Christmas Centerpiece

Watch Kevin Ray from Designing Dream Spaces show how to make a Christmas centerpiece.

A Cozy Quilted Christmas: 90 Designs, 17 Projects to Decorate Your Home

Get the Christmas spirit early this year with the quick and easy holiday projects in A Cozy Quilted Christmas. Mix and match adorable appliqué designs for Santas, snowmen, sleighs, snowflakes, and snow much more to create tree skirts, table runners, and other holiday accessories. Great for gifts and great for making holiday festivities more festive than ever before, these projects put the ho-ho-ho in home décor.

Available at Amazon.com.

How to Make a Candy Christmas Wreath

Jill Cooper from LivingOnADime.com demonstrates how to make a Candy Christmas Wreath. This inexpensive and easy craft is a great gift for the holidays!

Christmas Decorations

In this month's "In the Garden," Mark Viette talks about decorating our homes for the holidays using greenery from the back yard.

Thanksgiving & Christmas: Top 200 Recipes

In TRIED & TRUE – THANKSGIVING & CHRISTMAS, all of your fav-orite holiday recipes are collected in one comprehensive cookbook, along with essential preparation, meal planning, and cooking tips. Featuring Homestyle Turkey—the Michigander Way, Hot Buttered Rum Batter, Rockin’ Oysters Rockefeller, and Santa’s Favorite Cake, this festive TRIED & TRUE volume includes those treasured dishes that families have shared for generations.

Available at Amazon.com.

Choosing Your Turkey

Thanksgiving expert Rick Rodgers offers advice on how to choose your turkey.

How to Prevent Home Fires during the Holidays

Frosty weather, flickering candles and glittering decorations create holiday ambiance. They also account for thousands of personal tragedies each year.

Home fires increase significantly between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, and they’re often sparked by heating sources, candles and poorly placed decorations. To keep your home and family safe this holiday season, call your local furnace specialist or chimney sweep and be mindful with holiday decorations, especially candles.

Don’t Do It Yourself

Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires during the months of December, January and February, second only to cooking equipment as a cause of home fires year-round, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Cindy Woodford has experienced this firsthand. As vice president of homeowners business for Unigard and General Casualty insurance companies, Woodford has seen poorly maintained furnaces and fireplaces cause lots of heartbreak – and a few close calls – during this otherwise joyous time of year. She recalls a lucky Unigard policyholder who had his chimney inspected before firing it up for the season. The professional chimney sweep found two hairline cracks that would have caused a dangerous fire the next time the homeowner used the fireplace.

Woodford also cautions against trying to clean your chimney, which could damage the flue lining, create hairline cracks or push highly flammable creosote into dangerous places. She warned of even more disastrous results when trying to check your furnace – remembering a policyholder who caused a propane explosion while checking for leaks. He was lucky to survive. His home did not.

“Bottom line, have your furnace and fireplace or wood-burning stove checked every year. And leave it to the professionals,” Woodford says. She also recommends checking out the home maintenance checklist at www.unigard.com under Claims & Insurance Info and Safety Tips.

Candle with care

In December, nearly twice as many home fires start with candles than in an average month, according to the NFPA. And from 2000 to 2004 Christmas Day was the peak day for home candle fires, Christmas Eve ranked second, and New Year’s Day was third.

If you think you’re already careful with candles, consider this: A Unigard homeowner recently suffered significant damage after two playful cats swatted over a burning candle. One General Casualty policyholder went to meet the pizza guy on his front porch. During that short time, a candle ignited the home, and it burned to the ground.

Unigard and General Casualty experts offer the following reminders:

* Never leave a burning candle unattended.

* Keep candles where pets and children can’t reach.

* Put candles in fireproof, sturdy holders.

* Opt for flashlights during a blackout.

* Deck the halls with caution.

Home fires during the holiday season are more expensive and dangerous than the rest of the year, largely because of seasonal decorations (Christmas trees, strings of lights, wrapping paper, etc.).

The U.S. Fire Administration reports the average Christmas tree/decoration fire costs $27,259 compared to the average fire loss of $6,245. Even worse, the average fatality rate per 1,000 in a Christmas tree/decoration fire is 21.3, compared to the overall average of 2.5 (2001 – 2002).

To avoid becoming a statistic this season, consider these tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

* Look for artificial trees that are fire-resistant.

* Real trees should be green and fresh. Keep them well watered.

* Keep trees and other flammable decorations away from fireplaces, radiators, candles and other heat sources.

* Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.

“Also, think about how long you’ve had those Christmas lights,” adds Jonathan Farris, assistant vice president at General Casualty. “If you’re using older lights, carefully inspect the wires for any signs of weakening and throw away problem strands.” He also notes that newer lights emit significantly less heat, making them much safer.

“The best advice is to use common sense. Don’t put ashes in a paper bag or leave spray paint cans near the fireplace or thaw your pipes with a blow torch,” Woodford says, citing more examples from the claims files. “It just takes one careless moment to cause a devastating house fire.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

How To Make Eggnog

VideoJug: How To Make Eggnog
A deliciously rich and creamy drink which is traditionally drank at Christmas and New Year. This recipe will leave you wanting to drink it all year round! Appreciate our Eggnog recipe.


Ingredients:
6 eggs
8.8oz sugar
½ tsp. Vanilla essence
½ tsp. Ground nutmeg
7fl oz brandy305fl oz dark rum
17.6fl oz cream
17.6fl oz milk

Directions:
Break the eggs one by one in to a bowl and beat them till there frothy. Beat in the sugar, nutmeg and the vanilla essence. Blend a few sec. Now add the rum, brandy, milk and cream. Place in fridge for half an hour once cooled enjoy.

Compound Christmas Ornaments for the Scroll Saw

The clever yet simple technique of compound cutting on the scroll saw yields impressive results, especially when guided by expertly crafted patterns. Holiday-themed projects include snowmen, candy canes, tree-topping ornaments, Christmas napkin rings, Santa and his sleigh, and many more intricate and beautiful designs. Each project contains a list of necessary supplies, step-by-step instructions, and how-to photos. General scroll saw advice and troubleshooting is also featured.

Available at Amazon.com.

Last Christmas - Wham

Take a trip back to the 80's with George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley of Wham in their music video for Last Christmas.

I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas

No one knows chocolate like Marcel Desaulniers, whose bestselling, award-winning books have made his name synonymous with luscious chocolate desserts. Now Desaulniers has created the ultimate holiday baking book for chocolate lovers everywhere, packed with full-color photography. The 72 chocolate treats and desserts you'll find inside are guaranteed to draw oohs and ahhs from your family and friends, and many are also straightforward to make—which means you'll have time to enjoy Christmas, too!

Available at Amazon.com.

Fraser Fir LED-Lit Christmas Tree

Brookstone prelit Christmas trees are beautiful, festive,& smart! Speckled with brilliant LED lights, their pre lit artificial Christmas tree adds sparkle and majesty to your seasonal décor, while saving up to 80% on your energy costs!

Their prelit Christmas trees are faithful replicas of the mountain-grown beauties found in the thick forests of the Southern Appalachian range. Gorgeous straight out of the box, your new tree will bring holiday cheer for years to come.

Fraser Fir LED-Lit Christmas Tree are available at Brookstone.

How To Make The Perfect Bread Stuffing

VideoJug: How To Make The Perfect Bread Stuffing
The Perfect Bread Stuffing Recipe. This quick and easy bread stuffing is the ideal complement to serve with your Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey. Appreciate our the Perfect Bread Stuffing recipe.

Ingredients:
1 chopped onion
4 chopped celery stalks
1.1 oz butter
6 slices day-old bread, cubed
2 beaten eggs
1 tbsp. chopped thyme
Some vegetable stock
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven at 350 degrees place a saucepan on med heat, once hot melt the butter and add the onions and celery. Stir until the onions are transparent. Transfer the vegetables in to a glass bowl and add the bread, the thyme, the egg season eith salt and pepper and add vegetable stock. Now place in baking dish and cover it with foil no bake for 30min then uncover and cook for another 20 min when done serve.

How to Bring Tradition Back to Your Holiday Decor

Somewhere between the recent explosion of blow-up lawn Santas and twinkling light displays choreographed to an orchestral rendition of “Joy to the World,” many traditional home décor elements have been siphoned out of the modern holiday season.

Not that long ago, preparing for holiday gatherings of family and friends meant physically changing the interior of your home to be warmer and more inviting. It meant creating an atmosphere where people would sit, talk and enjoy each other’s company.

But even though today’s holiday schedule can be a bit overwhelming at times, there are plenty of simple seasonal décor options that will restore tradition to your holiday, and create lasting memories for you and all of your holiday guests.

Color Away the Cold

In many parts of the country, the joy of the holidays is dampened by the cold, wet, snowy and rainy weather that accompanies this time of year. People take refuge inside their homes to keep safe and stay warm. One of the simplest ways to create a holiday atmosphere that is warm and inviting is to change the colors inside your home.

“It is astonishing how affective it can be to repaint a living room or dining room from a cool blue to a rich red or orange,” says Cindy Cragg, home stylist for Colonial Williamsburg. “In the 18th and 19th centuries, rich paint colors were a sign of prestige. Today, many paint companies are offering historically accurate palettes that mirror those colors.

“Williamsburg actually has more than 400 paint colors available through Pratt & Lambert Paints that capture the richness of traditional colonial décor, perfect for the holiday season,” Cragg says.

Table Setting with Style

Inevitably, holiday get-togethers seem to orbit around the dining room table. Whether your table is primarily used as a setting for the annual cookie buffet, or a more traditional location for a sit-down dinner, it has the potential to be a beautiful centerpiece for your home.

Cragg suggests choosing a tablescape that includes seasonal items that can complement your place settings.

“A red apple theme always makes a table setting really pop,” she notes. “This can be easily accomplished by taking some fresh evergreen branches and positioning a few brightly colored red apples throughout the arrangement.”

“If you really want to wow your guests, try stacking alternate layers of apples and greenery in a conical tree formation,” she says, adding that this centerpiece can then be paired with red or green table linen and basic white dishes. For an added jolt of color, place gold-colored chargers under the dinner plates.

Go for Green

Evergreen plants are holiday staples. During this time of year they have a beautiful green color and many of them have very clean, refreshing aromas. And though the traditional Christmas tree is a great first step, there are many other ways to bring these evergreen accents into your home.

One of the most beautiful evergreen plants is the holly. Holly comes in many different variations and can be shaped to fit your needs. Simply placing a few branches of holly on a mantle or fireplace adds a whole new dimension to your décor.

Or, to really add some seasonal sizzle, get a few small potted hollies and place them in a foyer or vestibule. The contrasting red berries and green leaves on the female holly provide a beautiful, and seasonal, color contrast.

Festive Fragrance

Complement your visible décor with an inviting nostalgic aroma. Try putting a little fresh cedar and a pine scented candle into a coffee table arrangement in your family or living room. The scents will fill your house, creating a very inviting atmosphere for everyone who stops over.

Another way to create an engaging scent for your house is by baking cookies. This simple task not only puts you one step closer to filling your cookie tray, but it creates a great aroma in your home. Try to bake two dozen cookies just before guests arrive. Cover any batter that you can’t get to and put it in the fridge. The dough will be fine for 24 hours and you can finish baking the next day.

Keep it Fun

No matter what you do, holiday decorating is an easy and fun way to rejuvenate your home and create a beautiful environment for friends and family alike. All the sights, sounds and smells of your house will make a lasting memory for all of your holiday guests.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - James Taylor

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James Taylor helps us slip into the holiday season with a soulful performance of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.'

8 Days of Christmas - Destiny's Child

Watch Destiny's Child perform '8 Days of Christmas'.

Spruce Up Your Holiday Entertaining Decor

Looking for a little glitz to spruce up your holiday entertaining? You may already have all the trimmings you need right in your own home. This is one of the first places Annie Williamson looks when developing new decorating ideas to capture the magic of the holidays.

As a designer for Replacements, Ltd., the world’s largest supplier of old and new china, crystal, silver and collectibles, it’s not only her job to deck the showroom, but also to help customers come up with their own unique twists to add seasonal glow.

“You don’t have to spend a lot of money or be extraordinarily creative to give your holiday table that extra sparkle,” says Williamson. “You can do so much on a limited budget by starting with china or other items you already have and using them in ways you never imagined.”

Here are a few decorating tips to find items in your own home and turn them into dazzling decorating pieces:

Think Outside the Box

Are your serving pieces in the china cabinet gathering dust? Those could be the start of a perfect centerpiece. “A great idea that’s also really easy is to fill a soup tureen or large serving bowl with fresh flowers or even colorful holiday ornaments to complement your napkins or china,” says Replacements’ Dubravka Vujinovic. “You could do something similar with your sugar bowl, or even fill water goblets or tumblers with flowers to use at each place setting.”

Find Festive Flourishes

You don’t need to have several sets of china to impress your guests. Replacements experts say small flourishes can easily give your table a whole new look.

* Mix old and new china patterns, or even combine pieces of your formal dinnerware with a more casual pattern. For instance, use a colorful earthenware dinner plate such as Homer Laughlin Fiesta as a charger beneath a more delicate china pattern.

* Add a burst of pizzazz by using colored glass plates as accent pieces. For autumn entertaining, you could even place a bright fall leaf on a dinner plate, then place a see-through colored glass plate on top to create a layered effect.

* Look outdoors. Use seasonal greenery, including holly, running cedar or magnolia leaves on the table to add color. For Thanksgiving, decorate with fresh fall leaves and walnuts.

* Fill silver bowls with water and float candles for evening entertaining.

* Add feathers to festive floral arrangements to create a unique look, or use gold and silver bells as accents.

* Instead of flowers, fill clear vases with cranberries, lemons or greenery in water.

* Decorate with ornaments at each place setting. They not only add sparkle, but guests can take home these keepsakes as a reminder of your special evening.

“Chandelier trees are another way to dazzle your guests,” says Williamson. “Take down the chandelier or light fixture over your dining room table then hang a holiday tree upside down from the ceiling and decorate it with lights and ornaments. Not only does this create more space on the table, it’s a great conversation starter.”

Want to learn more inside advice to dazzle your guests? You can find additional decorating tips at www.replacements.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Deck the Halls Like a Pro

Without a doubt, Christmas is truly a magical time of year. Spending time with family, friends and loved ones is one of the reasons why Christmas is so special. Creating traditions, sharing fond memories and simply being together adds to the warmth and merriment of the holidays.

A fun holiday activity that practically every family enjoys is the tradition of decorating the house -- especially the Christmas tree! If you are like most families, you probably have a few boxes of favorite ornaments that you unpack and proudly display year after year. As you carefully hang every last Santa and snowman, you also make room for a couple of new ornaments that you knew would look fabulous among your old favorites.

According to a new survey by Unity Marketing, approximately 80 percent of American households will be “decking their halls” this holiday season. Most individuals will also be adding a few new pieces to their existing ornament and décor collections, just to keep up with what’s currently in style. “This year, that would be a return to old world charm with dynamic colors like sapphire, ruby red and citrine embellished with metallics. There will also be an emphasis on patterns and textures with glitter, beads and etchings; and such icons as birds, pine cones, winter foliage and berries,” says Susan Atchison, trend manager for Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores.

Whether you are hosting a large holiday party or a quiet gathering with close family and friends, here are some quick and easy decorating ideas that will surely add a festive feel to your home:

* Spray garland with white and silver glitter to give it a sugar-coated vintage look and hang it on your staircase rail or fireplace mantle.

* Repetition helps to highlight your holiday theme. Use poinsettias or hydrangea in your tree, garlands, large glass hurricanes or as accents to other centerpieces. You can also tuck them around photo frames, candles etc. Use your favorite item (holly, flowers, pinecones, ornaments) -- the key is to use these items throughout your home.

* Evoke the senses with the smell of home baking and a welcoming feel -- burn candles with scents like cinnamon, pumpkin pie.

* Decorate with beads. Wrap the lower portion of pillar candles with colorful strung beads for a glitzy look or create beautiful beaded ornaments (see instructions below) to coordinate with holiday colors.

* Use your favorite fabric to wrap around the base of your tree instead of using a traditional tree skirt.

* Make colorful, festive, placecards for your holiday dinner with sheets of festive scrapbook paper.

* Sew or wrap pillows in holiday fabrics to scatter on the sofa and chairs for quick holiday touches.

For more ideas and the latest trends in indoor and outdoor holiday decorating projects, visit your local Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store.

Here’s an easy-to-complete craft project you can make to bring the look of Christmas 2007 into your home:

Beaded Icicle Ornaments
Courtesy of Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores

Supplies and Tools:

• 22-gauge floral stem wire
• Beads in assorted sizes
• Wire cutters
• Tacky glue

Directions:

1. Cut wire 6-1/2-inches to 8-1/2-inches long.
2. String small bead on wire, bend wire about 1/2-inch up.
3. String remaining beads on to desired length, covering wire at the end.
4. Bend wire to make hanging loop by placing wire end into last two beads.
5. Add a drop of glue at the top of last bead to secure.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Dreaming of a “Green” Christmas? Try Mini Christmas Trees This Season

Think green is just the traditional color of the holidays? Think again. This season it’s more than a color. It’s the hippest way to decorate while giving back to both your family and Mother Earth.

And the easiest, most festive way to be an earth friendly elf is to decorate with a living Norfolk Island Pine. No live trees to cut down, no dead needles to clean up and no discarded tree to drag to the curb and overload the landfills.

“These living Christmas trees are inexpensive and eco-chic, all wrapped in one decorated package,” says Jose Smith, CEO of Costa Farms, one of the nation’s leading nurseries.

And since Christmas trees are one of the most popular traditions of the season, these miniature living trees present a variety of decorating and gift-giving options along with many green benefits.

But think small. According to Lynn Long from Southern Living, large living trees are “high-maintenance affairs, but these miniature versions are fun to decorate and have some definite advantages over their big, tall look-alikes.”

Easy to grow, Norfolk Island Pines make cheerful centerpieces during your holiday feast and add eco-flair to your home’s décor. A native of the South Pacific, the soft, compact needles and naturally symmetrical shape of the tree provides a charming backdrop for all your seasonal celebrations.

Small enough for a tabletop display in the kitchen or hall or large enough to be the focal point of any room, they tuck nicely into tight spaces in apartments, dorm rooms, patios or cozy corners. After the holidays, untrim your mini tree and place it in a pretty pot and use as a house plant. With just a little care, your Norfolk Island Pine will reward you for many Christmases to come.

Decorating and Gift Giving Tips with Mini Trees

For a green Christmas this year, check out these fun tips:

* “Why not have a living tree in every room?” suggests Southern Living’s Long. “You can get creative and have some fun using your special collections of ornaments on different trees, either in one location or scattered throughout the house.”

* Long suggests choosing a theme for each room, adding petite cooking utensils for the kitchen, candy canes in the den and lovely gold or silver ribbons entwined with flowers in the living room, all in colors that complement the room’s décor.

* For a dramatic look, decorate three to five “themed” trees and set them on your dining table or mantel.

* And don’t forget the children’s own little tree for their rooms. “Think of all the fun and memories you and your kids will have decorating the tree with handmade paper decorations, candies, popcorn and small miniature lights,” says Long.

* Norfolk Island Pines are perfect gifts for college students or apartment dwellers who want a touch of Christmas but don’t have space for a large tree.

* Don’t know what to give your child’s teacher, your boss or hostess? Pick up either the 14- or 22-inch Norfolk Island Pine fully decorated with a gift tag.

Care Tips

Place the Norfolk Island Pine in an open, bright location such as on countertops, tabletops or in an office, but not in full sun. They prefer to be near a window but away from direct heat. Keep the soil moist but don’t let it dry out or stand in water. Feed with a complete balanced fertilizer every month.

As a house plant, the Norfolk Island Pine naturally filters the air and adds much needed moisture to a room, especially needed during the winter. It also absorbs and breaks down harmful pollutants, giving you and your family an extra Christmas gift -- a healthier and greener environment.

If you live where the temperature stays above 60 degrees, such as Zones 9 and 10, your Norfolk Island Pine tree can be planted in the landscape and loved for many years.

Available at neighborhood retailers, 14- or 22-inch Norfolk Island Pines come fully decorated and ready for the party, or select the larger 44-inch tree and custom decorate it with your favorite ornaments.

This year go “green” with a living Norfolk Island Pine and create lasting memories for you and your family. For more information or to find a retailer near you, visit www.costafarms.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Peppermint Bark Recipe

A great recipe for Christmas or any time. This peppermint bark holiday recipe is a real treat - a far cheaper than similar candies sold at William Sonoma.

Expert Tips for Getting Holiday Cards Out on Time and in Style

It’s almost that time of year again when millions of people eagerly look forward to getting something other than junk mail and bills in their stack of mail each night. Every year, almost 2 billion holiday cards inundate the postal system to bring warm holiday wishes to friends and family near and far.

The tradition of sending and receiving holiday cards is an important part of the season for many since it is often the only time of the year when college friends and distant cousins catch up on a year’s worth of life changes. With so many people to shop for and parties to attend, everyone is looking for ways to maximize their time at the holidays. To help out, here are 10 tips from American Greetings Christmas expert Heather Bentley for making the tradition of sending holiday cards an easy task that’s still full of personality.

1. Plan ahead to ensure timely delivery. Bentley suggests allowing enough time for your holiday cards to arrive anywhere between December 10 and December 24. The post office recommends allowing between three and seven days for cards and packages to arrive around the holidays due to the heavy volume, with additional time required for international mail. Make sure you have appropriate postage on hand ahead of time, too. That will allow you to send them as soon as they are done, and you won’t have to plan another trip to the post office as the holidays get closer

2. Shop early for the best selection. Stores will be decked out early for Christmas this year, and American Greetings holiday cards will be available by mid October in places like drug stores, grocery stores and super centers. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers plan to spend over $30 on greeting cards and postage.

3. Take note of blended families and households that do not observe Christmas. Make sure you have cards that say, “Happy Holidays” and other general wishes, and consider using “and family” to include everyone in the home, even if they have different last names. It’s easiest to make note of these special circumstances as you’re updating your address book, which should be done in late November.

4. Tailor card choices to recipients. While close family and friends might appreciate a photo of the kids sitting on Santa’s lap or funny cards that express your sense of humor, more formal “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” messages are more appropriate for business associates. Individual cards, with their more personal sentiments, are the best choice for parents, spouses, siblings, extended family and close friends, while boxed holiday greetings work well for others on your list.

5. Divide up filling out cards and addressing envelopes into a few short chunks of time. According to a recent survey for the Greeting Card Association, more than half of card purchasers will send up to 25 cards, but nearly 15 percent will send more than 50 cards. Writing out 10 cards a night for a few nights makes the job much more manageable.

6. Enlist the family to help out. With your spouse printing computer labels, you writing personal messages inside the cards and the kids applying stamps and decorative envelope seals, sending out holiday cards becomes a shared family tradition. Treat everyone to hot cocoa and cookies when all of the cards are completed.

7. Make notes on personal items to reference: Bentley suggests taking 30 minutes before you start to jot down a recent vacation, anniversary, a favorite hobby or the family pet to reference for each household so the recipient knows you thought of them. This is easier than trying to think of something personal to mention for every card as you go.

8. Take advantage of downtime to complete cards: Keep 3 to 5 cards in your purse or work bag to fill out while waiting to pick up the kids from practice or while on the train to work. If you typically eat lunch at your desk, use this time to also complete a few holiday cards each day. They can also be completed during TV time and doctor’s office waits.

9. Always reciprocate cards you receive: Keep a few extra boxes of cards on hand to respond to cards you receive from folks not on your original list. Put them out on the kitchen counter or desk with labels, stamps, a pen and your address book handy so you can respond quickly and add the new recipients to next year’s list.

10. Remember, there’s always New Year’s. If you just can’t fit in time to send Christmas or Hanukkah cards before the holidays pass, there are plenty of beautiful New Year’s cards that extend the deadline another week, noted Bentley.

Look for American Greetings holiday cards at drug stores, grocery stores and super centers nationwide, as well as in American Greetings and Carlton Cards retail stores. Visit www.americangreetings.com/retailers for a store near you.

Courtesy of ARAcontent