MODERN WOMAN

SEASON’S GREETINGS: 150+ GIFT IDEAS

MODERN WOMAN FALL/WINTER 2018

Culinary Creators Dish Up Recipes

Kelly Clarkson Voice of Inspiration

Plus: THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS RING IN 2019 WITH THESE HEALTHY TIPS HALLMARK’S CHRISTMAS MOVIE MAGIC

INSPIRING TOMORROW’S LEADERS

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CELEBRATING 10 SEASONS

What do your next 10 days next 10 months next 10 years look like?

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MODERN WOMAN FALL/WINTER 2018

FEATURES

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MOVIE MADNESS

KELLY CLARKSON

GIFT GUIDE

EMBRACING FORGIVENESS

Hallmark’s holiday films have become a TV tradition

The Voice star hits high notes in career and family

More than 100 ideas to stuff everyone’s stockings

Releasing past hurt can be a gift to yourself

SPECIAL SECTION You’ll be

for these holiday recipes and tips

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MEET OUR MODERN WOMEN

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14 ON THE COVER: KELLY CLARKSON Photo by CARTER SMITH/ ATLANTIC RECORDS

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DÉCOR Deck the outdoors with these festive finds

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ADVICE Tips on hosting various holiday soirées Be on your best behavior at your holiday office party HEALTH & WELLNESS How to handle holiday stress Start 2019 off on the right foot ENTERTAINMENT Misty Copeland stays on her toes in The Nutcracker remake

MONIQUE GREENWOOD While she helps others relax, she lives her dream ADA ANAGHO BROWN Roots to Glory gives traveling to Africa a special meaning

DEPARTMENTS

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Trimming the tree can be a year-round treat FASHION All is bright with shimmering seasonal styles

VERONICA JORDAN The owner of Wine & Design pays it forward with charitable program

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FOOD Restaurants highlight cocoa, gingerbread and peppermint treats CULTURE Holidays are a special time for family traditions Retailers usher in the season earlier each year

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CREATIVITY Perfectly personalize your greeting cards

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OUTLOOK Re-evaluating what success really means

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TRAVEL Visit North Carolina’s Biltmore estate

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FINAL ACT The Grinch hits the big screen in 3D

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JOANNE EDWARDS She launched a program to feed hungry children

CONTRIBUTORS

PREMIUM PUBLICATION EDITORIAL

DIRECTOR Jeanette Barrett-Stokes jbstokes@usatoday.com MANAGING EDITOR Michelle Washington mjwashington@usatoday.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jerald Council jcouncil@usatoday.com

ADRIENNE JORDAN Jordan specializes in travel, lifestyle, health and fitness content. Her writing has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Esquire and more. Her research has taken her to exotic locales, including Suzhou, China, and Norway to cruise the fjords. In her offering for this issue (page 98), she discusses the best formats, photos and messages for your holiday cards.

NANCY MILLS In this issue, Mills, who lives in Los Angeles, interviews Grammy Awardwinning singer/songwriter Kelly Clarkson, currently a coach on NBC’s The Voice singing competition show (page 42). “(Clarkson) has an interesting take about being in the spotlight,” says Mills, who also writes a food blog, Mom’s Cooking Help, and is co-author of HELP! My Apartment Has a Kitchen!

ISSUE EDITOR Tracy Scott Forson EDITORS Amy Sinatra Ayres Patricia Kime Sara Schwartz Barbara Vandenburgh Debbie Williams ISSUE DESIGNERS Miranda Pellicano Gina Toole Saunders DESIGNERS Amira N. Martin Lisa M. Zilka INTERN Jordan Pecar CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kirby Adams, Karen Asp, Marissa Cass, Rosalind Cummings-Yeates, Hollie Deese, Stacey Freed, Adrienne Jordan, Quinn Kelley, Zoe King, Jennifer E. Mabry, Nancy Mills, Nancy Monson, Kristen A. Schmitt, Adam Stone, Stacey Zable

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ROSALIND CUMMINGS-YEATES Cummings-Yeates has covered lifestyle and culture for the Miami Herald, Chicago Sun Times, Ebony and more.

Her stories often highlight dynamic women like those featured in our Meet A Modern Woman profiles (pages 87, 97, 103 and 107). This Illinois resident is author of Exploring Chicago Blues: Inside the Scene, Past and Present.

KAREN ASP Asp, an Indiana-based journalist, enjoyed researching why forgiveness is crucial to our health and how to do it — strategies she’ll use the next time she needs to forgive someone (page 64). Asp is a frequent contributor to USA TODAY publications, Better Homes and Gardens, O, Woman’s Day and more. Her book, AntiAging Hacks is scheduled for release in January.

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Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved herein, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or reproduced in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written consent of USA TODAY. The editors and publisher are not responsible for any unsolicited materials.

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UP FRONT | DÉCOR

Curb Appeal Bring holiday home décor outdoors

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UP FRONT | DÉCOR

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This prelit outdoor Savannah cordless greenery creates a woodsy look. u$99 to $169, grandinroad.com

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UP FRONT | DÉCOR

Evergreen Forever Keep the joy alive all year by redecorating your tree

BY AMY SINATRA AYRES

H

aving a Christmas tree up in your home is one of the delights of the holiday season for many people. But have you ever considered keeping a tree standing once Christmas is over and decorating it for Valentine’s Day, Easter — even the Fourth of July?

For Marie Barnes, Christmastime joy continues year-round. She keeps a large, white artificial tree up in her Marietta, Ga., home and decorates it for every major holiday.

For Valentine’s Day, it’s awash in heart-shaped

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ornaments and red garland with white hearts. At Easter, pastel colors take over its branches, in the form of decorative eggs, ducks and bunnies. When Memorial Day and July Fourth arrive, the tree gets a red-whiteand-blue makeover. And Barnes doesn’t skip a beat for Halloween, decking out the tree with witches, ghosts and goblins.

“My whole family thinks I’m crazy, but my grandchildren love it,” says Barnes, who started the tradition after she and her husband, who served as Georgia’s governor from 1999 until 2003, moved out of the state’s governor’s mansion.

Barnes’ extravagant holiday décor isn’t confined to the tree. Her embellishments spill out all over her home and even outside the house — for

— BRIAN EARL, HOST, CHRISTMAS PAST PODCAST

all of those holidays, but especially for Christmas, which is her favorite. (She decorates not just one, but 23 trees for that holiday.)

Barnes says her mother would have told her that she’s gone too far with her decorations, but that doesn’t bother her. “I like it, and everybody in the neighborhood likes it because they bring their kids and grandkids by.”

On a much smaller scale, blogger Dinah Wulf (diyinspired.com) has also tried extending the life of her tree by decorating it for other holidays. Some years, she’s packed away the Christmas ornaments and redecorated it to ring in the new year with friends.

“It doesn’t have to be expensive,” she says. “You can go to a 99-cent store or make the decorations yourself.”

BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH

Marie Barnes’ home, Marietta, Ga.

A decorated tree is becoming a universally festive symbol, just as there are decorative wreaths and flags for all occasions.”

PROVIDED BY BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH

One year, Wulf put the tree up early, and decorated it for Halloween. “We did orange and black and purple Christmas ornaments. The kids and I just made simple ones, like ghosts with the lollipops in them,” she says.

“My older daughter was like, ‘What are we doing?’

But she thought it was the coolest thing. Halloween’s our favorite holiday, so we did it as just like a fun challenge. It was just like a mini Christmas tree.”

She’s had mixed reactions to her year-round tree decorating. “No one quite understood the Halloween one. For New Year’s, everyone thought it was an amazing idea,” Wulf says.

Brian Earl, host of the Christmas Past podcast and blog, says the tradition of tree-trimming has evolved. “A decorated tree is becoming a universally festive symbol, just as there are decorative wreaths and flags for all occasions,” he says. “The traditions of the tree and other evergreens like holly and ivy come from places where the winters are long and bleak. The idea of someone like me having a Christmas tree (an artificial tree, no less) in California, is completely stripped of its meaning. It’s mainly a decorative tradition at this point, so sure ... why not also an Easter tree or Valentine’s Day tree?”

For Barnes, “why not” is the right attitude. “There’s always the detractors,” she says. “For the most part, I hear nothing but good things. I had a veteran come by a couple of years ago and cry because I had done my house in the patriotic stuff.

That made me feel so good.”

Easter

Halloween

Fourth of July

Christmas

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UP FRONT | FASHION

Sparkle and Shine Season’s parties call for festive attire

Hot pink Glitzville chain fringe earrings make a bold, colorful impact. $128, katespade. com

BY HOLLIE DEESE

T

he holidays allow us to take certain fashion liberties that we might not the rest of the year — namely, full-on glitz, glamour, shimmer and shine. All of that and more is acceptable when getting ready for the festive gatherings that fill your calendar. Whether the occasions call for casual or black-tie looks, there are plenty of options for all.

Add instant impact with a pair of shoulderdusting Jubilee fancy rhinestone chandelier earrings. $24.99, yourparismarket.com

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Pink and platinum Romy pointy-toe pumps from Jimmy Choo create an instant party vibe. $725, nordstrom.com

Flutter sleeves and a scalloped hem add even more festive details to an already beautiful Adrianna Papell sequin beaded cocktail dress. $199, adriannapapell.com

This sleek Denelle beaded clutch has an art deco feel and a timeless look. $95, ninashoes. com

Larger than a typical clutch, the Clocolor crystal rhinestone evening bag has enough room for your keys, phone and more. $27.99, amazon.com

Use the Verys sequin jacket to jazz up jeans or make sure your party dress has a cover-up as glitzy as the rest of your outfit. $798, us.zadig-et-voltaire.com

Dress up a solid top with the Malia sequin belt by Deepa, featuring plenty of holiday sparkle and shine. $98, anthropologie.com

This Sequin Maxi Kimono is a pale pink standout piece that is not for the shy. $140, m.us.topshop.com

Sparkly, short and oh-so-sweet, this Peace + Love bronze sequin shirt goes from cocktail hour to New Year’s Eve with stylish ease. $75, missguidedus.com

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UP FRONT | FASHION

In gunmetal, gold, bronze or emerald, these House of Harlow 1960 X Revolve Kate pants will be the most versatile sequin look you’ll have in your closet. $130, revolve.com

An of-the-moment stacked heel and low profile make this Jody block-heel sandal the right choice for all-night comfort. $49.99, chineselaundry.com Go glam in this Lola metallic sequin midi dress in black or gold for a holiday party or an evening out to see The Nutcracker. $595, shoprachelzoe.com

Paired with Riptide skinny jeans, a Peyton & Parker Rose Gold sequin tie-back T-shirt adds a bit of shimmer to a fun evening out. $54, jcp.com

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This bright blue sequin midi skirt with tie is sure to make the evening festive. $228, jcrew.com

Make a statement with a white Mother of Pearl flower beaded necklace that pairs with a T-shirt or evening gown. $91.99, aeravida. com

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UP FRONT | ADVICE

FRIENDSGIVING + Just friends lounging around? Turn it into a special event by creating an experience. “A theme simplifies everything from food to drinks, to music and décor,” says Rashida Purifoy, managing partner at Ricki Kline Design + Build, an LA-based hospitality and interior design firm. Your concept doesn’t necessarily have to center on the holidays. Purifoy’s Hawaiian-themed parties are among her favorites. She suggests wrapping the door in fabric, swapping out the couch pillows and decorating the tree (leis for garland) to fit the theme. And don’t forget the food. “I do a spiced popcorn every year that now has to happen,” Purifoy says. + Nonalcoholic drinks mean everyone can partake in the fun. Greet guests at the door with shot glasses full of soup, hot cocoa or chai, suggests Ellen Swandiak, founder of hobnobmag. com, a site that offers hosting tips.

Pick Your Party There’s more than one way to entertain for the holidays

BY STACEY FREED

T

his holiday season, the mantra for hosting parties should be “keep it simple,” and that starts with determining what type of shindig you want to have: a casual Friendsgiving get-together, a sit-down dinner or perhaps a late afternoon brunch. Here are some tips on how to have a great time, no matter what type of party you choose to throw:

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For Friendsgiving, a gathering of friends over a Thanksgiving feast, the host prepares a turkey, and guests bring sides, potluck style.

Friendsgiving might have started among college students or co-workers who were unable to travel home for the holiday. But, it can refer to any time you share a meal with friends during the holidays.

The term was first used in 2007, and many credit the popular Thanksgiving episodes of Friends for giving fans a reason to coin the phrase, but Real Housewives of New Jersey might have had more to do with it. In a 2011 episode titled Gobblefellas, the housewives host competing Friendsgivings.

— Ashley May

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Friendsgiving origins

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UP FRONT | ADVICE

Guest Gifts

It’s nice to send guests off with a little something.

Decorate cookies with guests’ names or the name of your party, says event planner Nicole Marie Pittmon, of Chicago-based Nicole Marie Events. “You can set them at the table as part of the décor.”

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SIT-DOWN DINNER

BRUNCH BUFFET

+ Maintain a sense of calm: “Consider the size of your room and, if possible, invite fewer people than you might normally,” says Alex Koones, founder and chef of Babetown, a pop-up supper club that meets in private homes and caters to members of the LGBTQ community. Koones suggests serving family style, instead of plated, which requires more work for the host. “The more you stress yourself, the more stress is in the air.”

+ “When in doubt, put it on a skewer,” says Ilana Eck, founder of Manhattan-based Stylish Spoon. “Kids and adults love anything on a stick.” Deconstruct a Greek salad by sliding a grape tomato, a cucumber, a kalamata olive and some feta cheese onto a skewer, then drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. “When it’s visually appealing, everyone will smile.”

+ Take the guesswork out by following the guidelines of table setting — diagrams abound online — but tweak them. “The rules are a good starting point, but work backward from your menu. If you’re not serving salad, there’s no need for a separate salad fork,” says Liz Curtis, founder and CEO of Table + Teaspoon, an on-demand tabletop design service based in San Francisco that sends its settings anywhere in the U.S. + Liven up a formal sit-down by having a calligraphed card at each setting with a name on the front and an interesting fact about the person sitting to one’s right or left, suggests Lisa Vorce, owner and creative director of Lisa Vorce CO, an event design and production studio in Santa Ana, Calif. “It always leads to lively conversations and even new friendships.”

+ Since guests are already on their feet, direct them toward the tequila shot bar, Koones says. Try this: Dip orange slices in coffee grounds on one side and sugar on the other. Shoot the tequila then bite into the orange. “I don’t care who you are,” says Koones, “doing a shot makes people feel young again.”

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Welcome

All trademarks are owned by PepsiCo Inc., its affiliates or subsidiaries. Š 2018 Frito-Lay North America, Inc.

UP FRONT | ADVICE

Proper Partying

BY STACEY ZABLE

M

ost companies have standards and practices that dictate how employees should conduct themselves; however, the office holiday party is an event that comes with its own best behavior suggestions. Use these tips from human resources experts to make sure you enjoy the scene without making one:

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DO SOCIALIZE STRATEGICALLY “Speak to any and everyone,” says Sonja Traxler-Nwabuoku, author of Office Etiquette: The Unspoken Rules in the Workplace. “If the party is open to all departments, spend time speaking with others that you may not normally speak to in the office, but keep the conversation light.”

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Experts weigh in on how to navigate workplace festivities

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UP FRONT | ADVICE

Along with avoiding deep discussions about politics and religion, be sure to stay away from bashing the bosses. “Why waste a celebration on negativity? Plus, they’re essentially your hosts!” says Nicole Belyna, manager of recruiting and recruiting strategy for Thompson Creek Window Company in Lanham, Md., and a member of the expertise panel for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

DO WATCH WHAT YOU WEAR “If you have a question and any doubts about the type of outfit you are going to wear, then don’t wear it,” says Ashley Inman, human resources talent specialist for Ferrovial Services in Austin, Texas, who is also a member of the expertise panel for SHRM. “Ask around the office to find out what they wore last year if you are new.”

A little festive fun can go a long way. Don’t shy away from a touch of glitter or sequins or even a few jingle bells. Those accents can be conversation starters and help express a side of your personality that your colleagues don’t usually see.

Belyna’s company actually encouraged festive attire for its most recent holiday party, requesting guests wear their most hideous ugly sweaters.

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DON’T BORE PEOPLE

DO MOVE MODESTLY Few can forget when Elaine Benes of TV’s Seinfeld, hit the dance floor at her office’s holiday party. Be sure your moves aren’t that memorable. Belyna suggests limiting your moves to those you’d do in front of your mom.

Andrew Challenger, vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. consultancy group, encourages dancing. “If you don’t know how to dance appropriately, then just watch other people and blend in with the general vibe that is going on.”

DON’T ATTRACT ATTENTION Traxler-Nwabuoku stresses that “the office party isn’t a place where you should be aiming to stand out from the crowd.” Inman agrees: “Senior leadership is there, and they do have an eye out,” she says.

“Don’t forget where you are and why you are there.”

Simply follow what Belyna defines as the “ultimate intention” of a holiday party: “to celebrate success and let employees enjoy time together.”

While mixing and mingling with those who might help boost your career is a good idea, TraxlerNwabuoku discourages coming on too strong during the festivities: “Do not bore people by trying to impress them with how much you know or rave about your current projects. This should be a fun event for them as well.”

DON’T OVERDO IT Nearly half — 49 percent — of holiday parties in 2017 planned to provide alcohol, a number that is down from almost 62 percent in 2016, according to an annual survey from Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. “Less alcohol encourages more appropriate behavior and in the current climate, people are more conscious of appropriate workplace behavior,” says Challenger.

“Being drunk is never a good look. You might be the life of the party that night, but it will hurt you for the next 365 days.”

Use common sense, notes Belyna. “If you know that you start to get a little sassy after a couple drinks, then limit yourself to one, or don’t drink at all,” she says.

Although it’s a party, you must still abide by office guidelines.

“Remember, you are at a workrelated function. You don’t want to make choices that could damage your credibility.”

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UP FRONT | HEALTH & WELLNESS

All Is Calm Stress-busting tips to remain joyous — and sane — this holiday season

BY KIRBY ADAMS

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GETTY IMAGES

A

s fun and festive as the holidays can be, the pressure to buy gifts, attend get-togethers, decorate the house, cook elaborate meals and continue to perform all your regularly scheduled daily tasks can make the season a hectic time.

“People put a lot of pressure on themselves, whether it’s hosting family, buying the perfect gift or keeping the house clean,” says Caitlin Bowman, a physician at Norton Healthcare in Louisville, Ky. “I think our culture ... with all the commercialism of the holiday season, adds to stress. So, I encourage people to

step back and look at ways to simplify their holidays.”

According to Bowman, holiday stress typically falls into one of two categories.

The most serious is depression, which can result from feelings of sadness due to the loss of a loved one or relationship conflicts that are thrust to the forefront of your mind during the holiday season.

Anxiety caused by the often overwhelming hustle and bustle associated with this time of year is more common. This can result in overeating or drinking to cope.

Instead of reaching for that second piece of pie or third glass of wine, Bowman suggests making an appointment with a physician to receive care and support during the holidays. You can also talk about your feelings with a trusted friend or family member.

“Mental, emotional and spiritual health is equally as important as physical health,” she adds.

If you start to feel stressed out or disappointed this holiday, step back for a moment and consider whether you’re putting an unrealistic amount of pressure on yourself. Keep in mind that real life isn’t as picture perfect as the movies, and your friends rarely post their failures on social media.

Remember that relationships and experiences can be the most meaningful aspect of the holidays. Sure, the beautifully decorated tree, a lovely meal and a sparkling gift are nice, but those things won’t be important in July.

And if all else fails, have hope. The holidays will be over soon enough, so let the stress melt away and try to enjoy the important parts of the season.

DESTRESS SUCCESS There is probably no way to totally relax this holiday season, but here are some tips to help reduce stress:

How do you know you are experiencing holiday anxiety or depression?

Dr. Caitlin Bowman of Norton Healthcare says to look for these five signs: 1

Not sleeping well 2

Overeating or decreased appetite 3

Feeling more irritable and less patient 4

Co-workers or family members say you seem stressed 5

Not enjoying the holidays as you typically have in the past

Spend less money Some experts say shopping can be therapeutic for those who enjoy the crowds, the hunt and finding great deals.

If you don’t like to shop, or you are feeling financially strapped, reduce the amount of time you spend in stores, browsing online and looking at advertisements.

“You don’t have to spend the holidays shopping,” says Dr. Caitlin Bowman of Norton Healthcare. “Instead, start to adopt a different type of tradition at home. Make a new recipe with your family, play board games or go hiking together,” she says. “If something stresses you out, don’t do it.”

Be respectful of family Family dynamics can be tricky to navigate, particularly if you don’t spend a lot of time together at other times of the year.

Bowman’s advice is to keep your expectations realistic.

“Try to adopt a sense of serving others and don’t assume everything will be perfect,” Bowman says. “You set yourself up for disappointment if you try to compare yourself to other people, or what you see in the movies or social media.” Be content with the family members you have and try to accept them for who they are.

Manage expectations “The perfect meal, the spotlessly clean house, an extravagant gift, those things are fleeting,” Bowman says.

“It’s more important to have meaningful conversations and find common bonds with people.”

Relationships are what are important year-round and bring us true happiness, she says, so take the time to appreciate those you care about and let the other stresses go.

Don’t overindulge “Reduce stress by not overeating and drinking during the holidays and continue your exercise routine,” Bowman says.

That may seem easier said than done when there are plates of holiday cookies taunting you at every turn, but take a mindful approach to the holiday, she adds.

“It’s easier to say ‘no’ to desserts during the holidays than trying to lose five pounds after the new year,” says Bowman.

Stay accountable Discuss your health plan with a friend and check in with each other throughout the holidays. Bowman also suggests using fitness and diet tracking apps, such as MyFitnessPal, which allows you to record your calories and track your fitness.

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UP FRONT | HEALTH & WELLNESS

New Year, New You Four ways to create healthy habits for 2019

BY KRISTEN A. SCHMITT

T

he new year is a great time for a fresh start, when you can radically shake things up and zero in on personal goals. While roughly half of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, only 9 percent actually keep them, according to the Statistic Brain Research Institute. Why? Because many resolutions can be either too ambitious or restrictive to maintain in the long term.

Yet, the dawn of a new year can be one of the best times to “reset” your goals, and our experts offer tips on how to start 2019 off right and continue all year long.

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GETTY IMAGES

MOVE DAILY You don’t necessarily have to start with a 10-mile jog. “A little something every day or a little something regularly is more beneficial than one big sweaty calorie-burning yoga class or one big workout,” says Adriene Mishler, who offers free yoga and meditation videos at YogaWithAdriene. com. By providing free content, she hopes to make regular practice more accessible to the masses and convince more people that daily exercise doesn’t have to be a chore.

“Whether you walk, do yoga, meditate — try not to get too hung up on having to do a big program or burn a million calories. A little goes a long way.”

KEEP LIFE SIMPLE

Lotus Yoga available at:

UP FRONT | HEALTH & WELLNESS

STRENGTHEN CONNECTIONS “The key to happiness is relationships,” says Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project. You can develop and deepen current relationships by attending a college reunion, joining a book club, throwing a party or hosting a neighborhood potluck.

It’s not about quantity of friendships, but the quality. “People who are the happiest tend to have the most robust relationships.”

RENOVATE YOUR EATING HABITS Skip the cream and sugar. “Drinking your coffee black for 30 days is not hard,” says Melissa Hartwig, co-creator of the Whole30 diet, which, she asserts, is not meant to be a permanent food plan. Instead, it’s a tough-love, 30-day program that eliminates sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes and most dairy — common foods that are problematic for many people — from your diet. After 30 days, slowly reintroduce these foods, carefully calibrating and renovating your eating habits to ensure your body is at peak performance. “So many people feel out of control with their food habits. Resetting to the point where your energy is balanced, your mood is improved, your cravings are down. … That is such a powerful experience that it will have an impact in other areas of your life, too.”

“It’s really important to embrace the growth mindset,” says Hartwig. “If you want to make changes in your life like eating better or exercising or meditating, you can embrace this idea and then look for ways to support that.” Mishler suggests using pen and paper. “Don’t underestimate the power of writing down your intentions and keeping that in mind as you progress throughout the year.” However, Rubin says that another way to stay focused during the year is to pick a theme and concentrate on only doing things that support that idea, such as serenity. “It’s a way to keep your highest values in mind as you go forward.” Rubin adds, “because a lot of times we’re so distracted by everyday life. It helps make life more meaningful.”

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UP FRONT | ENTERTAINMENT

Raising the Barre Misty Copeland brings ballet into modernity and to the mainstream

BY JENNIFER E. MABRY

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PROVIDED BY UNDER ARMOUR

A

t an age when most dancers’ careers are winding down, 35-yearold Misty Copeland’s is heating up. The first black principal dancer in the 75-year history of the American Ballet Theatre made her feature film debut this month — in a role written for her — in Disney’s The Nutcracker and The Four Realms. Copeland says when Disney approached her, she couldn’t imagine not participating because “they’re recreating a classic that’s so deeply rooted and connected with the ballet world.”

“It’s a performance within the movie. I’m like a ballerina princess,” says Copeland, adding that the process of working with the team at Disney was collaborative. She brought choreographer Liam Scarlett, of London’s Royal Ballet, onboard to serve as her eyes in the creation and performance of her balletic sequence, which “visually is very different on-camera than dancing onstage.”

Audiences are likely familiar with the stage production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker ballet, centered on a family’s Christmas Eve celebration.

Since its debut in 1892, it has remained a perennial favorite performed by companies throughout the world during the holiday season. >

Hero to her today.

Medical hero to millions tomorrow.

To all clinical research volunteers, thank you.

A sincere thank you to all of the men and women who take part in clinical research studies each year. By volunteering today, you become a medical hero forever.

For more information about clinical research, please visit CISCRP.org.

UP FRONT | ENTERTAINMENT

ent, work ethic and perseverance as they are to her unapologetic embrace of her curvaceous, graceful, athletic physique — the polar opposite of the lithe centuries-old standard.

Copeland, who recently celebrated her two-year wedding anniversary to attorney Olu Evans, says even she’s taken aback by her life’s trajectory. “I usually look back a year or two later and

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MORE ON MISTY Misty Copeland is expanding her brand with books and more:

Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina and Ballerina Body: Dancing and Eating Your Way to a Leaner, Stronger, and More Graceful You

Copeland is the Ballerina Princess in Disney’s holiday film.

think ‘I can’t believe that actually happened.’

It’s incredible for me as a black woman and as a ballerina just to be as honest and true to who I am and (provide) a true and honest representation of classical ballet. That’s always my main goal and focus.”

During seasonal hiatuses when she’s not performing, Copeland shares her devotion to ballet and arts education through philanthropic endeavors, such as MindLeaps, a humanitarian organization that uses movement, dance and music to build the cognitive and social skills of orphaned children in Rwanda. “It’s the most incredible organization and has a real grasp on showing people” how beneficial and necessary arts programming is in the life of any child. “And that’s what I’m extremely passionate about and want to share with the world.” l

MODERN WOMAN | FALL/WINTER 2018

Misty Copeland’s Firebird doll by Mattel

Brand ambassador, Estee Lauder’s Modern Muse

Signature Collection with Under Armour

LAURIE SPARHAM /COPYRIGHT: © 2018 DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; PROVIDED BY THE COMPANIES

The ballet, however, was adapted from a literary classic written by Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann.

Disney’s retelling draws from Hoffmann’s work and has a slightly darker tone and more fantastic elements than previous film and stage adaptations, yet retains characters and flourishes that will be familiar to moviegoers.

Copeland says the stage production of The Nutcracker is embedded in the world of classical ballet, which has bled into popular culture.

“It’s such a rich, timeless story that every generation of young person can relate to. … It has such amazing visuals that I think will translate onto the screen as it does onto the stage.”

Copeland’s own life is the stuff of fairy tales. A late bloomer who began studying ballet at the professionally late age of 13 through a program at a local club in her hometown of San Pedro, Calif., she has soared to heights of commercial success that ballerinas in the U.S. rarely experience. Her STAY IN STEP achievements To learn more about are attributable Misty Copeland, visit: as much to her mistycopeland.com. prodigious tal-

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THE

M AKI N G OF A

TV

TRADITION

Viewers flock to Hallmark’s channels for holiday movie magic

BY TRACY SCOTT FORSON

T

22 original films during that monthslong period, and its sister channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, will air a dozen during its Miracles of Christmas programming, which started Oct. 26 and also ends Jan. 1.

Like Grandma’s family recipe, the marathon of movies has become a holiday tradition for many. For the past nine years, the event has perpetually grown, offering films that vary in plot, but all have something in common.

“We look for each of our stories to celebrate the season and deliver on the essence and spirit of Christmas,” says Michelle Vicary, executive vice president of Crown Media Family Networks. “Our promise is to make viewers feel better.” > GETTY IMAGES

here’s something predictable and comforting about the holiday season.

The familiarity of favorite carols, Nana’s homemade desserts, the neighbor’s holiday lights and the huge Christmas tree that nightly illuminates the town square are customs many look forward to year after year.

No matter the combination of yuletide elements that conjures up the holiday spirit for you, chances are, the Hallmark Channel has an original made-for-TV film that captures that same feeling.

This year, Hallmark Channel’s annual Countdown to Christmas holiday movie event began Oct. 27 and ends on New Year’s Day. In total, the network will air

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KAILEY SCHWERMAN/HALLMJARK CHANNEL; GETTY IMAGES

Marrying Father Christmas

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Time and Talent

The nightly holiday-themed premieres roll out over two months, but for network executives, it’s a yearlong process, according to Vicary.

“Our talent is already asking about what movies they’re going to get in 2019,” she said in June.

“We already have some opportunities that have gone into development. We have talent, writers and producers; 2019 is in process for sure.”

The films draw several stars from popular ’80s and ’90s TV series — familiar faces, such as Melissa Joan Hart, Candace Cameron Bure, Danica McKellar and Lacey Chabert, who portrays Darcy Fitzwilliam in Hallmark’s Pride, Prejudice and Mistletoe, airing Nov. 23.

“It takes some imagination to film a Christmas movie in the summer months when the fake snow is melting on set,” says Chabert, who has starred in seven Hallmark holiday movies.

“They love working with us,” says Vicary of the repeat actors. “Why wouldn’t you want to make a No. 1 movie on television?”

Success Story

Christmas Joy

During the months the original movies air, Hallmark ranks high in U.S. households, the network reports. “We are No. 1 all fourth quarter,” says Vicary.

“We have 82 million people come and watch the channel at least once during the Countdown to Christmas and Miracles of Christmas events,” she adds, citing viewership data from 2017.

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries ranked No. 9 among households during that time period.

According to the network, 48 million women watched movies on both Hallmark networks during last year’s events.

Although the audience of the often sugarysweet movies, many that fit into the rom-com category, is comprised of mostly women, men tune in, too. In 2017, 34 million men watched.

Rob Bricken says he first learned of the movie marathons years ago, thanks to ads airing while he watched Golden Girls reruns. However, it wasn’t until last year, that he and his wife, Loree Stark, decided to recap each movie and launch the A Very Hallmark Christmas podcast (veryhallmarkchristmas.libsyn.com).

During Countdown to Christmas, they watch every premiere and immediately post their commentary on the films.

“There was one time period over Thanksgiving where we watched Hallmark movies 11 days in a row because that’s how many new releases there were,” says Stark, whose favorite

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EIKE SCHROTER; CROWN MEDIA; RYAN PLUMMER

Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe

It’s Christmas, Eve

A VERY HALLMARK CHRISTMAS PODCAST veryhallmarkchristmas. libsyn.com

Christmas at Graceland

2017 film was Christmas in Angel Falls, starring Rachel Boston as a guardian angel. Bricken most enjoyed Christmas Getaway with Bridget Regan as a travel writer who ends up spending the holiday with a handsome man.

Although Vicary, who has been with the network for nearly 20 years, may not have foreseen viewers podcasting about the movies, she says she always had high expectations for the franchise. “We endeavored to be this big. We come at this with a spirit of hopefulness that we will do as well as we set out to. We learn from any mistakes we make, but largely we understand what our audience wants, and we love to give them what they expect.”

Winning Formula

KATHERINE BOMBOY; PROVIDED BY ROB BRICKEN; HALLMARK CHANNEL; JEREMY LEE

Memories of Christmas

A Shoe Addict’s Christmas

When it comes to meeting viewers’ expectations, Hallmark films follow a formula that is rather cliché for TV. Within moments of the opening scene, which usually involves snow falling in a quaint little town, a woman begrudgingly returning home for the holidays or a heroine lamenting her failed love life — most viewers can practically write the scripts.

For the actor, that means finding enough distinctions between the similar characters and storylines to bring something unique to each film.

“I look for a different nuance in the characters I play and bring a different flavor,” says Chabert, who understands that the predictability is part of the films’ appeal.

“The thing I love most about the movies and the thing I find most fans always point out, is not only is there always a happy ending, but they’re focused around tradition, bringing families together and capturing the holiday spirit in the main character. I love those messages,” says Chabert. “It’s the comfort of knowing what lies ahead, and it’s going to be heartwarming.”

Chabert’s efforts to break the monotony have paid off, according to Bricken. “I’ve been fascinated by how much variance the movies have despite being forced to follow a pretty simple formula,” he says. “These movies can be >

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48 MILLION WOMEN WATCHED MOVIES ON BOTH HALLMARK NETWORKS DURING LAST YEAR’S EVENTS, WITH A TOTAL OF MORE THAN 82 MILLION VIEWERS Source: Hallmark Channel

genuinely funny or truly awful or completely insane, all while hitting the same story beats.”

Vicary points out that many American film classics are predictable (not only did we know Jack and Rose would fall in love, we knew the Titanic would sink!) and she has no problem being in the company of those favorites.

“The first time you see them on screen, you know they get together,” she says of the couples who fall in love by the end of most of the films.

For viewers, it’s the journey they enjoy, Vicary explains. “Our team endeavors to make that interesting and fun, and the ratings surely bear out the fact that they continue to tune in with the knowledge that they’re going to feel good and great people are going to end up together.”

However, Bricken notes that it’s not just the storylines that are predictable, as the characters have more than just Christmas cheer in common: A large majority of the films feature white actors — a lack of diversity for which the network has been criticized.

“You know what you’re getting and that the heterosexual white couple will get together in the end,” Bricken says.

Last year, Hallmark’s Enchanted Christmas starred husband-and-wife duo Carlos and Alexa PenaVega, who are of Latino descent.

Black actresses Holly Robinson Peete and Sheryl Lee Ralph have co-starred in recent Hallmark holiday movies, and the network is hoping to do more to represent the country’s diversity.

This year, Peete, Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Jerrika Hinton, Christina Milian and Tatyana Ali star in Hallmark holiday movies. The PenaVegas each headline films airing in December.

“We want more diversity in our lead roles and are actively going after some of the leading actors and actresses in the world,” says Vicary. “We still need to do more,” she adds. “We overindex in diversity in executive producers, writers, directors and even the top leadership of Crown

Media. ... We are deeply committed to making our programming more diverse.”

Although other networks premiere original holiday movies, Vicary says the Hallmark brand demands a certain standard.

“Our formula is to treat each movie — even though there are a lot of them — as though it’s the No. 1 we’re making for the season. That’s the charge we give to each of our development executives. We don’t have wiggle room to do anything other than bring the highest quality,” she adds. “It’s not something somebody else can replicate.”

Trending Tradition

Chabert says her family usually spends Christmas in pajamas, enjoying hot cocoa, opening presents and watching movies. “Growing up, we watched Christmas Vacation every year. Now, there are a ton of Hallmark movies we can add to the list.”

The annual marathon events have already become a part of Bricken’s holiday traditions, and not just because of the podcast.

“I don’t generally consider myself particularly that into the holidays, although that started to change a bit the more I watched Hallmark,” he says. “We ended up purchasing one of the artificial trees that is featured in almost every Hallmark movie after not having a tree for years and years.”

Just like its greeting cards and keepsake ornaments, Hallmark’s movies have made a place in American pop culture, and like that special family recipe Grandma contributes each year, they’re something viewers look forward to when the holidays roll around.

“We owe our success to the 108-year-old legacy of one of the world’s finest brands,” Vicary says. “We are grateful, but not surprised to be such an integral part of families’ traditions at the holidays.” l

VISIT: HallmarkChannel.com and HallmarkMoviesAndMysteries.com for a full schedule of holiday movies.

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A Very Nutty Christmas

CHRISTMAS BREAK

Lifetime presents a change of pace for the holidays

LIFETIME

O

n one Saturday night in July, the Lifetime network aired Psycho Ex-Girlfriend, Nightclub Secrets and The Perfect Stalker — suspenseful movies that might require a spiked mug of chamomile tea to calm the nerves.

Thrills, murder and mystery are common when it comes to Lifetime’s movies. However, during the holidays, its films “give you the warm and fuzzies,” according to Meghan Hooper White, Lifetime’s senior vice president for original movies, co-productions and acquisitions.

This season, Lifetime’s It’s a Wonderful Lifetime slate of original movies includes more than twice as many as last year’s roster. “The number’s up to 14 this year,” says Hooper White. “Christmas is an integral part of Lifetime. We’ve been making original Christmas movies for more than 20 years.”

Last year, the network offered six original holiday films, and the feel-good, lighthearted movies are in high demand, Hooper White adds.

“The more originals we give, the more the audience responds.”

While other networks also offer holiday originals, Hooper White says

alumnus Mario Lopez for Lifetime’s Lifetime’s programming is distinct 2017 A Very Merry Toy Store. This because the films are relatable and year, she stars in A Very Nutty reflect the world we live in. “We Christmas as Kate, a recently jilted have a diversity in casting and voices baker whose magic nutcracker turns telling the story. That’s important into a real man. to us.”

Although it’s only for a short time, Tatyana Ali, Toni Braxton, Melissa Hooper White says Lifetime’s fans Joan Hart and Patricia Richardson are enjoy a break from the network’s just a few of the celebrities featured somewhat darker programming that in this year’s lineup. airs other times of the year.

Lifetime has also found a niche However, on Dec. reuniting stars of casts 26, she says viewers are from beloved series for WATCH ready for more of the their holiday movies, IT thrilling movies the according to Hooper In 2017, nearly 57 network is known for.

White. An upcoming million viewers tuned “The same way there film co-stars Jasmine in to Lifetime’s holiday are a lot of people who Guy and Kadeem programming. are done with Christmas Hardison of A Different mylifetime.com songs on Dec. 26,” says World fame, and another Hooper White. “We’ll go brings the alumni of One back to your regularly Tree Hill together. scheduled programming.”

“People are liking the nostalgia As for the prospect of combining and that throwback to the ’80s and the two genres and producing a ’90s,” says Hooper White. The actors suspenseful holiday movie, Hooper enjoy it, too, according to Hart, who White says, “We get asked that starred in her third Lifetime holiday a lot. As of now? No.” She adds: movie this year.

“Everyone needs that break. It’s nice “These are the actors that love to have that happiness.” to work, as opposed to doing it for the fame or fortune,” says Hart, who worked with Saved by the Bell — Tracy Scott Forson

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FINDING HER VOICE

puts family first while expanding her brand

BY NANCY MILLS

When Grammy Award-winning singer Kelly Clarkson is enjoying a day off, she is just hire someone to handle her errands, she chooses to do them herself: No personal shoppers are working on her behalf. No public relations team is shooing away fans. >

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XXXXXXXXXXXX PROVIDED BY ATLANTIC RECORDS

another mother of four kids completing chores in her free time. While she could easily

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executive producer Audrey Morrissey, who notes that Clarkson’s tutelage helped secure the win for contestant Brynn Cartelli.

“Kelly is like a straight-A student. She does her homework. She does everything at 1,000 percent.

It’s all about the material and understanding it, finding songs that will show different sides of the artist and keep the audience interested,” Morrissey adds. ”Every coach does their version of this, but Kelly exceeds in all ways. She’s a fan, an enthusiast and an enthusiast on life. She is what you see. There’s no mystery to her. She’s funny, kindhearted and has a big personality.”

According to Clarkson, her candor and transparency have only endeared her to fans. “I don’t see that it gets me in trouble. People are learning that’s just how I am,” says Clarkson, who openly shares with her 15 million social media followers. “A lot of artists are introverts; I’m not.”

While a lot can be said for her bubbly, warm personality, what music lovers really appreciate is Clarkson’s talent. She’s often ranked among the greatest female voices, appearing on lists with such legends as Whitney Houston and Celine Dion, and peers, such as Pink, who once joked, “If I did a song with Kelly Clarkson, I would get outsung.”

MY DECEMBER The Voice is a welcome addition to the singer’s already busy schedule. “I’ll shift to The Voice, and then I’ll shift to writing (books),” says Clarkson, who is currently working with her label to determine the direction of her next album.

“I am exhausted, but it’s good exhausted,” she admits. “I’m just getting to the part of my life when if it’s not fun, I don’t exhaust myself. I have less time for bull.”

With multiple projects — including her Meaning of Life Tour, launching in January — pulling her in various directions and requiring her time, the one constant in Clarkson’s life is family, especially during the holidays. That’s when everyone

Kelly Clarkson released her Christmas album Wrapped in Red in 2013.

RCA RECORDS

e c n Si

Since 2002, when Clarkson won the first season of American Idol at age 20, she has tried to lead a normal life. It’s not easy considering she has sold more than 25 million albums and 36 million singles. Two of her albums — Breakaway and Stronger — won Grammys for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2005 and 2012, respectively. She also won the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance trophy in 2005 for Since U Been Gone.

Now, the 36-year-old Texas native is busy expanding her career. In addition to singing, Clarkson writes children’s books, inspired by her 4-year-old daughter, River Rose. River Rose and the Magical Lullaby came out in 2016, followed by River Rose and the Magical Christmas in 2017. She is working on a third volume, as well as a book for young adults.

She recently voiced Moxy, a character in the 2019 animated film UglyDolls, based on a line of toys. “It couldn’t have been more perfect for my personality, which is good because I’m not a good actress,” she says.” It’s one thing I never wanted to do.”

Unscripted Clarkson seems to be a huge hit. She received rave reviews as host of the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, where she promised viewers her authentic self. “You’re just getting me,” she said at the event. “I’m just going to be who I am.”

Fans are expecting the same when she hosts The Kelly Clarkson Show, a daytime talk series, described as a “weekday brunch party,” debuting in fall 2019.

“I love connecting with people, playing games, music and finding ways to help or give back,” she says about the upcoming show.

Then there’s The Voice. Given her initial claim to fame, it’s little wonder that Clarkson is serving as a coach and mentor on a singing competition show. She joined season 14 of the popular NBC series earlier this year and returned for season 15 in September. When persuading contestants to join her team, Clarkson reminds them that she knows exactly what the singers are going through.

“I was the first winner on a show like this, and the pressure is indescribable,” she recalls. “Taking a coaching role seemed like a natural next step.”

On season 15, Clarkson works with fellow Idol alumna and returning Voice coach, Jennifer Hudson, and mainstays Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, to help one rising star reach the top.

“When Kelly came on (season 14), she really wanted to make her mark, and she did,” says Voice

TRAE PATTON/NBC; CHRISTOPHER POLK /GETTY IMAGES (2)

Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock have been married since 2013.

usually gathers at the Nashville, Tenn., home she shares with husband Brandon Blackstock. “We have a blended family,” she says. River Rose and Remington Alexander, 2, are her children with Blackstock. Two older children, Savannah, 17, and Seth, 11, are from Blackstock’s first marriage and spend every other Christmas with the family.

“People come from Texas, North Carolina and around the state,” to visit for the holidays, she explains. This year might be different as Clarkson recently purchased an $8.5 million mansion in Los Angeles to serve as the family’s homebase while she tapes The Voice.

Christmas with Clarkson usually involves full-on pajamas; big decorations courtesy of her mother-in-law, who is an interior designer; playing games, such as Monopoly and Scrabble; roasting marshmallows over a bonfire; and family dinner.

“My sister is actually the cook in our family, but we all pitch in,” she says. “We also dig watching movies like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation or Elf. We have a little theater in our house, so everyone goes down there and gets cocoa.”

Clarkson jokes that when it comes to the holidays, her husband reminds her of Christmas

it u q d an f l se r ou y y jo n e st “Ju worrying if you’re on top and ep ople are digging you.”

Vacation’s Clark Griswold. “I married the movie version of Chevy Chase,” she says. “We have the most lights.”

MEANING OF LIFE Clarkson and Blackstock, 41, met in 2006 at the Country Music Awards Fest. She was performing a song with Rascal Flatts, and Blackstock was the group’s tour manager. They met again six years later at the Super Bowl, where Clarkson was singing the national anthem. One thing led to another, and they married a year later. >

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GETTY IMAGES

“My husband manages me, and we definitely After reflecting on her upbringing, Clarkson’s disagree sometimes,” Clarkson says about their perspective started to change, and she eased up working relationship. “I’m not really good at time on herself. Although her mother was rarely home management, and I’m always putting everybody as she worked hard to provide for her daughter, before me. He’s good at helping me Clarkson says she learned a lot from with that. I’m good at helping him her mom and “turned out great.” see outside what a manager sees.” ] “She taught me to work my ass And when they disagree? “If it off. You’ve got to be willing to be tired comes down to art, not our marriage, and work for it. I want to instill that obviously I have the last say,” in my kids. Also, I’ve learned to let go Clarkson says. “But I was raised to and to allow people to help.” think two heads are better than one.

Clarkson‘s mother also kept her on Whenever I think I’m completely track toward realizing her dream. right, usually it’s just an opinion.”

“When I started singing as a kid, One year after they married, River she would say, ‘You won’t be able to comfy holiday Rose was born. The responsibilities of sing at events if you don’t do this.’ My pajamas motherhood changed Clarkson’s life. room was always clean then. She had “I’ve always been confident, now I’m something on me because it was a more so,” she says. “I’m a tough mom. dream of mine.”

I love fiercely, but I discipline just as That’s a parenting strategy much.”

Clarkson uses today with her teenage Clarkson makes sure she spends daughter. “She’s an equestrian. She time each day with her children. has a very expensive dream and if hot cocoa “When I’m working, I’m pretty she messes up, that goes away.” adamant that I either wake up with my kids and have breakfast with DON’T RUSH them, or I put them to bed at night With 15 years in the music industry, and follow our routine. I need to do Clarkson is aware that popularity this for them but also for me. I suffer ebbs and flows, but she’s not focused from abandonment issues,” she says. on staying in the limelight. “I’m so Clarkson’s parents divorced when not that kind of planner,” she says. classic holiday she was 6. The youngest of three, she “You’ve got to just enjoy yourself and movies grew up with her mother; her older quit worrying if you’re on top and sister, Alyssa, was raised by an aunt, people are digging you. Today you and her brother, Jason, lived with might be cool, but tomorrow it will be their father. Clarkson never really somebody else.” reconnected with her father and With her role on The Voice, Clarkson wrote about the estrangement in two may be helping train and mentor the songs, Piece by Piece and Because of You. next big star. That prospect might board games Her fractured early life taught her affect some celebrities’ egos, but the importance of being there for Clarkson approaches any changes her children. “I have a great job, but with gratitude. family comes first,” she says. “I used to feel the “I was just talking to Gwen Stefani (who served ‘guilties,’ especially with my first child. If I missed as a Voice coach for three seasons) about this the something and my nanny was there, I’d say to other night. We had dinner at her house,” Clarkson myself, ‘Oh, I’m a bad mom.’” says. “It doesn’t bother either one of us. We’re like, ‘We’re so lucky, and we’ve done so many cool things and are still getting to do them right now.’”

In the meantime, she’s busy strengthening her Clarkson’s favorite charity to support during the brand, exploring new career opportunities and holiday season is Second Harvest Food Bank. raising her kids.

“It’s amazing how they help kids at school with “One of these days I’ll peace out and retire to my family and my chickens,” she says. “I’ll be good.” l the backpacks and lunches,” she says.

TRAE PATTON/NBC

The Voice season 15 coaches: Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton

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G I F T S

BY AMY SINATRA AYRES STYLING BY AMIRA MARTIN

GETTY IMAGES

We’ve made the list and checked it twice. There’s something for everyone, naughty or nice.

Flip through our gift guide for great ideas that will help you spread holiday cheer. >

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FOR THE WOMAN WHO HAS IT ALL

Wrap up in equal parts style and comfort with this cozy, 72-inch cable-knit ivory scarf. $59.50, jcrew.com

Vosges’ Enchanted chocolate collection features whimsical centaurs, unicorns and forest animals. $58, vosgeschocolate. com

Urban Southern offers handcrafted bags, such as The Britt Circle Crossbody, $175, and The 5-Pocket Crossbody, $125, urbansouthern.com

These festive Etched Christmas Tree stemless tumblers make a perfect hostess gift. $39.95 for a set of four, wineenthusiast. com

History’s most empowering women come together in this Nevertheless She Persisted puzzle. $18, uncommongoods. com

The easy-touse spinning Beachwaver S1.25 curling iron tames your tresses and keeps hair looking fresh from day to night. $129, ulta.com

The fast-working Dyson Supersonic hair dryer in iron/ fuchsia protects hair from heat damage. $399.99, dyson.com

With a solid zinc construction and titanium finish, Wine Accents’ premium wine accessories gift set complements any home bar. $50, amazon.com

Readers will love these literary-inspired Out of Print x S’well water bottles. $42 each, outofprintclothing. com

These Oh Joy! for Calpak power luggage tags are the perfect gift for the traveler on your list. $32 each, ohjoy.com

This gold Zodiac necklace with white sapphires from Mejuri Jewelry is available for each sign. $79, mejuri.com

Help her light up the room with Stila’s Aura Alight Glitter & Glow highlighter and liquid eyeshadow set. $45, sephora.com

P E R F E C T

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Spirit Riding Free characters come to life with this Deluxe Spirit Walking Horse. $49.99, Walmart

American Girl’s doll of the year, Luciana Vega, is an aspiring astronaut. $115, americangirl.com

Wrap Pomsies Pom Pom Pets around the wrist, hair or backpack. $14.89, target. com

Circle Society roller skates can be expanded to fit kids’ growing feet. $49.49, amazon.com

The Sky Viper Scout streaming video drone with remote, $88.99, amazon.com

Fisher-Price cash register set, $26.99, kohls.com

Classic LiteBrite Magic Screen edition, $24.95, barnesandnoble. com

Send your little one to outer space with these Planet Blocks. $20, uncommongoods. com

NATHANIEL A. COUNCIL; GETTY IMAGES; JERALD COUNCIL

TOYS FOR GIRLS AND BOYS

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F O R

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G I F T S

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TREATS TO MAKE ANY MAN MERRY

The Network bag organizes all your tech accessories and is made with premium, fullgrain leather. $78, moralcode.com

Beer fans will love the original uKeg 64 growler, which keeps beer cold, fresh and carbonated for two weeks. $149, growlerwerks. com

Toast someone who makes your season bright with The Macallan Rare Cask single malt scotch. $300, reservebar.com

WD/18 cologne

by A.N. Other offers the tranquil and nourishing qualities of sandalwood. $95 for 100 mL., an-other.com

These sustainably sourced Marley Smile Jamaica earbuds have a clear sound. $24.99, thehouseofmarley. com

This Wisdom Advanced Beard Kit includes a balm, oil and brush to groom facial hair. $85, canyouhandlebar. com

Made for the guy who has it all, these hand-sanded marble poker cards by Mikol are lightweight and durable. $775, mikolmarmi.com

The Helm sandalwood and matte black watch by tmbr. features minimalist design and distinct style. $94, tmbrs.com

Ideal for the adventurer, these Taraval black aqua sunglasses

by Sunski block rays and are comfortable to wear. $58, store. sunski.com

Perfect for the cigar aficionado, the Brizard & Co. Havana Traveler includes a flask, credit cards sleeves and more. $499, brizardandco.com

He can personalize his scent with this deodorant and anti-perspirant starter kit from Helmm. $55, helmm.com

Pair the windowpanepatterned Ludlow dress shirt with this Everyday cashmere V-neck sweater. Shirt, $69.50; sweater $98, jcrew.com

NATHANIEL A. COUNCIL

C U L I N A R Y

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GIFTS FOR THE CHEFS, FOODIES AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN

Display the Christmas Confetti Glass Basket as artwork or fill it with goodies.

Starting at $130, artfulhome.com

Complete with copper mugs, cocktail lovers will appreciate this Moscow Mule Gift Crate. $109.95, williamssonoma.com

The Cuisinart Precision Master 5.5-quart stand mixer features 12 speeds and comes in six colors. $199, cuisinart.com

Blitzen and friends wine stoppers make each bottle more festive. $24.95 each, wineenthusiast. com

Cooks can take their skills to the next level with this All-Clad C4 copper stock pot. $550, williams-sonoma. com

Tap water goes from flat to fizzed in seconds with the SodaStream Fizzi One Touch Starter Pack. $129.99, sodastream.com

The Meater wireless thermometer works with a smartphone to control temperature.

Starting at $69, meater.com

These soapstone and acacia wood bowls keep fingers from freezing while enjoying chilly treats. $60 for a set of two, uncommongoods. com

This 18-inch round Cambria Quartz Lazy Susan is perfect for someone who loves to entertain. $175, store.cambriausa. com

This gold pineapple cocktail shaker is fun and functional. $79.95, williamssonoma.com

The gorgeous, award-winning cookbook Sweet: Desserts from London’s Ottolenghi will inspire any baker. $19.83, amazon.com

eCreamery’s Holiday Premium Collection of festive ice creams have messages on the containers. $49.99 for four pints, ecreamery.com

NATHANIEL A. COUNCIL

R E L A X A T I O N

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GIVE THE GIFT OF ZEN

The Blackberry Lip Gift Basket from Farmhouse Fresh includes a lip polish and lip organic balm. $30, farmhousefresh goods.com

Large Poetry match bottle, $26, Palo Santo essential oil, $20, and Talisman soy candle, $24, skeemshop.com

Moisturize with the Shea Nilotik Shea Whipped Body Cream and Coconut Sugar Whipped Body Scrub. $16 each, sheaterraorganics. com

Use your favorite essential oils in this Mysto diffuser by SpaRoom. $47.99, wayfair. com

This beautiful Blush assorted teas gift box features flavors that will entice the senses. $17.95, vahdamteas.com

Wrap yourself in the comfort of this eco-friendly Marleigh lightweight cozy robe in ivory. $99, potterybarn. com

Pop this Lavender Spa Blankie in the microwave or freezer for relief from aches and pains. $68, uncommongoods. com

The Thoughtful Moments gift crate includes a journal, pen, pouch, candle and candies. $109, 1800baskets.com

Rejuvenate the skin around your eyes with the Foreo Iris illuminating eye massager. $139, foreo.com

Wassail & Spice and Cranberry Rosé candles are inspired by the wintry spirit that comes with the holidays. $20 each, paddywax. com

Copper + Crane’s spa bath gift set includes everything to make self-care a ritual, all in a luxe pouch. $70, copperandcrane. com

Smooth, soft skin is just a treatment or two away with Erno Laszlo’s Art of Masking gift set. $88, ernolaszlo.com

T E C H

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Use the Asus 2-in-1, 14-inch touch-screen laptop as a tablet or put it in tent mode for hands-free viewing. $729.99, bestbuy.com

The Lenovo Yoga 920 (14-inch) offers a 4K display, voice-activated support and an optional digital pen. Starting at $1,299.99, lenovo.com

Search what you see, take stunning photos and more with the Google Pixel 2. Starting at $649, store. google.com

Access apps and more than a million books at your fingertips with the Nook Tablet 7-inch. $49.99, barnesandnoble. com

The Microsoft Surface Go delivers laptop performance with tablet portability. $399, bestbuy.com

This Lifx A19 smart light features 1,100 lumens brightness, more than 16 million colors and voice control. $59.99, lifx.com

NATHANIEL A. COUNCIL; GETTY IMAGES; JERALD COUNCIL

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Canon Ivy Portable Mini Photo Printer, $129.99, shop. usa.canon.com

Mophie Juice Pack Air charging case, $99.95, mophie.com

Belkin PowerHouse Charge Dock for Apple Watch and iPhone, $99.99, belkin.com

JAM Chill Out portable Bluetooth speaker, $29.99, jamaudio.com

Google Home Max, $399, store.google.com

Marley’s Get Together mini Bluetooth speaker, $149.99, thehouseofmarley.com

Soul Electronics wireless X-Shock earbuds, $149.99, soulelectronics. com

SOL Republic Shadow Wireless earphones, $69.99, solrepublic.com

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MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT

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FORgive NESS LETTING GO OF PAST WRONGS CAN BE MORE BENEFICIAL FOR YOU THAN YOUR OFFENDER

BY KAREN ASP

T

GETTY IMAGES

he phrase “forgive and forget” is often tossed around so aimlessly that some might assume putting the words into action is just as effortless. The truth is that following this instruction can often be easier said than done. But, although it may be difficult and painful, practicing forgiveness can be crucial to better mental health and more fruitful relationships.

And now that the holidays are almost here, there’s perhaps no better time to forgive.

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The toxic nature of holding grudges Forgiving might be a difficult pill to swallow, but holding onto anger and resentment isn’t any easier.

“There’s a saying that not forgiving is like drinking poison and hoping the other

person will suffer for it,” says Lindsay Henderson, a psychologist in Rochester, N.Y., who treats patients virtually via the LiveHealth Online app.

That’s because failing to forgive can take a toll on your emotional and mental

health. “Ruminating and reliving the offense — meaning that you’re repetitively, even compulsively, mentally replaying negative situations and emotions in a nonproductive way — is selfdestructive and traumatic and can turn so toxic that >

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congregation in Los Angeles. “You wind up always pointing out the negative as a result, and pretty soon, nobody wants to be around you.”

Anni Keane-Riley of Yonkers, N.Y., who was put into the child welfare system at age 8 and again at 17, never had a close relationship with her biological mother. As a result, anger and sadness ate her up. “Those feelings contributed to my low self-esteem,” she says.

Yet when you forgive, those effects can be reversed, says Thompson, echoing Henderson’s thoughts on physical manifestations, such as stress levels, blood pressure and heart rates.

Studies have also shown that people who forgive tend to live longer, and Thompson suggests that it goes further than that. “Along with a longer life, you gain a higher quality of life,” she says.

Action plan for forgiveness Before you can learn to forgive, you first have to let go of some of the misconceptions you may have about forgiveness, starting with the notion that you have to forget. “As time passes, memories can fade, along with the emotions associated with them, but you don’t forget, as the event is within your recall, your subconscious mind, often affecting you unaware,” Thompson says. Instead, forgiving is a process about letting go, not necessarily letting somebody off the hook, Greenfeld says.

Plus, contrary to what most people advise, many transgressions aren’t things you can simply just “get over.”

It’s a choice and a practice, says Thompson. “Just like playing the piano or learning meditation, if you want to

GETTY IMAGES

it creates physical issues,” says Gin Love Thompson, a psychotherapist and mental health counselor in Orlando, Fla. “Your mind is so powerful that if you hold onto negative emotions, it will affect your health.”

Negative emotions, for instance, can disrupt your sleep, concentration and eating patterns, lead to weight gain, and cause back pain, stomach upset and other physical aches, Henderson says. They can also drive up stress levels, which can, in turn, increase blood pressure and harm your heart, she adds.

If you’re spiritually minded, not forgiving can even erode your soul.

“When you live without forgiveness, you live in resentment,” says Rabbi Judy Greenfeld, spiritual leader of the Nachshon Minyan, a post-denominational

learn to rewire brain pathways, you have to start the shift with both intent and action.”

So what’s your first step? You need to be ready to forgive, and it “has to be done on your own timing,” not somebody else’s, Thompson says. If someone tries to pressure or guilt you into forgiving, they’re disrespecting your feelings.

You’ll know you’re ready to forgive when “not only are other people sick of you, you’re also sick of yourself,” says Greenfeld. Even if you’re not ready and the words “I forgive” are truly just words, speak them anyway. Eventually your heart will catch up.

Greenfeld advocates saying a forgiveness prayer or meditation every night. She recommends you light a candle and think about people whom you hold grudges against. Ask yourself why you’re so angry about whatever took place. Then evaluate the experience constructively by replaying it in your head as if you’re watching a movie. “What did they do? What did you do, and what hurt you so much?”

Greenfeld asks.

At this point, if you’re spiritual, you might hand the burden to a higher power. Or you can gaze into the candle, and while exhaling, wish that person well as you forgive him or her.

After you’ve decided to forgive, it’s time to take action. Start by dedicating yourself to the practice. “For any situation that requires forgiveness, you have to choose to live your life in a new, more healthful way that relieves tension, depression and anxiety and promotes peace,” Thompson adds.

Action can take many forms. For Keane-Riley, those steps involved talking about her past in peer groups and workshops, writing her feelings so she could understand them, accepting love from new people and believing she would be a better person if she weren’t harboring anger toward her parents.

You might need to seek help as Keane-Riley did, especially if you’re having trouble moving on and the inability to forgive is affecting your relationships, work or your happiness.

Sometimes that could be as easy as

confiding in a good friend. Or you can look to a therapist, clergy member or even a trustworthy relative, Thompson says.

Acceptance is also part of the forgiveness process. “You have to be willing to accept what happened, that somebody did something to hurt you, and decide that you’re now putting your energy into moving past it,” Henderson says. You might list the pros and cons of letting go, as it can be difficult to let go until you understand the benefits.

Forgiveness involves a decision to

let go

of resentment and thoughts of revenge.

— THE MAYO CLINIC

And don’t forget to forgive yourself, perhaps the most difficult step.

“Women who are trying to forgive often have the toughest time forgiving themselves,” Thompson says. “They think they’ve betrayed themselves by letting something happen to them, which is why women need to be gentle with themselves.” Give yourself the same love you would give a friend who sought your counsel about forgiving.

Gaining a new perspective The surprising upside of doing all of this forgiving? You’ll likely gain a

different view of the situation and may even be able to see the other person’s perspective.

“If you can step outside and look at it from the other person’s view and understand their limitations, you can benefit,” says Thompson, who’s worked with numerous clients carrying burdens for more than 20 years. When they finally address the grievance and work to forgive, they often realize that the person who wronged them might not have been aware that the wound they opened existed in the first place.

Such was the case with Keane-Riley, who began to see the situation from her mother’s perspective. “The secret of forgiving my mother for leaving me was understanding who she is as a person, realizing that she has unmet needs and unresolved life trauma.”

Yet, whether you tell the person you’ve forgiven him or her, assuming that person is still alive, is a judgment call.

“In some cases, it may do more harm than good, which is why you need to examine the situation carefully,” Henderson says, adding that oftentimes, apologies, confessions or expressions of forgiveness benefit the giver more than the receiver.

“While it may feel like a relief to communicate something that has been a burden, if the other person was unaware of the transgression or ill feelings, bringing it to their attention to ‘do the right thing’ can sometimes be harmful to the other person.”

Forgiving also isn’t a guarantee the relationship will improve. “There are times when damage done to relationships may be workable, while on other occasions, it may have caused irreconcilable and permanent damage,” Thompson says.

Fortunately, the effects of forgiveness are often immediate, as you’ll feel a weight lifted off your shoulders.

“Forgiveness is for me,” says KeaneRiley, who after many years of processing her emotions finally forgave her mother.“My life is much richer because I can forgive,” she says.

In the end, it may be the best gift you receive this holiday season. l

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S P E C I A L

H O L I D A Y

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easier and a lot of fun.

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THESE CULINARY CREATORS ARE the award-winning stars of Grateful.co. They share experiences that reach the hearts, minds and appetites of millions of people every day. Find out more about these influencers and try some of their delicious (and easy!) holiday recipes — from appetizers to dessert — selected just for you.

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Holiday memories: My mom would always try to think of creative, fun ways to present our Christmas gifts to us. One year, my siblings and I woke up with ribbons around our wrists. We were told that our gifts were hidden throughout the house, and if we found one wrapped in the color of our ribbon, it was ours. We destroyed the house. Mom never did that again.

Holiday celebrations: Thanksgiving is my favorite celebration because it’s all about spending time with loved ones and getting creative in the kitchen. My mother-in-law orchestrates the cooking, while I get to learn her tips and tricks for making the perfect stuffing, turkey and gravy. It’s a gift being able to see how each family member makes their signature dish, and to enjoy it all together. I always make my flaky country biscuits.

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YINN LOW rasamalaysia.com Holiday memories: Back in Malaysia when I was growing up, my family didn’t celebrate Western holidays, meaning Christmas. We celebrate Chinese New Year, which is the biggest festival of the year. We would eat for 15 days straight.

Favorite holiday tradition: Having a home-cooked holiday meal with my family and friends.

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What are you grateful for?

I’m grateful that I live in a time and place where I, as a woman, am free to pursue any career or life that I choose. My life has been more exciting and fulfilling than I ever could have imagined, and I am grateful that I have had the freedom to go after my dreams.

Favorite holiday tradition: I have so many traditions that I love. An old tradition is a cookie exchange party with my friends, and a new tradition is hosting Christmas Day at my house, including Christmas brunch and dinner with the whole family. And, of course, Christmas dessert!

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Holiday memories: Making Christmas cookies – every year, we would make at least 10 different kinds, and even before I was tall enough to see above the kitchen table, I earned the nickname Cookie Monster because I would sneak cookies off of the plate every time no one was looking. Then suddenly, all the cookies would be gone.

Favorite holiday tradition: A cooking/baking party. I did one with my mom and her friends growing up that I carried on and now do with my friends.

Holiday memories: Growing up helping my mom and grandma in the kitchen during the holidays is one of the biggest reasons I love cooking as much as I do today.

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Setting Success Create a beautiful holiday tablescape A WELCOMING HOLIDAY TABLE is the perfect setting for a satisfying meal and lively conversation.

The most beautifully prepared dinner tables, or tablescapes, are a delight to behold, both as guests approach the dining area and when they’re seated for the main event. It only takes a few simple touches to make a holiday feast shine. Thanksgiving.com offers a few ideas to consider.

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CANDLES Candles provide beautiful bonus lighting for any feast, and they’re easy to find in every possible shape and color. Use white candles of varying heights displayed on pedestals, clustered to add visual interest and a soft glow to the table.

Another great option: votive candles.

Whether made of wax or battery-powered and flame-free, these tiny candles can be a part of each place setting, with extras scattered amongst the centerpieces.

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ACCENTS PLACE SETTINGS

TABLE RUNNERS

You can easily boost the beauty of your day-to-day plates and bowls by using place mats and chargers.

Use these easy additions to create a gorgeous layered look that can transform your dinnerware from everyday to holiday. Create drama by layering two distinctly different styles, such as unfinished wood and a polished-wire starburst.

Whether set directly on the table or on top of a tablecloth, runners — swaths of fabric laid lengthwise across your table — add texture, elegance and a splash of color. They can also help tie together the table décor.

For a change of pace, try using two or three short runners laid across the table’s width.

Tip: Extra-large plates can be used as chargers.

Greenery or flowers (fresh or artificial) can add texture to your table. Try adding fresh sprigs to napkin holders, for example, or scatter real fall leaves in red, gold and brown tones around the center of the table.

Add a touch of whimsy with playful party favors, such as pine-cone owls tucked into napkins.

Ribbon twirled around the back of a chair can add further charm to the room, while small vases of fresh herbs enliven the atmosphere without taking up a lot of table space.

COLOR SCHEMES Fall colors are obvious choices for Thanksgiving décor. And rich, darker hues, such as deep violet and evergreen, pair well with lighter accents of orange or yellow. Brown, gold and white are especially inviting for a Thanksgiving table.

Christmas tables are traditionally bedecked in red and green. Choose one of those yuletide colors and complement it with gold or silver.

Or, let the expanse of a winter wonderland inspire you. Blue, silver and white look stunning together on a holiday table. White offers a look that shines, especially when paired with bold or bright colors. Green, gold and white are also charming and crisp on a Christmas table.

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Ingredients: One 10- to 12-pound turkey 10 medium to large garlic cloves, left whole 1 stick (½ cup) butter, melted 2 tablespoons fresh thyme 2 tablespoons parsley 3 sprigs rosemary, stems removed salt and pepper 2 cups chicken broth Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the bag from inside of the

turkey. Place the neck, gizzard and heart in a large roasting pan. Reserve the liver for another use (such as the dressing).

Add giblets and 5 cloves of garlic to the bottom of the roasting pan.

Pat the turkey dry with paper towels place on a rack inside the roasting pan.

Tuck the wings underneath the bottom of the turkey. Tuck or tie the drumstick ends under the band of skin across the tail of the turkey.

Use a basting brush to cover top and sides with the melted butter.

Finely dice thyme, parsley and rosemary and sprinkle over the turkey.

Use salt and pepper to season.

Pour 1 cup of chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting pan.

Cook for 1 hour, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees. Baste the bird throughout the cooking process with the juices from the bottom of the pan.

About halfway through cooking (approximately 1½ hours of roasting), or when you notice that the juices are nearly gone, add the second cup of chicken broth to the roasting pan.

When the turkey is ²∕3 done (approximately 2½ hours of roasting), loosely cover the top of the turkey with a large piece of foil to prevent

overcooking.

Using a cooking thermometer, check the turkey occasionally. When the thighs are 180 degrees and the breast is 168170 degrees, the turkey is done. The top of the skin should be browned, and the juices from the turkey will be clear.

Remove turkey from oven and allow to stand for at least 30 minutes. Use a cutting board when carving.

The accumulated juices may be strained, removing extra fat and giblets, then used to make gravy.

Bee

TURKEY ALTERNATIVE Spice up your meal with this delicious holiday ham recipe.

Air-fried turkey Air-frying reduces or eliminates the dangers of deep-frying, using radiant heat to cook your bird instead of super-hot oil. Experts recommend that your bird be completely dry prior to air-frying for crispy skin.

SPICY HONEY-GLAZED HAM Serves 4-6

THANKSGIVING.COM; GETTY IMAGES

Directions: Before baking, remove ham from refrigerator and allow it to stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place ham flat side down in roasting pan and add chicken broth to pan.

Cover with foil; bake for 1 hour.

Just because you serve turkey every year, doesn’t mean you have to use the same recipe again and again. Try one — or more — of these unexpected ways to prepare Thanksgiving’s traditional entrée.

Deep-fried turkey Most people fry turkeys outdoors in propane fryers specifically designed for this purpose.

Deep-frying ensures the turkey is crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. It is crucial to take great care in creating this delicacy — the results are worth it.

rasamalaysia.com

Ingredients: One 4-pound fully cooked bone-in half ham (shank or butt) ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth ½ cup honey ¹∕3 cup packed light brown sugar ¼ cup Dijon mustard ¼ cup whole-grain mustard 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1½ tablespoons hot sauce 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

BIRD VARIETIES

Whisk honey, brown sugar, mustards, vinegar, hot sauce, parsley and red pepper flakes in medium bowl. Remove half of the glaze to a separate bowl and set aside for serving. Remove ham from oven, discard foil and brush with about ¼ of remaining glaze.

Continue baking, brushing with glaze and pan juices every 30 minutes, until ham is a deep reddish-brown and thermometer inserted into the center registers 140 degrees. (Add ½ cup water to pan if juices dry out.) Transfer ham to a cutting board and let rest 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with glaze.

Spatchcocked turkey To spatchcock a turkey, remove its backbone and lay the bird flat in a roasting pan. Carve and serve on a platter with a few sprigs of sage or some thin orange slices for garnish.

Beer-can turkey Beer-can birds are typically grilled standing upright, though with a few modifications they can be roasted in the oven. The steaming beer keeps the bird moist and results in a tasty turkey.

Rotisserie roast turkey The steady rotation of rotisserie cooks the meat evenly in its own juices and makes for a perfectly golden-brown turkey. Rotisserie ovens are a minor investment with a major taste payoff.

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Sensational Sides Complementary dishes tasty enough to steal the spotlight THE TURKEY MIGHT BE the main attraction, but side dishes can get rave reviews, too. If you’re hungering to stray from tradition, these recipes offer the perfect opportunity for experimentation.

Josh

thekentuckygent.com

SAVORY SAUSAGE STUFFING Serves 8-10 Ingredients: 1 loaf Italian bread, cubed 3 medium yellow onions, diced 6 stalks celery, diced 2 Granny Smith apples, diced 8 tablespoons butter 2 cups chicken broth ½ teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon dried sage salt and pepper sausage ½ cup raisins Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake cubed bread for 10 minutes, then transfer to large mixing bowl.

Once complete, increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in sauté pan. Add onions, celery, thyme, sage, salt, pepper and apples. Sauté for 10 minutes or until tender. Add to mixing bowl.

In same sauté pan, cook sausage until cooked through, breaking up the meat with back of spoon as it cooks.

Add to mixing bowl with chicken broth and raisins and stir to combine all ingredients.

Transfer to 9-by-12-inch baking dish and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, or until bread on top is browned.

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Katie

chocolatecoveredkatie.com

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH Serves 6-8 Ingredients: 5 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash or sweet potatoes 2 cups diced apples ½ cup raisins or dried cranberries 2 teaspoons cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or sweetener of choice) 1 tablespoon oil or butter spread, for richness (optional) Directions: Stir all ingredients together (minus sweetener if using liquid sweetener). Spread out in one large baking dish or two mediumsize baking dishes, lined with parchment paper. Place on center rack of unheated oven, then set to 480 degrees. Bake 40 minutes.

Stir and return to oven. Turn off heat but leave in closed oven an additional 10 minutes. Stir in sweetener, if using liquid.

Beth

budgetbytes.com

ROASTED APPLE CRANBERRY RELISH Makes 2 cups

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Ingredients: 12 ounces fresh cranberries 3 medium apples ½ cup brown sugar ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon lemon juice Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Wash the cranberries and place them in a 8-by-13-inch casserole dish (2-3 quart dish). Peel, core and cut the

apples into cubes roughly the same size as the cranberries. Place the cubed apples in the dish with the cranberries.

Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves and lemon juice to the apples and cranberries. Toss the ingredients together until well combined.

Roast the fruit in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until it has a thick, jamlike consistency.

Stir the mixture once at 30 minutes, and again at 45 minutes.

Carefully taste the hot relish and adjust the sugar or lemon juice if needed. Serve warm or refrigerate for later.

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Warming Up Before diving into that main meal, whet your guests’ appetites with these flavorful drinks and delicious appetizers.

Sally

Jessica

jessicagavin.com

SPARKLING BLOOD ORANGE MOCKTAIL WITH TURMERIC Serves 2

sallysbakingaddiction.com

Ingredients: 1 cup blood orange juice, plus 2 orange slices for garnish ½ teaspoon ginger powder ½ teaspoon turmeric powder 1 cup club soda or sparkling mineral water sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave), if desired 4 mint leaves 2 sprigs rosemary Directions: In a medium-size bowl, whisk together blood orange juice, ginger powder and turmeric powder. Add ice to each glass. Pour ½ cup of blood orange juice mixture into each glass and ½ cup club soda. Add sweetener, if desired, and stir. Add mint, rosemary and an orange slice to each glass.

APPLE CIDER AUTUMN SANGRIA Serves 6-8 Ingredients: 2 cinnamon sticks, plus more for serving 2 medium apples, thinly sliced 1 medium pear, thinly sliced 1 medium orange, thinly sliced ² ∕3 cup pomegranate seeds 1 bottle white wine (750 ml), such as pinot grigio

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2 cups apple cider ½ cup brandy ¼ cup orange juice 2 tablespoons lemon juice club soda, for serving Directions: Place cinnamon sticks and fruit into large pitcher.

Add wine, apple cider, brandy, orange juice and lemon juice. Refrigerate at least 3 hours to 24 hours (6 to 8 hours is best).

Pour sangria and fruit into glasses. Add splash of club soda. Garnish with cinnamon stick, if desired.

MODERN WOMAN | FALL/WINTER 2018

Monique

divascancook.com

SPICY DEVILED EGGS Makes 24 eggs Ingredients: 12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled ½ cup mayonnaise (use spicy mayo for extra kick) 1 tablespoon spicy Dijon mustard 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce ¼ cup sweet relish ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika and dill weed

Sally

sallysbakingaddiction.com

LOADED SWEET POTATO SKINS

THANKSGIVING.COM

Makes 8 potato skins Ingredients: 4 medium sweet potatoes 1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ cup milk ¼ teaspoon salt ground pepper, to taste 1 cup shredded cheese (suggested: half sharp cheddar, half mozzarella) 4 strips bacon, cooked until crispy, then crumbled sour cream and chopped chives for serving

Directions: Slice eggs in half lengthwise and place yolks in a bowl. Mash yolks with fork until they resemble small crumbs.

Mix in mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sweet relish and hot sauce.

Add enough black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to achieve a balanced flavor, being sure to taste often. Stir to combine all ingredients.

Place filling in piping bag and pipe into sliced egg whites.

Garnish with smoked paprika and dill weed.

Refrigerate and serve cold.

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Pierce each sweet potato a few times and bake for 40–50 minutes or until soft. Allow potatoes to cool slightly.

Slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Scoop out sweet potato flesh, leaving a thin layer inside and add flesh to medium bowl. Place skins back on baking sheet face up, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes.

Mash the sweet potato flesh with milk, salt and pepper until smooth and creamy. After 10 minutes, remove the skins from the oven.

Fill each with an equal amount of mashed sweet potato and top each with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Remove from the oven and top with bacon.

Serve with sour cream and chopped chives, if desired.

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Delightful and Delicious PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE WITH BROWN SUGAR GLAZE & PECANS Serves 12 Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon cloves ½ teaspoon ground allspice ½ teaspoon ground ginger 1 cup canola oil

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4 large eggs 1 cup packed light brown sugar ½ cup granulated sugar One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract For the glaze: 2 tablespoons butter ¼ cup packed brown sugar ¹∕ 8 teaspoon ground

nutmeg dash of ground cloves ¼ cup heavy whip cream ²∕ 3 cup powdered sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla ¼ cup chopped toasted pecans

MODERN WOMAN | FALL/WINTER 2018

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease Bundt pan. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and ginger together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a mixer or whisk until completely combined.

Batter will be thick.

Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-36 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top or edges of the cake are

browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover with aluminum foil.

When done, remove the cake from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack. Allow it to cool completely.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the brown sugar, nutmeg, cloves and whipping cream, and cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil. Allow it to boil 1 minute.

Remove from heat and pour into a medium bowl, allowing it to cool for at least 30 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla to the butter-cream mixture. Whisk until smooth. Immediately pour the glaze over the cake. Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly on top.

THANKSGIVING.COM

LOVE PUMPKIN SPICE BUT feeling burned out on pumpkin pie?

Class up dessert with this glazed pumpkin Bundt cake recipe from Thanksgiving.com.

Swap Your Sweets Connect with loved ones through a cookie exchange party YOU SEE THEIR SMILING faces on Instagram and Facebook. Maybe they’re old friends or distant relatives. Even though the internet is now your main means of communication, these people still hold a special place in your life.

So how do you celebrate the holidays together across the miles?

Throw a cookie exchange party!

HOW IT WORKS:

1

The host invites a set number of cookie lovers and assigns each person six names. This can be done at random, or you can allow people to sign up for specific groups. The latter allows you to accommodate preferences: chocolate lovers, vegan only, gluten-free, etc.

2

Each participant is responsible for baking six dozen cookies and sending a dozen to each of the six names on her or his list.

3

In return, every participant receives six different packages of cookies. Along with each batch, the baker provides the recipe.

Alternatively, the host can collect recipes from all participants and share a compiled cookbook online.

By the end of the exchange, everyone will have a wide variety of cookies to enjoy over the holidays and some new recipes to add to their repertoire.

Sally

HELPFUL HINTS

responsible for fewer treats.

uOne of the most fun elements of this exchange — getting cookies by mail — requires a lot of work. Each participant must bake, wrap, pack and ship their cookies in a timely manner to ensure they stay fresh.

uIf asking each person to bake 72 cookies seems too daunting, decrease the number of participants, so each is

uSet up a private Facebook group, Slack channel or group text for cookie coordination and discussion.

uGive someone not included in the exchange a special surprise.

Ask participants to bake and send them cookies to make their holidays sweeter.

Find the recipe for brown butter sugar cookies, pictured above, at sallysbakingaddiction.com

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Kitchen Claus Try these tasteful homemade food gifts THE ONLY THING BETTER than a friend on your doorstep is a friend on your doorstep bearing homemade baked goods. Edible gifts are as thoughtful as they are inexpensive. Whether you go sweet and seasonal or delightfully grown-up (candy-flavored vodka, anyone?), these foodie gifts are fun to create and give.

Petite cranberry bread loaves are like moist, buttery mini-cakes bursting with sweet, yet tart, cranberries and raisins with a hint of cinnamon.

Go code: cranberry-bread

A gift from your kitchen can be as simple and sweet as these cinnamon sugar nuts. These tasty treats can be made in just 10 minutes.

Go code: cinnamon-nuts

Melt-in-your-mouth homemade vanilla caramels are topped with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt to provide just the right contrast to the sweetness.

Go code: homemadecaramels

Mulled wine is a spicy, soul-warming beverage.

The spice mix requires just a few ingredients and is easy to make in advance and keep on hand.

Go code: mulled-wine-mix

Go to Thanksgiving.com/go and get recipes for any these gifts by entering the item’s “go code.”

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THANKSGIVING.COM

This fun drink combines a childhood love of sweets and bright colors with an adults-only beverage: vodka!

For a personalized touch, use the recipient’s favorite candy and bottle in a cute flask.

Go code: candy-vodka

STARRING SALLY McKENNEY sallysbakingaddiction.com

Add a little sprinkle to your next baking adventure!

Season 1 of the Sprinkled video series features baking tips and tricks and delicious homemade recipes perfect for every season.

Find out more at: grateful.co/sprinkled

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FOOD 87 | CULTURE 92 | CREATIVITY 97 | OUTLOOK 103 | TRAVEL 107 | FINAL ACT 112

Indulge

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Few things conjure up warm and toasty holiday memories like gingerbread, candy canes and hot cocoa.

Find out where you can enjoy some of the nation’s best holiday-themed treats.

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ALFRED STREET BAPTIST CHURCH PRESENTS....

FAITH FORWARD D

A POWERFUL MESSAGE… MOVING YOU FORWARD IN YOUR FAITH Every Sunday Morning at 7:30AM from Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA WITH PASTOR HOWARD-JOHN WESLEY

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A DELICACY FROM SWEDEN

Impress your Thanksgiving Guests – add Felix Lingonberries!

Get more compliments on your Thanksgiving Dinner with Felix Lingonberries – a tasty, premium alternative to the usual canned cranberry sauce.

And you can keep enjoying Felix Lingonberries long after Thanksgiving. Enjoy it with pancakes, waffles, yogurt, sandwiches, crackers and bread. Glaze it on pork chops, use it to top off ice cream, serve as a savory sauce for chicken wings, and let it make the cheese tray the hit of the party. For more delicious year-round ideas visit felixjams.com.

Eat Like a Swede Approximately 55% of Sweden’s surface area is covered by trees, which is about the same size as Michigan. It is in woods like this that we handpick our ”superberries”. We call them that, since lingonberries are filled with vitamins and also contain antioxidants. These healthy little red pearls are then used as a foundation in the making of our famous lingonberry jam. A jam that tastes great together with most everything.

Produced in Sweden | Distributed in the US by World Finer Foods, Phone: (973) 338-0300 | www.felixjams.com

M E E T A M O D E R N WO M A N |

Edwards’ BEST ADVICE ON VOLUNTEERING

Q&A What motivated you to start the summer program with No Kid Hungry?

I wanted to be of help and build things up to make things better.

I had the vision, but I didn’t always have the resources. No Kid Hungry stepped in and supplied all the resources. They stood by us 100 percent.

u Get motivated.

Volunteering keeps me going. It gives fulfillment to all of us. After I retired, I volunteered in the after-school program (at the school); that was my heart. I loved every minute of it.

PROVIDED BY JOANNE EDWARDS; GETTY IMAGES (3); PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY

What is your favorite holiday movie?

Miracle on 34th Street because I like to think it reflects our town. This program has been a miracle in Greeleyville.

What was the best gift you’ve ever received?

When I was a child, my dad worked in Florida and Christmas was when he came home. He came in one year with a big bag of Florida oranges. Those were the sweetest oranges that I’ve ever tasted.

We shared them with the whole community.

food

JOANNE EDWARDS Advocate, No Kid Hungry

Joanne Edwards has lived in the small town of Greeleyville, S.C., for more than 30 years, and her time as the district liaison for a local elementary school provided her with a clear view of the community’s needs. With the nearest grocery store 15 to 20 miles away, many parents struggled to feed their children. So, Edwards joined forces with No Kid Hungry (nokidhungry.org), a program that provides meals to needy families, to make sure Greeleyville’s children were fed. She organized food pickups at convenient locations countywide and spearheaded a team to deliver food to parents with no transportation, feeding 250 families to date.

— Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

u Shine the spotlight.

Keep stories about causes alive all yearround for people to learn about. Even when it’s not the holidays, it’s important to spread the word that there is hunger in America. u Do it for the kids.

We do an Angel Tree (toys and clothes provided by the Salvation Army) during Christmas for our kids. I wish you could see their faces when they receive their gifts. There’s nothing like making a kid happy.

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food

Festive Flavors

RED’S TABLE

Celebrate the season with these sweet treats THE SENSES CAN HELP preserve memories, and that’s why the smell of fresh pine or the sound of jingle bells can quickly fill you with the holiday spirit — and so can these delicious treats, selected by USA TODAY, made from ginger, peppermint and other tastes that embody the season’s greetings.

Red’s Table in Reston, Va., serves a Peppermint Marshmallow Hot Chocolate with house-made cocoa, whole milk, dark chocolate and peppermint marshmallows.

Made with a ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg-based batter and topped with whipped cream, the French toast at Chicago’s Commonwealth Tavern might be just as satisfying for dessert as it is for brunch.

EVER BAR The aptly named Ginger Man cocktail at Ever Bar in Los Angeles features multiple liqueurs, including Bols Genever, from which the drink takes its name. Mixed with absinthe, ginger, cinnamon and gingerbread crumbs, it’s topped with a gingerbread cookie.

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BUZZ BAKESHOP You could leave Santa the few sugar cookies he’s likely expecting or knock him out of his boots with these chocolate whoopie pies with vanilla cream filling and crushed peppermint from Buzz Bakeshop in Alexandria, Va.

PROVIDED BY THE COMPANIES; EVER BAR: PROVIDED BY J. BENTY/BREAD & BUTTER PUBLIC RELATIONS

COMMONWEALTH TAVERN

food

SUGAR FACTORY

For those in the Maine area, The Gingerbread Construction Co. offers its “perfectly spiced” signature gingerbread muffin filled with a swirl of cream cheese icing and topped with a dusting of powdered sugar.

HUNDRED PROOF The creamy Mexican Hot Chocolate at Hundred Proof in San Diego offers the flavors of vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg and chocolate, mixed with Mezcal Vago Elote, milk and cream.

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THE CAROLINA INN At The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill, N.C., Gingerbread Cookies with antlers rival Rudolph, and fans can request the recipe to re-create the treats at home.

GEORGETOWN CUPCAKE In Washington, D.C. (and five other locations nationwide), Georgetown Cupcake makes its gingerbread treat with a cinnamon-infused cream cheese frosting topped with a fondant gingerbread man.

PROVIDED BY THE COMPANIES; GEORGETOWN CUPCAKE: DAYNA SMITH; HUNDRED PROOF: KIM MARCELO

THE GINGERBREAD CONSTRUCTION CO.

The Sweet Gingerbread Latte at Sugar Factory Ocean Drive in Miami Beach is made with gingerbread and spiced brown sugar cinnamon.

@LoackerUSA

culture

SURPRISE “I love to camouflage one of my kids’ gifts in unassuming packaging.

Their reactions are priceless!”

— Erin Toole Williams, Chicago

SEASON’S GREETINGS “Displaying my Christmas cards (and) making a gingerbread house with the grandkids.”

— Patricia Barrett Patrick, Forest Hill, Texas

READERS’ RITUALS We asked our

Family Ties Meaningful holiday traditions make the season merrier

BY TRACY SCOTT FORSON

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MODERN WOMAN | FALL/WINTER 2018

LIGHT SHOW “Going to look at lights with the whole family on Christmas Eve. We go after the candlelight service at church.”

— Olivia LaBorde, Atlanta

WITH CAROLS ENCOURAGING GOOD cheer, parties galore and the expectation of gifts, the holidays are already a joyous time for many. What could make the season more special?

A 2016 study in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research suggests that family time adds another merry element, and traditions play a part. “Spending the holiday with family was associated with greater enjoyment (and) enacting a ritual while with family added significantly to that enjoyment,” the study found.

Almost any activity can evolve into a family tradition

if the right meaning or item is behind it, explains Lisa Elzey, a family historian at Ancestry.com.

Culture and religious practices can also launch traditions.

“Lighting a menorah during Hanukkah or blowing out candles on a birthday cake can have their own personal family meaning,” says Elzey. “Perhaps that menorah has been passed down from a great-grandparent that they brought with them when immigrating to the United States or that birthday cake is from a grandmother’s recipe.”

Actress Melissa Joan Hart carries on one of her childhood

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social media followers, friends and family to share their favorite holiday traditions. Here are a few:

COMFORT “Everyone gets holiday pajamas or lounging clothes on Christmas Eve to wear the next day.”

— Betsy Pettis, Chantilly, Va.

SWEETS “Making cookie dough and jarring it for family during the Christmas season.”

— Yolonda Body, Waldorf, Md.

JOY “Baking cookies, pies and cakes with Christmas music playing while FaceTiming with both sons in the Navy — almost feels like they’re home.”

— Ramona Mems, Mt. Morris, Mich.

traditions with her three boys.

On Christmas morning, she has them wait at the top of the staircase while she and her husband make sure Santa Claus isn’t still making his deliveries. Once the kids receive the all-clear, the gift-giving commences.

“That was always the best part of Christmas — that anticipation,” says Hart, recalling when she used to wait for her parents’ OK before opening gifts.

For decades, Ceska McCottry Sutton has enjoyed her family’s tradition of Christmas brunch, and she’s gone to great lengths to participate — even when sleep-

TREE-TRIMMING “Decorating the Christmas tree with personal ornaments and eating gumbo with family on Christmas Eve.” — Vanessa Archie, Houston

ing through an alarm resulted in a mad dash to the airport to catch a rebooked flight from Florida to Washington, D.C., one Christmas morning.

“I can’t even put into words how important it was that we get there,” says McCottry Sutton.

That year, 16 years ago, she and her husband enjoyed brunch with her relatives, and she’s only missed a few Christmas mornings away from her family since.

For Elzey, a family ritual was birthed out of frugality. “A Christmas-time tradition was trimming the tree with strands of popcorn and cranberries, not

because a previous generation did, but because my husband and I were young, married college students with little money for Christmas tree decorations,” she explains. “Our resourcefulness led us to a now sweet family tradition for the holidays.”

Elzey knows exactly how her ritual originated, and she wants families to not only remember the traditions, but how they began.

“Whatever the reason the tradition exists, families should talk about it,” she says. “The story is just as important as the tradition.”

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BY TRACY SCOTT FORSON

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Preseason retail promotions seemingly add weeks to holiday

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Christmas Creep

IT OFTEN CATCHES YOU by surholiday-themed Christmas Past prise. As you walk through your blog (christmaspast.media), finds favorite department store shopsolace, not stress, in the season ping for the perfect accessory to and chooses to write about the make your Halloween costume Christmas year-round. Episodes a hit, you hear the faint melody of his complementary podcast of Jingle Bells wafting through are posted between Thanksgivthe speakers. Then, you notice ing Day and Dec. 25. that next to the witches’ masks And while he’s no fan of sumand superhero capes, there are mertime Christmas displays, Christmas tree decorations. But Earl doesn’t mind retailers it’s only mid-October! promoting the season prior to Even before they sell out of Black Friday. back-to-school supplies, some “From Nov. 1 on would not be retailers are stocking shelves an unreasonable time to think with holiday décor and gifts. about (Christmas). Halloween While some consumers may is the official beginning of appreciate the reminder that the holiday season,” says “the most wonderful time of the Earl. “I think eight weeks is a year” is on its way, for others, reasonable time to celebrate that preseason the season. That’s prompt just signifies perfectly OK with IN 2016 how commercial the me.” holiday has become.

Although giftTim Kasser, progiving is a major fessor of psychology part of Christmas at Knox College in celebrations, Earl’s of consumers began Illinois and coblog highlights the holiday shopping in author of the 2002 traditions and hisSeptember. study What Makes for tory of the holiday. a Merry Christmas?, When people focus SOURCE: Nielsen says retailers are the on themes other reason the season than shopping and seems to be inching its way materialism, they tend to into fall, encouraging shoppers enjoy the Christmas season to start their holiday hunting more, Kasser says. Specifically, before daylight saving time spending time with family and arrives. focusing on religion tend to “The problem with that is, result in a more satisfying when people focus on the comholiday season, his study found. mercial aspects of Christmas, So, when those Christmas they seem to be less happy at displays pop up shortly after Christmastime,” says Kasser.

Labor Day, Kasser suggests “When Christmas creeps deeper turning your attention to more and deeper into the earlier meaningful yuletide practices, parts of the year, it’s spreading a not just the gift-giving. value message and an approach “I view Jesus as one of the to the holiday that research great anti-materialists of all suggests undermines people’s time,” says Kasser, who is well-being.” not a Christian. “Focus on When the season is extended, what Christmas at its deepest that’s longer periods of stress level really means. … It means as consumers spend more time thinking about your family and searching for the perfect gifts connections to others, doing and often stretch their budgets. good deeds for others and However, Brian Earl, host of a helping other people.”

PROVIDED BY THE NEW PRES

24%

RESISTING RETAIL Researcher Tim Kasser, author of The High Price of Materialism and co-author of Hypercapitalism: The Modern Economy, Its Values, and How to Change Them, has found that a focus on retail and shopping during the holidays leads to feelings of sadness, anger and anxiety. “The more people said they were focusing on spending, the more they reported being stressed and having unpleasant emotions,” he explains.

Kasser offers these tips for resisting Christmas creep: Disengage. Try to avoid those preseason promotions that focus on presents. Install an ad block on your computer, so you don’t see Christmas pop-ups, and support businesses that do not succumb to Christmas creep.

Redirect. When those ads show up in October, consider them reminders to start making some end-of-the-year donations to charities or start planning family get-togethers. “That’s opposite of what the marketers want you to think about,” he says.

Create. “There are ways to give people things that are more meaningful,” says Kasser, who gives his children coupons that require him to take on their chores or allow them to skip vegetables and still get dessert. When their children were younger, Kasser gifted his wife a coupon that required him to be on nighttime baby duty while she rested. “Those things are pretty meaningful.”

— Tracy Scott Forson

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Jordan’s BEST ADVICE FOR MANAGING A BUSY LIFE

Q&A Why is art an important part of life?

I think creative expression is important. It helps people destress and get back to themselves.

We’re drowning in information and starving for wisdom. Art brings you back to the basics.

People relax and start creating, and they’re creating with their own hands. Art can take many forms. It can be gardening or cooking. My art is creating parties. I love planning baby showers, birthday parties.

GETTY IMAGES; MELISSA FARR

What is your favorite type of wine?

In the summer, it’s rosé. In winter, it’s pinot noir and cabernet.

What’s your favorite holiday tradition?

Each year on New Year’s Day, I do a balloon drop with my 8-year-old and 6-year-old. We write our goals for the year. We set up the balloons in a net with a string and we pull it.

creativity

uDon’t try to do it all yourself.

You have to put systems in place.

Most women know you can’t go it alone; you need teamwork.

That’s a huge part of being successful.

VERONICA JORDAN Owner, Wine & Design

Veronica Jordan realized early in her career that she wanted to be an entrepreneur. She ditched her job as a financial analyst to open her first Wine & Design studio in 2012. Patrons take a two-hour painting class while they enjoy a glass (or bottle) of wine. Her Leonardtown, Md., studio proved to be so successful that she opened two more locations nearby. But this busy wife and mom of two doesn’t just thrive on art and entrepreneurial know-how, she also loves to give back. Wine & Design’s Paint It Forward program allows event organizers to donate a portion of the paint class proceeds to charity.

She believes that giving back doesn’t just help you feel good; it makes you a better person and business owner.

— Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

uGet creative.

I travel between three studios for hours each day, so I use my car as my learning library. I listen to podcasts to feed my mind. uMoney isn’t everything.

Giving back doesn’t have to mean giving money or making donations to organizations.

Donating your time can make just as much of a difference.

It can also be more fulfilling to make actual connections with people.

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Mailbox Memories How to create the perfect holiday card

BY ADRIENNE JORDAN

THE TRADITION OF MAILING holiday cards to family and friends began in the 1800s; however, those embellished lithographs featuring elaborate works of art have been replaced by mass-produced designs that may or may not reflect your holiday spirit.

Instead of relying on American Greetings or Hallmark to accurately express their holiday sentiments, families are creating their own cards with personal photos and noteworthy events from the year.

Here are some tips on creating your family’s holiday greeting:

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PICTURE PERFECT “Since it is the focal point of the card, it’s crucial that your photo is high quality, so that it will print well,” says Diane

Wegener, co-owner of Paperstyle.com.

“Some families like personalized cards with playful and fun photos,” says Wegener. “Set a specific time during the year to take the

holiday card photo.”

According to Anna Griffin, craft expert at the Home Shopping Network, your family vacation is the perfect setting for your holiday photo. She advises a clean look — from clothing to backgrounds, the simpler the better — which will allow your photo to work across various card designs.

Need the perfect background? How about choosing an outdoor setting, where natural light makes everyone look their best.

GETTY IMAGES

creativity

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creativity

DELIGHTFUL DELIVERY

TONES OF TOGETHERNESS Color palettes can also be a fun way to create a thematic holiday card. “This year, my team at Anna Griffin Crafts is mad for red and green plaid,” says Griffin.

“That means plaid papers, cards, tags and wrap.” Once themes are chosen, they can be carried throughout everything you make this season. Griffin also suggests organizing a card-making party. “Creating my holiday cards with family and friends is one of my favorite pastimes,” says Griffin. “Once you have gathered all of your materials, let everyone in on the action.”

MERRY MESSAGE “When personalizing your holiday greeting, you may want to include names and ages of children or pets, the family name, the year and a clever holiday saying,” says Wegener. “Most personalized cards allow you to print on the back. Use this space to share updates about the exciting year you and your family have shared.”

According to Griffin, there are hundreds of rubber stamp designs for including a sentiment on the inside. “You can also create a card insert with your favorite word processing software,” she says. “If you are creating a photo card online, many retailers offer a choice of greetings that can be printed inside the card.”

Griffin suggests sending a card that highlights all of your family news from the past year. “It is a wonderful way to connect with those near and far.”

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Did you know?

The first Christmas card was commissioned

by Sir Henry Cole and designed by John Callcott Horsley in England in 1843. The holiday card emerged as the most popular greeting during the Victorian era. In the 1870s, Louis Prang, a Boston lithographer began producing commercial Christmas cards in the United States. They were immediately popular.

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE (2); ANNA GRIFFIN CRAFTS/HOME SHOPPING NETWORK; GETTY IMAGES (4)

In regard to mailing your holiday card, there are many schools of thought. “Some like to place them in the mail so they will arrive on December 1st,” says Wegener.

“Friends and family look forward to going to their mailbox and receiving holiday cards all month long,” she adds. Others like to mail the cards so that they are received closer to New Year’s Day, the official end of the holiday.

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Greenwood’s ADVICE FOR LEADING A BOSS LIFE

Q&A

uTry your best.

I go hard, no matter what it is. If I retire, I’ll go hard. I’m just committed and driven.

Fear keeps people standing still.

How do you define success?

Success is subjective, and that’s a good thing.

For me, it’s about if I’m excited to wake up in the morning; success is holistic. It means respect for who you are and what you do. Do you make a difference in the world?

I don’t want to leave a stain; I want to leave a mark.

LUIZ C. RIBEIRO; GETTY IMAGES (3)

Why did you leave your dream job and become a full-time entrepreneur?

It was about legacy building. I couldn’t leave my daughter the job as editor, but I could leave her a business.

Favorite holiday tradition?

I go all out giving Christmas gifts. It’s not so much about money, but I put a lot of thought into it. Last year, I gave my nieces and nephews books. I skimmed through each book and found the passage that personally connected to them. I used a $100 bill as the bookmark. They read the passages out loud and the whole family cried.

Best gift ever received?

My wedding ring. I picked it out, and it represents our love and our union of 29 years.

outlook

uPatience is key.

I believe in paying dues. I can always see the end goal. It may take longer than expected, but I know it’s coming.

MONIQUE GREENWOOD Owner, Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns

In 1995, Monique Greenwood and her husband opened Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast (akwaaba.com) in a historic Brooklyn mansion. While maintaining a demanding career, she’d rush to the residence after work to tend to guests. As she prepared their breakfasts and watched them relax by the fireplace, Greenwood realized that she wanted the very life that she was creating for others. In 2002, to pursue what made her most happy, she resigned from her high-powered position as editorin-chief of Essence magazine to devote time to the business. A month after stepping down, she and her husband purchased a second inn in Cape May, N.J. Two more in Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania followed.

— Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

uDetails matter.

I’m very specific with what I want. I don’t leave things to chance.

I have a detailed operations manual that explains the what and the why. If I want music played, I leave a playlist. If I want the lights dimmed, I leave a mark on the dimmer to where I want it.

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Signs of Success Take inventory of the year’s accomplishments from a new perspective

BY ADAM STONE

IT SEEMS SOCIETY CONTINUES to emphasize the beyond ourselves and that achievement can mean importance of status symbols and attaining material serving a higher purpose or power. “For some, it will possessions. Some gauge success in dollars earned be the family or community; for others, the planet or or how many people “like” their social media posts.

God. It’s not unusual for a female (vice president) or CEO to have a sense that there is something greater For others, a good year is marked by how many than their immediate world and to want to connect bucket-list experiences were realized. The truth is, to that,” says Kisma Orbovich, co-host of there’s no single barometer that measures the Illumination podcast, which encourages everyone’s accomplishments. listeners to tap into their spirituality. “Take For many, success “has to be intensely action as a means of devotion to that personal,” says Lori Warner, director at ideal.”

Beaumont Health’s Center for Human While external metrics can be a valuDevelopment. “Living with purpose able guide, success can also be measured according to your own values, whatever in more intimate terms. Simply caring those may be, coupled with gaining as for oneself is a big one, according to much enjoyment as you can” determines Kimberly Snyder, nutritionist and author success, she adds. of The Beauty Detox Solution: Eat Your Way Before conducting a year-end review to Radiant Skin, Renewed Energy and the Body of what you have (or haven’t) achieved You’ve Always Wanted. in 2018, some experts suggest redefining “When we eat whole foods, spend time what success really means to you. with someone we love, walk on the sand, “I measure my success by the number lay on the grass, watch the sun set or of good ideas that I’m able to implement,” bring joy to others, we alleviate pain and says Carolyn Goerner, a professor at Indi— KATE ROBERTS, suffering and we feel good,” she says. “I ana University’s Kelley School of Business EMPOWERMENT COACH recommend keeping a gratitude journal and co-director of the Kelley Women’s (see sidebar) and looking back at it to Initiative. “In the past year, I’ve introduced measure how often you allowed your mind and three new ideas into my MBA class, changed the way heart to be open to joy.”

I organize my grocery shopping, taught my dog a new trick, come up with a new way to cut pineapple With the varying measurements that consider and found a way to use a phone app to organize our everything from money earned to recipes perfected, wine collection.” it may be difficult to pinpoint what success means While Goerner’s measurement focuses on innovato you. To determine that, psychologist and empowtion and creativity, Carrie Kerpen, author of Work It: erment coach Kate Roberts says your inner voice is Secrets for Success from the Boldest Women in Business, often the surest guide to achievement. reflects on how she used one of life’s most treasured “A successful woman is willing to make unpopular resources: time. “At the end of every year, I review decisions and choices, because living with integrity two things: my calendar and my photos. I look at my and having self-approval is more important than calendar to see how I spent my time, and I look at gaining someone else’s approval,” she says. “A my photos to see if I enjoyed it,” she says. successful woman is a woman who knows how to be Others say the way to gauge success is to look true to herself.”

A successful woman is a woman who knows how to be true to herself.”

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GETTY IMAGES

BE GRATEFUL Nutritionist Kimberly Snyder encourages her clients to focus on the good in their lives by keeping a gratitude journal.

Whether you use a notebook, post on Facebook or write on a slip of paper you place in a jar, take time each day to jot down a few small things you are grateful for, suggests Shilagh Mirgain, a health psychologist at University of Wisconsin Health.

“Writing down what you are grateful for is more effective than just thinking the thoughts,” Mirgain says. “What we’re talking about is the appreciation for what is valuable and meaningful in life, and the first step is to begin creating an awareness of what you are grateful for.”

And, you don’t have to only be grateful for significant things.

“It can be small things like your husband doing the dishes or child picking up toys,” explains Mirgain. “Or, of course, major ones like getting a promotion or a child speaking her first words.”

— Thanksgiving.com is a USA TODAY content partner.

105

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M E E T A M O D E R N WO M A N |

Brown’s BEST ADVICE FOR AFRICA TRAVEL

Q&A

What’s the biggest benefit of international travel?

There’s nothing like travel that helps you understand different cultures and different people. It’s so powerful.

PROVIDED BY ADA ANAGHO BROWN (2); GETTY IMAGES (4)

Why are family connections important?

Our family, our roots are so important.

It defines so much about your life. We bring people back to their families, and they continue those relationships. There’s a sense of calm, peace and joy when we connect people to their ancestors.

Best gift ever received?

My best gift is time spent with family.

travel

u Adjust your perception.

Look at Africa as an opportunity as opposed to what the media tells you. It is not all about poverty and being warstricken. We have to recognize Africa as a (travel) destination.

ADA ANAGHO BROWN Founder, Roots to Glory Tours

Born in the African nation of Cameroon, Ada Anagho Brown has always tried to showcase the beauty and spirit of her homeland. That continued even after she arrived in the United States in 1975 and settled in Maryland, where she worked helping educate children about African musical instruments. In 2010, she was approached by acquaintances who had recently traced their roots to Cameroon through DNA testing. They asked Brown to help them learn about the country. Soon, she was leading small groups throughout West Africa, guiding more than 150 African descendants to their ancestral homes. In 2012, Brown formally launched Roots to Glory Tours (rootstoglory.com), which unites African-Americans with long-lost family members in Africa. Brown considers the work her calling. Her motto: “It’s more than a tour; it’s a connection.”

— Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

u Form partnerships.

Visit the continent and connect with organizations that are doing community work there. Working together is key. Then we are partners in making our communities better.

That’s how you make a difference. u Prepare yourself.

A lot of people have to prepare themselves (mentally and emotionally) to visit Africa because there’s been so much misinformation. When they finally get to the continent, there’s something that happens emotionally.

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Experience Biltmore Spend the holidays at this historic mansion

BY NANCY MONSON AND TRACY SCOTT FORSON

WITH ITS PANORAMIC VIEWS of the tapestries from the 16th century and Blue Ridge Mountains, the Biltmore jaw-dropping architecture. Special Estate (biltmore.com) looms large, add-on historical tours of the house both figuratively and literally. This are also available, according to Marissa Jamison, Biltmore’s public Asheville, N.C., icon is a must-see for relations manager. any traveler.

“There are upstairs/ You can visit the downstairs guided estate, located just BILTMORE tours that take you minutes from the HOLIDAY behind the scenes of downtown area, for ATTRACTIONS daily life at Biltmore the day ($50 and up when the Vanderbilts for adults, $25 and lived here — a sort of up for children ages American Downton 6-10) or, better yet, stay Abbey,” she says. There’s at one of the on-site also a rooftop tour hotels: the luxurious Decorated that offers incredible The Inn on Biltmore trees views of the estate and Estate or the more nearby mountains, casual and affordable and you can sign kids Village Hotel. Meals up for a special audio are convenient, too, tour. Alternatively, you given that there are six can take the Legacy of sit-down restaurants the Land motor coach on the grounds, as Varieties of excursion to explore well as a grab-and-go wine the estate’s expansive smokehouse, café, 8,000 acres. bakery, creameries and Through Jan. 6, more to please your palate. For the holidays, guests can enjoy the some restaurants offer estate’s Candlelight special menu items.

Christmas Evening Decorated Of all the attractions Tours (by reservation estate rooms on the estate, the big only), which feature draw is Biltmore House. live Christmas music, Built in 1895, it’s a grand French 55 elaborately trimmed Christmas Renaissance mountain chateau and trees, 150 candles and thousands of America’s largest privately owned twinkling lights, ornaments, wreaths, home (with 250 rooms) that was once ribbons and poinsettias. the residence of George and Edith There’s so much to do on the estate Vanderbilt. that some people buy an annual pass During a self-guided visit (included ($174) to return as often as they wish. in the price of admission), you’ll For those interested in a weekend see peerless art by Pierre-Auguste getaway, here’s how to spend three Renoir, Napoleon’s chess set, ornate days at Biltmore: >

55+

20+

MATTHEW TURLEY; GETTY IMAGES

250

Intricate tapestries with Christmas themes hang near illuminated trees in one of the many rooms at the Biltmore Estate.

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travel

DAY

STROLL THE GROUNDS

1

Enjoying the beautifully manicured Biltmore landscape is always a treat, but the scenic destination offers even more to appreciate during the holiday season. Guests are welcomed by 35 evergreens encircling a 55-foot Norway Spruce decorated with 45,000 lights. More than 200 luminaries line the walkway to the house. “Trees” made of potted plants can be found in the Conservatory; come with questions for Biltmore’s design experts who offer daily seminars on how to decorate for the holidays. At Antler Village, a lively area full of shops and restaurants, Santa Claus makes appearances while carolers and bonfires help usher in the yuletide glee and make the holiday memorable.

TAKE A SPA DAY

The estate is home to a small boutique spa at the Inn at Biltmore. “We try to give our guests a five-star experience,” says Christina Stratton, founding partner of the spa. She recommends the Signature Estate Experience ($295), a 110-minute treatment that includes a gentle full-body exfoliation and warm botanical body wrap, an aromatherapy scalp treatment and a custom massage that feels like a “symphony is playing on your back,” she says. There’s also a 110-minute Rose Petal Facial ($295), which uses extracts from hand-harvested rose petals to revitalize and pamper your skin, and includes exfoliation,

2

DAY

3

a botanical masque and a microcurrent lifting treatment; and the Biltmore Beauty Package ($265), a 150-minute indulgence consisting of a balancing botanical facial and a signature manicure and pedicure.

Biltmore Estate’s spa is only open to guests staying at the Inn, but the nearby The Spa at

Asheville’s Omni Grove Park Inn (omnihotels.com/hotels/ ashevillegrove-park/spa) is available for day passes (call ahead for availability), and it’s a water lover’s paradise that will stun you with its beauty. The 43,000-square-foot subterranean spa features two therapeutic waterfall pools, a lap pool, underwater music and three fireside lounges.

VISIT THE WINERY

Biltmore produces more than 20 different varieties of red, white and rosé wines, and is the most visited winery in the U.S. “Our philosophy is not to specialize in just one type of wine, but many, and to appeal to the novice as well as the experienced wine aficionado,” says Marissa Jamison, Biltmore’s public relations manager. A complimentary wine tasting is included with admission to the estate, and you can purchase tours of the winery, including one that focuses on sparkling wines (champagne), a candelight holiday tour or a Vine to Wine tour that takes you into the estate’s vineyard.

For the holidays, Biltmore Winery is decorated with 7,000 “bubbly” ornaments hanging from the ceiling that give guests the feeling of being inside a bottle of sparkling wine.

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Omni Grove Park Inn

JOHN WARNER (2); PROVIDED BY SPA AT ASHEVILLE’S OMNI GROVE PARK INN

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final act

A Reel Classic Universal offers 3D version of Grinch tale

DR. SEUSS’ HOLIDAY CLASSIC, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, has been a favorite since the book’s debut more than 60 years ago. It’s been reimagined as an animated TV special that airs every December, a live-action film starring Jim Carrey and even

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as a musical (grinchmusical.com).

This November, fans welcomed the latest version of the beloved tale with the 3D-animated film, The Grinch (grinchmovie.com), featuring the voice of actor Benedict Cumberbatch and new songs by rapper and producer

Tyler, the Creator. The latest rendition of Seuss’ masterpiece about a mean-spirited creature’s holiday transformation, conjures up childhood memories for adults and passes on the story’s lesson of Christmas cheer to the next generation of fans.

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