Cooglife Holiday by The Cougar

Issue 20 / / December 2017

ISSUE 11

/ /

OCTOBER 2016

/ /

FASHION

COOGLIFE // NOVEMBER 2017

Content

6 New Year’s Eve Outﬁts 8 Toys for Tots 10 Alton Dulaney Gift Wrapping 12 Black Friday Guide 13 Houston Winter Hacks 14 Advent Calendar the team EDITORIAL Julie Araica, EXECUTIVE EDITOR arts@thedailycougar.com 713-743-5302

Letter from the Editor

he Holidays have always been a bitterweet time for me. Sure the Chistmas music is nice and all, and so are the decorations at the mall. Just when you thought you’d be getting that one expensive gift you’ve had on your wishlist for years, you don’t. You made plans to meet up with friends and do something Holiday related, but things don’t fall through. You shower yourself in luxurious gifts and perhaps lose what I think is the biggesst Holiday takeaway of all — to give back. 4

COOGLIFE // NOVEMBER 2017

If you’re not using this time of the year to give back to the food bank, the children in need or even to victims of Harvey, I think that no amount of gifts you receive will ﬁll the empty void in your heart as the winter wind grows colder. The Holidays are a fun and festive time, so spend them with family, treat yourself and those you care about, but remember to give back.

Karin Keller, ASSISTANT EDITOR artsassist@thedailycougar.com Erin Davis, ASSISTANT EDITOR artsassist2@thedailycougar.com

DESIGN Sonny Singh, CREATIVE DIRECTOR ame@thedailycougar.com

WRITING Ana Gonzalez Dana C. Jones

PHOTOGRAPHY Thom Dwyer. PHOTO EDITOR Tiﬀany Brown

RADIO Greg Fails

VIDEO Reem Al-bishah. PRODUCER

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Julie Araica, Executive Editor

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The Ultimate Guide to BlACK fRIDAY AND CYBER MONDAY BY KARIN KELLER

3 Steps to maneuvering your way around the shopping mayhem 1. DO YOUR RESEARCH

The first step to any sensible shopping expedition is to do your research. Research is what you do for a paper, not shopping, right? Well, I guarantee that you will save an insane amount by doing some minor research before your next shopping escapade. Figure out what you need and what you want to buy, and always prioritize your shopping cart by what you’re willing to spend the most money on. Make separate lists for yourself and ones for any gifts you might be searching for so you don’t get them mixed up, especially if you have doubles of an item. Once you’ve finalized your list, remembering to put the most important items at the top, look for the model or type you want then read reviews and look into sizing charts to find out more about the item. When you know exactly what you want, look into what stores have that item, at what price, if they price match and if they are participating in a Black Friday sale.

2. CREATE AN ACTION PLAN Photo courtesy of Pexel

Is Black Friday even worth it?

I’ll admit, I’m not a huge fan of Black Friday and I really don’t get the point of it. I’d much rather spend Thursday night eating my weight in Thanksgiving food and passing out than worry about getting to the mall or waiting in line for hours to get the best deal. You can type the question above into google and the majority of the responses will be a resounding “no.” Most of the deals you’re getting still aren’t as good as their online counterparts meaning you’re essentially spending more money and giving yourself a migraine in the process. Not to mention all the yummy yummy food you’re missing out on. Some things are worth the hassle — items like TVs, video games, furniture and appliances have the highest percentage of savings. Unfortunately, they’re also the most difficult to get. We’ve all seen the lines outside of Best Buy hours before they open for Black Friday.

COOGLIFE // NOVEMBER 2017

The best places to hit up

If you’re going Black Friday Shopping with nothing particular in mind, I would recommend going to an outlet mall— specifically the one off of 290. It’s an outdoor mall meaning it has more space and they’re all outlet stores so any discount you get is extra. Moreover, they have a bunch of luxury brands so if you’re looking to splurge I’d check here first; David Yurman, Furla, Burberry and Tory Burch are just some of the amazing stores they have at this mall. They also have an array of more sensible options if you don’t want to spend quite as much. An expert tip, if you’re a fan of Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters or Free People know that they price adjust. What does this mean you ask? Well, if you buy anything from these stores and it goes on sale within 14 days of purchase they will give you back the difference. So stop by the week before Black Friday and drop back in the week after to get the discounted prices of the items without actually having to deal with Black Friday shoppers. I will say that none of the stores have particularly amazing sales going on but it’s still well

Step number two is to figure out a plan of action — what malls do you want to hit and in what order? — this is crucial to using your time efficiently. I recommend going to storefronts that either aren’t part of closed mall or stores you can get into without actually having to go through the mall. For stores like Best Buy and Target this isn’t really an issue, but other stores like Macy’s and Dillard’s can be harder to get around. Big department stores like Macy’s are the only clothing stores usually worth the hassle, so make sure you go to one with an outside entrance so you don’t have to brave the crowded hallways in a mall.

3. COME PREPARED

Step number three, go prepared. Remember to wear comfortable shoes because you will be walking and standing a lot. Also bring a bag you can comfortably carry with a zipper on it to make sure no one steals anything amidst the chaos. I’d also recommend taking some water or something to drink because you’re not going to want to look for something during the craziness. Lastly, bring some bags for all of your goods — this is crucial. For the most part you’re helping the environment and if that doesn’t get you going bringing your own bags means you can probably put them over your shoulder and they will have thicker straps meaning you won’t have to loose all circulation in your lower arms and risk not being able to swipe your card at the next store.

Beyond the donation bins — how ‘Toys for Tots’ makes a difference STORY BY ANA GONZALEZ // ART BY ERIN DAVIS

A handcrafted Raggedy Ann Doll was what Diane Hendricks gave to her husband Bill Hendricks. She told him to deliver the doll to an organization that could give it to a child in need on Christmas day. Her husband couldn’t ﬁnd a place that provided this service. That is when he decided that he would fulﬁll that need.

With the help of members of the Marine Corps Reserve Unit, Marine Reserve Major Hendricks collected and distributed 5,000 toys to children of the Los Angeles area during the Christmas of 1947. The rest is history. The following year, Toys for Tots expanded nationwide and

now Marines at each Reserve Center collect and distribute toys to nearby communities. Today, Toys for Tots serves over 600 communities in the US including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. On three occasions, it Story continued on page 11

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TOP TEN

X ways to get in the holiday spirit in houston

written by karin keller

art by julie araica

While the people of Houston probably won’t be experiencing the white Christmas most of us d r e a m o f, t h a t d o e s n ’ t m e a n w e c a n ’ t g e t i n t h e holiday spirit.

When we look at Christmas on TV, we always see falling snow, people going to Christmas Tree farms, people wearing fluffy coats and people drinking steaming cups of hot chocolate. Put on a fluffy coat and drink a hot chocolate in the Houston weather and you might as well sign yourself up for a potential heat stroke. That being said, here are a few ways to make it feel a bit more like Christmas.

christmas tree

A holiday classic, you can’t do Christmas without a Christmas tree. While some people opt for in imitation tree, nothing is as good as the real thing. If you don’t have the space for a full sized tree, just get a personal one and dress it up. They do require some cleanup and you need to remember to water them, but regardless they’re worth the little bit of hassle.

candles

A common solution, candles can solve a variety of problems and they come in a variety of scents. Pick up some musky scents, cinnamon, pumpkin or ones that smell like Christmas trees so your whole house smells like Christmas. If you’re not a fan of candles or worried you might accidentally burn down the house, get some diffusers or plug-ins. I’d recommend going to Bath and Body Works or Anthropologie for all your candle needs. baked goods Baking is hands down the yummiest way to make it feel like Christmas at home. Not only do you end up with a sweet treat in the end, your house ends up smelling like whatever you’ve just baked along the way. My favorite suggestions have to be pumpkin pie, pecan pie or just about anything with anise.

hot chocolate

Even though drinking hot chocolate on a hot day might make you sweat,

COOGLIFE // NOVEMBER 2017

when the temperature does get a little cooler it’s a must. If you’re impatient like me, just crank your AC down to 65 and make some homemade hot chocolate— I promise its well worth the hassle of making it yourself.

fuzzy blankets

Nothing feels as cozy as wrapping yourself up in your fluffiest blanket and putting on your fuzziest socks on while you lounge around your house. Much like the hot chocolate, you can wait for it to get cold or just crank your AC to freezing and pretend.

fairy lights

christmas movies

Who doesn’t love fairy lights? One of the best parts of the season is walking down the streets where every square inch of foliage is covered in Christmas lights. Turn your room into Highland Village and wrap your bed, bookshelves and whatever else in twinkling lights. You can get these just about anywhere but I’d recommend getting them from target or a clothing or furniture store because the standard ones have thick green chords that can be distracting. Everyone has a favorite Christmas movie, unless you hate Christmas in which case you probably shouldn’t even be reading this article. So, pop your favorite Christmas movie into your TV or watch it on your laptop and revel in the Christmas spirit. In the case that you don’t have a movie of preference, put on the Hallmark channel and

enjoy an almost nauseating amount of cheesy Christmas movies.

read a book

go ice skating

My favorite pastime during the holidays is reading because during the school year I never seem to have the time. Curl up in bed with your favorite wintery novel and get to reading. There aren’t any Christmasy books I can recommend but I always reach for fantasy reads — The Magicians, Uprooted, A Court of Thrones and Roses and The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender to name a few. What better way to make it feel like Christmas in Houston than by spending the weekend ice skating? If you’d prefer an indoor rink, the Galleria and Memorial Mall both have ice skating rinks open year round, but if you prefer a more outdoorsy ambiance, Discovery Green offers an ice skating rink as well. The park debuts its winter season Nov. 18 with “Frostival,” so check it out if you have the chance!

10.

see the nutcracker

Each year, the Houston Ballet presents the Nutcracker all during the month of December. The beautiful dancing and festive music of this holiday class is sure to put you in the Christmas mood.

Story from page 9 international. The first time was in Nagoya, Japan in 1959 when a typhoon struck the city and left it devastated. The second time was in Panama in 1988 after its invasion, and the Caribbean in 1989 following Hurricane Hugo. The organization tries its best to comfort children in times of grief. During the first week of December 2001, they brought in all of the children who had lost a parent during the 9/11 attacks. Houston is one of many cities that collaborates with this program to spread happiness during the holiday season. Houston Children’s Charity has worked with Toys for Tots since 2009, and in 2010 the George R. Brown Convention Center was host to the first toy distribution between Toys for Tots and the Houston Children’s Charity. This Houston organization has helped kids throughout the last years in many ways. Some of the programs they have are the “Limbs for Life” program where the organization provides free prosthetic

devices to families with children who have lost a limb. Another initiative is their “Back2School” program that provides children school supplies, so that they can start off their school year without any worries. In total, Houston Children’s Charity has helped more than 3 million children through their services. “(Our programs) have created a mutually beneﬁcial relationship where the Marines coordinate the bulk of the toy donations and Houston Children’s Charity provides a list of pre-approved and vetted clients who need assistance,” said Caitlyn Pesl, a Houston Children’s Charity spokesperson Pesl said that they receive around 80,000 toys a year, and distribute it to approximately 20,000 children throughout the Greater Houston Area. Some of the biggest collaborators are businesses who sign up to become a dropoff location. According, to the Toys for Tots website, businesses need to sign up on

their website, and state why they want they want to be a drop-off location. Then a coordinator will contact them for more information and/or arrangements. “Because of Harvey, HCC’s list of children who are in need of assistance will increase heavily. However, because of HCC’s strong donor and volunteer support, we are well prepared to accommodate this increase,” Pesl said. In addition, Houston Children’s Charity has set up a fund for all the families that were displaced during the hurricane along with Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa. Their goal is to raise $500,000 to provide 5,000 beds for children and families who lost everything during the storm. In order to request a toy, families must sign up on the Houston Children’s Charity website and ﬁll out a form which opens on Sept. 1. Donations begin collecting during October. Regarding the annual toy distribution, the event is set to take place at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Dec. 22 and 23.

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The “ART” of gift wrapping with Alton Dulaney BY JULIE ARAICA After winning the Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper competition back in 2008, UH Katherine McGovern College of the Arts graduate Alton Dulaney has become the world’s most famous gift wrapper. Dulaney entered the competition after the paper craft company he was working for at the time encouraged him to. He won, and that same day he was flown out to Los Angeles, Ca. to be on a talk show. Since then, Dulaney has made numerous media appearances to show off his gift wrapping skills on shows such as the Rachel Ray Show and the CBS Sunday Morning Show. When deciding how to wrap a gift, Dulaney’s mantra is to think about “present and presentation.” He believes in the power of adding custom touches to gifts, such as ornaments in place of a bow, a bookmark to go along with a book and creating customized gift wrapping to really create a cohesive theme for a gift. In the gallery below, Dulaney teaches us his techniques for wrapping the perfect “traditional” gift. Once you have a good grasp of the basics, head over to our website and check out Dulaney’s techniques for wrapping a book and wrapping a tubular gift.

STEP 1: Start with gift face down

STEP 2: Bring one side of the gift over to the other side

STEP 3: Fold the top flap in to create a crisp edge

STEP 4: Fold both flap inward

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STEP 5: Fold both ﬂaps inward again to create a triangle

STEP 6: Tape both ﬂaps in with gift wrapping tape

STEP 7: Add bow, bottom on top to avoid bumps

STEP 8: Tie bow and done.

To see more of Alton Dulaney’s gift wrapping techniques, check out this story on our website at cooglife.com.

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