Save money this holiday season by doing your own gift wrap!

Exquisitely wrapped gifts add a magical touch to Christmas. These shimmering silvery parcels or textured fabric bundles are a pleasant change from the mundane store bought gift wrap.

But why spend a fortune on buying Christmas gift bags when you can make your own?

You can have such fun wrapping presents and the highlight will be the enjoyment of giving! Read on and learn how to make your own unique Christmas gift wrap.

Making your own Creative Gift Wrap

This is a fairly obvious and straight forward idea but here are a couple of ideas that you can look particularly effective that will make it easier if you are going to make a large amount of gift wrap.

Pewter Painted Leaf Paper

1. Spread out a sheet of brown paper. Arrange dried leaves on the surface in a pleasing pattern.
2. Fill a jam jar with water and squeeze a little pewter paint on the jar lid, using it as a palette.
3. Remove one leaf from its position and decide which side to paint on; the underside will show the veining better.
4. Apply the pewter paint with a wet paintbrush.
5. Return the leaf to its position and press firmly yet carefully to avoid smudging. Remove to reveal your print.

Frosted, Opalescent, and Glittering Tissue Papers

Experiment with your own ideas, patterns and colors with these fabulous, highly unique tissue wrapping papers. Simply paint moistened acrylic paint on white or colored tissue paper folded out at double thickness. Finish it off with sequins, pearls and sheesha glass.

Decadent Do-it-yourself Christmas Packaging

You can still brighten up your packaging without making everything from scratch. If you want to use simple store bought materials, you can follow these easy instructions to elaborately and impressively package your gifts:

1. Make sure whatever the gift, it is inside a snug fitting box as regular shapes are far easier to wrap.
2. First wrap your present in decorated tissue paper and secure the ends.
3. Overwrap the parcel with clear cellophane, again securing neatly with tape or a spot of glue.
4. Tie a generous length of ribbon around the parcel and finish in an extravagant bow.
5. Decorate with crystals, beads, tassels, or silver-sprayed leaves.
6. For a personal touch add a home-made gift tag with silver embroidery thread.

Painted Hatboxes and Gift Boxes

Decorated hatboxes make fabulous Christmas presents in themselves. The options are endless so you can personalize it for the person the gift is intended for and they will hold any awkward shaped gifts in style.

You can either simply adorned it in a sizzling color, scattered sequins, paper flowers and glitter glue finished with an elaborate bow. Or follow these easy instructions to make a more traditional Christmas portrait gift box:

1. Paint the box itself all over, inside and out of the lid, with matt emulsion paint and let it dry thoroughly. Coat it twice, lightly sanding off the emulsion between the coatings.
2. Lay your chosen picture against the box lid and make sure it fills the space. Cherubs, angels, and Victorian Christmas scenes are excellent if you can find them on old calendars or gift cards.
3. If the portrait doesn’t fit exactly, trim it and use gold relief outliner to draw scrolls, squiggles, a trellis effect or any other pattern around the portrait.
4. On the outside edge of the lid, glue a length of gold braid, ribbon or gold foil frill.
5. Tie and glue a pretty ribbon around the middle of the box itself.

Silk Velvet Purses

The wintry light reflects upon these sumptuously soft silk velvet purses, the subtly muted rich colors of which can be enhanced by unusual decorations, making them luxuriously desirable and unique gifts to receive.

1. Start with a long narrow rectangle of silk velvet, right-side up.
2. Take the raw edge of the left-hand short end and turn it under twice. Pin and stitch in place to prevent fraying. Take this neatened end of the fabric and fold one-third up on to itself, right sides together. Pin in place.
3. Neaten the raw edge of the other end of the rectangle and also turn it under twice, pin and stitch. Fold the fabric onto itself again, bringing the neatened edge to meet the first one exactly.
4. Pin and stitch the two side seams together overstitching the raw edges to prevent them fraying. Turn the fabric right side out and you have a purse with a central slit for an opening. Create the purse flap by folding the top part of the purse over the bottom.
5. Stitch a little plastic trinket on the outside of the top flap and the weight of this will hold the flap in place.

Wrapping Holiday Gift Cards

While gift cards or money are often welcome presents, handing over a plain white envelope shows a distinct lack of imagination. Instead, disguise vouchers or notes in rolled tubes, which can be embellished in many ways.

1. Cut squares of card, lay the gift card (in its envelope) on top and roll up tightly.
2. Tape in place, wrap and tie with a ribbon. You could find some pretty beaded hat pins at an antiques market or craft store.
3. Tie them to the gift tubes with a length of gauzy ribbon remembering to place the safety cap on the pin.
4. If you have several gift vouchers to give, pile the decorated tubes in a pretty bowl or add an extra ribbon loop and hang them from the tree.

Quick Fix Wrapping Tips with Ribbon

• Old-fashioned pill boxes make perfect containers for special presents such as earrings or cufflinks. There’s no need to wrap the box; simply tie with a ribbon.
• French paper sweet bags make pretty gift wrapping. Place the gift inside, toll the top down and punch two holes through the rolled paper. Thread with ribbon and tie.
• To make a gift bag, use a ‘mold’ such as a book. Wrap a length of good quality paper around the book and tape the central join, then neatly fold and tape one end. Slip the book out and crease the narrow sides to form a bag shape. Place the gift inside, fold over the top edge twice, then wrap ribbon around the bag and tie.

Make your own halloween costume at home with a cardboard box and some good old fashion creativity.

With Halloween on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about costumes. While store-bought costumes are really easy to find, there’s nothing like making a costume with your children, and more often than not it’s a cheaper option too.

Unfortunately, most make your own costume ideas require you to sew like Martha Stewart, so if you’re not handy with a needle or sewing machine, you’re out of luck, right? Wrong.

You can make a creative and fun Halloween costume using materials that are around your home right now, and all you need is a box, some glue, a pair of scissors, and a little creativity.

Halloween Costume Project: Robot

Materials needed:

• Cardboard box
• Two 20 oz. plastic soda bottles
• Screw off bottle tops, foamies, electrical tape, and other decorations
• String
• Paint, paper, or aluminum foil

Steps to Make Your Halloween Robot Costume

1. First, make the robot Halloween costume body. Turn the box so your child’s torso will fit inside. Cut a hole on the top for the head and holes on the sides for arms. Cut out the entire bottom of the box for the legs. Depending on the construction of the box, you may need to use a hot glue gun to keep it from falling apart after you remove one side entirely.
2. Decorate the body with paint, glue decorative paper to it, or glue aluminum foil onto it to get the effect you want. Create knobs, screens, and panels on the body using your decorative material. For example, you can make a series of turn knobs by spray painting some bottle tops and gluing them onto the body. Foamies can become push buttons. Create a waist or a belt with electrical tape. Or, come up with your own idea.
3. Now, make the robot arms and legs. Using a sturdy pair of scissors, cut the tops and bottoms off the soda bottles. Then cut the bottles in half length-wise. Now you will have four ridged guards that you can tie to your child’s arms with string. (Consider using a hole punch to make the holes for the string, particularly if you’ve selected a thick bottle.) A simple application of metallic paint to the guards will make them look like robot arms.
4. If you want, you can purchase some face paint to help complete the outfit. Robot face paint application is actually very easy. Paint the entire face in the base color of your choice, making sure not to get too close to the eyes. Then, with a paint crayon that is safe for facial use, draw straight lines from the middle of the chin back to the bottom of the ears to create a robot jaw. Create a robot mouth by drawing two straight lines from the corners of the mouth down to meet the jaw. Then, draw two straight lines down either side of the nose, connecting them above the nostrils. Now you have a robot nose. You can add robot cheekbones with a straight line right across the apples of the cheeks. And last but not least, add a line straight across the forehead.
5. If you’ve gone with the traditional silver robot, dress your child in black clothes underneath, since they’ll show around the arm and leg guards. If you’ve chosen a different color, simply select something that will coordinate well.

Costume Idea: Cell Phone

• Materials needed:One or two cardboard boxes
• String
• Paint or craft paper
• Large number cutouts made from either paper or foam
• A large pipe cleaner
• Black magic marker

Steps to Create Halloween Cell Phone Costume:

1. As with the robot Halloween costume, you’ll first need to decide how to orient the box. With the cell phone costume, you have another element to consider, though: you need something to flip open from the bottom to create a flip phone. If you only have one box, you can turn it so that one of the flaps hangs open at the bottom. However, you may end up with gaps in the body of the box that will need to be covered. It’s best to have two boxes: use one for the body and use the other to create the flap. Cut head and arm holes. Cut out the bottom of the box for the body to fit through.
2. If you’re using two boxes, cut a flap off of the second box and attach it to the body of the costume. You want it to swing open and shut freely, so tying it on with string is your best bet.
3. Now, cover the body of the phone. You can use spray paint, craft paint, or glue attractive craft paper onto it.
4. It’s time to decorate. Start at the top down. First, you need an antenna. Glue a pipe cleaner to the top corner, making sure that it’s not going to jab your child in the face. On the body, you’ll need a large rectangle for the speaker, and then the number pad underneath. Use the number cutouts to make the number pad; if you’re lucky enough to find the * and # signs, that’s fabulous. If not, you can always fill them in with the marker. You may also opt to outline the “buttons” with marker to make them stand out more. Lastly, on the inside of the loose flap, you’ll need to put some large black dots for the microphone.
5. Dress your child in a coordinating color, since his or her arms and legs will show, and you’re all set for Halloween!

With some planning and bargain hunting you can still find great christmas presents for less than !

Well its just about ninety days til the big day every kid waits for so impatiently; they’ll start counting the days before Santa’s visit all too soon!

Halloween and Thanksgiving are just around the bend and if you start now, you won’t have to worry that you’ll still be finishing the wrapping on Christmas morning!

Yes, we know it’s a little early to promote Christmas already, but smart gift shoppers always plan as far ahead as possible and some of us would consider the first week of fall too late to just be getting started!

Since this was our most popular story last year, we’ve updated it a bit to demonstrate you really can buy thoughtful and memorable gifts for friends and family for LESS THAN $25. Read on and save money this holiday season!

There are so many people who are hard to buy for and others who you just don’t have a clue what they might really like. and still a few more, that you would like to give something special but you just don’t want to break the bank; Its the third category that we’re going to concern ourselves with today, and find them something pleasing that doesn’t cost the earth.

With that in mind, we’ve surfed the net, taken the virtual walk as it were, to the shops and stores Internet wide to find high quality at low pricing, and done it in time to give you time to place those orders so they will have plenty of space to arrive prior to Christmas. I personally think 20 or 25 dollars not an exorbitant price for a nice gift for someone special.

Keeping that price as our top of the line, we went hunting. First up on our Internet tour of gifts under twenty five dollars, COLLECTIONS ETC, which I personally recommend for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the quality and value. You will be literally astounded at the quality of the goods that arrive at your home and nothing in the catalog is over twenty dollars.

I ordered bar stools, an outdoor thermometer, a rustic table with an opening top, and I have at no time had a complaint about the merchandise or the cost. The turnaround time for me was about 7 days, however there are of course speedier ways to ship.

I would allow an extra day or two at the holiday season to be certain you get your packages on time, more of course if you want to send them off to another area yourself. The moose table that I purchased for under twenty dollars, is very close to the same quality as one that I paid three times that for. Among the unique and interesting gifts that you can find there for under twenty dollars? The little river fountain, ringing up at just 14.99 will offer a gardener the lovely sound of trickling water either inside or outside.

Cool pyramid light is an interesting low budget gift idea.

The unique Solar Acorn Light has a panel that will gather the sunlight during the day and provide light for a porch at night. It provides a lovely diffuse light that is rather an amber color and the solar panel works remarkably well, keeping the light lit most of the night if you select not to use the on off switch that is included. It sells for under ten dollars at Collections.

The site has simply thousands of items that are priced to sell at a cost for an art set for a child beginning at 10.00 and moving up to nothing on the entire site that I could find for more than 25.00 USD. For you Egyptian enthusiasts, the Pyramid votive holder; measuring over a foot tall for under ten dollars. Made entirely of metal it was a surprisingly great value for about 5 dollars USD.

For the Southwestern Decorating Fan, the Kasa Porcelain doll, ringing up at just 17.99 fills the bill. Dressed in authentic Native American styles she is about 12 inches tall and lovely enough to impress a collector or delight a child.

Kasa Porcelain doll makes a great gift for little girls who like to collect dolls.

Moving away from Collections Etc, and toward a treat for the tummy, a few streets down on our Internet walk we find the tea and coffee site of The English Tea Store, who stock teas and oh so much for for those of us who love British teas, foods and want the real thing. These folks not only know tea, but they know prices.

My ceramic tea pot was just about 3.95 for a 4 cup model, and that is most certainly a price you can live with. Stocking British teas, clotted cream, lemon curd and some lovely tea pots and kettles beginning at the wonderful price of just 3.95 for a 6 cup ceramic tea pot, they are located in the United states so you have plenty of time to get your parcels before Christmas, with just a 5-7 day turnaround time on packages that I’ve ordered personally.

They stock traditional Christmas Crackers at a price just a few pennies over ten dollars, as well as McVites Christmas biscuits/cookies packaged in a tin for just 17.00 They feature anything and everything the tea lover could want, including tea chests of wood and biscuit tins as well as a porcelain tea set for the collector or the child at prices ranging from just 9.99 up to 19.99. If you’re in the market for something a bit more upscale, they do offer other fare as well, such as fine bone china teapots.

Tea sets are adored by girls of any age!

A right turn down an old country lane gets us to the clothing shoppe of L.L.Bean, who provide for your warmth and comfort. While some of their goods are a good bit more, some careful browsing can net you items such as this fleece pullover, in the markdown department, of polartec, soft and oh so warm, for just 12.95.

Buy discounted clothing items online so that they can be exchanged easily if the size or color is wrong.

The child in your life will love the rain-gear, with adorable images of turtles and priced to sell at just 19.95. L.L. Bean is known world wide for the quality of their outerwear. Finding it at sale cost makes it a terrific gift .. and this child’s rain gear is definitely worth the price.

For the more discerning recipient, we take a short jaunt up the road to the china shops of Royal Doulton, who proffer their own sale range goods from among their quality fine bone china. I recommend the tea cup and saucer sets that are sold for just 17.95, and have an image of a different flower for each month. Of the same quality as their full priced range of course, they are simply marked down to move more quickly.

The Old Country Rose, the most popular china pattern in the world today, is represented in our low cost, high quality goods by this

A porcelain vase for under 25 dollars; WOW!

There are clearance sections in nearly every store Internet wide, that may not be available to you in the actual physical location and we recommend that you shop those areas and order goods that don’t lower in quality simply because the price went down.

If you find a particularly good deal that you’d like to share with our readers, please do come back and pass it along. Merry Christmas and Happy hunting!

Its easy to paint your own autumn tablecloth using these simple materials and our How To guide and pattern.

Autumn is my favorite season and I love to toss in some of falls blazing colors in the decorating scheme.

Particularly at Halloween and Thanksgiving, it’s remarkable how well they fit in and how lovely they can look when dressed up with some fall decorations for a centerpiece.

One of my very favorite table covers was made using nothing more than Delta Fabric Paints or Delta Ceramcoat Paint, which has been mixed with fabric medium to render it washable.

You can easily duplicate my efforts if you like the looks of this piece, simply by using an iron on pencil to trace around the leaves and pressing the design onto a fabric tablecloth or luncheon cloth, or any other items you might choose to embellish. Those could include plain pot holders a tea cozy or even a shirt.

The design will look equally well on either a white, or darker background such as burgundy or brown as you can see by the coloration of it.

Materials You Will Need

• Iron on Pencil Table Cloth to fit your table
• Delta paints; light brown, pigskin, apricot, avocado, holly day red, gold, sunbright yellow
• Liner brush, flat shader brush, pointed round brush

Instructions to Paint Your Fall Tablecloth

1. Using the pattern provided, transfer it to the cloth by the use of parchment paper and the tracing pencil to your tablecloth or other fabric.
2. If you prefer to use a larger pattern you will need to enlarge it using your copier or scanner, or print the pattern out at 150% of the original size.
3. You will want to complete one leaf or design area at a time, working wet on wet to permit your shading and blending to work well.
4. Use the brush that fits the area best that you are working on. Fill in the leaves first, shading lightly along the center lines and sides of the leaves.
5. Using the liner, outline the leaf pattern. If you like, you may also add some shades of reddish brown or deep burgundies to the pattern such as appear in nature at this time of the year. Be limited only by your imagination.
6. Note: It is important to wash your tablecloth first to remove any sizing from the clothign which will prevent the paint from penetrating the fabric, and to be sure that your brush has any excess water from rinsing removed as this will cause bleeding of the paint outside the design areas.

Below you will find the pattern as well as a photo of the finished piece to be used as a guide in color placement:

Home for Thanksgiving ... A fall centerpiece will give your thanksgiving day table a festive, comfortable setting!

Thanksgiving is a time of reflection on the joys the year has brought us as well as a time to revel in the warmth of our family and friends. The holiday brings to mind lazy afternoons around the fire, an occasional football game, and laughter around the most important symbol of all; the Thanksgiving table.

Thanksgiving Tables

There is no right way to serve the glorious meal we prepare every year for Thanksgiving. Traditional pictures of tabletop finery surrounded by smiling family members watching as the traditional turkey is served have lasted for generations. Even if your meal is served buffet style this year, be sure to decorate the Thanksgiving table to encourage not only traditional revelry, but cheer and goodwill as well.

Decorating for Thanksgiving

There are certain symbols that are universal every Thanksgiving. The legends of the first Thanksgiving included Native Americans and Puritans, or Pilgrims, gathered around tables laden with foods from the woods and harvest. Wildlife such as fish, turkey and venison were served along with potatoes, beans and a vegetable native to the Americas; pumpkins. These symbols remain timeless as Thanksgiving decorations.

The essential decorations for your Thanksgiving table include a centerpiece, serving pieces and accessories including linens. Many choose to invest in heirloom quality items to be used year after year and then passed on to children or other family members. Candle holders, table clothes and platters have a special place in many families as they hold much of the tradition of the holidays.

Simple, elegant, colorful and festive, thanksgiving decorations will make your home warm and inviting to your guests.

Thanksgiving Centerpieces and Fall Tablescapes

The centerpiece of the table and serving area can include many of the traditions surrounding Thanksgiving. Fall colors abound, and gourds, pumpkins and other fruits of the fall harvest can be combined in a colorful cornucopia. A large cornucopia decoration can be used on the dining table, with a smaller version decorating the sideboard, buffet or serving area.

Other centerpiece ideas include figurines and candles. Candleholders and hurricane globes make a warm statement to the fall weather outside, and baskets with harvest items such as apples can be festive as well. Turkey centerpieces and even large pinecones all have found their way to the center of the table for Thanksgiving.

Visit Rafter Tales for more great fall tablescape and table centerpiece floral ideas.

Thanksgiving Serving Pieces

Stylish serving pieces are critical, but the turkey platter is usually the most central of the food oriented decorations. The platter can be simple in nature, perhaps a white crockery style or silver tray, and many families use the same turkey platter year after year.

The turkey platter might be decorated with fall colors and depictions traditional Thanksgiving themes, or it might simply have simple decals or edging that make it perfect for the autumn and the very special job of holding the traditional Thanksgiving bird.

Thanksgiving Accessories

The linens for Thanksgiving are often high-quality and range from heirloom lace edged table clothes to cheerfully decorated placemats. Solid or print tablecloths can set the theme for the room, and placemats can serve as both a layer of protection and a means of showing off a beautiful dining table.

Thanksgiving figures make wonderful additions to the table as napkin rings and salt and pepper shakers. Pilgrims and Native Americans are classically depicted on these accessories as are fall leaves and turkeys. Even coasters are available with autumn colors and leaves, vines and pumpkins that help bring the entire table together.

Little details such as this guest check will make your dinner party one to remember.

Choosing a Dinner Party Theme

The first thing is to pick a great theme for your party. You might like to try a Hawaiian luau or a French gourmet dinner party or even something like a progressive dinner party, where several neighbors each host one course of the meal and you walk from house to house!

You might like to try a formal dinner party, with several courses and wine to go with each. Or, you could do something fun and informal like a potluck or outdoor barbeque, which helps cut down on the amount of work that goes into a more formal dinner party. Either can be fun and depend on your taste, what you think your guests would prefer and also the space and other aspects of your dinner party setting.

So, picking a theme might mean a food theme, or it could be more intricate and involve games, costumes and decorations that set the mood and tone of your dinner party.

Having a theme will make your dinner party one to remember and gives your guests a more open and inviting party experience. Getting people to loosen up and mingle is the most critical aspect of throwing a great dinner party.

Dinner Party Planning

Careful attention should be given to floral arrangements, plate ware and decorations when planning a dinner party.

The bigger the party, the more planning and advance preparation you’ll need to do, so be sure to allow enough time to make all the arrangements. If you are having more than about ten guests, you might consider having it catered or enlisting several friends to help with the planning and arrangements.

A dinner party involves a lot of planning if you aim for perfection. The presentation of it is what influences your guests so a lasting good impression is achieved through a great presentation and it shows the effort and planning you included into the preparation to create an ideal dinner party for your guests.

When planning, don’t jump into the deep end and get overly concerned with the table settings and food. First of all decide on a time for your guests to arrive. I suggest choosing a time after 5 o’clock to ensure you have enough time to do everything that needs to be done. Secondly, you need to know what food you will be serving. In order to do this you will need to know what your guests favor.

You need to check if your guests are allergic to any foods, if so avoid choosing a meal that involves these ingredients for example if one of your guests has a nut allergy it wouldn’t be wise to present a peanut based cake. Also, be sure to find out if any of your guests are vegetarians, if any of them are choose a vegetarian meal or provide a vegetarian dish specified for your vegetarian guest(s).

Consider if you will be providing a starter, a main meal and a dessert or just a main meal and a dessert. If you do plan to provide a starter course choose a small and simple food as you should focus specifically on the main meal. Consider what drinks you will offer, for example wine, beer, champagne, tea, coffee, juice.

Setting a Proper Dinner Table

Now for the table settings; start by choosing a color scheme for the dinner as it shows how well thought out the meal has been. Decide the color of the napkins and tablecloth ensuring they suit the color scheme. It is also good to provide napkin rings because they make your table setting look neat and tidy.

Using a decorative centre piece for the table is a good idea because it makes the table look posh and breaks down the amount of table wear present e.g. plates. The centre piece shouldn’t be too overpowering or exceptionally large. A single flower or small bunch of flowers placed in a vase should do.

Place a couple of candles around the table to create a warm and comforting atmosphere. The gentle flickering of the candle will make a peaceful surrounding.

All of the table wear (cutlery, plates and bowls) should be the same style and color for each guest. Provide a different knife, folk and spoon for the starter and main meal. Provide a tablespoon and teaspoon for the dessert so that your guests have a choice of size. If you present meat then provide your guests with a meat knife. Provide glasses suitable for the drinks you will be offering. For example if you are offering champagne then set champagne flutes out for each guest.

For an extra preparation play calm music quietly in the background during the dinner to create a tranquil setting.

By following these steps of planning your guests will be overwhelmed by the presentation and it will leave a positive influence on them and you will have achieved the perfect dinner party.

The Little Touches Make a Big Difference

If you really want your dinner party to be memorable, then you need to add some little touches that make it unique. Things like invitations, having a menu for the evening, planning games to play after the meal or some exotic recipes will help make your dinner party a success.

Also, decide whether guests will eat at one table, with each course being served at the table or if they will serve themselves at a buffet. One way to break your dinner party up a little is to serve appetizers and drinks outdoors, then have the main meal in your dining room and desert in the living or family room.

Tips and Ideas for a Dinner Party Everyone Will Remember

• If possible, have a reason to celebrate as the impetus for your dinner party; getting your guests engaged in a celebratory mood helps them feel more at ease and ready to mingle.
• Set a date, checking with people you really hope to have attending to be sure they will be available. Give yourself enough time to prepare, based on the size, complexity of your theme and menu and the number of guests you intend to invite.
• Decide on the theme and style of dinner party you will throw; how many people, indoor or outdoor setting, type of menu you want to plan, etc.
• Make a guest list and send invitations to your dinner party. If you are throwing a casual dinner party for a few close friends, you might just call or email them a few days ahead. But if you are throwing a large dinner affair, be sure to send formal invitations well ahead of time and ask guests to RSVP.
• Ambience is everything in throwing a memorable dinner party! The simple things like decorations, candles and other decorative lighting, music, table settings and food selection all add up to create a dinner party people will remember.

One Week Prior to Your Dinner Party

• Set your menu and be realistic about the time you will need to shop and prepare dishes and whether or not you can pull everything off. If you are unsure about a recipe, you might want to test it ahead of time!
• Plan your seating arrangements, decorations and other details of the theme and style you have selected for your dinner party.
• Visit your local party supply store to purchase or rent items you don’t already have available. If you need things like plate ware, linens, etc. to accompany the theme of your party, you can typically rent them.
• Consider if you need help with catering or bartending on the evening of your dinner party.

Two Days before the Dinner Party

• Get all your dinner party accoutrements together and check to be sure the silverware is polished, the linens are clean, and that you have enough of everything to match the number of guests you expect.
• Prepare your decorations, floral arrangements and centerpieces, name cards and other party details; you probably won’t have much time to do these things on the day of your dinner party.
• Make selections for the music you will play, any games or activities before or after the meal and drink and wine selection. You might also ask a few guests who are close friends to bring a few items themselves like special music to play, wine that matches the menu, extra stem ware, etc.

The Evening of Your Dinner Party

• Remember to try relaxing and having fun yourself! The mood and enjoyment your guests experience will be largely determined by your own demeanor. If you are having a great time, your guests are more likely to also have fun and enjoy the evening.
• Try to set an intimate feeling that encourages mingling. Arrange seating and other areas so that people can be comfortable and together. Often times, people may want to gather in the kitchen area where the action takes place, so if possible, leave these areas clear so that people can mingle.
• Enlist guests to help with making drinks, food preparation and other small tasks only if they volunteer; some people will enjoy themselves more if they are involved in helping, while others may prefer to mingle and have fun without being involved. You have to know who does and who doesn’t want to assist.
• Look for signs that people are ready to wind down the evening; if they are talking about having to wake up early the next morning, haven’t touched their wineglass in a while or yawning, you’ll know it’s about time to let people get going.
• On the other hand, your party may be so enjoyable that you have trouble getting people to leave! If so, try dropping hints like “Who wants to finish the last of the desert (or coffee, aperitifs, etc.)?” Be sure to thank each guest as they leave.
• When your guests have all gone and the dishwasher is loaded, you will want to wind down the evening with your partner or co-host for a final glass of wine and talk about the evening’s events and what a great time was had by all.

Buying birthday cards and gifts can get expensive, and in a tight knit group it’s never a good idea to buy a birthday gift for one person and not for another.

The one who got passed over might feel very offended. But there are still ways to keep costs in line.

Consider these tips to make for a happy birthday for everyone, including you!

Consider Your Gift Making Skills

Are you artistic? Do you draw, paint, woodwork, or knit? If you’ve got skills, put them to work. Put together a stash of colored pencil sketches mounted on inexpensive mats; buy some small canvases in bulk and paint some pictures, or knit a stash of scarves and hats.

Even if you don’t have any artistic talents, you hopefully still know how to glue, paint simple objects, and tie bows, so you’ve still got birthday gift possibilities.

Bake cookies or breads and wrap them in a kitchen towel tied off with a pretty ribbon. Paint an unfinished wood frame or glue beads on to decorate it and slide in a picture of you with the birthday girl or boy.

Buy Gift Items in Bulk

If you don’t have the time or the inclination to do something artistic, consider buying multiple gifts at once to save money, and then give them away gradually.

Watch for sales that require you to buy more than one item at a significant savings or join a savings club to get cheaper prices on larger purchases. Maybe you don’t need three t-shirts or DVDs, but you could get one for yourself and then put the two extras into your stash of birthday presents. Just make sure to keep track of who gets the multiple items to avoid the embarrassment of giving someone the same gift twice.

Keep a Stash of Gifts

By keeping a stash of small birthday gifts in the house, you avoid the horrible feeling of having missed someone’s birthday. Buy little things throughout the year and put them in your stash.

Good items to include in your stash are candles, lotions, little toys, books, and picture frames. Also pick up a few small plastic or wicker baskets or small laundry baskets to use as containers.

When a birthday hits, all you need to do is toss a few items in with a birthday card, so make sure to keep a stash of cards in there too.

Yes, you can purchase a ready-made Easter basket off the shelf, but it’s not very personal, not to mention that it’s more expensive.

Creating an Easter basket for a child helps to make the holiday special and allows you to tailor the gift for his or her interests.

Consider the following simple tips to make a special Easter basket this year:

• First, you’ll need to decide what kind of container you want to use. You don’t need to use the Easter themed baskets that you’ll find at the store in the Easter holiday aisle. Generally those baskets are marked up for the holidays. Why not purchase an inexpensive basket at the dollar store or a crafts store? You can dress it up with brightly colored ribbons or stickers. Or think outside of the box and use a round container that you have sitting around the house. Cover a coffee can or formula can with some Easter-themed craft paper, attach a handle made out of posterboard or woven pipe cleaners (make sure to use hot glue so it doesn’t come off), and you’re ready to go.
• Next, you’ll need to fill the bottom of the basket to give the goodies something to rest on. A lot of people use that fake green Easter grass, but it’s inadvisable if you have very young children or animals in the house, and it’s a mess to clean up later. Consider using other materials like Easter paper or colored cellophane if it’s going to be a problem.
• Now, you get to fill the basket. More than likely, you’ll want some candy, and rather than letting it rattle around loose, it’s better to put the smaller pieces into plastic Easter eggs. To minimize the risk of them popping open mid-transit, tape them shut or put an Easter sticker on them to hold them closed. But don’t just stop at candy. Add some stickers, beads, collectible cards, pencils, books, puzzles, or a disposable camera.
• You can leave the basket open, or if you plan to travel, it’s not a bad idea to wrap it in cellophane. The easiest way to do this is to cut a large square piece of cellophane and place the basket in the middle. Pull up the four ends and tie the cellophane with a piece of ribbon. You can decorate the cellophane with stickers and glitter to make it more attractive.
• Voila! You have a handmade Easter basket.

Consider these fun Easter egg decorating ideas for your family.

First, you’ll have to boil the eggs, or if you’d like to keep them out in the open, consider blowing the yolk out.

All you need to do is poke two holes in the egg with a sharp toothpick or straightened out paperclip.

Either blow out the yolk with your mouth (make sure not to eat any!) or use a bulb syringe to blow it out.

Note that if you’re going to use boiled eggs, you’ll have to make sure that your paints or dyes are safe to eat.

Some other fun Easter egg Ideas:

• Make a basket of carrots for the Easter bunny. Dye your eggs orange and glue tufts of green tissue paper to the top. You can even arrange them in a basket and use it as an Easter centerpiece.
• Stick to the basic Easter egg dyeing kit, but use some common household items to design them. Try putting a teaspoon of vegetable oil in the dye to create random swirls and spots. Or wrap your eggs with rubber bands or tape to create stripes.
• Decoupage your eggs. Cut out Easter-themed pictures from magazines or catalogues and soak them in an equal mixture of white school glue and water. Smooth the picture onto the egg, making sure to seal the edges. (If this gets too messy, you can also paint the egg with the glue/water mix, apply the picture, and then paint over it.) You can cover the entire egg with images, or you can stick with one picture and paint or dye the rest.
• Use crayons on warm boiled eggs. Crayons don’t work quite so well on cooled eggs, but the heat will melt the wax and make the color more intense.
• Hand paint your eggs with a brush and acrylic paint, or use sponge bits to create stubbled textures. You can also explore using household objects to apply acrylic. For example, aluminum foil and string can both be used to apply paint and create unique designs.
• Make thumbprint eggs. Use acrylic paint to put little thumbprints on your eggs. You can use this technique to create a random polka dot design or you can try making a single print into a picture. Try one vertical thumbprint, and add a pair of bunny ears with a fine point Sharpie.
• Use stickers. You can apply Easter stickers onto the eggs and leave them there, or try using stickers with simple shapes. Apply them to the egg before you dye it, or in between colors. Once the egg is dried, remove the stickers to reveal an attractive pattern or the outline of an Easter bunny.

But putting on a successful egg hunt is a little more difficult than it works.

You need to make sure that the younger children get some eggs too, that everyone has their fair share, that the party can go on regardless of the weather, and so on.

Careful planning of your egg hunt can insure a happy Easter for everyone.

Follow these simple steps to make yours a success.

1. First, send out invitations. Handmade invites made out of construction paper are a good choice, or you can put together a cute email to get the word out. You’ll need to decide how many invitations to send. Generally, you want to plan for ten-to-twelve eggs per child.
2. Purchase and fill some plastic eggs. Don’t just limit yourself to candy; you can also use small toys purchased from the dollar store, stickers, beads, stamps, and coins. If you have younger children participating in your egg hunt, consider setting aside one color of plastic egg for them and fill it with items that are safe for that age. Avoid coins and other treats that will present a choking hazard.
3. Decorate the area. If you’re conducting your egg hunt outside, consider marking off the area with colorful streamers to make sure that kids don’t go astray. You’ll want enough seating for the adults where they can watch and take photos. If your area is particularly large, you might also consider stationing chairs around the perimeter and asking some of the adult guests to sit there and supervise.
4. If you chose not to color code the eggs and you’ve got a large enough space, consider marking off an area for the younger children close to the adult seating area. “Hide” the Easter eggs out in plain sight or behind objects to make them easier to find. The other option is to give the younger children a head start to make sure that they get their fair share.
5. Give the children bags or baskets to hold their eggs. Provide Easter bunny stickers or markers so that they can decorate their bags. At the least, mark each one with the child’s name so that there aren’t any problems.
6. You can limit the number of eggs that each child can collect, or allow them to go all out. If you don’t set limits, make sure that the children are similar in age or make accommodations for your younger children to make sure that they get their fair share of Easter eggs. And make sure you have plenty of eggs.

In every corner of the world, people have traditionally welcomed the new year, the focus being on family and friends, and new beginnings. Its a time to study past mistakes and plot a future course. The United States celebrates its New Years Day on January first, but many cultures and traditions do not, nor is it commonplace in history that January was the New Year.

Celtics in ancient Briton celebrated their own New Year in late October, while China, which uses a lunar calendar, as does Israel, so their own New Year is also not January first. The calendar they use is based upon the moons movement, while others celebrate  in the springtime, when the crops begin to come in, or in harvest time, in late autumn.

There are multiple ways to celebrate the new year.. Many people have a tradition of making wishes, while others offer one gift, as a special way to celebrate the new year with prosperity.

Some people celebrate by making resolutions.. those things they will try to accomplish in the new year.

Certain foods are used to offer longevity, or prosperity, among them, from different cultures, salted fish, pork, cabbage, and many more.

In the US, the tradition is to raise a glass at midnight, and toast friends and family, while nibbling on finger food, delicacies and interesting new things.

Water chestnuts wrapped in bacon, cheese and crackers, wine and other festive drinks are common as are hats, noisemakers and balloons.

The stroke of twelve sees the room erupt into kisses and toasts as well as noise and confetti, fireworks outdoors and strains of auld lang syne playing on nearly every radio.

Whatever you do to celebrate, please do it safely.

Happy Holidays from How Did I Do It.

Nearly all the serfs would gather then, with their extended families to celebrate the New Year, or the days AFTER the holiday when they ddn’t have quite so much work to do.

The gathering made it easier for the lord and lady of the manor to hand out the annual stipends that they gave t the serfs, such as a suit of clothing, shoes and things the Lord was obligated to provide for the families.
Many of them also took what was left from their own celebration, often times sweetmeats, nuts, even sometimes fruit or cakes and boxed it up and passed this out also to the estate servants, who lived and tilled his lands.

” As servants were kept away from their own families to work on a traditional religious holiday and were not able to celebrate Christmas Dinner, the customary benefit was to “box” up the leftover food from Christmas Day and send it away with the servants and their families. (Similarly, as the servants had the 26th off, the owners of the manor may have had to serve themselves pre-prepared, boxed food for that one day.) Hence the “boxing” of food became “Boxing Day”.”

This is one of many explanations of how the term, Boxing day came into being.
Today, it remains a holiday celebrated in Britain, Canada, Australia and several others, but is not traditional in the United states.
THe holiday celebrations in those area which do celebrate it, remain simple, family get togethers, late celebrations, meals and sports, or television are the primary sources of entertainment today.

If we look back in history, New Years was a very popular celebration in many cultures but it was based on their calendar system and on the life of common people.

For example, the Babylonians began commemorating New Years some 4,000 years ago. They had a lunar calendar and New Years began when the first crescent moon appeared after Spring Equinox. Instead of one day, they partied for eleven!
Romans were similarly enthusiastic about New Years, typically observing it in March. That continued until Julius Caesar came to power and set aside January 1 to be the beginning of the year.

The rather festive spirit of New Years made it somewhat of a controversial holiday.

As Catholicism grew, their distain toward New Years partying increased. That opposition continued into the Middle Ages and beyond, feeling this was a much too secular holiday. Nonetheless, people around the world continued to celebrate in unique ways.

Those of you who make resolutions, for example, might want to know that the Bablyonians also began that custom. According to historians, one of the most common resolutions was remembering to give back farm tools borrowed from neighbors. Meanwhile, we can thin about returning items we borrowed months ago too!

In visual symbolism, the image of a baby representing New Years owes its origins to Greece as early as 600 BCE. This was actually a portrait of the God Dionysus, who oversaw fertility and wine. The newborn God welcomed the re-birth of earth’s providence.

For readers wanting to try a little New Year’s superstitions, the best way to insure your luck is to have a friend with a particularly propitious name stop by as your first visitor on New Year’s Day.

If this person has dark hair, that’s even better serendipity. This custom is called First Footing and it was quite popular throughout Europe. Alternatively, foodies might look to edibles that improve our fortune including anything circular (doughnuts), black-eyed peas, cabbage and ham, sauerkraut and pork, smoked fish among others.
Happy New Year.

Alongside healthier living, if you smoke this is a good time to commit to trying to cut back or quit since you’ll have a lot of other people doing likewise. You can help each other! Have a quitters club at work, for example, where you buddy up and find ways to avoid temptation.

If working out isn’t in your game plan, how about getting priorities straight’ Put down your work when you get home and give family and friends some quality time. Considering how many of us don’t see each other regularly due to schedules or distance, this is doubly important when the opportunity avails itself.

Speaking of opportunity ‘ how about just having more fun’ Many people work several jobs and barely get to come up for air. If all you’re doing is working all the time life becomes drudgery. You need to take time for yourself to hit the ‘reset’ button and find your center again. Give yourself the gift of relaxation, and make it like a regular vitamin in your routine.

A fifth popular resolution is using cash for buying. It’s very easy to let credit cards and debt build up. Alongside those items, there’s interest upon interest that literally eats up all your hard work and you have nothing to show for it. Working on paying down debt also alleviates financial stress ‘ so it’s a win-win.

Now, this might mean finding a better job, or it might mean re-assessing what you ‘want’ vs. what you really need. Take a long hard look at your spending patterns to see where the fat lies and start cutting.
Sixth ‘ consider learning something new. Maybe you’ve always wanted to go back to college. Maybe you’d like to take an art class. Whatever it is, feed your mind and spirit in fresh ways to keep both keen.

Last but not least, consider ways you can help others throughout the year in the spirit of the Season. There are many people who struggle ‘ from the elderly neighbor whose trash can is three times his weight, to the homeless person downtown and the abused child around the corner.

It doesn’t take a lot of time or money to make someone’s day better ‘ just a little thoughtfulness. Practice random acts of kindness. It makes the world a better place, one moment and one person at a time.

Before you get completely scrooged on the season there are some good coping mechanisms that can help you greatly. First, shop online! That’s right, in the comfort of your PJ’s order what you need and have it express mailed. A lot of online companies are offering free shipping for 3-4 day delivery, which saves you gas money too! Better still, you don’t have to run around town to find that elusive item, and most places will even gift wrap for you! Google your way to success.

Now, if for some reason you cannot (or prefer not) to shop on line, let’s consider the realities. It’s going to find the exact items you want at this juncture, so don’t get hung up on name brands, and don’t go to stores without checking stock first. If you happen to find a reasonably intelligent sales person, ask if they’d be able to hold an item or items for you, and if so for how long. You may be required to give a credit card number to facilitate the ‘hold’ but it’s well worth it. Then just find out where to pick up your gift when you get to the store. And, in the end, if you still have to shop be aware that scruples seem to go out the window during the Holiday rush, with or without that ‘good will toward men’ motto. People will shop your cart if they see you have something they want/need ‘ so be aware.

When you’re preparing for the tip to the store, consider using cash. This saves tons of time at the check out, and also alleviates the after holiday bills that aren’t for the faint of heart to open. As you arrive at the store, don’t sit for 20 minutes waiting for a parking spot to open up. Unless you have an ‘in’ with the Powers of Parking its safer and easier to park in the boonies and walk to the door.

Ok.. you’re at the door. Take a deep breath and keep your good humor intact. Find a sales person who looks harried and treat them REALLY, REALLY nicely. They’ll be so grateful for someone who isn’t yelling or rude, that you’re going to get great personalized service.

At the check out, remember to get receipts just in case. A lot of items get jostled and dropped in the stores and you’ll want to be able to exchange or return in the case of problems. Last but not least get the heck out of Dodge and go have a drink. You’ll need it.

Good luck!

Step one, take a deep breath and don’t panic. You can still accomplish quite a bit if you manage this last bit of time effectively.
Grab some paper and a pen. Make a list of the items that you must get for people you’re seeing on Yule day. Visits later in the week can wait for right now (trust me they will not know when you bought the item unless you give them a receipt). Next, consider what store (or stores) carry the majority of what you want.

I recommend a one-stop super store complete with groceries so you can also buy Christmas dinner supplies instead of the ones still neatly sitting in your freezer. If that’s not possible, the plot out the easiest route to the first store, and between each store – save as much time and gas as you can.
As you enter your car, take a healthy portion of patience with you. Be kind to clerks who have been getting yelled at and poked, pulled and prodded all day. Other customers won’t get anywhere near the service you will if you come bearing a smile and a good sense of humor.
Be ready to be creative.

You may have to substitute or come up with whole new ideas. You don’t have time to fixate now, so have a few good alternatives tucked into your mind ahead of time.

Don’t forget about those things that are useful year round – a first aid kit, for example.

Gifts don’t have to be fancy to be really useful and appreciated. If possible, avoid things like drive through gift certificates and gag gifts. These don’t show a lot of thought, nor do they reflect individuality.
Finally make a note in your computer system to shop earlier next year!

First, those of you working with real trees need to get them into water and let them adjust to your home’s temperature and humidity. Do not decorate your tree for at least 3 days. During this time the branches will hang out to where they’ll remain pretty much as long as the tree continues taking water. Now you can really see where you want to put ornaments.

Step one for all trees is the lighting. After testing your lights, begin with at least one strand of lights that go very close to the tree’s trunk, stringing them from the bottom up. This creates an inner glow to the tree that accents everything else you put on it. It doesn’t matter if you use one color or many – we opt for white ones. The next strand(s) of light go a little closer to the surface, again from the bottom up (this positioning also helps with plugging the lights in safely).

Step 2 – garland. Experts tell us that you need about two packages of garland per foot of tree. You don’t want too much garland because it will eat up the room reserved for ornaments. People who have pets can have the satisfaction of knowing that garland is pet-friendly whereas tinsel can harm digestive systems. Unlike lights, you wan to apply your garland from the top down.

Step 3 – yep, the ornaments. I always hunt down my favorites first and put them where they really show off on the tree. After that, put on larger ornaments being careful to evenly disperse them and remember to account for their weight when choosing branch sites. Last, unbreakable ornaments can go near the bottom or places where people and pets are likely to brush against the tree.

Finally – the tree top. To be honest I do this first – it sets my mood and the tone of the tree, but most people leave it for the end and the inevitable first lighting. Now’s the time to grab a cup of eggnog, dim the lights and enjoy!

Cookie Dough Gifts.

A great way to say thank you to a host who has entertained you this holiday season is to wrap some home made cookie dough log fashion in parchment paper and tie it with festive ribbons. Make sure that you refrigerate it or freeze prior to giving it to your host or hostess.

Custom Bath Oils:

Old fashioned castor oil, available from any pharmacy, becomes one of the most luxurious gifts when you scent it. Pour it into a clean sterilized bottle and add an ounce of essential oil that is labeled for use in soaps or perfumes. Add your own computer generated, or hand drawn labels to make them a bit more unique.

Pie Kits:

Add all the ingredients for a favorite pie, and tuck them into a beautiful decorative pie pan, to give a pie with no baking involved. Write your directions on a lovely note card, and add all the essential tools, such as a small rolling pin, pre made crumble topping, some fresh apples piled prettily, and pie dough mix or your pre-made dough.

Wrap the whole thing in a piece of colored saran, drawn up to the top and tied with a metallic bow.

Indoor Gardening Kit:

In late fall purchase some of the always on sale smaller garden tools, and a decorative watering can. Tuck the tools into the water can or a lovely ceramic pot and add some seed items such as chives, dill or smaller flowers and a bag of potting mix or compost.

Dinner Kits:

Next time someone entertains you that you know to be a busy hostess, make them the gift of one less meal to be concerned about. Taking a shiny new galvanized pail, fill it with a crusty loaf of bread, some gourmet pasta and sauce and add a few after dinner mints to the mix, or the ingredients for an easy dessert. Toss in a few pretty fabric napkins, perhaps that you have embroidered with an easy design that will give them something extra to remember your thoughtfulness with.

With these little napkin decorations unwrapping your napkin will feel like getting another gift.

Purchase some small glassine, or decorator envelopes, and using a hole punch, punch a hole through them.

Or purchase some of the small net drawstring bags used for weddings. Make your bags about 2 by 2 inches

Thread with a pretty ribbon, perhaps add some greenery and use this to tie the napkin in place instead of a napkin ring.

Fill the small envelopes or bags with small treats, a cookie, some nuts or mints, a small inexpensive necklace or bracelet for the women or little girls the kids, a smaller tool or gift card for a man., write a name on them and they also double as place cards for seating your guests.

Sometime in the 1800s this confection made its way onto Christmas trees, followed by cards and wrapping paper in the 1900s. However, it wasn’t until very recently that the cane had it’s stripes!
There has been some argument about the shape of the cane and whether it’s symbolic. Some say it represents the J in Jesus. Others claim it’s meant to look like a Shepherd’s crook.

The original white candy cane was symbolic of purity. When the red stripe was added, that was love, and when three red stripes appeared it was considered a symbol of the Trinity. While all this sounds very contrived, it really isn’t. In fact, these associations are Urban Legends.
No matter the reason for the candy cane, by the 1950s Gregory Keller, a priest, had devised automated candy cane production. The rest, as they say, is history!

Most culinary historians believe the recipe became popular in the 1800s, but no one in particular seems to be credited with its invention. In keeping with its namesake, this Christmas creation has a log shape made from layered sponge cake.

The sponge cake may have candied fruits or nuts akin to the dreaded fruitcake, or sometimes it’s flavored with rum. In between each layer of cake there’s delectable butter cream (the flavor changes from cook to cook). Finally the last layer of frosting is brown (chocolate) so that it has a more log-like appearance.

From here people may decorate the cake with bits of holly, others may roll the cake in crushed cookie pieces to give it a rough appearing texture, and others still get really creative and use fondant and other culinary methods to create a log complete with twigs and remnant leaves.

Traditionally this particular edible appears at Christmas Eve dinners alongside Christmas pudding. You can make your own from scratch, or when time’s pressing simply buy a nice sponge cake at the store.

Shape the exterior to be more ‘log like’ and then slice the cake into layers. At this juncture you add whatever frosting you choose to hold those layers together (I also like putting jelly in here as a surprise for the eyes and pallet). For the final layer of frosting, just buy a canned chocolate frosting and sprinkle it with chocolate sprinkles.

Add a couple of silk flower leaves or anything else you wish to make the visual impact. In the top of the log you can place candles (provided you put down a protective covering at the base of the candles, so the log literally can burn at the table while you’re eating it to attract good fortune

Coffee Buttercream:
4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons rum or brandy
1 Chocolate Genoise Sheet, recipe follows
Marzipan:
8 ounces almond paste
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 to 5 tablespoons light corn syrup
For Finishing:
Cocoa powder
Red and green liquid food coloring
Confectioners’ sugar

To make the buttercream: Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot. Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk on medium speed until cooled.

Switch to the paddle and beat in the softened butter and continue beating until the buttercream is smooth. Dissolve the instant coffee in the liquor and beat into the buttercream.

Turn the genoise layer over and peel away the paper.

Invert onto a fresh piece of paper. Spread the layer with half the buttercream.

Use the paper to help you roll the cake into a tight cylinder Transfer to baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until set. Reserve the remaining buttercream for the outside of the buche.

To make the marzipan: Combine the almond paste and 1 cup of the sugar in the bowl of the electric mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on low speed until the sugar is almost absorbed. Add the remaining 1 cup sugar and mix until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Add half the corn syrup, then continue mixing until a bit of the marzipan holds together when squeezed, adding additional corn syrup a little at a time, as necessary; the marzipan in the bowl will still appear crumbly. Transfer the marzipan to a work surface and knead until smooth.

To make marzipan mushrooms: Roll 1/3 of the marzipan into a 6-inch long cylinder and cut into 1-inch lengths. Roll half the lengths into balls. Press the remaining cylindrical lengths (stems) into the balls (caps) to make mushrooms. Smudge with cocoa powder. To make holly leaves: Knead green color into 1/2 the remaining marzipan and roll it into a long cylinder. Flatten with the back of a spoon, then loosen it from the surface with a spatula. Cut into diamonds to make leaves, or use a cutter.

To make holly berries: Knead red color into a tiny piece of marzipan. Roll into tiny balls.

To make pine cones, knead cocoa powder into the remaining marzipan. Divide in half and form into 2 cone shapes. Slash the sides of cones with the points of a pair of scissors.

Unwrap the cake. Trim the ends on the diagonal, starting the cuts about 2 inches away from each end. Position the larger cut piece on the buche about 2/3 across the top. Cover the buche with the reserved buttercream, making sure to curve around the protruding stump. Streak the buttercream with a fork or decorating comb to resemble bark. Transfer the buche to a platter and decorate with the marzipan. Sprinkle the platter and buche sparingly with confectioners’ sugar “snow.”
Storage: Keep at cool room temperature. Cover leftovers loosely and keep at room temperature.

Chocolate Genoise Sheet:
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
Pinch salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cake flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup alkalized (Dutch process) cocoa

Special equipment:

10 by 15-inch jelly-roll pan, buttered and lined with buttered parchment

Set rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

Half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat so the water is simmering.
Whisk the eggs, yolks, salt, and sugar together in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Place over the pan of simmering water and whisk gently until the mixture is just lukewarm, about 100 degrees (test with your finger). Attach the bowl to the mixer and with the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed until the egg mixture is cooled (touch the outside of the bowl to tell) and tripled in volume.

While the eggs are whipping, stir together the flour, cornstarch, and cocoa.

Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture over the beaten eggs. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture, making sure to scrape all the way to the bottom of the bowl on every pass through the batter to prevent the flour mixture from accumulating there and making lumps. Repeat with another 1/3 of the flour mixture and finally with the remainder.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the genoise for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until well risen, deep and firm to the touch. (Make sure the cake doesn’t overbake and become too dry, or it will be hard to roll.)
Use a small paring knife to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan.

Invert the cake onto a rack and let the cake cool right side up on the paper. Remove the paper when the cake is cool.

Storage: Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several days, or double-wrap and freeze for up to a month.
Yield: 1 (10 by 15-inch) sheet cake

The exact time of the solstice changes, but in the Northern Hemisphere it’s normally on 12/21 or 12/22.

Beginning with the Egyptians, this was the time when the Nile traditionally flooded, which in turn fertilized the land. In other regions, like the British Isles, various sacred sites including Stonehenge were erected specifically to mark the Solstice and provide a large, visual calendar to the people of when to plant, sew, preserve, etc. Because the Northern regions often endured famine during the winter, many celebrations center around offerings (like putting fruits in evergreens for tree spirits) in the hope that nature would be kind.

Besides offering and lights many festivals honored the Ancestors too, feeling that somehow their spirits could more easily cross the divide when the Wheel of the Year was making a major turn. One example is the Celebration of Amaterasu in Japan, where the dead were honored all night long until the sun began to rise again.

Various Deities get their due on Winter Solstice too. Ahura Mazda, the lord of Wisdom, and Mithra, the Sun God, both are commemorated in Persia on the festival of Deygan. This day marks lights victory over darkness (the longest night of the year). Meanwhile in Mali, the sky god Amma?s story is remembered at the solstice rituals, and the Incan Sun god Inti receives respect in Peru.

No matter where you live, it’s important to remember this diversity at this time of year.

Think globally!

There are many underlying themes (as already noted) to this holiday that anyone, anywhere can enjoy. Be it getting together with family, gathering with friends, sharing a gift with loved ones, going to church or taking in nature, it’s all part of the Season, no matter the name by which you call it.

What You Will Need

Tall red or green taper candles, or thinner pillar candles
3 square plastic freezer containers, about 2 or 3 cup size
Fresh miniature roses, primarily red
greenery such as pine, or ferns will work best
Plastic or metal tray.
Extra pine boughs or ferns or eucalyptus leaves.

Scissors or small pruners to trim the roses and greenery.

Your Directions.

1.Pour the water into the square containers, filling each one just about half full

2. Remove the roses from their stems and put them into the water, making sure that the blooms face toward the outer part of the plastic containers, and then fill in the center with greenery, drawing some of it toward the outside so that it COMPLIMENTS, but does not hide the red roses.

3. Using the greenery to hold them, place the candles upright in the container.
(if you run into issues with this part of it, a simple trick that will help is to take a small bit of clay such as sculpy (white in color) and stick it in the bottom of the container, pushing the candle down into it.
Pack the greens in tightly around it to hide the clay, or to hold the candles straight.

4. Add water as needed to cover the tops of all the flowers and greens.

5. Freeze for about an hour and check to assure that the candles are perfectly upright before it is completely solid

6. Freeze til solid.

7. Remove from the freezer and leave it sit for about three minutes. The ice sculpture will pop out of the plastic easily.

8. Place on a bed of greenery on a plastic or glass platter.

(even in this type candle holder, candles can still be a hazard. Never burn them unattended)

Easy and cheap to make, they look like a milllion dollars, and will cost you just about 7 dollars even with purchased trims .

What You Will Need:

Small gift boxes, ranging in size from 3 by 3 up to 5 by5 depending on how large you want the centerpiece.

You will need about 20 all told.

3 or 4 different gift wraps that look good together.

Double face tape or scotch brand invisible tapes.

piece of cardboard about 2 by 2, covered with gift wrap.

scissors
ribbons and trims (ornaments, natural elements such as pinecones or pine branches, etc.)
hot glue gun, glue sticks

Your Directions

1. Test run stacking the boxes to see how many you’re going to need and how well they will fit.

2. Wrap everything up, doing the boxes in two or three gift wraps that look good together..

3. Heat the glue gun and hot glue the bottom boxes to the cardboard base, working in a circle, attaching six boxes for the bottom circle.

4. For the second row, use five  ( gluing each one in place).

5. Use four  for the third layer and three for the fourth layer and so on until you get to one, in the center at the top of the stack.

6. Center the last  box on top and glue.

8. Make a large bow for the top of the centerpiece, leaving long tails to drape down over the arrangement.

9. fill bare places with pine, holly berries, small bows,  ornaments or what have you.

Traditionally the twelve days cover Christmas day until Epiphany (1/6). In some countries every day of the twelve is celebrated with small gifts, while in other areas gifts only arrive on Christmas day.

By far, the era that celebrated Christmastide with panache is the Middel Ages. The parties seemed never-ending, perhaps still bearing remnants of Pagan traditions such as Roman Saturnalia. There were all manner of silliness (such as men dressing as women and vise versa) that afforded a sense of liberation in otherwise socially uptight times.

On the other side of the ocean, in Colonial America, the idea of the 12 Days continued on. Many homes began the season by greening the house (hanging wreaths and garlands). They ended the season by taking down the decorations and finishing up leftovers (sounds familiar, doesn’t it?).

Some believe that the song originated as a way to teach tenants of faith. First, the true love, mentioned in the song, from this perspective, is God. The rest of the verses follow Biblical or dogmatic tie-ins as follows:

Turtle Doves  the two Testaments of the Bible
French Hens  The trinity (or the three virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity)
Calling Birds  The Four Gospels
Golden Rings  the Pentateuch
Geese-A-Laying  the creation story
Swans-A-Swimming  the seven sacraments
Maids a Milking – the Beatitudes
Ladies Dancing  Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Lords a Leaping  10 Commandments
Piper?s Piping  the faithful apostles
Drummers Drumming  the specific points to the Apostle?s Creed

More research shows, however, that while meaningful, this idea is an urban legend. For one thing, limiting such a teaching to one part of the year makes little sense. There’s also no obvious relationship that can be drawn between the verses gifts and the Christian interpretation without really stretching it. In fact the song was a kind of memory game where people who couldn’t remember the next line lost. until one was left standing, having originally appeared in a late 1700s children’s book