Table of
Contents
Holiday Articles... 5 6-7 8-12 13 14-15 16 18-19 20 22-23 23-24
Glazed Gingerbread Cake Recipe Fun & Festive Holiday Color Schemes 20 Hot Toys For Christmas 2010 Reduce Holiday Stress Jiggly Letter Christmas Cards Puppy Chow Recipe Cool Stocking Stuffer Ideas Holiday Movies for the Whole Family This Season’s Fashions Holiday Cocktails
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Porte Monnaire Tim Pirtle- Attorney Computer Ace Scooterworks Plus Pride Home Center El Papa Accessories Erwin Pawn Inc. Fly-N-Flashy Iron Skillet Consignment Gallery Jones • Cowan Cash For Gold & Jewelry Family Photo Assiter Auctioneers Mattress Express Wal-Mart Tripp’s Harley-Davidson Vintage Living Amarillo Car Audio & Video Trade “In” Post Aqua One Ebby’s Edibles & Getables B&J Welding Supply Stanmart Computers Smoke Shop Antelope Creek Leather The Right Angle Value RV and Auto Sales Lubbock PowerSports Young’s Trailer Sales Sanders Satellite TNM Satellite, RB Const. Music Box Amarillo Hobby House Ace Pest Control Canyon Shadows Trading Co. Willie’s Bayou Grill Pitter Patter Pets Barney’s Auto Service Cheyenne & Arapaho Smoke Shops Eveline River’s Toy Run Calico County Dale’s Pickup Accessories Lawndale Bingo ATX Offroad Custom RV Western Equipment
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Makes: 12 to 16 servings, Prep: 40 minutes Bake: 50 minutes, Cool: 2 hours Ingredients: - 3 cups all-purpose flour - 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon - 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger - 1 teaspoon baking powder - 1 teaspoon baking soda - 1 cup shortening - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar - 2 eggs - 1 cup mild-flavored molasses 1 cup water - 1 cup sifted powdered sugar - 1/4 teaspoon vanilla - Lemon juice - Crystallized ginger strips (optional) Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease a 10-inch fluted tube pan; set aside. 2. Stir together flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
Christmas Review
3. Place shortening in another large mixing bowl; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until fluff y. Add eggs and molasses; beat for 1 minute. Add flour mixture and water alternately to egg mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
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4. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan and cool
Holiday Recipes | Glazed Gingerbread Cake
Glazed Gingerbread Cake...
5. Combine powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Add additional lemon juice, if necessary, for drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cake. If desired, garnish with crystallized ginger strips. Makes 12 to 16 servings.
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Fun & Festive Holiday Color Schemes...
Break out of the red and green rut with pretty holiday color schemes that will wow your guests. Black + White + Green Dress your home in black, white, and green for an unexpected holiday scheme. Add crisp white runners to side chairs and top them with green accent pillows for a pop of color. Finish with a present wrapped in black and white. For added seasonal decor, arrange tree branches in tall glass cylinders filled with rock-salt crystals. Embellish the indoor trees with artificial white doves. Light Blue + Chocolate Take a cue from the frosty weather outside and dress your home in icy blue. Pair it with hot chocolate brown for a modern holiday color scheme. Wrap boxes of varying sizes in blue paper and tie with brown ribbon. Place “presents� around the room for easy decor. Peacock Blue + Kelly Green + Silver For a cool color scheme, mix Kelly green with peacock blue and silver. To create this festive topiary, remove the caps from glass or plastic ball ornaments and attach the ornaments to a foam ball with hot glue. Insert a dowel into the foam ball. Tightly wrap the dowel in ribbon, stopping before you reach the bottom. Fill a hobnail vase or
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other container half-full with modeling clay; insert dowel. Top clay with marbles. Cobalt + Orange Blue is a popular holiday color, especially for Hanukkah, so kick it up a notch with orange. Dress gifts in blue wrapping paper and ribbons made from orange rickrack. If you have trouble finding orange wrapping paper, use scrapbooking paper -- it’s available in a bevy of colors year-round. Pink + Green Typically thought of as a springtime combination, pink and green will add cheer to your home during dreary winter months. For this bright centerpiece, place a metallic bottle-brush tree in a heavy planter, weight as necessary with rocks or gravel, then cover the base with fake moss. Sapphire + Emerald + Gold Rich jewel tones are perfect for celebrations, and what’s a bigger celebration than the holidays? Sapphire blue and emerald green are both regal and festive. Wrap boxes in various sizes with these jewel tones. Adorn wrapped boxes with sapphire, emerald, or gold ribbons, Alternate between mixed and tone-on-tone combinations as well as silk, satin, and sheer wire-ribbon styles. Place decorative boxes around the room.
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Gift Ideas | Top 20 Hot Toys This Season! 8
20 Hot Toys For Christmas 2010...
of stability and range with every shot, and the shield is actually removable. With real sighting technology involved, as well as clips that hold 18 darts each, this isn’t Every year, an entirely new crop of kids playthings are introthe NERF you remember. The only real duced to the market with the hope that they’ll fast rise to the drawback is at six required “D” batteries top for the holiday season. This year is no exception. Here are for that special holiday morning shootjust a few of the hot toys for Christmas 2010. out, you’re certain to gasp at both the price and the ongoing power consumpXBOX Kinect tion to keep your child happy. Unlike its predecessor the Wii, this one simply attaches to your current LEGO Board Games XBOX. Also unlike it’s Nintendo Among the best toys this year are Lego’s companion, there aren’t real controllers. It’s wholly voice-activated, line of board games which includes more and thanks to a 3-D camera and the than ten choices, many of them tied to microphones that come with the syssome of the best movies including Toy tem, players are inside the games themselves. Story, Star Wars, and Harry Potter. Coming in at fairly affordable prices, most Fisher-Price iXL parents are big fans of these choices. It offers functions to help your little one develop skills within the world of Sing-A-Ma-Jigs reading comprehension skills, early Plush choices, they sing every single time numeracy skills, creativity, phonics, you squeeze one, and when you put them writing, and even spelling. It’s not only together, they work with each other to fun for them, but the smart choice to recreate great songs. Each, of course, help with kindergarten readiness. has its own song that it belts out a note at a time including When the Saints go NERF N-Strike Stampede ECS Blaster Marching In, and Oh Suzanna. The handle morphs into a bipod so your child can get a bit
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vTech MobiGo Aimed at kids ages 3 – 5, it’s one of many that fall into the category of video new toys. 2010 may have lots of interactive choices, but this one offers a flip out QWERTY keyboard as well as very playable learning games with a touch-sensitive screen. Imaginext Bigfoot the Monster Heavy enough to deter your little one from carrying him, Bigfoot comes with a tot-friendly remote control so he can stomp around the house with your little one. He’s fully rechargeable, and most little consumers will love the fact that he can not only walk both backward and forward, but he can also do flips, breathe, and even burp, all to the delight of any three to five year old child. FurReal Friends Furry Frenzies Coming in at around the same size as the Zhu-Zhu, there are many more animal options here including dogs, bunnies, raccoons, cats, squirrels, and hedgehogs. They each make cute little noises, and there are all sorts of add-on accessories that will prove essential to any collection. With houses, playsets, and even great outfits, maybe they can make a lasting peace with the robotic hamster next door.
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Fisher-Price Dance Star Mickey Mov eover Elmo...it’s Mickey! It not only has the ability to walk, talk, and dance, but it can do several other things to help keep your child entertained. From playing games with your little one to offering a variety of different musical styles, it only takes tapping his foot to get him started. LEGO Harry Potter Sets The new LEGO sets featuring this character, his school, and all of his friends is only going to help introduce more kids to the phenomenal series of books. From the Hogwarts Castle to Hagrid’s Hut to the Quiddich Field, any little fan is likely to find hours of enjoyment out of building and playing with the many possible creations.
website for further analysis. It can hold quite a bit of information too! Halo Reach A first person shooter game that was created for the XBOX 360, players here get to be Noble, as they try to fight off the Covenant. It features a complex plot as well as many more unscripted responses when it comes to encountering the enemy. It is essential to note, however, that this choice is for older players only, as it’s rated M for both blood and violence throughout the game. Squinkies Very small, there are even accessories so your child can build an entire world including a gumball machine so parents can load new Squinkies and control the level of access a child has to them. They’re a simple way to reward your child. They even come in bubble packs of 16, making them an economical choice.
My Pillow Pets These are not just great stuffed animals, but they can serve as the perfect car or naptime pillow too. With choices like a unicorn, a lady- vTech V.Reader bug, a puppy, a dolphin, a penguin, It not only has touch screen capabilities, but and even a monkey. narrators, different character voices, and a variety of great illustrations. It also has interactive Spy Net Video Watch features to help with reading comprehension Perfect for that upcoming secret mission, levels. Because you can download new content it’s wearable, and your little spy can record onto this choice, it’s a far better selection than video or audio from it, then upload it to a yesterday’s book and cartridge sets.
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Zoobles When placed on magic spots within their tiny homes, they literally pop up into whole characters. These have a number of available accessories including a number of different playsets so they can interact with each other in your child’s imagination. Stinky the Garbage Truck A robo vehicle that does more than just drive around hauling trash, he can also talk and tell jokes to your child. He can sing or “eat” garbage, giving your child a sense of amazement as Stinky realizes whether he’s full or empty. That garbage your child feeds him can consist of anything from other toy cars to several tiny toys. Kung Zhu Pets They come in two different teams – Special Forces and Ninja Warriors – and each has playsets and accessories to help them engage in battle. Your child can use the playsets to help ‘train’ their Kung Zhu to beat the other team within the battle arena.
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New LEGO Star Wars Sets With the ever popular Clone Wars cartoon still on the ‘best animation series’ list for many children under twelve, the LEGO company continues to make great sets to enhance playability. From the hot new Hoth Wampa Cave to the giant AT-AT Walker, little ones are sure to get excited about the sets, the mini figures, and the exciting battle scenes that are likely to become part of your playroom floor in the near future. Loopz Game An updated version of Simon Says that children of all ages are certain to enjoy. It involves speed, hand-eye coordination, and even memory to help enhance the longevity of this family game night addition. Consisting of four different loops, players have to move their hands through the rings as the patterns come out. It only gets more complicated as time goes on, and there are seven different ways to play. This year has lots of great choices, and these are just a few of the ones that are likely to make the list of every single morning show in the coming months before the big holiday buying season begins to hit.
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A 1997 Gallup poll found that 29 percent of Americans found the Christmas holidays more stressful than enjoyable. It’s doubtful these numbers have gone down much in the last ten years, but you do not need to let stress ruin your holidays! Who Cares About the Jones Don’t worry about what other people are getting their kids for Christmas. Don’t worry that the neighbors across the street already have their lights up. Don’t worry that the cookies you are bringing to the cookie exchange are store-bought. You and your family need to decide where you want to spend your time and money this holiday season and don’t worry about what anyone else is doing. Give Yourself the Gift of Time You can also give yourself the gift of time by cutting out activities no one really enjoys. Ask everyone in you family to pick on or two Christmas activities they really enjoy, and then focus on getting those activities done. Let everything else go. Set a Budget and Stick to It Extra expenses can certainly make you feel stressed out. Don’t judge the success of your Christmas by the number of packages under the tree. If you have a large family you buy presents for, suggest some ways to help reduce costs for everyone: - Buy gifts just for the children - Draw names so everyone buys a gift for only one person - Set a limit on the cost of gifts - Give homemade gifts When you do go shopping for gifts, shop early in the Christmas season to avoid the last-minute crowds. Also consider shopping online. Many retailers offer free shipping during the holidays.
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Cook Up Some Memories So many memories involve food! Food plays a very important role in Christmas celebrations, from cookies to candies to Christmas dinners. Even if you enjoy baking, it can be hard to find time to get it done at Christmas. Set aside a marathon baking day with a friend. You enjoy special time together, and at the end of the day, you split all the goodies. Or have a cookie exchange with a group of friends, where everyone brings a treat and
you all share the goodies. Instead of enjoying the children playing with their new toys, are you busy in the kitchen peeling potatoes? Get yourself out of the kitchen this year: - Start a new tradition and change your menu. A crock pot full of soup, tacos, or lasagna can make a great Christmas meal. You don’t have to eat turkey or ham. - If you do want a more traditional meal, make it a potluck and ask people to bring items. - Order some items from a restaurant or grocery store. Take Care of Yourself You know the rules for taking care of yourself – get enough sleep, eat right, exercise, drink plenty of water. It’s just following the rules that is tough. The busier you are, though, the more important it is that you take care of yourself. You won’t be any good to anyone if you get sick.
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Holiday Tips | Ways to Reduce Stress Duging Holidays
Reduce Holiday Stress...
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Jiggling Letter Christmas Cards...
Put some fun into a merry greeting with card stock and letters glued on ribbon. Let your kids have some of the holiday crafting fun with this easy-to-make jumbo greeting card. The die-cut letters are attached to the front of the card with ribbon so they wiggle as you read it. Materials and Tools: - Pencil - Ruler - Scissors - 8-1/2-x-11-inch sheet of patterned card stock - Glue stick - 3-1/4-x-7-3/4-inch rectangle of coordinating scrapbook paper - 1/8-inch hole punch - 14-inch length of 1/8-inch-wide ribbon or cording - Clear tape - Sets of large and slightly smaller letters to spell the desired words (Note: Select letters of the same typeface so that when stacked, the larger letters will form an outline around the smaller letters.) - Tacky crafts glue - Toothpicks - Colored business-size envelope
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Instructions: 1. Cut an 8-x-8-1/2-inch rectangle from the patterned card stock. Fold the rectangle in half to make a 4-x-8-1/2-inch card. 2. Use the glue stick to mount the 3-1/4-x-7-3/4-inch rectangle of paper to the front of the card. 3. Use the hole punch to make holes in the card front about 1/2 inch below the top center and 1/2 inch above the bottom center. With the ribbon on the front of the card, thread the ribbon ends through the holes. Tape the ribbon ends in place on the inside of the card. 4. Arrange the letters on the front of the card so there’s an equal amount of space between them. Glue the large letters to the ribbon, being careful not to glue the letters to the front of the card. Use a toothpick to apply a small amount of glue to each letter. Then glue the small letters, centered, on the large letters. If you like, you can glue the large letters under the ribbon and the small letters on top of the ribbon. When you glue the letters together, the ribbon will be sandwiched between them. Let the glue dry. Then use the colorful envelope for giving.
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Puppy Chow Recipe...
This is the original puppy chow recipe that kids love. It’s a tasty sweet snack that’s super easy to make. Peanut butter and chocolate are a great combination, and the addition of crispy cereal makes this the perfect blend of flavors and textures. This is a great snack for after school, movie nights, or any time you want to make a special treat that takes almost no time to make. Ingredients: 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/4 cup butter 1 cup chocolate chips 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 9 cups Crispix cereal (any flavor) 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar Instructions: 1. Combine peanut butter, butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. 2. Microwave for one minute then stir to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Stir well. 3. Place the 9 cups of Crispix cereal in a very large bowl. 4. Pour the peanut butter-chocolate mixture over the cereal and toss evenly, making sure all the cereal gets a good covering. 5. Coat with powdered sugar, sprinkling evenly over the cereal and tossing as you sprinkle to cover each piece well.
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Cool Stocking Stuffer Ideas...
Fill your holiday with tradition and your stockings with tiny treasures. Lore has it that long ago, Dutch children would leave shoes out for St. Nicholas to fill with goodies; that is, until Washington Irving wrote a story in 1809 describing how children would hang stockings out instead. The Dutch, being quick to recognize a trend, changed their custom. Stocking Stuffers for Adults Keep the tradition alive by filling someone’s stocking with one of these nifty gifts. - Address/date book - Bath salts and spa items - Bookmark - Camera - Candles - Card games - CDs/DVDs - Cell phone or accessories - Chocolates and candy - Cookies - Memberships to a zoo or museum - Gift certificates - Golf balls or other hobby goodies - Hand warmers
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- Jewelry - Magazine subscription - Movie tickets - Organizer - Ornaments - Picture frame/photos - Puzzles - Scarves and gloves - Snow globes - Soaps - Socks/slippers - Stationery or note cards - Tickets to a concert or sports event
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Little Fockers...
Yogi Bear...
The test of wills between Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) and Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) escalates to new heights. It has taken 10 years, two little Fockers with wife Pam (Polo) and countless hurdles for Greg to finally get “in” with his tightly wound father-in-law, Jack. After the cashstrapped dad takes a job moonlighting for a drug company, however, Jack’s suspicions about his favorite male nurse come roaring back.
Opens November 24, 2010 Genres: Fairy Tales & Legends, Children’s/Family When the kingdom’s most wanted—and most charming—bandit Flynn Rider (voice of Zachary Levi) hides out in a mysterious tower, he’s taken hostage by Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore), a beautiful and feisty towerbound teen with 70 feet of magical , golden hair. Flynn’s curious captor, who’s looking for her ticket out of the tower where she’s been locked away for years, strikes a deal with the handsome thief and the unlikely duo sets off on an action-packed escapade.
Opens December 22, 2010
Gulliver’s Travels...
Opens December 17, 2010 Genres: Fantasy Adventure, Family-Oriented Comedy Opens December 22, 2010 Hanna-Barbera’s beloved picnic-basket-stealing bear makes his Genres: Fantasy Adventure, big-screen debut. Brad Copeland Comedy provides the screenplay, which This take on the timeless tale centers around a documentary revolves around a shipwrecked crew (headed by Anna Faris) as journalist (Jack Black) who disthey delve into the goings-on of covers an island in the heart of Jellystone Park, home to Yogi the the Bermuda Triangle where he Bear and Boo Boo (voiced by Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberis the biggest occupant in comlake). parison to it’s tiny inhabitants.
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At The Movies | Holiday Movies For The Whole Family
Tangled...
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Fall Fashions | For Yourself or as a Gift
This Season’s Fashions
stopping cocktail dresses! Polished minimalism with a sharper focus on design, silhouette and urbane conviction.
Look great for the fall/winter season or get ideas on what to Geometric Symphony get the women in your life for Christmas. From equilateral to scalene, isosceles to obtuse and beyond, designers are beginning to work their Faux Fur-volution magic by incorporating geometric elements into Fall 2010 has been infiltrated with a medley the fall collections. Vibrant kaleidoscope of colors of fur looks. From plush overall coats to lusand eclectic designs are great ways to oomph up cious fur trimmings, this trend is in a furry your fall ensemble. pursuit to dominate the runway! Boy-Meets-Girl It’s been a booming runway season for menswear inspired apparel this fall. As a rule of thumb, one should keep it simple and stick to the classics. It’s the chicest and most flattering way to go. For the more adventurous, try adding feminized elements such as embellished jewelry and patterned wedges to masterfully achieve the beautiful juxtaposition of masculinity and femininity. Feminine Lace This season, lace is adorning everything from blouses, dresses to handbags. You’ll be in love with the modern touches on lace as it is able to showcase the illusion of sheerness and yet bring across timeless ladylike sophistication.
Haute Hardware Leather is a prevalent staple this season. We love how leather screams “suaveness”, “resilience”....and best of all, the concept of masculine conviction. Toughen up this fall with one of these leather must-haves. 60s Inspired Say hello to fuller skirts and longer hemlines this fall as modernized sixties are beginning to waltz down retail storefronts. The 60s focuses alot on silhouettes and preppy chic accessories that borders along vintage. Try highlighting these key elements to amp up your style repertoire.
Velvet Dreams The luxurious, plushness of this fabric has redeSheer Tranquility Play peek-a-boo this fall with these show- fined this season styles to a completely new level.
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To work this trend right, it is important to choose anything but frumpy...think sleek, sultry and sumptuous. Voluminous Hoodies & Capes Gone are the days of skinny, slim, sleek ensemble! Oversize, slouchy fashion is here to stay this season. Relaxed fit blanket, coats, hoods, capes and jackets are not only luscious but extremely functional to help combat the cold. Choose superneutral and earthy color palettes to incorporate this trend in your wardrobe.
Holiday Cocktails... Gingerbread Apple Cocktail
2 oz. Domaine de Canton 1 oz. vanilla vodka 2.5 oz. apple cider A few drops of lemon juice Orange zest Agave syrup Line a chilled martini glass lightly with agave syrup on a dish followed by spiced graham cracker crumbs. Place all ingredients except for orange zest in a shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into glass. Freshly grate orange zest on drink and serve immediately.
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Baileys Spiced Coffee
2 oz. Baileys with a Hint of Coffee 1 oz. pear-flavored liqueur Layer pear-flavored liqueur first. Then top with Baileys with a Hint of coffee. Garnish with nutmeg and a grind of seasoned pepper, and enjoy.
Cozy PAMA Cider
2 oz. PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur 3 oz. hot mulled apple cider Cinnamon Superfine sugar Orange spiral Heat glass; rim with cinnamon and superfine sugar. Add PAMA and hot mulled apple cider. Garnish with orange spiral.
Cranberry Spice
1 oz. Domaine de Canton 1/2 oz. Cabernet Sauvignon 1/2 oz. Chambord 2 oz. cranberry juice Shake well with ice. Use 3 cranberries for garnish.
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