Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with Christmas

Festive drinks for an office party?

LN — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:15:50 -0800

I need suggestions for an office party Christmas cocktail. Ok, so, myself and my co-worker were tasked with organizing the office Christmas Party this year (And yes, I realize we're doing this early, but hey, we want to get a reservation at a place we like, not go scrambling at the last minute!). Our mandate for this party is to do something "different" this year, since the office is thoroughly sick of the usual party games and whatnot.

We had the idea of making up a cocktail or festive drink that we could offer people as they came in the door. Since we have some non-drinkers and pregnant co-workers in our group, said festive drink needs to have a non-alcoholic variant.

So, the drink has to:
1) have alcoholic and virgin variants
2) be relatively easy to make for a bartender with a decently stocked bar
3) Taste good

Eggnog is the obvious solution here, but I'd like to try and find something new that my co-workers may not have tried. Bonus points for something either Christmas-themed, or something with a name that makes reference to academia (since I work for an NGO for scholarly associations).

So, hivemind, please suggest a festive drink or cocktail to help me make this a great office party!

Artist seeks Santa 2.0

Ogre Lawless — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:01:35 -0800

Artist/illustrator seeks photo reference for Santa 2.0. Perhaps you source? No raunchies need apply... I have on a few occasions in the past years run across friends of mine or strangers on the street in some moment of beatific corpulence bordering on the hirsute and it has struck me that they represented either some facet of a theoretical Santa's existence (Santa as a young man, Santa on his wedding day, Santa as a disgruntled 30-something, Distinguished Black Santa, etc) but I was never able to capture them photographically and of course by now they have all shaved and moved on.

Conceptually perhaps you can see where I am steering. I very much love the powdered white Santa and regard that image as, of course, iconic but for my own card wanted to show a man having had an inner journey to become that iconic symbol.

Hopefully one of you digital photo obsessives will have captured one of your friends in a frame that fits?

Where to spend Christmas near to, but not smothered by, family?

Capri — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:11:27 -0800

Where to stay for Christmas? I need snow, a central lodge, separate rooms or outlying cabins (ideally with kitchenettes), and a charming village, in the US or Canada. For several years now, I've hosted the extended family for the holidays. Having borne the only grandchild on both sides, I have the blessing and the curse of being the focus of all Christmas events. I've loved it, but frankly, I've also had enough. I need a break from planning every meal, every snack, for a family with allergies and diet restrictions and (for some) a pathological fear of spices; making sure everyone has the preferred kind of pillow; entertaining; and trying to keep my sanity. I need to have someone else do the work.

This is what I am looking for, in order of importance:

1. A white Christmas.

2. A place where everyone will stay in their own room, or cottage, or whatever. I am not interested in renting a house, because then I'd be back to cooking for everyone, this time without my extensive collection of gadgets. It would be super nice if these places had kitchenettes, so that we could get away with not eating 100% of our meals in restaurants.

3. A central lodge where people could meet -- everyone in the family could meet each other, and the more social members of my extended family could meet complete strangers.

4. A nearby village or city or town or something, so that non-skiers could have something to do with their time. (I mention the skiing just because winter lodges tend to be associated with ski resorts, but we're not looking for a ski resort per se. We can take skiing or leave it, either way.) My parents, for example, wouldn't ski if Jaws (a reference to a Bond villain, not to the cartilaginous fish) were coming after them and this was their only means of escape. They're also not ostentatious shoppers. They'd like something to do besides looking cool in their apres-ski clothes (the thought makes me limp with laughter) and buying crap they don't need. What else is there? I'll admit, I don't really know either. But if you know of something, please suggest it.

5. Ideally some place that has some organized celebration of Xmas. We're atheists, but we love the whole winterfest thing, so whatever form it takes is fine; we're not picky as long as baptism isn't involved.

6. And ideally it won't completely break the bank, but this is not a do-or-die requirement. We're thinking on the order of $200-300 a night, but if the only possible option is $800 a night, well, it just means that the parents might opt out, as it were. And that's not the end of the world (or at least it doesn't seem that way in early March, so soon after the 2007 holidays).

7. And as a total fantasy wish: a place that is accessible by train. This is just gravy, icing, whatever. But we all love trains, and this would be cool as hell.

So, if you happen (off the top of your head) to know just the place, or are somehow trapped in front of a computer with high-speed internet access and nothing to do for the next several hours and you want to search this out, I'd love to hear suggestions. I'm sure reservations will get harder and harder to make as time passes, and figured the hive mind was superior to my own, so I start (for the most part) with y'all rather than with Google. Many, many thanks for your help, in advance.

ChristmasCrackerFilter

yogurtisgenocide — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:35:00 -0800

I need to find Christmas crackers in Minneapolis. I need them by Saturday for a play. I'm willing to make them but only if it doesn't take forever. It is essential that said Christmas crackers contain paper hats or crowns and also that they actually make that popping sound. Help!

Who drew it?

Soliloquy — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:05:38 -0800

Help me find the artist/stock image CD these fantastic illustrations are from... A friend sent me these gorgeous illustrations recently. They're probably pirated stock illustrations but there's no data under File Info, and I'd like to find the artist or stock image site where I can buy more like them. I've tried searching for the filenames on Google and relevant keywords on istockphoto but no luck. They were originally in .ai and .eps formats.

Yet Another Empty Box for Christmas

Skwirl — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:11:35 -0800

What more can I do to maximize my chances of recompense with regards to an eee pc stolen during shipment from Newegg via UPS? So, I was eagerly awaiting my first major electronics purchase in four years, a shiny galaxy black eee pc 4G 701. According to UPS it shipped on 12/27 and the clearly tampered and more or less empty box arrived yesterday. Grumble. Grumble.

I wasn't the person who signed for it and I haven't talked to that person yet, but my dad saw the delivery and did notice that the box looked askew at the time of delivery. When I retrieved the box, the tape was removed, but haphazardly put back, the box was waaaay lighter than the 5 lbs. listed on the tracking label and all the box contained was packaging paper and an empty eee pc box. To top it off, the package arrived significantly after business hours to an office address. Sheesh.

I immediately called UPS and sent an email to Newegg. The UPS person I talked to said that I would be contacted by an inspector today. I haven't heard back from UPS or Newegg yet today.

If the contents were stolen while it was in UPS's possession, are they likely to refund the value? What more can I do to get this resolved quickly? Should I file a police report through my city PD? Contact the BBB? I paid for the purchase with my VISA Platinum card, which has fraud protection, but I don't think it has purchase or theft protection. I recently signed up for USAA Renter's Insurance, which I figure is the worst case scenario. What steps do I need to do to get that rolling, or should I wait until I hear more from UPS and Newegg? Should I contact Asus?

I'm no Veronica Mars, but Newegg shipped my eee pc from La Puente, CA and a brickload of the eee pcs on eBay right now are shipping from right next door in Walnut, CA. I suppose somebody could just be getting a good deal on shipping by picking them up directly?

I know I'm drawing at straws, but this purchase is a majority chunk of a month's income for me, which means I've got more time than money to work the problem.

bah humbug

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:48:18 -0800

My family members decided to suddenly start celebrating Christmas this year. I feel weird about it. Help me deal with these changes. Some family history is important:

My parents were immigrants to the US. We weren't raised Christian (or Jewish) and never grew up celebrating Christmas. The major family holiday was Thanksgiving, we'd barbecue on July 4th, have New Years celebrations, and go all out for Halloween.

Christmas (ie, winter break from school) was usually spent sleeping, watching movies, some homework, but mostly just hanging out. We actually tried celebrating Christmas one year with a small plastic tree, but it was weird. We never continued. I never felt deprived not celebrating this major American holiday, and it didn't seem to be a major things for my siblings, either. Sure, there were the pressures of "what did you get! what did you get!" - when we returned to school with our peers, but, it never really bothered me. I got gifts on my birthday, which was satisfying. I personally felt like I was in on some esoteric knowledge, of Santa's myth (sadly breaking the news to my best friend one year). I never felt this feeling like I was really missing out on something.

Fast forward 20-something years. My sisters are both married with kids (I am not). Their husbands are of a very similar upbringing as us.

This year, my sisters decided to celebrate Christmas. (By celebrate, I mean decorations, a tree, presents, everything in the secular sense). I feel really weird about it.

They invited me (which was nice) but I live several states away and had plenty of other things going on. I'm also a poor grad student - I can't afford to fly down often and buy gifts all around. I've also never had to worry about that before.

i think if it were just one of my sisters, it wouldn't be as uncomfortable - but it's like both of them are joining forces to suddenly start a new family tradition. I'm trying to think of this in light of my niece and nephews (toddler to elementary school aged), and that involved in the secular version of Christmas are still some fun and exciting rituals and activities.

I realizing that this is very me-centered, so I'm looking for advice for anyone who has ever experienced a sudden change in family tradition, and how you dealt with it. To be honest (and yes, totally about my ego) I feel kind of peeved that, as adults we've all kind of done our thing at the end of December, and am now feeling a sense of exclusion that - ok, new family tradition - and I don't really want to join in. I dislike the materialism, the malls, the shopping, the going broke, the bills, the formalities. It's foreign, and being "deprived" sounds bizarre to me (my sisters words, not mine) We always have Thanksgiving together as "family time" and I certainly celebrate the birthdays of my niece and nephews (if I can't go, send cards/presents). I'm scared that this tradition will continue, and unless I partake in it, I'll be the weird aunt. I'm generally very fond of change, but this change, not so much. Help me, please.

Help me find the original or a similar equivalent image

Null Pointer and the Exceptions — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 13:36:04 -0800

I'd like to know the source of this Tech Crunch Christmas Greeting image or barring that, a free or CC licensed equivalent. I'd ask them directly but Tech Crunch seems to be a popular place and my voice isn't being heard there.

Is this a good Christmas gift?

brynna — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 17:24:41 -0800

Is this a good Christmas gift idea or a disaster in the making? I just started seeing my new boyfriend about a month ago and I'm trying to come up with something to get him for Christmas.

I have lift tickets and equipment for snowboarding so I was thinking of taking him up to Tahoe for a day.

He has never been snowboarding and I'm not very good, so the "gift" would be a two-hour lesson at the beginning of the day.

He's never really expressed any interest in snowboarding, so I am just wondering if this seems like a good idea.

That's pretty much it.

Looking for hippie stores in WV.

wg — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 05:05:56 -0800

I need help finishing my Christmas list. Looking for stores in Charleston, WV. I've waited too long to do some of my Christmas shopping. I'm looking for a shop that sells those big, colorful, handmade, wool sweaters. Often times they are made in Ecuador or other South American countries. Sometimes they are in fair trade shops (couldn't find any in WV via google) and sometimes they are sold in what can best be described as a 'hippie store.' Posters, tapestries, patchwork skirts, silver jewelry, etc.

Any tips are appreciated.

Stuck in Winter, Canada for Christmas. Help?

rokusan — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 20:51:28 -0800

Stuck in Winterland, Canada for Christmas. Help? I feel a kind of shadenfruede here, but my desire to help is winning out.

Because of an assignment running overtime, a close friend of mine who's from Costa Rica will be stuck in the coldest possible place on earth (Winnipeg, Canada), alone for the holidays. I'm trying to arrange my schedule so I can get there and keep her company a little, but no matter what she'll be spending the better part of a week on her own.

Now, I have also spent time in Winnipeg, and I don't envy the time this equatorial person will "enjoy" at temperatures 20 or 30 degrees below zero in a city that doesn't have a lot of excitement or activity compared to the world's bigger centers. I'm worried that boredom will make the whole experience worse for her.

The snow is a bit of a novelty to her, so I can suggest a short trip to Assiniboine (sp?) Park or "The Forks" I suppose, just for the shock value / experience, but she won't be up to much extended outdoor weather, so such fun as skiing or skating or clubbing baby seals (that's a sport in Canada, right?) has to be removed from the list. Also, I suspect the snow will stop being amusing after a few days.

Other than wandering around indoor shopping malls, turning the hotel room heat up to 11 and making long sad phone calls home, can anyone make any suggestions on how she might make the stay less horrible? Does anyone who's in Winnipeg know of any activities or places that a solo traveler might go to get out of the hotel during this holiday time? She won't be winter-clothing equipped but I imagine $50 would go a long way at the Golden Tiger or one of those Bargain-Bargain clothing places downtown?

(Suggestions from citizens of other cities are also welcome: just imagine a tropical person who has never owned a winter coat stuck somewhere like Pittsburgh or Cleveland or Krakow or Moscow in the dead of winter. Eyes wide open, teeth chattering, the whole picture.)

(PS to folks who mistake MeFi for Craigslist: She might be cute but (a) no, she doesn't like men and (b) no, I won't show you a picture.)

Are we going to have a punk rock Christmas this year?

psmealey — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 14:50:39 -0800

Can anyone recommend some good contemporary Christmas compilations? Are there are any alt-, indie-, hiphop or punk rock collections of Christmas songs (traditional tunes or new ones) that any one can recommend?

Online gifts for girls... cool or drool?

JaySunSee — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 11:00:20 -0800

Is an online gift card (say, to a bookstore) okay as a Christmas gift for early teen girls? Or will the intangible nature of the gift make it seem like I'm not giving them anything at all? I admit it, I'm broke this year, and I'm confined to spending about $25 per child. Is an online giftcard to a bookstore enough? It worked for adults last year, but I'm queasy about how it'll be perceived by three fabulously wonderful young ladies that mean the world to me.

If I get a gift online for them, what should it be? And if I shouldn't, do you have any suggestions on how I can get the most out of that $25 allotment?

Please help my sister laugh for Christmas.

brain cloud — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 22:01:57 -0800

Need funny, easy-to-finish books, that aren't moronic. STAT. Getting a really, really late start on my sister's Christmas present (but it's ok...she understands). Currently she's a stay at home mom with a sub-6-month-old. My sister is super smart, highly educated, and needs a book, or books, that she can breeze through and entertain her in those moments when the baby is sleeping. She doesn't want to think, she wants to laugh and pass the time. Any suggestions? If you've ever read a book, laughed the whole time, finished it in a weekend and passed it on to the first person who seemed interested, I would love to know about it. I'm drawing blanks, since any of the books that I have read fitting this description, were referred to me by my sister or vice-versa.

I screwed up; how to minimize the family drama at Christmas?

Anonymous — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:18:34 -0800

I missed my two brothers-in-laws' birthdays, and one of my sisters is mad at me. I'll see everyone at Christmas. Help me make things right and prevent family drama. My sisters have been with their husbands for ~10 years. Most of that time I was poor and single and living far away, so I wasn't expected to get anything for their husbands birthdays, and I'd usually only get my sisters a card for their birthdays. The older sister always remembers my birthday, but the younger one rarely does. I am not hurt at all by the forgetfulness of the younger sister; that's just how she is. I'm really not very close to either of them, but of the two, I'm closer to the older one.

I've been with my boyfriend for a few years, and the older sister has gotten him something for his birthday each year since we became seriously involved. The younger one forgets his birthday as well as mine, but we've all exchanged Christmas gifts. This year, I forgot the older sister's husband's birthday, which is 2 weeks before mine. Apparently the younger sister also forgot his birthday. Everyone was supposed to come to our parents' house for dinner to celebrate my birthday, but older sister refused because we hadn't acknowledged the husband's birthday. They did send a gift. This was ~6 weeks ago. I am so afraid of confrontation that I've since failed to acknowledge 1) his birthday and 2) their gift to me. She indicated in a passive aggressive email to all of us that she is still upset. I don't know if her husband is actually upset or if she is fueling all of this.

I've also missed the other sister's husband's birthday, ~2 weeks ago. I doubt anyone is upset about this since we don't talk much to begin with, but it wouldn't surprise me if the older sister was upset that I forgot another family birthday. I have the reputation of being somewhat self-centered, which is not the case really - I'm just awkward and forgetful and not naturally a warm, fuzzy person. I live a very different lifestyle than they do and I think she perceives it as arrogance (but I never, ever put down their tastes).

Anyway, I am wondering what to do. Should I give the guys double gifts at Christmas time and tell them that one is for their birthday, and I'm sorry I missed it? Should I talk to the upset sister alone, since she is likely the only one really bothered by this?

An interesting gift for Random Young Bachelor?

booknerd — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 09:17:01 -0800

Looking for gift ideas for A Single Guy, with essentially no other information. What to get my dad's wife's son for the gift exchange? For our family gift exchange, we each give a gift to two people. This year, I'm giving to my dad's wife, and her mid-30s bachelor son. Gifting to my dad's wife isn't tough - she's very into cooking, and we share a lot of common interests. However, her son is a bit of an anomaly. I don't know him well at all. He lives in Aliso Viejo, in Orange County, CA, and I don't know that area well, so I can't think of any location-specific gift certificates that might be nice. He's currently unemployed, and lives in his mother's condo, while she lives in San Diego with my dad.

He seems like a nice enough guy, but trying to engage him in conversation always sort of reaches a dead end. I'm not very good at small talk, and he doesn't seem to have any specific hobbies or interests to speak of. He's just a sort of average guy, shaved head, medium-large build, and may or may not have a general sort of dude interest in sports and cars. I asked my dad for ideas, and this is all he could come up with:

· Cologne

· a dress shirt

· a tool (I can pick one out if you like)

· (His mom) is buying him a desk, so how about a desk accessory

· Something from Costco (I’ll check with (his mom) on our visit there tomorrow)

None of those really seem like great ideas. If possible, I'd like to try to get him something unique that he'd appreciate, that says I actually put some thought in to it. I know he feels as though my side of the family doesn't like him very much, although I don't think we've done anything specific to give him that impression. We've just never been very involved in each other's lives, which is making this difficult.

As far as budget, somewhere around $50 is probably good. Is this an impossible task? Should I just go pick out [insert random man-tool or cologne]?

How to entertain a lonely Jew on Xmas?

PostIronyIsNotaMyth — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 01:45:01 -0800

Young, alone and Jewish on Xmas in LA. How do I entertain myself? So I'll be alone on Xmas this year, not a big deal though being Jewish and all. That being said, I was wondering if anyone knew of anything I could do alone on Xmas day in Los Angeles?

Games to play at a Christmas Party

Nick Fisher — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:32:26 -0800

What are some good games to play at a christmas party? Remember that party I mentioned for Christmas back in the What are some good Christmas movies thread I made. Well I got to thinking, what if after a few movies the party starts to die down? What fun games could we play to keep the night fun and festive? I am thinking any type of game really (word, party, video game, whatever) Keep in mind there are only going to be 5 of us including myself and that we are all in the 15-16 age range.

It would be best if the games are related to christmas, like, Wii sports, but all the Miis look like santa, or something silly like that.

Additional info:

Multiplayer Wii games I own: Wario Ware Smooth Moves and Wii Sports

Multiplayer Xbox 360 games I own: Halo 3 and Star Trek Legacy

I own a Karaoke machine, any CDs with chrismas music that would be... interesting to have people sing too?

The room we will be partying in is relatively small

Memorable Christmas gift for fashion maven girlfriend?

blueplasticfish — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:28:27 -0800

Memorable Christmas gift for fashion maven girlfriend. Is a tennis bracelet tacky? Would a necklace be better? So, I want to buy something lasting and memorable for my girlfriend this Christmas. I have a whole list of things that I know she would love, but nothing strikes me as being all that lasting and memorable.... at least nothing like jewelry.

My girlfriend is something of a fashion maven. She owns/runs a boutique for womens clothing. I am wondering, of you other mavens out there, if a tennis bracelet is a good idea? Is it too 80s? Can it be worn casually? Would a necklace be better?

To give you an idea her style is a Lucky Magazine, InStyle, Anthropologie (the store) sorta of thing. Is a diamond bracelet too Liz Taylor/Zsa Zsa Gabor for this style?

Antique Ornaments in NYC?

toftflin — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:12:35 -0800

Help me repay a gift of 23 chromosomes: Is there a store in New York City that sells antique Christmas ornaments? My mother vaguely recalls hearing/reading of store in New York City that sells antique Christmas tree ornaments.

Does this ring a bell for anyone?

I am perfectly aware that antique ornaments could be bought on e-bay (or possibly e-ornaments.com if it exists) but this is specifically about stores in NYC.

And Original Series Star Trek Hallmark ornaments don't count as antiques. Yet.

Paper which Weigh?

DragonBoy — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 10:07:48 -0800

I need help finding a 'peek-a-boo paperweight' for a Christmas gift. Has anyone seen one available online? The paperweight looks a bit like a door knob with a mirror hidden under the base. The store I used to find these in has now closed and I can't find anywhere else that sells them.

Christmas Lights In Vancouver?

eurasian — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:35:12 -0800

Where can I find neighbourhoods that are lit up to the nines with Christmas lights in Vancouver, BC? Where are the better known places to go to see some great Christmas light displays setup by neighbourhoods? We live in Burnaby, so anywhere within a 40 minute drive or so would be great.

Oh give us a figgy pudding....but which one?

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:11:13 -0800

Looking for the definitive recipe for "figgy pudding". You know, as in that Christmas carol, and Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."

I've done my own internet searching but the (dozens of) recipes are all over the map, in terms of the ingredients, preparation, etc. I'd like it to be palatable, but I also need it to be traditional.

(Question asked anonymously in order to not spoil the suprise.)

Can I send Christmas cards online?

Solomon — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 03:11:50 -0800

Is there a service where I can send a physical Christmas card to someone, from a website? Sort of like Interflora, but for cards instead. I don't have time to get to the shops, then write and post a card before Christmas. I'd love to be able to surf my way to getting one delivered, but is that possible?

I do not want an e-card service. I want a real physical card.

Help find a gift for my Grandpa with Parkinson's

fishmasta — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 21:07:55 -0800

What do I get my Grandpa who can't do much anymore? My grandfather, who has always been a pretty active person (sports, building things, other physical projects), is in his mid 80s at this point with early, but definitely debilitating Parkinson's disease, so most of the things he's enjoyed his whole life are not an option for him anymore. Over the past few years, he seems to have become bored with his life because of his condition and spends most of his days watching TV and if the weather's nice, cutting the grass, tending to his garden, etc. But he's the type of person who doesn't seem to want anyone's help (so practical things for his condition are out) and thus it's always hard to think of something he could/would use as a gift for Christmas. I want to give him something at least, but I'm totally stumped. Any ideas from fellow Mefites with relatives in similar situations. Also, I'm straight out of college and not making much, so inexpensive is definitely a plus, and I live halfway across the U.S. from him, so things that require me to be there are also a problem (I'm able to get back for a few days at Christmas, but that's about it).