Most of the leaves may have fallen off the trees, and the weather is getting chillier by the day. The nights are longer, and, as the Halloween costumes are put away, the holiday season has officially begun! While you’re probably starting to make your list (and checking it twice!) of things that you need to […]
I will admit for several years now something has been missing when the holidays come around. Perhaps it is the state of the world and all the bad news you hear when you turn on the tv. Maybe its all the pressure you have on you to keep your job in order to be able […]
Setting a holiday budget can be quite a challenge, especially when money is tight enough the rest of the year. And just when you have laid it all out—cutting back on the cost of the traditional family feast with coupons and making the decision to drive to your parents instead of flying—one of your children […]
In our family, we enjoy baking for the holidays. It’s the one time of year that we actually carve out time to spend together in the kitchen baking, donning aprons and listening to festive holiday music. We usually set aside one weekend to get all of the baking done, but I know other families who […]
With the wind blowing and the snow falling, December is a great month for snuggling in with the family for frequent movie nights or marathon afternoons! December is the time that all of the holiday classics play, so you might just be able to watch what’s already playing on television. Otherwise, you can always hit […]
Our family enjoys hosting foreign exchange students, and over the years, we’ve been able to experience some of the interesting observances and celebrations that other cultures participate in. One of our family favorites is one that a German student brought to our home several years ago: St. Nicholas Day.
In Germany, children place one or two […]
I grew up with a Catholic mother and a Jewish father, so I was exposed to all sorts of holiday traditions. Although we celebrated Christmas at home, we’d go to my paternal grandmother’s house every December to observe Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights. We’d gather at some point during the celebration to light candles […]
In our family, we enjoy baking for the holidays. It’s the one time of year that we actually carve out time to spend together in the kitchen baking, donning aprons and listening to festive holiday music. We usually set aside one weekend to get all of the baking done, but I know other families who […]
Our resident TopChef and cooking advisor has some Turkey tips for you this holiday season…… It’s just my husband and I in our household, so I rarely make turkey. Perhaps a turkey breast now and then, but never a whole turkey. Besides I never needed to. Thanksgiving was always celebrated at my uncle’s house with […]
It’s here: the biggest shopping month of the year! With the winter holidays upon us almost any second, you’re being bombarded with gift ideas, sales, signs, commercials and anything else that marketing companies can come up with to make you buy, buy, buy. While you’re busy doing your holiday shopping, though, it’s a good idea […]
The holidays are quickly approaching, but if you’re like anything like me, you spend the first half of December wishing that you’d started your holiday shopping earlier! With many of us feeling the economic pinch, you might not be in the position to spend a lot of money on Christmas and Hanukkah gifts. Homemade gifts […]
