holidays

December 24

To all you last minute shoppers

by Paul B. Brown @ 5:36 am. Filed under holidays, shopping

I will be driving some five hours today to get where I will be spending the holidays. I will pass six major shopping malls along the way. (I have done this drive a lot.) To all of you whose cars I will see parked there I say: Good luck. My guess? Yep. You will find serious bargains. And because of that extremely crowded stores. Enjoy the experience....and the holidays. More…

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Heart Health

Doctors Warn Against Holiday Heart Attack Spike

Posted December 15, 2008 4:11 PM

Quick ... what time of the year are you at highest risk of a heart attack? Believe it or not, it's now. Some studies indicate that death rates from heart attacks and stroke as well as non-heart-related causes spike during the holiday season. "It is not uncommon to see a heavier congestion in the hospital during the Christmas and New Year's period of time. Some years that's very true, Read more...

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December 12

The Stress of Holidays

by Karen Sherman @ 12:48 pm. Filed under holiday stress, holidays

We are officially into the Holiday Season and many of you have already had to deal with the stress of this time of year. But there’s more to come! I’m not referring to the gift buying and all the preparation, though those are certainly fraught with tension as well. But for many of you, the Holidays bring lots of emotional stress. As with anything else, you approach this time of year with expectations. These expectations come from a variety of sources: your upbringing, what you have observed in others, what the media displays. And for most, there is the belief that it is at this time of year that people are happily surrounded by loved ones sharing joyous memories and good times. The reality, however, more often than not, doesn’t match the thought process. More…

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Budgeting & Bargains

Break the Tradition of Overspending

Posted December 3, 2008 12:44 PM

It's tempting to overspend during the holiday season. While the average consumer plans to pay off holiday bills in three months, the true time frame is more like six months, reports Myvesta, a financial crisis center in Rockville, Md. Why do so many consumers fall short of their goals? For starters, it's easy to get caught up in the material trappings of the holiday season. It's a challenge Read more...

See also: gift giving, goal setting, holidays

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December 1

Out with the Old and in with the New

by Lynn A. Anderson @ 7:31 pm. Filed under diet, Health, holidays, spirituality, stress, yoga

Last week so many of you responded to my posting about apples that I thought I would post midweek and thank you. This would also give me a chance on this first day of December to designate this – Take care of Yourself Month! I’ve made a decision to take care of myself this month by cleaning out the old habits, thoughts, and stuff, and preparing to bring in the new with the New Year. No doubt for all of us this Holiday season is very stressful. However we can all do little things to feel a sense of accomplishment and find a sense of balance and peace. So I challenge you to take a step today and keep focused on being good to yourself for the next thirty days. Make a commitment. More…

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Holidays & Celebrations

Survive, and Even Enjoy, the Family This Holiday

Posted December 1, 2008 1:59 PM

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...

The Holidays for Singletons

Posted December 1, 2008 1:53 PM

Nov. 28 -- Aside from Valentine's Day, Christmas is the time when you're most aware of being single. You have a calendar full of Christmas parties and no date to any of them. There's nobody to kiss under the mistletoe or when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. And perhaps the most dreaded thing is having to face relatives who ask why you're not married and settled down yet. Read more...

Holiday Revelers Likely to Rein in Spending

Posted November 24, 2008 5:47 PM

As shell-shocked American consumers limp into the 2008 holiday season, most plan to have fun with less emphasis on spending. In October, a Gallup poll reported that 35 percent of Americans intend to spend less this holiday season than they spent in 2007. In October last year, only 19 percent of Americans planned to spend less than they had the previous year. Gallup reports that the Read more...

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Budgeting & Bargains

2008 Gift Card Study: Tops for Holidays

Posted November 19, 2008 12:09 PM

Gift cards remain a popular present for the holidays, although this year, given the economic situation, sales are projected to be lower. According to an Archstone Consulting survey, Americans will spend $25 billion on gift cards, down 25 percent from 2007. Nevertheless, 55 percent of consumers told the National Retail Federation they want to receive gift cards this holiday season -- more than any Read more...

See also: gift cards, gift giving, holidays

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September 1