Christmas Cookies
Baking Christmas cookies is a holiday season staple. Everyone loves cookies, so there is no need to say to say they are underrated. However, there is definitely a lot more to do with cookies than people realize. Experiment with food coloring! Create shapes with your hands instead of using cookie cutters! Or use cookie cutters but use them in innovative ways. I once made a "Phantom of the Opera" cookie using mixed icing colors and a toy soldier cookie cutter. No matter how you want to make them, just get creative and BAKE SOME COOKIES!
Gift Guides
For those of us who don't like spending hours and hours surfing the Internet or perusing mall racks for the perfect presents for our loved ones, gift guides are a present unto themselves. Why do all that work when there are others who can do it for you, and better? Yes, presents carefully picked out might mean more, but your brothers and sisters probably won't care how much thought went into the present if it's a really good one. With your time taken up with group projects and looming finals, turn to your favorite bloggers, magazines or online stores for help.
"All I Want For Christmas is You," performed by the Belfast Giants
Sure, this song can get old the 15th time you hear it at karaoke or a dorm party, but the Belfast Giants, a hockey team from Ireland, reinvigorate this classic with their stunning performance. The team lip syncs the song and performs their own dance moves in its locker room and rink, donning Santa hats and outfits to complete the look. The hockey players put such enthusiasm into their performance, it's hard not to smile after watching it. Check it out on YouTube.
"Eloise at Christmastime"
What says Christmas better than old childhood favorites? Bringing us back to days of bedtime stories and footy-pajamas, "Eloise at Christmastime" inspires happy holiday feelings in those who are still kids at heart. A 2003 adaptation of the popular "Eloise" books (authored by Kay Thompson), this feel-good film follows six-year-old Eloise (Sofia Vassilieva), who lives at the Plaza Hotel in New York City with her nanny (Julie Andrews). Eloise receives spy gear for Christmas and much to the chagrin of the hotel manager Mr. Salamone, she aims to uncover the secrets behind the "spies" entering the hotel. While searching for her Christmas gifts and getting into trouble, Eloise ultimately saves the day.
Plaid Wrapping Paper
It's the perfect way to decorate a dorm door as well as the classiest way to hide presents bought for friends and family. The red, green and gold of a good plaid hearken back to the 1950's when housewives like Betty Draper hand crafted bows and tags for Christmas presents galore. Bring the spirit of the season to your hall by adorning just about anything with this holiday season staple.
