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Show Tha Beaver Press - November 15, 2007 - Page 5 wmmm mm mwwE Gift Smarter, Not Harder: Memorable Soiutions To a gift for you is holiday season: some great oft finding gifts that express joy cf the season while !.e ort budtt and minimizing the of seasonal (shopping. The key is to J;g down to the Juit of your relationships and give j.fts tnat spark fond memories It bile strengthening personal Here are a few stress-- f during shopping tips from the f NAPS;-He- re's 10 1 of everything needed to make a special holiday breakfast to share with family and friends. If there are sports fans to please, send a game day care package full of fun, shareable treats the crowd can enjoy the next time everyone gathers. Strive to make a personal connection with each and every ? tperts at The Swiss Colony: Send a heartfelt holiday message with your gift. T'tVir.g the time to write about a shared e:pe-- f snce takes only moments, yet it iin bring hack years of treasured J , emories. Some catalogs and ihops offer gift you give. A litle forethought can help you n show you heve a gift for giving. grrvices. holiday indulgence. Start a new tradition. Many people choose the same holiday treat to give as a special gift year Expand horizons through While seasonal treats aren't fi od. the only way to show you care during the holidays, they're proven winners. Catalogs allow you to search fi.r unique items that can't be found eiiewhere; when shopping, select subtle variations of your . loved one's favorites. Such thoughtfulaess is sure to , be noticed and your surprising tvist on an old favorite might e en become their new must-hav- Dilemmas ng gifts that speak to a person's special interest; e.g., gardening, reading, cooking or sports. If you have a cook on your list, consider sending him or her a box 91 s "Mr Gift-Givi- after year For example, one woman sends a gingerbread house to each of her grown children every year because it brings back memories of when they used to decorate them together as a family. She hopes the tradition will carry on to her own grandchildren when they are born. of the latest (NAPSV-O- ne Zesty Blueberry de- velopments in dietary supplements used to reduce joint discomfort is a combination of glucosamine, and two unique ingredients chun-droit- in that protect and replenish your joints. The supplement is called Move Free Advanced. To learn more, visit www.keeprriovingwith movefree.com. Heating and cooling, along with ventilation, refrigeration and water heating, are responsible for about 75 percent of residential energy use. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Engineers (ASHRAE) an international nonprofit technical engineering society offers tips to cut heating bills at www.ashrae.orgconsumer. Colony, whose company helps millions find the right gift each year. "Holidays provide the perfect opportunity to express our love with tokens of our appreciation, big and small." For more than 80 years, his catalog company has helped bring families and friends together by delivering holiday greetings, food and other gifts by mail. For more ideas and tips for finding affordable, memorable 8 or visit gifts, call (800) (NAPS) "Quirk Easy Entertaining 1i y Blueberry-Cranberr- rulish" ii ore of those versatile recipe you ! can make in a and uss often. In this simple relish, blueberries add a special tfjch to meals or appetizers. When it's party time, spoon the relish over warm Brie r a three-ingredie- in nt brick of cream cheese and serve with crisp toasts or crackers. For special holiday meals, serve the relish with turkey or ham, m Thres-lngredie- place of ordinary cranberry t, such as Vintage Home from Pergo, save time and mor-eduring installation. For more information, visitwww.pergo.com. www.TheSwissColony.com. sauce. Blueberries combine the best that nature has to offer: good nutrients and luscious flavor. A cup of blueberries has just 80 calories and provides fiber, vitamin C and manganese, which our bodies need. And you don't have to wait for summer for fresh blueberries. They are imported from South America between October and April, so you'll find a good supply of fresh ar.d frozen in your blueberries market. For more nutrition informa- Ql-'IC- 300, - .g Quick nt BLrKb KRHY-- S Blueberry- served ReMsh R.INBKKKY Relish 1 1 can (8 ounces) whole-berrcranbetry sauce cup fresh or frozen blueberries cup chopped walnuts or' pecans y In a medium-size- microwa- d dish, place cranberry ve-safe sauce. Microwave on high power until meiled, fiO to 80 seconds, lioiijove fi'oru microwave; fold in blueberries and nuts. Serve warm or cover and refrigerate until n ady to serve. YIELD: 16 portions (about 2 tablespoons each) Fer portion: 50 calories; 7 g carbohydrate, 2 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat Highbush Blueberry Council, CA 95630. " i w'th Brie Is party perfect. lope to: Blueberry Recipes, U.S. 2290 E. Bidweil St., : -Cranberry d under-laymen- r. - J tion and great recipes, visit www.blueberry.org or send a envestamped, Laminates with attached 3, V year-roun- d 804-518- Consider a theme. Choose e "It's amazing how simple it is to touch a loved one's heart with a memorable surprise," says John Baumann, president of The Swiss ciftgRelishGomes For Did Vcu Know? Fol-so- .4 ftf - W Mew Mints v f HOLIDAY Liaay Sounds Scents, Sights Ideas For Holiday Decorating (NAPS) The colors red and gren have always symbolized C.nstmas green holly with red berries, a green Christmas tree jdf corated with red ornaments, ar.d even Santa's red suit. But g there are more options for colof rainbow a and today ors can still represent the traditional sentiment. Traditional decorations include real or artificial Christmas trees in natural green styles, red and wreaths, poinsettias, garlands and mistletoe. For a modern twist, add sequined stockings, feathered wreaths or colored tinsel trees. Carrie Chen, VP of Marketing for Treetopia, which specializes in colorful holiday g trees, offers these tips for a few new ideas into holi day decorating: 1. Decorate an Extra Tree Keen the traditional green tree with white lights in your main room and add a silver or pink tree as your second tree. "We know that a lot of. people buy the fun fashion, colors at treetopia.com for their children's rooms," says deco-rstii.- grc-e- ihtro-ducm- Chon. ."Whit I. TVv Winter Wttif. is a good color if you're feeling tii.;jii about decorating with colors than red and green," says Caen. Pre-li- t white trees are increasing in their popularity. Len traditional artificial tree retailers such as Balsam Hill, known for its lifelike varieties, - olh.i't- offer a white tree. 3. Follow the Fashion "Last year we saw stark I Trends contrasts," says Chen. "Black oibl trees decorated with all white or red decorations, tor example. This Christmas, the anticipated mast-hav- e color is purple. Look for ; Purple Groove Christmas is getting a modern twist, and purple trees ara in vogue. Christmas stockings, garlands and even tinsel trees in this color. "As with fashion, we look to Europe to interpret the trends for decor," says Chen. "Based on what we saw there in 2006, we know that our Purple Groove tinsel tree is the hot colored tree for this holiday season." 4. Celebrate Your Surrounding Finally, if you're celebrating the holidays in a warm climate, decorate accordingly. "If you are at the beach, you can set up a pre-lartificial palm tree in the garden or even inside the house," says it Chen. Have a little fun with your holiday decorating this year and try something new, whether it is a brightly colored tree from treetopia.com or just a few purple accents to your hoxne. For information on ordering or to view the entire collection, visit www.treetopia.com. Holiday Minis Holiday Home Movie Nights If you're looking for a fun way to bring the family together over the holidays, try iNAFSS-- - m hosting a home movie night. Home movies help bring back memories as they let families relive favorite past events and remind everyone just how special time together can be. Try these tips for planning a" home movie night: Theme Nights Gather everyone in the family room to enjoy a theoied home movie night. Let kids choose from themes such as vacation movies, holiday movies or special occasions including graduations and weddings. Remember to add a little ambience by decorating the family room accordingly. If you're reliving your beach vacation, for instance, cut some palm trees'out of construction paper and' throw some drink umbrellas in glasses of pineapple juice. Go High Ttch For much ns than you think, you can modernize your movies by Mitsubishi Digital going high-d.-- f. Electronics mokes an HC1500 HD l"me theater projector designed for families. It HD helps make a home theater more experience a"ibidabk, allowing most people to step big up frotn fixed-shbudget-minde- d large-scree- n e screens to home entertainment in high definition. The flex-size- projector has a long lamp life, routing it won't cost much to Pius, it runs quietly enough to let you hear all the details that help make home movies so special air-tain- f , w f Wife projectors make movies crys- - Family Favorite Night Give each member of the family a chance to pick and watch his or her favorite DVD. Make the right even more special by letting the person who chooses also pick the menu for the evening. You might even want to mail out fun invites for the special event even if youVe ju.st inviting the people in your own home. Family Talent Show want to hold and digirecord a family talent show, tally right in the living room. Help your kids find their special talents by talking about favorite songs or favorite sports. Something as simple as a child writing a story and reading it aloud could make for wonderful family memories down You may the road. Collect enough talent shows and add on to them over the years. You w'dl create a show that will become a surefire family holiday tradition. For more information on prowww.mitsubish.i-boinetheatfr.co- or call (888) cold-weath- er blues. If you have children, encourage them to create some holiday work that can be hung throughout the home. That can help add a sense of family and a splash of color to your decor, A Relaxing Scent The right scents help transform a home into a peaceful winter wonderland. For instance, ilio duos are distinctively designed reed diffusers that scent the air without flame, heat or electricity. The "Still" collection combines Winter Fir and Cranberry Clove scents. The Winter Fir gives off fresh notes of fir and eucalyptus that are underscored with tones of pinecone and moss. Cranberry Clove is a blend of cranberry, tangerine and bing cherries, infused with traces of clove and vanilla. The "Bright" collection features Amber Warmth infused with the m sv ,:? y fi High-Definiti- (jl IP The right scents can help create a tranquil, holiday atmosphere. smoky scents of patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, Eastern spices and a trace of white musk as well as Autumn Fig, which combines the essence of figs with amber and white musk. These two scents can combine to create a unique, festive scent profile. Sounds Of The Season Few things spread holiday cheer like music. Pipe specialty tunes throughout your house when you're home just be sure to have plenty of variety in the songs you choose to avoid growing tired of your choices. Try u?ing your computer to create a mix you love, or keep an eye out .for compilation. CDs in the store. You may even want to set your stereo on a timer so that nusic turns on just before you arrive home for the evening. That way, you walk into a more relaxing atmosphere. For more information and tips, visit www.iliofragrancea.com. GIFT IDEAS jr r m -- -- Holiday Shopping Simplified (NAPS) This holiday season, shoppers seem focused on high deilniticn. From 'Ps to noleb'wks to DVT plsyers. HD products ure seemingly everywhere and topping just about everyone's holiday wish lists. According to a recent study conducted by Solutions Research Group, three out cf four consumers have at least one digital lifestyle product on their wish lists and with good reason. Today's devices are packed with enough features to keep the entire family satisfied, Here's a look at the season's hottest HD gifts: Televisions If you're looking for the latc-s- t in TVs, the HP MediaSroart LCD HDTV is a great choice. This unique networked TV allows you t' mti br a clsar choice for gift ojvers this s..son. HJ3 ft" F! high-definiti- Pisauly Memories Don't forget about preserving keepsakes (photos, your movies, nrusic) for years to come. The II? MediaSmart Server provides a central location to keep the fimisy's media and files safe, with easy access from any remote or home networked PC. The server also automatically backs up all fdes, helping to protect them. Using HP Photo Webshare, you can even create a photo Web site on the server to securely share holiday photos and video clips with family and friends. For more information, visit ever leaving the couch. Visit hp.comgodigi"udeiiieriainnient to learn more. l Players next-generati- player can complement vour HDTV. Whether you go or Blu-rawith an device (or decide to splurge on one that plays both formats.?, all will, provide the ability to play y stunning HD movie content right in your home. Pair that d before buying it." The National Retail Federation expects holiday sales this year to increase to $474.5 billion, and predicts consumers will do almost d of their holiday shopone-thir- ping online. "Our own research shows that about half of the customers who purchase consumer electronics in our stores have done product brend-iAfe- www.hp.com. '4 "i JrA Last-minu- te 3 ti shoppers can use the Web to shop online and then pick up their items at the actual retail stores. research beforehand at our Web site," said Mark Oldani, vice president and general manager of Cir--' cuit City Direct. "And, as the holidays approach, more and more of our customers who buy online with us choose to pick up their purchases in our stores. On Christmas Eve, that can be a real lifesaver for shoppers." last-minu- Who's Procrastinating? "Women are just as time housestarved as men. holds are a big reason for that," says'Urban. "Women are also just as likely 8s men to use the Web for product information and for ordering. Retailers that have both a Web presence and stores report that it is not unusual for people to come into the store carrying printouts of Web pages containing information . Two-care- brick-and-mort- about products." ar For more information, visit www.circuitcity.com. GIFT IDEAS?;v r r-- ' A ( Unique (Sift To Loved Ones Far Away: Better Cell Reception (NAPS!! looking for a unique gift for a loved one who travels or is away at college? The gift of a JtV'iM. W better cell signal in piaces like hotels and derm rooms will not only bo welcome, but appreciated. In a recent survey, it "was found that more than nine in 10 college-age- d adults own a cell phone and, of thoe, a majority (87 percent) report that their cell phone is their primary phone. As revealed in the zBhost Back To School Cell Phone Signal Survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 58 percent of college-age- d . A gift eless adult cell phone owners have made an effort to improve their signal reception when making or receiving cell phone calls in their home. In addition, of those adults who have done something to improve their cell phone signs reception, 72 percent headed outside, 59 percent stood by their window, 58 percent ued their home phone instead and 55 per- cent remained in one room. All of which shows why a reasonably priced amplifier, such as the zBoost zP, has become such a popular holiday gift for students and travelers. The popular wireless unit sits in the window to collect the signal and then o small .' ':'! that Keeps giving- -a wir- extender increases cell reception throughout the year. The survey, commissioned by captured exact responses adult regarding what college-agecell phone owners who make cell phone calls at home have done to improve signal reception when attempting to make or receive a Wi-E- x, d 1 antenna, smaller than a dollar bill, sits on your desk and transmits a stronger tignaL It's also quite portable, a it won t take up much room in a suitcase. -- LCD notebook new or desktop displays that are capable of time lOWp resolution, making them ideal for the gamer or movie lover in your family. such as CinemaNow, which allows you to download from a choic-- of more than 5,000 movies without HD-DV- Computers n can even access onliiie services DVD al Pprac-i- J This weason, PCs are packed with enough features to satisfy the needs of just about, anyone on your list. Look for new touch'wirescreen teclmolcgy, built-iless capabilities, and sleek and stylish designs, aiaong-- waalth..of other options. Be sure to watch for high-definitio- Investing in a WAV - 1 videos from your FC onto a stylish n LCD display. Ycu DVD ' r iSniV-ttJ-, to stream photos, music and fliOLIDA If you want to reduce side-by-si- j; r - yourself the gift of time. That's the advice from an expert in consumer behavior who Americans predicts will turn increasingly to the Internet this year to manage their holiday shopping chores. "The key to reducing stress in any shopping situation is to not wait until the last minute to do it, but of course, many of us are guilty of that even though we know we shouldn't wait," says Dr. David J. Urban, professor of marketing at Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Business, Dr. Urban explains that consumers tend to be "time poor," and that the Internet provides them with an opportunity to investigate a lot of products. "Many Web sites allow consumers to do comparisons of products. If a consumer can size up three or four products against each other on the computer screen, it really streamlines the purchase process," says Dr. Urban. "And many consumers like to check things out on the Web and then go to a traditional retail store to see the product in person -- Holiday Gifts on HDTV and your family will heve its very own movie theater. ( " -- i . with a time-starve- tal clear and dynamic. jectors, visit sonal plants throughout your house to. help fight off any J;1 si stress this holiday season, give Home movie nights can be a fun way to spend family time and . (NAPS) It's important to remember to take time to relax during the hectic holiday schedule. Yet the rush of relatives, influx of invites and trips to the mall sometimes make that seem easier said than done. Try these tips from the experts. They could help you relax by engaging your senses. A Sight To See Create a festive and relaxing atmosphere to come home to. Soft, warm lighting, including ambers, dark reds and deep greens, can help set your mind at ease and create a sense of tranquility. It might also help to add some sea- (NAPS) 0.v HD For The Holidays And - - - ' , mm ' cell phone call, including: Turned on speakerphone and held the cell above their head; Stood on furniture to get higher in their house in hopes of retaining a signal, Held on to a big piece of metal m order to get more signal; Walked around the house trying to find the best spot; Turned the phone off and back on. To learn more about the survey and ways to improve cell phone reception, visit www.wi-ex.co- , |