Holiday

Holidays may be the perfect time for a little indulgence, but that doesn’t mean you have to create a bunch of waste. Here are tips for making your holiday party a little greener this season: 1. Send electronic cardsTake your holiday cards and party invites into the next level by going digital. Not only can […]

Although most family holidays have an ingrained tradition, Thanksgiving takes the pie (pumpkin, of course) for being the one least likely to change. Even as families grow and the holiday hosting duties switch, what remains are the traditions, and none more so than those found on the table. Whether it’s Mom’s apple pie, Grandma’s mashed […]

No dinner party or celebration is complete without a seasonal beverage. A unique mixed drink allows hosts to put their personal stamp on the affair without having to stock a full bar, which also helps control cost and mess. It also eliminates the need for a host to spend the night playing bartender.   Whether […]

It’s the holiday get-together that everyone remembers and loves to participate in – the Ugly Christmas Sweater party. “The holiday season can be very stressful and at these parties adults can be funny and silly,” says Brandy Shay, co-author of Ugly Christmas Sweater Party: Christmas Crafts, Recipes, Activities (Lark Crafts, 2016). “Plus, people are very […]

Just about everyone has had that moment when they gave up trying to communicate with someone engrossed in a smartphone, tablet or other electronic device. There’s not much gratification in talking to the top of a bowed head, especially when that person hasn’t heard a word you’ve said. Such encounters are frustrating at any time […]

Some of Roy’s clocks, collected over a lifetime. We lived in the country during the 1930s when I was a kid. We would do about the same thing every day, all summer long. Brother Jack and I would run to the front yard when we heard a car approaching, just to watch it go by. […]

Lions by Edward Kemeys, 1893, greet visitors to the Art Institute of Chicago. The lions were a gift of Mrs. Henry Field. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO A wassailing bowl and a Yule log greet visitors in the Great English Hall, while mistletoe and garlands on the staircase decorate the Virginia Entrance […]

Decorating for the holidays is meant to help usher in the excitement and joy of the coming season. After years of the same routine, however, it can feel like you’re just going through the motions – put up the tree, string the lights, hang the stockings – over and over again. This year, commit to […]

With the time of day listed everywhere from smartphone displays to laptops to our car dashboards, the need for a watch to tell time isn’t as pressing as it was even just a few years ago. Instead, watch brands are adding features to compel shoppers to want watches, from creating more functional gadgets that track […]

Part of the allure of holiday decorating is being able to bring the outdoors inside. But when transforming your house into a winter wonderland, you may notice that a real tree may not live up to the perfect-looking specimen in your imagination. Never fear though – these tricks can make your tree look like perfection. […]

Food is as much a part of holiday celebrations and festivities as being with family and friends. For many, the holiday season comes with the challenge of trying to make healthier choices when many foods on the table don’t fit in that category, said a University of Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness educator. “Small adjustments […]

This holiday season your local Target is sure to be decked out in red and green, but not so much in pink and blue. Over the last few months, so shoppers don’t “feel frustrated or limited by the way things are presented,” the retailer has eliminated many of the gender-based labels in their stores, including […]