Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday 12/11 this year. The eight-night celebration goes through December 19th and is marked by customs including the nightly lighting of the menorah, playing Dreidel and the eating of traditional fried foods.

If you are hosting a Hanukkah celebration and/or feast this year then you are likely organizing your menu and making final arrangements for Friday.

Hanukkah menus

One delicious tradition of the Hanukkah holiday is the food. Foods including latkes, fried donuts and brisket are popular choices.

Kids’ crafts

A fun way to keep kids entertained during Hanukkah celebrations is to have craft projects on hand. Printing out Hanukkah coloring pages from online templates is an easy and fun activity and is suitable for all ages.

Dreidel crafts

Playing Dreidel is a tried-and-true Hanukkah tradition. Find Dreidel craft projects online, gather necessary materials and you’ll keep the kids busy for a while.

Hanukkah decorations

An inspired idea is to decorate your home with a combination of store-bought and home-made Hanukkah decorations. Use the kids’ craft projects to decorate your home–if you’re feeling crafty then try your hand at making this cool candlelit branch decoration or this home-made Menorah.

Also, Hanukkah plates, garlands, napkins and signs are available at most party stores.

Hanukkah flowers

Hanukkah flowers are one of the prettiest–and easiest–ways to perk up your home for a get-together. Find Hanukkah flower centerpieces with candles, pretty Hanukkah bouquets in shades of blue and white,  and festive blooming plants like this blue iris stack to decorate your home with.

Happy Hanukkah!

If you’re one of many consumers wondering “Where has the time gone?” as you shop for holiday gifts, you’re not the only one! Whether you’re just starting your holiday shopping or finishing it all up, we’ve got a few gift ideas which are easy to find, purchase and send. Oh, and did we mention delicious as well?

For the foodie:

For the foodie in your life, send a basket full of gourmet goodies. Whether you’d like an extravagant gourmet gift basket or a more budget-conscious, small gourmet basket, you have many options to choose from. Simply find the one that best suits the recipient, order online and Voila! You’re done!

For the wine lover:

Send a gourmet wine basket as a special gift to a wine lover. Instead of just sending a regular bottle of wine, a wine gift basket is a beautifully packaged gift perfect for enjoying with someone special. Choose from simple gift baskets with wine and chocolates, or gourmet wine gift baskets perfect for sharing with friends.

For the chocolate fanatic:

Wondering what to send a special chocolate lover? You’re on the right track! Deliciously decadent chocolate baskets are just the right thing! You can’t go wrong with a yummy holiday Godiva gift basket overflowing with sweet treats, or a Ghirardelli gift basket filled with candy, hot cocoa and more.

For the candy girl (or boy):

Looking for a sweet gift that’s both delicious and beautiful? Candy bouquets please any sweet tooth and are fashioned in the design of a real flower bouquet! Find a retro-inspired old-time candy basket which is perfect for big-kid-candy-lovers, or check out this unique candy bouquet for kids which is showcased in a container in the shape of a sneaker!

For the health nut:

Forget the typical fruitcake this year–send a fresh and healthy fruit basket instead. For an extra-festive touch, find one with holiday touches like ribbon and sprigs of holly like the basket featured below.

For the baked goods lover:

If someone you know constantly craves Grandma’s fresh-baked cookies then give the next best thing with these baked goods for delivery. The chocolate chip cookies, brownies and ruggalach are the next best thing to Grandma’s!

Whew, writing about all of these delicious choices has got me craving some delicious sweets…

Holidays can stress us out so much that we sometimes lose sight about what they are really about–blessings, joy, cheer and spending time with family and friends. However, there’s just so much that needs to get done that it’s easy to come close to crashing and burning.

Don’t burn out–relax and enjoy the season. I’ve put together a few time-savers that might enable you to have a little more time to do just that.

Shopping

Every year you tell yourself the same thing–that you’ll start shopping months ahead of time instead of waiting until the last minute again. While this is a great idea in theory, a lot of times it just isn’t that practical.

However, there are some time savers and organizational tips you can employ which will allow you more time to relax instead of scrambling!

• Organize and prioritize–Start of by making your list. If you already know the exact item that the person wants, then mark those with a star or stick those at the top of the list. For those folks that you aren’t sure about, just jot a few ideas down to start with. Take a look at your list now and start figuring out how to group these gifts. Are there several gifts you can purchase at the same place? Are there obscure items which you may need to order way ahead of time? For the unknowns, can you get them a dressed-up gift card? Group everything together to plan your route accordingly, and then try and do all of your shopping at one time. More time to relax!

• Shop online–Most of us love the convenience of shopping online. To be able to sit on your couch in your pajamas and do your holiday shopping is pretty great. But, the shipping costs aren’t so great. However, did you know that many retailers offer special shipping offers? This site outlines a few stores offering sweet shipping deals this year.

• Gift Cards–Sending a gift card is always a safe bet and an easy way out. But, they tend not to be very personal. To give gift cards a personalized and more festive touch, attach them to a small gift or package.  Or, give a tin of homemade baked goods with the gift card attached.

• Send flowers–Order holiday flower arrangements, evergreen wreaths and festive centerpieces online. It only takes a few minutes to order online and will serve as an unexpected, beautiful holiday present which will beautify their home for holiday guests.

Sending Holiday Cards

Every year it’s the same–hunting around for names and addresses you need in order to send your holiday cards. Some might be scribbled on scrap paper, some might be in various old address books, some might be contacts in your email contact list.

This year, why not take a few minutes organizing all of your contacts online. This will save you time and keep you organized every year! You can even purchase stickers/address labels and print them out. What a time-saver!

Wrapping Presents

You might dread it, but wrapping can be fun! You can get creative with containers, paper, bags and more. And, if you know where to shop it can be fairly inexpensive!

• Dollar store savings–Did you know you can pick up extremely inexpensive wrapping supplies at the dollar store? From ribbon to paper to gift bags, you can save a ton of money here! Stock up on all your supplies here.

• Home-made paper–Making your own personalized wrapping paper is a piece of cake. Use brown packaging paper and personalize with paint, holiday stamps, glitter–whatever floats your boat! Decorate with a pretty ribbon and you’re good to go.

• Re-use and recycle–Even though you may have always scoffed at your mom when she asked to save wrapping paper and bows every year, we could take a lesson from that. Save money next year by re-using paper and bows. Ribbon and bows especially lend themselves perfectly to recycling!

Hosting Holiday Parties

If you’re hosting a holiday party, regardless of whether it’s a dinner or cocktail party, you might be stressed about making sure you are prepared and everything goes smoothly. Use some of the ideas to cut down on the preparation time.

• Preparations–Order and make as many preparations as you can before time so you aren’t running around too much as the date draws closer. Purchase beer, wine and spirits far in advance so you’re ready for the party. Plan your outfit ahead of time so you aren’t rummaging around in your closet for a suitable outfit the evening of the party.

• Food–Along the same lines, so as much as you can ahead of time. If you’re cooking yourself, take advantage of any advance preparation you can. A great way to cut down on cooking time is to utilize recipes which integrate ready-made ingredients.

• Decorating–Stay with the advance preparation theme here. Decorate as much as you can ahead of time, then order in holiday centerpieces and holiday flower arrangements. They’ll arrive straight to your door and will really add festive touches throughout your home.  Mix it up by placing smaller flower arrangements throughout your home in guest rooms and foyers and more elaborate centerpieces on dining room tables and coffee tables.

Relax!

Most importantly, be sure to relax and enjoy the season. Instead of anxiously scrambling, take your time and cherish holiday tasks like decorating, wrapping, sending cards and more. Don’ t think of them as a chore–see them as shining points of the season! Sit down with a holiday beverage like hot cocoa, eggnog or cider and have fun!

Happy Holidays!

Ready or not, the holiday season is upon us.  You might have already started making your list, putting up your lights and decorating your Christmas tree. Perhaps you’ve even gotten a head start on your holiday shopping.

Last year you may have waited until the last minute and cursed yourself as you braved holiday crowds, scrambled to ship gifts out and frantically addressed your Christmas cards. You might have vowed never to procrastinate again.

Take last year’s stresses and lessons to heart this year by getting a grip on your list, sending out gifts early, and strategically shopping.

This year, consider sending a little Christmas cheer early by sending friends, family and co-workers a festive holiday wreath to beautify their front door. An evergreen wreath on the front door is a festive touch which will welcome in guests and send a message of holiday joy.  This thoughtful gesture will express your warm holiday wishes early this year. Sending one only takes a few minutes and even fewer mouse clicks. It’s an extremely quick, convenient and painless way to send a gift.

Receiving a beautiful wreath as an early Christmas gift is an unexpected treat.  After all, you don’t have to wait until the last minute to say “Merry Christmas!”

If you’re lucky enough to be attending a Thanksgiving feast instead of hosting one, then your first instinct may be to merely show up and get ready to dig in. Not so fast! Although your gracious host or hostess will most likely insist to bring nothing except yourself, you won’t necessarily want to heed those words.

Why not show your appreciation by sending–or arriving with–a small token of your gratitude for the host’s Thanksgiving invitation?

Wine

Bringing wine to a Thanksgiving feast is always a popular choice. Sometimes it’s smart to bring a bottle of red and white to cover all the bases. Or, consider bringing a bottle of wine and a bottle of sparkling juice for the non-drinkers.

Flowers

Sending your hosts a lovely Thanksgiving-themed flower arrangement for the feast is a thoughtful gesture. Send the flower arrangement a day ahead of time to ensure it gets there in plenty of time. If you really want to impress, send an arrangement that reflects your hosts’ style. If they have more modern and simple tastes, then go with a beautiful orchid arrangement in Autumn colors. If your hosts have more traditional tastes then consider a festive flower cornucopia centerpiece.

Include a personalized message indicating how much their Thanksgiving invitation means to you.

Food

Some people are always tempted to arrive to a Thanksgiving get-together with food. Unless the host asked you to bring something specific–or if it is a potluck–then bringing food isn’t always the best idea. You might bring a dish that clashes with the cook’s menu or they might not have enough room for any more food.

If you’re absolutely set on bringing food, then go with a dessert or appetizer instead. Another alternative is to bring a bag of nice coffee to serve after the meal.

You can always bring a small hostess gift–like a candle or wine glasses–but the ideas above are more suitable since they are appropriate to the Thanksgiving meal itself.

After Dinner

Before you hit the couch to watch football, exercise good manners by offering your host to help with clean-up efforts. Although you’ll most likely get turned down since most hosts prefer to clean and organize their own way, it is always a nice gesture to offer your help.

One last tip–time your exit wisely. Please don’t be rude by eating and leaving very soon after the meal. Be sure to offer your help with any clean-up and stick around and socialize for a while. Take your cues from the other guests–once they start clearing out then it is acceptable for you to start saying your goodbyes. Never be the first–or last–to leave unless you are asked to be!

Happy Thanksgiving–savor the time with your loved ones!

With your Thanksgiving guest arriving next week, why not dress up your front door to welcome them in for the get-together? We’ve got some easy ideas on how to create a welcoming path for your guests!

Wreaths

Hanging a pretty wreath on your front door is a great way to create a welcoming beacon to your home. You can always buy one, but it doesn’t take much longer just to make one!  Head on over to your local crafts store for inspiration, ideas and supplies.

A simple and inexpensive twig or grapevine leaf can be the form of your wreath.

Using the grapevine wreath as your basis, you can get really creative with the project. You can use faux–or real–fruits and leaves of the season on your wreath by merely hot gluing them onto the wreath in a pretty pattern. Oranges, cranberries, and holly are all good to use. Or, glue pieces of dried corn husks and wheat to the wreath.

A really unique, beautiful and functional idea is to create a birdseed wreath. You’ll only need a few materials, and it’s actually a quick and easy project.

Swags

An even easier way to dress up your door is to make a quick swag to hang on your front door. Items you might consider using include dried wheat and cornhusks. You can even add in some dried or faux sunflowers. Simple tie a pretty and festive ribbon around the bunch, tie to the door and Voila! You’re all done! What could be easier?

Cornucopias

You can make a simple cornucopia to hang on your front door by using a natural sap bucket, wicker cornucopia basket or cone shaped tin can. Use dried flowers, faux fruits, pinecones and grasses in your cornucopia.

Other Ways to Welcome Guests In

-Decorate your front steps with gourds and potted Autumn plants like Chrysanthemum
-Get your kids to help make simple pumpkin cutouts or turkey crafts to decorate windows with
-Use kids crafts like these garden turkeys in flower beds
-Fill wicker baskets with faux lowers, fruits and cornhusks, tie with a pretty bow and leave on your front steps or porch
-Make a scarecrow with old clothes, a pillow, a hat and straw
-Set out bales of hay with gourds on top and beside them

We hope we’ve provided you with some fun, festive, affordable ways to welcome your Thanksgiving guest in. Happy crafting!

There are different ways to pick out the perfect floral centerpiece, depending on the setting and occasion. An arrangement that sits on top of a fireplace mantle will be different from those ornamenting tables at a wedding reception, for instance.

But for all of the variations between size, types of flower and budgets, the color of an arrangement will always play an important role in the final decision.

For holiday get-togethers, the most show-stopping, festive centerpieces are showcased on the dining room table.  Usually, that festive feel is echoed in other centerpieces and arrangements throughout the living area. Smaller, simpler flower arrangements are typically used in the rest of the house—like guest rooms. For example, a cornucopia flower arrangement might be the table centerpiece while arrangements filled with flowers in Autumn hues might be scattered across the rest of the common areas.

Different flowers have different meanings, but the color also holds significance. Since centerpieces attract so much attention, they can literally set the tone for an entire room. Understanding that impact of color will help you find the right centerpiece for your desired effect.

Blue: This cool tone evokes calm and serenity. Paler shades can work especially well during the winter, although blue can subtly tie together a room year-round. Centerpiece flowers, often found in complimentary purple shades as well, include hydrangeas, irises and delphinium.

Pink: Cheerful pink flowers symbolize youth and innocence, with lighter tones adding a touch of grace. In addition to the rose, lilies, cold weather amaryllis and vivid peonies are all pretty in pink.

Purple: The color of royalty and luxury, purple is a bold shade to work with. If the jewel tone seems too distracting for a room, try out soft lavender instead. Purple mums, freesia and lavender will do for shorter table top arrangements, while striking irises and delphinium can provide height.

Red: Considering that the red rose is the ultimate symbol of passion, it’s hard to downplay the drama of a red centerpiece. However, for fall and winter décor, red can add a warm punch of color to any room or display. For more elegance, roses comes in a broad palette of ruby, scarlet and mauve, while gerbera daisies and carnations set a more casual and playful tone.

Yellow: Bright yellow flowers can bring the sunshine indoors. Perhaps the quintessential floral color of spring, yellow visibly signifies youth and energy. Options for this sunny shade abound, including brilliant sunflowers, tulips and daffodils. To heighten the drama, eye-grabbing lilies, orchids and roses are all dazzling in yellow.

White: Although white is always a complementary addition to a floral centerpiece, it can also serve as the focal point. Associated with purity and openness, white flowers can be an uplifting decorative accent. Among the variety of options, lilies, calia and orchid are some of the most attractive.

Orange: Nothing brings a burst of warmth and energy into a room like a tasteful orange centerpiece. These normally make their appearances in the fall with Halloween and Thanksgiving arrangements, but don’t let the holidays confine you. Springtime gerbera daisies are handsome in orange, and birds of paradise are an exotic choice.

Green: As the color of growth and renewal, green-themed arrangements stir up a sense of vitality. If you want to move away from florals and focus on ferns and plants, green is obviously the way to go. Sage cymbidium orchids and eucalyptus accents also pair well with similar warm tones.

As you pick out the perfect color for your centerpiece, don’t forget to pay attention to the vase as well. Even if the flowers pair together flawlessly, the wrong vase will ruin the overall presentation. Be sure that it enhances the bouquet but doesn’t distract. Its color and surface texture should also harmonize with the surrounding décor.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, if you are hosting a family get-together this year you might be starting to get your menu together.

While gathering recipes for the turkey, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes and Grandma’s apple pie, one important thing may be escaping your attention: the table.

If you don’t usually set the table with much other than silverware and napkins, you may want to read on for some cool ideas to try this year to make your table beautiful, festive and welcoming.

Also, stop back by for more decoration ideas and crafts–including mantel decorations and wreaths!

Thanksgiving Centerpieces

Although it’s easy to stick a storebought cardboard turkey in the middle of the table, why not spend just as much time and effort on featuring a more welcoming–and beautiful–Thanksgiving centerpiece on your table this year.

Thanksgiving centerpieces come in a wide variety of options. Thanksgiving flower centerpieces are a beautiful choice. Look for centerpieces featuring a variety of Autumn colors–like orange and yellow. Seasonal flowers like mums are common in these centerpieces. Many of these arrangements are displayed in festive vases or containers, like faux pumpkins, adding to the overall seasonal feel of the flowers.

You can also find Thanksgiving cornucopia centerpieces. These offer an even more festive feel to add to the table.

When choosing your centerpiece, keep in mind the size of your dining room table, the amount of dishes you are serving and the number of guests. This will help you pick the best size centerpiece for your get-together. If you are hosting a larger get-together, you most likely will want to feature more than one centerpiece.

Name Cards

Name cards make a practical–and elegant–addition to your holiday table. They make your guests feel special and add a festive touch to the table. Use festive fall colors–like yellows, oranges and browns–to construct these cards. Have fun making them, and possibly enlist the rest of the family to participate in this craft.

Name cards can be as simple as cutting shapes out of colored paper with the guest’s names on it, or a little more elaborate with designs, popout shapes and glitter. Use cardstock instead of flimsy construction paper to make the cards more durable.

Look for clip art, templates and stencils to use in this project. You can add a little sparkle to your cards with glitter.

Another cool place card idea is to use in-season fruit–like pears or apples–with a cute tag specifying the guest’s name as the card. Embellish the tag with glitter and a pretty font, and tie them to the fruit-stem with ribbon or more natural looking twine.

Thanksgiving Napkins

Instead of the usual white cloth napkins, consider using more seasonal linens. This can be as simple as finding napkins in colors such as beige and tan–or festive prints–or, you can make Thanksgiving napkins yourself by embellishing plain napkins with shapes such as leaves. Find a pattern or template, or draw free-hand, and use fabric paint to fashion leaf shapes on the napkins. You can use these linens year after year!

Use festive napkin rings or simply use natural raffia as napkin rings.

Thanksgiving Tablecloths

For Thanksgiving, you might want to use a more seasonal tablecloth than Grandma’s white lace tablecloth.

You can find ready made Thanksgiving tablecloths–or, you can make your own. Just use a plain tablecloth and draw or stencil shapes like leaves straight on the tablecloth using fabric markers or paint. You can create a simple look by doing this around the edge of the tablecloth, or you can mimic the look of falling leaves by making a random pattern of leaves on the tablecloth.

Thanksgiving Table Decorations

In addition to centerpieces and place cards, consider making your own small decorations to scatter on the table. This can be a family craft which is fun for kids.

Find a website with tabletop paper craft ideas, or get the kids to help you create simple bowl decorations with fruit, pinecones and gourds.

Use your imagination and have fun making these decorations.

Thanksgiving Placemats

For Thanksgiving placemats, you can buy placemats in festive colors or prints, or you can make your own.

Use craft paint and leaf stencils to embellish plain napkins, or use fall leaves sandwiched in between clear contact paper. You can get creative here.

Thanksgiving Candles

Another great idea is to integrate Thanksgiving-themed candles on your dining room table.

One option is to go ahead and choose a Thanksgiving flower centerpiece with candles.

You can also find candles with leaf designs already on them, or you can use plain candles in festive candle-holders.Here is a cool candle-holder craft using corn-husks.

Kids’ Tables

At the kids’ tables, you can really have fun getting the kids involved making decorations.

Let your kids get creative and make decorations like centerpieces, placemats, and place cards. Do some research on the web to find projects, or just let your kids use their own imaginations. Have them gather leaves, pinecones and acorns from the yard. Set out craft supplies like pipe cleaners, crayons, construction paper, ribbon, stamps, feathers, glue and crayons, and let them have fun creating decorations. Let them know that there are no rules–just have fun with it.

We hope we have given you some inspiration for beautifying your holiday table. Have fun creating festive touches to use year after year on your Thanksgiving table! Be sure to stop back by over the next few days and week to get more great Thanksgiving decoration ideas!

Know someone with an October birthday coming up? Why not give them something different this year? If they are a Halloween lover then send an adorable and whimsical Halloween flower arrangement straight to their home or office. It will surely bring a smile to their place and accent their Halloween decorations–plus, it will be a welcome departure from the usual birthday gift cards.

This unique spooky-spider arrangement is too cute!

Orange blossoms spill out of this ceramic pumpkin to make an adorable gift.

A vase full of candy corn displays lovely fall flowers in this festive bouquet.

The leaves are changing and that familiar Autumn chill is in the air. Gone are the sunny, balmy days of summer, as well as the bright sunflowers and daisies, green grass and our summer garden harvest.

But just because the grass in your yard may be turning brown and your garden which was once thriving a few months ago might resemble a wasteland doesn’t mean you cannot get a few more months of color in your yard, add some fun fall touches to your front porch, as well as prepare for next Spring.

Planting Fall Color

Once all the bright summer color has vanished, it may seem as if your porch and yard are gloomy and boring. They don’t have to be! Plenty of flowers can flourish in a pot or bed in the Autumn. Chrysanthemums, Asters and Pansies are a few flowers that can grow heartily throughout Fall. Try big pots of beautiful chrysanthemums on both sides of your door to welcome guests.

For a fun weekend project, try container gardening with Fall perennials. Use seasonal perennials that will survive well in your area and plant lovely combination arrangements in large pots. You can get really creative but usually the large pot is filled with a taller perennial or decorative grass in the center, some ‘filler’ plants or flowers in the middle, and some ‘spiller’ plants as the final, last layer; these will spill over the pot in a nice fashion. Here is a great step-by-step video on the process. Cheerful pots and beds of pansies will add color to your yard as well.

Cleaning up the Garden

Once you’ve enjoyed your summer harvest, it’s time to start preparing your garden for Fall and Winter, as well as start your planting and/or sowing for fall vegetables. Check out these guidelines:

• Replace all spent annuals
• Prepare soil for autumn planting
• Plant spring bulbs
• Rake and remove all fallen leaves
• Cut back the spent perennials / biennials
• Remove annuals damaged by frost
• Harvest all herb stems and roots
• Fertilize remaining plants as needed
• Sow seeds for succession planting
• Plant peonies, poppies and irises
• Add winter mulch, if needed
• Prepare bulbs for forcing and chill
• Divide and transplant perennials and ground covers
• Apply dormant fertilizer to trees, shrubs, ground covers and vines
• Plant and mulch hardy annuals for winter
• Plant bare-root trees, shrubs, ground covers and vines
• Transplant roses
• Plant bare-root roses
• In southern zones, stop watering to induce dormancy

You can also start planting your bulbs for Spring, such as bright yellow daffodils, gorgeous and vibrant tulips and many more types of bulbs to make a beautiful show once Spring arrives.

Decorate for Fall

In addition to adding mums and container gardens throughout your yard, there are several other things you can do to decorate and beautify for Fall.

• Make an easy Autumn wreath for your front door
• Decorate your front porch and stairs with gourds and pumpkins
• Make a scarecrow
• Pick beautiful fall leaves and flowers, preserve them in glycerin for three days (two parts hot water to one part glycerin), then display in a beautiful cast iron pot or wicker basket on your front porch
• Fill an old children’s wagon with hay, pumpkins, gourds and leaves to display
• Tie dried cornhusks from your front or back door
• Fill window boxes with mums and pumpkins

As you can see, there are so many ways to brighten up your yard and porch this Autumn. Do you have a great Autumn decorating idea we’ve missed? Please share it in our comments section!

One of the most fun ways to collect items to use in your Fall decorations is to take a long drive in the country to enjoy the beautiful Fall foliage, collecting items and produce from local farm stands and markets along the way.

Stop back by later this week for ideas about how to bring the beauty of Fall indoors!