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Show holidoyj D2 MONDAY • NOVEMBER 20 • 2006 Celebrating the holidays on a small budget Eleanor Takahashi College Times T his holiday season many students may be feeling the pressure of decorating and gift giving on a tight budget. Some may be discouraged, believing that a lack of funds will make it impossible for them to honor these • •% traditions. For those that are disheartened, here are some inexpensive and creative ways to recreate some of the key holiday conventions, all within a budget of S50. Each year, decorating ones home for the holidays is not only satisfying in itself, but also helps to keep the spirit of the season alive for all who reside there. Here are some ways to decorate for under $10. * Make a cardboard Christmas tree by cutting out two identical tree shapes. Slice one from the top to the middle, the other, from the bottom to the middle. Then slide them together, crossing the two pieces horizontally. * Cardboard boxes can be picked up at your local grocer (for free!) and you can buy a 52 can of green spray paint from your local hardware store to complete the effect. * Utilize any holiday cards you receive by hanging them on the tree as ornaments, and thread popcorn for garland. Gift giving can get expensive, especially when students have large families or even just a few friends that they care about. These are some inexpensive gift giving options: * Use your creative side to compose a song, make a personalized piece of art, or write a funny story or sweet note about the person. * For kids, make paper bag puppets with lunch sacks, some glue, and crazy objects from around the house to produce wacky and fun faces. * Regift something that isn't being utilized but would make the perfect addition to that special someone's life. Make sure to disclose that it's not new, but you believe the person will find it useftil or special. Lastly, cooking for a few close friends or family members can show you care and value their company. A small turkey costs around $7, while gravy, rolls, potatoes, and stuffing can all be purchased for under SI0. Hopefully this season will be filled with more than the rush to shove as many presents under the tree as possible. When you simplify the holidays you see past the commercialism to the memories made with those that are closest to you. Holiday concerts and other available activities Megan Leavitt College Times Viewing a performance of The Nutcracker Suite, is always a holiday favorite. Staff Infection "Santa Claus (a.k.a. my dad) would supply big, plastic dinosaurs to guard my gifts under the tree, every Christmas morning." -Jason Pyles "At some point during almost every Thanksgiving dinner with my family, someone will start telling a disgusting story about a horrible bathroom experience that happened to them during the past year. This usually is followed by others trying to top this story with one of their own. Eventually, the whole thing devolves into my brother-in-law chanting "What do we want? Poop Stories! When do we want'em? Now!" At this point, my mother excuses herself from the table and goes to her room, I assume to ponder where she went wrong as a parent" -Vegor Pedersen ^ "My favorite holiday tradition is on Christmas Eve; watching old home videos."-Sarah Hale ; •- It is that time of the year again when students are just about done with the semester and are looking for fun things to do. There are many great concerts, plays and sporting events throughout the months of November and December. All of which will get you in the mood for theholidays and also a few that will help you just get through them. For those who already have their Christmas decorations up and are counting down the days with the red and green chain, then here are a few activities for you. First off what would the holidays be without a little Kuit Bestor's Christmas? A Kurt Bestor concert is going to be held on Nov. 27 at the McKay Event Center. And then on Dec. 2 also at the McKay Event Center is another Utah staple for the holiday season-Michael Maciane's "Forgotten Carols." If you aren't big on the singing of Christmas songs and you need a little reminder of what the Christmas spirit means, then maybe going to A Christmas Carol at the Hale Center Theater in Orem from Nov. 24 to Dec. 23 will do the trick. You can also catch The Nutcracker at Capital Theater in Salt Lake Dec. 8-30. For those who are into a more subtle way of celebrating the holiday, maybe going to see some of the other events going on during the holidays is for you. The E Center in Salt Lake is hosting the Barenaked Ladies on Nov. 22. Also, they are hosting Panic at the Disco with Jacks Mannequin on Nov. 29. So, if you would like to surround your Thanksgiving with some rocking out then this might be something you would like. And for all you country fans. Brad Paisley will be at the Delta Center on Dec. 1. For those who are staying around here for the holiday season, you will not be left singing "Silent Night" alone in your apartment. There are many things going on during this time of year. You just might have to explore your options. With the holidays upon us, we asked the staff to tell us their favorite holiday tradition or memory. "Back at home, we'd save some of our Halloween candy until December and use it to decorate gingerbread houses. Who can say no to fresh gingerbread, sugary frosting and mounds of candy?"-Justin (titter "My family dtd a secret "Twelve Days of Christmas" thing every year where we would give something each night the twelve nights before Christmas to an elderly person or couple in the neighborhood. People always appreciated It, even if they didn't know who it was. The only down side is that most of the elderly people we tried to help died within two years of our service"-Chad Hunt "My Favorite thing about the holidays is getting together with my family, which is pretty cliche', but I enjoy it for different reasons. Every year, my huge family gets together and has a family football game. Most people would not find this so entertaining. My family is only mildly athletic, and usually the game is held in the snow. Therefore, it is a lot more laughing than playing" : -Megan Leavitt "My favorite holiday tradition is going to Temple Square to look at the lights with my family." -Abraham Hernandez ; "My family gets together for dinner on Christmas Eve "My family and I would pile into the car on Christmas Eve and then stays up late eating leftovers and watching old and drive around and look at all the elaborate Christmas black and white Christmas movies. We argue about which light displays "-Jason Adkins .": version of A Christmas Carol is the best." ; v : ; / ;v ; ; -ShantellePerry ' <-, ";v.^< -^;M.^ i'V--^ ;; v --'>- :; |