Each family has its own traditions, too. We decorate the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving, and enjoy it through New Years, relishing every single day. Some of the ornaments were on my parent's very first tree; others, tagged with a tiny piece of green tape to distinguish them, were my grandmother's. And, there are the ornaments my mother painstakingly dated and jeweled, commemorating each spectacular Christmas since my first in 1959. Since I can remember, we have always set out a martini for Rudolph - for how else would he keep his nose red?

Perhaps a more wholesome tradition is the annual Christmas Gift and Hobby Show. We are pleased and proud this year to have a partnership with HSI Productions, allowing us to do this show program.

We hope you will find the articles informational as well as entertaining ... especially the "UnMartha" piece in the "Bright Ideas" section. I think in an attempt to recreate those seemingly perfect holidays of our youth, many of us over-extend and under-rest, resulting in a feeling of failure rather than joy. And, keep in mind, many of our moms did not work outside the home, while most of us do ... our lives are very different from those of our parents, and it's okay to create our own traditions that fit our lifestyle.

So, with that in mind, do what you can, discard what you can't, and, most of all, enjoy your holiday season with friends and family.
Happy, happy holidays!