Tag: holiday

When it comes to holiday shopping, who doesnt need a little bit of help? We've got some great home improvement gift ideas for that Do-It-Youselfer in your life, while sticking to a budget. We'll tell you what gifts make great stocking stuffers and provide some unique gift ideas that are sure to leave a lasting impression.

The holidays offer plenty of reasons to be stressed out and anxious -- the gifts you havent wrapped, the pile of cookie exchange invites, the office parties. But for many, the biggest source of holiday stress is family -- the family dinner, the obligations, and the burden of family tradition. And if youre fighting clinical depression, or have had depression in the past, the holiday stress can be a trigger for more serious problems.

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - For shoppers looking for a store with a bit of a difference for holiday gifts, web site VirtualTourist.com (www.virtualtourist.com) has compiled a list of 10 of the more unusual spots to fill the Christmas stocking.

Holiday Food Horrors

"Tis the season of temptation" and evidence suggests most of us give in. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows the average person puts on a pound during the holidays and never loses it. This adds up to serious weight gain over the years. And for those with high cholesterol or high blood pressure, landmines abound on the dinner table. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid the holiday food trap. See WebMD's list of foods that are naughty and nice.

Every holiday season, I get nostalgic and take a trip down Christmas tree lane. I think about how hard my mom worked to make the holidays special. I remember how she gushed over and proudly displayed all of the gifts she received from us. You would have thought that the gold painted macaroni picture frame was 24 ct gold. And she acted as if her plastic beaded bracelet was an accessory made of priceless gems. Year after year, regardless of the gift, she would treasure my gifts as though she was the luckiest woman on earth.


Looking for Christmass gifts? try the Holiday sections @ Gifts45.com stores:

• Gifts45 Personalization Mall:
  • Christmas Cards
  • Christmas Gifts
  • Christmas Ornaments
• ProFlowers : Occasions
• Sierra Trading Post : Christmas Merchandise
• Gifts45 Drugstore : Holiday
• Gifts45 CompUSA.php
• Gifts45 BabyUniverse
• Gifts45 SmartBargains
• Gifts45 TigerDirect
• Designer Linens Outlet
• Puritan's Pride
• Gifts45 ShopNBC
• Gifts45 Lane Bryant
• Gifts45 FragranceNet
• Macy's @ Gifts45
• J&R Computer/Music World
• Gaiam @ Gifts45
• Gifts45 4AllMemory
• Gifts45 Footlocker

Are you like many who find it almost impossible to please your in-laws? Do you feel like you never quite measure up to their expectations for the partner of their "golden boy" or "daddy's little girl"? If so, finding the right gift can be quite challenging.


Christmas Gifts for your In-Laws ? .... try here

What do the kids on your list want for Christmas this year? Chances are good they've asked for at least one gift that involves pretend play. And that's a good thing!

They may not realize it, but the dolls and dollhouses, action figures and play sets they're asking for are not only playthings, but teaching tools too. Studies show that kids who play dress up and use their imaginations to bring action figures, dolls and stuffed animals to life learn social and language skills, creativity and discipline too. They are also more intellectually advanced than their peers.

Even if you've always had a stomach of iron, pregnancy weakens your immune system and makes you more vulnerable to food-borne illnesses that could make you sick and harm your baby. So it's important to avoid certain foods during pregnancy even on special occasions.

"The risks are real, and need to be taken very seriously," says David Acheson, director and chief medical officer of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

It's time to start planning for an eco-friendly holiday. Turn down the lights--and use a real tree.

his year, Americans will send nearly 2 billion holiday cards, use more than 38,000 miles of ribbon and leave millions of Christmas trees on the curb. Does that mean you should feel guilty for having a great time? Nah. Neither does it mean forgoing any of the elements that make the holiday season special. "You don't have to sacrifice the celebration for sustainability," says Zem Joaquin, founder of ecofabulous.com and eco-editor of House & Garden. Her advice: be "eco-wise." Here are a few secrets for an environmentally friendlybut still festive holiday season.

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 7, 2008 (Hollywood Reporter) Hollywood's year-end boxoffice smorgasbord tends to be equal parts HomeTown Buffet and Four Seasons champagne brunch.