Christmas is the season of perpetual hope, and habitually bad gift-giving. If you receive a not-so-fabulous gift, sure, you can pretend to be delighted and gracious in front of the person who gifted it to you; however, a dilemma arises when you return home. What are you supposed to do with the gift now? If you are in a holiday pickle, and don’t know what to do with your unwanted Christmas gifts, try these ideas for five things to do with those pesky presents. Read the rest

Most people think that a Christmas tree should be an evergreen such as a fir, pine, or spruce, but any tree can be decorated for Christmas. If you live in a tropical climate, or if you just want to try something different this year, why not decorate a palm tree for a change? Like a traditional Christmas tree, you can decorate a palm tree with a tree skirt, lights, and ornaments. Read the rest

The New Year holiday is often associated with lavish parties that last through the night, and continue until morning. If you aren’t up for shutting down a bar, or if you just want to enjoy some additional holiday time with your family, try these five ideas for celebrating the New Year at home. Read the rest

If you’re tired of spending Christmas at home in your robe and amidst piles of torn wrapping paper, this might be the perfect year for you to set out on a Christmas vacation. Read the rest

The holiday season in general – and Christmas in particular – brings out the best in people. Not surprisingly, there are many families and also single revelers willing and able to give up some party time and help others. If you are wondering at which places to volunteer for Christmas, look no further! There are so many wonderful organizations that are probably – if not next door – very close to your home. Think carefully about the kind of cause you want to support, the kind of volunteer work for which you feel the most suited and also the amount of time you are willing to give. Read the rest

Back in the old days, families gathered around the Christmas tree on Christmas morning and exchanged stockings rather than presents. Each family member would put one “stocking stuffer” in each of the other family member’s stocking. Then they would exchange these small token gifts. Read the rest

Secret Santa games have long been one of the funnest ways to exchange presents and have a good time. They are absolutely perfect for office parties and they even work well for family parties. Christmas parties are the perfect time to enact a Secret Santa party. Here are some Secret Santa variations that you might not have heard of that can spice up Christmas parties of all kinds: Read the rest

Tradition is at the core of all the holidays we celebrate throughout the year. While many of these special days center around a specific religious ritual or belief, others are purely secular in nature. One of the best-loved holidays is Thanksgiving Day in which we are encouraged to remember the good things we have in life. Among the variety of traditions already well established for this holiday, a new tradition especially designed for children is emerging. Read the rest

Thanksgiving is a holiday for spending time with your family and reminding yourself about the positive aspects of your life. Some people take this a step further. Volunteering to help your fellow person on Thanksgiving is certainly a noble gesture. If you’re willing to spend Thanksgiving volunteering, here’s a look at a few great places to start. Read the rest

The holiday spirit is not something that is easy to explain to younger children verbally. What is much more effective with young kids is to show them through demonstrations. Acts of the holiday spirit are far more easy for kids to grasp than any words. If you are wanting to instill the holiday spirit in your child this Christmas, then consider these various acts of kindness: Read the rest