some lace tights for the office party or throw them on with denim shorts, boots and layered, belted tops for a more grungy, weekend look.

How to wear:

Avoid going too sexy with short skirts, we much prefer this trend with an edgy, laid-back attitude or to add some fun to smart tailoring or knee-length body con. Wearing all black may take it into Goth territory but that can also look great with the right accessories. Just look to the Twilight movies for inspiration.

Extra ideas for your lace tights:

• The really brave are wearing black lace over brightly coloured tights
• Lace tights with vertical lines are the most slimming option
• When summer comes, cut them off at the knee for a kooky take on the cycle short trend

The best news of all is that this is one of the cheapest ways to update your favourite dress this season so it’s bound to please your bank manager too.

Shop fashion tights

Houndstooth  is everywhere this season and I’m loving the fact that black and white plaid will give my ‘all black’ winter wardrobe a striking new look.

Made classic by Dior, the dogtooth pattern featured as a trend in the 40’s, 60’s and 80’s is now back for 2009 with a contemporary new twist. A great way to don on the trend is to accessorise with a dogtooth scarf. It instantly transforms plainer outfits and keeps off the winter chill.

My ultimate fave though has to be our black and grey dress by Red Herring. Cinched in at the waist this fabulous style creates a figure-flattering silhouette whilst the dogtooth pattern is sure to get you noticed.

Where outerwear is concerned, the Red Herring coat above is great for working houndstooth and the cocoon coat trend all at the same time. It’s definitely THE coat to have this season.

Not just for women, the dogstooth pattern can be seen in men’s fashion too. Debenhams’ selection of flat caps and Baker Boy caps will give your outfit a cool and stylish edge.  In fact, we’re all saying Hurrah for houndstooth!

Top tips:

• If you’re going to wear the dogtooth trend, make sure you don’t over do it, mix and match with plain separates for a sophisticated look
• Don’t just stick to black and white, there are other accent colours like hot pink for something a little bit different

Shop the houndstooth trend

With the whirl of the social season not far away it’s definitely time I made the effort with my fitness regime. Not only does exercise make you healthier, it can actually give you more energy and make you feel more confident about yourself too. My gym kit has seen better days so the launch of Nike’s new yoga range is music to my ears and will spare my embarrassment next time I hit the gym.

Nike’s yoga clothing range features soft and lightweight cottons and Dri-Fit technology to pull perspiration away from the body. Ventilation in garments allows skin to breathe while training keeping you cool and comfortable. I’ve got my eyes on the bright and colourful mats, accessories and tops which will ensure a yoga session is anything but dull. Keep your eyes on our sport and leisure department because stock will be arriving over the next couple of weeks.

I was a yoga fanatic for a couple of years but I’ve since let it slip. Perhaps now is the time to pick it back up and do it in style with help from Nike.

Try these poses…*

Extended triangle
Great for beginners, this pose works to stretch the legs, chest and spine. It’s often used to relieve back pain and you can use it as part of your warm-up for regular workouts too.

Boat
Haiwaian surfer Monyca Byrne Wickey loves this pose because it challenges and improves her core and firms up those abs. Try it every day building up from a 20 second hold to 1 minute.

Crow
One for the more advanced, this pose increases concentration while developing core strength. It requires good balance and is a favourite of American female footballer, Hope Solo.

* Always consult a doctor or qualified instructor before doing any new exercise.

People couldn’t stop talking about it when Kylie first launched her dazzling range of bed linen, cushions and throws and the good news is it’s been updated with some stylish new designs. If you think jewels, shimmer and sparkle are just for fashion and beauty then you’d be wrong. Kylie’s home range includes all those glamorous touches that we’ve come to expect from her red carpet outfits, translated into modern bedding that you can’t stop staring at.

Ideas:

• The Kylie cushions are too beautiful to hide in the bedroom, get some for the living room too
• Mix and match items from different sets for eclectic elegance
• For the ultimate in warmth and style this winter grab one of the luxurious bedspreads

Discover the new ranges: The exotic and alluring Zylia, dramatic Labyrinth and luxurious Carita.

The World’s favourite search engine, Google, recently announced a new tool for online users called SideWiki, designed to help web visitors share information with each other whilst browsing websites. The tool went live back in October but it’s only now that users have started to really get their teeth into it, with comments appearing on many websites, including ours.

To use the new service, Internet users need to download the newest version of the Google toolbar onto their Internet Explorer or Firefox browsers and can then access SideWikis using the relevant button.

Obviously this new technology offers great new opportunities to share information and we at Debenhams will be passing by on occasion to see what comments are being made. If you’d like to get in touch directly however there are better ways of grabbing us, as currently SideWiki doesn’t have a way of replying to individual comments.

Here is a list of the ways you can get in touch with us for a natter or to flag an issue:

• Email us
• Phone us
• Leave us a tweet
• Get in touch on Facebook

Leggings, jeggings and treggings, this season it’s been all about the ‘ings’.

But with all these fashion terms being thrown around, do you know the difference? To make things easier we’ve demystified each style and given you an idea on how to wear them.

Leggings are tight fitting styles that are typically made from a blend of lycra, spandex, nylon, cotton or polyester. They’ve been around practically forever and are usually ankle length but in recent fashion circles leggings can now be longer or shorter (cycle shorts were spotted on the SS10 catwalks).

• Wear leggings underneath short skirts and dresses or with tunic tops for everyday practicality.

Jeggings are fab if you like the look of jeans but prefer the stretch and feel of leggings.  They are the perfect cross between leggings and jeans and some even have the same features as a pair of jeans including stitch detail pockets. They’re versatile, comfortable and uber stylish.

• Throw on your jeggings with slouchy jumpers and cosy knits for a relaxed, weekend look.

Treggings are the latest of the ‘legging craze’. They look like trousers with a fit and shape of leggings. Sleek and tailored, treggings are great for work and give you lasting comfort throughout the day.

• Wear treggings in the office with a tailored jacket for that perfect mix of smart and edgy.

So there you have it… will it be leggings, jeggings or treggings? The outfit possibilities are endless.

P.S. Guys - watch out for meggings, that’s leggings for men… eeek!

Last night was the press preview of H! By Henry Holland, his anticipated new range for Designers at Debenhams.

The event was held at The Vinyl Factory and of course we just had to pop along to take some snaps and get the gossip for our lovely readers. Henry was wearing a distressed denim jacket, bright floral top, from the H! By Henry Holland range, and fab studded shoes (I want them). After rounds of interviews with the likes of Grazia the man of the moment was busy posing for photos and taking his own too on the cool H! By Henry Holland branded disposable cameras.

We had the chance for a quick chat and Henry said he was really looking forward to the range being released in stores and that he couldn’t wait to see what everyone thought of it. Judging by the positive reaction of the press and bloggers who had been invited along, we think it’s certain to be a winner.

So what can you expect? It’s like Clueless meets eighties rock chick, with fab printed mini dresses, plaid shirts, funky denim, polka dots and great accessories like zip detail, colour-block shoes, satchels, brogues and retro watches. February can’t come soon enough for us so we can throw on our floral prints mixed with bright checks. It’s all about mix and match next season don’t you know!

We spotted Hilary Alexander who came by to view the new range wearing a glam fascinator and we also saw bloggers from Fab Frocks, Miggy Likes the Internet, Mademoiselle Robot, and Gem Fatale who’ve all been talking about the collection on their own sites .

And as for Henry… he loves the baseball jacket from his collection. I’m predicting we’re all going to want one come spring when the range hits stores and debenhams.com

What are you looking forward to most?

Move over girls, the guys are out to steal your gadgets and the latest favourite… your hair straighteners.

Our spies on the Debenhams shop floor have told us that more men than ever have been asking about hair straighteners probably due to  male celebs like Peter Andre who spend hours in front of the mirror doing their hair.

Hair straighteners for men have been in such demand that we’ve sourced a mini straightener which works wonders on men’s hair AND fits perfectly into your average man-bag.

Some of the A-list responsible for sparking the trend:

• Peter Andre
• X-factor’s Lloyd Daniels
• Zac Efron
• Peter Crouch
• David Beckham

Those who’ve been tuning in to watch Peter Andre’s real life documentary Peter Andre: Going It Alone, were probably not surprised to see the super-preened pop star running a pair of straighteners through his hair and it seems like men everywhere are doing the same.

Although they’ve really become popular since the nineties, hair straighteners have been around longer than you might think. Hair straighteners as we know them today are credited to Scottish heiress Lady Jennifer Bell Schofield, who refined previous efforts into a hinged, heated iron in 1912.

Tips:

• Girls are using straighteners to curl their hair too – give it a go
• Try the BaByliss Pro 200 Nano for high performance that fits in your bag
• Get a heat-proof mat for your straighteners to avoid damaging surfaces