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I’ve been looking for a new car. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Anyway, as I’ve been looking at cars I’ve gone a few times to the Audi dealership. The other day when I was there talking to a salesman, Christmas music started playing in the background. I looked at him and said, “It really is Christmas.”
Ever since I moved to California, I just never feel the Christmas spirit. I’m from New York City, and in New York City there is a ton of Christmas spirit. Everywhere you go there is a “Sidewalk Santa” next to a Salvation Army kettle, Christmas music, Christmas decorations and just an incredible feeling of Christmas in the air.
In Los Angeles, December never feels “Christmas-like.” It is little bit chillier, but it really just feels like a different variation of October and November days. There are little pockets of the area that seem to realize it’s Christmas, but for the most part if you didn’t know the date you would never know it was Christmastime around here.
You just don’t have that “Christmas is coming” feeling around here. Remember when you were a child, how intense the anticipation of Christmas was? It was such an amazing feeling.
I remember there would be a Christmas play at school every year that you’d watch, and then you’d eat the Christmas cookies that someone always brought in. You’d be in school, and you’d start to count down the number of days until Christmas vacation.
You’d know you were only days away from that ten day or two week winter vacation. Two weeks without school was like a year in kid time. Every day you could go out and play in the snow, watch cartoons, stay up late and drive your parents crazy.
I remember the anticipation of the gifts. I remember my parents going Christmas shopping. They wouldn’t actually tell us they were going Christmas, of course, but we knew.
The next day after school when my Mom was out and my Dad was still at work, my brother and sister and I would go on a Christmas present hunt. I would find where they hid all the presents to make sure that I was getting everything on my list.
I was amazing at finding the hiding place. It would usually take me 48 hours to find the hiding place, but I would always find it.
I would always find things that I didn’t want in the gifts. So of course, being the excellent communicator that I am (even back then), I would always say to my Mom the next day, “Hey Mom. I hope you didn’t get me (and I would list those things).” I would tell her all the reasons why those would be the wrong gifts for me.
Then, sure enough, none of those things would be under the tree on Christmas morning. Yes, my parents would actually go out and return those things I said I didn’t want.
The anticipation of Christmas was amazing. It was such a special time.
It was beautiful. Everything about it was beautiful.
As an adult, though, do you still have that feeling of anticipation around Christmas? Does it really make a difference?
We decorated our tree the other night. We got a “living tree” for the very first time (which means that you give it back to them after Christmas and they re-plant it). That way you don’t kill trees. I think it’s really a fantastic thing to do.
It was fun to decorate it. I hadn’t decorated a tree in a long time.
It just still didn’t feel like Christmas, though, at all. I don’t know if I’ve lost my Christmas spirit, or if age in general just makes you lose your Christmas spirit.
How do all of you feel about this? Do you have that same intense Christmas spirit as an adult that you had as a kid?
Do you still have that amazing feeling of anticipation? Are you still looking forward to putting on your pajamas with the feet and hoping that Santa will bring you something fantastic, or are you just an adult who has lost that childlike enthusiasm and excitement for this magical time of the year?
Maybe it’s time we all started believing in Santa a little bit more. Maybe we need to start dressing up as Santa for our significant others. Maybe we stop being so politically correct and start wishing each other a Merry Christmas. Maybe we should stop all the “Happy Holidays” and get back to the beauty and the magic of what the Christmas season really is all about.
So today, go out there and wish people a Merry Christmas. Put a Santa cap on and have some fun with it.
It’s the end of the year. Have some fun, be playful and find that childlike enthusiasm again for the magic of Christmas.
Maybe instead of going on a date where you stare at each other chewing food across a restaurant table, have a Christmas marathon. Watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.” Maybe you need to see Hermey the elf dentist take out Bumble the abominable snowman’s tooth to really get into the Christmas spirit.
Have this fun little marathon or do something that brings back the magic of the Christmas season. As adults, we deserve to feel that way again.

Follow David Wygant on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/davidwygant

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

“There’ll be scary ghost stories and
tales of the glories of Christmases
long, long ago…”
Where there is light and beauty, there may also be a dash of darkness and terror. In
paraphrasing poet Rainer Maria Rilke, I find myself thinking about how Christmas morning
scenes aren’t always merry and bright. Those dysfunctional moments — in-laws squabbling,
estranged siblings around the table or an uncle showing up drunk again — are the moments
that inevitably get suppressed. It’s natural for us to try to balance things out with mirth and
good cheer, but how do we sustain this holiday light?
When I was a kid, Christmas was a perennial escape from the rather explosive
nature of my parent’s unhappy marriage. Ducking under the lowest limbs of our
Balsam fir, at age 5 or 6, I’d be gleefully carried away by pungent pine forest scent,
dazzled by the sparkly glitter, and awash in rainbow blinking c-7 bulbs and
soothing bubble-lights. In mere moments, I’d be zooming with Santa on a sparkling
glass ornament rocket shooting toward the stars. As I got older, I came to see that
harrowing world events, let alone negative home experiences, didn’t have to turn
me off to the hope that I still found in Christmas. Somehow, I knew that the Grinch,
in all his hair-raising forms, was not created by Christmas. So, believing in the
intrinsic possibilities of the season, each year I would excitedly dust off the family
ornaments, test the lights, and think of new ways to infuse my life with the spirit of
Christmas. I’ll admit that I was put to the test when our towering 14 foot
Christmas tree came crashing earthward, bringing down generations of our family’s
memories and dreams in one shimmering noisy shatter. Surveying the mess, my 84
year old grandmother exclaimed to me, “Christopher, you’ve ruined Christmas
forever!”
As for many people, my current Christmas is still informed by some of the
lingering shadows of Christmas seasons past. But one thing that has worked for me
has been to balance them with better, brighter memories. And so began my journey
of looking for the heart of Christmas.
Thankfully, each year brings new possibilities. As an adult, I’ve established my
own home, enjoying the chance to create Christmas on my terms. But where should I
start this year? In my local grocery store, magazines covers encourage me to “Make
it the best Christmas ever!” Well meaning authors recommend the joys of inviting
over friends and extended family, family now of my own choosing. Glossy
illustrations show me how to make magazine-perfect garlands of Noble fir to swag
over my doorway. A popular food journal suggests my serving steamy wild
mushroom soup on a chilly afternoon. But once the halls are all fully decked, I know
that I will collapse on my overstuffed couch. From this spot, I’ll savor my
sparklingly beautiful home. But is this splendid abundance alone all that
Christmas is meant to be? When is enough plenty?
Naturally, my Christmas tree will be dressed to the nines. With its
soothing hypnotic powers, I will again be transported away for hours. For many
homes, the lush evergreen endures as the focal point of family gathering, and
with good reason. Sturdy branches support precious hand crafted glass ornaments,
tomorrow’s memory makers of places we’ve shared, and experiences we’ve enjoyed
with those who were there with us. As the decades roll by, the Christmas tree
transforms into a family diary, with ornaments now also lovingly recalling the
places perhaps now gone, and the people no longer with us. Just maybe, they’ll also
fill in the dark spots we’d prefer to forget. Admittedly, I feel sad when Christmas
day comes to a close. After warm holiday celebrations, friends and extended family
return to their own homes and lives, while I, in my ornament’s glistening afterglow,
am left to ponder mine.
I was successful with the business of Christmas, but it was a tall order to live up
to the heady moniker of “Czar of Christmas Present” once given to me by the New
York Times. In truth, I often felt like the guy in the cellar just shoveling more coal to
keep the huge factory furnace aflame. Though I loved the sparkle and the spirit of
Christmas, in those moments I’d sometimes ask my self who was I inside, behind
the glitter of “Mr. Christmas?”
Fortunately, having sold my company a few years ago, I finally had the time to
find out. The beautiful ornament legacy has continued, and I’ve continued to believe
that Christmas is also something more than meets the eye, something breathtaking
and transcendent for each of us. I still wanted to share this, so my search continued.
A good place to start was my family roots, as I sought some sustenance in
the past. Growing up, my parents would recall our ancestors and their cultural
heritage (mostly Polish, and some French). Even during today’s holiday season,
I might listen to recordings of soulful 18th century Polish carols while preparing a
French Bouche de Noel with rum laced cinnamon chocolate whipped
cream. Last year, while spending an Italian Christmas Eve with friends, I partook of
an extensive dinner comprised exclusively of fish and savory seafood. Another year,
when spending Christmas in Krakow with relatives and friends, I witnessed the old
Polish tradition of placing straw under the crisp white linen tablecloth in memory of
the stable in Bethlehem. Polish families also serve a stew of barley, honey, and
poppy seeds, which in olden days when poppy seeds were more potent, was said to
aid in gently parting the thin veils separating us from our departed loved
ones. Tradition holds that in this way, we can enjoy their company again on this
Holy night. It’s a moment where Christmas past and present can converge. There is
value in honoring old-time holiday traditions, but I also sought something relevant
to my life today, something that could sustain my heart not just on one night, but for
all the days of the year.
I’ll never forget the Christmases I spent with 65 kids in a Polish State Children’s home.
Giving my time, and even a small part of my heart, was more meaningful to the kids, and more
mirth-making for me, than a sleigh full of toys. Some people complain about the
commercialism of the season, but not everything has to have a price attached to it. Sharing a
heart-felt prayer or blessing, or just giving some of our time to someone can be priceless.
I have found that there is time honored goodness in sharing food too. I take my (Santa’s)
hat off to the work of Heifer International and World Vision, two organizations addressing the
dire needs suffered by close to a billion starving people. For example, a $12 gift of 2 ducks
can produce hundreds of large protein-rich eggs all year long, feathers to stay warm, and new
ducks to take to market. Now that’s value! With gifts that provide self-sufficiency, I love that I
get to honor another human being’s dignity, a person’s true essence behind his or her
economic status. This too is part of Christmas’s long-traveled message of love.
What about the spiritual side of Christmas? For most Christians, Christmas
commemorates the birth of a wondrous baby in Bethlehem. Can that guiding star that shone
over a manger still show me Christmas today? It once pointed to a child who grew into a
messenger of light and love. Passed down to us are lessons of compassion and peace. Maybe
this light still resides in us all. In our inclusive pluralistic American culture, this day extends
past the limits of just one faith’s religious observances. It’s an annual chance to recall that
we are all together, each day of the year, as one extended human family. We live on
spaceship called Earth, as we zoom through this glorious star filled universe, “to
infinity, and beyond!” Can’t we all be Wise Magi, sharing this joy-filled message of
love?
All these years I was looking for Christmas out there, when the greatest gift of
Christmas was waiting patiently inside me. I’ve come to know that the meaning of
Christmas is not just about a historical birth in a manger long ago. It’s also a day to
celebrate a second birth — a second coming born in our hearts. For some people,
this might be called our inner Buddha, Yahweh, or Allah, Krishna, Isis, Gaia, or the
Great Universal Mind. Even my quantum physicist friends suggest this, saying we’re all made of
stardust, and seeing us all connected by virtue of our coming into form out of an
infinite quantum wave. I believe that the essence of this light is also born and living
in me. We may stumble over the words, but however imperfectly we may express
it, the Divine light is embodied by us all, and not just on December 25th, but on
every day of the year. This is what makes Christmas a universal message. Whatever
our spiritual path, we can live fully awakened, as real aspects of the Divine,
expressing Itself in form on Earth. Now that’s a radical cause for celebration and
heraldic joy. It also gifts us with an abiding peace of heart.
No act is too small. Being a bit more compassionate, a fraction faster to
forgive, and a dash more generous toward all can have immeasurable impact.
These happen to be the very qualities we admire in the child born in the stable.
By being aspects of the Divine on earth, and in partnership with this infinite source,
we can become the lighthouses we seek, safely guiding ourselves and others home.
It’s up to us to fulfill the Christmas angel’s promise of peace on Earth and good will
toward all humankind.
To my brothers and sisters world over, Namaste. My heart now finds Christmas in ways
that can last all year long. At home, I love my cheerfully decorated tree, and giving my
carefully chosen gifts, but my heart finds Christmas in you.
CHRISTOPHER RADKO is America’s holiday expert, finding meaning and relevance in all seasons and holiday celebrations.
www.ChristopherRadkoInPerson.com

This Blogger’s Books from
Christopher Radko’s Heart of Christmas
by Christopher Radko, Olivia Buehl
Christopher Radko’s Ornaments
by Christopher Radko, Olivia Buehl

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

The holiday season is officially underway, and hotels around the world are joining the festivities. From crystal-decor trees in London to ice sculpture in Nashville, to Candy Land-like adventures in Virginia and reindeers come to life in Berlin, hotels have decked their halls for holiday guests.
‘Tis the season not only for giving thanks, but for reflection and rejoicing. Some hotels, like the famous Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, spent six months renovating the hotel after a devastating flood to open in time for their Christmas spectacular. In Switzerland, the pine forests paint the picture for the perfect winter wonderland and in Paris, Disney characters come to life to charm the child in all of us.
With the help of our friends at Oyster.com, we’ve compiled some of the best hotel holiday decorations to help set the mood for your festivities. Whether you plan to curl up by the fireplace, light the Hanukkah candles, or stay awake in hopes of getting a first glimpse of Santa, there’s a hotel ready to welcome you this holiday season.
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Chewton Glen, England
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Celebrating the holidays at Chewton Glen in Hamphire, England is something out of a fairy tale. The luxury country house hotel and spa uses its 130 acres of Hampshire countryside to create a Christmas wonderland. The hotel will donning its holiday best this season with holiday parties and Christmas dinners for guests. Christmas trees are jeweled in twinkling lights and the hotel keeps fires roaring for roasting frosty hands and feet (and probably a few chestnuts). Dust off your dancing jacket and break out your fancy dress for the annual Christmas Dinner Dance at the hotel.
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Fine.
So festive!
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Follow Melanie Nayer on Twitter:
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Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

Let’s face it, the holidays can be stressful. It starts with Thanksgiving at your in-laws (woohoo!) where you are almost always forced to eat someone’s horrid green bean casserole and talk to a minimum of three people you have pretty much nothing to say to. Then, your carb overloaded self is sure to get bombarded with Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals and the never ending quest to find the perfect gift. Oh, the pressure! I have my own gift guide coming out next week, but I keep it stylish and relatively affordable. There’s plenty of time for gifts. First, you need to get into the holiday spirit. And if getting into the holiday spirit as it relates to decorating your home stresses you out, what’s the point? There’s nothing cute about a hostess who is a hot mess!
The easiest way to decorate your home for the holidays and not stress out is to keep it simple and don’t spend a fortune. I’ve never been into the whole keeping up with the Jones’ mentality as far as Christmas decor. In suburbia especially, it becomes a Festival of Lights Pissing Contest, pardon the phrase. The goal is not to light up your house like the Vegas Strip, but to add some holiday cheer, festive color and your own style.
A few weeks ago, I shot a segment with NBC in my home about easy and stress free holiday decor. I typically get a decent amount of viewer feedback on most of my how to segments, but this one garnered much more attention than usual. So many viewers wrote to me, thanked me and voiced their frustration on the overwhelming task of decorating one’s home for the holidays. The thing is, it’s really not that hard. You just need a plan, a budget and a trip to someplace like Home Goods. I love Home Goods for the holidays because of the sheer volume of choice and the low prices that accompany the better than average merchandise. And, there is something for everyone. You can literally deck out your home for the holidays fabulously for about $300. Clearly, you can spend a lot more. But, you can do it for that dollar figure. This is also assuming you are starting from scratch, which most of you reading this are probably not. Here’s a clip of the video from NBC where I’m decking out my own house!
Let’s break it down to four easy steps:
The Front Door
Whether you live in an apartment building or a suburban home, it’s always sweet to decorate your door. Mostly, because you’re doing it for someone else. I am not a fan of fake wreaths and real ones will only set you back a few dollars, so let’s start there. You don’t need to be an expert crafter to make it look good, a simple colorful bow will do. Maybe even a little bell. It smells so good, too. If you have the space, you can add a few poinsettias or other festive plants at your entryway. My mother in-law has a motion censored talking Santa in her foyer, which I find mildly annoying, but the kids love it. I believe the holidays are mostly about little children, so I’m willing to suck it up. No kids, no talking Santa, dancing Santa, Rapping Santa, Jazz Santa.. return to CVS, please.
Table Top
Holidays involve a lot of time at the table, so it should look festive. No matter what your style is, this is so easy to do. You can take regular white plates if that’s all you have and add metallic accents and glass and it will already look beautiful. Changing up place mats and napkins, adding a charger or some candles is really all it takes. Christmas dish ware is something Grandma does, not you. Sorry, but it’s so cheesy even when the price tag is high. If you have good china, obviously use it. But, the whole Christmas theme thing screams tacky. You might as well answer the door wearing a Rudolph sweatshirt. For your centerpiece, make it simple, unobtrusive and going natural is always pretty. Branches, florals, simple candles are sure safe bets.
Decorative Accents
So, Home Goods is known for their plentiful decorative accents. It’s what they do best.
I like silver and gold accents the most.I think it’s elegant and chic and hard to screw up. Plus, you can add non holiday items like pillows, dishes of candy and sweet smelling candles that are not limited to the season. Less is definitely more. Remember, your home is not a department store window, that’s not the goal here. Anything with a reindeer or snowman motif is strictly off limits unless there are children involved. Or it’s purposely kitschy or it’s a joke.
Little Details
Details are what I always speak to again and again, it’s what I am known for. I believe that true style lies in the details. The little details that make a difference in holiday decor are things like a dish of gourmet chocolates, fresh flowers, a room’s fragrance, and your own personal touches that define who you are and what your own style is.
At the end of the day, I can only hope you are more content with the guests seated at your table than the decor. The decor should enhance the company, not the other way around.
Check your local TV listings for more of Courtney Cachet’s great ideas. You can catch her frequent appearances on NBC nationwide where she dishes out all the latest in home and lifestyle! You can also keep up with her on Facebook where she gives daily advice on all things fabulous for your casa and your life!

Follow Courtney Cachet on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/CACHETLIFESTYLE

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com

…That is the seasonal question. Every year I am asked, “Should businesses decorate for Christmas?” To me, it’s a simple answer… why not? Should you limit menorahs as well? The questions about holiday decorations come with Santa-sized baggage, and these symbols of the holiday season can be a challenge. I have heard people say that they are concerned about offending customers, they could not afford a legal challenge, or they are worried that their employees will have a problem with celebrations.
One chain of salons demands that their stores refrain from holiday decorations and sends them secular bangles to display instead. A local library won’t permit discussions about Christmas or Hanukkah. One major bank claims they are being safe and inoffensive to customers by demanding no holiday adornment at all. They’re afraid of offending the purchasing public, and more than 78 percent of Americans claim to be Christian (Gallup.com). When you factor in countless non-Christians who love the experience of Santa Claus and the lights and decorations that come along with it, the percentage grows considerably. Are we trying to have a vanilla world with no excitement and decoration? This will only end when we all agree to say enough.
I have friends who identify as agnostic but they display as many, if not more, Christmas decorations than you will see in my Christian home. One Jewish friend lavishly decorates a Christmas tree. One student of mine who is Muslim from Jerusalem enjoys the decorations, lights, and the feeling of giving during the holidays. He is fascinated by the merriment, not offended. My personal research of friends and associates that are Christians, Jews, Muslims, agnostics and atheists reveals just what I expected: they aren’t offended but rather like it.
What happened to the all-American recognition of our diverse, cultural differences? When my son was in grade school, he had a wise teacher who educated her students about the curiosities of holiday celebrations of different cultures. The students made stars, Santas, menorahs, and dreidels. That’s the spirit: recognize differences and enjoy the season together. We all may remember one school system that would not permit any treats that included red or green decorations, and students and teachers couldn’t wear those colors either. Let’s learn from these extreme examples of political correctness run amok.
I say “Merry Christmas” with regularity. The generic “Happy Holidays” doesn’t do it for me. I am particularly interested in the sales clerk who gives a fearful blank look while wondering how to respond. I have been greeted with “Happy Hanukkah,” and I politely accept the salutation and return it. When I know someone’s religion, I address their specific greeting. What’s wrong with that? How about a dose of common sense and decency?
What about companies that call a Christmas tree a holiday tree? Is a menorah a holiday candelabra? No, it’s a menorah, a meaningful Hanukkah symbol to my Jewish friends. In my local mall, there is a giant menorah that co-exists by the Christmas tree. They are beautiful and very relevant to the community. But some cleanse our holiday terms to minimize the meaning of the celebrations and observances. Is the next chapter going to be about a demand that Macy’s Department Store stop decorating their holiday windows or the White House stop decorating the national Christmas tree?
Some people pray to the sports gods every weekend and decorate with their chosen team’s colors. I observed fans of all sorts last weekend disagreeing with each other but able to co-exist. We don’t all agree on our choices, but we know when our team is the best but we respect individual differences and preferences. Is the next wave going to be “Don’t wear your Michigan jersey, it may offend the Ohio State fans,” or “Don’t permit the athlete to point to Heaven after a great play?”
Let’s respect our beliefs and celebrations and not be afraid to celebrate, but don’t forget to permit employees to respectfully bow out of the holiday activities. Their beliefs may not permit this type of celebration. My recommendation is put up the Christmas trees and all of the holiday finery in full display. Invite your employees to bring in their decorations or respectfully decline to participate as well.
Recognize our differences and celebrate! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Go Blue, or whatever you chose to celebrate.

Source:www.huffingtonpost.com