Unique holiday gift-
wrapping ideas
Wrapping presents often feels like a chore,
but it doesn’t have to. With a little creativity, you
can make gift-wrapping fun — not to mention
cheaper and more eco-friendly. Here are a few
gift-wrapping ideas to inspire you.
1. Use recycled materials as gift-wrap. Wrap
your gifts in recycled household items such as
old newspapers and magazines, discarded maps,
left over wallpaper and even gently worn clothes.
With some extra effort, your presents will look
just as beautiful, and far more interesting than if
they were wrapped in plain old store-bought pa-
per.
2. Go monochrome. For a sleek and stylish
look, consider using shades of the same hue for
wrapping paper, ribbon, and gift bags. Or, choose
two or three colors to theme your gift-wrapping.
Pick a combo other than red and green.
3. Add natural materials as decorations. Try
wrapping presents in brown Kraft paper, tying
them with string, and decorating the packages
with sprigs of evergreen or dried fl owers. If you’re
decking your house with holly or other seasonal
greenery, save some of the foliage to use as em-
bellishments for your wrapped gifts.
4. Try using furoshiki. Wrapping presents in
patterned fabric, or furoshiki, is a Japanese prac-
tice that offers an esthetically pleasing and eco-
friendly alternative to wrapping paper. Fabric can
be reused year after year, so you don’t need to
buy and throw away copious amounts of wrap-
ping paper each holiday season.
How to stop trying to do it all and relax
during the holidays
For many people, the pressure of trying to cre-
ate the “perfect” holiday can make the season
seem daunting and stressful. If you want to relax
and enjoy the holidays as much as your family
this year, you need to resist some of the pressure.
Here’s how to do it:
• Say no. Around the holidays, it can feel like
all your free moments are booked. Instead of ac-
cepting every invitation you get, stay home on oc-
casion. Use such evenings to make cookies and
watch Christmas movies in your pyjamas, or or-
der take out and eat in the living room.
• Outsource. If you’re hosting dinner, instead of
cooking a multi-course meal yourself, ask your
guests to bring some of the dishes. Or better yet,
have your entire event catered. You’ll enjoy your
party that much more if you’re not in the kitchen
the whole evening. Your guests will also be hap-
py to spend more time with you.
• Think quality not quantity. To relieve the
stress of needing to buy the perfect gift for every-
body on your list, organize the type of exchange
with your family or group of friends in which ev-
eryone only buys for one other person. Picking
names from a hat tends to be the best way to ar-
range these types of gift exchanges.
Consider buying only one bigger gift a whole
family can enjoy instead of a bunch of smaller
presents. It’ll save you the time and effort nor-
mally involved with buying multiple presents.
This year, make a pact with yourself and your
loved ones to keep Christmas simple. A lighter,
more carefree holiday is the best way to ensure
that everyone gets to relax and enjoy the spirit of
the season.
Tips for making a seating chart for holiday dinners
When hosting a big family function like
Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, etiquette ex-
perts suggest making a seating chart to help you
determine where your guests should sit. Here are
some tips to keep in mind as you put together
your seating arrangements.
• Seat the cook closest to the kitchen: if you’re
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doing the majority of the cooking, put yourself in
the seat closest to the kitchen so you can easily go
back and forth.
• Separate long-time couples: seat them apart
from one another so they can talk to new people.
• Seat troublemakers near the host: if you have
a relative who tends to drink too much, or enjoys
bringing up controversial subjects, seat them near
you so you can keep them in line.
• Keep children together: consider giving chil-
dren their own table so they can talk among
themselves and get up to play when they’re done
eating.
• Seat extroverts and introverts beside each oth-
er: it’s a good idea to put quiet guests next to talk-
ative ones to limit awkward silences and make
introverts feel more at ease.
• Consider guests with disabilities: assign
guests with physical disabilities a place at the
table that’s easy for them to access. Seat hard -
of- hearing guests near the end of the table where
it will be quieter and easier for them to focus on
nearby conversations.
• Separate people who don’t get along: if you
have relatives who can’t be civil to each other,
or who have radically opposing political beliefs,
seat them at opposite ends of the table.
Almost all families comprise a dynamic mix
of personalities. Thankfully, a seating chart will
help ensure a harmonious holiday dinner where
conversations keep rolling and confl ict is kept at
bay.
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