Saturday, November 11, 2023
4 creature comforts to offer holiday guests (MS) - Overnight guests can make the holiday season feel that much more special. Spending extra time with loved ones is part and parcel of the holiday season for millions of individuals, and hosting overnight guests ensures hosts get quality time with friends and family members they may not see much of throughout the rest of the year. Holiday hosts may want to go the extra mile for their overnight guests who traveled long distances to see them. With that in mind, hosts can provide these four creature comforts to make overnight guests feel right at home during their stay. 1. Charging dock: Just about anyone who has traveled over the last two decades has forgotten to pack a phone charger or left one behind at one point or another. A charging dock on each guest room nightstand can ensure no such fate awaits hosts’ friends and family members. 2. Fresh bedding: It’s customary to wash sheets after overnight guests leave so the next time loved ones are welcomed into a home the bedding is clean. But if it’s been awhile since you’ve hosted an overnight guest, wash the
gotten their own items don’t feel like they have to impose and ask for a ride to the store to purchase new items. If kids are coming, be sure to purchase some spare kids’ size toothbrushes. 4. Privacy: Privacy is perhaps the most significant creature comfort to offer overnight holiday guests. In homes with small children, hosts can check guest room door locks to ensure they still work and install replacements if they don’t. In addition, in homes where this is possible, designate one bathroom as “guests only” during their stay. Privacy also can extend to where guests spend their nights. If possible, pick a room away from the hustle and bustle of the house so guests can get some quiet time and bedding, including sheets, pillowcases, covers, rest during their stay. If that’s not possible, and, if necessary, comforters or duvets, prior hosts can make sure the holiday festivities quiet to guests’ arrival. The scent of freshly washed down at a certain hour each night so overnight bedding can set a welcoming tone that guests guests can rest if they so desire. will appreciate. Holiday hosts can take their offer of hospitality 3. Toiletries: Stock up on extra toothbrushes to the next level by offering their overnight and travel-sized accessories like mouthwash and guests some creature comforts that can make their stay that much more enjoyable. hand sanitizer so guests who might have for-
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Sauk Valley Media/ shawlocal.com/sauk-valley • November 2023
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Holiday cooking for a crowd made easy
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Plan make-ahead dishes Simplifying holiday cooking comes down to spending less time in the kitchen on the day of the festivities. Make-ahead dishes that can be reheated or set in chafing dishes for buffet meals are preferable. There’s lots of dishes to choose from, including casseroles, stews, soups, and baked pasta dishes. Avoid fresh pasta offerings, like spaghetti and meatballs, for example. Leftover noodles will get mushy and will not reheat very well. Ham is a good choice Ham is a forgiving dish that is quite popular for holiday gatherings. Many hams come pre-cooked and pre-sliced, so producing a flavorful main course may be just a matter of dressing it up with seasonings or even using the glaze that often comes with such products.
dishes that you have made before reduces the chances for error. Recipes that can be whipped up by rote will make holiday cooking tasks easier and quicker.
Cater a meal There’s certainly pride that comes with offering guests a table full of home-cooked foods. But the expense, effort and time that goes into Cooking for a holiday crowd doesn’t have to be difficult, especially creating a masterful menu can be taxing. If a lot of people are coming when hosts employ a few strategies to simplify meal creation. for the holidays, hosts can find out which area businesses offer holiday catering packages and consider them. This frees up more time for mingling with guests. And food establishments often have experience We’re wishing everyone a safe and healthy knowing just how much food to have per person, reducing waste and helping hosts avoid having a refrigerator full of leftovers they may or may not eat.
Holiday Season
Delegate some tasks It’s alright to ask guests to bring something to the holiday dinner. In fact, they may be eager to pitch in. If someone brings a salad, another an appetizer and others some desserts, then it is just up to the host to provide the main course and maybe a side or two. This removes a lot of the pressure. Select familiar foods Hosts may be tempted to try all of the delicious recipes featured in magazines or online around the holidays. However, sticking with familiar
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Sauk Valley Media/ shawlocal.com/sauk-valley • November 2023
(MS) - A number of things can be expected during the holiday season. Children will anxiously await visits from Santa and travelers recognize there is bound to be traffic on the roadways and crowds at the airport. And if you’re opening your home to guests, those visitors will be expecting some delicious food. Meals are a big component of holiday entertaining, so much so that holiday hosts may spend weeks pondering what to serve guests. These guidelines can help simplify cooking for a crowd.
Snap a great Christmas card photo
Sauk Valley Media/ shawlocal.com/sauk-valley • November 2023
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
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(MS) - Greeting cards are among the first signs that the holiday season has arrived. Mailboxes are filled with cards and email inboxes have new messages popping up each day wishing others well. Many of these greetings feature family photos. A Shutterfly poll conducted by Ipsos in 2021 discovered that, while traditional holiday messages are by far the most popular missives at 63 percent, younger age groups show more interest in other types of cards, such as photo cards (between 34 and 38 percent depending on age group). Forty-one percent of people polled prefer to receive photo cards. That means holiday well-wishers may want to brush up on their photography skills. • Keep cards in the back of your mind. While the Norman Rockwell-esque family tableau or a wintry Christmas scene is a goto holiday card, any photo-worthy moment throughout the year can suffice. Keep a lookout for ideas while vacationing or enjoying time together as a family. • Avoid busy prints. Stick to solid colors when posing for holiday photos; otherwise, recipients’ eyes may not know where to look when viewing the photo. Photo subjects should coordinate, but wardrobes that completely match can seem contrived.
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actual flash, can help alleviate this problem. • Embrace candid shots or mixups. Some of the funniest and most memorable photos are when things didn’t go according to plan. A crying infant or a parent looking away from the lens may not be magazine worthy, but don’t be so quick to discard those less-than-perfect snaps. • Zoom in tight and cropped. Card recipients want to look at you and not the surroundings. Avoid landscape shots on holiday cards, and be sure to focus on the subjects’ faces as much as possible. • Angle correctly for flattering photos. Adjust your body posture to look your best. Turn the lower half of your body to the side and then adjust the upper half to move slightly toward the camera to appear more svelte. Position • Plan around nap times. If photos involve young children, schedule the photo shoot to oc- the camera lens at eye level or above to avoid cur when children are well-rested and fed. Now double chins in photos. • Show off your sense of humor. You can may be the time to offer kids treats they don’t normally get in an effort to reward patience and show friends and family you like to laugh by posing in funny ways or by mimicking pop happy smiles. culture references in your photo cards. Recreate • Avoid red eye. Proper lighting can help childhood photos of yore, or imitate photos avoid the occurrence of “red eye” in photographs, which happens when the flash bounces from album covers or movie posters. off a wide pupil. Asking subjects to look into Relax and have fun with holiday greeting bright light before the photo, or utilizing a cam- cards. Plan outfits, watch lighting and catch kids era that snaps a small burst of flash before the at the right time to create memorable cards.
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(MS) - Food features prominently throughout the holiday season. Family meals around the holiday dinner table are a cherished tradition in millions of households, and food also plays a central role during seasonal gatherings with friends and colleagues. Food also can feature prominently throughout Chanukah and on Christmas Day, particularly if a loved one qualifies as a full-fledged foodie. Many families feature at least one foodie. Foodies always know the best place in town to grab a bite or when a trendy new restaurant will open its doors. But such individuals also enjoy making meals at home, and the following gift ideas can make this holiday season more flavorful for the family foodie. • Tabletop firepit: Shoppers who want to impress their food-loving loved one with something truly unique can give a tabletop firepit. Safe for indoor use, tabletop firepits enable s’mores-loving foodies to indulge in a traditionally summertime favorite all-year-round. Tabletop firepits are small enough to be stored on a kitchen countertop or in a cabinet. When in use, the s’mores-friendly accessory is smokeless, removing perhaps the lone disadvantage to making this beloved treat. • Club subscription: Monthly subscriptions are a gift that can keep on giving all the way
something more sweet or even in between. Of course, sampler sets also provide a range of sauces, making them ideal for foodies who want something spicy tonight before pivoting to a sweeter dish tomorrow. Flavored olive oil sampler sets also can be a great gift for cooks who love to experiment with new flavors. • Charcuterie board and knife set: Foodies who love to host their fellow food fanatics will no doubt fall in love with a new charcuterie board and knife set. A 2023 report from Kroger revealed that the supermarket chain expected charcuterie boards to remain popular over the course of the year. That popularity makes sense, as anything from meat to cheese to fruit to crackers has a home on a charcuterie board, making the item especially appealing to foodies who routinely share their homes and love of until next holiday season. Sweets lovers will undoubtedly appreciate receiving a box of fresh food with friends and family. • Espresso maker: Of course, foodies chocolates each month, while those with more unique tastes may anxiously await the day their aren’t just about food. Beverages also figure prominently in many foodies’ lives. A high-end monthly shipment of pickles arrives at their espresso maker can ground fresh beans and doorstep. The options are endless, ensuring there’s a monthly subscription out there to tick- brew multiple cups in no time at all, making it an ideal addition to any foodie’s culinary arsele every foodie’s fancy. nal. • Sauce sampler: Amateur sauciers may find inspiration in a sauce sampler set. SamFood is a vital component of the holiday seapler set options abound, so shoppers can find son and can even be incorporated into holiday something for foodies who love a spicy sauce, shopping.
5 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Sauk Valley Media/ shawlocal.com/sauk-valley • November 2023
Great gifts for the family foodie
Sauk Valley Media/ shawlocal.com/sauk-valley • November 2023
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
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Unique gifts for busy professionals (MS) - The holiday season is synonymous with giving. Families engage in gift-giving come the holiday season to show their loved ones how much they appreciate them. Such sentiments are thoughtful and can have a big impact when shoppers find the perfect gift. The perfect gift can be elusive. No one wants to give a gift that won’t end up being used, and some people on shoppers’ lists may prove more difficult to shop for than others. That might be the case with busy professionals who are seemingly always working. This holiday season, shoppers can consider these four unique gift ideas for loved ones climbing their way up the corporate ladder. 1. Luggage - Business travel took a hit during the pandemic, and a spring 2023 report from the research firm Morning Consult predicted that it may never return to what was considered normal prior to the pandemic. However, the report indicated that the average business traveler is now younger and earning less than the average business traveler before the pandemic. That makes luggage an ideal gift for the up-and-coming professional who may be traveling more and could benefit from some stylish, sturdy and durable luggage.
3. Temperature-controlled smart mug Caffeine is the secret behind many a professional’s success. A temperature-controlled smart mug can ensure your favorite corporate executive’s coffee maintains its ideal temperature no matter how hectic the day becomes. 4. Yoga sessions - Stress is part of the job for many successful professionals. In fact, the American Institute of Stress reports that 94 percent of workers report having chronic stress at work. The competitive nature of the corporate world may not afford many opportunities to decompress during the workday, but the National Institutes of Health reports that yoga can play an effective role in reducing stress and anxiety. Some yoga sessions, which can be purchased from a local yoga studio or even through an app users can 2. Fountain pen - Few small items exude a greater sense of sophistication and success than access on their smart TVs, can be just what suca high-end, engraved fountain pen. Established cessful executives need to unwind in a healthy way after a long day at the office. professionals will appreciate the sleek and imSuccessful professionals have a lot on their pressive appearance of a hand-crafted, customplate. A gift that can make their workdays betized fountain pen, which can be used to pen ter is sure to be a hit this holiday season. memos or sign important documents in style.
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(MS) - The average person will spend around eight hours at work each day, and do so roughly five days a week. Over time, relationships with coworkers may grow, and many people become friendly with their colleagues. In such settings, it can be customary to celebrate holidays with coworkers at company-sanctioned events. Personnel tasked with organizing the sharing of gifts across departments or the company can employ the following tips to make things run smoothly. • Defer to company rules. Companies may have guidelines in place that govern gifting. Check employee handbooks or company policies, which may dictate spending limits or even prohibit gift-giving. • Keep it holiday nonspecific. Companies feature staff from various cultures, ethnicities and religious backgrounds. Therefore, resist any urge to affiliate the gift exchange with a specific holiday. Keep terms generalized, avoiding the use of “Secret Santa” or references to Christmas or Chanukah. Specify that gift wrap be generic as well. • Recognize that gift-giving flows downward. The general rule of the workplace is that people at the same employment level can give gifts among themselves, but employees should not feel pressured to give gifts to their supervisors or bosses. Should one choose to do so, it could be misinterpreted and may cause rumblings across the company. If supervisors and managers want to gift their subor-
dinates, then that is fine so long as everyone is treated fairly. • Decide on a spending limit. Set a firm spending limit. A range of $15 to $20 may be affordable to most, and ensures a nice gift. However, if yours is a laid back environment and everyone is lighthearted, you can have gag gifts or set a silly amount for laughs, such as purchasing gifts only at the local dollar store. • Do not pressure participation. Engaging in a company-wide gift exchange should be completely voluntary. Only those who choose to participate will exchange with others. The easiest way to do this is to collect the gifts, then hand out grab bag numbers, enabling all participants to grab a random gift from the bag or table. Also, gifts should not be highly personal or anything that may be viewed as offensive. • Keep some spare gifts on hand. It’s happened before when someone has become ill or simply forgotten to bring a gift to the exchange. Human resource managers or department heads may want to use an expense account to have a spare gift or two on hand so that no participant walks away empty-handed. • Exchange at the party. If an office party is part of the plan, the gift exchange can take place there at a certain point in the festivities where it will be convenient for all involved. Office gift exchanges are common during the holiday season. A few guidelines can keep such exchanges festive and fun.
Day trips to entertain holiday guests (MS) - Travel tends to heat up as the weather begins to chill around the holiday season. With friends and family to see and holiday cheer to spread, it’s no wonder why millions of people take to the roads, railways and friendly skies to travel during the holiday season. It’s not uncommon for holiday hosts to open their homes to loved ones for days at a time. Holiday hosts who want to ensure that visitors enjoy their stay can plan certain excursions to make the most of their time together. • Go see the lights. Holiday lighting displays are popular across the country. Treat guests to a visit to a nearby attraction. That could be an amusement park that drapes the center of the park in lights, Main Street storefronts and town centers that put on tree lighting ceremonies, urban centers where department stores showcase impressive windows, or other attractions where lights take center stage. • See a show. From productions of “A Christmas Carol” to other holiday favorites, it’s not difficult to find entertainment that showcases some holiday spirit. Dance troupes may be showcasing “The Nutcracker” or a choral ensemble may be putting on a concert of Christmas carols. Enjoy a night or day out at one of these events. • Visit a cathedral or temple. The holiday season brings many individuals closer to their faiths. Travelers may want to visit a house of worship during their stay. Many churches are dressed up for Christmas and some may even have live animals in their living nativity scenes. • Cut down a Christmas tree. Save the tree cutting and trimming for when guests arrive. This way everyone can enjoy a day out at the tree farm as families select the perfect evergreen. Partake in refreshments such as hot chocolate or warm cider, then return home to decorate the tree together. Day trips with overnight guests staying for the holidays can make for an entertaining way to get out of the house and enjoy time together.
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Sauk Valley Media/ shawlocal.com/sauk-valley • November 2023
Tips for organizing a workplace gift exchange
Sauk Valley Media/ shawlocal.com/sauk-valley • November 2023
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
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How to master shopping early for the holidays (MS) - The holiday season is synonymous with givi“The early bird gets the worm” is a well-known English proverb that historians trace all the way back to the 1600s. Though the words might first have been popularized hundreds of years ago, they remain as true today as they were then, particularly in regard to holiday shopping. Savvy shoppers have long touted the importance of starting early when looking for holiday gifts for loved ones. Seasoned procrastinators may never embrace early shopping, but others who want to a less hectic holiday shopping season can consider these tips. • Begin with a plan. Holiday shopping excursions, whether they take place in town, at the mall or online, can take longer than expected when shoppers have no idea what they’re looking for. Prior to your first holiday shopping trip, jot down gift ideas for each person on your list. Then scour stores or websites for those items. Starting early affords shoppers time to bargain hunt and ensures supply shortages or other is-
sues won’t get in the way of a happy loved one come the holiday season. • Recognize the notion of “early” has changed. Early holiday shopping used to be synonymous with the retail holiday Black Friday, which occurs the day after Thanksgiving in the United States. However, many holiday shoppers now begin buying gifts long before they’ve purchased a Thanksgiving turkey. In its 2022 Consumer Pulse Survey, McKinsey & Company found that 56 percent of consumers started their holiday shopping in October. A host of variables may have influenced that shift, but supply chain issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic have lingered, which undoubtedly compelled consumers to get an especially early start on holiday shopping. Shoppers who want to ensure everything arrives on time for the holiday season must recognize that “early” shopping now involves beginning around Halloween, if not earlier. • Take the (local) road less traveled. Shopping local merchants in person is a strategy savvy shoppers have long since
embraced, but it’s one that’s especially beneficial in an era marked by supply chain issues and inflation. Local merchants don’t have the overhead or sizable staffs of big box or chain stores, which enables them to keep costs low. And since local merchants produce many of their own products, it’s likely there’s something in store that shoppers will love and less likely that they will have issues filling orders. A late fall afternoon in a local shopping district can yield an array of treasures and help holiday shoppers find the right gift for many a person on their list. • When in doubt, go gift card. If the right gift is proving elusive even when shopping early, shoppers should not hesitate to go the gift card route. Shoppers need not feel as though a gift card is a nonstarter, as a 2022 survey from the National Retail Federation found that 54 percent of survey respondents indicated gift cards were the most desirable gift of the holiday season. Shopping early is a great way to enjoy a less hectic holiday season.