Monday, December 31, 2012
With friends or family? Reveling or making resolutions?
New Year's eve is upon us! At midnight, we'll be ringing in 2013. What a year 2012 was. From our balmy winter last year to a busy election season this fall, 2012 was a unique year. I always enjoy New Year's eve and the countdown to midnight. The last few years I've spent the night with friends, gathering casually to cook a yummy meal, then wearing silly hats and sounding noisemakers at midnight. Everyone has their own New Year's eve traditions -- or, are you planning to start a new tradition this year? Tell us in the comments below how you'll spend the last hours of 2012.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Share your stories, be they funny or touching, about some of the best gifts you have ever given to others.
Conventional wisdom dictates that 'it is better to give than to receive,' and the adage is repeated often during the holidays. Sometimes giving is incredibly rewarding, as a number of law enforcement officers who recently made a trip to Virginia may attest. Sometimes, it's kind of funny, as in an experience I had a few years ago: The summer of that year, my mother, sister and I had taken a trip to visit family in England. While there, The BBC aired a film from the Carry On series, low-budget comedies made between the '50s and '90s, which my mother had loved when she lived in England. Some quick research on Amazon turned up a boxed set of those movies: The perfect Christmas gift, I thought. I couldn't wait to see the look on her face. …
How much will we spend this year? And what's the best-selling Christmas song of all time? Find the answers below.
We know that there were three Wise Men, 12 days of Christmas and that Santa delivers all his presents around the world in one night. But did you know... $23,439.38 How much it would cost to buy your "true love" all the gifts in the 12 Day of Christmas . 12.9 billion hours, $447 billion How many hours Americans were expected to spend shopping, wrapping and returning gifts last year. That was about 42 hours and $688.87 per person. Get your postman/postwoman a gift According to Hallmark, Christmas is the largest card-sending occasion . Nearly 1.5 billion cards are sent to friends and family every Christmas Season. (That's actually down 400 million cards since 2004.) $983 million The value of U.S. imports of Christmas tree ornaments from…
Monday, December 24, 2012
The North American Aerospace Defense Command has a website that now offers a Santa tracker mobile app to follow the jolly man's magical flight.
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Monday, December 24, 2012
Their wish lists have been made, their photos have been taken with the big guy and cookies and carrots are at the ready for Santa and his reindeer, but do your children ever ask: Where does Santa go on Christmas Eve? How does he travel to everyone's house? Thanks to the folks behind the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Website, families worldwide can now follow Santa's Christmas Journey in real time. In addition to tracking Santa's whereabouts, there is plenty to do at NORAD's Santa-tracking website. Check out the Kids' Countdown Village where there are two dozen games to play. Not near a computer today? NORAD's Santa Tracker is mobile, too. Download the Android or iPhone app and let your kids track Santa from your phone. …
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Scan and share your awkwardness.
Everyone's got them — those awkward family photos that are a hoot to look back on here in 2012. Many old holiday photos also fall into the awkward category. I was looking through some old holiday photos from our family gatherings of yesterday-year recently, and came across some funny ones of me and my cousins when we were young. What about you? Do you have '80s hair on display in a holiday photo? What about fashions from the '70s? Post your awkward family holiday photos by clicking the upload button below the photo at right. Can you outdo your neighbor?
We're looking for photos of the most unique, quirky, or memorable trinkets that you hang on your tree for the holidays.
Holiday decorations do more than glitter and sparkle — they give a hint about the personality of their owners. Whether it's a trinket showing loyalty to a favorite sports team, cartoon character, or store [did you get your mini coffee cup from Dunkin' Donuts this year?] ornaments run the full range of sizes, shapes, and colors. And when it comes time to deck out the tree, it's the ornament that gets the best spot — the perfect place for the ornament to function as a conversation starter. Other folks prefer original, handmade decorations — especially if they were created by the kids when they were younger. Whatever the style, one thing's for sure: favorite decorations are unique. Here's your chance to share photos [or video] of the most …
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Or are you a last-minute gift-getter?
This year, for the first time, I took advantage of Cyber Monday to get a few gifts knocked off my list. The sales on things I was looking at for family and friends weren't incredible, but the 10 percent off here or free shipping there certainly helped. What also helped me out this year was going as simple as possible when it comes to gift giving. Instead of buying my sister and brother-in-law individual gifts, I proposed that my husband and I get them one gift, and they get us one, with a $30 limit. We also instigated a Yankee swap with my inlaws this year, so we don't end up with a ton of gifts that we really don't need. So it'll be a pared-down holiday for us. The best part of holiday giving, I think, is watching a loved one's …
Friday, December 21, 2012
The North American Aerospace Defense Command has a website that now offers a Santa tracker mobile app to follow the jolly man's magical flight.
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Friday, December 21, 2012
They sent him their wish lists, sat on his lap, and left cookies and milk for his arrival. Now the only thing left for children to do is track Santa's progress as he delivers gifts around the world on Christmas Eve. Thanks to the folks behind the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) website, families worldwide can now follow Santa's Christmas journey in real time. NORAD's mission is to detect any incoming threats to the USA & Canada. But that gives them the capability to track Kris Kringle's sleigh. The tradition started in 1955 after an advertisement for Sears Roebuck & Co. misprinted a telephone number for a special "Santa hotline." Instead of reaching Mr. Kringle, the number put kids through to the Continental Air Defense …
My new favorite is a chocolate chip cookie with extra goodies inside.
The favorite holiday recipe in my family is for my mother's chocolate chip cookies. She only makes them for the holidays, handing out tins to relatives and good friends. They're so good, my sister and I still count to make sure we get an equal number of cookies. The problem is, my mom's recipe is a few twists off the Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe. And she won't share what her twists are. I've come close to duplicating her cookies, but they still fall short. I'm anticipating seeing my mom this weekend and claiming my tin, but in the meantime I came across a great recipe for chocolate chip cookies that has it's own little twist of added toffee and hazelnut goodness. Enjoy this recipe, which I found on www.foodnetwork.com, and …
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Five tips to help you keep your resolution.
Are you making a New Year's resolution this year? Do you want to lose weight, gain a new skill or organize your house? Whatever your resolution is, here are some tips to help you stick to it throughout the year. 1. Make it attainable. Be sure that your resolution is attainable. Sticking to your monthly budget is attainable—making a million dollars may not be. 2. Tell everyone. If you tell everyone about your resolution, you are more likely to keep it. If you want to quit smoking, you can even go as far as telling your friends that you'll give them $50 if they catch you lighting up. 3. Be specific. If you want to get fit in the new year, set a specific goal. For example, instead of saying you want to get fit, say you want to lose 10 …
