Are you finished with your Holiday Shopping?

Now it is time to wrap!  Check out my tips for fun and easy gift wrap ideas on the Today Show!

Holiday Mantle Decor at the Nate Show!

I love visiting Nate on The Nate Berkus Show and I was thrilled to be able to decorate a mantle with silhouettes and Tartan this year.  Watch it today or click here to watch it online!

Stocking Stuffers on Today Show!

Stuffing the stockings is my absolute favorite thing to do at Christmas.  I loved presenting Today's Stocking Selections under $20.  What are you stuffing your family stockings with?

What is your Holiday Table Style?

Take a peek at some of my favorite styles in this Southern Living Holiday Video.

Guest Book Garland

Click here to watch my video about the Guest Book Garland!

Please Join Me at a Booksigning

Holiday Tipping Guidelines

I get so seriously stressed out around the holidays about whether or not I am giving out an appropriate tip.  I don't want to be a scrooge but I don't want to go embarrassingly overboard either! Here are a few of the guidelines that I have found to be quite standard.  Knowing that this is what other's often do helps put me at ease!

Babysitter: One night's pay or two nights if she is really awesome and you want to keep her around and a small gift from your child.

Nanny:  One week to one month's pay depending on how long they have been caring for your child and how many children you have and a personal gift from the kids.

Day Care Staff:  If there is one staff member that clearly takes care of your child more than the others you might consider a tip of $25 to $75 or a gift card.  If there is a large team of caretakers, consider spreading that out among them and taking in a tin of baked goods that they can snack on in their break room.

Coach or weekly instructor:  Don't give a tip but present a small personal gift from the child valued under $25.

Teacher: Don't give cash to a teacher but instead write him or her a note of appreciation and present them with a gift card.  In my son's classroom, all of the parents pooled together a little fund and the room mom purchased a gift card to a book store for the teacher.  A small personal gift from the child is a nice touch too but don't let it take the place of a gift card.  Teacher's get so many little nick-naks!

Mail Carrier:  Civil employees are not allowed to accept gifts with a value over $20 but consider a small gift card to a local coffee shop or book store.  If you really want to do something special for them, write a note of praise to their supervisor!

Hairstylist:  If you go to the same hairstylist often or if you hairstylist also plays the role of therapist in your life then consider generously tipping the cost of a haircut.  If you haven't been going long, doubling your typical tip is a nice gesture.  Salon owners are not meant to accept tips so if your stylist owns the salon you frequent, take a nice gift instead that is the value of one haircut.   Don't forget to double the tips of the assistants and helpers in the salon too!

Housekeeper: One weeks pay is a nice tip for a housekeeper.  Write a note of appreciation and include the cash tip inside.

Newspaper Delivery:  My newspaper delivery service provides an envelope with the name of my delivery guy.  Anything from $10 to $30 is appropriate.

Here are a few more tipping rules:


-Always put it in an envelope with a note. Even if the note is a really short "With thanks from the Whitmans" it is better than just handing over cash.

-Don't give as much to someone who is new to your life because you haven't developed a relationship with them yet.

-Whenever you feel inclined, a nice bag of hot chocolate or baked goods to go along with your tip as always appreciated.

A Vintage Christmas

What is your Holiday Decor Scheme?  Purples and golds are certainly on trend this year but I get excited about using blues and silvers to make my decor stand out.  Here are a few images of some of the decor around my own home.  I mixed vintage ornaments and mercury glass ornaments on and around a vintage metallic tree from the 50s.  I also have sweet glittered letters spelling out Joyeux Noel and an Eiffel tower to honor my husband's French family! 

I love vintage Christmas tress because the colors are so incredible.  My pale blue and silver one is fun but I also love the white, pink and green trees that I have seen.  Although these artificial trees don't give off the wonderful fragrance that a real tree would, they are stunning and stylish.  I love the small tabletop sized trees for an apartment that doesn't have room for a tree or an entrance hall.  

Vintage Ornaments can be displayed so many ways and they have become quite collectible.  I like to place mine stacked up in clear glass cylinder vases.  I always save the clear vases that florists use to send flowers and pull them out for seasonal decorating.  I also love the idea of hanging special ornaments from long strands of ribbon in the center or a wreath or tying one up in the center of a mantle garland. 

Vintage trees and ornaments have become quite collectible.  Check out eBay or your local flea markets for fantastic finds.  Please send me photos of the decor in your home!  I would love to post them here.

Hostess Gifts

It is so hard to find fantastic hostess gifts but my friend and etiquette expert, Colleen Rickenbacker, put a wonderful list of suggestions together after our last Feather Your Nest event.  She was our wonderful speaker but she kept the atmosphere inviting and encouraged people to ask questions.  One of the biggest questions was about Holiday Hostess Gifts.  Colleen said that she could have gone on and on about that one so she offered to put a list of hostess gift suggestions together and email it to our attendees.  She made good on her promise and here are a few of her suggestions:
-Picture Frames - Engrave the Date of the event on it
-Candles - I know this sounds cliche but who doesn't love a new candle?
-Delicacies - I once had a friend bring me a beautiful jar of olives with a lovely little olive pick tied to it with a ribbon.  It was such a fun treat!
-Tea Towels
-Linen hand towels or Cocktail napkins
-Books
-Small trays and serving dishes
-Specialty coffees and teas
-Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows
-Homemade items - Jellys and Jams, cookies, candies
-Cosmetic Bags
-Tote Bags
-Stationery Items
-A recipe card filled in with one of your favorite holiday recipes.
-A donation to a charity.
She also reminded everyone not to show up with flowers as the hostess would need to scramble to find a vase and might feel pressure to display them even if they do not co-ordinate with her existing party decor!

Holiday Party Etiquette

Chances are you mail box will be filling up with invitations to holiday festivities and office parties soon! Here are a few of the things I learned from Etiquette and Protocol Expert Colleen Rickenbacher at our Feather Your Nest Luncheon last week!

-Always reply to an invitation with in three days of receiving it!

-Arriving fashionably late has gone out of fashion!  Never arrive right on time but try to enter a party about five to fifteen minutes after the starting time.

-Obey the 45 minute rule for cocktail parties.  Be sure that you appear for at least 45 minutes at a two hour party.  It is perfectly fine to "party hop" but make sure you spend enough time at each event.

-It is a known fact that most guests at a party first hit the bar, then the buffet, then their own friends.  Make a rule that you will always greet your host before you go anywhere else.

-Always carry your glass in your left hand so that you can shake hands with the new people you meet!

Time to Trim Your Tree

So many of my friends continue their family tradition of dining on left-overs and trimming their tree the day after Thanksgiving.  I love decorating our tree!  Here are some tips to make Tree-trimming a bit easier:

 - Start by putting on the lights.  It should always be step one!  After the lights are up (and working!) you can add garlands and then the ornaments.

 Tip: Keep your empty wrapping paper rolls this year and use them to store your Christmas Lights.  Simply cut a notch into the end of the cardboard roll and stick the end of the lights there with the plug tucked inside of the roll.  Then wind the lights around the roll and tuck the end into the other side of the roll!  It makes for easy storage and easy unwrapping next year!

-It is always easiest to work from the inside out with your lights.  Wrap the inside of the tree first and then move to the outer branches of the tree.

-Separate your ornaments in to special show-stoppers and basic fillers.  Start by hanging your basic fillers on the "inside" of the tree to add depth and dimension to your decor.  Finish the tree by hanging your special ornaments on the tips of the branches.  Consider tying them on to the branches using a pretty ribbon to set them apart.

Seating Arrangement Tips!

I love these wonderful tips for seating arrangements from HousewifeBliss.com! Working out a seating arrangement can be one of the hardest parts for entertaining but it is also one of the most important!  I hope they help you with your Thanksgiving and Holiday seating arrangements! Click here to read the article.

Feather Your Nest!

It is Feather Your Nest time again and this luncheon is going to be wonderful!  I can hardly wait to hear my good friend and etiquette expert Colleen Rickenbacher speak.  Colleen is certified in so many ways.  The letters CMP, CSEP, CPC, and CTA all follow her name so you know she is an expert among experts!!!
I truly hope to meet you at our next event!

Colleen A. Rickenbacher, CMP, CSEP, CPC, CTA
November 12, 2010

Etiquette and Protocol:
Just in Time for the Holidays

Holidays should be a time of togetherness with friends and family, but so many of us associate the holidays with stress, excessive spending, too many trips to the mall, fighting for a parking space, crowds, airplane trips with overweight luggage, attending all those holiday parties and trying to figure out what to wear.

Holidays should be a wonderful time, but at times we let the moment get away from us.

Colleen would love to help with a few suggestions to help bring back the holiday cheer:

• The holiday office parties including exchanging gifts, gifts for the hosts, what to wear,
  and when to arrive (and leave), or should you even attend?
• RSVPs and thank you notes
• Gifts for your children's teacher for the holidays
• Having gifts in reserve and "regifting." What happens if you are given a gift and do not
  have one in return?
• Holiday cards
• Tipping for the holidays

All of this and much more can be very tricky including how much do you spend, do you continue to give a gift to a person you are not as close over the past year, do you give the boss a gift and does the boss give his/her employees a gift? Remember that this special time of the year is shared and celebrated differently by various cultures and religions, so handling them properly will help avoid any faux pas.

Come and share this interactive luncheon to ask questions you have always wondered or to gain a little insight to help make this time of the year more enjoyable. Keep the holidays fun and a time to share with family and friends.

Colleen A. Rickenbacher, CMP, CSEP, CPC, CTA

Colleen Rickenbacher is a business owner, author, speaker, trainer and consultant.

Speaking engagements on the importance of protocol and etiquette in your professional and personal life have taken Colleen around the World. She can be seen and heard regularly on national television and radio.

Colleen was recognized by Meeting News Magazine as One of the Top 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry. Most recently she was inducted into the Hall of Fame and awarded the Lifetime Achievement designation by Texas Meetings & Events magazine, which is their highest honor.

Her book Be On Your Best Business Behavior covers all areas of practical business and dining skills. The tips she provides will strengthen your image and provide the necessary guidelines to you and/or your organization.

Be On Your Best Cultural Behavior covers the proper etiquette and protocol in 33 countries. These guidelines will allow you to navigate globally in our international climate whether you do business in other countries, visit for pleasure, work or entertain guests in your own backyard.

Her latest book with co-author Edward Scannell is The Big Book of People Skills Games(McGraw Hill). These quick and effective activities are designed for making great impressions, boosting problem-solving skills and improving customer service.

Colleen has achieved her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), the Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP), her Certified Protocol Consultant (CPC), and most recently her Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA).

Click here to register!

National Grandparents Day is Sunday, Sept 12th

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day.  I think Grandparents deserve their own special day for all of the special things they do.  I think it is a great opportunity to visit with your own grandparents or to honor the grandparents of your children.  Here are a few of my suggestions to make this grandparents day special for the deserving people in your life:

-Cook a special meal using your family's famous recipes and honor your families heritage.  If your grandparents came from Italy, have a big Italian meal.  If they came from Scotland, use tartan tablecloths.

-Give a gift that has sentiment.  I always love giving photos and these frames from Pottery Barn are wonderful!  The shape of the frame is simple yet unique and the mat that comes with the frame gives it a very polished custom look.

-This is a great day to pull out the cameras to record a special time together.  Take a multi-generational photo and ask your grandparents to record some special memories on video.

Taking Great Vacation Photos

I treasure photos taking on our vacations.  They are the lasting memories of wonderful adventures!
Here are a few tips to help us all take better photos while on our summer travels.

There are a few steps that you need to tackle before you go:

• If you have a new camera, make sure you know how to operate it and practice with it by taking a lot of test shots.  
• Make sure you have a proper travel bag or protection for it.
• Purchase extra batteries and memory cards and pack them in your camera bag.  You will not want to spend your vacation time looking for camera equipment!

Here are few tips for great vacation photos:

• Pay attention to the entire frame.  Zoom in as close as you can to your subject and make sure there are not any unsightly distractions around the edges of the frame.
• Be sure to take both horizontal and vertical images.  Variety will make your photo albums more interesting.
• A professional photographer once told me that if you breath in while pressing the shutter button your photos will be less blurry!
• The sun should be at your back when taking a photo.  We took a lot of photos last week with the sun behind our subjects and when we looked at them, the people looked like black silhouettes!  
• Outdoor shots are best when it is cloudy or a bit overcast!  
• Take lots and lots and lots of photos!  I have a two year old so we need to take 20 shots to get one good one!  

Administrative Assistants Day is Tomorrow!

Don't forget to do something special for the person who is always doing helpful things for you!  Tomorrow is Administrative Assistants Day!  Although a beautiful bouquet is really nice, adding a gift is a really nice touch.  Here are a few of my gift suggestions:
-A membership to a fun club that will suit your assistant's personality.  You could do a Blockbuster By Mail membership, The New York Times Crossword Puzzle Society, or a Membership to a local institution such as the Dallas Arboretum or the Nasher Sculpture Center.

-I love anything Lavender because it is so relaxing!  If your assistant spends a lot of time at the computer then this Lavender scented Computer Keyboard Pillow is the perfect gift.  

-If your assistant likes to laugh then check out the fantastic products made by Knock Knock!  Their notepads, file folders and paperclips look serious but when you read the fine print, you are sure to laugh! I adore the file folders with phrases like "Useless Documents to Provide Appearance of Importance in Meeting" and "Stuff to hide from Boss, Spouse, or Otherwise Nosy Individual."  

Christmas Entertaining on a Budget

I know you want to continue to entertain through out the holidays even though we are all on tight budgets so here are a few tips to help you shine this Christmas season with out breaking the bank. Here are a few of my tips:

1. Create a simply stunning centerpiece: Fill any glass bowl or open top vase with a favorite festive item such as simple solid ornaments or candy canes. They will last all season long. For a special occasion, top your cylinder vases that are filled with goodies with a sphere of flowers. Solid red carnations from the floral department at Tom Thumb are an affordable way to make a dramatic statement with your flowers (I can get you a photo of this if you like it).

2. Set the tone with tea lights: Candles are a great way to evoke nostalgic memories during the holidays. Purchase a bag of little tea lights. Wrap 1/2 wide ribbon that will match your decor (I like the warmth of velvet ribbons during the holiday season) around the edge of the tea lights and secure with double stick tape. Scatter them around your table top for or across your mantles for maximum impact at minimum expense.

3. Cook in Batches: Make a few breakfast or lunch casseroles that you can freeze and serve when needed. It will take the stress out of feeding out of town guests in the morning. Plus, buying in bulk can really stretch a budget. Tom Thumb offers value packs on all their O Organic products etc. Imagine how easy it will be to pull out your casserole, heat it up; add coffee and juice to your table and you have a breakfast feast in three steps! Be sure you let your casseroles cool completely before putting them in the freezer.

4. Be unique with your guest book: Set a bowl or basket of simple and inexpensive solid ornaments and a few paint pens out by the door. Ask your guests to decorate and sign an ornament and then hang it on your tree. It will give them something fun to do, get them in to your home to mingle and you will have a lasting memory of their visit to hang on your tree every year.

5. Make shopping a family affair: Include your kids on your trips to the store. Tom Thumb has thousands of new everyday low prices and great weekly Reward Card specials on items across the store! Their new yellow shelf tags show the old price crossed out and the new everyday low price. It is a great feeling to see your savings right before your eyes! If your kids are along, you can turn the tags into a fun math game.

6. Save Time and Money Shopping: One Stop shopping not only saves you time and money but also your sanity during the holidays. Tom Thumb not only has every thing you need but has reduced prices all across the store- it will save you both time and money. I love the peace of mind that comes along with knowing that I am getting the best price when I see what I am saving on their yellow price tags.

7. Stock up on your shopping trip: Every busy mom needs to make the most of their shopping trip. Stock up on all the everyday items you may need. For quick on the go meals, Tom Thumb has great O Organics products and an Eating Right line. Buying private label brands at Tom Thumb is a great way to save but not skip out on quality.

8. Host a Dessert Party: Hosting a Dessert Party is a great way to keep on your budget during the holidays. Start your party at 8:30 or 9, after your guest list has already been to the office Christmas party or had a family dinner, and you can host them for dessert. One quick trip to the bakery at Tom Thumb and all of your food is taken care of! A variety of the sweet treats in the bakery, a pre-cake, cookie trays, and pastries, are tasty and easy. Serve the treats on your best trays and cake plates. Tom Thumb has all of this in a one stop shop, including wine to pair with your pastries!

9. Decorate with Rosemary: Purchase two small Rosemary trees at Tom Thumb and cover their containers in a row of Candy Canes by using a glue stick and tying a green ribbon around them. Place them on each side of the mantle for a festive look and the aroma is amazing! Sprigs or rosemary and candy canes are also great accents on a serving tray, attached to the bow on a gift or at someone's place setting.

10. Gift wrap with ease: Wrap a few gifts every day instead of waiting until the last minute. Leave the ribbons off of the packages until you are ready to deliver or ship them. That you can stack up your gifts without messing up the bow! I love to keep the Christmas Cards that people send me. When I do my gift wrapping I use last year’s cards as gift tags by cutting out either a lovely message from the inside of the card or a pretty image from the front of the card. I punch a whole into it and tie it to my package. It is a great way to recycle last year’s cards!

Navigating Sticky Holiday Situations

We all have those awkward moments when faced with sticky situations during Holiday get-togethers. Check out my tips in the December issue of Women's Day Magazine to gracefully handle 10 common social dilemmas.

Holiday Travel Time!

I can't believe it but it is time to book your holiday travel if you haven't already! Did you know that the rates for flying during the holidays are 20% higher than normal? Crazy!

Here are a few quick tips for saving money on your holiday travel.

• Consider using airfare tracking tools and signing up for fare change alerts at sites like FareCompare.com, Bing Travel, or Yapta.com.
• Be flexible! If you have flexibility with your travel days, you are pretty much guaranteed savings. Avoid peak holiday travel dates, especially the day before or the day after a holiday. Use the search engines that feature a "flexible date" search which will search for the cheapest fares over a range of dates. Kayak.com, Orbitz.com and Travelocity.com all offer one.
• Use an alternate airport if you can. Using a smaller alternate airport in the area you are flying to can really save you money. Even you need to drive a bit further, the smaller airports are often less crowded and easier to navigate.

New Design Blog

Check out designer Gretchen Leigh Clark's new design blog! It is fantastic! She styled our home for Traditional Home and she was a such a treat to work with. She is very talented and I know you will love her tips. She put up some photo's of our home that didn't make the magazine and they are so pretty thanks to her styling expertise. Stay tuned on the radio because I am going to share some of Gretchen's tips for holiday decorating soon!