All Holidays & celebrations Articles

LUBBOCK, Texas - There may be a perfectly good reason why Santa doesn't get lost on his annual Christmas globetrot: His flying reindeer just might be female and don't mind stopping for directions. The gender of Rudolph and his or her sleigh-hauling friends - the subject of goofy Internet chatter every year around this time - is now being pondered by renowned wildlife experts at Texas A&M Read more...

Wearing Wall Street pinstripes, The Cat in the Hat showed up in mid-September. His timing couldn't have been worse: He wrecked the joint just as our credit cards were redlining. Now we've got this awful mess to clean up -- and holiday giving to confront. I refuse to contribute to the gloom by suggesting that you scribble gift cards for free backrubs to your loved ones. I say: Rise above Read more...

Parent to Parent offers these essential tips for interacting with relatives this holiday season: First, learn to employ the word "no," says Susan Newman, Ph.D., author of "The Book of No: 250 Ways to Say It -- and Mean It and Stop People-Pleasing Forever" (McGraw-Hill $14.95, 2005). One of Newman's focuses as a psychologist and author is to help families solve Read more...

It's your family; you gotta love 'em. And on Thanksgiving, you have to sit at a big table together and eat turkey. Beyond the bird, it's the rituals and customs surrounding the meal that bond families year after year in the face of life's transitions. Suddenly, there are new faces at the table. Psychologist William Doherty, Ph.D., says, "The most successful families use existing rituals Read more...

In need of some last-minute Thanksgiving advice or recipes? We've got you covered. For advice, give the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line a try at 1-800-BUTTERBALL. One of the first national, toll-free consumer help lines, the original Turkey Talk-Line staff of six home economists fielded questions from 11,000 turkey-troubled Americans during its first season in November 1981. On Read more...

You'll have more to be thankful for at Thanksgiving if you use a few smart strategies to cut costs: 1. Don't do a thing -- from grocery shopping to gift buying -- without a plan. Make lists, keep spreadsheets or download the Holiday Control Journal at http://www.flylady.net. She covers everything from getting (and keeping) the house clean, to creating a timetable for sending gifts Read more...

On Thanksgiving Day, crown your feast with a delicious dessert, complements of the experts at FoodNetwork.com. Thanksgiving guests may be tempted to skip the turkey and head straight for the dessert table! Find classic recipes for your favorite Thanksgiving desserts and new twists on other Thanksgiving sweets at the award-winning site, FoodNetwork.com. Or go directly to the desserts here. Read more...

This year add a little green to your Halloween and have a more environmentally friendly celebration with these easy "Green Halloween" tips from Ecologue.com and eco-designer and architect Michelle Kaufmann: Jack-o'-lanterns: When giving your Halloween pumpkin that signature scowl, be sure to compost the pumpkin pieces you carve out in the process. On Halloween night, light up your Read more...

NEW YORK--Once upon a time, Halloween was a one-day event. Then the pumpkins and parties started moving back to the weeks between Columbus Day and Oct. 31. Now the holiday is morphing into an entire season, at least in the tourism industry, with haunted walks, costume balls and pumpkin-carving events held throughout October. Some even start in early September, like Mickey's Not So Scary Read more...

Halloween is one of the only days in our culture when just about anything goes, and what better way to celebrate than with an adult Halloween party? Halloween party invitation experts Custom Creations by Leslie have great adult Halloween party themes and ideas to suit any personality. "If you're lucky enough to know creative people who will adapt their costumes to a certain theme or Read more...

Nearly two years ago, Guy Bennett, a business associate, died tragically young from cancer. His untimely passing prompted me to think a lot about the kind of a man he had been.What struck me most forcibly was the fact I'd known his wife quite well even though I'd never met her! If that sounds rather odd, let me explain. In my business life, I come into contact with many male colleagues on a Read more...

QUESTION: I've been married for almost 19 years, and my husband has never been a big "gift-giver." As much as I try to overlook this, it still hurts me when holidays (Valentine's Day, anniversaries, etc.) come rolling around and I get nothing (even though I always get him something!). I usually don't even get a card. I know that he loves me more than anything, and he is generous in many Read more...

A site claiming to contain "all you need to know about food under one roof" has a big load to deliver. For the folks at PastryWiz Food Resource Center the proof literally is in the pudding. Your host is "PastryWiz" who says the site has "thousands of pages of food-related information for both the professional and the consumer." Theme pages include: Wedding Cake Read more...

Russian cuisine: borscht, blinis and vodka, right? No way, Ivan! Click to Russian Foods is a handy reminder of the classy cuisine found in that former empire beyond the steppes. Any gourmet might be happy with a platter of assorted fish the site says is a hit everywhere in the country. It consists a fish called siomga, thinly sliced and accompanied by lemon slices, plus cold smoked sea bass Read more...

Now that you have the time, try some fancy cooking by the campfire with the family and grandkids this summer. For creative recipes and helpful hints, check out  Family Fun Magazine's Website. If your adventure includes a fishing expedition, look at Classic Camp Chow for a coating mix you can prepare in advance. Rustle up a little "camp dough," and your basic biscuits can be Read more...

It's time to stir up that pit or grill and let that barbecue odor waft through the neighborhood. While you're at it, strive for expertise. Let the pros at AllRecipes.com help by putting Grilling in the search field on the home page. Today most gas grills come with thermometers. Such gauges quickly lose reliability so it's best to have a back-up plan. That's where the caveman method comes in Read more...

Mother's Day is big business for florists. Flowers are perfect because they can be purchased at the last minute and can bring a smile to just about anyone's face. But why not do something a little different this year by sending Mom flowers that say more than just "Happy Mother's Day"? For centuries, different plants, fruits and flowers have held special meanings and have allowed Read more...

A typical barbecued meal can come complete with more than 1,000 calories, but outdoor grilling and healthy eating are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Health expert Angela Dowden has suggestions to make sure a barbecue is as healthy as food in your kitchen. If chicken is on the grill, she says, remember that breast meat is very low in fat, but "eating it with the skin triples the fat Read more...

By Deborah Taylor-Hough If your home is anything like mine, you've probably found that 5 o'clock each evening is one of the most hectic times of the day. Mom and dad are just finishing up a long day of work at home or at the office. The kids are hungry and tired after a full day of school and afternoon sports. It's time to fix supper -- or at least we should be getting dinner started if we Read more...

A Recipe From DietWatch Tortellini Salad Ingredients 1 package small dry cheese Tortellini cooked according to package directions, rinsed and cooled 1 16-ounce can artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and quartered 1 (2 1/4-ounce) can sliced olives 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped or use frozen bell peppers 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped or use frozen bell peppers 1 Tablespoon dried Read more...