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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
December is often seen as a time to connect with old friends and faraway family members. It’s cold in many areas of the country, and of course several holidays fall within the course of the month. Did you know that December is designated as Write-a-Friend-a-Letter Month? Since people tend to batten down the hatches and […]
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 search for the perfect Christmas tree is a holiday season rite of passage for many families. You want to love your tree – after all, you’ll most likely be looking at it for several weeks, and for many people, the tree is the center point of the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations, so […]
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 […]
October is Pizza Month! Almost all kids love pizza, whether they’re picky or adventurous eaters. I have one child who only eats cheese pizza, and one who eats everything from pineapples to anchovies on his Italian pie. While it takes some time, spending a fall afternoon making homemade pizzas is a great way to promote […]
With a special holiday involving flowers, chocolate and hearts coming up soon, you may have been planning to spend your extra money on Valentine’s Day items over the next couple of weeks. If you’re hoping to save money in February, though, those are definitely not the items that will be on sale… at least not […]
Now that December has passed, you might be feeling a little bit of that post-holiday letdown. If it’s cold and snowy where you live, you might also be feeling a little stir-crazy! Since most of us don’t have much money to spend on extras just a few days into the new year, it’s easy for […]
