Let Them Eat Doughnuts!

In many parts of the world, the foods eaten on New Year's Eve and New Years Day have important symbolic meanings.

For financial prosperity the type of food served is usually round to represent coins. Often, the dish will be round beans, like lentils, that will expand when it cooks, symbolizing expanding fortunes.

Many cultures believe anything in the shape of a ring is good luck because it symbolizes "coming full circle" - completing a year's cycle.

Another symbol involves eating sweet food in order to have a sweet year. In some countries people even bake a coin into a sweet cake and the person who gets the coin in his/her slice will have good luck throughout the year.

This New Year’s, why don’t you serve your guests doughnuts with their champagne at midnight and cover all the bases… prosperity, coming full circle, and sweet experiences all year!

Happy New Year!!!

Vivian

Kiss me under the... Kissletoe!?

HERSHEY'S Chocolate Kisses and Mistletoe = Kissletoe!

What better way to make Mistletoe than with Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses?! Make a few and hang them for your celebration, then let guests take them home as favors after the party!

The image above was taken at Hershey’s Holiday Cookie Baking Party on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at Robert Verdi’s Luxe Laboratory here in New York City.

Hershey’s Kisses Chocolate Kissletoe

Materials Needed:
• Three-inch Styrofoam balls
• Wired ribbon
• Hershey’s Kisses Chocolates
• Glue (non-toxic craft glue, glue stick, or confectioners’ glue)

Assembly:
1. Using a pen or pencil, push through each ball to make a hole through the center of the ball (from end to end).

2. Feed the ribbon through the first ball and tie a knot at the bottom.

3. Leave a couple of inches of ribbon above the first ball and tie another knot. Then feed the ribbon through the second ball setting it on the second knot. Finally, leave several inches of ribbon and then tie a bow at the top.

4. Using a hot glue gun, glue Hershey’s Kisses Chocolate on each ball. Once dry, you can hang your Kissletoe by the bow end.


HERSHEY'S KISSES Chocolates Sweet Menorah

Materials Needed:
• One 9 x 1-inch foam disc
• 2 yards (1 inch wide) blue ribbon
• Two 10-inch silver foil doilies
• Glue (low heat gun, glue stick or confectioners' glue)
• One 4 x 2-inch foam disc
• Aluminum foil
• 10 bamboo skewers
• 2 bags (13 oz each) HERSHEY'S KISSES Chocolates wrapped in silver foil
• 9 (1-inch diameter) silver foil candy cups
• 3 sheets blue construction paper
• 18 HERSHEY KISSES Brand Chocolates, wrapped in red foil

Assembly:
1. To create base of Menorah, cut 9 x 1-inch foam disk in half. Glue blue ribbon along the curved outsized edges of each half disk. Cover the flat side of each half disk by folding one silver doily over each half, lining up the curved edges; secure with glue.

2. Cover 4x2-inch disk with foil; glue blue ribbon around outside edge.

3. To assemble Menorah, place one half disk flat on surface, curved side facing forward. Put 4x2-inch disk, flat side down, in center of half disk. Secure with glue. Place other half disk, curved side down, in center of 4x2-inch disk. Secure with 3 skewers and glue, piercing through all three pieces. (See illustration.) Decorate by gluing chocolates to base.

4. Add candle holders by gluing 9 silver candy cups along the top edge of base.

5. To make candles, cut blue construction paper into 8 pieces (4x4-inch each) and 1piece 5x4-inch for the center candle. Roll each piece into a 3/4-inch diameter cylinder; secure with glue. Cut 5 skewers in half; glue each skewer to inside of candle; insert the excess length of each skewer into each candy cup.

6. Each flame is created with two red foil-wrapped chocolates glued to each other at the flat base. Using 18 chocolates, make 9 flames. Each night of celebration, drop in one chocolate flame to light a candle.

Interested in more ways to make your home sparkle with Hershey holiday crafts? Visit http://www.hersheys.com/holidays/crafts/

“Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days” – B. Franklin

With the holiday season well under way, I thought it might be helpful to point out a few etiquette rules. Given the multiple gatherings and holiday parties taking place over the course of the next few weeks who couldn’t use a refresher on Season’s Greetings Etiquette?

Obviously, respect and courtesy are vital year-round, but they are especially important during this time of year. Click here for Ms. Emily Post's top etiquette tips.

Vivian’s Top 5 Tips for Guests:

1. Gift for the Host(s): Who doesn’t love a surprise gifty?! A small gift is just your way of saying ‘thank you for inviting me’ and showing your host(s) you appreciate them. Following are a few gift ideas:

• Chocolates: Luxury chocolate maker Godiva is recognizing the strapped wallets of shoppers this holiday season. They have a new line of candies called “gems” selling for $10 in Godiva retail locations. In the words of Rachel Ray… YUM-O!

• Magazine Subscription: Through Dec. 12, Amazon is offering yearly subscriptions to the following magazines for only $5! I KNOW!!! Can you believe it? We are talking $.42 an issue people!!!! Magazines include: Cosmopolitan, Country Living, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Harper's Bazaar, House Beautiful, Marie Claire, Popular Mechanics, Redbook, Seventeen, SmartMoney, Town & Country and Veranda. Buy a subscription to be sent to your host and they'll think of you all year long.

• Wine charms: These are great because they can be used immediately! Check out http://www.wineglasscharms.com/.

• Bottle of Wine: The old standby but for a new twist, attach a personal note to the bottle. Often times so many bottles of wine are brought to parties, the host isn’t able to figure out who brought what. If the bottle doesn’t get opened at the party, with your note - “Happy Holidays! Love, Jennifer” when the host goes to open it, he/she will think of you!

2. Pitch in. Instead of asking how you can help, take the initiative to volunteer to do a specific job like loading the dishwasher. The flip side of this? If you offer to help and the host firmly declines, definitely back off. Don’t be offended, some people have their own ways of cleaning up or really don't want guests in their kitchen.

3. Deflect Rudeness: At family get-togethers, don't let nosy questions upset you. Just changing the topic: "You're right, I was dating someone this time last year, but it didn’t work out… How 'bout those Giants?"

4. Traveling as a guest? The rule of thumb: Three nights is usually plenty. My friend Heather kindly reminded me of the quote by Benjamin Franklin “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days”. Do your hosts a favor and spell out arrival and departure dates/times in advance so they aren't left guessing.

5. Be grateful: Seems obvious I know, but it’s always important to thank the host or personal responsible for the planning and coordinating the event. You can thank them as you are leaving or send a thank-you note (or email) within 48 hours. You probably don’t need to send a letter for the last minute BYOB get together, but it is appropriate to send a note to the host who spent time and energy putting together the party. Do consider sending a thank-you note to top management for the holiday party.

Despite the trend, don’t stress this season. Happy planning and party attending!

Best,
Vivian

If it’s Free, It’s for Me!

Every year, Pottery Barn offers complimentary holiday entertaining and decorating classes - click the following link to find a store location near you so you don't miss out:

Holiday Decorating and Entertaining, co-sponsored by Real Simple.

There are so many beautiful items this year including a NEW Reindeer Table Runner from their signature “Reindeer Collection” which is just adorable.

For the dinnerware, you can choose from two sets of Reindeer names for each piece: (1) Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, or (2) Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen. You’ll need both sets if you want all of Santa’s helpers!

I absolutely love these Dreidel Place Card Holders (a set of 4 is $19) and you can create a dramatic centerpiece for your Hanukkah celebration with their polished silver menorah. It’s crafted of cast aluminum and each candle holder is detailed with a design on the top ($59).

As far as REAL SIMPLE goes… I love everything they produce!
I receive their daily email newsletters and I highly recommend: Real Simple: Celebrations. It makes a terrific hostess gift and will ensure you get invited to next year’s soiree.

Happy Planning!!!