Gift Ideas for Families

by: ARA

(ARA) - Video games, scooters, new gadgets and the hottest new toys -- the holiday shopping list can go on and on and cost quite a bit of money, and choosing gifts can be very stressful and time consuming. Why not simplify your shopping by selecting a single gift that the entire family can enjoy?

Buying one gift eliminates the anxiety of trying to find exactly the right toy or the correct size and color as the perfect gift. When choosing for a group, it works well to focus on a single theme or activity that the family enjoys doing together such as camping, cycling, hiking, or the arts.

Planning Creative Holiday Parties

by: ARA

(ARA) - “You’re invited . . .” are always popular and welcome words around the holidays. If you’re like me, you love to host a party. But if you’re a hostess with the “leastest” amount of time, a party is a lot of work. Entertaining requires considerable planning and preparation because there are so many things to do.

Think about the parties you’ve attended and what made them special. Was it the food, guests, laughs, decorations, ambience? The parties I liked best were the ones that touched me in a personal way. A special party creates lasting memories for you and your guests. No matter who is on the guest list, the basics of organizing a party are almost always the same. What’s different is how you customize the details. Here are my tips to get you started:

Gathering with Extended Family for the Holidays Doesn’t Have to be Painful

by: ARA

 

(ARA) - Aunt Edna is upset because Cousin Billy is bringing his new girlfriend, and she doesn’t think she should have to buy her a gift. Sue and Harry’s family can only come on the Saturday before the holiday, and Aunt Judy insists that everything be home cooked. Considering the obstacles and opinions, why will Americans mob the airports and highways this holiday season, as they do every year, to attend gatherings with their extended families?

Holiday tree trends: Choose a new theme to decorate your tree

by: NC

 

Choose a new theme to decorate your tree (NC)—Trimming the tree is an activity that captures the holiday spirit and reflects personal style. The decorating team at Canadian Tire suggests these new ways to dress up your holiday tree. Pick an entirely new theme or incorporate fresh touches to complement an existing look.

Top tree decorating trends

When considering a theme to complement your home décor, consider lighting, colour combinations, textures, and the mixing and matching of various materials.

Entertaining Tips:Add a touch of Italian to your dessert table

by: NC

 

Add a touch of Italian to your dessert table (NC)—If you are invited to an Italian home this Christmas chances are you will be served panettone. Or it could be the reverse. If someone of Italian decent is invited to your home this Christmas there is a very good chance they will bring a panettone. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the traditional fruit bread of the old country.

But this is bread with flare. Not only is it packaged festively in shimmering gold wrap for the holidays, it is also shaped like a tall cake – a bit like a chef's hat – and its ingredients of natural yeast, eggs and butter with candied fruit and raisins, make for great diversity at holiday mealtimes.

How to Save Money with Great Gift Ideas

by: Ispas Marin

Want to save $1000 this year for very little effort? Gift giving is an area where impulse buying is a frequent occurrence. I was amazed to discover I was spending over $1500 or more per year for gifts. What have you spent for gifts in the last 12 months?

In my experience, gifts were last minute purchases for which money was no object. I now spend less than $500 per year for gifts. Take two hours of your life and save yourself $1000 or more per year on gift giving.

Tips On Hosting a Christmas tree trimming party

by: Adam Lenk

Do you remember when the Christmas season was less of a hassle and more of a joyous time spent with family and friends? Back in the day, families just seemed to have enough time to sit back and enjoy the holiday season. Today, on the other hand, many people get harried, rushed and basically stressed out during the Christmas holiday. There just seems to be no time to enjoy any of life's simple pleasures when there is so much shopping and entertaining to squeeze in during a short period of time.

Three Steps to Reduce Holiday Stress for Your Kitty

by: Nancy E. wigal

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appreciated - send to nancy@cat-urine-odor-advisor.com

The annual holidays can be a very stressful time for your cat. This is the time of the year when that strange tree goes up, bright trinkets are hung (but all your cat hears is “No, no, bad kitty!” when she tries to explore them), delicious food is prepared (cats need not apply to eat it!), and lots of strange people come tramping into the house.

Dress Your Gifts to Impress

by: ARA

(ARA) - Impress friends and family this holiday season by ditching the wrapping paper for a more personalized gift presentation. Creative packaging can heighten suspense and make gift exchanges more memorable and meaningful. The gifting experts at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM suggest the following wrapping ideas that are guaranteed to dazzle all those on your gift list!

Make the most of renting a holiday/vacation villa in Orlando Florida USA

by: Philip Howard

Going to Florida can be, for most, a holiday of a lifetime quite literally as families choose "The right time to take the Kids" and will only ever go once.

Imagine if your holiday of a lifetime turned into a complete disaster just because you didn't do some simple planning that the 'Kids' could easily do for you?

The Day X-Mass Went Up For Sale

by: Geela

My mom used to say, "we remember a friend with a flower." In other words, it's the intention and not the size of the gift that counts. But in a materialistic-driven society, where everything has a price tag even friendships and holidays, that's considered "uncool" and politically incorrect.

Remember the famous line from the hit movie "Harry Potter" which best captures today's mentality of excessive self-indulgence and a sense of entitlement, "But Mum, how could you get me only 22 presents for X-mass this year...?"

Americans are Turning to Traditional Gifts for Holiday Season

by: ARA
(ARA) - With daily lives run by cell phones, e-mails, and “personal digital assistants,” it’s no wonder Americans feel such a strong desire to reconnect with family, friends, and tradition during the holiday season. And what better way to reconnect than by giving traditional gifts with a handcrafted, personal touch?

Teddy bears have always been a welcomed site on Christmas morning, especially an old fashion teddy bear, like the one you remember as a child. The Vermont Teddy Bear Company handcrafts their teddy bears in the Green Mountains of Vermont and their bears feature the same fully jointed design as the first American Teddy Bear made in 1902.

‘Tis the Season for Toys: America’s Pop Culture Looks Toward Japan

by: ARA

(ARA) – The hustle and bustle of the holiday season has officially arrived. As Jack Frost begins to nip at your nose, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the variety of toys available for your little ones. In perusing toy shelves during holiday shopping this season, you’ll be sure to notice the popularity of Japanese influence in American kids’ brands continues to dominate.

Go to the movies, walk down a toy aisle, or turn on Saturday morning cartoons and you’re more than likely to find all sorts of Japanese influence on current American pop culture.