PartyingOutside the Box

Creative themes for your seasonal soiree

Beacon CommunicationsHolidays 2013

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO

Gifting theFamily FoodieGift ideas for thefood fanatic on your list

Songs forthe SeasonHoliday music for the next generation

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the Season

Last-minute shopping for the holidays

Gift ideas for the food fanatic on your list

Great gifts for men and women hoping to get healthier

Boost holiday spirits with holiday ‘spirits’

Holiday music for the next generation

Out-of-the-box themes for your holiday party

Secrets to holiday baking success

Gift wrapping tricks and tips

Colors of Christmas Coloring Contest

Holiday decorating not bound to strict schedules

Travel tips for holiday visits

Christmas Word Search

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It’s December 22 and you’ve just barely made it through half of your holiday shopping list. The panic may have set in

that you just don’t have enough time to get everything done.

This is a common scenario around the holi-days. Shoppers have the best intentions to get their gifts early, but whether because of work obligations or social events, the task seems to get pushed further and fur-ther into December. Soon many are star-ing down the calendar experiencing sweaty palms. Many others may be putting off holiday shopping simply because of the current state of the economy and afford-ability.

For the scores of shoppers who con-sciously or subconsciously wait until the last possible minute to shop, there are ways to survive and surprise friends and family with great gifts.

• Gift cards: They may not have sentimen-tal meaning behind them, but gift cards are fast and easy. Chances are you can run into a store and be out with a handful of gift cards in less than 15 minutes, depend-ing on lines at the checkout counter. Also, many supermarkets, bookstores and other retailers offer gift card kiosks enabling you to shop for different gift cards all in one place.

• Food and beverages: While everyone is heading to the mall in droves, you can be stepping inside of a gourmet food or spirits store. Splurge on fine cheeses or that trendy bottle of liquor that a gift recipi-ent has mentioned but not yet purchased for him- or herself.

• Magazine subscription: A magazine subscription is an easy fix as a last-minute gift. Purchase one copy of the magazine at the newsstand and wrap it up nicely. Put a note that a year’s worth of this periodical is on the way. No one will suspect that the gift was a last-minute thought.

• E-certificates: Retailers like music or book sellers will e-mail a gift certificate code to the person of your choice on a selected date. For those who are never without an e-reader or mp3 player, digital gifts could fit the bill.

• Gas card: It may sound funny and tacky, but a gas card from a brand-name station is a universally acceptable gift for anyone who drives regularly. With fluctuating gas prices, filling up the tank can be an expen-sive venture. Having a pre-paid gift card can help.

Online retailers are also there to help last-minute shoppers. Many online retailers guarantee in-time-for-Christmas shipping even on gifts ordered as late as December 23. However, overnight shipping charges will cost more. But it’s all worth it to get the item in time.

Waiting until the last minute for shopping can induce some anxiety. But knowing about easy gifts for procrastinators can take the stress out of this type of shop-ping.

last-minute shopping for the holidaysMany people wait until the last minute for Christmas shopping, when there are still gifts and deals to be had.

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Some people are a cinch to shop for come the holiday season, while oth-ers can be more of an enigma.

When it comes to the latter, shoppers should determine what tickles their mysteri-ous friend or family member’s fancy, such as a favorite hobby or even something to do with his or her profession.

Food is a passion for many people and pro-vides holiday shoppers with a great oppor-tunity to make a loved one’s holiday season even more special. Perhaps thanks to the increase in cable networks focusing on food, foodies, those people with an appre-ciation and passion for cuisine, have grown in number in recent years, and holiday shoppers with foodies on their lists have a host of potential gift options at their dispos-al.

• Cooking class: Many foodies don’t just like eating food but cooking their favorite cuisine as well. For those who like to get their hands dirty before filling their bellies, consider paying for a cooking class. Many communities have cooking classics for vari-ous types of cuisine, so consult your friend or family member, asking them which cui-sine they’d like to learn and when they’re available. Or let them find their own class and then pay for the class. This can be a

great way for foodies to learn something new and meet fellow food afficionados along the way.

• Specialty spices: Spices can make the difference between an ordinary meal that’s void of flavor and a meal that’s so flavorful it won’t soon be forgotten. When spicing things up for a foodie this holiday season, don’t just buy regular spices at the grocery store. For example, instead of standard cin-namon, buy a specialty spice like Mexican or Vietnamese cinnamon. Such specialty spices can add extra flavor to a meal while becoming the go-to spice for the home chef among your friends and family mem-bers.

• Pressure cooker: Many foodies are fawning over pressure cooking, which can cut down on cooking times without sacrific-ing nutrition. Some recipes may take half the time to prepare with a pressure cooker as they might with a more traditional cook-ing method, an important time saving ele-ment that’s attractive to foodies who want to enjoy their favorite foods but feel pressed for time on weeknights. And while pressure cookers employ steam to cook foods quickly, that steam also traps flavor, whereas boiling can wash flavor out.

Gift ideas for the food fanatic on your listGift the foodie on your holiday shopping list with something that encourages their love of cuisine.

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the Season • 2013Many foodies also laud pressure cook-ers for their nutritional benefits. Steaming certain foods can intensify their flavor, which allows cooks to rely less on potentially unhealthy additions like salt or butter to ensure a meal is flavorful.

• Serving dishes: Of course, many foodies want to share the fruits of their labors with friends and family. For the per-son who loves throwing dinner parties, consider some serving dishes this holiday season. Serving dishes can range from casual (for the foodie who can’t wait to fire up the grill) to formal (for the gourmet food-ie), so get a feel of your friend or family member’s preferences before purchasing a set of serving dishes.

• Cookbook: The ideal fallback item for holiday shoppers who can’t seem to find anything for their favorite foodies, cook-books filled with recipes for dishes from their favorite type of cuisine (i.e., Italian, Thai, Cajun, etc.) are sure to please. When gifting with a cookbook, peruse a few of its recipes to determine if there are any spe-cial ingredients that appear throughout. If there are, purchase these ingredients and gift them as well.

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the Season • 2013

The holidays are synonymous with many things, including get-togethers with family and

friends, shopping and, at the tail end of the season, resolutions. One of the more common New Year’s resolutions is a commitment to getting healthier. This year, holiday shoppers can com-bine the tradition of gift-giving with the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions by giving a loved one who wants to improve personal health a gift that can make keeping that reso-lution that much easier.

When holiday shopping this season, consider the following gift ideas for that health-conscious friend or family member who’s looking to turn over a new leaf in the new year by adopting a healthier lifestyle.

• Gym membership: Fitness centers tend to see a spike in enrollment at the dawn of a new year, as men and women who want to get healthier take the first step by signing up for a gym membership. The holiday season can be a great time to sign up for a mem-bership, as many fitness centers waive their initiation fees in an effort to attract more customers. When try-ing to help a friend or family member get back on a healthy track, offer to pay a portion of their membership fees or, if their preferred club is

charging an initiation fee, offer to pay that instead. Recipients might feel more obligated to go to the gym if they know a loved one helped pay for it.

• Cardiovascular machine: Many people cite a lack of time as the pri-mary reason they don’t exercise enough. Getting to and from the gym takes time, but having a cardiovascu-lar machine, whether it’s an elliptical machine, an exercise bike or a tread-mill, at home removes this hurdle, increasing the chances that people will exercise more often. And the potential benefits of routine cardiovas-cular exercise are considerable. According to the American Heart Association, as little as 30 minutes of daily cardiovascular exercise each day can significantly reduce an individual’s risk for heart disease.

• Bicycle: Few activities are more enjoyable and simultaneously benefi-cial as riding a bicycle. Many people still enjoy riding a bike just like they did when they were children, when they might not have known just how healthy riding a bicycle was. Cycling improves cardiovascular fitness, low-ering a person’s risk for heart disease while helping to build and tone mus-cles. In addition, men and women with preexisting joint conditions often

find riding a bicycle is a great low-impact exercise that encourages them to get off the couch in a way that doesn’t aggravate their conditions. Many adults received a bicycle as a holiday gift when they were children, and those looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle might be just as excited to receive a bicycle once again.

• Cookbook: Adopting a healthier lifestyle does not have to be all about exercise. In fact, eating healthier is just as important as exercising more. A common misconception about eat-ing healthy is that healthy foods don’t boast the flavor of those irresistible, yet ultimately unhealthy, foods we can’t get enough of. However, a healthy diet can be flavorful, so help health-conscious men and women get started with a cookbook filled with healthy and delicious recipes. Before buying a cookbook, find out if the book’s eventual recipient has any specific dietary restrictions, including if he or she needs to eat gluten-free or has been told to avoid red meat. Then find a cookbook that suits them but does so in a way that allows them to embrace healthy eating.

Great gifts for men and women hoping to get healthierSubsidizing a loved one’s gym membership is a great wayto help him or her realizea resolution of living healthierin the year ahead.

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10 boost holiday spirits with holiday ‘spirits’

The holiday season is a festive time of year when opportunities to entertain abound. The search may

be on for the ideal food and beverage recipes to tie into the holiday season.Although just about any drink can be given a holiday spin with the right name (think Merry Martinis), you may want to come up with a theme drink that fits with your particular party. Explore these ideas for delicious and festive alcoholic and nonalcoholic options.

The Candy Cane

1 ounce vodka1 ounce peppermint schnapps1/2 ounce heavy creamDash of grenadine for color

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Pour into glasses filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a candy cane.

Sweet Santa Shots

1 ounce Midori liqueur1/2 ounce grenadine syrup

Carefully layer the grenadine syrup and the Midori liqueur in a shot glass to have red and green layers.

White ChristmasHot Chocolate

3 cups light cream or half-and-half3/4 cup vanilla candy melts, chopped1 teaspoon vanillaPinch of ground cinnamon1 ounce Irish cream liqueur

Combine 1 cup of the cream with the candy in a saucepan. Melt over low heat, being careful not to burn. Add the remaining cream, vanilla and cinnamon until everything is heated. Add the liqueur and stir. Garnish with more cin-namon. Serve warm.

Holiday Sparkle

2 ounces apple cider1 ounce club sodaCinnamon stick

Mix cider with club soda and serve in a tall glass with a cinnamon stick garnish. A refreshing and nonalcoholic drink option.

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the Season • 2013boost holiday spirits with holiday ‘spirits’

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Holiday music for the next generation

One of the early indicators that the holiday season has arrived is the music play at retail stores and on

the radio. Christmas music evokes strong emotions that help many people recall fond memories of holidays spent with family and friends.

While certain holiday albums have become classics, younger artists have begun to embrace holiday music as well. For example, Universal Music Group Nashville has announced that “Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas,” will be available for purchase this holiday season. The Robertson family is based out of Louisiana and are the stars of the A&E reality show “Duck Dynasty.” In addi-tion to being prolific duck hunters, the Robertsons also grew up singing in church, and members of the family will be showcasing those talents on their holiday album.

Former “X Factor” winner Leona Lewis has revealed she is going to be recording a Motown-inspired Christmas album, while R&B superstar Mary J. Blige will put her soulful spin on holiday classics with her first-ever Christmas album. “A Mary Christmas” will be released through Interscope Records. Blige is working with acclaimed composer and arranger David Foster.

In addition to those forthcoming albums, holiday enthusiasts can choose from many recent holiday albums from seasons past.

“American Idol” alum Scotty McCreery put some serious country twang into his “Christmas With Scotty McCreery” album.

“Christmas in the Sand” is Colbie Caillat’s nontradi-tional Christmas album for those who may not live in cold or snowy locales.

“Cheers, It’s Christmas” is the first Christmas col-lection from country star Blake Shelton. Guest art-ists include Miranda Lambert, Kelly Clarkson and Michael Buble.

“On This Winter’s Night” is Lady Antebellum’s first holiday collection and includes various versions of Christmas classics.

“Merry Christmas, Baby” is the first ever holiday release from legendary singer Rod Stewart.

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the Season • 2013

Parties are an integral part of the holi-day season, when friends and family gather to celebrate and give thanks.

For holiday hosts, parties are a great opportunity to make the season even more festive with an event that guests won’t soon forget. The following are just a few themes to make your holiday party as memorable as it is merry.

• Christmas sweater party: Christmas sweater parties have grown in popularity over the last decade, when revelers have tried to outdo one another with the most outrageous holiday-themed sweater. Give prizes for the most outlandish sweater and let guests know early on so they can begin their hunt for a holiday sweater that’s so ugly or outrageous you can’t help but love it.

• Christmas costume party: Costume parties aren’t just for Halloween. This holi-day season, consider making your holiday bash a costume party, encouraging guests to dress up as their favorite characters from holiday tales like “Frosty the Snowman,” “A Christmas Carol” or any of the host of beloved holiday legends.

• Caribbean Christmas: The weather come the holiday season may be the one thing to put a damper on the festivities. To combat blue feelings from potentially inclement weather, consider a Caribbean theme for your holiday party this season. Rather than wearing sweaters and long pants, wear beach attire and give the party a touch of the Caribbean. Outfit your home in beach decor and serve food and drinks reminiscent of the Caribbean instead of more traditional holiday fare like eggnog and gingerbread cookies.

• Film festival: Holiday movies are anoth-er tradition of the season, so why not invite friends and family over for a holiday film marathon? Include classics like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Story” and encourage guests to submit their own favorites for consideration.

• Christmas karaoke: For those who love to belt out their favorite holiday tunes, consider throwing a Christmas karaoke party that allows guests to perform their own renditions of their favorite Christmas carols. Purchase a home karaoke set and ask guests in advance of the party if there are any particular songs they’d like to per-form.

Out-of-the-box themes for your holiday party

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14 Secrets to holiday baking success

Baking is popular come the holiday season, when baked goods are often gifted or shared with family

and friends at holiday gatherings. Individuals turn out sweet treats left and right, and these treats are often gobbled up by appreciative holiday revelers.

Although some people have mastered baked goods, others can benefit from a few tricks of the trade. Utilize these tips to make holiday baking that much easier.

• Overworked cookie dough may result in dry cookies. Try not to handle dough more than is necessary to roll it out to desired thickness. When rolling the dough, put it between two pieces of waxed paper to reduce flour usage on the rolling pin.

• When baking brownies or other bar-type cookies, line the inside of the pan with greased aluminum foil. This way you can lift out the dessert and cut it neatly instead of risking sticking.

• The same technique can be used

when baking cookies. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and bake as direct-ed. The cookies should slide right off when done, and you won’t have messy pans to wash afterward.

• Double-check your oven temperature with a reliable thermometer to make sure it is accurate. This will help you bake more efficiently and adjust the time or tempera-ture accordingly.

• Many cookie doughs can be refriger-ated or even frozen, so you can make a big batch and then spread out your baking as needed throughout the season.

Certain tips can ensure your holiday baking is successful.

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the Season • 2013

The holidays are here and that means shoppers have started to stockpile gifts for those they love. Once the shopping

rush is over, the time to wrap all of those great finds and treasures has come.

Although some people are gift-wrap gurus, there are many others who feel that their wrapping skills are lacking. Regardless, any-one can create delightful wrapped gifts with a little know-how.

Prepare

The first step to wrapping is to have all of the supplies in one place. There are some people who have actually dedicated small rooms as gift-wrap stations. While you don’t have to go this far, find a large table and keep your tape, tags, paper, ribbon, scissor, pen, and other accessories nearby.

Also, sort out the gifts according to recipient and have any gift receipts handy to wrap up with the gift.

Wrap at a time when there are no distrac-tions and you can devote your attention to the task at hand, like after children have gone to bed or during the day when no one is home.

Paper or Bags?

When purchasing wrapping paper, it may be tempting to skimp on the quality of the paper to save money. However, a thicker, higher quality paper will make wrapping go more smoothly. That’s because it will be less likely to tear on boxes or when you’re rolling out and cutting it.

Thicker paper means you’ll also be able to achieve more intricate folds and better creasing around boxes. It also may be more forgivable around oddly shaped items.

Gift bags are the go-to wrapping medium when you’re short on time or have items that are not easily wrapped with paper. Because they come in a variety of sizes -- and even giant plastic bags to contain large gifts -- they are often more convenient.

Other Tips

There are different tips that can help with wrapping.

• Buy neutral-patterned wrapping paper that coordinates with other papers. This way if you run out of one type of paper you can stagger other pieces and make a collage of papers so there’s no waste.

• Use ribbon to dress up a gift and direct the eye away from any imperfections.

• Keep a stack of paper scraps and use it instead of tissue paper to fill in gift bags.

• Keep scissors sharp for clean cuts.

• Pack smaller items or oddly shaped things into a different container that is easier to wrap.

• Roll up clothing and place into a paper towel tube to turn the wrapping into a candy cane shaped gift.

Practice often makes perfect when it comes to wrapping gifts. Having the right paper, a few decorative supplies and some patience can ensure that gifts look festive this year.

Gift wrapping tricks and tips

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the Season • 2013

COLORS OF CHRISTMAS • Holiday Coloring Contest

Picture it merry and then fill it in ~ do a great job and you could win!CONTEST RULES1. Contest open to children ages 5-112. Only newspaper coloring sheet will be eligible for judging. No color copies.3. All entries must be received by noon on Friday, December 6, 2013.4. All entries become property of this publication.5. Entries will be judged on neatness, use of color, creativity and overall appearance.

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Some people are so eager for Christmas to arrive that they simply cannot wait long to transform their

homes from the traditional decor into a holi-day wonderland. Others prefer to build up the suspense of the season and wait until mid-December before decking the halls. There is no right or wrong time to start dec-orating, but there are some tips to make that process easier.

Christmas items can sometimes be found on store shelves as early as September, and even those homeowners who intend to

decorate when the season is in full swing can purchase items now and then bring them out when the time comes to decorate. Shopping early allows holiday enthusiasts to be more choosy about their decorations.

Many families start their holiday decorating on the day after Thanksgiving. Such families should know there are benefits to using arti-ficial greenery in the decor. A real Christmas tree or wreath may dry out and present a fire hazard if purchased too early. If you want the tree in the window for a full month or more, an artificial tree is a safer

choice. Decorating before December also allows families to enjoy their decorations much longer. It can be hard work to deco-rate the house, and equally arduous to remove those decorations, so decorating earlier allows homeowners to enjoy the fruits of their labors a lot longer than they would if they decorate in December.

Some people feel that decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving is a tad too early, and there are advantages to decorat-ing in early or mid-December, when stores have a wider selection of decorations at shoppers’ disposal. Some stores do not display all of their merchandise until after Thanksgiving. If you have your heart set on a natural Christmas tree, decorating later helps to ensure the tree remains fresh, fra-grant and safe with the right care. Homeowners who delay their decorations

also can take inventory of what neighbors are doing and design a decorating scheme that blends with the neighborhood or stands out.

Some families even prefer to save their dec-orating until right before Christmas, choos-ing to decorate on Christmas Eve. Those who prefer to a more religious them to their holiday decorations may prefer to decorate later and keep their decorations on display until the celebration of the Epiphany, when the magi are said to have arrived bearing gifts for the baby Jesus.

Whether families enjoy stringing up lights as soon as Thanksgiving is over or waiting until Christmas Eve, there is no wrong way to embrace the spirit of the season.

Holidaydecorating not bound to strict schedules

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Thousands of people take to the skies come the holiday season. High fares do doubt await holiday travelers, who

also can count on higher baggage fees and fuel surcharges. Buying tickets early can help offset some of those costs, but many travelers may not know where they’ll be spending the holidays until the last minute, leaving them at the mercy of the airlines.

Waiting for last-minute airline sales can be tricky, especially during the holidays when everyone needs to travel in a specific date range. Airlines continually evaluate just how many seats they have already sold to determine prices on reduced-fare seating. Getting a good deal or being gouged may come down to a variety of factors, but buy-ing early when flying during a heavy travel season is often the best way to go.

Airlines rarely discount tickets during the holiday season, when demand is especially high. Therefore, booking as soon as you know your travel plans increases the likli-hood you can get the flight you want and not have to make concessions. In addition to booking early, there are other ways to save some money and arrive relatively jolly for a holiday visit.

Flying on a weekday is often less expensive than flying on a week-end. Some travel experts say flights on a Tuesday or Wednesday traditionally offer the lowest fares.

Choosing connecting flights in travel hub cities may cost less than direct, nonstop flights. While from flight to flight may be less convenient, it’s likely to cost less money.

Rather than paying high fees for extra checked baggage, ship your gifts or have them directly shipped to your loved ones when buying online.

Some travel experts say that Christmas travel is at its cheapest during the middle of November. If you can arrive early at your destination then you can also save. Experts suggest flying before December 17 can earn travel-ers the best deals.

Early-morning, overnight and dinnertime flights are less expensive than more popu-lar travel times.

It’s often less expensive to travel on Christmas, when surcharges may be waived and flights may be less packed.

Travel tips for holiday visits

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BECAUSE SAFETY IS KEY,PLEASE DON’T DRINK & DRIVE!

• Plan an alcohol-free celebration – Host a fondue or “make your own” ice cream sundae party as a fresh alternative. Add some fun party games to keep guests entertained without drinking!• Check your keys with the host – This is an effec-tive strategy for giving the host some control over inebriated guests.• Keep the number of a taxi company handy – A good tip for both party guests and hosts alike.• Offer to drive a guest home – Start the New Year off right by performing a good deed and help keep drunk drivers off the road.• Appoint a designated driver – Use the buddy sys-tem and you can return the favor next time.• Provide lots of snacks to party guests – Drinking on an empty-stomach rapidly increases alcohol’s debilitating effects.• Post transportation info on party invites – Include information for public transportation, car pools and taxi company phone numbers.• Don’t let a friend drive drunk – Take the car keys away or use one of the strategies above to see your friends safely home.

“Key” Strategies For A Safe New Year’s Celebration:

A New Year is coming, bringing much celebration,With good friends and good times and free-flowing libation --So party on hearty, but leave driving alone,Because we want to see you get safely home!

It probably comes as no surprise that more traffic fatali-ties due to drunk driving occur at the New Year than any other time, but of course, you should never

drink and drive. With your safety in mind, these community sponsors urge you to review these important tips for host-ing or attending a safe celebration!

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ChRISTmAS WORD SEARCh

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