Wrap small boxes with gift wrap and ribbon and place along the tabletop for a fun touch of whimsy.

Tie curled ribbon around candle stick holders. This dresses up your regular table topper and adds a colourful touch.

Fill different glasses with water and float cranberries on top. Arrange as a centrepiece and add sparkle with floating candles.

Place Settings

If you don’t have a complete set of dishes or silverware, don’t dismay. Place mismatched dishes around the table and tie the look together with an accent colour, such as cheerful red napkins. This is a simple and inexpensive way to create a holiday table that is uniquely you.

Make a sleek silver cylinder of Nestlé After Eight mint chocolate Straws the focus of each place setting – it’s an eye-catching and thoughtful gift for your guests.

Add festive flare to everyday napkin rings by tying on jingle bells or tucking in sprigs of holly.

Place Cards

Print lines from your favourite holiday song, poem or story on each place card. It’s a nice conversation starter and will set the festive tone.

If you like to bake, why not make holiday cookies iced with each guest’s name or initial?

Anchor each place card with a minty After Eight Leaf chocolate as a sweet treat for your guests.

A few creative ideas can make a designer-style holiday table that will dazzle your guests, without taking a bite out of your wallet. Bon appétit!

www.newscanada.com

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A frozen, pre-stuffed, ready to cook turkey eliminates a significant amount of preparation and clean up time.

The picture-perfect turkey and all the fixings—it’s what the whole family looks forward to every year at Christmas. However, with today’s hectic schedules, there’s not enough time to fuss over the holiday feast. This leaves many cooks in search of quick and easy meal solutions, even during the tradition-steeped holidays.

Because holiday time means quality time, Butterball staffers offer the following suggestions on how you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your family.

Start with the turkey. A frozen, pre-stuffed, ready to cook turkey eliminates a significant amount of preparation and clean up time. You simply remove the package and place the turkey in a roasting pan. Then brush the skin with vegetable oil and pop it in the oven. How easy is that?

Grocery stores offer several convenient ready to cook vegetables (potatoes, carrots, broccoli, squash, etc.). With the prep already done all you need to do is decide the cooking method.

A selection of pre-made salad is available in your grocer’s produce section. Just transfer the salad to a beautiful serving bowl to make it part of your festive feast.

Dessert options are endless… a triple chocolate concoction from the corner bakery, your favourite creamy cheesecake from the club store or plum pudding from your grocer.

This year don’t stress. Give yourself the gift of time with these time saver ideas from Butterball. (Turkey Talk-Line 1-800-BUTTERBALL)

www.newscanada.com

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There are many ways to use almonds at your next festive gathering. Here are some tips on how almonds can make this the season to celebrate.

1. When it comes to presentation, use your imagination – just about anything goes. Fill ordinary martini glasses with different types of flavoured almonds and position them across your serving table. This is a fun yet, classy alternative to a nut bowl.

2. Use almonds as a simple garnish to add animation to each of the dishes you serve. Put a handful of sliced almonds on your cheese tray for some added splendor.

3. Build menus around dishes you already know how to make, simply incorporate some California almonds. Visit www.AlmondsAreIn.com and see the many alternatives to traditional favourites. Almonds offer a gourmet way to spice up a traditional recipe.

4. Treat guests to small favours that they can take home as mementos of the evening. A small velvet bag of flavoured almonds serves as an easy and enchanting take-away.

No matter what you do, almonds are a sure way to add elegance, style and flavour to your next holiday soirée.

- News Canada

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* When serving alcohol beverages, serve food.
Offer a variety of good foods with your alcohol beverages.

* Offer non-alcohol beverages.
Have something for everyone: soft drinks, coffee and other non-alcohol beverages, such as O’Doul’s and 180 Energy Drink brands.

* Serve each guest one drink at a time.
Spacing drinks throughout a party can help your guests stay within their personal limits. Never force drinks on anyone. If serving wine, do not keep refreshing unfinished glasses as this makes it difficult for guests to keep track of how much they’re drinking.

* Serve “measured” drinks.
Beer and flavored malt beverages contain 4.2 to 6 percent alcohol by volume and come in standard-size packages, so it’s easy to keep track of how much you are drinking. Hard liquor drinks can have dramatically different amounts of alcohol, as well as calories and carbohydrates. Many factors contribute to these wide variances: brands of liquor used, alcohol by volume in brands chosen, drink recipe, mixers and bartender’s pouring preferences. If you choose to serve hard liquor, use a shot glass or jigger to avoid making drinks too strong. If serving wine, remember not to use oversized glasses.

* Consider how different types of alcohol are consumed.
The amount of time during which an alcohol beverage is consumed greatly impacts how alcohol is absorbed into the body. Beer is widely recognized as a beverage of moderation. Even though a 12 ounce beer may contain the same amount of alcohol as a 1 1/2 ounce shot of 80-proof liquor, a beer is enjoyed leisurely, while a shot is usually consumed in one swallow.

* Stop serving alcohol at least one hour before the party ends.
Serve desserts and other foods, coffee and soft drinks. But remember: none of these eliminate alcohol from the body – only the passage of time will do that.

* Help your friends get home safely.
Encourage your guests to designate a driver before they arrive. And don’t ever hesitate to call a cab or ask someone to spend the night if he or she may have had too much to drink.

Just as hosts do, party-goers also should plan ahead to help ensure the holiday season is fun and safe by designating a driver before the festivities begin. According to a recent survey conducted by TNS Custom Research, more than 137 million American adults have been or have used a designated driver. Thanks to designated drivers and increased law enforcement, drunk-driving fatalities nationwide continue to decline. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drunk-driving fatalities have declined 38 percent since 1982.

To learn more about celebrating responsibly this holiday season, visit www.DesignatedDriver.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Buy food from local growers and farmers markets. It is often less expensive than the supermarket and it supports your local economy.

Planning a celebration for an upcoming holiday, a birthday party or a baby shower? Please your guests and the planet by taking part in the latest party planning trend — eco-friendly parties and events.

More and more party hosts are delighting their guests and finding ways to “green” their celebrations. According to a survey conducted by MyPunchbowl — one of the leading party planning sites on the Web — 94 percent of hosts are eco-conscious when planning events.

One way to start your eco-friendly party planning on the right foot is to use online invitations. Online invitations have come a long way and are widely accepted for most celebrations. Some sites allow hosts to design their own online invitation or save the date notice using paperless “papers” and “ribbons” that look like the real thing.

“New technology has closed the gap between traditional paper invites and what’s now possible online,” says Matt Douglas, founder of MyPunchbowl.

Whether you are hosting an intimate holiday dinner party, a surprise birthday party or a large wedding shower, the experts at MyPunchbowl recommend these tips to make your next party a green one no matter what the occasion:

* Decorations.
Bring your party to life by decorating with live plants and flowers. Expensive bouquets are not required to make a statement. Simply use small vases with one or two flowers in each for an elegant effect. Use locally grown or organic plants and flowers to keep it eco-friendly. For an added touch, let your guests take home the flowers or plants when they leave.

* Lighting.
Use natural lighting whenever possible. If you can have your party during the day, take advantage of the outdoors or natural light. If your party is in the evening, decorate with candles. Use soy or organic beeswax candles since traditional paraffin wax candles are derived from petroleum and can emit harmful toxins.

* Food and Drinks.
Buy food from local growers and farmers markets. It is often less expensive than the supermarket and it supports your local economy. Try to incorporate organic products into your party menu.

* Glassware and Flatware.
Use glassware and silverware instead of disposable plastic cups and utensils. You may have a bit more cleanup at the end (thank goodness for the dishwasher) but you’ll feel great not adding to the enormous amount of paper and plastic that ends up in landfills. For a green party favor, buy glasses that fit your occasion such as wine or margarita glasses and decorate them with the name of each guest. Not only will your guests know which glass is theirs, but also they will go home with a fun party favor they can reuse.

* Recycle.
Set up recycling areas at the party for cans, plastic cups, and other recyclable items so your guests know how to dispose of these items properly. This will also make your clean up a lot easier.

For more tips and information, visit www.MyPunchbowl.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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A recent study by BISSELL Homecare, Inc. found that, on average, 45 percent of women spend three to seven hours preparing their home for holiday guests, and another 29 percent spend eight or more hours preparing. Here are 10 tips from organizing and cleaning guru Donna Smallin, author of The One-Minute Cleaner, that can help you reduce the amount of time spent getting ready for the holidays, so you can spend more time enjoying them.

* Get started early. Make a list of tasks and check them off as you go. Some tasks such as dusting fan blades, polishing silver and ironing table linens can be done well in advance. You can even set your holiday table ahead of time. Plan to have everything done a day or two early so you can get into the holiday spirit and relax with your family and guests.

* Declutter. Keep in mind that “less is more,” especially at the holidays. Now is a good time to donate some of your kids’ old toys and games — and some of your own stuff. When you pull out holiday decorations, add the unused ones to the donations box and toss anything that’s worn or broken. Keep a list of what you donate and be sure to get a receipt for year-end tax purposes.

*Clean where it counts. There’s no need to deep clean your house from top to bottom. But do yourself a favor and don’t leave it to the last minute to clean your house. Do what you can now and then make an extra effort to keep it clean and picked up.

Focus your efforts on high traffic areas: kitchen, bathrooms, living rooms and family rooms. And don’t forget to spruce up the guest room. Clear space in the closet and provide thoughtful amenities such as toiletries and magazines. Stock the guest bathroom with extra toilet paper and towels and make it sparkle.

In the family room and other high traffic areas, nothing freshens up a room like clean carpets and rugs. A great way to clean them yourself is with a deep cleaner such as the new BISSELL PROdry. It as convenient as a vacuum, but the combination of hot water and cleaning solution will make your carpet even cleaner. Plus, PROdry uses professional technology that not only cleans but allows carpet and rugs to dry in just 30 minutes. In the time it takes to bake a batch of your family’s favorite holiday cookies, your carpet and rugs will be clean and dry.

* Prepare as much food ahead of time as possible. Mix big batches of cookie dough and freeze in smaller batches that you can pop into the oven after dinner each night. Double or triple dinner recipes in the weeks leading up to the holidays; freeze the leftovers, and reheat for houseguests. Do prep work like chopping vegetables and mixing dips the day before guests arrive.

* The study found that 32 percent of women would do the dishes if they only had 30 minutes to clean. To minimize time spent washing dishes, before you begin cooking, fill the sink with hot, soapy water and clean pans and kitchen implements as you go along so you don’t end up with a sink full of dirty dishes.

* Host a party that practically cleans up after itself. Look for one-pot and crock pot recipes or make it a potluck party and send guests home with the leftovers.

* Simplify gift-giving. Consider giving edible gifts or gift certificates rather than packaged goods. The last thing most of us need is more stuff. Or draw names to give gifts to only one family member, eliminating the need to buy for everyone. It’s a good idea to have a few simple, inexpensive gifts on hand — a small box of gourmet chocolates, tin of cookies, or candle for unexpected guests as well as hostesses, teachers and anyone you may have forgotten.

* Wrap it up. Gather holiday gift wrapping supplies and store them all together. If you need to buy gift wrap, consider limiting wraps to one or two and use the same color ribbon and bows on all of your gifts.

* Play your cards right. If you’re planning to send holiday cards, do it in stages. Buy your stamps online to avoid long lines at the post office. Then personalize your cards, address the envelopes, stamp and seal them. Do it during television commercials over a few nights and you’ll be done in no time.

* Plan ahead. Make a list of things that need doing before guests arrive — everything from dusting to decorating the tree. Ask family members to choose the tasks they wouldn’t mind doing. Assign the tasks no one likes doing. Then schedule a time to get the job done together as a family. Play some holiday music to get into the spirit.

For more holiday tips, please visit www.quickholidaycleanup.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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HGTV’s “Home For The Holidays” is a new one-hour holiday special premiering on Sunday, November 30, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV.

Here’s what the show has in store for viewers:

· Monica Pedersen (from HGTV’s “Designed to Sell” series) has been building and decorating gingerbread houses with her mom since she was a little girl in Chicago and this year, she creates a one-of-a-kind edible architectural masterpiece that looks like the charming English Tudor inn that her husband’s family runs nearby and where she and her family spend almost every Christmas Eve. This themed gingerbread house has Kit-Kats as logs, red and green Gummy wreaths and English toffee as siding on the house.

· Lisa LaPorta (“Designed to Sell”) surprises her mom with a winter wonderland–in Los Angeles–complete with 15 tons of snow and 10,000 lights strung on the lawn and house – they’re both from Chicago, so both haven’t seen snow in years. Lisa dupes her mom into leaving the house and then completely transforms the exterior in a heart-pumping race against the clock. The results are dazzling.

· Steve Watson (“Don’t Sweat It”) and his girlfriend go on a high-octane motorcycle hunt through the woods in Pasadena, where they hunt for the perfect pine (which they chop down and then plant two new trees in its place). He then hosts a tree-trimming party where his guests bring in ornaments to help deck his house.

· Vern Yip (“Deserving Design”), pictured above, really goes all-out every year, decking the halls of his elegant Atlanta home with two huge Christmas trees in a red, silver, clear and white color scheme and entertaining for eight close friends by creating an incredibly lovely dining room tablescape, complete with centerpiece created from simple square glass vases filled with luscious red cranberries, winter roses and winterberries — and unique personalized placemat tags. The unique and tasteful furniture and accessories and cohesive design plan will make Vern’s house the envy of viewers, but also show them how to achieve these looks themselves.

· Angelo Surmelis (“Rate My Space”) hosts his annual Cookie Exchange party, where he has 100 guests bringing in 12 cookies each and taking 12 cookies home.

· Eric Stromer (“Over Your Head”) gets a little help from his adorable young kids in building a Swedish tradition, a unique three-tiered miniature carousel powered by candles — a tradition passed on from generation to generation. Lots of laughs ensue when the family also jams to some rockin’ Christmas carols, with Eric on guitar and vocals, accompanied by his son banging on the drum kit.

· Kim Myles (“Myles of Style”) keeps a lifelong tradition of checking out fabulous holiday displays with her husband by strapping a homemade holiday wreath to the grill of the car and hopping into a convertible to drive around LA’s famed Candy Cane Lane, an eight-block stretch of Woodland Hills, where dozens of families go all-out on Christmas with hundreds of thousands of lights and decorations.

The fun continues here where people can upload and rate holiday decorations, as well as articles, photo galleries and video from the special.

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Tip: Heat up some apple cider with some cinnamon, clove and oranges for a delicious drink and get your guests in the holiday spirit right when they walk in the door.

Holiday entertaining can feel overwhelming to even the most seasoned host. Between shopping, cooking, cleaning and decorating, it can feel like there’s no time left to enjoy the festivities. But with a little time management and some creativity, having friends and family over to celebrate can be fun again.

A holiday hostess is always looking for ways to sweeten her holiday entertaining. “Make the season a success by reinventing holiday traditions,” says entertaining expert Cathy Riva, founder of Manhattan-based Riva Events and host of Discovery Home Channel’s Party Girl. “If you normally provide all the food for friends and family, try having everyone bring a favorite dish this year. It will cut down on preparation time while allowing guests to show off their cooking and baking skills.”

Riva offers more advice on how to put the fun back into hosting during the holidays.

To make everyone at a holiday party feel special without blowing the budget on personalized goodies, add creative touches on items such as seating cards. Using a holiday gift card or tag can be a festive, easy and inexpensive way to designate seating.

When it comes to meal planning, entertaining for family and friends can often mean catering to a variety of individual tastes and preferences. Plan to provide a meatless entree alternative for vegetarian guests — a hearty pasta dish is a good standby. Always provide a few interesting, non-alcoholic drink options beyond soda and lastly, create a more healthful take on some of those favorite holiday recipes by substituting Splenda No Calorie Sweetener for sugar in your cooking and baking.

Now that entertaining and meal planning are more manageable, Riva recommends using SplendidLife.com as a one-stop-shop for gifts, kitchen supplies and hosting materials. “SplendidLife.com is a great help!” says Riva. “In one place I can find all my entertaining items — from bakeware to beverage accessories to traditional and modern serving pieces, as well as a wide array of unique items for holiday gift-giving made easy.”

Too often the hosts forget about the ambiance of a party. Riva suggests simple items around the house that can help make the atmosphere of any gathering warm and merry:

* Heat up some apple cider with some cinnamon, clove and oranges for a delicious drink and get your guests in the holiday spirit right when they walk in the door. Nothing says holidays like a home that smells warm and inviting.

* Dim the lights to provide a friendly, cozy atmosphere. If dimmers are unavailable, try other options such as changing the direction of the light source or using ambient lighting such as candles.

* Keep a few of your favorite recipes and Splenda sweetener products on hand when you need to whip up a quick and delicious dip, appetizer or dessert for unexpected guests.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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On November 25, get ready for A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All on DVD, featuring musical performers Feist, Toby Keith, Elvis Costello and others, as well as a video advent calendar, alternate endings and more. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the charity Feeding America.

Songs performed on A Colbert Christmas include:

“Another Christmas Song” – Stephen Colbert
“Have I Got A Present For You” - Toby Keith
“Little Dealer Boy” - Stephen Colbert and Willie Nelson
“Hannukah” - Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart
“Nutmeg” - Stephen Colbert and John Legend
“Please Be Patient” - Feist
“There Are Much Worse Things to Believe In” - Stephen Colbert and Elvis Costello
“(What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love And Understanding” - Stephen Colbert, Elvis Costello, Feist, Toby Keith, John Legend and Willie Nelson

Feeding America, formerly known as America’s Second Harvest, feeds America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engages the country in the fight to end hunger. It is the nation’s largest charitable hunger-relief organization, with a network of more than 200 Member food banks and food rescue organizations serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

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Here are a few things that you can do to make sure your celebrations end well.

• Beef up the menu. Serve foods that are rich in proteins since they hasten the absorption of alcohol. Don’t forget the late night snacks too.

• B.Y.O.P.J.S . Bring your own pajamas. Invite guests ahead of time to stay overnight.

• Let’s make a deal. Arrange a set fee with a local cab company to shuttle your guests to and from the party.

• Offer a token gift. Have transit fare or subway tokens available as guests leave for the night.

• Serve Smart D.D. Drinks. Non-alcoholic versions of party favourites are good to have on hand. Not only will your designated drivers thank you, so will those watching their waistlines. Try non-alcoholic ciders, spritzers and low-calorie pilsners that have the full-bodied taste of a quality beer like new Labatt Blue Dealcoholized, available in select grocery and convenience stores across Canada.

More party hosting tips can be found online at www.makeaplan.ca.

- News Canada

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