Some of the top travel destinations during this coming holiday season include Chicago, where you can find the best hotel deals, and Cancun and Fort Lauderdale for deep discounts on airfare. The report also notes that compared to 2012, hotel prices are three percent higher this year, airfare is eight percent higher, and car rentals are seven percent higher for this coming busy travel season.

Whether you are traveling for Thanksgiving, Christmas or both, it is a good idea to plan ahead for the best pricing and travel options, so you won’t be stuck with a last-minute flight or a hotel room that is too far away from family and friends.

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Yesterday was Cyber Monday and many of us took to the web to get are Christmas shopping started in earnest. While online shopping can save you from hours spent in traffic and on long department store lines, it can also open you up to fraud and identity theft. Here are a few things to do to keep your online purchases safe this holiday season.

Make sure the site is legit

Hackers will often try to ape popular site in order to trick you into making purchases. Always check out a website thoroughly before entering any personal information. Beware of any site that uses extensions like .cc, .cn or .ru as most legitimate retailers only uses addresses that end in .com

Only shop from a personal computer

When making online purchases avoid using a public computer, like the ones found in libraries and coffee shops. These computers provide easy network access for computer hackers that can infect the system with keystroke loggers or spyware making your personal information extremely vulnerable.

Make sure the site is secure

Before entering personal information or making purchases check to see that the site is secure by looking for a ‘https’ or small padlock icon in the bottom right corner of the browser, these indicate that the site has a certificate which verifies it as an online retailer. If a site doesn’t list a contact number or you receive a pop-up warning it is a good idea to take your business somewhere else.

Avoid using debit cards

Debit cards don’t offer you the same level of protection as credit cards when it comes to fraud or undelivered goods. PayPal also provides a better level of protection when purchasing from sites like eBay, still allowing you to pay with a bank account without the risk of sending a check in the mail.

The post Tips for shopping online safely appeared first on Weekly Living.

Pets are a part of your family and deserve to enjoy to holidays as much as you do, so it is very important that you take extra precautions to keep your furry friends safe in this season of toxic plants, house guest and unhealthy table scraps. Try to keep them on as close to a normal routine as possible this season and be sure to avoid these pet safety issues well into the New Year.

Secure your Christmas tree

Pets love to play with Christmas lights and ornaments so be sure to firmly secure your tree. Also place fragile ornaments out of your pets reach to avoid broken glass that can cut feet and paws alike. A secure tree is less likely to spill stagnant water that your pets could drink and become ill from.

Avoid Tinsel

Sure it’s beautiful, but it is also extremely appealing to cats of all ages. Unfortunately if your cat swallow a bit of this holiday cheer it can block up their digestive track leading to dehydration, vomiting and even surgery.

Skip the mistletoe

It may seem like a great way to cozy up with your sweetheart but mistletoe is dangerous to your pet’s health and can cause upset stomach and heart problems. Lilies and holly are also toxic to pets so opt for artificial flowers or pet safe plants.

Watch the table scraps

Entertaining is an important part of the holidays but can mean lots of plates of unattended food that an enterprising cat or dog can get into. Make sure to keep a lid on trash cans and keep all spicy, fatty, and sweet food away from pets.

Choose your pet toys wisely

If you are Christmas shopping for your pet this year be sure to pick safe options for them to play with. Look for toys that are virtually indestructible like Kongs as dogs can rip apart stuffed toys and swallow the pieces. If you have a cat, stay away from anything stringy like yarn or ribbons as they can become stuck in your pet’s intestines and may even require surgery.

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The holidays are rapidly approaching and they create the perfect excuse for gathering friends and loved ones at your home for an intimate holiday party. Whether you like to show of your skills in the kitchen or prefer to serve cocktails and show off your decorating abilities, there are any number of ways to wow your guests. Here are just a few ideas to get you into the entertaining spirit.

Make Christmas Cookies

Nothing brings people together like some quality time spent in the kitchen and the smell of fresh baked cookies. Invite some friends over and encourage them to bring their favorite holiday cookie recipes. Not only will everyone get to enjoy the fruits of your labor but they can each take home a new recipe to incorporate into their next holiday bakeoff.

Throw a theme party

Dress up isn’t only for Halloween, who doesn’t love an excuse to get dressed up in character for a night out? Invite guests to dress up as their favorite character from a holiday movie or decorate with a Grinch theme. Many things about the holidays can be stressful, give your friends a night to blow off some steam and have a little fun. Keep the theme going through your use of decoration, food and cocktails and you are guaranteed a memorable evening.

Host a sledding party

You don’t always have to stay indoors to throw an awesome party. Whether you prefer snow shoeing, sledding or cross country skiing, pack a picnic basket, grab some friends and take your party into the great outdoors. If winter sports aren’t your thing, invite your crew over for snowmen, snow angels and igloos. Build a bonfire, pass around the marshmallows and hot cocoa and you are sure to create a special holiday memory for you and your friends.

The post How to throw an awesome holiday party at home appeared first on Weekly Living.

Thanksgiving is only a few days and already the rush is on to get ready for the holiday season. The holidays are as much about the food as they are the shopping and the time spent with family and most homes have traditional recipes that they roll out this time every year. Here are a few classic dishes associated with the holiday season.

Buche de Noel

Also known as a Yule log, the buche de Noel is a traditional Christmas cake that is still prepared annually is French speaking countries around the globe. The confection usually begins with a plain yellow sponge cake, which is rolled up with chocolate buttercream frosting into the shape of a log and then decorated. Often times beautifully crafted details such as mushrooms and berries are added to make the log appearance more authentic.

Candy Canes

No Christmas tree is complete without the red and white peppermint treat known as the candy cane. Peppermint sticks have been made for generations around the world but the actual cane shape is attributed to a choirmaster from a small cathedral in Germany. According to the story the choirmaster created the cane shaped treat back in 1670, to resemble a Shepard’s crook and passed them out to children that came to his services.

Figgy Pudding

Believed to originate back in Shakespeare’s England, figgy pudding is a small spice cake made with figs and nuts. Also referred to as Christmas pudding, figgy pudding also contains a high brandy content that makes it moist and long lasting. The cake is traditionally steamed and then set on fire right before it is served.

Fruit Cake

While fruit cake has earned a bad reputation over the years, this classic holiday recipe is still made in abundance every season. When prepared correctly a fruit cake can actually be moist and flavorful. Fruit cake traditionally consists of a yellow cake that is baked with a variety of candied fruits, spices and nuts and they soaked in rum or brandy.

The post 4 Traditional Holiday Recipes appeared first on Weekly Living.

It’s that time of year again, pretty soon the holiday festivities will begin in earnest and between the office parties and the New Year celebrations there are probably a few hangovers in your foreseeable future. While there is no magic pill that can cure the pounding head and rolling stomach of the morning after there are a few things you can do to ease the pain and suffering.

Drink Water

Sure, it’s obvious, but it really can make a huge difference in the degree of your suffering. A hangover is 50% dehydration so getting fluids in is the number one thing you can do to get your life back on track after a late night out. For maximum effect drink plenty of water while you’re out drinking, before you go to bed and as soon as you wake up in the morning.

Sleep

The more sleep you can muster after a late night out the easier the wake up will be. Your body needs time to process all that alcohol you consumed and it needs time to rest. Try to leave yourself at least 8 hours to recuperate if you know you’ll be overdoing it.

Vitamin C

Drinking vitamin C rich juices like orange or grapefruit provide your body with natural enzymes that break down the alcohol in your system.

Exercise

This one isn’t always practical and never pleasant to think about on a hangover but getting up and getting moving is the best way to sweat out the last of the alcohol. The bonus is that when you exercise your body releases endorphins that will take the edge off the pain and boost your mood.

Drink a Bloody Mary

When all else fails there is always a Bloody Mary. A little hair of the dog will ease you out of the pain and suffering and the nutrients in the tomato juice will give your body a little much needed nutrition. Just make sure that you keep drinking water or you will only be prolonging the inevitable.

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