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Planning a big bash ? No worries!
Trust Party Central for the how-tos.
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How to Throw a Fairy Party
Don't forget the wands and wings!
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Go Green for St. Patty's Day
We're talking green food, of course.
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How to Escape a Really Bad Party
Without looking like a jerk.
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Party Etiquette for Kid: The Presents
Unwrap now or later?
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Birthday Gifts
for GuysStuff he'll really like.
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Christmas Dress-Up with Sufjan Stevens
Filed under: Humor, Music + Entertainment, Weird
With Christmas just around the corner, a day of work or school is so much harder to get through. So why not fill the day playing with holiday dress-up with singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens?Happy Holidays from Sufjan Stevens is a fun interactive game that'll bring you back to the days of puzzles and dress-up dolls. With only a few Christmas-y pieces to choose from, you can make it looks like a family-friendly greeting card or some crazy piece of artwork that only your mother would think looks lovely.
But the Yuletide cheer doesn't end there. Asthmatic Kitty Records, Stevens' label, has brought more Christmas fun with Christmas games, cards and even a Sufjan Stevens ringtone.
Picture Books - Gifts for the Visual Reader
Filed under: Gifts + Shopping
Reading may be fundamental, but there are some people who can never get through a chapter (or a few pages) without getting bored. But if you want to try to get your friends into a book, then why not give them a picture book this holiday season?From coffee table books featuring the world's best photographers to art books that highlight cultural movements, these books are more than just child's play. Not only could it get cracking a it open, but it'll show them that books are more than just squiggles on a page.
Here are some suggestions that would be prefect for just about anyone from the fashionista to sports addict. And to make your Christmas shopping a little easier, all of these (like just about everything else) are available at Amazon.com.
Not Your Typical Christmas Carol
Filed under: Music + Entertainment
Not Your Typical Christmas Carol
We've heard them all. Children's choirs drowning in robes belting "Silent Night" with their prepubescent voices. Bing Crosby or Elvis crooning us with their holiday songs. But Christmas songs aren't as soft, cheery or even innocent as they were in the past. Today's Christmas carols have evolved into a new sound that you'll groove to or shake your head in disapproval.
Flickr/sneakerdog
Happy Xmas (War is Over) - John Lennon
Lennon broke barriers with this song. And you've got to admit not only did it have a message, it's one great holiday track.
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Last Christmas - Jimmy Eat World
Keeping it poppy, Wham would probably approve.
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Christmastime - Smashing Pumpkins
Although it has one sad music video, the song's lyrics sound pretty cherry.
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Merry Xmas Everybody - Rooney
Nice harmonies against a catchy melody, Rooney channels their inner Slade on this 1973 UK hit.
myspace.com/rooney
Winter Wonderland - Phantom Planet
Although this is a fun Christmas cover, what do these Southern Californians know about snow?
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Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Dustin Kensrue of Thrice
Dustin Kensrue sounds like he really wants his baby to come home for the holidays.
myspace.com/dustinkensrue
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Coldplay
As if they we're churning out their own hits, Christ Martin's distinct voice on this classic gives it an interesting feel.
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All I Want for Christmas is You - My Chemical Romance
Not too sure what Mariah would think of this.
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My Last Christmas - The Dirtbombs
Great to mellow out to with a cup of hot cocoa or spiced cider.
myspace.com/thedirtbombs
Sugarcoat the Holidays with Christmas Pop Albums
Filed under: Humor, Music + Entertainment
Christmas Pop Albums
Christmas carols are pretty much a staple during the holidays. And with the surge of pop music through the years, boy bands, girl groups and pop princesses have either put their own twist on Christmas classics or belted out original songs that still resonate with us today. And even if you hate pop, you can't deny never hearing any of these tunes.
Flickr/elycefeliz
The Beatles Christmas Album
Even the Lads from Liverpool couldn't say no to recording some holiday tunes.
amazon.com
The Best of Jackson 5 -- The Christmas Collection
Surprised? Even back in MJ's younger years, the boy band equation included a Christmas pop record to woo prepubescent girls all over.
amazon.com
Christmas with the Beach Boys
The boys who played up California Girls and surfing all day also created one of the catchiest Christmas songs ever. "Little Saint Nick" ring a bell?
Amazon.com
Merry, Merry Christmas - New Kids on the Block
Freshly reunited NKOTB joined the Christmas bandwagon in the late 80's with this album. However, it wasn't really a gem then and isn't any better now.
Amazon.com
Merry Christmas - Mariah Carey
With one of the most popular Christmas pop songs of all time, Mariah could be all you want for Christmas, too.
Amazon.com
Snowed In - Hanson
The brotherly trio shed some of the bubblegum ways and channeled their old school soul on this holiday record.
Amazon.com
Home for Christmas - 'NSYNC
They weren't singing about tearing up hearts or driving themselves crazy. But we all know how many girls swooned at the release of this record.
Amazon.com
This Christmas - 98 Degrees
Although they're no longer performing together, the 1999 album still heated things up for girls during the winter.
Amazon.com
My Kind of Christmas - Christina Aguilera
Before her "Dirty" ways surfaced, Christina came out with a sweet and traditional Christmas album.
Amazon.com
Forget Shopping - Spend Friday With a Day of Listening
Filed under: Family Time, Traditions
When I was a little girl, I remember sitting around the table during Thanksgiving and hearing all the stories, gossip and random banter the adults would share with each other during dinner. (Luckily for me, there was never a kid's table.)But StoryCorps has taken the idea of oral history and family bonding a step further by declaring Friday, Nov. 28, the first annual National Day of Listening. Instead of beating the shopping crowds on Black Friday, the day is supposed to give people time to sit down with their loved ones and have close conversations and share memories.
Stopping on Friday the 28th and taking an hour to interview a loved one is the least expensive but most meaningful gift we can give one another," StoryCorps founder Dave Isay said. "This is the kind of project that can help us through difficult times by remembering what's really important, and that all of our lives matter."
Cyndi Lauper and The Hives Duke It Out on New Christmas Track
Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like a good sparring match right? Well, Sweden's The Hives and 80's popstar Cyndi Lauper will be bringing Christmas cheer with a holiday collaboration called, "A Christmas Duel." The interesting collaboration "may sound weird and come as a surprise to some," the band said in a statement. Hardly new to the world of team ups, The Hives collaborated with Timbaland on "Throw It On Me" for his album, "Timbaland Presents Shock Value."
The band hit the studio with "girl who just wanted to have fun" and recorded the track last month.
Go Old School With a Maize Scrunchie
Filed under: Gifts + Shopping, Style
Remember when teased hair, side ponytails and scrunchies were all the rage? So maybe those are hair fads that many women want to forget they followed, but it looks like scrunchies are creeping back into vogue.Hair accessory designer Handmade Crafter is ready for the holidays with its line of Thanksgiving scrunchies and hair bands. Made by hand, these hair accessories come in a range of vibrant colors and patterns from Snoopy and Woodstock to goofy turkeys.
If you're the adventurous type, try the maize scrunchie or headband. Handcrafted from Indian corn, the accessory will add an authentic autumn accent to any outfit.
If hair ties aren't your thing, Handmade Crafter also designs glass jewelry and a line of quirky aprons.
With everything is made by hand, anything ordered from Handmade Crafter will be one-of-a-kind. And nothing is more than $10 (except for the aprons); so they could be a unique addition to your Thanksgiving ensemble.
How to Prepare for Black Friday
Filed under: Gifts + Shopping, Holiday How-To
How to Survive a Holiday Party
Whether you like it or not, we've arrived at the season set aside for far-off family, long lost friends, and everyone else you'd rather not see on a regular basis -- hooray for the holidays! Some of these soirees are once-a-year opportunities to touch base with loved ones and share some good cheer -- and others feel like incredibly painful skiing accidents happening in slow motion. Avoid social catastrophe with a few easy tips.
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Don't get drunk. You sound dumb, you act dumb, and you're twice as likely to hit on your brother's smokin' hot wife in a totally inappropriate way. You see these people once a year, at least let them see you sober.
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If you must talk politics, keep it general. Whether you hope Barack Obama is the world's savior, or you're pulling for President Palin in 2012, you're asking for a fight when the party gets partisan. Stick to discussing the "historical significance" of this election (or something equally as benign), and leave the policy debate for some other time.
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Stop showing off. It's great that your breast augmentation surgery was so successful, and totally understandable that you want to flaunt your hot new bod -- but now is not the time, so put that cleavage away! Nor is this appropriate occasion for your fancy new $10,000 watch (unless your friends and family are all really loaded). Everyone wants to impress their relatives, but dressing too sexy or flashy will only remind your loved ones that you can be self-centered, irritating and tacky.
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Keep your hands to yourself. We're all delighted that things are so hot and heavy between you and your significant other. But seriously, no one wants to watch you tongue wrestle in public. And if you want the fam to warm up to your new beau, play it safe and maintain at least a moderate level of decorum.
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Show up. Trying as they may be, you see these people once a year, and you love them. Don't make excuses, don't wander in "fashionably late" or rush off to some other party. Get there on time, stay until the end, and enjoy yourself.
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Quit complaining. There's nothing that kills a party faster than someone whose life sucks. Admit it: Sometimes good things to happen to you. If you can't focus on the positive, at least try to keep quiet.
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Don't grill the newbies. Your neice's new boyfriend doesn't need to be interrogated -- particularly about his background. So remember: Even if you're simply curious about the origin of his "ethnic-sounding" name, you might make him uncomfortable (and will probably sound a little racist).
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Avoid, at all costs, commenting on other people's kids. Yes, they look funny. Sure, they're getting fat. And behind closed doors everyone agrees that little Susie is an obnoxious, insufferable brat. But any parent will immediately begin plotting your demise the moment you criticize their child. Fawn over their cuteness (even if you're lying) and be done with it.
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Take a break from obsessing over your diet. No-carb, low-fat, vegan, macrobiotic, lacto-ovo-semi-demi-blah-blah-blah. You're a guest, and it won't kill you to eat a couple slices of cheese. (Or if it bothers you that much, snack before the party -- the world doesn't revolve around your dietary restrictions.)
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Hanukkah games to make you ditch the dreidel
Filed under: Family Time, Gifts + Shopping, Humor
Hanukkah may be a time for celebration in the Jewish community. But aside from the food, gifts and endless amount of chocolate gelt, what else is there for the kids to do? Sure, there's always playing with the new toy or Nintendo DS Lite that they received from their holiday presents. They could also spin that wooden dreidel round and round, but after a few turns that gets a bit old, too. And let's not forget about lighting those candles -- we all know how children are fascinated by fire.
Luckily for us, KosherLand and Magical Mitzvahland Park are here to save these little kids from eight nights of boredom.
Songs that inspire stealing a holiday kiss
Filed under: Love + Relationships, Music + Entertainment
You've seen it in the movies. Two people bump into each other in the doorway, look up and see a small sprig of mistletoe hanging above them. And as they inch closer toward a sweet kiss, the perfect song accompanies the magical moment. Wouldn't it be great if music played each time you kissed your significant other under the mistletoe? Or at least have a more appropriate song playing instead of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" streaming in the background?
Although we don't have our own personal DJ who can play the best song to go with our movie-worthy kiss, here are a few songs that could complement your next sweet Christmas smooch or holiday make-out session.
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