contents
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Features Departments
HOSTING THE
HOLIDAYS p.12 BULLETIN BOARD p.4
Domestic diva Martha Stewart
shares tips to make your
celebration a success
THE ART OF AN
AWESOME COOKIE p.14
New and noteworthy
HOW TO p.6
Address holiday cards
HEALTH & WELLNESS p.8
No more all-nighters
A Cookie to Celebrate helps
bakers make sweet snow-
inspired holiday treats SPECIAL PARENT p.10
OUR HO-HO-HOLIDAY
GIFT GUIDE p.16 Mom support
Ideas for all the children
on Santa’s list
CHANGING
THE WORLD p.20
Volunteering can have a
significant impact on a
child’s development
School bus safety
MOM TO MOM p.32
ON THE COVER:
A little girl dressed as Santa enjoys a
chocolate chip cookie.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF
SHANIELEIGH PHOTOGRAPHY
EDITOR’S LETTER
D
ecember is one of my
favorite months. Not
only do I celebrate my
birthday, but I also get
to spend time making
new memories (and
remembering old ones) with my
family. It’s even better when you
have a child who is just starting to
realize who Santa Claus is (Yes,
sweetie, Santa eats cookies, too!)
Speaking of cookies…take out
your butter, make sure your eggs are good, and ready
your kitchen counter: It’s time to bake! In “The Art of an
Awesome Cookie,” author Jana Douglas shares some won-
derful recipes from her book, A Cookie to Celebrate, with us.
Once your cookies are done, make sure to bring them to a
cookie swap. Planning your own party? Lifestyle guru Martha
Stewart (who, by the way, grew up in Nutley) offers tips
to make your holiday gathering a stress-free success in
“Hosting the Holidays.”
One way not to stress this season is to manage your
holiday spending. My daughter is still young and doesn’t need
that many toys (she already has a lot), but it’s hard to resist
when there are so many fun and creative presents to put
under the tree. “Our Ho-Ho-Holiday Gift Guide” shares ideas
to elevate your status as an awesome parent — even though
Santa will get the credit.
But this time of year isn’t just about presents and parties.
It’s a time to teach your kids compassion. Volunteer at a
soup kitchen. Collect clothing for a coat drive. Donate unused
toys to underprivileged kids. These are all things you can do
together as a family, and our feature “Changing the World”
has more suggestions on spreading the love.
One of my favorite things to do before Christmas, as I have
noted in the past, is coming up with an idea for our holiday
cards. I think I know what we are going to do (it’s a secret).
And after I design the cards, I’ll be reading our “How To”
page, offering the proper etiquette for addressing the
envelopes.
In this issue, we also sneak a peek inside the nursery of
“Telly,” son of Edgewater interior designer Vanessa Deleon;
learn more about school bus safety for special needs students;
and read how poor sleep habits can affect your child’s GPA. ●
ON THIS PAGE: A Thanksgiving table setting
featuring items from Martha Stewart’s
home collection, available at Macy’s
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF
MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA
LAURA ADAMS STIANSEN
TIME TO
VOTE
IN THE
Vote for your family’s favorite places and
things to do in our readers’ poll by visiting
njersy.co/201familyvote
Results will be revealed in the Spring 2019 edition of (201) Family.
2
HOLIDAY 2018 | (201) FAMILY
READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2019
POLLS CLOSE JANUARY 25
HOLIDAY 2018