1. Quickie Cocktail
This tasty tipple is perfect for parties during the winter season.
1 large handful of cranberries
1 1/2 clementines, diced
3 spoonfuls of brown sugar
8 oz. Absolut Ruby Red vodka
6 oz. ginger ale
In a large pitcher, muddle the cranberries, clementines, and brown sugar. Add vodka, and top off the combo with ginger ale. Refrigerate until guests arrive.
2. Fast Food Fixes
Buy jars of red peppers, artichoke hearts, and olives. Serve in separate bowls, and lay out sliced baguettes.
3. Create a Personalized Wrapping Style
Go to your local hardware store and buy a roll of plain brown construction paper. Wrap all your presents in the paper, then tie them with various colored ribbons.
4. Add a Cute, Festive Touch to Ice Cream
Put a bunch of candy canes in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin (or anything hard). Sprinkle the candy onto peppermint ice cream.
5. Branch Out
Get pine-tree branches from a florist or ask the Christmas tree salesperson for discards. Then spread them above your mantel or put them in a large vase. Add berry branches if you want.
6. Cranberries Make a Styling Centerpiece
Buy cranberries and arrange them in a shallow bowl with holly leaves. Then make a circle out of a bunch of small white candles.
7. Let Them Eat Candy
Scatter bowls filled with white or brightly colored candies around your digs. They add a fun vibe and double as snacks. Hint: Put the candy where you want people to gather.
8. A Dazzling Dish
Serve a store-bought roasted chicken with crab apples. Core the apples and fill with raisins and brown sugar or herbs. Warm them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then add the chicken for the last 10 minutes.
9. Pinecone Place Settings
Pick up pinecones where Christmas trees are sold. Then make name tags out of hard stock paper and stick them in between the ridges.
10. Tasty Treats
Dip packaged cookies in melted chocolate and sprinkles. Then put them in cute Chinese takeout boxes (papermart.com) for everyone on your list.
Simple Sweets
11. Kick up the flavor of a store-bought cheesecake by drizzling it with limoncello (an Italian liqueur).
12. Fill a prebaked pie shell with instant chocolate pudding (to make, follow directions on the box). Place three marshmallows on top to make a snowman, with sprinkles for the eyes and nose.
Cool Christmas Cards
13. Most cell phones let you make a video and send it to your contacts. Just wish 'em a good one and hit send.
14. Postcards are cheap to send, and you can nix the envelopes.
Chic Decorating Tricks
15. For a big impact that costs next to nothing, buy red and green apples or clementines, and line groups of five on a mantel, windowsills, and side tables.
16. Instead of bothering with a bunch of different ornaments for your tree, opt for multiples of the same object.
17. Dim and dimmer: Replace your standard bulbs with flattering peach or pink ones from buylighting.com.
No-Angst Gift Options
18. Give pals a yummy cold-weather gift, like flavored tea or hot chocolate, from everythingcoffee-tea.com.
19. Buy a case of wine and hand out bottles to guests, drop-in visitors, or hosts. Côtes du Rhône and cabernet sauvignon are good cold-weather picks.
