Hey there...I'm out the next few days for foot surgery, but Jack is filling in for me! Don't forget to check out some of the fun stuff for Christmas I found..there are some great ideas here!
Need some help this Holiday Season? Here are some great ideas, tips, and recipes for to help make your Christmas something to remember this year!
Some great recipes - get some of the traditional recipes as well as some fun last minute ideas to help fill the holiday table here:
QUICK AND EASY HOLIDAY FEASTS
Spend less holiday time in the kitchen with our quickest, easiest favorites from FN chefs.
RACHAEL'S FIVE-MINUTE FUDGE
No time to make dessert? Rachael's festive fudge wreath is ready in minutes.
SUNNY'S SIMPLE SPIRAL HAM
Impress your holiday guests with Sunny's foolproof honey-and-orange-glazed ham.
Videos: Food Network Chefs' Best Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday
Make this your easiest holiday ever with help from Sunny, Sandra, Bobby and more >>
Christmas Parties
From cookie exchanges and food gifts to kids' crafts and Christmas centerpieces, find holiday recipes, gift ideas and decorating tips for throwing merry Christmas parties.
Christmas Cookie Recipes
Perfect for Christmas cookie exchanges, find recipes for sugar cookies, gingerbread, cutouts and more!
Christmas Cookie Recipes >
Christmas Party Ideas
Recipes and ideas for holiday cocktail parties, Christmas movie nights, tree trimming parties and brunches.
Christmas Party Ideas >
Decorating Christmas Cookies
Learn how to add a little finesse with frosting to your cutout Christmas cookies with these easy tips.
Decorating ChristmasCookies >
Food Gift Ideas
Homemade baked goods deserve a pretty presentation. Try one of these DIY packaging ideas for your Christmas gifts.
Food Gift Ideas >
Christmas Centerpieces
From edible arrangements to candle crafts, your holiday table will shine bright with these Christmas centerpiece ideas.
Christmas Centerpieces >
Kids' Christmas Crafts
These cute food crafts are just the thing to entertain the kids at their class party or during Christmas vacation!
Top 10 Christmas Cookies
Treat your family and friends this holiday to something sweet—one of our best Christmas cookies! Find top-rated Christmas cookie recipes, including sugar cookies, cut out cookies, gingerbread cookie recipes and more holiday cookie recipes!
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Taking great holiday photos!
We all want to be a photographer, but at Christmas it would be great to come away with some useable pictures! Here are some tips on how to make that happen!
1. Place your subject off-centreThe number one cause of boring family photos is positioning the subject slap bang in the middle of the frame. For an instantly more dynamic image, try and place them to one side, about a third of the way from the edge.
2. Capture those candid momentsIt’s important to take the more formal shots well, but the images that your family will most love are those more candid moments where the subject is enjoying themselves, rather than being subjected to yet another photo.
3. Don’t forget to include yourselfA common mistake made by the family picture taker is to never include themselves in the photos. Take a look back through your previous holiday shots – how many times do you appear in them? Make sure that other family members take a few pictures that include you, or even better, use the self-timer or smile shutter function on your camera so that you can join in the fun.
4. Use a tripodFor the formal pictures that certain family members demand, use a tripod or at least rest your camera on a solid surface. This will help keep the picture sharp and enable you to be in the picture.
5. Forget the flashIf at all possible, try not to use your camera’s flash. It usually results in unflattering photos with harsh lighting that your subjects will probably tolerate rather than like. Instead set your camera to a higher ISO speed than normal – sure, you’ll see some noise, but the resulting photos will look much more natural.
6. Fill the frameGetting up and close and personal with your subject is a sure-fire way to make the photo more interesting. Try and move a few steps closer than you would normally take a picture from – you’ll be amazed at the results.
7. Focus on the childrenEveryone likes to see pictures of their children, so make sure that they’re the main focus. You’ll never get them to sit still, so try and take as many photos as possible and don’t worry if a lot of them end up in the virtual bin – just a few good shots will make all that effort worth it.
8. But don’t forget the adultsRemember not to entirely neglect the older members of the family, as they’ll want at least a record that they were there. Try and take a photo of each family member individually – they’ll love being the centre of attention for once.
9. It’s all in the detailIt’s not just the people in your family that are part of the holidays – it’s things like the food, decorations, and the venue too. So take some close-up shots of these to at least serve as a record of all the effort that went into the big day.
10. Share quicklyThe days of waiting for your film to be developed and prints to be made are long gone, so take advantage of your camera connectivity and hook it up to a TV before your guests leave. You can all then ”enjoy” editing them as a group, naturally selecting the winners and losers.
11. Print the best photosWe may live in a time when most photos are now shared online, but your family will still value seeing the best photos as prints that can be framed and hung on the wall.
REDUCE YOUR STRESS THIS HOLIDAY
Budgeting for Christmas
For many of us, the Christmas aftermath includes massive credit card bills that can take months to clear. Christmas doesn't have to be a financial headache if you plan ahead. Stress reduction strategies include:
- Work out a rough budget of expected Christmas costs as early as possible. This includes ‘hidden’ expenses such as food bills and overseas telephone charges.
- Calculate how much disposable income you have between now and Christmas. A certain percentage of this can be dedicated each week (or fortnight or month) to covering your expected Christmas costs. Don't be discouraged if the amount seems small. If you save $5, $10, or $20 per week over a year, it can provide you with a hefty nest egg.
- If your nest egg isn't enough to cover your estimated expenses, consider recalculating your Christmas budget to a more realistic amount.
- If you have trouble keeping your hands off your Christmas nest egg, consider opening a 'Christmas Club' account.
Presents
If you have a large circle of extended family or friends to buy gifts for, it can be very costly. You might be able to reduce the stress and cost of Christmas for everyone if you suggest a change in the way your family and friends give presents. For example, you could suggest that your group:
- Buy presents only for the children.
- Have a Kris Kringle, where everyone draws a name out of a hat and buys a present only for that person.
- Set a limit on the cost of presents for each person
GET MORE TIPS HERE
LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEAS THAT ROCK!
