The fun, festive activities during the holiday season make it a favorite time of year for many people. At the risk of sounding like a Grinch, though, all that festivity can lead to unintentional safety hazards. For example, some 30 percent of all home fires and 38 percent of home fire deaths occur over December, […]
Christmas
Posted inFood & Entertainment
Holiday Appetizer Soiree
Growing up in the ’50s and ’60s, Trudy Northover recalls her parents always hosting get-togethers for friends and family. Christmas was a massive celebration at their home. “Tech has taken so much away (web, email, etc.),” Northover says. “It’s such a gloomy time of year, so our appetizer party is a wonderful time to host […]
Posted inAt Home
Simple Sides for Holiday Entertaining
Like many hosts, you are likely searching for perfection in your holiday get-togethers. With an ever-expanding guest list, each year may seem more and more difficult to pull off the perfect gathering. Make things easier and still delicious by serving ready-to-eat options like refrigerated macaroni and cheese made with real milk and cheese. Here are […]
Posted inAt Home
How to Avoid Overspending and Going into Debt on Black Friday
Many people look forward to Black Friday so they can cash in on those special holiday deals. But if you’re not careful and don’t have a plan, impulse spending on tempting sale items can swallow your wallet. If you are already in a significant amount of debt and enter Black Friday blindly without a plan […]
Posted inAt Home
Simple Seasonal Safety Tips
It may be the most wonderful time of year, but it can also be one of the most dangerous. Along with the cooking and decorations that make the season magical, the holidays present risks for home fires and burns. An independent survey conducted by Shriners Hospitals for Children found that many Americans do not follow […]
Posted inCommunity News
Where to Recycle Your Tree This Year
Give your unflocked tree a new life by recycling it after the holiday season. Trees are chipped into mulch or compost, which can be returned to the earth as a soil amendment. Santa says, “Treecycle your Christmas tree! It’s cheaper and better for the environment!” Santa’s Nice List of Tree Disposal Take your tree to […]
Posted inHome
Christmas at the Deckers
Lana Decker’s love of Christmas began when she was in high school. Over the years, she’s amassed quite a large collection of ornaments, santas, trees… so much so, that the collections have taken over the Deckers’ three-car garage. At last count, she had over 200 banker boxes full of Christmas decór. A few years ago, […]
Posted inAt Home, Blog, Featured
Green Living: Don’t Trash Your Tree!
During the weeks after Thanksgiving, I saw numerous trees on top of cars and in pickup trucks — heading home for their two to four weeks of glory, decorated as the family or office Christmas tree. The sadder side of this story is that all of these trees were headed toward their inevitable death and […]
Posted inAt Home, Blog
A Traditional Christmas Bread Beyond Compare
Baking a traditional Christmas bread every year keeps us connected to our family traditions, dear friends and loving memories. My family had established Christmas traditions, such as making Grandma’s old-fashioned fruitcake on Thanksgiving Friday, eating oyster stew on Christmas Eve, and gobbling cookies and cocoa for breakfast on the big morning. I had no idea […]