December 2004

1716 LOCUST

Celebrate the Holidays!

SUBMIT YOUR VOTE FOR HOLIDAY DECORATIONS

CUSTOMER SERVICE ON BHG.COM

December

'TIS THE SEASON TO DRESS THE HOUSE IN RICH TONES, LUXE RIBBONS, AND VINTAGE TOUCHES.

The more, the merrier

TOO MANY PEOPLE IN THE KITCHEN MEANS LOTS OF NOISE AND COMMOTION. THIS FAMILY WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY.

GIFTS FOR GROUPS

If finding the perfect gift for the many members of your clubs, circles, or groups finds you out of fresh ideas, try these clever, cost-conscious presents that are as fun to make and give as they are to receive. Best of all, you don't have to fret over who gets what-- everyone gets the same kind of treatment.

WINTER DREAMSCAPE

LACKING SNOW AND ICE, A CALIFORNIAN GOES THE NEXT BEST ROUTE: CLOAKING HER GARDEN IN WINTRY SILVER AND WHITE HUES.

BEARING MEMORIES

GIVING CHEER

WARM WISHES

GET COZY

NEW SPIN ON WRAPPING

HOLIDAYS BY CANDLELIGHT

COUNT ON CANDLES TO CREATE CAPTIVATING AND INEXPENSIVE FOCAL POINTS FOR YOUR HOLIDAY GATHERINGS. USE THESE IDEAS TO ILLUMINATE YOUR GATHERINGS WITH CHEER.

Nostalgic Sweets

SMALL PLATES BIG FUN

HANUKKAH GOLD

SERVING UP NEW STYLE

TAG, YOUR GIFT IS IT

GIFTS FOR ALL SEASONS

SELECTED ESPECIALLY FOR OUR READERS, THESE GIFT IDEAS MAKE YOUR SHOPPING EASY-- WHATEVER THE SEASON.

WHAT'S IN SANTA'S SACK?

FROM HOT TOYS TO COOL GADGETS, HERE'S A ROUNDUP OF THE SEASON'S BEST PLAYTHINGS.

A TOUCH OF THE Season

AT THEIR HOME IN OREGON, ROBIN AND BOB ENDRES SHARE A HOLIDAY APPROACH THAT'S AS RELAXED AS THEIR WATERFRONT ENVIRONS.

A New Look for Poinsettias

DECKED OUT IN FESTIVE NEW HUES, THE FAMILIAR FLOWER OF CHRISTMAS TAKES THE LEAD IN YOUR HOLIDAY DECOR.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

A FAMILY IN WACCABUC, NEW YORK, CREATES A LIFETIME OF OLD-FASHIONED MEMORIES IN THEIR RENOVATED 18TH-CENTURY COLONIAL-STYLE FARMHOUSE.

SWEET CUTOUTS

STAR-CROSSED DESSERT

SLOW COOKING

WREATH OF COOKIES

TAMALE-MAKING KIT

THE GREAT COOKIE EXCHANGE

Let's get one thing straight. Karen and Linda's cookie exchange party is not for the faint of heart. Anyone who's attended the annual invitation-only event-- at the home of Karen Peters or Linda Sullivan-- knows the rules.

GLASS ACT

USE YOUR FAVORITE GLASSES TO SERVE UP DELIGHTFUL LITTLE STARTERS AND DESSERTS.

CITRUS MATTERS

In winter, citrus fruits are one of the best sources of fresh flavor and nutrition. They add a bright, almost flowerlike, note to food and deliver an acidic tang. And, adding a splash of juice or a handful of chopped fruit to your favorite dish boosts vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps the body's cells resist damage. Consequently, it may play a role in preventing cancer and cardiovascular disease.

A HIT OF A GIFT

WRAPPED IN THE SEASON'S SOOTHING SCENT

Ever wonder why the smell of a fresh-cut Christmas tree sweeps you up in such pleasurable reveries? "Scent is the most powerful sense you have," says Kathleen Duffy, a nurse and clinical aromatherapist in Chicopee, Massachusetts. "It evokes wonderful memories of past holidays."

BEAT YOUR KID (IN SPORTS)

Your child challenges you to a Ping-Pong power match. You know you can clobber the young upstart. But should you?

BECOMING WOMEN

BOTTOMS UP

SWIMMING WITH THE FISHES

Poach OR Pitch

FOOD EXPIRATION DATES AREN'T ALWAYS THE DECIDING FACTOR.

The Shopper Mart

Discover the ease and pleasure of shopping mail. Order with comfort and convenience ... your own home.

SHARING THE SEASON

Each year for the past six, my husband John, son Andrew and I have awakened on Christmas morning in a house where there is no tree, no stockings over the fireplace, no turkey cooking in the oven. The friends we stay with are Jewish.