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Posts Tagged ‘holiday

With the holidays fast approaching, it’s time to start planning your party menu.  Make celebrating a cinch with these easy-to-mix cocktails from Ketel One vodka, Bushmills Irish Whiskey, and Baileys Irish Cream.  These drinks are sure to get your guests in the holiday spirit:

Sugar and Spice
Ingredients
1 ounce Ketel Citroen Vodka
1 ounce Cranberry Juice 1/2 ounce Lime
3/4 ounce Honey syrup
Dash of St. Elizabeth All Spice Dram

Preparation
1.  Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker.
2.  Add ice and shake vigorously.
3.  Strain into a sugar rimmed martini glass.

Bushmills Maple Nut Egg Nog
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces Bushmills Irish Whiskey
1/2 ounces Hazelnut Flavored Liqueur
1 1/2 ounces Cream
1 ounces Maple Syrup
1 Whole Egg

Preparation
1.  Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker.
2.  Add ice and shake vigorously.
3.  Strain into a Collins glass and garnish with grated Nutmeg.

Baileys Peppermint Cream
Ingredients
2 ounces Baileys with a hint of Mint Chocolate
4 ounces hot chocolate
Fresh whipped cream
Candy cane
Mint leaf

Preparation
1. Crush candy cane with the back of a spoon.
2. Pour hot chocolate and Baileys into a coffee mug.
3. Top with a dollop of whipped cream.
4. Sprinkle crushed candy cane on top.
5. Garnish with mint leaf?

Also, do you need a last minute gift for a spirits enthusiast this season? Cross them off your list by picking up a Ketel One gift set complete with a bottle of Ketel One and a stainless steel cocktail shaker for a suggested retail price of $23.

There’s only five days until Christmas, and if you’re a last-minute shopper then look no further.  Here are some marvelous gifts for the mom, sister, daughter, grandmother or best friend in your life, under $50:

Hyp-Yoga Audio Class CDs ($14.99/each or $49.99/all five) – Help your loved ones live better with an at-home program that works!! For stress reduction, weight loss, quitting smoking, etc, Hyp-Yoga opens up the body and calms the mind with expansive, full-body poses and deep breathwork, making the gentle hypnosis (on topic of choice) that follows incredibly effective. The Hyp-Yoga Audio Class CDs each include 10 minutes of yoga poses (with pictures included for guidance), followed by a hypnosis session. There are 5 CD editions: Freedom from Emotional Eating, Sleeping Better, Learning to Flow (Stress Prevention), Increased Energy, and Living in the Present Moment. For purchasing information, click here.

Meltology self-heating spa mitts ($30/2 pair) and socks ($30/2 paris) – It’s like Botox for your hands and feet!  Soyaffin™ serum drenches hands and feet with long lasting moisture protection to lock in results for younger looking hands.  Natural, moist heat helps lotions absorb deeper than ever, while Soyaffin™ Serum inside the liners leaves your hands and feet feeling relaxed and pampered.  To learn more about  Meltology products, click here.

Yak Pak Nobu Hobo bag ($45) – The Nobu bag is the biggest hobo offered in the Yak Pak collection, with the Megu coming in right behind it.  The Sabrina is a more petite version of the hobo and also comes with an adjustable tied shoulder strap.  Ranging from just $25- $45, all the hobos are made with a soft cotton twill exterior and a shiny satin interior and come in a plethora of stylish prints that are classic to the Yak Pak look.  To find a retailer near you, click here.

Vanitymark Dr. KISS ($12) – This hydrating lip balm (in a cute pill case) has a natural tint thanks to a pinch of the ingredient found in the mood lipsticks of our past. Kukui Nut Oil and Vitamins A, C & E give a healthy, antioxidant-full and moisturizing hug to keep lips soft and smooth, and sweet vanilla and peppermint give this lip balm a yummy taste and minty zing. Great for anyone who likes their lips!  To find a retailer near you, click here.

On Guerrilla Gardening: A Handbook for Gardening Without Boundaries ($18) – A political gardening handbook that calls up images of Mao Tse-tung and Che Guevara.  The focus is on illicit activities, where individuals are inspired to enhance their communities by reclaiming garbage-strewn vacant lots, empty flower boxes, and neglected street-side strips of dirt.  Click here to purchase the book.

Are you looking for an inexpensive way to create a warm and inviting atmosphere for family and friends this holiday?  Then you really have to check out Glade® Candles Holiday Collection in Apple Cinnamon and Bayberry Spice scents.

We received some samples of these new candles and they’re fabulous!  Not only do they come in festive refillable holders (a perfect complement for your holiday decor) but they smell so delicious.  They really are an easy, inexpensive way to create a warm ambiance in your home this season.

In fact, Glade® Candles was generous enough to offer one lucky Marvelous Girl reader a basket of goodies for FREE!  The gift basket includes the following:

  • Two candles from the Glade Candles Holiday Collection, in Apple Cinnamon and Bayberry Spice
  • Bellagio® Gourmet Cocoa Chocolate Truffle, a true liquid chocolate bar
  • Home Classics® Fleece Throw, a blanket to keep warm when the weather’s at its worst
  • Mineral Bath Soak Stress and Tension by The Village Company, made from natural lemon oil, rosemary, and eucalyptus
  • The Polar Express DVD, a family holiday favorite
  • Woven Strap Small Shelf Tote, great for stylish display and storage of accessories

WINNER:  Congrats to Marvelous Girl, Kylie Larsson, in Georgia!

To follow Marvelous Girl on Twitter, click here.

Even Christmas tree sales are struggling this year, according to industry research firm IBISWorld.  Real and fake tree sales are expected to decline 2.5 and 5.1 percent, respectively, as fewer people have multiple trees in their home (i.e. dining room and living room) this holiday.

“People are looking at every which way to save a buck but also continue with the Christmas spirit,” says Toon van Beeck, a senior industry analyst for IBISWorld.  “That’s why we’re seeing an increase in do-it-yourself and used trees.”

One tree category expected to fare particularly well this season is used, fake trees.  IBISWorld expects these tree sales to grow 4.0 percent this holiday.

When it comes to selecting a gift for that special man in your life, you may find yourself at a loss.  Let’s face it; men are just difficult to shop for. Marvelous Girl has taken the stress out of holiday shopping by finding gifts for him that are sure to please but won’t burn a hole in your wallet:

 BUTTON DOWN in Black, from Company 81 ($42.00) – The highest quality in fabric, style and wash gives this shirt a vintage feel he is sure to love at a price you can afford.  Clothing from Company 81’s collection have been seen on dozens of celebrities, including Sex in the City’s Blair Underwood, The Hills’ Brody Jenner, E! News’ Jason Kennedy, to just name a few.

TITAN 6 for men by ShaveMate ($9.99) –  For some reason, men just light up when given shaving products.  With six precisely lined blades, this razor will give your man the closest shave possible.   One of the greatest features of this product is that it has shaving cream right in the handle, making traveling easier and eliminating the rust ring in the shower. 

GRAND RESERVE – Robusto Natural 5 pk of cigars, from Gurkha Cigars ($48.50) – Nothing puts a smile on a man’s face like cigars.  So why not impress your him with these flagship cigars from Gurkha Cigars.  Infused with Louis XIII cognac and handmade from the finest tobaccos, he’ll truly enjoy the rich, creamy flavor with a hint of spice and a pleasantly light finish found in these cigars.

CLASSIC TAG-FREE CREW NECK – 6 pack, from Jockey ($40) – Men can never have too many undershirts and at this price how can you pass them up?  The tag-free, relaxed fit crew neck wears well under dress shirts or stands alone for a laid-back style.  Recession or not, this is a gift that will forever be on both his needs and wants lists.

LAPTOP ESSENTIALS KIT from BrookStone ($49.95) – If your man loves technology he’ll blow a gasket for this gift.  This item is one of BrookStone’s best sellers because it has six tools that make his out-of-office laptop use much more convenient.

The best gift to give this holiday season is to genuinely forgive your spouse for the various offenses committed over the year that have been driving you crazy.

Forgiving sheds unwanted baggage and makes for a stronger marriage, says Dr. Noelle Nelson, relationship expert and author of Your Man is Wonderful (Free Press, 2009). 
 
Forgiving is not always easy. You may be sitting around the holiday dinner table, giving thanks for all the good things the year has brought. But after dinner, when Uncle Ned says “Great flat screen; let’s switch on the game,” you feel your gut twist. You remember vividly the fight with your spouse for buying something so extravagant. You scream, “it’ll take years to pay it off, what were you thinking?” and he screams that he has the right to get at least something for himself, considering that “99 percent of his paycheck goes to you and the kids.” You both end up exhausted and drop it. After all, you’re not going to divorce over a flat screen.

“Even though a topic is not longer discussed, doesn’t mean it goes away,” says Nelson. “Every time you see him surfing the channels, the bitterness churns inside you. It sours your relationship with him, because at some level, you don’t trust him not to do it again. And with the lack of trust between you, your intimacy suffers.  All because you never made it to true forgiveness.”

Forgiveness is hard, explains Nelson. Forgiveness often feels like accepting unacceptable behavior in order to preserve your relationship, or accepting an apology you’re not sure has substance to it. 
 
“Substance in an apology is composed of two things: accountability and responsibility. Accountability is your willingness to figure out which part of the problem belongs to you and which part to your mate,” says Nelson. “The wife in the above example may say ‘It wasn’t me who slapped down that credit card for a flat screen!” True, and if her and her spouse had agreed upon a budget and he blew the budget, his would indeed bear the larger share of accountability. But her accountability may have been in not setting aside any part of the budget for his–or her–personal wants and needs, instead focusing only on the family budget.”

Nelson says that responsibility portion of forgiveness is your ability to be appropriately responsible for your actions. Responsibility relies on understanding rather than judging or blaming. “Instead of coming to your partner with ‘How dare you!’ even if that’s what you are feeling, talk to him about helping you understand why he chose to do what he did. Listen with an open mind and an open heart. From understanding how each of you feel, you can look at your problems as issues to be worked out, not daggers in the heart–and forgiveness can begin.”

Here’s something delightful to serve during the holidays from the Food Channel.  A traditional dish served during the days of Charles Dickens.

Ingredients
8 red apples (gala or rome beauty)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ cup finely chopped dried apricots
4 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
4 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 2 pieces
1 cup apple cider

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Core apples. Peel about 1/3 down the apple. Stand apples up in a large ceramic or glass pie plate and make 4 evenly spaced vertical cuts starting from top of each apple and stopping halfway from bottom to keep apple intact. Brush inside and outside of peeled apple with lemon juice.
  3. Toss together apricots, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmet in a bowl. Rub softened butter into dried fruit mixture with your fingers until combined well. Pack center of each apple with mixture. Put a piece of remaining butter on top of each apple. Pour cider around apples and cover pie plate tightly with foil.
  4. Bake in middle of oven, basting once, until apples are just tender when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until apples are very tender but not falling apart, 20-30 minutes more.
  5. Transfer to serving dishes and spoon sauce over and around apples.

Why try? This holiday sweet is packed with wholesome goodness of fruits and nuts.

Foodie Byte: Try placing the apples on the turkey platter for a lovely and tasty garnish.

While gadgets and electronics continue to be hot items year-on-year, there will be fewer large purchases this holiday, such as TVs and computers.  This is partly due to the fact that retailers will look to reduce the number of deep discounts – which severely damaged margins this time last year – along with the fact that customers will move towards needs over wants.

“This season there won’t be a “wow” factor in terms of sales,” said Toon van Beeck, senior analyst with IBISWorld.  “Consumers have been so inundated with discounts for more than a year that it will be difficult for retailers to get shoppers excited about holiday promotions.”

However, one of the biggest gadget winners this holiday will be e-book readers, partly because the prices are being driven lower by competitors entering the market (e.g. iRex and Nook).  About 30 percent of all e-reader sales in 2009 are estimated to derive from the holiday period alone.

“Consumers will reduce spending on big ticket items,” said van Beeck.  “Instead, they’ll trade down towards trendy and cheaper gadgets like e-readers; iPod Nanos; Nintendo Wiis and other game consoles; Flip Video and small point-and-shoot digital cameras. This is where the real value will be for consumers this Christmas.”

For the second year running, this will be a make or break holiday for retailers, as many cannot survive another season of suppressed sales.  With total gift sales forecasted to decline 2.6 percent this Christmas season, “necessity gift” like clothing will be the only growth category, according to industry research IBISWorld.

“Clothing is the only gift category to see growth this year because it serves a dual purpose,” said Toon van Beeck, senior analyst with IBISWorld.  “Parents are using this Christmas season as an excuse to update their children’s wardrobes, still filling space under the tree and ultimately saving money in the long run.”

As the biggest retail category, clothing represents 18.6 percent of total Christmas gift sales in 2009, at $81.91 billion.  Discount and convenient retailers like Zappos and Kohl’s will continue to see strong sales volumes, as consumers move away from higher-end goods to more value-added purchases.

However, brand name products and celebrity labels are going to fare poorly this year, while basic clothing items are expected to perform well.  Overall, clothes are expected to rebound from their dismal performance a year ago – which was among the worst Christmas retailing seasons this century.

The holiday season is upon us and that means delicious and sometimes not so healthy treats. Laurel Hudson, culinary instructor at Wellspring Academies, gave Marvelous Girl a tasty cookie recipe that your family will love:

Gingerbread Cookies
Yield: 3 dozen cookies
 
Ingredients:
½ cup Fiber One original bran cereal
1 package whole wheat gingerbread cake or cookie mix
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ginger
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp baking powder¼ cup granulated Splenda
Pinch of salt
½ cup canned pure pumpkin
¼ cup warm water
3 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla
6 packets of Truvia no calorie sweetener
Pam spray
 
Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with Pam.
  3. In a food processor, grind the cereal until it looks like flour, then pour into a bowl.
  4. Add the gingerbread mix, all the spices, the baking powder, Splenda, and salt and mix well.
  5. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin with the warm water, molasses, and vanilla and mix well.
  6. Add the pumpkin mixture to the other bowl and stir until blended.
  7. Knead the dough to combine.
  8. Roll the dough into 1/2” balls, making 36 cookies dough balls total, and place them on the cookie sheet.
  9. Flatten balls or scoops with the back of a spoon dipped in the Truvia, so the dough doesn’t stick to the spoon.
  10. Bake in the oven for 10-20 minutes, or until the edges are firm.
  11. Let cool for 5 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
  12. Remove from the pan and enjoy!

Approximate Nutritional Information:
54 calories/0.1g per cookie