^{Posted by: ShortOrderMom}
Two hundred sixty-six years ago this Christmas Eve, the city where I reside was named by Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, a Moravian leader, in the first house erected in this area. I can almost imagine the Count, said to have been watching the stable animals and listening to hymns being sung, suddenly standing tall and proclaiming the community, "Bethlehem", named after the birthplace of Jesus Christ. It may have been less dramatic than that, but… Read More

^{Posted by: Joe_LoCicero}

In our house, I had a steadfast rule that we would always have a live tree for Christmas. I didn't care that positioning the tree in its stand might be catastrophic, or that needles would shed for 25 days. To me, you had the pine smell, and the beauty of nature in your living room. And, if you were so inclined, you could actually buy a "living tree" that you could plant (or have planted) after the holidays so… Read More

^{Posted by: CallMeMama}

At a playdate this morning, a friend of mine was telling me how this would probably be the last Christmas that her 9-year-old would believe in Santa. I made a pouty face, commenting on how sad it was that her oldest would no longer believe. But I quickly remembered that it was around that same age that I learned the truth about Santa. On Christmas Eve, circa 1980, unable to sleep I wondered into my mother's bedroom only to find her… Read More

^{Posted by: IronJessica}

For Christmas, my children are getting something that, on the surface, seems a little ridiculous. Excessive, maybe.

They're each getting 30-gigabyte Zune devices.

My children do love music, but that's not the primary reason they're getting this gift. Instead, it's because of the new software Microsoft released for the Zune (full disclosure: I work for Microsoft). Basically, the new software allows me to sync TV shows I record on my Media Center PC to the device - and then take the device… Read More

^{Posted by: ShortOrderMom}

What to do when you have a food lover or cooking fan on your holiday list and your heart says, "Go!" , but your budget says, "No!"? I like these ideas for gifts that are well below $25 or just scraping under the limit, but all worth every penny.

• Barefoot Contessa Dessert Baking Mixes - Choose from yummy mixes like Outrageous Brownie Mix or Raspberry Shortbread Cookie Mix - none are priced above $15.
  

… Read More

^{Posted by: ShortOrderMom}

World peace, eternal happiness and a million dollars. OK, everybody wants that, but my culinary wishes are not the usual.

1. A Bunn Coffee Maker . With kids, time is at a premium and this is fast. Three minutes to done is my kind of coffee and the unbreakable stainless carafe is priceless.

2. Truffle cutters . These can be used for more than just truffles. Small, cute, perfect for decorating individual pastries or appetizers. I can… Read More