Gift Guide 2012

Wrapping the Perfect Gift Holiday Events Gift Suggestions for Everyone

2012 Gift Guide * 1

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2012 Gift Guide * 3

Contents

celebrations

decor

gifts

tech gifts

page 12

page 44

page 60

page 80

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2012 Gift Guide * 11

celebrations 12 * 2012 Gift Guide

Columbus calendar of events Nov. 17 — Deja Vu Art and Fine Craft Show. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., The Commons. Featuring artists who creatively reuse and recycle materials. Book arts, fiber arts, furniture, jewelry, mosaic, sculpture, woodworking and more.

Information: 376-2539.

Dec. 9 — Columbus Indiana Philharmonic’s “Home for the Holidays.” 3 and 7 p.m., Columbus North High School Erne Auditorium.

Admission starting at $10, student and senior prices available. The philharmonic and children’s choir join in a celebration of this annual holiday event. Choose from an afternoon family-oriented concert or The Phil’s traditional evening concert. Information: 376-2638, ext.

110 or email: tickets@thecip.org.

Nov. 17 — Saturday Sampler: The First Thanksgiving. 11 a.m., Bartholomew County History Center, 524 Third St. Do you know who was at the first Thanksgiving? Do you know what they had to eat, or what games they may have played? We’ll explore the history of this holiday, sample some foods they may have eaten, and play some Native American games. Information: www.bartholomewhistory.org.

Dec. 1 — Festival of Lights Parade. 6 p.m., Washington Street, downtown Columbus. Free. The Festival of Lights Parade features floats, animal units and walking groups created by local corporations, businesses and community groups. The streets of downtown Columbus light up with thousands of twinkling lights. Santa and fireworks.

Information: 390-6912 or email: columbuslights@gmail.com.

photo by Andrew Laker

Santa Claus waves from aboard a sparkling float as the 2011 Festival of Lights Parade comes to a close.

Dec. 2 — 15th annual Mom & Me For Tea. 1 p.m., Donner Center, 22nd and Sycamore streets. For mothers and daughters ages 3 to 8, includes tea, punch, sandwiches, sweets, crafts, games and fashion show of attending daughters wearing holiday finery. Admission: $22 per pair. Information: 376-2680.

Dec. 2 — Columbus Symphony Orchestra Concert: “Winter’s Passion.” With guest artist Kathy Dell’s Parkside Choir. 3:30 p.m., The Commons, free.

Dec. 4 — Swirls & Twirls. (ages 6-10) Learn to decorate Christmas goodies. 4:30 to 5:45 p.m., Donner Center. $16/person (registration deadline Nov. 30, minimum of 8). Information: 3762680.

Dec. 7 — Santa’s Workshop. 6:30 to 8 p.m., Donner Center. Hands-on Christmas crafts, games, prizes and snacks. All children must be accompanied by an adult. No registration required. $1 per person. Information: 376-2680.

Dec. 7 — Old National Bank’s First Fridays For Families — Babaloo.

6 p.m., The Commons. Free. This oneman musical comedy is a high-energy, over-the-top, fun-filled show for kids of all ages. Information: 376-2539 or caac@artsincolumbus.org.

The Republic file photo

The Christmas tree in front of City Hall will light up downtown Columbus beginning Dec. 1.

Dec. 9 — Columbus City Band holiday concert. Free. 2 p.m., The Commons.

Dec. 15-16 “The Nutcracker.”

Presented by Dancers Studio. 2:30 p.m., Judson Erne Auditorium at Columbus North High School. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for adults at the door, with a dollar off both prices if purchased in advance. Tickets are available at kidscommons and Donner Center.

Dec. 15 — Saturday Sampler: The Gingerbread Man. 11 a.m., Bartholomew County History Center, 524 Third St. Gingerbread has been a holiday tradition in Bartholomew County for almost 200 years. Explore the background of this great holiday treat, make a bag of mix to take home and decorate a cookie. Information: www. bartholomewhistory.org.

Dec. 16 — Concert Series at St. Paul Lutheran Church. 7 p.m., 6045 E. State St. Free. Christmas concert by Voce choir and orchestra.

Dec. 16 — First Presbyterian Music Series: Lessons & Carols.

Music by the adult choir. 9:30 a.m., 512 Seventh St. Information: 372-3783.

Dec. 22 — St. Bartholomew Concert Series: Let There Be Light.

Featuring St. Bartholomew and Fairlawn Presbyterian chancel choirs performing the “Ceremony of Candles” Advent and Christmas cantata. 7 p.m., St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, 1306 27th St. Free. Information: 379-9353, ext. 237.

2012 Gift Guide * 13

Community Christmas dinner offers food, fellowship for all W

By Brenda Showalter

ork already has begun on an annual tradition in Columbus to make sure anyone who wants to share a meal and fellowship on Christmas Day has a warm and welcoming place to go.

Organizers expect almost 800 people, including families, couples and singles, to attend the free event from noon to 2 p.m. Dec. 25 in the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church cafeteria.

Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center and St. Peter’s volunteers will coordinate the dinner. Their hope is it will be a true community gathering, no matter the person’s income, background or circumstances.

Diane Doup, community outreach coordinator for LCNFC, said the dinner attracts a variety of people. Some might be unable to travel to see family in another part of the country, or maybe they have lost loved ones and live alone.

“The holidays can be a hard time if you are not with your loved ones,” Doup said. “This dinner can fill that void. It’s more than providing a meal.”

Others are simply new to the community and like the chance to meet new people to share the day. No one is turned away at the event open to anyone. Doup remembers one husband and wife who had just moved to Columbus and could not find the box that contained their pots and pans, so they decided to go to the Christmas dinner.

The event also attracts more than 100 volunteers who spend weeks planning. They also bake turkeys and pies, set tables, wash dishes, serve food and sweep floors when it’s all over.

Last year’s meal preparation, for example, included 35 turkeys, 15 hams and 100 pies.

“We never have a shortage of volunteers. We are very fortunate that we have people willing to do this,” Doup said.

14 * 2012 Gift Guide

WHAT: 12th annual community Christmas dinner WHEN: Noon to 2 p.m. Dec. 25

WHERE: St. Peter’s Lutheran Church cafeteria, 719 Fifth St. (enter from Fourth Street side of building) FUNDING: The Nugent Foundation

COORDINATORS: Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church MENU: Includes ham, turkey, potatoes, vegetables, rolls, salad, desserts COST: None, free to everyone MUSIC: Provided by the St. Peter’s Praise and Worship Band

photos by Andrew Laker

Families and friends gather for the annual free Christmas dinner at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.

INFORMATION: Trishmeier0329@ yahoo.com.

Serving as chairwoman this year is Trish Meier, a St. Peter’s member who is coordinating the massive effort to make sure everything comes together.

For many years, leading the event were Sheriff Mark Gorbett and his wife, Renee.

The Gorbetts volunteered as a family on Christmas, a tradition Mark and Renee were proud to share with their children.

“We knew some people wouldn’t have a hot meal without it,” Mark Gorbett said. “But the day evolved. It changed year to year.”

The effort still helps those who live alone or need food, but it also provides a place for community members to come together and share a meal on a special day.

Mark Gorbett also was impressed and touched with how all he had to do was ask for help and he and Renee would receive an outpouring of assistance. Others volunteered every year, giving up their Christmas Day without complaint.

Meier wanted to help with the dinner

Grace Scott reads “What God Wants for Christmas” to children during the dinner coordinated by the church and Lincoln-Central Neighborhood Family Center. so she could reach out to those in the community who were looking for friendship and fellowship in a non-threatening environment.

Although the dinner takes place in a church, the event is about showing care and concern, not forcing religion on those attending. But if people ask for prayer, someone will gladly oblige.

“It’s a time to come together,” Meier said. “Not everyone has a family or a place to have a hot meal on Christmas.

They might be poor or just lonely.”

Meier’s faith taught her that everyone is part of God’s family, and on Christmas Day, family can come together to share his love. In Columbus, that gathering has taken place since 2001 in the St. Peter’s school cafeteria.

“We want you to feel loved and special on this day,” Meier said.

For the hundreds who attend, the day also will include leaving with a full stomach.

2012 Gift Guide * 15

Christmas will be celebrated with dancing, music and song O

By Barney Quick

nce again, there will be a bounty of celebrations of the season by various arts groups in our city. Some venerable traditions will be honored, and some new offerings presented as well.

Dancers Studio always presents “The Nutcracker” as its Christmas performance. Each year, the company adjusts the show to offer the public something new. Co-director Alma Wiley says that this year, “we’re redoing the costumes for the snow scene.” She says that the project is being undertaken by the company’s costume designer, Susannah Lipinksi, whom Wiley describes as “absolutely fantastic.”

photo by Joe Harpring

The Columbus Indiana Philharmonic and the Columbus Indiana Children’s Choir will join forces for two holiday concerts.

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Guest performers include former Dancers Studio student Sarah Farnsley, who earned a dance degree from Butler. Farnsley now dances for Ballet Memphis.

A colleague from that company, Marcelino Herrera Juarez, will also be performing. A guest to be announced will appear in the Arabian Dance.

Young performers from Dancers Studio’s classes are always encouraged to participate in this show.

Wiley says they will be amply represented. “We have big numbers of dancers coming up. We’re definitely in a growth mode.”

“The Nutcracker” will be presented at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 15 and 16 at Judson Erne Auditorium at Columbus North High School. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for adults at the door, with a dollar off both prices if purchased in advance. Tickets are available at kidscommons and Donner Center.

The Columbus Symphony Orchestra’s program is called “Winter’s Passion” and will take place from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at The Commons. The concert will feature Kathy Dell’s Parkside Elementary Choir, who will sing three Christmas classics with the orchestra: “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas,” “Do You Hear What I Hear” and “O Tennenbaum.”

“I’m quite excited about this program since this will be the first time that the CSO is performing in the newly renovated Columbus Commons,” says director Roger Kalia. “I am also thrilled that we will be performing the U.S. premiere of Italian composer Gaetano Randazzo’s ‘Christmas Symphony.’ Finally, working with the 84-voice choir of Kathy Dell will be something new and exciting for the orchestra.”

Other selections will include Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride,” Vivaldi’s “Winter” from “The Four Seasons” featuring concertmaster Matvey Lapin on

violin, Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Dance of the Tumblers” and Tchaikovsky’s “Scherzo” from Symphony No. 1, “Winter Dreams.”

The orchestra’s holiday concert is free and meant to be a gift to the community.

The Columbus City Band likewise is pleased to be at The Commons for this year’s holiday performance. Actually, it’s a return to The Commons. The band had held its concerts in the former structure on the site routinely for a number of years. For the past few years, it has been situated at Asbury United Methodist Church.

According to conductor and musical director Steve McGrew, “The crowds for the holiday concert were getting too large to accommodate in the sanctuary there. Last year, we had approximately 500 people.” So they’re back downtown.

The band’s concert will take place at 2 p.m.

Dec. 9 and is free to the public. For the children, there will be a Chipmunks Christmas, a number called “Teddy Bears Picnic” as well as “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Other notable offerings include the Ralph Vaughan Williams arrangement of “Greensleeves,” a German carol festival, and a Spanish carol rhapsody.

“The rest of the numbers represent a good mix of secular and sacred,” McGrew says.

The Columbus Indiana Philharmonic is calling its 2012 Christmas concert “Home for the Holidays.”

There will be two performances, at 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 9 at Judson Erne Auditorium at Columbus North High School. Adult ticket prices range from $10 to $35. Seniors prices range from $9 to $33, and those for students range from $5 to $23.

Highlights include “Festive Sounds of Hanukkah” and James Beckel’s “A Christmas Fanfare.” The Columbus Indiana Children’s Choir will be featured on “Drummer Boy,” “Let It Snow!” and Bugler’s Holiday.” David Bowden is the philharmonic’s conductor, and Ruth Dwyer is the children’s choir’s artistic director.

There will be two guest artists with Columbus roots. Saxophonist Hiroki Kato and baritone vocalist Steven Greathouse, current students at Bowling Green State University and Millikin University respectively, developed their love of music at North High School.

They are the recipients of the Betty F. Brown Award for Instrumental Excellence and the Anna Newell Brown Award for Vocal Excellence. The awards are named for members of the Brown family, which has led Home News Enterprises going back to its antecedent in 1872.

The concert will also feature familiar fare such as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “White Christmas” and “Silver Bells.”

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2012 Gift Guide * 17

Brown County calendar of events Note: This calendar was current at press time, but events can change. For more information, check www.browncounty.com.

Nov. 18-21, 23-30, Dec. 1 — 2012 Gingerbread Log Cabin Competition and Exhibit. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Traditional Arts Building. Show is free; competition entry fee $15. The Create it with Gingerbread Log Cabin Competition pays tribute to the many unique log structures found in Brown County. Contestants combine their culinary skills with architectural design to create extraordinary works of art.

Nov. 23 — Visitors Center Holiday Open House. Join the Visitors Center as it welcomes Santa and kicks off the holiday season. Free hot chocolate and cookies from 4 to 6 p.m. Lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. Free. Nashville Pavilion, Main Street.

Nov. 23 — Pioneer Village Open House.

Tour the five buildings that have been preserved and relocated to the museum in downtown Nashville. Time TBA. Admission $2 donation.

Nov. 23, 24, 26, 29, 30; Dec. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22 — “BELIEVE: A Brown County Christmas.” New for 2012. Palace Theatre of Brown County, 227 S. Van Buren St., Nashville.

Heart-warming Christmas favorites plus unexpected surprises that will take you from the bright lights of Broadway to the silver screens of Hollywood. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights from Nov. 23 through Dec. 22.

Matinee showing at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 26. $18 adult; $16 seniors 60+/military/student; $10 kids 10 and under.

Nov. 23-24 — Brown County Winter Art & Craft Fair. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Seasons Lodge Conference Center.

Over 45 local and regional artists will be selling unique, fine arts and crafts for holiday gift giving.

Admission $1 donation for adults. Sponsored by Brown County Craft Guild.

Nov. 23-25; Dec. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23 — Santa Sightings. Bring family and your Christmas list and visit with Santa in the Village of Nashville. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Village of Nashville, Pavilion on Main Street. Free.

Nov. 30 — Santa Train. 8:30 p.m. arrival; line to see Santa closes at 9:30. Free. Helmsburg Road, Helmsburg. Kids of all ages are invited to climb aboard and visit St. Nick on his express train.

Dec. 1 — Brown County YMCA “Reindeer Romp.” Registration 11 a.m.-noon; race starts at 1 p.m., Brown County State Park Nature Center.

Enjoy Brown County in the winter with an 8K/5K Run or 5K walk. $16 in advance; $20 day of race.

Dec. 1-2 — Spears Gallery Holiday Open House. Free. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 5110 S. State Road 135. New stoneware and porcelain works by potter Larry Spears and recent works by photographer Kyle Spears. Light refreshments.

Dec. 4 — Friends of Brown County State Park Christmas Party. Time TBA, Brown County State Park.

Dec. 5-9, 12-16 — “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol.” 7:30 p.m., Sunday matinees 2 p.m., Brown County Playhouse, 70 S. Van Buren St., Nashville. $18. This irreverent, funny and ultimately, deeply moving story retells Dickens’

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18 * 2012 Gift Guide

photo courtesy brown county convention and visitors bureau

LED-lighted, singing Christmas trees at Coachlight Square in Nashville. classic with warmth and infectious zest. This thrilling performance has become a holiday classic for Brown County.

Dec. 7 — “Elvis Christmas Show.” Elvis impersonator Bruce Borders and the City Council Band performing at Brown County State Park’s Abe Martin Lodge. 6 to 9:30 p.m. Adult $25; child $19.

Dec. 8 — Steele’s Country Christmas. Noon to 4 p.m., T.C. Steele State Historic Site, 4220 T.C. Steele Road. $5 per adult; $3 per child 5 to 12.

Find out how the Steeles celebrated the holidays at the House of the Singing Winds during the 1920s.

Dec. 8 — Charlene Marsh Studio and Gallery Holiday Open House. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 4013 Lanam Ridge Road, Nashville. Free event featuring new oil paintings on exhibit and available for purchase. The studio/gallery will be decked out in holiday finery to celebrate the Christmas season.

Organic, raw, “living foods” refreshments will be served.

Dec. 14-16 — Victorian Candlelight Christmas Dinner. Story Inn. Join us for our annual Victorian Candlelight Christmas dinner.

Dec. 16 — Christmas Bird Count. 8 a.m., Brown County State Park Nature Center. Calling all birders.

Dec. 16 — Holiday Music Night. 7:30 p.m., Brown County Playhouse, 70 S. Van Buren St., Nashville. Spend a special Sunday evening with local professional musicians and favorite holiday tunes. $10 plus ticketing fees; children 6 and younger free

2012 Gift Guide * 19

That’s a wrap!

Ribbons and bows Emily Sodrel of Imagination Station toy store in Columbus creates an easy, colorful bow by cutting a long strip of curling ribbon and crisscrossing it over a holiday package.

She bundles a small handful of colored crinkle strips and uses the ends of the ribbon to tie it in place.

Colorful combinations include red and green, red and white or color duos that match or complement the holiday paper.

Josey Rutan of Columbus likes buying ready-made bows with multiple strips of curled ribbons that match colors in the wrapping paper.

Before placing the ribbon on the gift, she uses extra craft glue where the ribbon attaches to the package to ensure the bow is securely fastened. She also separates the ribbon curls to spread out the ribbon.

Bring patience and attention to detail to Christmas packages

Handmade curled ribbons can be created by attaching multiple strands of ribbons to a package and carefully running the edge of a scissors blade across the ribbon until it curls.

By Brenda Showalter

C

arefully chosen Christmas gifts covered in shiny wrapping paper and topped with colorful, curly bows can make presents extra special.

Christmas morning.”

But what if you are wrapping-challenged and your gifts look as if a 5-yearold was playing with your tape and holiday paper?

Sodrel has learned some simple tricks to help make gifts look special and offers these step-by-step pointers.  Place the gift on top of the un-

One option is to take the easy route: Buy a gift bag, place the present inside, arrange colored tissue paper on top and voila, you’re done.

rolled paper and determine an appropriate amount to cut so you don’t end up with too much (that might bunch up on the ends) or too little (that will require

Although holiday bags are environmentally friendly since they can be reused, they lack the personal touch that hand-wrapped gifts can provide.

Emily Sodrel wraps many gifts each holiday season as part of her job at Imagination Station toy store on Washington Street and as the mother of three, ages 8, 10 and 12.

“Kids love unwrapping presents,” she said. “It’s part of the magic and fun of

20 * 2012 Gift Guide

patching later).  Sounds simple, but make sure to cut a straight line.  Pull the paper together on the bottom of the package and fold over the cut edges.

Photos by Brenda Showalter

At top: Josey Rutan’s gift-wrapping skills earned her a grand champion ribbon at this year’s Bartholomew County 4-H Fair. Above: Emily Sodrel, shown wrapping a gift at Imagination Station, has learned some simple tricks to help gifts look special.

 Make folded corners on each end, carefully tucking in the edges and making sure that both sides are uniform. see wrap on page 21

Regional calendar of events Nov. 17 — SEPAC 18th annual Holiday Art and Craft Show. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., American Legion, 402 W. Second St., Seymour. Information: 812445-3815.

Nov. 17 — Crothersville FFA Chapter Annual Craft Show. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Crothersville main and auxiliary gymnasiums. Information: Linda Maxie at 812-793-2051 or email lmaxie@ crothk12.org.

Nov. 21 — Sertoma benefit concert for Christmas Miracle. 6 p.m., Pewter Hall, Brownstown. Tickets must be purchased in advance at Pewter Hall, Brooklyn Pizza or from Sertoma Club members. Information: Pewter Hall at 812-358-0919.

Nov. 22 — Girls Inc. of Jackson County third annual 8K Run and 5K Walk Turkey Trot. Information: 812522-2798.

Nov. 23, 24 — Christmas Open House at Batar. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 12649 E. U.S. 50, Seymour. Information: 812-522-8617 or visit www.cafebatar. com.

Nov. 24 — Holiday Craft Show.

Trinity Lutheran High School, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Information: 812-445-3357.

Nov. 24 — Christmas in the City.

North Vernon. Highlighted by the lighting of the Community Christmas Tree and the Christmas in the City parade.

wrap continued from page 20  When making creases, pull the paper tight so it is not loose or crinkled.

Sodrel also suggests allotting enough time to wrap so you don’t feel rushed and end up with a sloppy gift. “You have to be patient,” she said.

Columbus resident Josey Rutan, 18, says that wrapping a gift can be more than just grabbing whatever paper is on hand.

“I try to match the gift wrap with the person I’m wrapping for,” said Rutan, who won grand champion in the giftwrapping category at the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair this year.

Photos courtesy of Jackson County Visitors Center

Seymour will usher in the holiday season Nov. 26 with a Downtown Seymour Christmas, featuring carriage rides, reindeer and Santa Claus.

Nov. 26 — Downtown Seymour Christmas. Sponsored by Seymour Main Street, 5 to 7 p.m., One Chamber Square. Santa will be on hand to light up the downtown. Vendors and entertainment.

Dec. 1 — Bring Christmas to the Animals at Humane Society of Jackson County. Freeman Field, Seymour. Visitors can shop in the pet boutique and donate goods. Information: 812-522-5200.

Dec. 1 — Medora Christmas.

Parade and festival held in downtown Medora. Vendors, entertainment and food are available. Information: Sharon Bowers at 812-966-8887.

Since her father, Mark Rutan, is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys football team, Rutan always is on the hunt for any paper or bows with the Cowboys’ theme. She also searches for zebra-print items since it’s a favorite of a 6-year-old cousin.

Rutan and her mother, Elly Rutan, keep a stock of wrapping supplies at home, including many found on sale or clearance, so they are ready for birthdays or holidays. And after Christmas, they stock up on paper and bows discounted 50 percent or more.

Here are some more of Rutan’s giftwrapping tips:

Dec. 1 — Christmas Cookie Walk.

Immanuel Lutheran Church, 605 S. Walnut St., Seymour, begins at 9 a.m.

Event sponsored by Immanuel Guild.

Many varieties of homemade cookies available. Information: Ruth at 812-5232362.

Dec. 1-2 — Christmas Open House at Hoosier Heartland Alpacas.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 2500 N. County Road 1000W, Seymour. Information: 812-445-7874 or www.olpenherd.com/ farms/3069/hoosier-heartland-alpacasllc.

Dec. 7-9 — “Santa’s Christmas Tree.” The Park Theatre, 25 S. Madison Ave., North Vernon. Show appropri-

 Put odd-shaped items in boxes when possible to make them easier to wrap.  Use double-sided tape to conceal the adhesive and provide a clean look.  Find creative ways to decorate packages, using items from craft stores, holiday decorations or even inexpensive copies of photos made at home or stores.  Craft “tacky glue” dries fast and clear and can be used to attach ribbons and other embellishments.  Wrap gifts on a table instead of the floor.

Rutan’s 4-H project that garnered top

ate for all ages. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $8, $6 in advance, $3 for students.

Information: park-theatre.org or 812346-0330.

Dec. 8 — Snowflake Christmas Bazaar. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Brownstown United Methodist Church, 110 North Poplar St., Brownstown. Information: 812-358-2924.

Dec. 11 — Annual Old-Fashioned “Christmas in the Village” Open House. Held on the Jackson County History Center campus, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Information: 812-358-2118 or 812-3581745.

honors featured a canister covered in paper, ribbons and three copies of her high school senior photos. She figures the reusable container will be ideal to hold a gift for a grandparent who also could later display the canister on a bookcase.

A 10-year 4-H member, Rutan participated in the gift-wrapping project for four years. She also became the family expert at home, often wrapping gifts for others.

At Imagination Station, gift wrapping is offered for free to customers, Sodrel said. During the busy Christmas season, expect to leave gifts and pick them up a few days later.

2012 Gift Guide * 21

It’s Time To Make Fancy Schmancy Doughnuts Gourmet doughnuts are the next big thing. Try these 2 easy-to-execute, holiday-themed recipes

By Bev Bennett CTW Features

M

ove over cupcakes. It’s time for doughnuts to take their star turn. So bring on the

sprinkles, the chocolate, the bacon. Yes, even the bacon.

“People were doing interesting flavors with cupcakes. It was a matter of time before the same thing happened to doughnuts,” says Lara Ferroni, cookbook author and food photographer, Portland, Ore. However, if you still envision racks of plain, glazed doughnuts in your favorite coffee shop, stretch your imagination.

You can make luscious, indulgent and extravagant doughnuts for holiday par-

ties in no more time than it takes to bake a batch of cookies.

Once you’ve mastered the basic technique, “you can put your own spin on the doughnut; make it your own,” says Mark Klebeck, a co-founder of Top Pot Doughnuts in Seattle.

Create your own designer doughnuts using your favorite seasonal flavors, such

as nutmeg, peppermint, cranberry or pumpkin. Coat finished doughnuts with orange, coconut or chocolate glaze.

Then, since there’s no such thing as too much, finish off your masterpiece with chopped nuts, chocolate shavings or savory bacon.

Doughnuts topped with chopped walnuts and crumbled bacon is one of the tantalizing recipes in the new cookbook

by Mark and Michael Klebeck, “Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts” (Chronicle Books, 2011).

The choices are yours. Here are some “do and dough-not” suggestions to get started.

If you’re a doughnut novice, try the cake style recipes, which are easier and faster than yeast doughnuts, say the experts.

Don’t make doughnuts a day in advance. For best quality, make doughnuts on party day. Cake doughnuts only take about 30 minutes to prepare and you can make them a few hours ahead of time to avoid last-minute preparation, according to Ferroni, author of “Doughnuts: Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home” (Sasquatch Books, 2010).

Resist super-sizing so your guests can sample more. “You can grab one or two and don’t feel like you have to cut up a doughnut and share it,” Klebeck says.

Do take steps to make cleanup easier.

Unfortunately, frying doughnuts can be messy. Cover your stovetop with aluminum foil. Toss the spattered foil when you’re done, Klebeck says.

decorating station, Ferroni says. Set out a platter of plain doughnuts. Make a glaze and bring it warm to the table. Add a few bowls of toppings. Let guests create their own designer doughnuts.

Don’t stack glazed doughnuts.

Although a doughnut tower would be an eye-catching display on the dessert table, glazed doughnuts are best arranged in a single layer so they don’t stick together.

A large platter or party tray will hold a dozen doughnuts.

Don’t discard your leftovers. Turn the stale crumbs into truffles as Ferroni does.

Invite your guests to share in the fun of doughnut preparation with a DIY

If you’re ready to make doughnuts from scratch, try the Klebeck sensation: a chocolate cake doughnut with peppermint icing and candy cane bits.

“Mint and chocolate is an incredible combination,” he says.

Chocolate-Covered Orange and Cranberry Doughnut Truffles 4 (2½-inch diameter) plain or sugar-coated cake doughnuts 1½ to 2 tablespoons orange liqueur ¼ cup finely chopped dried, sweetened cranberries 2 (3-ounce) bars semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces 3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts or pecans, optional Crumble doughnuts into small bits to measure 2

22 * 2012 Gift Guide

packed cups. Place crumbs in large bowl. Add enough liqueur to just dampen crumbs. Stir in cranberries.

Measure mixture by level tablespoons. Form into uneven, truffle-shaped balls, about 1-inch diameter. Don’t overwork. Place truffles on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or until firm and cold.

Place chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water. Melt, stirring occasionally. Chocolate should be lukewarm, not hot. Immediately remove from heat. Remove cold truffles from refrigerator. Using

two spoons, dip truffles, one at a time, into melted chocolate, turning to coat truffles on all side. Place on parchment-covered baking sheet. If desired lightly sprinkle about ½ teaspoon nuts over each truffle. Set aside at cool room temperature. Chocolate will firm up in less than an hour. Refrigerate if preparing in advance.

Makes 16 truffles; 8 servings.

Note: If desired, insert a bamboo skewer into each truffle and serve as pops.

— Inspired by Lara Ferroni

Peppermint Snowdrift Cake Doughnuts Adapted from the cookbook “Hand-Forged Doughnuts.”

2 cups cake flour plus more for rolling and cutting ½ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon iodized salt ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ cup sugar 2 tablespoons shortening 2 large egg yolks

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1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon peppermint extract 2/3 cup milk Canola oil for frying Peppermint icing: 4½ cups confectioners sugar, sifted 1½ teaspoons light corn syrup ¼ teaspoon iodized salt ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon hot water Crushed peppermint candies for decoration First make the doughnut dough. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and nutmeg together into a mixing bowl and set aside.

In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the sugar and shortening for 1 minute on low speed, until sandy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time. Then mix for 1 more minute on medium speed, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary, until the mixture is light colored and thick. Mix in the vanilla and peppermint extracts.

Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl in three additions, alternating with the milk, mixing until just combined, on low speed each time. The dough will be sticky.

Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Using a candy thermometer to measure the temperature, heat at least 2 inches of oil in a deep fryer or large pot to 370 degrees F. Roll out chilled dough to ½-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; lightly flour top of dough and rolling pin to prevent sticking. Cut into as many doughnuts and doughnut holes as possible, dipping cutter into flour before each cut. Fold and gently rework dough; cut more holes.

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Shake any excess flour off doughnuts. Carefully lower doughnuts into hot oil, a few at a time.

Don’t crowd. When doughnuts float to the oil’s surface, fry about 1 minute per side. The texture will change as the doughnuts are done.

Remove doughnuts with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels and cool completely.

While doughnuts are cooling make the icing. Place the confectioners sugar, corn syrup, salt, vanilla and peppermint extracts in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

With the machine on medium speed, add the hot water in a slow, steady stream and blend until all the sugar has been incorporated, scraping the bowl a few times if necessary. Set aside.

Dip one side of each doughnut into warm icing. Sprinkle on crushed peppermint candies. Place doughnuts, icing side up, on wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 1 dozen doughnuts and holes.

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2012 Gift Guide * 23

Special savings Christmas Club accounts still exist in different forms

By Kimberly Easton

T

he old-fashioned Christmas Club account is a concept that has been around since 1910. The special savings account, which allows banking customers to set money aside for Christmas gifts the following year, reached its height of popularity in the 1970s.

Yet such accounts still exist, but with a twist. Some banks in Columbus have given the Christmas Club account a new name.

“Dream Maker is a modern-day alternative,” said Kim Bennett, a branch manager for MainSource Bank. “For two reasons: You’re not forced to take the funds, and you can withdraw up to four times a year without being penalized. Truly, it allows people to use the account for what they want to use it for.”

Bennett remembers the days of a Christmas account. “I had my first Christmas Club account when I was in elementary school, and my mom had so much per paycheck that went in every month.

It wasn’t a lot, like two dollars, but then the next year I would have like 50 dollars to spend on the family.

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“I did like having my own money. There were five of us, so I was buying for four siblings. I mean it was really like having 10 dollars per sibling. I had this and I had to make it stretch, but it meant something to me.”

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Olivia Grube, who works as a sales associate with Bennett at the Washington Street branch, sets up the Dream Maker savings account for MainSource banking customers.

“We don’t have a Christmas Club account; we have a Dream Maker account because many folks wanted to focus on not just saving for Christmas.

They wanted to save for vacation, a car or for a down payment on a house,” she said.

According to Grube, 90 percent of Dream Maker account holders use the money for Christmas the following year and the other 10 percent use it for other major financial purchases or special events.

Unlike the old-fashioned Christmas Club ac-

count, the Dream Maker account allows four free withdrawals a year. After that customers will be charged a $12.95 withdrawal fee.

“This kind of gives people the incentive not to touch the money,” Grube said. “Usually when people do set up the Dream Maker savings account, they do have a particular goal in mind, so they do not touch it until they have to use the money.”

Though JCB has changed the name of its Christmas Club account to Holiday Savings, the terms for use of the account remain quite similar to the original concept.

The Holiday Savings account allows customers to save the money for a year. Then the bank cuts a check or transfers the full amount of the savings in October or November the following year.

“For the bank, it is an account that is really a service for our customer. We offer it because our customer base has a demand for it,” said Susan Haskett, JCB’s senior vice president for consumer

and retail services.

At JCB, customers can open a Holiday Savings account with a $10 deposit but forfeit the interest if they withdraw the money early. Haskett says just 5 percent of its customer base use this kind of account.

“The Holiday Savings account is a means to allow people to have a disciplined way to save money for an event,” she said.

So why would some people think the Christmas Club account has faded into the past? Bennett blames the lack of marketing of this particular service.

“My own opinion is that it is not an advertised product. There is not a lot of marketing that goes around it. Occasionally, you see banks say it’s time to start saving for next year’s Christmas Club, but not a lot of focus is centered around those types of products, therefore some people may think they’re no longer offered.”

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2012 Gift Guide * 25

Crowd-Pleasing Holiday Dips

Get inspired with these sweet and savory dips that will have guests dipping (and raving!) all night long Recipes by Lindsey Romain Photos by Matthew M. F. Miller CTW Features

Vegan White Bean Dip ½ cup white beans, drained ½ cup garbanzo beans, drained

Peanut Butter Dip

½ cup juice from either bean can

½ cup vanilla or honey Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

½ cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)

4 ounces goat cheese

¼ cup vegan cheddar cheese

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons honey

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Honey Goat Cheese Dip

Stir together in a medium bowl. Serve with fresh berries, apple slices or warm cookies.

Process in a food processor. Serve with carrots, red

Mix together in a medium bowl. Serve with celery,

peppers or pretzels.

graham crackers cookies or apple slices.

Cream Cheese Pesto Dip

Avocado Goat Cheese Dip

Smoked Salmon Dip 8 ounces cream cheese ½ cup sour cream 1 tablespoon fresh dill 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

8 ounces cream cheese

3 ripe avocados

1 diced tomato

2 gloves minced garlic

½ teaspoon horseradish sauce

1 cup pesto

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup parmesan cheese

4 ounces cream cheese

pepper to taste 4 ounces smoked salmon Mix all ingredients at once with a large spoon or hand-mixer in a medium bowl. Serve with bagel chips or sliced veggies.

26 * 2012 Gift Guide

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cream cheese in a baking dish. Spread pesto over cheese blocks.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and tomatoes. Bake 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with quartered pitas or breadsticks.

4 ounces goat cheese 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice Mix all ingredients at once with a large spoon or hand-mixer in a medium bowl. Serve with blue corn chips, pretzels or crackers.

Buffalo Chicken Dip 2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded (or 1 can of shredded chicken) 16 ounces cream cheese 1 cup ranch dressing 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a saucepan, combine cream cheese and ranch over low heat. Pour mixture over chicken in a baking dish.

Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with veggies, crackers or breadsticks.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip ½ cup melted butter ¼ cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 8 ounces cream cheese 1 cup powdered sugar ½ cup chocolate chips Whisk butter, brown sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl. In another bowl, beat cream cheese until softened. Add butter mixture and powdered sugar, then add chocolate chips.

Cool in fridge before serving with your favorite bite-sized cookie.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip 8 ounces cream cheese ½ cup canned pumpkin ¼ cup brown sugar ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon vanilla ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ½ cup gingerbread cookie crumbs Mix everything but the cookie crumbs together in a medium bowl with a large spoon or a hand-mixer.

Sprinkle gingerbread cookie crumbs on top. Serve with cinnamon sugar pita chips, pretzels or just a spoon!

2012 Gift Guide * 27

Make it Small and Sweet Serving just one dessert is so 2011. This year, make the most of everyone’s favorite course by offering guests an array of tiny treats.

By Jessica Royer Ocken CTW Features

T

urkey or ham is the centerpiece of many a holiday meal, but the true main attraction comes at the end of the feast: dessert. Whether it’s pumpkin pie, bûche de Noël or Grandma’s famous gingersnaps, the final course is what everyone secretly (or not so secretly) saves space for.

And this year, you can be sure to deliver. Having just one dessert to indulge in is a thing of the past. Sweet little cupcakes? Mini macarons? Tiny pies? No one is immune to this cuteness. “Mini desserts are just adorable,” confesses Dani Cone, the baker behind Seattle’s High 5 Pies and author of “Cutie Pies: 40 Sweet, Savory and Adorable Recipes” (Andrews McMeel, 2011). “A mini pie bite bursting with colorful fruit, rustic crust and a crumb top? What could be better?”

Then there’s the flavor. Tiny treats like macarons, a delicious filled French pastry, “pack a lot of flavor in their small size,” says Ann E. McBride, co-author with Kathryn Gordon of “Les Petits Macarons: Colorful French Confections to Make at Home” (Running Press, 2011). “So while you can easily eat a couple and enjoy variety, you’ll also be satisfied with just one.”

ings. “I love small things at parties, because I hate eating standing up,” says Deb Perelman, the accomplished cook and blogger behind smittenkitchen.com and “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook” (Random House, 2012). “If it takes more than one bite, it’s on your chin.”

Shrink the size of your holiday desserts and offer a variety so everyone can manage a taste — or manage to taste them all.

Make it delicious When serving an assortment, you can keep to the classics and experiment, too. Our experts recommend seasonal flavors such as pumpkin and maple, perhaps with caramel or butterscotch, for Thanksgiving. For Christmas, offer spicy selections with cinnamon, ginger or mint in addition to chocolate. Perhaps a chocolate peppermint or gingerbread cake ball (a luscious truffle made of crumbled cake and frosting), suggest Robin Ankeny and Charlotte Lyon of The Cake Ball Co., based in Dallas, and authors of “Cake Balls” (Running Press, 2012), or a rich bourbon-pumpkin buttercream macaron.

Fruits of the season also are great choices. “If you have a basic vanilla cake recipe or one with fruit, you can switch it up,” Perelman says. “If you use peaches in the summer, use apples or pears in the fall. I’m also a big fan of cranberries in baked goods. They have a nice flavor when you add sugar, and they go well with orange and citrus, too.”

It’s also an option to choose simpler flavors, such as basic birthday cake or brownie, and add festive decorations to dress up your treats for the holiday occasion, note Ankeny and Lyon.

Still another bonus? “Bite-sized desserts are naturally portion-controlled,” notes Carole Bloom, author of 10 dessert cookbooks, including “Bite-Size Desserts” (Wiley, 2009). “And they’re easy to handle. There’s no need to cut or slice or decide what size piece you want.”

In addition to varying flavors, consider your selections to be sure you’ll offer a range of colors, textures and styles.

“Plan to have an assortment of bite-size desserts on your menu, such as tartlets, cakes, cookies and candies,” Bloom says.

These features combine to make small sweets perfect for holiday gather-

Almost as fun as cooking and baking mini desserts is finding fabulous

28 * 2012 Gift Guide

Make It Beautiful

Dani Cone’s Cutie Pies You will need: Your favorite crust recipe Your favorite filling recipe (see Dani’s below) Rolling pin Flour Nonstick spray Muffin tin On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough (right from the fridge!) to about ¼-inch thickness. Cut dough into 4 5-inch circles. Spray muffin tin lightly with nonstick spray.

Gently press each circle into a muffin cup, making sure sides and bottom are pressed in, leaving about ½-inch overhang above the muffin cup.

Fold and tuck: Gently fold over the overhang and tuck it back into the muffin tin, just as you crimp a full-sized pie. Crimp the edges, again just as you would a full-sized pie. Start with your thumb and forefinger of left hand and place on edge. With forefinger of right hand, push edge gently between thumb and forefinger of left hand, and continue around the Cutie Pie, making about 5 crimps.

Fill with your favorite pie filling, top with either mini lattice, a mini flat top or crumb top. If topping with lattice or flat top, brush lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar before baking.

Bake at 400 degrees F for about 50 minutes, until crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbly. Check the bottoms by using a butter knife to gently lift up the Cutie Pie and see that it is golden brown on the bottom, too.

High 5 Apple Pie Filling 6-8 medium Granny Smith apples 4 ounces light brown sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1½ teaspoons cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon nutmeg pinch of ground cloves 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/8 cup raw sugar Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Wash, core and slice apples into ½-inch slices.

Toss apple slices and all ingredients together in a glass or metal baking pan, at least 1-inch deep. Make sure apples are well coated. Bake apples for 5 minutes, remove from oven and stir.

Fill pie crust(s) with apple mixture and top with lattice or flat top.

Crimp edges.

Lightly brush top with egg wash of one lightly beaten egg and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake as directed.

ways to display them. A cake ball or two can nestle in a serving spoon or become cake pops with the help of lollipop sticks. Cone loves to make piepops, too. Anything on a stick will look great nestled into a bouquet in a vase or glass, and Bloom suggests creative plating with dishes of different shapes, sizes and colors, and even using pieces of slate and granite or baskets. Setting small items in mini-cupcake papers will make them pretty and easy to pick up, adds Perelman.

Macarons, with their varied colors and neat, round shape, can be displayed countless ways. “I love displaying pastel macarons on antique tiered cake or cookie platters,” McBride says. Line them up in multicolored rows like gems or stack them in a pyramid, she suggests.

Or, make a delicious edible centerpiece for your sweets table by pinning macarons to a foam shape (or attaching them with a bit of frosting), such as a tree or large ball.

treats, and they look great piled high – a true pie bounty.”

Make It Manageable

Desserts this delightful may not wait until the end of the meal to make their debut. A mini pie could greet each guest at their assigned seat, perhaps even wrapped to take home as a party favor, says Cone, adding: “Have fun with this.

There are so many ways to display these

(Cool the pan to almost-frozen for cutting ease.)

• Bite-sized cheesecakes can be

Now, in all honesty, is making a batch of petit-four-sized pies more labor intensive than a standard nine-incher or two? Probably. But creating tiny treats doesn’t have to mean chaining yourself to the stove for days at a time. “It just requires planning, and maybe a good piping bag,” Perelman says.

tricky, Bloom says. Choose a silicone

Consider these tips to streamline your process:

shooting section, complete with photos

• Don’t abandon your favorite recipes. “In many cases home cooks can make their full-size recipes into bite-size desserts,” Bloom says. Just practice a few times so you can figure out the yield and the adjusted cooking time.

ron perfection.

• Cookies are a particularly easy item to make smaller, Perelman says. Bar cookies are easiest of all. Something like her cranberry crumb bars can be cut in one-inch squares for one-bite delight.

frosting, and you’re ready to go.

mini-muffin pan to help them come out easily.

• Macarons are not nearly as difficult as they look, but to avoid frustration, McBride suggests practicing making the shells a few times before the big event.

Her book contains an extensive troubleand step-by-step instructions for maca• Bake in advance. Make a few flavors of mini cupcakes over a period of weeks, Perelman suggests. Wrap them airtight and store in the freezer until the holiday arrives. Then just thaw, add Your guests will be amazed at the bounty of decadence, and you’ll be a hero, because after all, everyone loves a choice!

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Pumpkin Perfected Bake from scratch without stress with a few simple suggestions

By Dana Carman CTW Features

B

aking pie from scratch may not seem like the best way to lighten the Thanksgiving to-do list. According to chef Millicent Souris, however, that’s the best way to your best pumpkin pie and, really, she assures, it’s not as laborious as it sounds. Souris, author of “How to Build a Better Pie: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Flaky Crusts, Toppers, and the Things in Between” (Quarry Books, 2012), has offered some of her expert advice for the would-be baker along with a recipe that puts a new spin on the old classic.

What makes a “perfect” pumpkin pie?

Pie is an intersection of crust and filling and baking, so it’s about all three being harmonious.

Where do most people go wrong with their pies?

People overwork their crust so it ends up being chewy, rather than flaky and tender. They don’t use enough salt, in general, to flavor the filling or the crust (salt informs flavor). Pies are generally under-baked and people use criminal amounts of cinnamon and nutmeg.

What are your secrets for making your own crust?

The best crust, hands-down, is half unsalted butter and half leaf lard. The butter adds that lovely richness that only butter owns (sorry, vegans) and leaf lard, the holy grail of pastry fat, offers a clean flavor and tender flake. Shortening was invented to mimic leaf lard, but Crisco is evil.

Certainly all lard or all butter work, or any variation of. Handle the crust the least. Don’t overwork it. Make it

30 * 2012 Gift Guide

with your hands for the most control.

Be quick – every motion should have a purpose.

Do you prefer real pumpkin or canned?

I think canned pumpkin is where pumpkin pie gets gross. Using pumpkins is not a big deal. Buy one. Turn your oven on to 400 degrees. Cut the pumpkin into big pieces and take the seeds out. Toss with some olive oil, sprinkle with salt, add some aromatics like cinnamon stick, star anise, nutmeg, a vanilla bean husk – these lightly inform the flavor. Roasting food brings out lots of flavor. Roast the pumpkin until it is done (when a butter knife slides through easily). Scrape the pumpkin from the skin.

Mash or put through a colander.

We think all this stuff is hard, but it’s not. You can prep the pumpkin days before you need it.

Do you have any suggestions for those looking to “spice up” their pumpkin pies?

That’s where the praline comes in. I also think nuanced seasoning, such as using whole spices, changes the game.

Nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, allspice – everything should be balanced. I like to add fresh ginger to brighten it, along with lemon zest and juice. A shot of whisky never hurt anybody or anything.

How far in advance would you recommend baking your pumpkin pies before Thanksgiving?

Ideally the same day, but Thanksgiving is a tough one. Everything can be prepped, the filling can be made ahead of time and the crust can be prebaked the night before. If you must, bake it the night before, and just let it cool down and stay out at room temperature overnight. Room temperature is the best way to serve food; you get the entire flavor. If you refrigerated it, warm it a bit to take the chill off.

‘Tis the Season to Be Toasty Raise a glass to friends and family with this sweet cocktail sure to keep spirits –and glasses – full of joy

Toasted Marshmallow ¾ ounce Godiva Chocolate Vodka ¾ ounce Smirnoff Fluffed Vodka ¼ ounce Baileys Original Irish Cream Shake and strain into a shot glass. Finish with dollop of marshmallow fluff. Rest small chocolate bar square and small graham cracker on top.

— CTW Features

Variation On a Theme:

Sweet Potato Pie with Sesame Praline ricing the potatoes; they don’t have enough horsepower, and you’ll just end up with a gluey mess.

(Editor’s note: Pumpkin may be substituted for sweet potatoes and pumpkin seeds for sesame seeds, but in all cases, the author recommends using fresh ingredients over canned.)

Single Pie Crust, chilled

Filling

2 large eggs, room temperature ¾ cup heavy cream, room temperature ¾ cup packed light brown sugar

1⁄8 teaspoon fresh nutmeg (about 15 grates) 1⁄8 teaspoon cinnamon 1½ tablespoons fresh ginger, zested across a grater Zest and juice of 1 lemon Shot of bourbon

Praline 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 tablespoons packed brown sugar 6 tablespoons heavy cream 2 teaspoons kosher salt ¾ cup sesame seeds, toasted

Wash 1 egg white Prebake tools: aluminum foil, baking beans.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Bottom Crust Roll out your chilled piecrust to 1⁄8inch (3 mm) thick and about 15 inches in diameter. Place in your pie pan and trim the edges so there is no more than ¼ inch of overhang. Lift and crimp the overhang along the rim of the pie pan. Chill your crust in the freezer for at least 15 minutes or chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. It is important for the crust to be very cold and the fat to re-form and firm up.

Pull your pie plate out of the refrigerator and place your foil in it. It should sit flush

YOU

Bake

2 pounds sweet potatoes or 3 cups roasted and put through a sieve

1⁄8 teaspoon ground mace

LET THIS HAPPEN TO

Mix together your eggs and cream until homogenized. Add the 3 cups of sieved potatoes and mix until it’s all together. Add the sugar, salt, spices and bourbon. Mix until smooth.

Crust

1 teaspoon kosher salt

DON’T

with the plate, come up along the rim, and fold down to cover the edges. This foil protects the crust from overbrowning, but do not press the foil to the edges. Place your baking beans in the bottom and level them out. Put the crust in the oven.

Bake the crust for 20 minutes at 425 degrees F. Then pull out the crust, lower your oven to 375 degrees F, and carefully lift the aluminum foil by the edges off your crust with the beans in it. Put your crust back in the oven for 15 minutes. Check at 7 minutes and turn it 180 degrees. Check the crust.

The edges may be a little darker than the rest, but it should be set and very light in color. The bottom is more than likely a little bit bubbly and looks shiny. Let it cook a bit more, 5 minutes at the most, if the bottom is more shiny than matte. Then take the crust out and let it rest for 10 minutes. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F.

Filling Roast your sweet potatoes (as much as 3 days in advance). When the potatoes are still warm, slip them out of their sleeves and push through a medium-size colander. If you have a high-power blender or food processor, use that, but in lieu of said equipment, push the sweet potatoes through a colander with a wide wooden spoon. This is an essential step, because the texture informs the loveliness of this pie.

If you have a blender or a hand mixer, pull it out. If not, wield your strongest whisk and your dominant hand. Don’t use the blender or hand mixer on the first step of

Pour your sweet potato mixture into your cooled, partially baked piecrust. Put it in the oven. At 30 minutes turn it 180 degrees.

Check the pie at 45 or 50 minutes. This takes about an hour to cook. The best way to check it is to put a butter knife in the middle or give it a shake. If the knife comes out pretty clean, it is good. For the same measure, if it’s only the very middle of the pie that is jiggly, the pie is done. Pull it and let set for at least an hour. See steps 6 and 7 below to add cooled praline. Yield: 1 pie (8 servings).

Praline

WE ASSEMBLE ALL OF OUR

BIKES

To make the praline, melt your unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar when the butter begins to bubble and whisk them together.

Watch your heat, you don’t want this to burn, but you want the brown sugar to dissolve into the butter, to cook together.

Add the heavy cream in a steady stream, whisking the whole time.

Stop whisking and let this bubble a bit to come together. It’s done when it ceases to taste just like butter, sugar and heavy cream.

It will taste like a creamy caramel, about 5 or 7 minutes.

Add the salt to finish and whisk. Finish with the sesame seeds.

RACING

Mix the sesame seeds in so everything is well dispersed.

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It is very important to let this praline sit and cool a bit. If you pour it on the pie hot, it will spill over the sides. Pour the cooled praline over a cooled pie. Let it firm up a bit, about 30 minutes.

We also carry a complete line of accessories.

It should coat the entire top.

Recipe reprinted with permission from “How to Build a Better Pie: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Flaky Crusts, Toppers, and the Things in Between”

by Millicent Souris (Quarry Books, 2012).

833 16th Street Columbus, IN

812-372-7486 2012 Gift Guide * 31

Christmas would be better if …

C

hristmas is a time of joy … or at least it should be. But sometimes Christmas also means additional stress and strain on pocketbooks and family relationships. If you could change one thing about Christmastime, what would it be? Below are the responses of some Republic readers. We also held a random drawing from among those who responded by the deadline, and the winner of the $50 prize is Robin Hilber of Columbus. Congratulations!

The one thing that would improve my holiday season is if everyone would remember what the season actually means. Christ is the reason for the season. We need to put Christ back in Christmas.

Roberta Wilson, Columbus I would have everyone do away with presents and give the gift of time to one another … making goodies, playing games, talking …

Cheerfully, Calie Amini, Columbus I wish that nobody would be unhappy on Christmas.

Sedona L. Goebel, Columbus If I could change one thing about Christmas I would do away with the saying Happy Holidays and say Merry Christmas. It is not just a holiday, it is remembering the birth of Jesus Christ. The stores want all to say Happy Holidays but I think it is Merry Christmas.

Julia Cook, Columbus The one thing I think that would improve the holiday season for everyone is to celebrate it for what it really is, the birth of Christ, not a massive gift getting and receiving day. We have commercialized Christmas to the point that if our children and grandchildren don’t get what they want for Christmas they get in a snit and are unhappy all day. We should all look at it like God already gave us the best gift we will ever get by paying for it with his life. The least we could do for him is show the respect he

32 * 2012 Gift Guide

deserves on his birthday. If everyone did this the world might be a little nicer.

Linda Croddy, Columbus If I could change one thing about Christmastime, I would change the focus on presents. Almost everyone looks forward to receiving presents, and I understand that, but it’s not the most important part of the season. I would like to have people focus more on others than themselves. Instead of buying so many material things, we could all donate to charity. Also, instead of using our holiday breaks for ourselves, we could spend it with family or others who don’t have much family. This is what I would change about the Christmas season.

Emily Von Fange If I could change just one thing about Christmastime, it would be that no Christmas decorations could be displayed in retail stores until mid-November!

Trish Ward, Columbus If I could change one thing about Christmastime it would be the simplicity of unity.

I have had people share with me that they do not celebrate Christmas because Jesus was not actually born on Dec. 25.

If you have a Bible or go to church I am sure you are familiar with this verse.

Let us agree that God’s word states “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.”

We can disagree on a date.

Let us boldly come together during this season that we are given. Let us

open our hearts, and give people hope.

nothing she didn’t decorate inside or out.

Putting our differences aside.

Karen S. Carroll, Hartsville

And let us remember that it was our Heavenly Father who chose us first, who loved us first and gave to us his best gift.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.” I pray that we can come together and love big, sing loud and give our best to all people.

For we have much to celebrate.

Wendy Crider, Westport If I could change one thing about Christmastime, it would be that people have replaced the real meaning of the season with a plan for how to beat everyone else to a bargain. It’s supposed to be a joyous time, yet people become so consumed with hot deals that they become irritated with one another and make the season less enjoyable.

Delena Knoke, Columbus One thing that would improve the holiday season would have to be to have my mom and dad back with me on the holidays. They passed away in 1996 and 2009. Every Christmas season that comes around I think about them more than ever.

They both loved Christmas; that was my mom and dad’s favorite time of year.

Especially my mom. She started decorating before Thanksgiving. There was

If I could change one thing about Christmastime I would want my mom and sister and other family who passed away to sit down and enjoy a family gathering.

I feel family is most important during holidays. My mom has been gone 12 years and my sister two years. Life doesn’t seem like Christmas without them sharing holidays. I miss them every day.

Also, I wish people cared about others more and not about gifts and buying.

God doesn’t care about gifts, and He wants us to share and love others.

Brenda Ross, Columbus Let’s hear more about Jesus and less about Santa Claus.

Max Helmbrecht, Columbus My daughter recently became engaged to a man from Austria who has given me a different perspective on many things, one of which is how we celebrate Christmas.

He is well traveled and has mentioned how materialistic we are in the United States. We spend countless hours thinking about what to buy for someone who doesn’t really need anything and then we shop for days and spend outrageous amounts of money — all in the

name of Christmas. We have bought into the messages sent by retailers that this is what Christmas is all about.

The one thing I would change about Christmastime is to not start the decorating and commercialization so soon. I have seen decorations up starting in September and that is just not right. Target is even running ads on TV already. When I was young, the decorating and advertising did not start until November. I just feel they are starting it way too soon now. Thanks for letting me express my opinion.

In Bernd’s country, or at least in his family, children 12 and under are given gifts but the adults either are not included or they draw names and receive one gift with a dollar limit so nobody tries to outdo another and flaunt his wealth. The money saved from having a non-extravagant Christmas is given to the church or an organization to see that the less fortunate are cared for.

So, if I could change one thing, it would be to have us give money to Food for the Poor or Love Chapel or any number of groups who provide for those who don’t even have enough to eat, let alone opening presents that contain useless gadgets. This would provide hope for tomorrow which is the true message that Jesus Christ brought to the world on the day of His birth — Christmas.

Robin Hilber, Columbus I would encourage the business owners to have a discount event at their stores. This discount event would be store-wide and could be for a certain day or for a limited amount of hours. This would allow all customers to get a good deal and the store would sell more items.

This in turn would stop people from trying to be first in the store to purchase a limited amount of items and people being injured.

We need to bring back the peace and goodwill for customers, families and employees. That is what Christmas is all about and with the economy the way it is, everyone should get “The Good Deals.”

Barbara Mccorkle, Edinburgh If I could change one thing about Christmastime, I would find a way to bring back the Christmases I remember from my childhood. They seemed much simpler than the hectic times we face today.

Just like Ralphie in “A Christmas Story,” I loved the window displays in the downtown stores on Wabash Avenue in Terre Haute … Schultz, Meis and Roots … and who could forget pictures of Christmas parties/activities that were

Sherry Fisher, Seymour I would let it snow on Christmas day all over the world for one day.

Marvin Lawrence, Columbus displayed outside Martin’s Photo Studio. still is) decorated with blinking lights

one day. At the time, I didn’t realize the importance of the memories that were being made.

that, from a distance, make it look like a

Stephanie Taylor, Edinburgh

The courthouse downtown was (and

moving carousel.

Do today’s kids know the fun of the Sears catalog? My sister and I would put our initials by the items we wanted. We knew we wouldn’t get everything we marked, but at least we gave “Santa” some ideas!

We didn’t go to a store to get a Christmas tree. We visited a “tree lot” in town that had live trees on display.

Yep, just like on “A Charlie Brown Christmas!” Dad would stand the tree up, while Mom would walk around it … looking for a flat side to place against the living room wall. The scent of pine came from a live tree, not an aerosol can or candle. Don’t forget daily watering of the tree and vacuuming the needles that seemed to drop constantly!

Christmas stockings were filled with candies, an orange and a new toothbrush. One present always seemed to be new pajamas.

The short aluminum tree sat on my maternal grandparents’ front porch.

Of course, a rotating light that would change colors — red, blue, green — was required.

The homemade crèche sat on my paternal grandparents’ record cabinet. We grandkids would move the wise men and the sheep around the living room for fun.

I now have the aluminum tree, the crèche and the record cabinet, but, oh, what I would give to go back … just for

Unfortunately, I feel Christmas is now set in stone for Americans so I would not try to do anything. But we can shape what Thanksgiving is this year and is to come.

Just make it about thanking those around you, everyone you pass, work with, buy from, plus those who deliver your mail, pick up your trash ( probably most of us don’t know who it is but we could find out).

One big Orchid all month long.

Maybe The Republic could do a section without any commercials and let the community thank each other, again a pullout section of orchids. With pictures, of course, and using the talents of your graphic artists and photographers.

And I will start — thanks to The Republic for your coverage without favoring socio-economic pockets and highlighting and making us aware of so many cultural amenities of our community which make Columbus a great place to work, play, worship and raise families!

Dan Wallace, Columbus

I wish we would be allowed to enjoy each holiday as it comes. Let Halloween come and go … and then Thanksgiving come and go before we start cannibalizing Christmas.

Jo Linda Meier, Columbus

In all our family Christmas celebrations we should add our praises to God to make it complete in song too.

Glory to God in the highest Sing glory to God Glory to God in the highest And peace to his people on earth Jesus, Lord, Son of the Father Give grace to us this joyous day.

Amen.

Rosamond Robbins, Columbus I’d love to get people around the world to go back to more of what Christmas really is! Families getting together, like a “Walton Christmas.”

Visualize this: No one person is pressured over money and how they can buy everyone something for under the tree. Families gathering for a big dinner; it is nice for everyone to bring a dish to help out.

Smells from all the home-cooked food, cookies, cakes and ham or turkey.

Put the Christmas music on or sing around the piano, roast marshmallows in the fireplace or make Christmas cookies.

Take plenty of pictures so you can always look back on and remember all the laughter, enjoying each other. Can you feel the warmth and love yet?

I had these kinds of Christmases and I still see the smiles and feel the warmth and love from the whole family on both my mother’s and father’s sides of the family.

I’m 52 years old and now dread see change on page 37

2012 Gift Guide * 33

Pass the Charcuterie and Cheese Fancy meats and artisanal cheeses bring flavor and adventure to the appetizer tray – and get the conversation started, too. Try these creative ideas for a nofuss, impressive spread.

By Bev Bennett CTW Features

34 * 2012 Gift Guide

S

ophisticated, stylish and as smooth as fine barrel-aged bourbon.

That’s the tone to set when entertaining this holiday season.

You can pull this off with ease. In fact, you’re already familiar with the basics. You probably stock your kitchen with cold cuts, cheese, condiments and crackers. That’s your everyday fare.

For parties, polish your culinary vocabulary and upgrade your shopping list to look something like this: charcuterie;

fromage; mostarda, a combination of candied fruit and mustard; aigre-doux, a sweet-sour flavor combination; and specialty crackers.

from, then taste to determine the pre-

Yes, still crackers, in classier versions with herbs, seeds and spices.

Hastings, chef at Joan’s on Third, a

If you’re so inclined, you can even make your own tantalizing meat products, pickles, jams and crisp, paper-thin crackers, thanks to chef-authored cookbooks.

Los Angeles.

But if simplicity also is a goal, purchase party fixings in supermarkets and finer food stores, and use your creative energy to assemble mouth-watering pairings of meats, cheeses and accents.

pick the flavors you like.

“It’s an easy style of entertaining, whether you’re cooking or bringing something,” says Paul Virant, executive chef of Vie restaurant in Western Springs, Ill.

Press, 2012).

For inspiration, visit a local gourmet shop. See how the ingredients are merchandised. Learn where the products are

grilled bread,” says the chef. His cook-

dominant flavors.

Cheese shops often sell nuts, honey, crackers and condiments, says Chester family-owned gourmet food emporium in That’s a clue about foods that pair well together. The challenge is to provide a balance of textures and flavors. No one taste should dominate. Experiment and “For me, the idea is sweet, sour, salty.

That’s the flavor profile in general that I’m looking for,” says Virant, author of “The Preservation Kitchen” (Ten Speed When he’s entertaining at home, the menu might include “some really good salami, some preserved eggplant, my own pickled artichokes, shaved Parmesan and book explains how to make, and cook with, pickles, preserves and aigre-doux.

The salty-and-sweet pairing of grapes or figs with cheese appeals to Hastings, author of “The Cheesemonger’s Kitchen” (Chronicle Books, 2011).

You may find that your guests are drawn to the vegetables first. When Sean Baker introduced vegan charcuterie to Gather Restaurant in Berkeley,

Meat, especially artisan-style cured and cooked products, delivers additional layers of interest.

Calif., he had no idea it would become a

“You taste really good pork, then you taste salt as a supportive role, and then the other seasonings,” says Vanessa Chang of Creminelli Fine Meats, Salt Lake City.

prosciutto slices, however.

“Basically you have a food product that’s very concentrated in flavor,” says Chang, marketing and education manager of the company known for its fine salami.

with a good amount of technique,” he

She suggests pairing cured meats with vegetables. Chefs agree.

He favors kimchi, the classic Korean

Virant likes to serve fresh vegetables with the pickled counterpart.

recipe to use seasonal ingredients, such

“It’s a cool thing to do,” he says.

Virant suggests pickled and raw carrots or pickled and roasted beets.

mouth-tingling dish stands up to any meat.

rave-worthy concept.

Don’t imagine kohlrabi carved into “It has nothing to do with [conventional] charcuterie,” says Baker, executive chef and co-owner of the restaurant.

“It’s a plate of vegetables prepared says. Baker’s passion is pickling and fermentation.

“Fermentation brings a new flavor experience to the table,” says Baker. fermented-vegetable dish, varying the as cauliflower leaves in the fall. The

see meat on page 36

2012 Gift Guide * 35

meat continued from page 35 Now that cured meats, cheeses, crackers and condiments are on the menu, here are some tips for balanced and beautiful presentations.

• Garnish cheese platters with a sprig of herbs or flowers “to keep the idea of nature,” Hastings says.

• Judiciously drizzle honey on cheese. “Honey can be wonderful,” Hastings says.

His book includes a very simple dish of goat cheese and roasted garlic that’s mashed to a pulp. The cheese and garlic are layered in a bowl lined with cheesecloth and chilled overnight. The combination, which is shaped like a beehive, is turned out onto a serving dish, lightly topped with honey and accompanied with crackers.

• Don’t overlook vegetables as a food carrier. Replace crackers with cucumber slices or sturdy endive leaves.

• Lightly layer meats instead of heaping slices on a plate. For example, bresaola, air-dried beef, has a deep red color. Thinly sliced and arranged in overlapping pieces it looks like rose petals, Chang says.

• Set out small plates or bowls as a gentle hint that the food should be tasted, not inhaled. Similarly, put condiments in small serving bowls.

• Don’t feel you have to arrange picture-perfect food to entice your guests.

Virant’s “The Presentation Kitchen” has an appetite-whetting photo of a charcuterie platter with coppa, fried pickled tongue, prosciutto, vanilla melon jam, pickled watermelon rind and watercress. The platter says: help yourself.

A Crunchy Sideshow Exciting, but not a show-off.

That’s what you want in a party cracker to serve with cheeses and cured meat products.

Unless you’re hosting a serious tasting event, it’s OK to provide tasty crackers, as long as the crackers don’t overwhelm the other foods, say culinary experts.

“You want to create balance,” says Christine Hyatt, chairman of the board of directors for the American Cheese Society.

Aim for a subtle contrast of flavors and textures. No one element should stand out.

“When you’re serving an elegant Gruyere or Manchego or bleu cheese, you want the cracker as an accent, not to steal the show,” Hyatt says.

Switch to a more flavorful herb cracker when serving a subtle goat cheese. Think about how you normally serve cheeses and meats.

The condiments and flavorings you usually

add can give you a clue to the appropriate crackers.

If your favorite antipasto plate includes olives and salami, try olive-studded crackers.

Instead of ham on sesame-seed bread, match prosciutto with sesame seed crackers.

Fruit and cheese are a classic duo. A cracker with dried fruit in the dough is a variation on the theme.

“Raisins are wonderful in crackers, and those concentrated sugars in raisins are a good contrast for cheese,” says cheese expert Chester Hastings.

Find inspiration from flavoring ingredients in the meats and cheeses. Fennel is a traditional ingredient in sausages. How about fennel crackers with ham?

You’ve probably enjoyed a spicy version of Monterey Jack cheese with chilies.

“Buy it [the cheese] plain but add a cracker with a little heat,” Hyatt says.

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change continued from page 33

employees to say “Merry Christmas” but

Christmas because it seems to be all about money, money, going in debt.

Even the youngest want expensive technology, etc. How about saving those kinds of gifts for birthdays?

only happy holidays. Not to mention

Let’s keep Christmas about Jesus and put the candles back in the windows and everyone happy again.

stipulations. People have become “happy

Christy Brewsaugh, Columbus

Not all people I might add respond that truly enjoy the greeting when we find

Joy Leive, Columbus

how it has affected our schools and our children. Are teachers even allowed to recognize the Christ of Christmas or the history of Christmas? If at all it is with holiday” people and look at you like you are strange if you say “Merry Christmas.”

If I could change one thing about Christmas it would be that everyone would remember what Christmas is really about and not just think its about gifts or parties. We should let his light shine, and everyone should wish Jesus Christ a very happy birthday. Thank him for all he has done everyone.

someone that agrees!

The Christ of Christmas lives on no matter what we do or what we decide! I would love to see the freedom for nativities, greetings, more celebration of Him the One that gave more than anyone and so selflessly. Why would He stoop

Shannon Richards, Columbus Gift ever given. And we Americans have One thing I would change ... Christ in Christmas! There would be no Christmas if it were not for the Greatest

way. There are those of us who smile and

need we may have. Wow, why would God Himself love us so much to give all for us humans. So, my prayer is that we all recognize the true Christmas! May we celebrate with the beauty it created with the lights, tree, gifts, sharing love and caring because of the first and Greatest Christmas Gift! That Gift was Jesus Christ our Savior who gave up His life for us all! That would make my Christmas!

to mankind? I believe that He chose humanity so that He could truly know

allowed The One Nation Under God

how we feel so that He may care for us

to strip us of our freedom in so many

knowing truly how we hurt, cry, suffer,

ways. Some businesses do not allow their

rejoice, laugh, our loneliness, whatever

The one thing I would do to improve Christmas for all of us is to cleanse the mind of thinking we need to buy a larger gift this year than we did last year. It has gotten so much out of hand that we stress over it so much we cannot enjoy the meaning of Christmas.

The children have entered a mode of “I want and give me.” It’s our fault this has happened.

Irene Hockersmith, North Vernon

2012 Gift Guide * 37

Indianapolis calendar of events Through Nov. 25 — “Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas.” Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre, 9301 Michigan Road, (317) 872-9664, www.beefandboards. com. Folks are protesting the Vietnam War, women are demanding equal pay and the ladies in the church basement are dealing with changes of their own.

Through humor and hilarious antics, these women find strength in each other as they handle the joys and upheavals from below the “House of God.”

thecenterfortheperformingarts.org.

Born and raised in Vermont, Elisabeth von Trapp is the granddaughter of the legendary Maria and Baron von Trapp, whose story inspired “The Sound of Music.” She has been singing professionally since childhood.

Dec. 9 — Trans-Siberian Orchestra. 3 and 7:30 p.m., Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Tickets: $30-$66.50.

Dec. 11-27 — Christmas at the Puppet Studio. Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio, 25 Henry St., 917-9454, www. peewinklespuppets.com/puppets2.html.

This 45-minute Christmas variety show is filled with music and lots of audience participation. Tickets: $10; free for children under 2. Optional post-show workshop is $3. Available on Saturdays, Sundays and noon time shows only.

Nov. 23 through Dec. 24 — Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W. Washington St., (317) 635-5252, www.irtlive.com. The IRT celebrates the bicentennial of Dickens’ birth with the return of his most beloved tale. Join Scrooge, Tiny Tim and a host of spirited ghosts in this timeless story of regret and redemption.

Nov. 23 through Jan. 6 — Jolly Days Winter Wonderland. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, 3000 N. Meridian St., (317) 334-3322, www. childrensmuseum.org, Tickets: (317) 334-4000. Something for the whole family with a baby play Snow Castle for the littlest visitors, a reindeer barn where families can help prep Santa’s reindeer for their flight, an indoor “ice skating” area for children to skate in their socks, an ice fishing area, holiday train, a larger kitchen area to make holiday goodies including traditional cookies, staff-facilitated snow ball fun and photos with Santa.

Nov. 23 — Circle of Lights Tree Lighting. 6 to 8 p.m., Soldiers & Sailors Monument/Monument Circle, (317) 237-2222, www.qc-indy.com. The 50th annual event features festive acts from around the state. Santa will of course be on hand to usher in the holiday season and flip on the lights. After the lighting, visitors will enjoy fireworks, as well as downtown’s holiday centerpiece, complete with 4,784 lights and 52 garland strands used to create the 242-foot display. The display will remain up until Jan. 6.

38 * 2012 Gift Guide

submitted photo

Circle of Lights draws large crowds to Monument Circle each holiday season.

Nov. 23 — Santa’s Big Arrival.

8:30 to 10 a.m., The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, 3000 N. Meridian St. 334-3322, www.childrensmuseum.org, Tickets: 334-4000. Santa makes his annual appearance, entering with a “ho, ho, ho” and jolly trip down the Yule Slide.

Nov. 23–Dec. 31 — Celebration Crossing. All day at the Indiana State Museum in White River State Park, 650 W. Washington St., 232-1637, www. indianamuseum.org. Visit with Santa, see L.S. Ayres’ Christmas window display, ride the Santa Claus Express, participate in holiday and winter-themed activities.

Nov. 29 through Dec. 23 — A Beef and Boards Christmas 2012.

9301 Michigan Road, (317) 872-9664, www.beefandboards.com. A singing, dancing family tradition.

Nov. 30 through Dec. 16 — A Little Christmas Spirit. Buck Creek Players, 11150 Southeastern Ave., (317) 862-2270, www.buckcreekplayers.com.

This Yuletide fantasy is full of holiday spirit and humor and makes us all wish we could find “Nick’s Emporium,” where life stands still and we can all truly enjoy a little Christmas spirit. Tickets: $15, adults; $13, students and seniors (62 and older).

Dec. 7–21: “A Christmas Carol at Beef and Boards.” Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre, 9301 Michigan Road, (317) 872-9664, www.beefandboards. com. The timeless Charles Dickens story is told in a special one-hour music-filled production of this classic.

Dec. 9 — Empire Brass with Elisabeth Von Trapp: The Sounds of Christmas. 3 p.m., The Center for the Performing Arts, 355 W. City Center Drive, Carmel, (317) 843-3800, www.

Dec. 13-15 — Martinis and Mistletoe: Shannon Forsell, Brenda Williams and the Buselli Wallarab Jazz Orchestra. The Cabaret at the Columbia Club, 121 Monument Circle, (317) 275-1169, www.thecabaret.org.

Tickets: $35, $45, $55 Dec. 14 — Sufjan Stevens Christmas Sing-a-Long. 8 p.m., Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., (800) 745-3000. Tickets: $20.

Dec. 15 — Celebrate the Season: Indianapolis Children’s Choir. 12:30 p.m., St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 100 W. 86th St., 940-9640, www.icchoir.org. Tickets: $12-$15, general; $13, students (ages 6-21), seniors (age 62+) and military; free, children 5 and under.

Dec. 16 — A Brenda Lee Christmas. 3 p.m., The Center for the Performing Arts, 355 W. City Center Drive, Carmel, (317) 843-3800, www. thecenterfortheperformingarts.org.

Dec. 22-23 — Indianapolis School of Ballet presents “The Nutcracker.” 2 p.m. Dec. 22 and 3 p.m.

Dec. 23, Scottish Rite Cathedral, 650 N. Meridian St., 955-7525, www.indyballet. org. Tickets: $12-$25.

Photo by Joe Saba

Left: Santa and Mrs. Claus greet families with candy canes during the GreenwoodA-Glow tree lighting in Old Town Greenwood.

Right: Edinburgh’s annual Holiday of Lights is set for Dec. 8.

Johnson County calendar of events Nov. 17 — Greenwood-A-Glow Christmas celebration. 4 to 9 p.m. at Greenwood Public Library and Old Town area. Includes tree lighting, carriage rides, Santa, crafts, puppet show.

Theatre. Show times 2 and 7:30 p.m.

Doors open one hour before show time for preshow activities, including skits and prizes. Information/tickets: (317)7366823, www.HistoricArtcraftTheatre.org.

Nov. 17 — Greenwood Crafts and Gifts Show. Greenwood Community High School, 615 W. Smith Valley Road, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendors selling crafts, gifts and antiques. Sponsored by The Social of Greenwood. Information: 317882-4810.

Nov. 30–Dec. 2 — “A Christmas Story” at Historic Artcraft Theatre.

Show times 2 and 7:30 p.m., 2 p.m.

Sunday. Doors open one hour before show time for preshow activities, including skits and prizes. Information/ tickets: (317)736-6823, www.

HistoricArtcraftTheatre.org.

Nov. 17 — Holiday bus trip to the Longaberger Co. Homestead and Dresden, Ohio, for a day of shopping. Proceeds from the trip will go toward breast cancer awareness and mammogram assistance. Cost is $105 per person, which includes a Longaberger basket, meals, games, surprises, basket bingo and transportation. Bus departs from Edinburgh Premium Outlets.

Information/tickets: Deloris Taylor, (812) 322-2221.

Nov. 22 — Johnson County Thanksgiving Banquet. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Scott Hall, Johnson County Fairgrounds, 250 Fairground St., Franklin. Meal is free. Donations are needed and can be sent to Johnson County Banquets, P.O. Box 93, Whiteland, IN 46184-0093. Organizers are looking for servers, greeters, dishwashers, drivers and bakers. To volunteer, call the “turkey line” at 979-2659.

Nov. 23-24 — “Christmas In Connecticut” at Historic Artcraft

Dec. 1 — Holiday bazaar. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at East Side Elementary School in Edinburgh. The 45th annual event, sponsored by Beta Sigma sorority, includes crafts, gift items, jams, jellies, etc.

Dec. 1 — Visit with Santa. Johnson County Museum of History. 135 N. Main St. Franklin, 2 to 4:30 p.m. Visit the museum to see holiday displays, vote on your favorite Dec-A-Tree entry and make a craft. Admission is free.

Dec. 1 — 54th annual Franklin Downtown Holiday Lighting. 9 a.m. to nighttime in various downtown venues. Day includes Santa, movie at Artcraft, cookie and gingerbread contests, holiday lights, music and dance performances. The event is sponsored by the Franklin Chamber of Commerce and the Daily Journal. Information: www. franklincoc.org.

Dec. 1 — Homegrown Homemade Winter Market. 2 to 8

p.m. in the former G.C. Murphy/antiques building at 56 E. Jefferson St., Franklin.

Dec. 6 — Christmas Open House.

Franklin Cultural Arts and Recreation Center. 396 Branigin Blvd., Franklin, 6 to 9 p.m. Evening includes visit with Santa, refreshments, Kickapoo Preschool holiday program at 6:30 p.m. and a holiday concert by Franklin Community Band.

Dec. 7-9 — “It’s a Wonderful Life” at Historic Artcraft Theatre.

Show times 2 and 7:30 p.m., 2 p.m.

Sunday. Doors open one hour before show time for preshow activities, including skits and prizes. Information/ tickets: (317)736-6823, www.

HistoricArtcraftTheatre.org.

Dec. 8 — Breakfast with Santa and Cookie Walk. Grace United Methodist Church, Franklin, 8 to 11 a.m. Eat breakfast, sit on Santa’s lap, listen to the kids play bells and bid on a gift basket. Proceeds go to help local families in need.

Dec. 8 — Edinburgh Holiday of Lights. Downtown, Danvers Building, Pixy Theatre, includes Santa, parade, golf cart decorating contest, stocking decorating, music, carriage rides, displays.

Dec. 8 — Greenwood Community Band Christmas Concert. 7 p.m. at Greenwood High School Auditorium.

Dec. 8 — Breakfast with Santa.

Franklin Cultural Arts and Recreation

Center, 396 Branigin Blvd. Franklin, 9 to 11 a.m. Breakfast includes pancakes, sausage, eggs, fruit, doughnuts, juice, milk and coffee. Each child will receive a picture with Santa. Register at 317-3461198, hjohnston@franklin.in.gov.

Dec. 8 — Visit with Santa. Johnson County Museum of History, 135 N. Main St., Franklin, noon to 3 p.m. Visit the museum to see holiday displays, vote on your favorite Dec-A-Tree entry and make a craft. Admission is free.

Dec. 14-16 — “Christmas Vacation” at Historic Artcraft Theatre. Show times 2 and 7:30 p.m., 2 p.m. Sunday. Doors open one hour before show time for preshow activities, including skits and prizes. Information/ tickets: (317)736-6823, www.

HistoricArtcraftTheatre.org.

Dec. 15 — Breakfast with Santa.

Greenwood Parks & Recreation, 9 a.m.

Breakfast includes pancakes, sausage, eggs, fruit, juice, milk and coffee. Visit with Santa and take your own photo.

Please purchase tickets in advance.

Information: 881-4545.

Dec. 15 — Holiday Open House.

Johnson County Museum of History, 135 N. Main St., Franklin, 1 to 3 p.m. Check out the holiday displays and vote for your favorite Dec-A-Tree entry. Holiday treats and punch will be served and the Voices of Franklin will perform on the first floor of the museum. Admission is free.

2012 Gift Guide * 39

cook now, eat later,

Skip the Stress Can make-ahead foods still taste fresh come mealtime?

Absolutely. Here’s a guide to what to make ahead, when to make it, how to store it and how to reheat it

By Dawn Klingensmith CTW Features

G

etting Thanksgiving dinner – or any holiday feast – on the table can seem like a math word problem gone awry:

Question: If it takes four hours to cook a 15-pound turkey, and three of the side dishes need something done to them “just before serving,” how many times will the cook wish there were an easier way without resorting to boxed or “instant” imposters of traditional favorites?

Answer: Probably countless times, and each of them unnecessary because many side dishes can be prepared or partially prepared a day or more in advance. And certain freezer-friendly recipes can be made weeks or months in advance and still taste fresh come mealtime.

“When it comes to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, everything but a green salad and the turkey can be made ahead, frozen and reheated on the holiday,” says Michele Borboa, a personal chef from Bozeman, Mont., and author of “Make-ahead Meals Made Healthy” (Fair Winds Press, 2011). “Bread-based stuffings are especially easy to fix and freeze, but you can also freeze mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and rice dishes, so all you have to do is thaw or reheat and serve.”

It’s simply math: An earlier start plus Borboa’s step-by-step instructions equals more time for friends and family over the holidays.

In advance Bread-based and rice stuffings can be fully assembled, baked cooled and frozen. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven.

Or, start two days ahead to save time without freezing. Cube and bake bread until lightly toasted, cool and store at room temperature in an airtight container. For rice stuffings, steam the rice, let it cool completely and store in the refrigerator.

Chop onions, celery, carrots and other vegetables your recipe calls for. Store them in the refrigerator to sauté on the holiday, or sauté them in advance,

40 * 2012 Gift Guide

cool and refrigerate until you assemble the stuffing. If

“Raw potatoes don’t freeze well,” Borboa warns,

your recipe calls for nuts, toast and store them in an

“but mashed potatoes can be made up to one month

airtight container.

in advance. Make your favorite mashed potatoes,

“On Thanksgiving Day, all you have to do is as-

spread them in a greased casserole dish and cool

semble the prepped ingredients along with broth and

completely. Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly over

any other ingredients” such as herbs and spices, and

the potatoes and wrap the casserole dish tightly with

then follow instructions for cooking, Borboa says.

heavy-duty foil.”

Cranberry sauce can be made up to two months in advance, cooled completely and frozen.

Make-ahead appetizer: Mouthwatering Mini Crab Cakes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, minced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 pound lump crab, picked over, finely chopped 2/3 cup light mayonnaise made with olive oil 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 5 cups whole wheat bread crumbs, divided 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 4 eggs, beaten Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add onion and carrot and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl. Add crab, mayonnaise, herbs, Old Bay, mustard and 1 cup bread crumbs, stirring well to combine. Form mixture into 32 crab cakes.

Place flour, eggs and remaining bread crumbs in three separate shallow bowls. Dip crab cakes in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in eggs, allowing excess to drip off. Dip in bread crumbs to coat.

Set crab cakes on a greased baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray crab cakes with olive oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool completely on a wire rack. To freeze, place crab cakes in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm. Transfer crab cakes to a large freezer bag or freezer container.

To reheat, place frozen crab cakes on a greased baking sheet in a 375° over and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm.

Make up to one month ahead and freeze until ready to reheat. Yield: 32 crab cakes — Source: Make-Ahead Meals Made Healthy

by Michele Borboa

To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and place in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. “You may have to adjust the butter, milk and seasonings, but the hard work is done well in advance,” Borboa says.

Also an advocate of doing as much as possible ahead of time, Chicago event planner Debi Lilly believes quality suffers for certain dishes. “Mashed

fatty and tends to separate,” she says.

If you’d rather not freeze mashed potatoes, you can save time with this fix-ahead tip: Wash and scrub potatoes, cut them into chunks and place in a large pot. Fill with enough cold water to cover the potatoes and add a generous pinch of salt and the juice of one lemon to keep potatoes from browning. Potatoes can stay covered in water, refrigerated, for up to two days, Borboa says. When ready to cook, drain the water and boil in fresh water.

“I prefer fresh-baked breads and rolls since freezing them can take away from their taste and texture, but if frozen properly, they can be made two to three weeks in advance and reheated on Thanksgiving Day,” Borboa says.

They get a little lumpier and dry out, and the texture

Allow fresh-baked rolls to cool completely, and then place them on a baking sheet. Place in the freezer until just solid. Place rolls in heavy-duty freezer bags, squeeze the air out, seal and freeze. You can simply let them thaw at room temperature overnight and serve them or warm them in the oven.

changes.”

2 days in advance

potatoes absolutely cannot be made in advance. To me, the best texture is when they’re fresh off the stovetop,” says Lilly, president of A Perfect Event.

“They come out warm and creamy, and they just don’t carry that same consistency when reheated.

The gravy that goes on top of them also requires

“You can’t cook an entire turkey and reheat it see turkey on page 43

same-day preparation, according to Lilly: “It’s very

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where there’s

Give the Good Stuff!

smoke …

Oven? Not this year. Follow 2 of the most popular turkey trends to the great outdoors: grilling and smoking Mr. Gobbles

By Matthew M. F. Miller CTW Features

B

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reaking with tradition is always a test of the home cook’s mettle, especially around the holidays. Loved ones have expectations, and when they aren’t met, disappointment causes upset even Tums can’t relieve.

For those looking to make the leap from the oven to the outdoors this year, there are a few general guidelines to make sure that the holiday turkey turns out well done – and not charred or dry.

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends the following pointers for successfully smoking a turkey:

Whole turkeys that weigh 12 pounds or less are the recommended size for safe grilling or smoking. A larger turkey remains in the “danger zone” – between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F – too long. If a larger turkey has been mistakenly purchased, detach the dark meat sections (leg and thigh portions) from the breast and smoke/ grill the turkey parts separately. This procedure should result in the best possible results.

When purchasing a whole turkey or turkey breast, the structure is as important as the weight.

Generally, a turkey that is broad and flat will fit better under the covered smoker or grill than one that protrudes too high in the breast area.

Remember there should be at least one inch of space between the turkey and the lid.

Do not stuff the smoked turkey. Because smoking is at a low temperature, it can take too long for the temperature of the stuffing to reach the required temperature of 165 degrees F. Also, smoked stuffing has an undesirable flavor.

Smoked Turkey

Fill the charcoal pan with a good quality charcoal. Light the charcoal and place the cover on the smoker. When the smoker has reached an internal temperature of 250 degrees F to 300 degrees F, quickly place the turkey on the smoker rack and replace the cover. (Some smokers have built in temperature indicators. If not, place an appliance thermometer on the smoker rack before starting the heat.)

Add charcoal every hour, as necessary, to maintain 250 degrees F to 300 degrees F. Replenish the liquid as necessary. Heat and liquid are critical to maintaining the hot smoke that cooks the turkey.

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www.LUECKEAUDIOVIDEO.com 42 * 2012 Gift Guide

When cooking with a smoker, start with clean equipment. Place the smoker in an area shielded from winds to maintain a consistent cooking temperature. To enhance the flavors, add chunks or chips of water-soaked hardwood or fruitwood. DO NOT use softwood (pine, fir, cedar or spruce) as it gives the food a turpentine flavor and coats it with a black pitch or resin.

Smoking time depends on many factors: the size and shape of the turkey, the distance from the heat, temperature of the coals and the outside air temperature. Estimate 20 to 30 minutes per pound if using a smoker. Always use a food thermometer. The whole turkey is done when the food thermometer, placed in the inner thigh, reaches 180 degrees F. The breast is done when the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F.

iStockphoto

High Definition TV’s Home Theatre Whole House Sound Major Appliances

When using a charcoal smoker, fill the liquid pan with water, wine, apple juice or the liquid you desire.

The Ultimate Grilled Turkey Delight holiday guests’ taste buds with a new take on the holiday bird. The savory and rich flavor profile the grill adds to the turkey will keep your recipe in the books for seasons to come.

1 (12 pound) whole turkey 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed ½ cup cider vinegar ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon A.1. steak sauce 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon Louisiana-style hot sauce Remove giblets from turkey (discard or save for another use). Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Prepare grill for indirect heat, using a drip pan in the center. Skewer turkey openings closed.

When the grill temperature has reached about 350 degrees F, place turkey on the grill rack, directly over the drip pan. Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 1 hour.

iStockphoto

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Set aside and cover 2/3 cup for serving.

Continue to grill turkey 1 hour to 2 hours longer or until a meat thermometer reads 175 degrees F in the thigh, basting frequently with remaining sauce.

Cover turkey and let stand for 15 minutes before carving. Serve with reserved sauce.

turkey continued from page 41 without ruining quality and increasing your chances of food poisoning,” Borboa warns, “but you can prep a few ingredients to save time.”

A day or two ahead, cut oranges, onions, celery, carrots, herbs and other ingredients you plan to use to flavor the turkey. “I don’t like soggy stuffing so I bake stuffing in the oven and fill the cavity of the turkey with aromatics and shove herbs, spices, citrus, onions and garlic beneath the skin of the turkey,” Borboa says. “I prep the ingredients ahead of time so all I have to do on Thanksgiving Day is put them in place in the turkey before putting it in the oven.”

1 day in advance “When it comes to salads, I say fresh is best, but you can certainly chop vegetables and other salad ingredients a day in advance and then assemble them on Thanksgiving Day and allow them to chill before

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serving,” Borboa says. “Always put the dressing on right before serving since vinegar and other acidic ingredients will wilt salad greens.”

Thanksgiving Day “It’s best to prep fruit salads the day you serve them because the fruit tends to turn brown,” Borboa says. “Even when you have citrus juice mixed with them, they don’t have the vibrancy of being just

efore ou orn ere

sliced or diced. I’d wait until right before serving to add bananas since they tend to get soggy when mixed with juicy fruit.”

columbus • 812.343.6376 2012 Gift Guide * 43

decor

44 * 2012 Gift Guide

Coastal Christmas Take inspiration from the sea for a fresh and relaxing twist on holiday decor

By Alice Oglethorpe CTW Features

S

eashells, sand and starfish may be most identified with warm summer days at the beach, but they are also the hottest way to decorate your home for the holidays — and there’s no need to live in a cottage on the shore to pull it off.

“We’re seeing a trend towards a more simple style of decorating, and coastal design is all about that soothing, serene look,” says Barbara Jacksier, author of “Waterside Cottages” (Gibbs Smith, 2009). “It doesn’t matter if you live on the 10th floor of an apartment building in Chicago, you can still make this look work for you.”

This year is the perfect time to give it a try, because almost every home decor store is stocking nautical holiday accessories. Plus, decorating with the sea as inspiration can help you feel calm.

“It makes sense to combine the sea and this season,” says Erin Pitts, an interior designer who focuses on elegant coastal homes in Gibson Island, Md. “The beach is a relaxing place, and that’s a mood you especially crave during the frenzied holidays.”

So how to do it? The first thing to realize is that there’s no need to toss all of your old holiday accessories and spend a fortune on entirely new items; coastal decor can coexist with the more traditional types of decorations. “You want your home to have a consistency to it, but sticking to one theme exclusively can be a little boring,” Pitts says. “So, for example, spread spruce branches on your mantel like usual, but nestle ornaments in the shapes of fish, shells or lighthouses in with it. This way your home will be obviously dressed up for Christmas, and you’ll still get that holiday smell from the fresh pine or juniper clippings, but you’re also incorporating the coastal theme.”

While red and green always are going to be popular holiday colors, this year, go for a blue, white and silver color scheme instead. “Think of the colors that naturally occur at the beach and use those throughout your home: blues and greens of sea glass and water, the beige and white of sand and shells,” Jacksier says.

A more modern twist on the palette would incorporate more contrast and bold colors. “You can take it to the extreme by getting a white artificial tree, spray-painting sprigs of store-bought berries a pretty blue and hanging up turquoise garland,” Jacksier says.

For even more sea-inspired ornaments, Jacksier suggests picking up large pieces of sea glass (available at most home decor and craft stores), drilling a hole in them and dangling them from ribbon on your tree’s branches.

Another easy way to bring the sea inside is to fill your holiday home with shells. “I like to pile all kinds of them in big silver bowls on side tables,” Pitts says. “If you’re feeling crafty, take starfish or sand dollars, cover them in glue and sprinkle them with white or silver glitter.”

DIY crafters also can try to create their own themed holiday wreaths. “Just take a green foam wreath from a craft store, wrap it in a colored ribbon and glue on the shells,” Pitts recommends.

Bliss Home and Design / Corona del Mar

stockings more festive by adding beauti-

glue between two pieces of fabric.

ful drapery trim in a shell pattern to

And don’t forget the holiday table.

“For a great centerpiece, fill a large hurricane shade or bowl with sand and tuck in starfish, sand dollars and white candles,” Jacksier says.

them. Sew the trim directly onto the stocking. If you aren’t comfortable with a sewing machine, use something called fusing tape. It gets ironed on and acts as

She also suggests making simple

iStockphoto

Colors of the sea: Take a hint from nature and use the blues, yellows and oranges you see along the seashore.

2012 Gift Guide * 45

Kichler Lighting

Attachable glamour: Magnetic crystals can dress up a chandelier.

The Season to Shine String up the fairy lights, but don’t forget about the bulbs and fixtures that set the mood for your holiday home

By Dawn Klingensmith CTW Features

T

he walls are decked, the tree is trimmed, the stockings are hung. Yet it’s likely no one has thought much about seasonal indoor lighting, save for the usual string of lights on the tree.

Lighting is now considered an integral part of interior design as opposed to an afterthought. More recently, party hosts and planners see lighting’s potential as a decorative element, setting the stage for holiday gatherings and other events.

While most indoor light fixtures are permanent, they are not unchangeable; existing lighting can be altered and supplemental lights brought in for special occasions.

Keep it Dim “One thing people tend to do incorrectly is make the light way too bright in the entryway or foyer,” says Jeffrey Dross, corporate director of education and industry trends for Kichler Lighting, Cleveland-based decorative lighting manufacturer.

Guests usually arrive after dark for holiday parties, he adds, so unless you’ve lit up the

46 * 2012 Gift Guide

Flexible adhesive LED light strips are a

yard a la “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” it hurts coming in from the dim into ultra-bright lighting.

cinch to attach, unseen, beneath the coun-

Feel Free to Embellish

bar. The lights come in different colors and

tertop along the edge of a kitchen island or

“One simple change that makes a big impact is if you have a chandelier in your dining room with exposed lamps, there are clip-on shades you can add to change the mood of the room” and correspond with holiday decorations, Dross says.

cast an atmospheric glow from beneath the

Chandeliers and fixtures can be gussied up for the holidays with add-on magnetic crystals, available at finer lighting stores.

– is to position an enclosed low-wattage lamp

Better Bulbs Simply switching out light bulbs can create the desired party atmosphere, though it’s best to avoid cheesy, unflattering bulbs that glow bright red, blue or green.

countertop and partway down the façade, McCommon says.

A lower-tech way to spotlight impressive menu items or a small tabletop Christmas tree – provided shadows won’t spoil the effect under a table covered with a white tablecloth that drapes all the way to the floor. The table will glow from within and take on an ethereal quality “almost like it’s floating in the room,” Dross says.

With a rented lighting fixture called a wall washer, “You can wash an entire wall in color,” McCommon says. “This is usually used

“My neighbor takes out the normal bulbs in her chandelier and puts in those little white flickery ones, which create a very warm glow and an intimate feel like candlelight,” Dross says. Remember when switching out bulbs that warm, yellow tones are most flattering.

on special effect lighting, though. Generally,

Get In Focus

people already have seldom used – and often

Lighting can be used to draw attention to centerpieces and stations, such as a champagne fountain, cocktail bar or dessert buffet, says Karen McCommon, vice president of communications for Intelligent Lighting Design, based in Austin, Texas.

forgotten – light sources that change the

in big productions like weddings, galas and fashion shows, but it’s a great way to transform a room and wow guests.”

The Little Things There’s no need to spend a lot of money

mood of a room. Remember the little bulb in the china hutch that makes the crystal goblets sparkle? While subtle, it may add just the touch of elegance guests don’t necessarily notice yet somehow appreciate.

Merry Menagerie

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WIN

While you’re Holiday Shopping, use your Centra Debit Card to Sign & Win. Easy-to-make cardstock animals are perfect as ornaments, wall décor or toys for the little ones All photos and craft — Adapted with permission from Chelsea Costa, Lovelyindeed.com

C

helsea Costa, California-based blogger at Lovelyindeed.com, was inspired by beautiful vintage Christmas cards that had people with moving parts.

“I thought it would be fun to try to recreate them,” she says. “Once I got into the project, I realized that it might be really beautiful to do animals instead of people, and the project kept evolving from there.”

For Costa, animals are holiday-themed decorations because they “are peaceful and still and full of the quiet joy of Christmas, for you to use in any way you like. They can be ornaments, gift decorations or tags, shadow puppets or just toys for your little ones.”

The textured, glittering animals with movable parts are inviting to touch and play with. Here are the simple instructions on how to create your own holiday menagerie this season.

Materials: • White or cream cardstock • Fine paintbrush • Gray or silver paint • Glitter (iridescent or colored) • Crafting brads/eyelets • Ribbon or string (optional)

Directions: 1. Download and print a template (available at lovelyindeed.com) for animal shapes. Or, if you’re creative, draw them yourself. Don’t forget the holly wreaths or other holiday-themed decorations.

2. Cut out all the figures, including the animals, extra moving parts and holly wreaths.

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3. Use the paintbrush and gray or silver paint to define the animals’ characteristics. Do not outline the animals.

4. Glitter the animals and wreaths for an extra eye-catching sparkle. Costa uses iridescent glitter on cream cardstock and green glitter for the wreaths.

5. Use the brads or eyelets to attach moving parts to each animal.

6. Glue the wreaths or other holiday-themed decorations to the animals.

7. To make ornaments, use string or ribbon to either tape or thread through the animals.

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2012 Gift Guide * 47

Tree Tops and Bottoms Too attached to your ornaments but want a new look for the tree?

Switch out the tree topper and skirt for a different vibe

dress that you can accessorize differ-

York-based interior designer and final-

Rustic

ist on season six of HGTV’s “Design Star” competition show. “You can give your tree a totally different vibe without touching the ornaments by focusing on

By Alice Oglethorpe CTW Features

the skirt and topper.”

Not only is this type of updating easy,

F

iStockphoto

in an instant,” says Cathy Hobbs, New

Luker offer some ideas for finding the perfect topper-and-skirt combo, depending on the desired aesthetic.

ently to take it from formal to casual

or many people, Christmas tree decorations don’t change much over the years. Ornaments that have been lovingly collected and passed down from generation to generation get hung on the tree, and that’s that.

it’s also inexpensive. “You can spend

So instead of messing with tradition, try thinking tops and bottoms to spruce up the tree this year.

Cottage.

“Think of your tree as a little black

hundreds of dollars on all new ornaments and garland, but just changing the topper and skirt is much cheaper and is still impactful,” says Gina Luker, editor of the remodeling blog Shabby Creek Every decor store will have fun options to play around with, but you can also go the DIY route. Here, Hobbs and

Get a rustic feel that’s both natural and festive by gathering together pieces of wheat, hay or straw, wiring them together in the middle and tying a bright red ribbon around the wire, Hobbs says.

Use that as a topper instead of a standard angel or star. Attach it to the tree with more wire.

Then, for a coordinating skirt, tuck a big piece of burlap around the base of the tree. For this look, Hobbs notes that decorators should use colorful ornaments so the tree doesn’t appear too neutral.

Modern Hobbs suggests a quick trick to create a modern topper: Wrap many white

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O V E R 48 * 2012 Gift Guide

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lights around the top of your tree — way more than you have on the rest of it.

Once turned on, they will appear like a brightly lit star.

Swap out a traditional fabric skirt for a cool looking planter, bucket or box that’s been spray painted in a bold color, Luker suggests.

This works particularly well if you have a live tree instead of one that’s been cut down.

Traditional iStockphoto

Go natural: A burlap sack for the tree bottom and hay or straw as the topper can create an on-trend rustic look at an affordable price.

For a formal look, Luker recommends tying an oversized ribbon into a big bow at the top, using wire to keep it securely in place. Don’t cut the ribbon too short; let the ends reach all the way down to the bottom of your tree for a stronger visual impact.

Balance that with tulle or metallic

mesh as a skirt, says Hobbs. Those fabrics will stay nice and full, giving your tree drama and elegance.

Personalized This also is an opportunity to get personal with your decor and show off items that have special meaning to you.

Hobbs suggests using a large picture frame that’s not too heavy and putting a favorite quote, line from a carol or picture of your family in it. Place your tree in a corner of the room and wire the frame to the top of it. (This works best on an artificial tree, since its top will be nice and sturdy.)

Then pull out a favorite antique quilt, blanket, table cloth or other heirloom fabric that has significance to you, she says. Drape it around your tree as a skirt: It’s better than keeping the cloth hidden in a linen closet. And if you’re worried about it getting ruined, protect the fabric by first covering the base of the tree with a few plastic bags.

2012 Gift Guide * 49

The Simple Things

Resist the temptation to go all-out to show off your home during the holidays. These celebrity designers say that the simplest solution is often the best

By Bettina Chang CTW Features

I

t’s hard not to feel the pressure when the in-laws are coming or a judgmental aunt says she’s “curious” to see how you handle the pressure of playing host. But an over-the-top holiday celebration isn’t the answer. Even designers known for their luxurious, elegant styles suggest shortcuts and easy tricks to decorate without too much stress.

Sandra Espinet

Reused décor: Repurpose tree trimmings like branches, ribbon and mini stockings to dress up the table.

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Candice Olson, star designer on

and Eva La Rue of “CSI: Miami.” For La

Olson says.

HGTV, is known for her well-balanced

Rue’s holiday home, Espinet says she was

designs and attention to detail. She and

able to create a beautiful tablescape with

her husband used to collect delicate

a simple white tablecloth and leftover

blown-glass ornaments for display at

decorations from the tree.

“Whether you’re celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, especially for a working mom, don’t stress it,” she says.

“We beat ourselves up that every last thing has got to be perfect. The year that my Christmas tree full of sentimental glass ornaments smashed, that’s the end of perfection. You’re just left with the dog sitting there wagging his tail.”

Christmastime, until reality set in.

“We had extra ornaments for the tree

“I remember hearing a big smash in

that we hung from the chandeliers,”

the middle of the night, and the whole

Espinet says. “The napkins were tied

Christmas tree fell down. Every one of

with extra pieces from the tree. The only

those beautiful, precious ornaments was

things we bought were a Christmas dish

smashed to bits,” says Olson, who is ap-

set … but even plain white dishes can

pearing in the third season of “Candice

Candice Olson

Tells All” this year. “It must have been the dog that knocked over the tree.”

This wake-up call prompted Olson to focus on collecting memories rather than objects. Nowadays, her family opts for talking ornaments that will record a message, which they can get at the local convenience store. Her kids will sing “Jingle Bells” or answer “Have you been a good boy or girl this year?” and listen to their messages over the years.

“It’s tacky, but they mean so much,”

serve the purpose.”

The rest of the table can be dressed with an inexpensive – and delicious

Olson says.

– decoration: candy canes. “The kids

Besides these sentimental decorations, she relies on the reflections of candles and crystal to create an intimate, happy vibe that lasts all year-round.

can make napkin rings out of the candy

Year-round décor is a great way to keep the decorating process simple, says Sandra Espinet, a designer with a luxurious style who has worked with celebrities like Allie Sweeney of “Days of our Lives”

canes – you put the napkin with the candy and wrap it with a big bow,” she suggests.

Don’t be afraid of the “cheesy” traditions of getting an uncle to dress up as Santa Claus, or putting an inflatable snow globe on your front lawn. “It’s all about the kids, and the kids love it,”

Sandra Espinet

2012 Gift Guide * 51

12 Days of Decorating Gather your friends and family for these fun decorating projects that will get everyone in the holiday spirit

says, “The thing about the whole process of Christmas

By Lindsey Romain CTW Features

becomes a part of the holiday celebration. Homemade

is not to be stressed out. Make it a fun thing that goes throughout the month. That’s something my family has always done.”

Getting others involved means that decorating projects also can alleviate stress and inject some fun

O

n the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... plenty of holiday decorating ideas to make the home beautiful and festive for the

season.

back into the planning process. Crafty projects get the kids involved and the creative juices flowing.

So gather your friends and family and prepare some extra holiday treats to get an early start on holiday decorating.

From new crafts to updates on traditional staples, holiday decorating doesn’t have to be a chore.

1 Wrapped Frames

Take this advice from Linnea Johansson, a chef

Kara Allen, party planning expert and author of

and event planner for the stars who originally is from

“Kara’s Party Ideas” (Cedar Fort Publishing, 2012), has a

Sweden, or as she calls it: the “home of Christmas.” She

fun idea for sprucing up a standard item: Wrap it!

No Christmas is complete without...

iStockPhoto

Crystal clear: Clear glass ornaments are ripe for experimentation – fill them with holiday confetti, ribbon and/ or glitter.

“We wrap picture frames in gift wrap and make them look like gifts and then hang them back on the wall,” says Allen of one of her favorite family tricks. It’s perfect for leftover gift wrap that isn’t big enough to contain a whole gift.

2 Celebration Bulbs Clear glass ornament bulbs are versatile for lots of different projects. Here’s an idea for tree ornaments that double as birthday decorations.

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Victoria Hudgins, blogger at A Subtle Revelry and contributing writer for “Handmade Wedding” (Chronicle Books, 2010), came up with the craft when she was looking for a way to incorporate seasonal décor with a festive birthday party. To make the ornaments, start with clear bulbs, which can be purchased at craft stores, and stuff them with confetti or textured ribbon.

“A stack of small candles would be a great inclusion, as well,” Hudgins says.

But they don’t have to be birthday-specific – Allen

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52 * 2012 Gift Guide

friends to the house to socialize and eat the candy from the tree. “We call it tree-plundering,” she says.

“People will sneak some pieces during Christmas,” she admits, “but the plundering is a good way to keep the celebration going. We are pretty Christmasobsessed.”

4 Get Your Crochet On Anyone comfortable with crochet should try incorporating the handy activity into their holiday decorations. Alice Merlino, who writes the craft blog Futuregirl, has plenty of Christmas-related crochet ideas. In addition to wrapping presents in crochet – which she suggests for oddly-shaped gifts and as a way to personalize the item – Merlino also suggests crocheting candy cane-colored bunting to hang over the fireplace, stockings for everyone in the family, tree skirts, ornaments in fun shapes (like octopuses), door wreaths and even homemade Advent calendars. “The great thing about crocheted decorations are that you can wash them to keep them looking fresh year after year,” Merlino says.

Alice Merlino

Crochet critters: This whimsical octopus ornament is embellished with sequins and stands out from traditional ornaments.

Edible ornaments: Gingerbread cookies are great family projects that can be displayed as ornaments.

does a similar Christmas version. She fills the inside of

3 A Tisket, A Tasket

the bulb with liquid glue and then pours glitter inside,

shutterstock

A fun spin on tradition is to use baskets instead of

so it sticks to the sides. Hudgins has also done a version

regular ornaments for the tree, says Johansson, who

where she fills the bulbs with hot chocolate ingredients.

is releasing a new book, “Perfect Parties” (Skyhorse

“The clear ornaments are perfect because you can design them for any style or party you’d like,” she says.

Publishing, 2012), this year. They fill the baskets with

see days on page 54

candy, and when the holidays are over, they invite

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days continued from page 53

5 Homemade Advent Calendars Merlino isn’t the only fan of Advent calendars.

Tamara Maynes, an Australian craft designer and author of “82 Modern Style Ideas to Create at Home” (Murdoch, 2012) also is an advocate.

An Advent calendar is a special calendar used to count or celebrate the days of Advent in the days leading up to Christmas. To create your own, Maynes suggests removing the backs from 25 graphic Christmas cards and stamping the numbers one through 25 over the images on the front. “Write a message applicable to Christmas on the back of each and tack [them] on the wall in an organic, clustered style.”

Or add a chocolate or treat to each day so kids will look forward to counting down the days to Christmas – if they aren’t already.

6 Cake Stands and Pastry Dishes Sometimes, new holiday decorations can come from repurposed household items. Allen suggests using cake stands and pastry dishes to display Christmas objects.

“Stack three cake plates in a tier and throw ornaments and Christmas trinkets and gifts on them,” she says. If you have a cake stand with a lid, she says to turn the lid

upside down and fill it with ornaments.

7 Stocking Stand-Ins Apart from the tree, the most standard Christmas decoration is the stocking. But if you want to branch out from the traditional thumb-tacked sock on the chimney ledge, Maynes suggests, “Line objects like gumboots or tin buckets beside the fireplace, and stencil names on them to personalize.” Other items that work for stocking stand-ins: hats, vases, gift bags, empty paint cans or vintage jars.

8 Mason Jar Centerpieces The rustic decorator’s darling, Mason jars can wear many hats in Christmas decorating plans. One idea, from Maynes, is to fill them with candles and group them together as table centerpieces.

Allen suggests filling them with white sand or other white and silver decorations – like garland or lights – and to group them together in different shapes and sizes.

9 Decorating With Food Don’t want to stock up on paper or cloth decorations? Try making decorations out of something everyone loves: food.

iStockphoto

Count it down: Advent calendars are easy to make and to personalize, and they last the entire holiday season.

Johansson says that one of her favorite decorating

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projects is hanging gingerbread hearts, since it’s a multistep process that allows everyone to contribute.

“You make the dough, have to wait a bit, then bake them,” she says.

Then others can help with decorating them and writing holiday messages with icing. Afterwards, “we put little holes in the middle and hang them in the windows,” she says.

She also decorates with cloved oranges. “Leave the orange whole and stick cloves into the orange in different patterns,” she says. The orange will dry out and stay good for a few months. “Put them in a bowl on your table or hang them around the house. It smells amazing.”

The biggest benefit of decorating with food? You can eat the leftovers.

10 Sparkling Silverware If decorating with food isn’t up your alley, maybe decorating with silverware will be. Allen likes to dip the end – the end that doesn’t go in your mouth, that is – of inexpensive cutlery in glitter and use them during parties or to dress tables throughout the season.

ored lights around the house – not just the string lights.

Rather than spending money on lights that might not be used again, Johansson recommends buying inexpensive spot lights and covering them with heatresistant color film. “You can place those spot lights on a bookcase or whatever you want people to look at,” she says.

For the general ambiance, “I use a lot of pink light bulbs,” Johansson says. Contrary to people’s beliefs, she says, “it does not create a girly hue, but actually everyone looks 15 years younger!”

The “soft pink” light bulbs are available at most hardware stores.

12 Christmas Tree, Minus the Tree One of the easiest ways to free up some decorating time in a creative way is to ditch the tree altogether and look for simple, trendy alternatives.

11 Light it Up

Maynes suggests a hand-drawn tree. “Paint a large sheet of lightweight plywood with blackboard paint and draw on a stylized tree, including decorations, in white chalk,” she suggests. Or experiment with colorful chalks to add depth.

While not exactly a craft, one non-traditional way to inject some color for the holidays is to use different col-

Prop up against the wall and arrange presents around the bottom for a simple, easygoing Christmas “tree.”

iStockphoto

Spice it up: Cloved oranges serve as natural potpourri and unique decorations for the holiday table.

2012 Gift Guide * 55

It’s a Colorful Life

Jonathan Adler has never shied away from bold color, and the holiday season is no exception. A design legend in the 21st century, Adler suggests unique color palettes to create a “happy chic” mood for the holidays

How to ‘Happy Chic’ Your Holidays Only the fantastical mind of Jonathan Adler could consider using the phrase “happy chic” as a verb. Yet somehow, that’s exactly what he teaches the reader in his new book, “100 Ways to Happy Chic Your Life” (Sterling Signature, 2012), which is packed with gorgeous photos of interiors, sketches, lists of recommendations and words of whimsy.

By Bettina Chang CTW Features

I

t’s hard not to be happy when speaking with Jonathan Adler.

In just a few minutes, the words and phrases he uses immediately conjure the kind of person who could inject Technicolor life into a blackand-white movie. He says things like, “Orange napkins never hurt,” and “As long as it twinkles, I’m happy.”

Here are some tips from this design/life guide, plus a last piece of advice from the man himself: • Put tables under tables. “One can never have sufficient number of low tables and cubes at the ready,” he writes in the book.

Nesting them keeps them out of the way for when the chowing stops and the dancing begins.

Adler, who first became famous for his iconic pottery that got him featured at Barneys New York in 1994 (and countless retail stores since then), launched into a wildly successful design career in home décor and beyond, all the while maintaining his commitment to “irreverent luxury.” He’s also penned several design books, including the upcoming “100 Ways to Happy Chic Your Life” (Sterling Signature, 2012), and appeared at various design conferences and on countless television shows as a design expert.

For the holiday season, Adler says he doesn’t go all-out to decorate.

“I’m Jewish and my husband [Simon Doonan] is a gentile, so we don’t do a Christmas tree,” he says. “But back when the Liberace Museum was around, which it isn’t now, we bought two ornaments and kept them in the original boxes. Every year, we plop them on either side of the mantel. That’s how we know the

56 * 2012 Gift Guide

• Try your hand at cross-stitch. Adler provides this as a year-round tip, but the nostalgia of thread and needles works perfectly for the holidays.

photo by Joshua McHugh, © 2011

holidays are coming.”

graphic patterns and vibrant colors

After all, their home is full of

makes any room look playful and el-

furniture and décor that would make

egant at once, which is embodied by

holiday decorating a “herculean”

his catchphrase, “happy chic.”

task. He says, “I believe that sur-

Of course, this is the kind of at-

rounding yourself with the stuff you

titude you want to have during the

love, no matter how stylistically

holiday season, so read on to find out

eclectic it is, will make you happy.”

the color palettes that Adler recom-

And Adler is an expert on creating happy spaces. His use of bold,

mends to create a bold, beautiful home for the holidays this year.

• Do something a little strange.

Everyone will have snowflakes and candy canes. Put out something that people will remember specifically about your house.

“Probe the inappropriate parts of your mind, then go public with what you find,” Adler writes of his knack for subverting the norm.

• When all else fails, bring a guest. Adler says this is his number-one tip for any family gathering. “Be sure to have at least two nonfamily members there. Then everyone has to act a little more civilized than they really are,” he suggests, fervently. “It’s something I learned over many years of trial and error.

This is the answer.”

— Bettina Chang, CTW Features

Gold, Silver, Blue For Adler, the holidays are all about the sparkle and twinkle. “Gold, silver, other metallics … I like to mix them indiscriminately,” he says.

Plus, to add a punch of color, “I always think of icy blue as a fantastic holiday color that goes beautifully with gold or silver.”

In his own home, he displays a good amount of his own work in gold- and silver-luster pottery. “The metallic materials find their ways into my house,” he says. “I just made this groovy brass peacock table, and it looks perfect in my house.”

Of course, he recognizes it’s not so easy for those of us who don’t make a living by creating home décor. In that case, he says, “Add more lights” to create more sparkle in the home, and don’t forget the garland on the mantel to make it more festive.

“Obviously, that’s what the holidays are about. Sparkly is happy, and that’s why I go for the sparkle.”

Pantone

Pantone

Jonathan Adler

Jonathan Adler

Josh McHugh / Sterling Signature

Bold and unexpected: A neutral gray with bright orange accents can create a festive look.

Adler punches up the contrast with a black-and-orange palette for a bedroom.

Pantone

Josh McHugh/Sterling Signature

Icy metallics: Adler’s pottery products show his love of mixed metallics. To add a punch of color, try an icy blue used in his products.

Gray and Orange This on-trend color combination takes some courage, but Adler says, go for it.

“If I’m feeling a little more neutral or subdued, I’ll do icy grays with pops of orange.”

Leave it to this color guru to consider bright orange accents as a subdued palette.

“Orange is the color of happiness,” he says. “A lot of people have neutrals in their homes, on the furniture and walls, so throwing in some nice orange throw pillows is a great place to introduce color.”

Another tip is to keep a big bowl of oranges around. “It’s counterintuitive because it’s the freezingest out at winter time, but I always have it … and I keep a lot of flowers around, the freshest ones, whatever is in season.”

Make sure it’s a bright, sunny orange that exudes warmth and put it where everyone is bound to see it, like the dining table. “Your tabletop should be bright and colorful,” Adler says.

2012 Gift Guide * 57

Go Ahead, Wax Nostalgic The warm, flickering glow of candles embodies the holiday season. Here’s a primer on candle basics, plus a rundown of the latest trends

By Alyssa Karas CTW Features

The Perfect Display

Image from shutterstock

Unless otherwise noted, images are courtesy of iStockphoto

The Wide World of Candles

Gel candles: Gel candles are also good for decoration, and because they need to be in a container, you can get creative with their presentation.

Candlestick/taper holder

Lantern candleholder Taper candles: Taper candles are the traditional choice for tables, but they also work well in arrangements.

Pillar candles: Pillar candles are great for décor purposes, whether on their own or in candlescapes. If they’re going to be used on a dining table, however, make sure they don’t obstruct the view since they tend to be larger candles.

Pillar holder

Votive candles: Votives are versatile and fit nicely into arrangements or on the dinner table. “Votives look really different because you can get all the sparkle and the warmth of candlelight, but you can still see across the table,” says Barbara Miller, spokeswoman for the National Candle Association. Try arranging votives on a mirrored surface for an extra glow.

Apothecary jar Floating candles: In a large glass bowl, floating candles make a nice centerpiece.

Votive holder

Image courtesy of Yankee Candle

Container candles: Container candles are the best type of scented candle because the wax can be softer. This way, it holds more fragrance than votives or pillars, which are made of harder wax.

58 * 2012 Gift Guide

Tealight candles: “I’ve noticed that customers want tapers and tealights probably five to one more during the holidays,” says Diana Schrank, owner of Porch Swing Candles in West Columbia, Tex. “That truly sets the ambiance at a party, or even if it’s a family enjoying quiet time at home.”

Tealight holder

Candle Trend Watch Alyssa Karas CTW Features

they’ll be enhanced by the frosty theme.

Yankee Candle’s “Pine Cone and Lime,” for example, is a riff on a traditional scent. The citrus adds an icy crispness to the flavor.

T

his holiday season, the familiar warm glow of candles will be complemented by frosty winter

Many of the newer candle scents this season aren’t holiday-specific, so they can be burned long into the New Year.

That also means they make great gifts, and not just for women.

wonderland colors and fragrances.

“There’s a sense of icy, fresh, watery – like a really light snow that’s glistening over things,” says Barbara Miller, spokeswoman for the National Candle Association. “That’s not only in the colors, you also have it in the fragrances.”

Gold candles and metallic décor accents are adding extra shimmer to the holiday season. Yankee Candle is pro-

moting its “All That Glitters” holiday 2012 collection, with candles presented in a gold-accented jar.

“Gold will play a significant role in the holiday season,” Miller says. “So the harvest golds of the fall will turn into metallic golds for the holidays.”

In Santa Claus, Ind., — yes, there is such a place! — the Santa Claus Christmas Store is skipping traditional

Courtesy of Yankee Candle

Glitter on: Frosty and sparkling styles and scents will dominate the candle scene this year. powered variety, which they call luminaria. “This year we’re seeing more of the winter wonderland look, which is our silvers and whites and ice,” says manager Holly Xanders. The luminaria are pillars of lightly scented wax, and they operate on a timer, glowing for five hours at a time. Xanders says the flame is life-like, and customers appreciate the safety as well as the décor possibilities.

candles in favor of the flameless, battery-

In addition to frosty motifs, candles

that beckon nostalgia are also popular this season. At Porch Swing Candles in West Columbia, Texas, owner Diana Schrank says this year’s Christmas candles are all about coziness. “Everything feels so back to basics right now,” she says. Porch Swing’s hand-poured candles will be more muted in color to evoke the comforts of home.

Evergreen smells and gourmet scents are always popular, and this holiday

New York City-based Izola introduced a line of candles for men in early 2012.

The collection features hand-poured, vegetable wax candles with a masculine design and scents that aren’t overpowering or too sweet. “Magnolia” is ideal for the holiday season, says Ian O’Brien, business development director at Izola.

“Magnolia resembles that of the magnolia tree flower, so it has a lemony essence,” he says.

To ensure any holiday candle lasts for seasons, trim the wick before each use.

If it’s a scented container candle, place a lid on it after each use to preserve the fragrance.

Candle Crafting

“W

color in the background of the stamp. Make sure your

hen you receive a gift that’s handmade, you know someone’s put their heart, their time and their passion into making it,” says Cathie Filian, TV host, author and “all-around crafty, creative girl.” Filian’s do-it-yourself transformation of plain pillar candles is an easy way to create a beautiful, handmade present.

“The result is a very boutique-looking candle, the kind you would spend a lot of money on,” she says.

paintbrush is not too wet or the tissue paper will tear.

Allow to dry about 10 to 20 minutes.

4. Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the image and wrap all the way around the candle, plus an extra several inches of length. Trim the excess tissue paper around the edges of the image and place onto the candle. The embossed side of the image can face in toward the candle or outward. Wrap the parchment paper tightly around the candle, using

Supplies: Image courtesy of Cathie Filian

Light-colored pillar candle White tissue paper Scissors Rubber stamp and ink pad Embossing powder and embossing gun Watercolor paints Paintbrush Parchment paper Small scrapbooking eyelets and candle paint pen (optional)

the excess parchment paper in the back as a handle.

5. Move the embossing gun over the image to melt

Steps:

the tissue paper into the candle. You will be able to

1. Cut a piece of tissue paper large enough for the stamp. Ink the rubber stamp and stamp onto the glossy side of the tissue paper.

see the wax melting through the parchment paper.

Once the wax melts in one area, move the emboss-

2. Sprinkle embossing powder on the image on the tissue paper and tap off the excess. Heat the powder on the tissue with an embossing gun until the image is embossed.

too much. When the entire image has melted into the

3. Swirl a wet paintbrush into watercolor paints and

ing gun to another area so as not to melt the candle candle, carefully remove the parchment paper.

6. Add details to the candle using scrapbooking eyelets and candle paint pens.

— Adapted with permission from CathieFilian.com

2012 Gift Guide * 59

gifts 60 * 2012 Gift Guide

The toy story in Columbus

1

Compiled by Kelsey DeClue

W

e’re getting back to basics, increasing our brain power and starting collections with this year’s hot toys for the holiday gift-giving season.

It’s no secret that children want the latest and greatest gifts and parents usually want to make their children happy.

Well with some of the most popular gifts for 2012, parents will find the toys their kids want are most likely encouraging family time, physical activity and learning.

According to Consumer Reports, the best-selling toys are in the following categories:  Toys That Teach – These toys, games and building sets bring the fun while incorporating fine motor, reasoning and problem-solving skills.

2

 Portable Gear – We’re an increasingly mobile society, so our toys need to be able to go with us. Toys in this category are compact and durable, making them perfect for busy families.  Get Physical – This group encourages children to get off the couch and get moving.  Series Toys – The age of collectibles is making a comeback.  What Was Old Is New Again – OK, we’re not talking hand-me-downs here. Durable wooden toys and revamped classics are gaining popularity. Did we hear Rubik’s Cube and Tinker Toys?

Even better, all the most popular toys for 2012 are available without leaving city limits. We combed a few local retailers to find shoppers some examples of the trends, as well as some more traditional options. And we threw a couple of options for adults in there, too.

Columbus Area Visitors Center gift shop

1

506 Fifth St. 378-2622 Although plush like a toy, this hand-knitted Jenny Bird stuffed ornament is for adults. $22

2

Show your playful side with game-themed handbags made from real game boards.

Pictured: Scrabble. $72

2012 Gift Guide * 61

Imagination Station 315 Washington St. 373-9636

3

A new take on a classic toy, this Migoga marble run incorporates brain power and play power. $27.99

4

Remote-controlled toys take on a new sleek look in this World of Wheels Cyber Cycle. $39.99

5

The Tenzi dice game is great for on-the-go play. $14.99.

6

Early walkers will love this durable wooden Push ’n Roll by Tatoo. $29.99

7

The classic Rubik’s Cube gets a new look for a new generation. $14.99.

8

This Look Look spy game is fun for the whole family. $19.95

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5

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4 62 * 2012 Gift Guide

10 9

11 12

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14 Viewpoint Books

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548 Washington St. 376-0778 These pre-assembled Kikkerland mechanical creatures, Oahaca and Sparklz, make for great collectibles. $15 each.

10

Melissa and Doug gave the traditional Nativity a kidfriendly look. $29.99

11

Bring peace to all with this plush tote by Beeposh. $16.99

12

Portable and family-friendly games are great stocking stuffers. $9.99 to $14.99

13

Entertain everyone with these cuddly puppets.

Assorted prices.

14

Beeposh starts a patterned trend in stuffed animals with these selections, which vary in size and by animal. $4.99 to $24.99

15

A new craze in wrist-wear, these Zip-Itz bracelets are sure to be the next Silly Bands. $2.99 each.

2012 Gift Guide * 63

Future Farmers of America: The Whole Kit and Caboodle Cheese, whiskey, apples, mushrooms. There’s a DIY kit to suit every back-to-the-earth fancy.

Some assembly (and, possibly, several years and favorable growing conditions) required.

By Lindsey Romain CTW Features

T

here’s a grassroots movement afoot. In an era of penny-pinching, a new generation is looking to the past, swapping cars for bikes, planting gardens and seeking organic, local sources of food.

Finding a gift that passes muster with a sustainable-minded friend or loved one may seem like a tall order, but, in fact, it’s easier than ever thanks to a bounty of innovative do-it-yourself kits. Kits for growing or making foods and beverages are an easy way for folks to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty – or maybe just a little sticky – in a new project. Chances are, there’s an intrepid soul on your shopping list who’d be thrilled with a gift that challenges them to make something new, from scratch.

A kit “is cute, and it’s not a huge commitment in cost, time or amount of supplies,” says Claudia Lucero, co-founder of Urban Cheesecraft, a Portland company that sells DIY cheese kits ($19 to $50, specialty stores). With a dash of citric acid and some milk, home-crafted fresh mozzarella, ricotta or goat cheese is ready to serve in an hour. Cheese making is “easy, accessible and empowering,” says Lucero, and brings people closer to their food source. “When people realize that an ‘Old World’ craft like cheese making can be taken on at home, they are immediately intrigued,” she says.

That Old World vibe can be a plus

64 * 2012 Gift Guide

Potting Shed Creations

For budding Johnny (and Jane) Appleseeds: the grow-your-own apple tree kit or a minus, depending on the giftee; but it’s difficult to imagine anyone who’d be put off by the idea of creating something from nothing.

The hands-on involvement “gives you ownership over the gift,” says Orlin Sorensen, co-owner of Woodinville Whiskey Co., a company that sells make-your-own whiskey kits ($149.99), available online or in Washington state and Oregon liquor stores. “For most people, there’s a lot more pride in earning a dollar than being given a dollar.”

Many kits emphasize the grubbier aspects of the DIY process. The Apple Tree-to-Be kit ($22) from Potting Shed Creations comes with 5 Ralls Janet apple seeds, a coir seedling pot, growing me-

dium, a terra cotta saucer, an aluminum tag, a hydrocarbon-free jute bag and a reference guide. Ann Killen, co-founder, says the company has been organic since the beginning, with products including wine bottles recycled to grow culinary herbs and contain terrarium gardens, and recycled steel and bamboo windowsill boxes for micro-greens. She also offers a Yule Tree-to-Be, for growing a Christmas tree.

Killen attributes the growing interest in the plant kits to curiosity about food development.

“Maybe it’s because there is so much unknown with food and where it comes from,” she says. “Maybe it’s wanting a smaller footprint.” The Apple Tree-to-Be

kit offers something else: together time.

“It is a project that people can do together,” Killen says. “The process of planting, watching it grow and transplanting the tree to its final spot creates a shared experience.” Patience helps. It can take up to 10 years for a tree to journey from seed to actual apple production.

For less patient agrarians, there’s Back to the Roots ($19.95), a growyour-own mushroom kit that promises a half-pound of edible mushrooms in just 10 days. According to Back to the Roots communications lead Megan Yarnell, the idea for the product came about when its co-founders, Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez, heard during a business ethnics lecture that it was possible to grow

mushrooms on recycled coffee grounds.

After some successful experimentation, they started growing mushrooms for area restaurants. When friends started asking how they could grow mushrooms, too, the kits were born.

Yarnell thinks the advantages of Back to the Roots extends beyond just the growing process, which is why it makes such a great holiday gift. “People can use the food to cook a meal for their friends or family. It’s a gift that keeps on giving, and it’s really distinctive.”

Underscoring its community spirit, Back to the Roots donates a kit and a sustainability curriculum to the classrooms of choice of mushroomers who post a photo of their grown kit on the company’s Facebook page.

Not every food-related kit requires soil and a green thumb. Glee Gum offers three fun candy kits: Make Your Chocolate, Make Your Own Chewing Gum and Make Your Own Gummies ($13.95 each, upscale grocers and specialty stores). These follow the same basic principles of most DIY kits – they’re

all natural, with no artificial color, flavor, sweetener or preservatives – but they’re higher in sugar content and are more fun for kids.

Kits offer something for everyone.

Whiskey lovers will get a kick out of Woodinville’s product – “There’s nothing like pouring friends a glass of your own whiskey from the barrel,” says Sorensen – and there are plenty of other niche kits, for beer, root beer, soda and wine.

Spreading the word about the rewards of cheese making was one of the perks for Urban Cheesecraft’s Lucero. After teaching herself how to make cheese and intriguing friends and family with the process, she started a cheese-making workshop. “Soon, it hit me that clear instructions, gathered ingredients and fast, simple cheese might be enjoyed by my friends and the Etsy community,” she says of the online marketplace where she started her business.

At the end of the day, the real joy of kit giving isn’t just the idea of gifting a loved one something they’ll enjoy. Like

Glee Gum

There’s a make-your-ownfood kit for virtually every taste: clockwise from upper left, make your own gummy candy (out of seaweed), dark chocolate and chewing gum

any great gift, it’s about the shared experience.

ity, a unique, hands-on way to spend

“With a DIY kit, you get much more than whatever you can make with it,” says Molly Lederer, Glee Gum director of marketing. “You get a memorable activ-

together is what makes the holidays spe-

time with friends or family. Time shared cial. That’s why more and more folks are choosing interactive gifts that everyone can enjoy.”

Urban Cheesecraft

Cheese it! Mozzarella, chevre and paneer in minutes

2012 Gift Guide * 65

Dystopian Novels

Reading List for the End of the World Lindsey Romain CTW Features

“The Scorpio Races,” by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic, 2011) $17.99

“Delirium,” by Lauren Oliver (HarperCollins, 2012) $17.99

t’s a feast for fans of “The Hunger Games.” The wildly successful film adaptation of the dark novel hits DVD shelves this holiday season.

Suzanne Collins’ blockbuster trilogy about young Katniss Everdeen battling for her life in a post-apocalyptic North America has drawn more readers to the world of dystopian literature; new postapocalyptic young adult titles crop up every month. Here are 10 top titles about young people in dystopian peril, perfect for any Katniss fan’s stocking.

“Divergent,” by Veronica Roth (Katherine Tegen Books, 2011) $17.99

“The Maze Runner,” by James Dashner (Random House Children’s Books, 2010) $16.99

I

“Life As We Knew It,” by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008) $17

“Matched,” by Ally Condie (Penguin Group, 2010) $17.99

“Exodus,” by Julie Bertagna (Walker Books for Young Readers, 2008) $16.95 “Legend,” by Marie Lu (Penguin Group, 2011) $17.99

“The Forest of Hands and Teeth,” by Carrie Ryan (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2010) $16.99 “Bumped,” by Megan McCafferty (Balzer + Bray, 2011) $16.99

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66 * 2012 Gift Guide

Blogbusters!

Laugh Out Loud with the Blogerati Lindsey Romain CTW Features

T

he once dignified kingdom of coffee table books, where Norman Rockwell retrospectives ruled, has fallen to the shameless, hilarious hordes. Behold the many highly giftable books from bloggers who first rocketed to fame online. Here are photos of people obscuring a body part with vinyl record sleeves, there are portraits of families you’re glad aren’t yours – and get a load of those snapshots of Legos, pizza and, uh, other stuff on cats. Send tidings of laughter and joy with any of these happy volumes.

“Sleeveface: Be the Vinyl,” by John Rostron and Carl Morris (Artisan, 2008) $13.95 “Feminist Ryan Gosling,” by Danielle Henderson (Running Press, 2012) $12.95 “Awkward Family Photos,” by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack (Three Rivers Press, 2010) $15 “I Can Has Cheezburger: A LOLcat Collekshun,” by Professor Happycat and icanhascheezburger.com (Gotham, 2008) $10 “Garfield Minus Garfield,” by Jim Davis (Ballantine Books, 2008) $13

“PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives,” by Frank Warren (William Morrow, 2005) $28.99 “Rules for My Unborn Son,” by Walker Lamond (St. Martin’s Press, 2009) $14.99 “This is Why You’re Fat: Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks,” by Jessica Amason and Richard Blakeley (HarperCollins, 2009) $19.99 “Stuff White People Like,” by Christian Lander (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2008) $15

“Stuff on My Cat,” by Mario Garza (Chronicle Books, 2006) $9.95

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A Gift of Comfort and Joy Sometimes, it really is the thought that counts.

Exploring gifts that lift the spirit.

of the Us Foundation, a nonprofit that facilitates

By Melanie Wanzek CTW Features

a balanced life,.

global action to address social, economic and environmental issues.

Even while doing important work, she says, one needs time to step away and reflect on living “We live dynamic lives, so we need to recog-

T

his holiday season, take a moment to slow down – and then contemplate how to help others do the same.

nize there is a dynamic balance for different moments in time,” she says.

For Tam, the idea of a life-enhancing gift has

“It is so easy in our very hectic world to forget what’s really important,” says Marilyn Tam, author of the forthcoming “The Happiness Choice,” (Wiley, 2013). “This is true even if we are so focused on something good.”

less to do with objects than with a special experi-

Tam speaks from her own bustling life experience. The former CEO of Aveda, Tam held senior executive positions at Reebok and Nike. She co-founded and now serves as executive director

share together.”

ence. “We have so much stuff,” Tam says. “What we need to think about is how we can help people we love have the opportunity to relish the moment through meaningful experiences we can A meaningful gift, she believes, is one rooted in unique, memorable experiences. Find activities that someone might not choose to do on his own,

Choose happy: author Marilyn Tam such as a cooking class, a pottery class or even a hot air balloon ride. Ready to give a life-giving gift? Here are some ideas.

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Practicing yoga can lead to a greater improvement of mood and a decrease in anxiety, according to a 2010 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine by a researcher at the Boston University School of Medicine. Yoga studios offer a variety of classes to fit the interests and skill level of the student.

Many sell class cards so the recipient can select classes at her convenience. To take the gift to a higher level, consider adding a yoga retreat. At Nurture Through Nature in Maine, retreaters can design their own holistic eco-retreat, with private yoga instruction, guided meditation sessions and wood-fired steam baths.

A Taste of Local Fare A membership to a local food cooperative is a gift that combines tasty treats with meaningful investment. A food cooperative gives back to its members and the community.

Co-ops throughout the country offer a variety of food, wellness and home goods. No two are exactly the same, but they all share the same priority: serving people, says Elizabeth Archerd, membership and marketing manager for The Wedge, a Minneapolis cooperative.

The most important consideration in purchasing a cooperative membership is location, she

68 * 2012 Gift Guide

says. Proximity is key. At The Wedge, an $80

Ten Thousand Villages

Gifts with fair-trade pedigree: a hand-painted tray from Peru; a hand-cut mollusk shell set in a sterling necklace

deposit covers the lifetime membership fee on behalf of someone else; the receiver then stops in the co-op to complete the paperwork to become a member.

Other options: a pre-paid summer CSA membership, through which recipients receive a box of fresh local produce each week for a particular season, or creating a gift basket of locally produced honey, jams, granola and grains.

A Gift to Keep Giving Consider a gift that invests in the future of others. Many global fair trade companies distribute their wares to local gift stores and some have online storefronts, including Ten Thousand Villages, Akron, Pa. Marketing manager Michele Loeper says the group’s sole focus is to end poverty around the globe. The organization provides sustainable income opportunities to artists in developing countries by traveling to the countries, forming relationships with the artisans and buying their work at a fair price. “Our purchasing is based on long-term relationships and consistent

orders from year to year, meaning artisans can plan for the future and build better lives,” Loeper says. “Every purchase made at a Ten Thousand Villages store allows us to provide real and lasting income opportunity to women and men who would otherwise have no real income opportunity.”

2012 Gift Guide * 69

Baubles, Bangles and Bright, Shiny Beads

Dannijo

Dannijo’s bib necklace with marbled resin beads and chain fringe

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A well-selected piece of jewelry is a brilliant gift. Onward, fearless shopper! Here is your moment to shine.

By Nola Sarkisian-Miller CTW Features

F

or those who want to stand out from the madding crowds this holiday season (does she really need another eternity scarf or a massmanufactured cashmere sweater?), giving jewelry is one way to shine with your loved one.

If buying jewelry instills a sense of fear in the buyer, relax. Thanks to the up and down economy, jewelry is in the midst of a renaissance, providing an easy update for a loved one’s wardrobe. These days, it’s not just about diamonds. Chunky necklaces, cocktail rings and cuff bracelets galore – layers upon layers - have burst on the scene, injecting a sense of fun and style into the bauble mix.

resin beads and chain fringe looks are popular at the Beckley boutiques in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, says Beckley owner Melissa Akkaway. Tom Binn’s tiered necklaces with epoxy-covered crystals are favorites at Elyse Walker.

Good layering options are the initial pendant necklaces by Los Angelesbased Ariel Gordon Jewelry, crafted with a playful font and worn by A-listers such as Drew Barrymore and Jessica Biel. Jennifer Meyer’s jewelry is on fire at Ylang 23. The designer who is also the wife of “Spider-Man” actor Tobey Maguire has attracted a star following – Jennifer Anniston, Emma Stone, Katie Holmes – for her diamond-engraved initial necklaces and personalized nameplate necklaces.

“Personalization in buying is key,” says designer Ariel Gordon. “People like to connect to their purchases emotionally and that’s what sells the best.

“We’re not buying anything that’s not costume or coming out of India,” says Elyse Walker, founder and owner of her eponymous boutique in Pacific Palisades, Calif., and the fashion director for the Forward by Elyse Walker website.

“Everything is about making a statement.”

If you opt to buy bracelets, pile on the purchases. The more the merrier. It’s all about arm candy this season heaped with color. Think cuffs adorned with beads, screws or spikes, gold cuffs and bangles.

Dannijo offers “arm party” styles, which can include up to 12 bracelets loaded with skulls, chain links, crystals and more. For an edgy gift, enamel skull cuffs from Alexander McQueen found at Forward by Elyse Walker are in vogue.

How to buy with so much to buy?

The key is to know your recipient and buy something up her alley, not yours.

Bracelets “are ideal for all the ladies on the list – a wife, a girlfriend, a mother or a sister,” Akkaway says.

“Keep in mind what she wears on a day-to-day basis,” says Joanne Teichman, co-owner of Ylang 23, a jewelry boutique in Dallas. “If she never takes off a particular necklace, either buy one to layer with it or buy some earrings or a bracelet.”

Earrings are classic choices for a jewelry purchase even though styles are less than traditional this season. The trend is light and airy with a focus on cutout options, Teichman says. Rose gold, which is a gold and copper alloy, is one of the industry’s hottest metals, known for its vintage feel. Laurent Gandini’s rose gold dangle styles, including birds, flowers and a heart, and lace-looking styles are

Fashion-savvy loved ones would appreciate the bolder style of collar necklaces. Dannijo’s bib styles with marbled

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70 * 2012 Gift Guide

Jennifer Meyer

Make it yours: Gold nameplate necklace by Jennifer Meyer

in demand at Ylang 23.

While rings are a more difficult purchase in terms of sizing and the emotions they convey, you have more options this year. Unusual stones – like quartz, moonstone and agates – mounted in large statement rings are one way to buy a one-of-a-kind style. Highlights include Jamie Joseph’s opal rings, such as the two-toned Mexican Fire Opal or the dimensional pink coral opal, which are “crazy strong” sellers, Teichman says, and Ariel Gordon’s bezel set rings with Old-World-looking stones with faceted dome tops.

Stacking is another way to showcase rings. Jewelry designer Ioselliani offers sets of four or five stacked rings in irregular shapes with Swarovski stones. At Von Bargen’s Jewelry stores in Vermont and New Hampshire, customers are mixing a number of ring styles, such as artisan and steel bands. Pamela Love’s knuckle rings that can span a few fingers featuring

spikes and antique patinas are top sellers at Forward by Elyse Walker.

You can also keep it playful with a brightly colored watch. La Mer Collections, which are holiday favorites at Beckley, many of which are priced for under $100, come in a variety of hues, from shimmery metallics to vivid neons like yellow, green and pink. The triple wrap straps and chain/charm styles with multiple stainless steel layers fit in with the bracelet bonanza trend.

“These are at a great price and are quite doable as a present,” Akkaway says.

Ariel Gordon

Ariel Gordon bezel-set stone rings

Not going overboard is the consensus advice when it comes to jewelry purchases, experts say.

“There are no rules on what to buy or not based on the status of your relationship, but you should not make the recipient uncomfortable with overspending,” Teichman says.

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Dannijo

Pile it on: Dannijo ‘arm party’ bracelets, loaded skulls, chain links, crystals and more

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2012 Gift Guide * 71

Fit to Be Gifted New Balance

Let it snow: lightweight New Balance boot with soles designed for slippery conditions

Don’t look now, New Year’s resolutions are on-deck.

Launch them into 2013 with a gift that really gets them going

ning shops). Someone more interested in a walk or short hike might try the New Balance 1099 lightweight boot. It’s waterproof, and the sole’s designed to grip snow and ice ($110).

By Anne Stein CTW Features

Dressing in layers is ideal for exercising outdoors in the winter, so consider hats, gloves, scarves and socks designed for the activity of choice. “Layers protect the exerciser from the elements while giving them the flexibility to remove layers if they become too warm,” Matthews says.

Buying the right clothing for the outdoor exercise enthusiast makes a great gift.

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here are fitness gadgets to excite and inspire exercisers of any level, whether you’re shopping for an Ironman triathlete or trying to persuade a couch potato to get up and get active. And since it’s all in the name of health, you might just want to pick up a duplicate gift for yourself.

Keep in mind what activities interest the individual, says Jessica Matthews, exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. This will help you identify gifts that they will use and enjoy.

“Are they someone who enjoys working out at home or do they prefer attending group fitness classes? Would they perhaps like working oneon-one with a personal trainer at the gym? It’s important to consider how he or she is most likely to work out,” says Matthews.

Let it snow…

If your favorite runner dreads winter because of snow and ice, check out the New Balance Winter 110 trail running shoe. This minimaliststyle shoe is wrapped with a waterproof layer that protects feet from slush and snow, and it comes with plush lining for warmth ($125, run-

Indoor exercisers who want a new strengthtraining tool will love the Century Dual Grip Medicine Ball, (in 8-, 12-, 16- and 20-pound versions). The vinyl ball, which is filled with sand that shifts slightly as you grip and move it, tests muscles and coordination by combining the qualities of a medicine ball with the challenge of a sand bag ($25-$45, sporting goods stores).

Consider purchasing training sessions with a local certified personal trainer for someone who prefers the indoors and is new to fitness.

Matthews, a certified personal trainer and yoga instructor, says working with a professional offers many benefits, “from learning the basics about fitness, such as how to perform exercises with proper form, to having a customized program developed by a qualified professional to help the individual reach his/her unique health and fitness goals.”

Keeping cool while you’re working out can be a challenge and even a safety issue in extreme summer temperatures. Mission’s EnduraCool Instant Cooling Towel provides two hours of

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72 * 2012 Gift Guide

While daily weigh-ins can be demoralizing,

quick, chemical-free relief from the heat. Just wet the towel and snap it to lower the towel’s temperature to 59 degrees within a minute, whether you’re indoors or out. Wet again to re-activate. ($14.99/large, sporting goods stores).

Monitoring heart rate can be a great motivational tool for athletes. A chest strap or a finger sensor allows the user to target a specific heart rate range in order to achieve the maximum benefit from a workout without overdoing it. Prices vary from around $60 to $400 or more, depending on the bells and whistles. Erik Hroncich, owner of Seattle-based EDGE Personal Training, recommends Garmin, Polar and Timex, popular brands with multiple versions. Garmin’s new Forerunner 610 has a touch-screen, wristwatch-style system with GPS, heart rate monitor and the ability to wirelessly upload and track running routes and stats to a computer ($400, sporting goods stores and specialty shops).

Muscle madness From bike-riding Olympians to regular Joes out for a jog, athletes everywhere are wearing compression garments, skin-tight black sleeves and socks designed to squeeze and compress muscles and enhance performance. Now they’re available in a stylish pink, medical grade material from Cramer sports medicine products. Cramer’s Endurance Support System (ESS) sleeves promise to increase muscular blood flow and flush away painful lactic acid to allow quicker recovery and tougher workouts ($20 - $25 for calf, thigh, knee, arm and ankle, sporting goods stores).

since an exerciser isn’t likely to see losses daily, tracking weight every 10 days to two weeks may be beneficial, McCall says.

The FitBit Aria ($149) is a WiFi-enabled scale that records a person’s weight, body fat and BMI and wirelessly sends the info to a computer to track calories, pounds lost and overall progress.

The device also connects with others trying to lose weight via the FitBit website. Each family member can create an account ($149, specialty stores).

Books to inspire “The World’s Toughest Endurance

Safety first If your kid’s already a jock but you just can’t get him or her to wear a protective mouth guard – essential to decreasing the risk of concussion and protecting teeth – try MoGo Sport’s new flavored mouth guards, which fit adults, too. They come in lemon, orange, mint, bubble gum and fruit punch, are BPA-free and contain natural flavors that last for the life of the mouth guard. They even fit over braces ($11.99, sporting goods stores).

Challenges,” by Richard Hoad and Paul Moore

Tools of the trade

have gone the distance (bookstores, $29.95).

Fitness-related gifts aren’t just for those who are already in great shape. Sometimes, the right gift can encourage someone in need of a life change.

An inexpensive pedometer or fitness-tracking software for a smartphone can be helpful reminding someone to be active, according to Pete McCall, a San Diego exercise physiologist.

(VeloPress, 2012) is great reading for the most adventurous athlete on your list. Whether it’s walking and skiing 420 nautical miles across the South Pole or cycling 240 miles across five mountain ranges in Costa Rica, there are dozens of adventure races that’ll take months if not years to prepare for. In the meantime, a reader can simply enjoy the gorgeous color photos of racers who

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2012 Gift Guide * 73

Gifts Good Enough to Eat Jessica Royer Ocken CTW Features

Cupcake Bath Bomb

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hose who indulge, bulge – unless, of course, the rich treats are destined to be slathered, smeared, scrubbed or spritzed upon the skin. Sales of high-end beauty and skin care products are sizzling, up 11 percent to $9.5 billion in 2011, according to NPD Group. And soaps, lotions and treatments crafted from ingredients that are good enough to eat – or at least look that way – are especially popular.

Looking for a delicious gift? Go in search of the incredible, almost-edibles.

Ribbon Candy Cupcake Bath Bomb from Feeling Smitten Bath Bakery with berries and sugar and a dash of light rose and carnation ($10.50 for the large size, specialty stores)

Lip Creams Vegan Lip Creams from Metropolis Soap Co., made with essential oils, sunflower wax and sunflower oil, come flavored in spearmint with anise, lavender or lime ($6.99, specialty stores)

Citrus Relaxation

Vegan Soap

Tangerine and orange essential oils scent Kneipp’s new Stress Free Bath ($20, specialty stores)

Richly scented pine, cypress and lime oil combine in Northern Lights, a new handmade vegan soap from Lush ($7.95, Macy’s and specialty stores)

Butter Them Up Butter All Over, Rica Bath & Body’s best seller, is billed as “comfort food for the skin,” with coconut, avocado and passion fruit oils ($36, specialty stores)

Make Mine Ginger Ginger Sparkle Shimmer Lotion with fair-trade shea butter and ginger root extract ($12, The Body Shop)

74 * 2012 Gift Guide

Children’s Books

And Then What Happened?

Mary Connors CTW Features

W

hat happens when Daisy’s ball is destroyed? When all the lights go out? When a family must flee their homeland?

Adventure happens, that’s what – and so do discovery, learning and joy. Buy a child a book and ask to share an hour.

Here, a few of 2012’s best, for tots, teens and you.

“A Ball for Daisy,” by Chris Raschka (Schwartz & Wade Books, 2011) $16.99 Caldecott Medal

“Blackout,” by John Rocco (Disney Hyperion Books, 2011) $16.99 Caldecott Honor

“Breaking Stalin’s Nose,” by Eugene Yelchin (Henry Holt and Co., 2011) $15.99 Newbery Honor

“Me … Jane,” by Patrick McDonnell (Little, Brown and Co., 2011) $15.99 Caldecott Honor

“Where Things Come Back,” by John Corey Waley (Atheneum, 2012) $8.99 Printz Award

“Grandpa Green,” by Lane Smith (Roaring Brook Press, 2011) $16.99 Caldecott Honor

“Rotters” audio book, written by Daniel Kraus, narrated by Kirby Heyborne (Random House audio, 2011) $35 Odyssey Award

“Dead End in Norvelt,” by Jack Gantos (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2011) $15.99 Newbery Medal “Inside Out & Back Again,” by Thanhha Lai (HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2011) $16.99 Newbery Honor

“The Notorious Benedict Arnold,”

by Steve Sheinkin (Flash Point, 2010) $19.99 YALSA Award for young adult nonfiction

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columbuschemdry.com 2012 Gift Guide * 75

The Sweetest Gift Hope for chocolate springs eternal – especially this time of year. Never have the choices been more artful or delicious.

Chocolates, gift-boxed or pick your own, ranked as the No. 2 holiday gift last year surpassed only by books, according to Unity Marketing, a Stevens, Pa., marketing consultancy that surveyed 2,000 buyers.

By Jessica Royer Ocken CTW Features

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76 * 2012 Gift Guide

V

isions of many candies dance in our heads come holiday time: candy canes on the tree, peppermints fashioned into wreaths, allsorts stuffed in stockings. But one reigns supreme. The holiday season is practically drenched in chocolate.

Authorized Distributor

“Chocolate earns its top rating as a gift because it fits the bill. It is something everyone likes, yet it also feels like a treat,” says Pam Danziger, Unity Marketing president. “Even though it is readily available and accessible, chocolate still makes the recipient feel special.”

Happily for holiday shoppers, there’s a gobsmacking array of creative, delicious new offerings from which to choose. If you’re lucky, there’s a handcrafted chocolate maker on Main Street in your town who’ll offer a sample before you buy.

Happiness in a box A box of chocolates is a virtually goof-proof holiday gift. Easy to find, not too costly, impressively packaged and wrapped, a chocolate assortment offers something for everyone. (Not wild about nougat? Here, try the maple fudge!) It’s a gift that’s passed the test of time. The humble Whitman’s Sampler celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Top seller: the 12-ounce sampler ($8.99, drug and grocery stores).

Bright Ideas for Holiday Candy • Place bright foil-wrapped candies and chocolates in glass jars of different sizes.

Wrap the jars with holiday ribbons.

• Chocolate lovers can develop a “house special” signature hot cocoa recipe (use Moonstruck’s version, below, as a starter).

Rim the edge of the mug with crushed red and white peppermint candies. Add a peppermint stick as a beverage stirrer.

• Create a unique candy- or chocolateof-the-month club for someone special on your gift list. Spread the gifts over 12 months and deliver a sweet, locally purchased treat to your loved one • Wrap holiday gifts in white craft paper and tie with a simple cord. Attach candy canes, ribbon candy or flat swirled lollipops.

Source: National Confectioners Association

Holiday Hot Chocolate Recipe 1 bar finely chopped chocolate ¾ cup whole milk or cream In a small saucepan heat milk on medium low temperature to about 160 degrees F. Whisk in the chocolate until melted. Remove from heat for 1 minute and whisk continuously. Heat again for 1 minute and whisk continuously.

“We’re just part of people’s traditions,” says Mark Sesler, chief marketing officer for Russell Stover Candies, owner of Whitman’s. “We’re part of the holiday feeling no matter how modern or advanced society has become.”

co-founder of Choclatique, a Los Angeles artisan chocolate maker.

While U.S. consumers have long preferred milk chocolate, our appreciation for dark chocolate is on the rise. “Consumers’ palates are changing and adapting as they learn about and try new, finer varieties,” says Joan Vieweger, president of the Fine Chocolate Industry Association and

A growing interest in the origins of chocolate and the conditions in countries where cacao is grown is shaping our tastes. Consultant Joan Steuer, president of Chocolate Marketing, LLC, describes this phenomenon as “chocolate with a purpose,” and notes that many brands now tout

— Source: Moonstruck Chocolate Co.

their earth-friendly practices and support for local farmers right along with the rich flavor of their product.

shiny, he’s very seasonal,” she says. The seasonal figures “are stocking stuffers, and you can afford to buy one for everyone at your holiday table.”

New this year, the Feed 8 Origins Collection from Godiva ($25 for 8 pieces, Godiva boutiques) caters to this worldly perspective with a globetrotting box of chocolates from around the world: Ecuador Dark, Costa Rica Milk, Uganda Dark and Venezuela Milk. Godiva provides eight school meals for children in these countries for every box sold.

On the luxury end, there are chocolates shaped and flavored for more discerning palates. For the young-at-heart and deep of pocket, Choclatique offers Chic Cupcakes, a box of 15 cupcake-flavored truffles – each tiny morsel shaped and iced to resemble a fanciful pastry ($35 for a 51-piece box). In the fancy-food-on-a-stick department, Godiva’s Holiday Truffle lollipops ($3) are intricately detailed, the wreath with a tiny red ribbon, the snowman with a carrot nose. At Moonstruck Chocolates the whimsical four-piece Mr. and Mrs. Claus or Penguin Truffle Collections ($15) are best sellers.

Why stop at one?

At holiday time, chocolatiers pile it on, amping up the drama (and upping the price) by stacking box on box. A tower of boxed, beribboned chocolates is a generous gift, and the presentation can be thrilling, especially for children.

Choclatique

A box of cupcake-shaped truffles, from Choclatique Choclatique offers a Tower of Delight with more than 110 pieces of chocolate in 12 colorful boxes stacked nearly 2 feet tall ($195, online).

The brightly wrapped and beribboned 3-box holiday tower from Portland-based Moonstruck Chocolate combines a classic assortment, dark chocolate and milk chocolate ($60, specialty retailers and fine grocers).

Even mass-market chocolatiers strive for distinction at holiday time. For the second year, Nestlé is partnering with artist Paul Frank on a limited edition Nestlé Crunch bar. The 2.75-oz. bar, packaged in a gift envelope, boasts a new wide-mouth portrait of Julius the Monkey and Clancy the Giraffe ($1.99, Target).

Fancy that!

Chocolate is easy to mold, shape and decorate, and season by season, chocolate makers vie to deliver the most fanciful designs. The Christmas season marks a pinnacle of their creativity.

Opposite page: Chocolate penguins from Madelaine Chocolate Co.; above: Godiva Holiday Truffle Lollipops

The Madelaine Chocolate Co., which makes high-end chocolates for many private labels, also produces an endless, charming parade of foilwrapped novelty chocolate items designed to delight children at the holidays: Santas, snowmen, Hanukkah coins, angels, bells, bears, Christmas lights, Christmas trees, penguins, stars. The company will sell some 40,000 of the jolly 1-oz chocolate Mr. Santa Claus figures, says Estee Farber, marketing director. Mr. Santa “is adorable, he’s

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2012 Gift Guide * 77

Old-School, New Fun

Forgo the fads this holiday season and seek out toys that have withstood the test of time

“Classic Toys of the National Toy Hall of Fame,” (Running Press, 2009). Etch A Sketch entered the hall of fame in 1998.

Classic toys foster learning and encourage creativity, Eberle says. To make the hall of fame, a toy must attain “icon” status – with wide recognition, respect and longevity – and display innovation.

By Taniesha Robinson CTW Features

S

ixty years ago, when French electrician Andre Cassagnes came up with the idea for a toy that used a joystick, glass and aluminum powder to draw pictures, he probably had no idea it would provide joyous playtime for children decades later. Today, Etch A Sketch is a household name that even made headlines during this year’s political season. How does such a simple toy still have so much popularity?

Toys that stand the test of time “draw you in, challenge you and remind you why you’re amused every time you play with them,” says Scott Eberle, who writes the Play in Mind blog for Psychology Today and co-authored

Toys that are creative or engage the imagination are more likely to become a timeless hit with children, says Phil Wrzesinski, owner of Jackson, Mich.based Toy House & Baby Too toy store.

He says his top sellers are usually interactive and open-ended, providing many ways to play.

“A lot of modern toys, everything is sort of scripted out for the kids and the play patterns are not as random,” says Tim Walsh, author of “Timeless Toys,” (Andrews McMeel, 2005). Walsh invented the board game Blurt and is a fan of toys such as crayons, LEGO and Play-Doh that allow a child to create and build “anything that their mind conceives.

Courtesy of The Strong/National Museum of Play

Adrienne Appell, trend analyst for the Toy Industry Association, cautions holiday shoppers in search of a special toy for a child to avoid “watch-me” toys.

“They’re fun and they’re cute for a little while, but they don’t really captivate the children or hold their interest.” The best toys allow for play that evolves and changes.

Author Scott Eberle makes an exception for wind-up toys such as a jack-inthe-box and cheerful figures that a child can bring to life with a few twists of a key. “As you set them in motion they seem to spur imagination rather than vitiate and degrade it,” he says.

Co u r t e

78 * 2012 Gift Guide

sy of Th

/Natio e Strong

nal Mu

seum of

Play

“One of the tenets of a timeless toy is that kids love to play with it repeatedly,” Walsh says. “They don’t play with it once and say, ‘Oh OK, I’m bored. That’s enough of that.’ They come back to it again and again.”

Repeated-play value is the key fac-

tor for toys to continue entertaining children beyond the holiday season, let alone decades. And to find the right toy for little ones and big kids alike, Wrzesinski encourages gift-givers to seek help from their local toy store. “Your local, independent toy store is going to know these kinds of toys,” Wrzesinski says. “This is what we all do. We talk about not just what’s cute and what’s going to be a good seller but what fits our mission and what’s going to be a great toy.”

Appell encourages gift-givers to pick a toy that resonates with them personally and then share that experience with the child they’re buying it for. “That creates new memories,” she says.

Walsh agrees: “When a toy or game can last 10 or 15 years and you start to see a second generation of people playing it, it starts to have more meaning because there are memories involved.”

In With the Old Continued innovation is one hallmark of classic toys. Check out these new twists on some timeless toys:

Scrabble Flash $30 It’s the old word-building game you love with shuffling speed. Build as many words as you can with the electronic tiles before time runs out.

Barbie I Can Be …

President $14 Barbie is running for president and standing on her own two feet this year – literally. Barbie I Can Be … President doll is the first to stand without support in Barbie’s 53-year history.

Twister Mania for XBOX 360 Kinect $20 Gamers must bend and twist their bodies with lightning speed to match the shapes of silhouetted objects on screen. Yes, the muscle-pulling risk remains an essential part of game play.

LEGO Friends (Price varies) Girls love LEGOs, too – and early this year the company launched its first product line, Friends, tailored to them. Now, some 27 percent of U.S. sales of the construction toy are to girls, up from 9 percent last year, the company says.

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tech gifts

80 * 2012 Gift Guide

A Digital Camera

for the Instagram Generation Timothy R. Schulte CTW Features

W

hat’s great about Instagram is that it takes all the fun elements of the classic Polaroid camera and puts them into a mobile app on your smartphone. Snap a photo, then immediately share it with your friends. Or in the case of the old Polaroid instant camera, snap a photo, then wait for it to emerge from the camera, then shake it to accelerate development of the photo, then share it with your friends.

But what’s great about the new Polaroid Z2300 instant digital camera

($159.99) is that it brings back to a physical camera all the fun photo elements that Instagram cribbed from the original Polaroids.

On the digital side, the Z2300 packs a 10-megapixel image sensor and 3-inch LCD display for framing, capturing and reviewing photos and videos. On the instant side, it features an integrated ZINK printer, which in less than a minute can print out full-color, 2-by-3-inch photos, a modern take on the old-school Polaroid.

The ZINK Paper comes in both 30-sheet ($14.99) and 50-sheet ($24.99) packs.

The Z2300 comes in either white or black and features the iconic Polaroid

rainbow stripe that harkens back to the Polaroid instant cameras of yesteryear.

Just like the one immortalized in the Instagram app icon.

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2012 Gift Guide * 81

The Ultimate Ultrabooks Thin is in! If someone on your list is after a new laptop this season, give them one that is sleek, lightweight and, above all, powerful Greg Scoblete CTW Features

S

Ultra and Ultra-er: The 13- and 11-inch Apple MacBook Airs.

ay what you will about laptops, but no one would ever mistake them for stylish – until now.

Once Apple unveiled the super-slender MacBook

Air in 2008, the tech world has been in a frenzy about “ultrabooks.” The term, coined by Intel, refers to a notebook computer that’s less than 1-inch thick and weighs less than 4 pounds. These incredibly thin notebooks also offer quick start-up times – often less than 10 seconds – and longer battery lives alongside drool-worthy styling.

You will make a few trade-offs if you spring for an ultrabook this holiday season: There are no opticaldisc drives, and external ports like USB and HDMI often are sparse. Plus, all these good looks and computational brains demand a premium price.

Still, if you’re looking for the latest and greatest in portable computing, these ultrabooks won’t disappoint.

Apple MacBook Air Having created the category, Apple continues to innovate with its 2012 MacBook Air 13-inch model.

At its thinnest edge it’s an amazing 0.1 inches thick, reaching a mere 0.68 inches at its thickest point.

The appropriately named Air weighs in at just a shade less than 3 pounds. Despite its delicate looks, the MacBook Air still packs a computational punch thanks to a 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM (upgradeable to 8GB) and Intel’s HD Graphics 4000 engine. There’s a built-in 720p webcam for HD chatting over FaceTime or Skype.

The 2012 MacBook Air 13-inch starts with 128GB of flash storage and is upgradeable up to 512GB worth for those needing more space for their digital life. As far as connectivity goes, you’ll find a pair of USB 3.0 ports, an SD card slot, and a Thunderbolt port – a newer type of connection that’s even faster than USB 3.0. Not many peripherals use Thunderbolt yet – but they will – so you’re futureproof. Battery life clocks in between 5 and 7 hours.

Last, but certainly not least, the new 13-inch Air comes in at a base price of $1,199. The MacBook Air also is available in an 11-inch model, which bases with a 1.7GHz processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of flash storage for $999.

Samsung Series 9 Samsung is Apple’s arch rival in just about everything, and a slim notebook is no exception. With the Series 9, the company comes to the fight with a 13.3inch LED display, Intel’s 1.7GHz Core i5 processor, a 128GB solid state drive and 4GB of RAM standard (upgradeable to 8GB). Graphics are powered by Intel’s HD Graphics 3000 engine, and you’ll find a 1.2-megapixel HD webcam plus a pair of built-in, 3-watt speakers for cranking out the tunes. Unlike the MacBook Air, there’s no Thunderbolt port, but there are a pair of USB 2.0 ports and an HDMI output, which the Air doesn’t have.

82 * 2012 Gift Guide

Powerful Peripheral

These super-mobile accessories are just the thing to make the most of a new ultrabook

Sony Viao T13

Western Digital My Passport Most ultrabooks are pretty light on the storage side. If you need to add memory for those HD movies and digital music collections, Western Digital’s My Passport portable drives are a good choice. They’re sleek and stylish – just like an ultrabook – and come in capacities of 500GB ($129) up to 2TB ($250). My Passport uses USB 3.0 for quick file transfers and comes with automatic backup software and encryption for keeping digital files safe.

Linksys Smart Wi-Fi EA6500 The Linksys Smart Wi-Fi EA6500 ($219.99) wireless Internet router uses the latest version of Wi-Fi technology (802.11ac, for those keeping score at home) so there’s plenty of bandwidth for streaming HD movies to a Smart TV or media player, Web surfing, music downloading and gaming. No need to update other devices, though – it’s backward-compatible with all networked gear. This router has two USB ports for adding network storage plus four ethernet ports for super-fast hardwired routing.

Samsung Series 9 The Series 9 Ultrabook measures in at 12.9-by8.9-by-0.64 inches, and it weighs in just less than 3 pounds thanks to its “duralumin” body – a lightweight substance that’s twice as strong as aluminum yet lightweight. Expect to pay around $1,300 for the basic configuration.

a 32GB SSD for faster boot-ups. The 13.3-inch LED

Sony Vaio T13

of USB ports (one 3.0, one 2.0), an SD card slot,

If you’re shopping on the budget end of the spectrum, Sony’s Vaio T13 is worth a look. This $765 ultrabook features an Intel Core i5 processor (1.7GHz) with 4GB of RAM and Intel’s HD Graphics 4000 engine. Somewhat unique among ultrabooks, it pairs a 320GB hard disk drive for ample file storage with

HDMI and VGA outputs plus an Ethernet port,

display offers a resolution of 1366x768, and the Vaio T13 includes a 1.3-megapixel Web camera, high-def audio and a battery that Sony claims can last for about seven hours of typical use.

While there’s no Thunderbolt, you will get a pair

should they wish to hardwire to the Internet. It measures in at 12.7-by-8.9-by-0.71 inches, and with a weight of 3.5 pounds it’s a tad heavier than either Samsung’s or Apple’s ultrabooks, but that’s the price you pay for having a hard disk drive on hand.

Dream a journey of enchantment and charm with PANDORA’s new collection!

Epson Home XP-400 Despite the prevalence of wireless and cloud technology, printing and scanning remain a necessary evil. Epson’s Home XP400 ($99.99) packs a printer and scanner in one, and it’s compatible with Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud, so you can wirelessly print from mobile devices like ultrabooks, tablets and smartphones. It features a 2.5-inch display, memory card slots and uses four individual ink cartridges. You can expect print speeds at around 8.7 pages per minute for black or 4.5 pages per minute in color.

— CTW Features

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Ladies Shop 2012 Gift Guide * 83

U Game?

Say hello to the new Nintendo Wii U

By Taniesha Robinson CTW Features

N

intendo is back to change the gaming experience with its latest console, the Wii U, just in time for the holidays, for $299.99. The company lured gamers off the couch with the release of the Wii in 2006, spearheading the motion-gaming segment that now includes Kinect for Xbox 360 and PlayStation Move. Nintendo now is pushing the envelope with Wii U’s cooperative gameplay and integration into home-entertainment systems.

“It changes your gaming,” Nintendo of America President Reginald Fils-Aime said during the company’s All-Access E3 2012 presentation.

“It changes how you interact with your gaming friends, and it changes the way you enjoy your TV.” Here’s how.

Console Features Wii U marks the first time that a tablet has been integrated into a video game console. The system’s primary controller is the Wii U GamePad, which features 6.2-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio LCD touchscreen, traditional button controls and two analog sticks. Gamers use their fingertips or the included stylus for control on the tablet. Up to two GamePads can be used at the same time during gameplay.

“I know there are people out there who have iPads and are like, ‘What’s the big deal?’” says Shane Satterfield, editor-in-chief of GameTrailers. com. “Well, the big deal is that you’re playing tablet games that have been produced by huge teams who have worked on the game for two years instead of the iPad games that generally are real simple, easy to pick up and are more timewasters.”

Game developers have many new features to work with on the Wii U platform. The GamePad’s personal screen integration with your TV enables double-screen gaming experiences. The tablet’s motion control includes the popular Nintendo rumble features, powered by an accelerometer and gyroscope. Thanks to an added geomagnetic sensor, gamers can see their virtual worlds in unprecedented 360-degree panoramic views. Plus,

The GamePad also functions as a universal remote for your home theater.

84 * 2012 Gift Guide

through near field communication, the GamePad can communicate wirelessly with objects held above it. This will allow users to program objects into games by setting a real object atop the GamePad screen, among other possibilities for interactive gameplay.

The Wii U GamePad feature that will help cement the console’s place in living rooms across the world is the TV Control button. This feature turns the GamePad into a universal remote for home entertainment systems.

When someone wants to watch TV while the Wii U is in use, gamers can keep playing on the tablet. And they won’t have to stay on the couch; the system will stream the game to the tablet.

“Basically you can count on being able to go into other rooms and continue playing games without being tethered to the television,” Satterfield says.

Still, for all the cool new features of the GamePad, there are people who only want an elevated, traditional gameplay experience. Nintendo was sure to accommodate them with the Wii U Pro Controller. Gaming bloggers have taken notice of its similarities to the Xbox 360 controller. Hardcore gamers are sure to find the controls familiar.

Those who already own a Wii console will be happy to know that nearly all of their current Wii software and accessories will be compatible with the Wii U. Up to four Wii Remote (or Wii Remote Plus) or Wii U Pro controllers can be

The Wii U’s GamePad adds another gaming dimension with a second screen

used at once during gameplay. Favorites such as the Nunchuk and Wii Balance Board also are compatible.

Cooperative Gameplay So how does Wii U handle four controllers and two GamePads in use at once? The answer lies in the different roles assigned to controller and GamePad users during gameplay. In “New Super Mario Bros. U,” GamePad users can help or hinder their friends.

“Basically, what they can do is they can use the touch pad to create platforms in the environment.” Satterfield says. “Now, those platforms can either help Mario get to some place really high, or you can kind of be a jerk and wait until they jump and put a platform above his head and make him fall into a pit.

“It’s pretty innovative the way they’re finding ways to make people almost reflect their personality in how they play games,” Satterfield adds.

Opportunities to show personality surface in other Wii U titles like “ZombiU.” During gameplay, a GamePad user can select which zombies will attack the other players. Gamers will feel the tension when tasks that take place exclusively on the tablet arise (checking inventory, cracking door codes, etc.) while the game continues on their TV screen. That’s just a taste of the immersion experiences Wii U offers.

“When we start looking at the fact that this is the first wave of games for the Wii U, and we’re talking about what these developers are going to come up with over the next five years of the con-

Everyone can play together in cooperative gameplay mode.

sole’s life cycle, it’s a pretty exciting proposition,” Satterfield says.

Social Gaming The GamePad controller is equipped with an Internet browser, but Wii U has another new network communication feature that’s stirring interest: Miiverse, a real-time social window that opens up right as you’re playing, according to FilsAime, the Nintendo of America president.

Gamers can brag about high scores through text messages and share experiences through drawings or in-play screen images. Also, because the Gamepad has a built-in microphone and camera, Miiverse members can engage in voice and video chats.

It’s the two-dimensional Mario world you’ve always loved with multiplayer interaction you’ve never experienced before.

ZombiU Grab hold of your weapons and survival kits and test your will to survive London’s zombie apocalypse.

SiNG Debut your karaoke talent with this new musical performance game and have your friends back you up. The game prompts everyone to clap, dance and sing along.

Perhaps the Wii U may woo the hardcore gamers yet.

“Again this is the first wave of games and it’s already doing some pretty cool stuff,” Satterfield says. “I imagine in a few years, we’re going to see some really mind-blowing things.”

Invitation to INNOVATIONS

In general, hardcore gamers have been apprehensive about Wii U. When the original Wii was released, many fans felt that Nintendo executives had concentrated their efforts on attracting soccer moms and casual gamers. “To me personally,

Hot Wii U Titles for the Holidays New Super Mario Bros. U

I feel like they’ve done a pretty good job at hitting that middle ground and making sure there are games available at launch for both sides,” Satterfield says.

Assassin’s Creed 3 Unleash lethal force on your enemies as a young, Native American assassin who ignites the fire behind the American Revolution.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, will you be sparkling at the Christmas Ball?

379-2208 www.getinnovations.com

Nintendo Land Up to five players can explore 12 attractions in this virtual theme park of Nintendo franchises.

Batman Arkham City Armored Edition Deliver justice to Gotham City with your new, wrist-mounted Batcomputer: The Wii U Gamepad.

Pikmin 3 It’s been eight years since the last “Pikmin” title’s release, and the reimagined world of strange creatures, treasures and enemies may be worth the wait.

– CTW Features

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2012 Gift Guide * 85

iPods: The Next Iteration The iPod touch and iPod nano get funky refreshes – just in time for the holidays iPod Touch The hard critique against the iPod touch was that it was just an iPhone without the phone.

That stops now.

The new touch is thinner and lighter than ever, at less than a quarter-inch thick and just 3.1

ounces. Part of that is thanks to an anodized-aluminum body, the same material used in Apple’s MacBook line.

But just like its cellular-based kin, the touch also received an upgrade to a 4-inch Retina Display, giving more widescreen space to game, browse, watch movies and swipe through your music library.

The new touch, available in 32GB ($299) and 64GB ($399) models, also unveils a new line of colors – black, silver, pink, yellow, blue and a (Product) Red model.

iPod Nano Where the iPod touch kept its kinda-like-theiPhone appearance, the iPod nano underwent the most radical – and fun – transformation.

The nano now is about the size of a credit card – about 3-by-1.5 inches – and is just 0.21 inches thick. The new format allows it to expand the touchscreen introduced on the last nano model.

The screen now offers six icons for music, videos, fitness (with Nike+ integration), podcasts, photos and radio (FM only).

Now available only in a 16GB ($149) model, the nano comes in the same colors as the touch, in addition to green and purple.

— CTW Features

iPod Nano

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iPod Touch

HD Heroes

Bring Home a Big-Screen Hero Lindsey Romain CTW Features

S

uperheroes, bigger and more vivid than life, are here to stay. Just ask Joss Whedon, whose film, “The Avengers,” became the third-highestgrossing movie of all time this year, with a worldwide gross of over $1 billion. Add in Marc Webb’s “The Amazing SpiderMan” and Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises,” and 2012 marks the year superheroes officially transitioned from nerdy pastime to bona fide pop culture royalty.

The Avengers (Walt Disney Home Entertainment) Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo, $39.99

Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology 1989-1997 (Warner Home Video), $49.95

Spider-Man: The High Definition Trilogy (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), $92.95

Blade Collection (Alliance), $64.98

The Dark Knight (Warner Home Video), $12.96 X-Men Trilogy (Fox Home Entertainment), $59.99

Superman: The Movie (Warner Home Video), $19.98 The Incredibles (Buena Vista Home Entertainment) Four-Disc Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy, $45.99 Iron Man (Paramount), $29.99

Watchmen (Warner Home Video), $7.99

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Tablet Time These 4 hot handhelds are the must-have device for the reader/browser/gamer on your list

By Timothy R. Schulte CTW Features

Shoot, edit and share photos on the fly with the new iPad

Microsoft Surface The Microsoft Surface (Price TBD) is perhaps the coolest new tablet of 2012 – and a big part of that doesn’t even have to do with the tablet itself.

The Surface comes with a 3mm cover that magnetically “clicks” into place along the edge of the device, similar to the iPad Smart Cover for all intents and purposes. But when you open the cover, you’ll find a full keyboard, including trackpad, integrated on the inside. No need to lug around a bulky Bluetooth keyboard.

The cover actually comes in two varieties: the Touch Cover and the Type Cover (Prices TBD).

The 3mm Touch Cover is capacitive, responding to the force you put on a button, so it won’t start inputting a letter just because your fingertip is resting on a key. The 5mm Type Cover features movable keys for the feel of a traditional keyboard. The combination of a cover keyboard and built-in kickstand gives the ease and comfort of typing on a laptop with the portability of a tablet.

Both covers are available in five colors.

The Surface RT (a Pro model will be released later) features a 10.6-inch, 16:9 widescreen ClearType HD display, making it great for viewing downloadable movies from the Windows Store or streaming from apps like Netflix.

Light and thin, the Surface weighs in at just less than 1.5 pounds (676 grams/1.49 pounds) and is only 9.3mm thick – specs that more or less match up with the iPad. Like the iPad, it has front and rear cameras for capturing photos and videoconferencing.

It packs a USB 2.0 port for hooking up a printer or external drive, and it also includes a MicroSD slot for accessing your media collection.

The Surface, available in 32GB or 64GB models, comes loaded with the new Windows 8 software. Users can create and share documents with Office, and Windows 8 apps like Mail, Messaging and People feature cloud connectivity to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Music, movies, game and apps are downloadable via the Windows Store app, and users can browse the Web via the new Internet Explorer 10. The Surface’s, er, surface also is interesting. It features casing made of a VaporMg (pronounced Vapor Mag), a magnesium-based material that offers molding that is thin, lightweight and strong.

Apple iPad For this year’s iteration of its market-leading tablet, Apple abandoned a numbering system and called the new iPad, originally, the new iPad. And there is a ton that is new.

The new iPad’s biggest improvement over the iPad 2 is the introduction of a Retina Display.

The pixel-dense, 2048x1536 display packs 264 pixels per inch. The result is a higher-definition picture in a 9.7-inch screen than you’ll get from the 50-inch HDTV in your living room. The iPad’s dual-core A5X chip features quad-core graphics processing, so it’s capable of powering those 3.1 million pixels in its display while still keeping an all-daylong, 10-hour battery life.

The rear-facing iSight camera takes 5MP stills and records 1080p video (if you don’t mind holding up a nearly 10-inch device to take pictures or video). The front-facing FaceTime camera is available for video chatting and VGA-quality photos.

Newsstand, a new iPad “folder” and digital

The Latest, Greatest Kindle

A

pps and games and Web browsing are nice, but there still is something to be said for a plain-old e-reader. Especially when it’s neither plain nor old.

the display also boasts a contrast increase of 25 percent. It’s thinner, too, at just 0.36 inches (about the same width as an iPad), and weighs just 7.5 ounces.

Amazon’s new Kindle Paperwhite (starting at $119) is the most advanced e-reader to date.

The Paperwhite, like other Kindles, features unlimited free Amazon cloud storage, but it also holds 1,100 titles on its 2GB onboard memory.

The first thing you’ll notice is that the screen background actually is white, not gray. The Paperwhite features a 6-inch screen with 212 pixels per inch – a 62-percent pixel increase, and

88 * 2012 Gift Guide

Best of all is an eight-week battery life, which asks: How many books can you read before you need to charge again?

— CTW Features

store, offers an all-in-one place for your newspaper and magazine subscriptions. And, of course, an ever-growing number of apps – currently more than 225,000 iPad-specific apps – are available from the App Store.

Available in black or white, the new iPad is the first version to feature 4G LTE cellular connectivity (data plan required).

Price starts at $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model, with 32GB ($599) and 64GB ($699) models also available. For Wi-Fi + Cellular models, tack on an additional $130, plus a data plan.

Google Nexus 7 Those looking for a tablet that’s a bit easier to grasp – both in terms of size and price – might look toward the new Google Nexus 7 tablet. As the name implies, the Nexus 7 is a slim, light, ultraportable tablet with a 7-inch, high-resolution (1280x800) display. The Nexus 7’s display also

features scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass, and there is a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera for video conferencing.

Manufactured by Asus, the Nexus 7 has a powerful NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, with a 12-core graphics processing for an immersive experience on the more than 600,000 apps and games available via the Google Play store. A 4325 mAh battery delivers a whopping 9 hours of high-def video playback or 10 hours of browsing or e-book reading.

The Nexus 7 comes loaded with the latest version on Android software, 4.1 Jelly Bean, and is available in 8GB ($199) and 16GB ($249) models.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD With all the talk of pixels and Retina Displays, Amazon made sure its latest Kindle Fire tablet/ereader was no exception. The new Kindle Fire HD features a 7-inch, 1200x800 high-def display, just like the Nexus 7. Unlike other tablets, though, the Fire HD features a single layer of glass, with the touch sensor and LCD display laminated together, which reduces screen glare, even in overhead light.

Designed for HD movies and games, the Kindle Fire HD features a 1.2Ghz dual-core processor with an Imagination PowerVR 3D graphics core, for smooth, responsive gaming.

The Kindle Fire HD comes in both 16GB ($199) and 32GB ($249) models, and – in one of the biggest features for any Kindle device – offers free unlimited cloud storage for all your Amazon content, which includes more than 1.2 million books and 400+ magazines from the Kindle Store. And with 11 hours of battery life, the Kindle Fire HD might spend more waking hours working than most people!

The Kindle Fire tablet/e-reader ... now in HD.

A scratchresistant screen and 12-core graphics make the Nexus 7 a top choice for gamers

For those looking for a bit larger device, Amazon also introduced an 8.9-inch model ($299

for 16GB, $369 for 32GB). The new Kindle Fires HD also boast the first dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi on a tablet, for better wireless connectivity and more than 40-percent faster download speeds. For those interested in on-the-go connectivity, the 8.9-inch Fire HD also is available in a 4GLTE model (separate AT&T data required), It comes in 32 GB ($499) and 64GB ($599) models.

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Rugged and Ready to Shoot The Best Cameras for Dry Land

3 digicams that can outpace your phone in the specs department – if roughing it is not your thing Sony NEX-F3 The NEX-F3 ($599.99, including a 18-55mm zoom lens) offers you the flexibility of interchangeable lenses without the size and bulk of a traditional d-SLR. The 16-megapixel F3 can record high-def video and features 3-inch display that can be tilted 180 degrees for framing shots at difficult angles. Sony pushed the limits on the battery, too: The NEX-F3 is capable of a whopping 470 shots before needing a recharge.

Canon PowerShot Elph 320 HS Thin and wide are not attributes normally associated together, but Canon’s PowerShot Elph 320 HS ($249) manages just that. It’s thin – measuring in at 0.82 inches thick – and it packs a 24mm wideangle lens, allowing you to swallow up more of the scene in front of you. It offers built-in Wi-Fi for wirelessly sharing images far and wide. The 16-megapixel Elph delivers a 5x optical zoom, 3.2-inch touchscreen display and HD video recording. It’s available in your choice of silver, red, blue or black.

In an Instagram world, the smartphone has become the primary camera for any amateur photog. But on the bike, in the water or up in the air, it’s time to forget the filters and grab a camera that’s tough enough to take on an adventure

By Greg Scoblete CTW Features

F

or many of us, smartphones are our go-to camera, but there are still places they just can’t go.

Underwater, for one, or buried under a pile of sand. Fortunately, you don’t have to risk your precious iPhone or Android the next time you hit the beach or hiking trail. Take along one of these rugged companions instead. They’ll not only survive whatever it is you can throw at them, they’ll snap better pics and videos than your phone ever could.

Fujifilm FinePix XP50 If you’re not interested in plumbing the deepest depths, the Fujifilm FinePix XP50 ($179.95) will get you under 5 meters’ worth of ocean waves and is shockand dustproof to boot. The camera can

survive falls up to 5 feet, and it also is freezeproof, capable of enduring temperatures as low as 14 degrees F. Simply put – the camera will probably survive longer than you will.

The XP50’s 2.7-inch display has an anti-reflective-glare coating for easier viewing in bright light and a rubberized grip to help you maintain your hold, even if you’re wearing gloves. Beneath its brawny exterior you’ll find a 14-megapixel CMOS image sensor for HD movie recording at 1080p and a 5x optical, 28mm wide-angle zoom lens with image stabilization. A Motion Panorama 360 mode lets you sweep across a scene while the camera automatically stitches together multiple images into a single panoramic image. Additional scene modes, such as underwater, night, sunset and snow, will optimize your image based on the shooting environment. You can fire off bursts of up to 12 images at 10fps.

Finally, no outdoor camera would be complete without an eye toward style, and the SP50 doesn’t disappoint with a selection of five bold hues: orange, green, blue, silver and black.

GoPro Hero HD 2 No other camera is so single-handedly responsible for populating YouTube with amazing first-person shots of the hairiest BASE jumps and death-defying

Panasonic SZ7K If you need a bit more optical punch on a budget, the Panasonic SZ7K ($199) packs a 10x optical zoom, 25mm wideangle lens in a compact camera body.

Panasonics’s on-hand, optical-image stabilization keeps your photos blur-free.

It records HD video in both the AVCHD and MPEG-4 formats, so you can switch between the higher-quality video of the former or the memory-saving, computerfriendlier movies of the latter. Rounding out the SZ7K’s feature set is a 14-megapixel image sensor and a 3-inch display.

— CTW Features Fujifilm FinePix XP50

90 * 2012 Gift Guide

outdoor stunts than GoPro’s Hero line.

Outside of a nuclear apocalypse, there’s not much that can dent the Hero’s enthusiasm. The HD Hero 2 ($299.99) is

still photo every 0.5 seconds. There are a variety of video frame rates available for capturing smooth motion.

dive housing ($49.99) for improved un-

The HD Hero 2 is sold in three kits with varying accessories and mounts based on need: There’s an outdoor edition, plus motor sports and surf kits. All carry the same price tag, but the activity for each edition may result in different hospital bills.

derwater clarity. Dirt, dust, mud — none

Nikon Coolpix S30

an 11-megapixel still camera that’s capable of recording 1080p high-def video.

It comes with waterproof housing that can survive up to a depth of 197 feet underwater; you can spring for an optional

of it will harm the Hero.

The glass lens offers a wide-angle field of view (170 degrees) and is very bright with an aperture of f/2.8. You won’t find an optical zoom on this camera, though, since the Hero is designed to be used mostly hands-free. You can shoot stills at 10 frames per second, or use the time-lapse operation to fire off a

The 10-megapixel sensor can record HD movies at 720p resolution at 30fps.

The S30 packs a 3x optical zoom, 29mm wide-angle lens with electronic image stabilization and a 2.7-inch LCD. You can focus on objects up as near as 2 inches away for those interested in mac-

ro photography. You’ll also have the option to create slideshows with animated effects or make albums with clip-art style effects that can be added to images in the camera.

You’ll have a choice of silver, blue and bright pink body colors.

Nikon’s Coolpix S30 ($119.95) is capable of plunging up to 10 feet underwater with a sturdy body that resists dirt and dust. Clumsy? The S30 can survive falls up to 2.6 feet high. It’s been designed with glove-wearers in mind with large buttons and a simplified interface that make it easy to access the menus or camera settings quickly.

Nikon Coolpix S30

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Big-Time Gaming The new Nintendo 3DS XL delivers even more multidimensional entertainment

Nintendo upped the ante with last year’s 3DS, which added glasses-free 3D technology to the handheld device. The only thing left to do was go bigger, which it did with the new 3DS XL ($199.99).

Timothy R. Schulte CTW Features

I

t’s hard to imagine the Nintendo DS going any bigger. The line of DS handheld gaming devices, you may be

surprised to find out, is the company’s alltime best-selling hardware line, with sales of more than 152 million units, which outpaces Nintendo’s other iconic handheld, the Gameboy, by more than 30 million units. To put that into perspective, the Wii, Nintendo’s top-selling console, has yet to eclipse 100 million units.

Determined to make its best better,

The 3DS XL, available in red or blue, features 90 percent larger screens than the 3DS. The upper screen on the XL measures nearly 5 inches diagonally, and the lower screen is more than 4 inches (diagonal), each more than an inch larger than the respective screen on the original DS. Nintendo claims the XL features improved battery life over the DS, and it comes with a bundled 4GB SD card for storing downloadable games and videos.

The larger screen size also gives users more space to enjoy entertainment apps, such as Netflix.

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¡Viva Vita!

The must-have portable gaming device for the PlayStationphile on your list Timothy R. Schulte CTW Features

C

hocolate or vanilla? Coke or Pepsi? Mac or PC? One of the many things our nation of Democrats and Republicans does better than anyone else is drawing a line in the sand and, firmly and proudly, picking a side upon which to stand.

The video-game realm is no exception.

If the PlayStation purist on your list would never be caught dead with a

Nintendo 3DS, be thankful for the PS Vita ($299.99).

desired device in 2012. The Vita packs dual analog sticks, a multitouch OLED

eras, and the Vita also features Wi-Fi

Sony’s portable player just missed last year’s holiday rush (it was released in February), but it’s sure to be a much-

display, a six-axis gyroscope and even a

and 3G connectivity, for accessing the

multitouch rear pad, for an immersive,

PlayStation network wherever the gam-

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2012 Gift Guide * 93

Cord Cutters

Tired of switching cable providers for the latest deal? Say goodbye for good by plugging in one of these smart media devices and streaming all the content you want, when you want

By Timothy R. Schulte CTW Features

H

ow many $50 bills would it take to pay your cable each month? Certainly one won’t cut it. Would two? Hopefully you wouldn’t need more than three … right?

If your or someone on your list’s cable bill provokes a monthly migraine, consider putting a month or two’s bill payments toward a streaming-media player.

All you’ll need is your Internet connection, HDMI cable and subscription to your favorite content services. Here’s a look.

Apple TV ing content – at the same time. The GoogleTV features a built-in Chrome

Sony Internet Player with Google TV

browser, so users can either search on

Sony’s Internet Player with GoogleTV ($199.99) looks to deliver the best of the Web and the latest stream-

board on the dual-side remote, or even

the big screen using the QWERTY keypicture-in-picture their Web browsing with TV – say, watching an NFL game

while tracking their fantasy-football team online.

The Google TV offers services like Netflix, Pandora, HBOGo and Crackle, and Google’s proprietary TV & Movies for Google TV app lets you easily find what’s on – live, on-demand or on the

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Apple TV

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For the Apple aficionado, the Apple TV ($99) is the way to go, as it can work in tandem with a Mac, iPad, iPhone or iPod touch.

The 4-by-4-inch, half-pound device lets users instantly stream video (up to 1080p) from any number of services like Netflix, HuluPlus, MLB.TV, NBA.com and NHL GameCenter (subscriptions

Roku 2 XD

required).

The Apple TV also can stream to a TV all sorts of media, including iTunes content, via the AirPlay icon on apps like Photos, Videos, Music and Safari.

If in need of a larger display, Apple TV

if the included Apple Remote gets lost.

from the likes of Netflix, HuluPlus,

can mirror other Apple devices and even

Roku 2 XD

Amazon, Crackle and HBOGo, and

serve as a double screen for gaming, with

In terms of overall simplicity and the number of offerings, it’s hard to beat a Roku box. The tiny Roku 2 XD ($79.99) offers movies and TV shows

an iOS device serving as a controller.

IOS devices also can serve as an Apple TV remote control via the Remote app,

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Nothing Phony About Them The iPhone 5 – and 4 more hot phones for the holidays

By Timothy R. Schulte CTW Features iPhone 5 Every year, people anxiously await Apple’s new iPhone announcement. The big news this year was that the iPhone itself was bigger. Well, sort of.

A 4-inch Retina Display screen means the iPhone 5 is taller than its 3.5-inch-screen predecessors (you’ll now notice five rows of app icons), but the new iPhone also is 20 percent thinner and 18 percent lighter than last year’s 4S – just 0.30 inches and 3.95 ounces.

iPhone 5

The iPhone 5 also is the first iPhone to feature high-speed 4G LTE connectivity, and its battery promises up to eight hours of LTE browsing or talk time and up to 10 hours of video playback.

The iPhone 5 has a two-tone design, available in black and slate or white and silver. Even the headphones got a style tweak. New earpods, designed to comfortably fit and stay in any user’s ear, replace Apple’s iconic – and much-maligned – earbuds.

The iPhone 5 also is the first device to feature connectivity via Lightning, which Apple is using to replace its 30-pin connector. So, anticipate a slew of new accessories to help the iPhone work in conjunction with older Apple devices.

The S Pen for the Galaxy Note II lets you scribble an email – literally.

Available on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon Wireless.

16GB – $199 32GB – $299 64GB – $399

Nokia Lumia 920 Charging this flagship Windows 8 phone is as simple as setting it down. The Lumia has built-in wireless charging, so if ever your battery is low you can just set it atop a charging plate, place it on a charging stand if you need to multitask, or even on top of a JBL PowerUp Wireless Charging Speaker, which can play music directly from the phone via NFC while it charges the 2000 mAh battery.

The Lumia is a photo lover’s phone. The 8MP rear camera features Nokia’s PureView technology and a Carl Leiss lens that is able to take in five times more light than similar smartphones without using flash, which allows it to capture clearer photos and videos. It also features Nokia City Lens – point the camera at a street, and the City Lens overlays info about restaurants, hotels and other businesses in the area.

The rest of the specs read like a smartphone wish list: 4G LTE, 1.5Ghz dual-core processor, 1 GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. Available in yellow, red, gray, white and black.

Available on AT&T – Price TBD.

Samsung Galaxy Note II Nicknamed a “phablet” for bridging the phone/tablet divide, the Galaxy Note II is a whopping 5.5-inch “smartphone” with a 1280x720 HD Super AMOLED display. The other big thing about the Galaxy Note II is the S Pen stylus for making the most of the screen surface area. The S Pen allows users to take notes,

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96 * 2012 Gift Guide

A wireless charging plate for the Lumia 920.

for sharing information and making purchases with apps like Google Wallet.

Available on Verizon Wireless – Price TBD.

Samsung Galaxy S III The S in Galaxy S III might as well stand for sharing, which this phone does very well, thanks to its AllShare Play software near-field communication chip. The coolest thing might be its S Beam feature, where two Galaxy S III owners simply just need to place their devices back to back and photos, videos and documents instantly are transferred between the two. Its Buddy Photo Share feature recognizes faces, so photos instantly can be shared with the friends in the photo, or you can group-share photos with Share Shot. The AllShare Play software also makes it easy to send photos and videos to TVs, PCs and tablets. All this capability is designed to make the most of the 8MP/1080p rear camera. The 1.9MP front camera also is capable of recording 720p video.

Nokia Lumia 920 schedule events and email all via handwriting integration. Then S Pen also can be used for quick commands, photo clipping and simply doodling via apps like Paper Artist from the Google Play Store (the Galaxy Note II runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean). The 4G LTE, NFC-enabled phone features Samsung’s AllShare Play software and S Beam for easy sharing of photos and videos. A phone this size obviously goes large everywhere else: 1.6Ghz dual-core processor and 2GB RAM with a 3100mAh battery. It comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models and has up to 64GB of additional memory accessible via a microSD slot.

The Galaxy S III, a 4G LTE phone, boasts some powerful specs, too: 1.5Ghz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and the internal memory (16GB or 32GB) can be expanded to 64GB via the microSD slot. Available in pebble blue or marble white.

Samsung Galaxy S III

Available on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular.

16GB – $199.99 32GB – $244.99

Available on AT&T – Price TBD.

Droid Razr Maxx HD The Droid Razr Maxx HD’s identity is that it packs battery life more befitting a tablet into the body of a smartphone. It’s 3300mAh battery delivers up to 32 hours of performance. Watch up to 13 hours of HD videos. Or drive from N.Y.C. to D.C. ... and back ... with 8 hours of voice-guided GPS directions. If you or someone you know is a power smartphone user always needing a charge, this is the phone to get.

The 4G LTE Razr Maxx HD also features a sharp 4.7-inch HD display that is extra tough thanks to scratch- and scrape-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass. The backside also is protected with a Kevlar fiber rear cover. It’s NFC-enabled, too,

Droid Razr Maxx HD

2012 Gift Guide * 97

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Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

May your Christmas be filled with love, laughter, family & friends.

Wishing you happiness and prosperity in the new year!

Bryan Bennett and the entire staff at Country Chevrolet-Buick would like to wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Averie Graham Blainey Bennett

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We will be closed December 23rd, 24th & 25th so our employees can spend time with their families during the holiday.

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