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  • 'Secret Santa' hands out $100 bills to stunned Sandy survivors in Staten Island

    Rich Schultz / AP

    Janice Kennedy hugs "Secret Santa" after getting a $100 dollar bill from the wealthy philanthropist at the Salvation Army store in Staten Island.

    By Verna Dobnik, Associated Press

    NEW YORK - A wealthy Missouri man posing as "Secret Santa" stunned New Yorkers, handing $100 bills to many in Staten Island who had lost everything to Superstorm Sandy.

    The Kansas City businessman is giving away $100,000 this holiday season, and spent the day in New Jersey and New York giving away thousands. But he says money is not the issue.

    "The money is not the point at all," said the anonymous benefactor on Thursday as he walked up to surprised Staten Island residents and thrust crisp bills into their hands. "It's about the random acts of kindness. I'm just setting an example, and if 10 percent of the people who see me emulate what I'm doing, anybody can be a Secret Santa!"

    More: For Salvation Army, there's gold in them thar kettles

    A police motorcade with sirens took him across the borough, passing a church ripped from its foundations and homes surrounded by debris. At a nearby disaster center run by volunteers, a woman quietly collected free food and basic goods.

    "Has anyone given you any money?" he asked her.


    "No," replied Carol Hefty, a 72-year-old retiree living in a damaged home.

    "Here," he said, slipping the money into her hand.

    "But this isn't real money!" said Hefty, glancing at the red "Secret Santa" stamped onto the $100.

    More: Bo Ho-Ho! First dog inspects the White House holiday decorations 

    "It is, and it's for you," he told her.

    She broke down weeping and hugged him.

    And so it went, again and again.

    Santa's security entourage
    Secret Santa started his daylong East Coast visit with stops in Elizabeth, N.J. Keeping close watch over the cash handouts was his security entourage — police officers in uniform from New York and New Jersey, plus FBI agents and former agents from various states. Some have become supporters, wearing red caps marked with the word "elf" and assisting "Santa" to choose locations where people are most in need. He himself wears an "elf" cap and a red top, plus blue jeans.

    The group must choose stops carefully, and refrain from simply appearing outdoors in a neighborhood, lest they be mobbed by people hearing that cash is being handed out.

    More: Cowabunga, dude! Retro toys are hot this holiday season

    At a stop at a Staten Island Salvation Army store, one woman was looking over a $4 handbag. "But you get $100!" he told her, offering the bill.

    "Are you serious?" said Prudence Onesto, her eyes widening. "Really?"

    "Secret Santa," he deadpanned, breaking into a broad grin.

    The 55-year-old unemployed woman opened her arms and offered him a hug.

    An aisle over, 41-year-old Janice Kennedy was overwhelmed: She received four $100 bills.

    Unemployed with a 2-year-old daughter, she lost her home in the storm and lives with her boyfriend. The money will go toward Christmas presents and her toddler's next birthday.

    "You're not alone. God bless you!" the Missouri stranger told Phillip and Lisa Morris, a couple in their 30s whose home was badly damaged — but now had an extra $300 in cash for rebuilding.

    More: Office Secret Santa: 13 gifts under $20

    Secret Santa took up the holiday tradition from a close Kansas City friend, Larry Stewart, who for years handed out bills each December to unsuspecting strangers in thrift stores, food pantries and shelters. Stewart died in 2007 after giving away more than $1 million to strangers in mostly $100 bills.

    The current Secret Santa will not divulge his name. Nor does he allow his face to be photographed. But he said he's been to cities across America, from San Diego to Chicago to Charlotte, N.C.

    A reporter asked whether he might be a sort of Warren Buffett of Kansas City. He smiled mysteriously and said only that he admires Buffett for his philanthropy. "And I hope I give all my money away before I die."

    Then, as suddenly as he arrived, the generous stranger left for the airport and home, riding in the volunteer motorcade he jokingly calls "my sleigh," zipping with ease through red lights and city traffic.

    A man posing as Secret Santa brought smiles to New York and New Jersey residents by handing out 100 dollar bills to people affected by Hurricane Sandy. TODAY.com's Dara Brown reports.

    More:
    Ho-ho-high-tech: Kids send digital wish lists to Santa's inbox
    Christmas lights groove to 'Gangnam Style'
    Video: NYPD officer: ‘I knew I had to help’ homeless man

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  • For Salvation Army, there's gold in them thar kettles

    Courtesy Salvation Army

    An anonymous donor left this gold coin worth almost $2,000 in a Red Kettle in Houston on Tuesday.

    By M. Alex Johnson, NBC News

    Modern coins go "plink" when they drop into a Salvation Army kettle. But gold is a softer metal; it goes "plonk." And in a Christmas tradition that's 30 years old this year, the gold coins are once again starting to plonk into the iconic red kettles. 

    M. Alex Johnson M. Alex Johnson is a reporter for NBC News. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

    It happened Nov. 9 in Bettendorf, Iowa, when a 1/4-ounce gold coin worth about $500 was dropped in a volunteer's pot outside Schnuck's Market. It was nestled in a cardboard setting with cellophane wrapped around it, so it stood out when the kettle was opened, said Holly Nomura, development director for the Salvation Army's Quad Cities Corps.

    Then on Tuesday, outside a Sam's Club in southwest Houston, someone — no one but the donor knows who — left a 1-ounce gold coin worth almost $2,000 in the pot, wrapped inside a $1 bill. Attached was this note: "A child is born, Jesus! Merry Christmas!"

    It's at least the 15th straight year that's happened in the Quad Cities and the fifth year in a row in Houston. And it's always "a wonderful start to our holiday fundraising efforts," said Lt. Josh McKain of the Salvation Army's Irvington, Texas, corps.

    So far this season, gold coins worth many times their face values also have been left in Salvation Army kettles at a Sam's Club in Mishawaka, Ind.; at a Jewel-Osco store in Kankakee, Ill.; and in a kettle somewhere in Johnson County, Tenn. (It wasn't discovered until the bank started counting donations, so the precise location isn't known.)


    The Red Kettle donation campaign began in San Francisco in 1891, and presumably gold coins — which were legal tender until 1933 — were part of the haul from the beginning. 

    But the specific tradition of anonymously leaving a single gold coin in the pot is more recent. Most accounts say it began 30 years ago, in Quincy, Ill., but there's a friendly dispute over that — the Quad Cities unit in Iowa says it believes that the tradition began there, though it acknowledges it can't prove it.

    For years, someone would anonymously leave a single 1-ounce gold coin in a kettle in the Quad Cities (besides Bettendorf, the three other cities are Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island and Moline, Ill.). That anonymous donor is believed to have died about four years ago, but not the tradition, as smaller gold coins have continued to pop up.

    "Every year we have one," Nomura told NBC News.

    U.S. Mint

    U.S. Gold Eagles come in four denominations: $5, $10, $25 and $50. But their real value is tied to the market price of gold. A $10 piece like this one fetches about $500.

    'Huge motivation'
    The national Salvation Army says it's gotten more than 400 gold coins from anonymous donors over the last three decades. They come from several countries. Someone has left a South African Krugerrand in a pot in Mason City, Iowa, since 1997, for instance.

    But they're often Gold Eagles, which are U.S. coins minted in four denominations: $5, $10, $25 and $50. They're 92 percent gold (and 3 percent silver), so their real worth fluctuates with the market price of gold. They're intended for collectors and for transactions involving precious metals, not for general circulation. 

    The condition and age of a coin can lower (or raise) its final value, but the U.S. Mint said that at Thursday's gold price, a 2012 1-ounce $50 piece in uncirculated condition would cost $1,978. A 1/4-ounce $10 piece (like the one donated in Bettendorf) would command $515.50, the Mint said. 

    Hoping to boost donations, Salvation Army bell ringers dance in the streets. NBC's Thomas Roberts reports.

    Obviously, you can't just throw one of those into a coin roll and drop it off at the bank. Eventually, the coin left in Bettendorf will be taken to a dealer to be appraised and then sold, with the proceeds going toward the chapter's $725,000 fundraising goal for 2012.

    Until then, it's in a safe, "except when the media wants to film it," Nomura told NBC News. 

    And that's not uncommon — the tradition has turned into a terrific publicity tool for the Salvation Army. If a gold coin shows up in a kettle somewhere, a press release is sure to follow.

    But it also serves a larger purpose, said McKain, of the Texas chapter that got Tuesday's Gold Eagle.

    "It's not only a significant boost for us this year as a monetary donation, but also a huge motivation for all of our kettle workers," he told NBC station KPRC of Houston. "Really, for all of us who are involved in the Red Kettle campaign."

    NBC station KPRC of Houston contributed to this report.

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  • Bo Ho-Ho! First dog inspects the White House holiday decorations

    Bo makes a final inspection of the 2012 White House Christmas decorations.

    By Lisa Granshaw, TODAY contributor

    From supervising the garden to announcing the Easter egg roll, nothing done at the White House gets past first dog Bo Obama — including the holiday decorations! The White House posted this video on YouTube Thursday showing the 4-year-old Portuguese water dog inspecting the decked out halls.

    It's clear from Bo's meticulous examination that he takes his job very seriously. While everything seems to meet with his approval, he does seem unsure of the Bo replica he comes across. Watch the video to see how he reacts to the festive clone!

    Slideshow: Who’s a good Bo?

    Chuck Kennedy / The White House

    See the Obama family's frisky Portuguese water dog pup sink his paws into his classy White House digs.

    Launch slideshow

    More:

  • Ho-ho-high-tech: Kids send digital wish lists to Santa's inbox

    EmailSanta.com

    Letters to Santa come flooding into his inbox as much as his mailbox these days.

    By Adrienne Mand Lewin, TODAY contributor

    PowerPoint presentations. Wish lists at online registries. Webcams and tweets. Welcome to writing to Santa Claus 2.0.

    Today’s tech-savvy kids have put a new twist on the time-honored tradition of pleading their case for niceness before St. Nick and asking for whatever their hearts desire most. And Santa will even write back.

    “The Internet and Santa’s magic work quite well together,” said Alan Kerr, head elf at EmailSanta.com, adding that answering the more than 1 million letters a year received by the site is nothing compared with delivering gifts around the world in one night.

    EmailSanta.com allows kids to write directly to Santa, watch him checking out his map via a 24/7 Webcam, and follow his tweets at @KringleClaus. (A typical tweet might include a "HHHOL" and say something like: "Those silly elves are playing dinosaurs again! Roar! Roar! What a funny sight!")

    Kerr started the business in 1996 from his home in Calgary in Alberta, Canada during a postal strike when his nieces and nephews were disappointed they wouldn’t be able to mail letters to Santa. He expected a handful of messages and instead got 100,000 in a few weeks.

    “It wasn’t like nowadays where domain names are pretty obvious,” Kerr said. “Back then, the URL was longer than Santa’s beard. It wasn’t something people would find by accident.”

    On a recent weekday, traffic to the site came from South Africa, Ecuador, the United States and Ireland. Pre-Thanksgiving, EmailSanta.com received a letter every 30 seconds, but Kerr said that number typically increases to several each second as Christmas gets closer.

    The emails sent to EmailSanta.com have ranged from hopeful ...

    Can I also have some magic cream to get rid of my Daddy's grey hair.

    —Jordan, 7.

    ... to confessional:

     I've been bad a few times this year but I hope you can still see the good in me and not just the naughty. I really can be a good kid!

    —Lane, 9.

     Sory bout the exlaxx in the milk last yeer. Poppa wasnt to happi.

    —Seanie, 8

    ... to bluntly practical:

    Santa, you know how it is nowadays, my parents are divorced, so please put me on your special delivery list to come 2 nights, Christmas Eve at Mom's and Christmas night at Dad's. Thank you!

    —Ashley, 7.

    Dear Santa ...
    There are many other Santa-related websites and online methods kids use to connect with their main man. Michele Niec of Nashville, Tenn., said her 9-year-old son, Austin, has been receiving monthly e-mails from Santa Claus since September after mailing him a postcard through Macy’s last year.

    “He was completely surprised about it,” Niec said. “He was very excited.”

    Austin, however, doesn’t make a list for Santa, believing “if Santa is watching me every day, he knows what I want.”

    But many young writers don’t take such chances. EmailSanta.com has received lengthy lists from Target’s gift registry, videos made by children, digital photos and even a PowerPoint presentation detailing must-have presents. The wishes themselves also have evolved.

    EmailSanta.com

    Many children still stick to the tried-and-true method of writing an old-fashioned letter to Santa.

    “This year is very interesting,” Kerr said. “For the first 12 or so years, the top 10 always had a puppy, a bicycle, Barbies. Now those rarely appear in the top 10. It’s very much electronics.”

    Kids can be just as creative online as on paper.

    “It’s good to see kids pick up crayons and pencils and practice their handwriting, but on the other hand, it is a different era we’re living in now,” Kerr said. 

    Though they may be part of the digital age, many children do stick to old-school ways of writing to Santa, with a traditional letter addressed to him at the North Pole.

    “Most are handwritten,” said Pete Fontana, chief elf for the U.S. Postal Service’s Operation Santa Claus. “Those are the ones I love the best, especially the ones who do the color drawings and put glitter and stuff on them to make them look really pretty.”

    Fontana runs the 100-year-old program for the five boroughs of New York and has been a part of it for 16 years. After kids write letters to Santa, anyone can adopt up to 10 letters to answer. With 300,000 to 500,000 notes received each year just from the city, the art of letter writing is far from dead.

    “There are funny ones, ones that touch your heart, sad ones, interesting ones,” Fontana said.

    A unique bond
    Children often write to Santa with their deepest concerns and wishes, not just to ask for tangible gifts.

    “I discovered that quickly, the very first year, the very special relationship between Santa and kids,” said Kerr, who runs a computer program screening for certain words and refers children to police and other authorities if their letters indicate they have a problem that requires intervention.

    EmailSanta.com

    Children's letters to Santa received by EmailSanta.com have often asked for more than just tangible gifts.

    “Kids share with Santa things that they wouldn’t tell anyone else,” he said. “You have to take it seriously. It’s serious being Santa. It’s a lot of fun but a lot of responsibility too.”

    That has been reflected in emails Kerr has received this year, like this one:

    "I just wish that the parents of a friend of mine really loved him (which they don't), as he now lives in an Aid Center for kids and I want him to get out of there!" 

    —Name withheld by Santa

    Carole S. Slotterback, a professor of psychology at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania and author of “The Psychology of Santa,” said kids open up to Santa about their most heartfelt concerns.

    “It’s more than just presents,” Slotterback said. “He’s kind of a confidant. Some of the letters that I’ve analyzed don’t ask for any presents at all. All they want is for their mom and dad to stop fighting for once and be nice to each other, or they want Santa to send an angel to watch over their grandmother.”

    Current events often weigh on children’s minds. Slotterback, Fontana and Kerr all said the economic downturn in recent years has led to more letters asking for basic needs to be met. They anticipate an increase this year in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy on the East Coast.

    “They’re kids. They’re not stupid,” Slotterback said. “They’re going to pick up on economic hardships.”

    She noted that the tone of letters was much less festive after 9/11.

    “In 2001, the letters were different after the terror attacks,” she said. “They were much more containing wishes for other people, not just themselves. The drawings were much more patriotic, and they were using flag stamps as opposed to using Christmas stamps.”

    Wishes fulfilled
    For New York’s chief elf, there have been many favorite stories over the years. Fontana said his new favorite letter was received last year from a family that was living in a basement and didn’t have enough beds for the kids. They were asking for a queen-sized bed.

    “I put the letter down on my desk and my phone rang within 10 seconds — people think this is not a true story — it’s Sleepy’s [mattress store] on the phone,'' he said. "They wanted to help [with the program].”

    Fontana managed to get the bed to the family with help from Sleepy's. 

    “I’m more like a doubting Thomas kind of guy,” Fontana said. “I felt like the guy in ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ when they see the cane in the house. It’s just one of those moments that I can’t explain. That is either an extreme coincidence or something other. I’d like to believe there’s something magic with Santa.”

    Have your kids written special letters to Santa? We'd love to see them! You can share your images here:

    More from TODAY: 

  • First glimpse of White House holiday decorations

    Jim Watson / AFP - Getty Images

    Lauren Rae, left, and Olivia Marlow look at the ornaments on a Christmas tree in the Grand Foyer during the first viewing of the White House 2012 holiday decorations. The first lady welcomed military families to the White House for a viewing of the decorations.

    Jim Watson / AFP - Getty Images

    Christmas decorations in the China room during the first viewing of the White House 2012 holiday decorations.

    Alex Wong / Getty Images

    A nearly 300-pound gingerbread White House on display at the State Dining Room on Nov. 28. A stuffed replica of Bo, the presidential dog, is at lower left.

    Jim Watson / AFP - Getty Images

    Christmas trees in the State Dining Room.

    Alex Wong / Getty Images

    First lady Michelle Obama reacts as she participates in craft activities with children of military families at the State Dining Room after a preview of the 2012 White House holiday decorations.

    Alex Wong / Getty Images

    First lady Michelle Obama speaks in the East Room during a preview of the 2012 White House holiday decorations on Nov. 28. The first lady welcomed military families for the first viewing.

    Jim Watson / AFP - Getty Images

    A stuffed replica of Bo, the presidential dog, wearing a Santa Claus hat at the White House.

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  • TODAY's Life Illustrated: Holiday season

    Rebecca Squibbs

    "Happy Holidays" - Rebecca Squibbs (Kennesaw, GA)

    By Chelsea Damberg, Weekend TODAY

    You may still be full from Thanksgiving leftovers and reeling from the frenzy of Black Friday shopping, but the holiday season has arrived. The lights, the decorations and the Christmas trees are starting to pop up across New York City. How about where you live? Our viewers have already started getting into the spirit with volunteering, decorating or simply gathering with friends and family to ring in the season. Take a moment from decking the halls and share how you’re preparing for the holidays with TODAY’s Life Illustrated.

    Submit your photographs here or by using Twitter via #MyLifeToday.

    Here are a few more images of our viewers prepping for holiday fun:

    Caterina FudaSajjad

    "This Thanksgiving, we were grateful for the opportunity to help others. The Saratoga County Kids Care Club held a Thanksgiving Food Drive in collaboration with Torres XTF Health & Fit” – Caterina FudaSajjad (Malta, NY)

    Amanda Lancaster

    “Sophia (age 6) just could not wait to get into her Christmas outfit! Only elves prepare for Christmas wearing its decor 5 days before Thanksgiving.” – Amanda Lancaster (Pickerington, OH)

    Joy Germanos

    “Big brother having 'fun'  taking Christmas pictures for the first time with his new little sister. I think he's had had enough of this!” – Joy Germanos (Wetumpka, AL)

    Juliet Mullen

    “Yumm!!!!” – Juliet Mullen (Norfolk, ma)

    Rebeccah Riordan

    “The sisters love being together for a trip to the Christmas tree in Baltimore.” – Rebeccah Riordan (Gaithersburg, MD)

    Chelsea Damberg is a production assistant for Weekend TODAY who is very excited for the tree lighting in Rockefeller Plaza this year

    More from TODAY's Life Illustrated:
    Turkey time
    Remembering our veterans
    There's a first time for everything


  • Spruce up: The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is lit

    Stan Honda / AFP - Getty Images

    The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is lighted at the end of an NBC television special in New York City on Wednesday night.

    By Scott Stump, TODAY contributor

    What’s 80 feet tall, 50 feet in diameter, weighs 10 tons and is guaranteed to get everyone in the Christmas spirit?

    It’s the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, which on Wednesday night was lit for the 80th year. NBC broadcast the illumination of the world’s most famous tree from 8 to 9 p.m. ET (although folks in the New York City area could tune in an hour earlier and watch the preparation on NBC4). The festive holiday special featured performances by Mariah Carey, Cee Lo Greene, Rod Stewart and more, along with special appearances by Billy Crystal and Bette Midler.

    Al Roker, a fixture at the annual event, was determined not to be sidetracked by the pesky case of laryngitis he's battling. He was in attendance on Wednesday night, to the delight of co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. 

    The Norway spruce, which is from New Jersey and survived superstorm Sandy, is adorned with 45,000 multi-colored LED lights requiring five miles of wire. It's also topped off by a Swarovski star that contains 25,000 crystals and has new lighting enhancements that create a twinkling effect. The tree was donated by Joe Balku, 76, from Flanders, N.J., and is approximately 80 years old. 

    The first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was put up in 1931 by construction workers who were building the complex. In 1942, three trees were put on the plaza decorated in red, white and blue to support the troops fighting in World War II. The largest tree ever to grace Rockefeller Center was a 100-footer in 1999. 

    Spectators can view the tree each day from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and all 24 hours of Christmas Day, as well as from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. The last day to view the tree will be Jan. 7.

    After this year's tree is finally taken down, it will be milled into lumber for Habitat for Humanity. 

    Richard Drew / AP

    The 80th Rockefeller Center Christmas tree arrived Nov. 14 and was lit on Wednesday, Nov. 28.

    More from TODAY: 

    Rockefeller Center Christmas tree survived Sandy

    Scarlett saves the day! Johannson reads the weather on TODAY

    Christmas lights groove to 'Gangnam Style'

    Seven ways to escape holidays debt-free

     

  • 8 awesome gift ideas to bring a gracious hostess

    TotalBeauty.com

    By TotalBeauty.com

    Were you taught to never go to someone's house empty-handed? While Miss Manners says this isn't a rule per se (she's more of a thank-you-note-after kind of gal), a hostess gift is still a nice gesture. Especially after you've taken over someone's couch for a weekend, raided her fridge, and accidentally spilled wine on her formerly pristine sofa.

    Now, your first thought may be to go the standard (read: boring) route with your gift. You could buy a houseplant, but she'll feel guilty when it inevitably dies. Or a scented candle, but her bathroom's already full of them. Or perhaps a bottle of wine, but really, how unoriginal is that. A better option? One of these unique gift ideas. There's something here for every occasion, from a co-worker's cousin's party where you barely know the hostess, to a weeklong stay at your best friend's house. Keep reading to see which one you should show up with.

    For your weekend-getaway hostess
    The gift:
    21 Drops The Weekender Trio, $75

    For a girls' weekend at her place, get your gal pal this aromatherapy trio. It has a blend to help her sleep (ideal for when your snoring might keep her up), a hangover blend (perfect after a wild night out), and a passion blend (which she can use for hookups after you head home).

    TotalBeauty.com

    For the perpetually busy hostess
    The gift:
    Drybar Happy Hair Gift Certificate

    You probably have an overachiever friend who's planning a party on top of a million other obligations. Somehow she manages to always pull it off, but it doesn't leave her much time to primp. Which is a shame because a hostess should look stunning — not stressed — at her own fete. Help her out by giving her a gift certificate before the party for a blowout from a salon like Drybar or any salon in your area that offers the service. This way, even if she leaves everything else to the last minute, her hair will still look fabulous.

    More from TotalBeauty:

    TotalBeauty.com

    For the hostess you barely know
    The gift:
    Alighiero Campostrini Soap, $10 each

    When you're invited to a party thrown by a friend of a friend, soap is always a safe bet. After all, everyone uses it — and pretty ones like these spruce up any bathroom. Plus, they're inexpensive enough that you can buy a variety of scents — everything from Violet and Tuberose to Poppy and Chili Pepper — so she's bound to keep at least one of them and can re-gift the rest.

    TotalBeauty.com

    For the stressed-out hostess of a kids' holiday party
    The gift:
    A healthy frozen meal

    After corralling a group of children all hopped up on candy canes and ginger snaps, the last thing this hostess wants to do is cook. So help her out with a ready-to-serve meal. You can make almost anything as long as it's easy to freeze and reheat, but we especially like this turkey-spinach lasagna recipe from "Cooking Light." To make it as a gift, just assemble the lasagna but instead of baking it, freeze it. Then give it to your busy-mom friend with a fresh baguette and baking instructions.

    TotalBeauty.com

    For your ski-cabin-sharing bud
    The gift: 
    Kiss My Face The Outdoor Collection, $49

    If you're lucky enough to have a pal that invites you to stay at her cabin for some a snow-filled weekend, repay the favor with a beauty gift she can use right away. This outdoor collection has an SPF 30 lip balm, SPF 30 sunscreen, an SPF 15 moisturizer, an SPF 50 sports spray, and shower and bath gel to relax sore, tight muscles.

    TotalBeauty.com

    For your friend with a twisted sense of humor
    The gift:
    Poo-Pourri, $14.95

    This toilet bowl deodorizer is one of those things that no one would buy for themselves, but everyone could use. Plus, it's the perfect thing for your funny pal to set out for future guests. Of course, Poo-Pourri is not something you can give to just any hostess. You'll want to save it for a close friend, one who will get that this is a gag gift (but a useful one nonetheless).

    TotalBeauty.com

    For the host you can't thank enough
    The gift:
    Lush My Fair Lady Gift Set, $59.95

    She let you crash on her couch, take over her bathroom with all of your overflowing bag of hair products, and didn't even flinch when your roller bag scuffed her wood floors. You can begin to thank her with this massive gift set. It comes in a beautiful hatbox and is filled with Lush favorites like Creamed Almond and Coconut Shower Smoothie, Smitten Hand Cream, and Charity Pot. Bonus: You can let her know that $8.50 of the price goes to Lush's Charity Pot fund, which donates to charities that fight for animal rights and environmental causes.

    TotalBeauty.com

    For the glam party hostess
    The gift:
    Urban Decay Showboat Nail Kit, $28, or SpaRitual Cuticle Fix Holiday Gift Set, $30

    For those hoping to make a really good impression, give your hostess one of these gifts before her party. She'll be hugging people and shaking hands, so a flawless manicure is a must. If she needs some basic TLC for her hands, the SpaRitual kit will help. It has two cuticle products, one to treat damaged cuticles and the other to hydrate dry cuticles, a nail growth product, and a sanitizable eco-friendly nail file. If her hands are already in decent shape, the Urban Decay kit will give her fun polish options — the perfect finishing touch for any party.

    Now that the hostess is happy, how about finding the perfect present for the rest of the loved ones on your holiday shopping list.

    More from TotalBeauty:

  • 10 high-end kitchen products foodies will love

     

    Bianca Henry, director of culinary production for TODAY, shows off a variety of high-end kitchen gadgets and products you can give to the foodie on your holiday shopping list. 

     

    Whether you’re looking for the best products to use for throwing a holiday party or need some high-end gifts to give the foodie on your list, Bianca Henry shows off some of her favorite items that are perfect for both occasions. 

     

  • Christmas lights groove to 'Gangnam Style'

    Check out the dazzling light show set to "Gangnam Style'' by Australian Kym Illman.

    By Scott Stump, TODAY contributor

    Not even Christmas lights are immune to a takeover by “Gangnam Style.’’

    An Australian man and a Texas man have each created intricate Christmas light displays on their homes that are synced to PSY’s runaway global hit. Videos of their creations on YouTube have drawn plenty of attention, with the one by Australian Kym Illman receiving over 120,000 views and the one by Texan John Storms racking up more than 700,000 views.

    “I spent a lot of time trying not to do it to ‘Gangnam Style’ because I thought the song was overdone," Illman told TODAY.com. "But there was nothing else as catchy and unrelenting.’’ 

    It took 41,000 bulbs, 2,000 programmable channels synced to his laptop and 200 man-hours by Illman and his family and friends to create the spectacle at his home, located near Perth in western Australia. This is the seventh straight year that Illman has created a Christmas light show at his house, but the first one for which he’s used a pop song instead of traditional fare like “Carol of the Bells.”

    It’s also the first year in which he used “cosmic color ribbon,’’ a thin ribbon that allows him to program every single bulb on it to flash different colors at different intervals. It took Illman about 60 hours to program all the bulbs to sync to “Gangnam Style’’ in the way he wanted.

    Kym Illman

    Australian Kym Illman draws thousands per night to check out his Christmas light display set to "Gangnam Style.''

    “It’s a labor of love,’’ he said. “It’s like a beautiful piece of art. The video camera can’t capture the dynamite of those lights. It’s way more spectacular in person.’’

    Texan John Storms, who used more than 25,000 lights for his Korean pop-flavored Christmas show, echoed Illman's experience and told a local new station that it took him two weeks to put it together. 

    Both Illman and Storms said their electric bills were only marginally higher for the month. 

    “Everyone thinks it will set you back thousands and you get all these people on YouTube saying, ‘Look at your carbon footprint,’" Illman said. "But that’s not even close to true since the lights are all LEDs and less than 50 percent of them are running at any given time.” 

    He has also raised more than $90,000 for charity over the past seven years by accepting donations from visitors. This year he is looking to raise money for an Australian rules football team in a country town where he owns a holiday home. As Christmas approaches, Illman said he will get as many as 4,000 people coming to watch the light show on a given night.

    Texas man John Storms also created a Christmas light show to "Gangnam Style" that has dazzled onlookers.

    “Gangnam Style’’ plays as part of a three-song loop from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., and after that, people can listen to the song in their cars through a limited-range FM station in order not to annoy the neighbors with the constant music. There are also security personnel and parking to also limit any interference for the neighbors. 

    Illman says the best part of the light shows is the fact that it brings people together. He recalled touching scenes over the years like a boy in a wheelchair who was mesmerized by fake snowflakes landing on his face from a snow machine during the light show. There have also been those who weren’t so thrilled when Illman didn’t cater to their demand to see the light show when they wanted.  

    “One year a guy knocked on my door at 11 p.m. when I was sleeping and said he drove a long way and wanted me to turn the lights on, then cursed me out when I told him I wouldn’t,’’ Illman said. “Also, I never put the lights on for Christmas day because there would just be too many people, and a woman left a nasty note under my door one year.’’

    More from TODAY:

    Shopping for holiday cards? Here are 10 of our favorites

    7 ways to escape holidays debt-free

    Cyber Monday is no longer a one-day tradition

    Do you hear what I hear? Your brain on Christmas music

     

     

  • Shopping for holiday cards? Here are 10 of our favorites

    By Kelly Holechek, InStyle.com

    Here’s an easy way to share holiday season joy and make it meaningful — a personalized holiday card! From charming custom letterhead to stationery with fun family photos, send warm wishes with one of these festive favorites. 

    Courtesy Photo

    For Newlyweds
    Just merry-ied! Share your love with family and friends with a unique holiday announcement. 
    Merried & Merry, minted.com and Mistletoe Kiss, minted.com.

    Courtesy Photo

    For Dog Lovers
    Sometimes "Happy Holidays" is just better said by man's best friend. Woof, woof.
    Let it Wag Holiday Card, shutterfly.com. 3/$5.99; at emi-jay.com.

    Courtesy Photo

    For Growing Families
    What a bundle of joy! Show off the newest addition to your family to loved ones this holiday season with these adorable cards. 
    Twinkle Twinkle Holiday Photo Card, minted.com and Soft Snow, tinyprints.com.

    Courtesy Photo

    For Hanukkah Fans
    Near or far, celebrate the spirit of Hanukkah with these festive greetings. 
    Modern Menorah, minted.com and Menorah Magic in Navy , tinyprints.com.

    More from InStyle.com:

    Courtesy Photo

    If You Want to Give Back
    Start the New Year off with good karma with greetings created by Paper Culture. The company not only creates environmentally-responsible stationery by printing everything on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, Paper Culture also plants a tree with each order.
    Christmas Icons, paperculture.com and The Time is Now, paperculture.com.

    Courtesy Photo

    For Those Who Have a Lot to Say
    Share all the monumental moments of the year with a timeline-inspired holiday card. 
    Year in a Nutshell, minted.com and Top 10 List, paperculture.com.

    Courtesy Photo

    For Designer Treatment
    Send stylish cards created by Tory Burch! A portion of the proceeds of these whimsical designs will benefit the Tory Burch Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the empowerment of women and families. 
    Poppy Print in Baltic, tinyprints.com and Foxy Holiday, tinyprints.com.

    Courtesy Photo

    For Added Glitz
    Sparkle into the New Year with a glittering greeting card.
    Stylish Strands in Bamboo, tinyprints.com.

    Courtesy Photo

    For True Elegance
    Set an impressive tone with these classic, customizable cards. 
    Create Your Own, cecinewyork.com and Lacy Etching in Smoke, tinyprints.com.

    Courtesy Photo

    For the E-Mail Option
    Don't have time to mail out cards? Customize your greetings this season with a few simple clicks and send out e-cards, while also having the option to send out via snail mail!
    Lights Twisted on Dashers Paw, paperlesspost.com.

    More from InStyle.com:

  • Kids at adult holiday parties? Kelsey Grammer did it at Playboy mansion

    By Lela Davidson

    When my son was a baby I took him everywhere. Because who wouldn’t be overjoyed to bask in the glow of a child, right? Perhaps that was Kelsey Grammer’s thought when he took his three-month old daughter to a Halloween party at the Playboy Mansion. Hollywood gossip sites criticized Grammer for subjecting a baby to boozy bunnies, but was that so wrong? The little cherub reportedly slept the whole time. I’d much rather see a baby at a party than an older child—especially one equipped with a phone and a YouTube account.

    Grammer’s and my party faux pas aside, perhaps we all need a reminder of some basic rules of etiquette.

    Related: Kelsey Grammer defends bringing baby to Playboy Mansion

    Party etiquette for guests
    Most etiquette experts agree on a very simple rule: Parties are intended for the people named on the invitations. In general, unless it says “and family,” you need to get a babysitter. Do not put the host on the spot by asking if you can bring children, and do not pretend that you “didn’t know.”

    If you decide to break the one and only rule, beware of people like me. I love to see a baby at a party because it means I can get my fix. Holding a small child for only a few minutes causes my newborn cravings to dissipate almost immediately, especially if that kid spits up on me. Yes, I love holding babies for finite periods of time. I also love cocktails. So watch out for people like me. Nothing ruins a party like off-duty mom dropping a baby into the spinach dip.

    Bottom line, most prefer you leave the kids at home. In addition to annoying other guests, children are certain to destroy any chance for parental fun. In The Kid Dictionary: Hilarious Words to Describe the Indescribable Things Kids Do, Eric Ruhalter coined a term for it:

     WINTERFERENCE
    (WIN-tehr-FEAR-entz) n.:
    A child’s ability to distract one or both of his parents from enjoying themselves with other adults at a holiday party.

    “You shouldn't bring kids to an adults-only party,” says Ruhalter. “But just in case you ever do by accident, make sure your kids know how to prepare holiday cocktails and park cars.”

    It helps to dress them in black and white.

    Party etiquette for hosts
    While you should not have to state explicitly on invitations that a party is for adults only, consider spelling it out. You know how some of your friends are, and you want to be able to say ‘I told you so’ after a particularly obnoxious friend ruins your party with her snotty little brood.

    On the other hand if you welcome children at your gathering, say so. I recently received a party invitation warning that the hostess’s children would be in attendance so we would have to “behave.” That’s one way to signal children are welcome at the party—or that you’ve stooped to an Austin Powers theme.

    Mom of four, Mary Heston says, “If kids are going to be allowed then the hostess should be ready for whatever mayhem she allows into their house.” Margeret Garcia likes to hire a babysitter to organize games and fun in another room. “Every parent chips in according to how exhausting their kids are.”

    Whether or not you hire a sitter, if kids are welcome, make sure to have appropriate snacks on hand. Our neighborhood once had a near miss with Jello shots at the Fourth of July block party. Heston provides special mugs (and cards the kids) at her family’s annual Oktoberfest. Best to provide kids their very own refreshment table. Better yet, a party of their own.

     What do you think? Is it ever okay to bring uninvited children to a party? Or should you always skip the festivities when you can’t get a sitter?

    Lela Davidson is the author of Blacklisted from the PTA, and Who Peed on My Yoga Mat? Her thoughts on marriage, motherhood, and life-after-40 have appeared in hundreds of magazines, websites, and anthologies.

    More holiday survival tips from TODAY Moms: 

    Christmas creep begins now: Start managing kids holiday expectations now

    Surviving the family holiday meal and that extra helping of parenting advice

  • Cyber Monday is no longer a one-day tradition

    Experts say online sales are expected to rise by 12 percent as millions of Americans hunt for holiday gift deals during the biggest Web shopping day of the year. NBC's Diana Alvear reports from an Amazon fulfillment center in Phoenix, Ariz.

    By Martha C. White

    Maybe “Cyber Week” would be a better name.

    Just as Black Friday spilled over into Thanksgiving night, Cyber Monday has gone from being a one-day event to a tentpole for more than a week’s worth of promotions and discounts. Online sales on Thanksgiving, historically not a banner day for e-commerce, jumped 17 percent, according to research conducted by IBM. On Black Friday, online sales grew by 21 percent.

    As of noon ET on Cyber Monday, onlines sales were up 24.1 percent compared to last year, according to data from  International Business Machines Corp. In 2011, the early Cyber Monday year-over-year growth was 15 percent. IBM tracks transaction data from 500 U.S. retail websites.

    This year’s kickoff to the holiday shopping season was intensely competitive, with retailers offering price-matching and pricing merchandise aggressively. Shoppers responded, spending $59.1 billion over Black Friday weekend, according to the National Retail Federation. Research company comScore said online shoppers spent a record $1 billion on Black Friday and predicted that today’s sales will hit $1.5 billion.

    To keep shoppers' momentum going strong, retailers are offering special Cyber Monday deals in the hopes of ringing up another $1.5 billion in online sales. CNBC's Courtney Reagan reports.

    For the past couple of years, stores have pushed their Black Friday openings earlier in a bid to get shoppers off their computers and into stores. With stores opening as early as 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving this year, online retail upped the ante and started promotional blitzes even earlier.

    Cyber Monday was first conceived in 2005, two years before the iPhone even existed. Today, ubiquity of smartphones and tablets also makes this spillover inevitable, as users comparison-shopped electronically even while in brick-and-mortar stores over the long weekend. And thanks to widespread penetration of residential broadband access, Americans don’t have to wait to get back to the office on Monday to have the entire Internet at their fingertips.

    “Consumers shopped in store, online and on mobile devices simultaneously to get the best bargains,” IBM’s report noted.

    “[Cyber Monday] continues to be strong, and what's happening is that we're seeing just more shift to the web channel overall even on other days like Black Friday and Thanksgiving,” said Forrester Research analyst Sucharita Mulpuru.

    Amazon.com is a big likely winner for Cyber Monday sales, said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at the NPD Group. “They’re doing a really good job of suggestive selling. They’re making the site much more efficient,” he said. “You have to basically put them in the forefront.”

    Analysts had high hopes for big-box stores including Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy, and said retailers with a strong online counterpart to their physical stores, like J. Crew, Ann Taylor, Apple and Williams-Sonoma, were in a good position to take advantage of Cyber Monday shopping. 

    In an interview with CNBC Europe, Eric Abensur, group CEO of Venda, said that savvy retailers could avoid the threat of cannibalizing sales by using online and mobile promotions to drive customers to their physical stores, while other analysts said the strong showing over the weekend could be at today’s expense.

    “Our sense is that while today is still the major day of the cyber period, it may not be off-the-charts historic,” said Joe Feldman, a senior analyst at Telsey Advisory Group. Feldman said overall spending is likely to grow over last year, but consumers are spreading out their purchases over a much longer time period than before.

    “What we’re seeing is the front loading of the holiday business,” Cohen said. He said the early promotional hype could backfire if consumers’ appetite for spending fades. “They’ve sort of shot themselves in the foot.”

    But Andrew Lipsman, vice president of industry analysis at comScore, Inc., disagreed with that assessment. “I think it's a misconception that Thanksgiving or Black Friday promotions must pull from Cyber Monday,” he said. “They may pull dollars from later in the season or represent incremental spending.”

    More money news:

    Follow TODAY Money on Twitter and Facebook

     

  • 7 ways to escape holidays debt-free

    With the holiday season in full swing, it can be tough to walk the line between holding onto your money and spreading Christmas cheer. Constance White of Essence magazine shares her tips to help you ease the financial stress and keep everyone happy at the same time.

    By TODAY staff

    The holidays are supposed to be about joy, Constance White, Essence Magazine's Editor-in-Chief told TODAY. All too often, though, in our urge to spread that joy, we end up loading up on credit card debt. To help ease the financial stress while keeping everyone happy, here are Constance's 7 tips for a debt-free holiday.

    1. Prepare a spending plan
    Decide on a total amount you're going to spend on presents. Write that number down and divide it by the number of people you're buying presents for. Voila, that's the total you can spend on each person. No guilt, no stress, everyone gets treated fairly and best of all, you stay in budget.

    2. Search online for coupons and free shipping
    Before you buy anything online or off, search first to see if there's coupons for it. The coupon app SnipSnap is also great for finding and loading coupons into your mobile phone. You can even scan them and use right in the store from your device.

    3. Get social
    Find some deal mavens with Twitter feeds, blogs, or Facebook pages, like Bargain Shopper Mom, you can follow to learn about the latest bargains. They do all the hard work while you sit back, perhaps with a glass of vino in one hand, and scoop up their findings. Retailers are also releasing certain shopping deals exclusively through their online channels, so it can be worth checking out their pages on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc.

    4. Use your rewards
    Don't forget all those reward points you've been racking up on your credit card. Now is the time to use them, and your membership powers. For instance, American Express cardholders heading to grandma's house by airplane instead of sleigh can earn double points for booking when booking through membershiprewards.com.

    5. Start early
    The best sale items are usually put out early in the morning, so you'll need an early start to snag them. By getting going first thing, you'll also beat the rush while other shoppers are still in their jammies finishing their waffles.

    6. Use cash
    Withdraw all the money you're going to use on in-store holiday shopping, put in an envelope, and only pay for your items in cash. Once the envelope is empty, you have to stop shopping. Leave the plastic at home so you're not tempted to goose your spending with a little extra.

    7. Shrink stress
    Unwind after a full day of shopping with a little home spa time. Light some candles, draw a bath, and treat yourself to some rejuvenation. Ahhh, holidays. Now recharge and get ready for the next wave!

  • Cyber Monday madness: Best deals in tech, style and more

    Swept up in Cyber Monday insanity? Don't shop without expert advice. TODAY has found the best offerings in technology, style, beauty and more. Find some of the featured products below and in the video above. 

    Kindle Fire
    $129 with FIREDEAL code at Amazon
    Force Flyers Helicopter
    $24.99 at Target
    Crochet Critters Headphones
    $19.99 at iChameleons
    Apifeni athletic gear
    40 percent off clothing site-wide
    Lands End Canvas clothing
    30 percent off everything online

     

     

    Clarification: The 11/26 TODAY broadcast video featuring Cyber Monday deals incorrectly presented a Staples laptop deal; that portion has been edited out of the online clip. The Asus laptop retails for $417 after a $250 discount. 

    More on TODAY.com:
    Hip2Save.com: Find top Cyber Monday deals 
    Cowabunga, dude! Retro toys are hot this holiday season
    Change for your dollar: Gifts that give back
    Office Secret Santa: 13 gifts under $20 

  • Trick yourself into losing weight with these 8 sneaky ideas

    David De Lossy / Getty Images stock

    Holding the line on holiday weight gain can be as simple as cutting 100 calories a day from your diet. Here are a few tips to try.

    By Gina Roberts-Grey, Prevention

    Trying to lose those pesky 10 pounds you gained on summer vacation or wondering how to prevent packing them on over the holidays? Oodles of new research has uncovered ways to trim 100 calories or more from your diet without skimping on flavor. While it doesn't sound like much, shaving off 100 calories a day could help you trim 10 or more pounds a year--even if you never set foot in the gym.

    Get started today with these science-backed calorie-cutting shortcuts that'll help you maintain healthy curves all year long.

    1. Dim the lights
    Regardless of what you thought as a kid, it turns out the dark isn't so scary after all. A new study from Cornell University says the secret to eating less--and feeling more satisfied about what you do eat--could be as simple as turning down the lights. Researchers found people who ate a meal under soft, warm lighting consumed 175 fewer calories than those who noshed in brightly lit places. The study participants who dined under mood lighting ate 18 percent less of the food on their plates--and also rated their food "more enjoyable" than those under bright lights. Scientists think that's because the harsh fluorescent lights commonly found in fast food restaurants may create a psychological need to rush through meals and eat more--so light a candle or two at dinnertime, and you may be less stimulated to gobble up your food.

    How to Prevent Weight Gain from Snacking

    2. Be a straight shooter
    They might look stylish, but swanky, curved drinking glasses on your table could lead to saddlebags on your thighs and a spare tire around your middle. A British study found that people consumed 60 percent more alcohol, sugary sodas, and juices if the glass they drank from was curvy, rather than a straight tumbler. The researchers speculate that people drink faster from the curvy glasses because it's harder to tell when you're at the halfway point, so you reach for another drink sooner and end up consuming more.

    To space out your sips and feel satisfied sooner, pour yourself a drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) in a straight-shaped glass. If you end up drinking 60 percent less than you normally would, that's about 67 calories saved at breakfast if an 8 oz glass of orange juice is a morning staple; 48 calories saved at lunch if you're sipping a sweetened iced tea; or about 40 fewer Chardonnay calories consumed at dinner or happy hour.

    Learn 16 Simple Ways to Eat Less.

    3. Grab a few winks
    Got a bad case of the head bobs? Several studies say you could wind up hungrier than if you were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. One study from the Mayo Clinic shows getting less than 6 ½ hours of sleep a night can lead to consuming as many as 500 excess calories in a day.

    Being sleep deprived can increase how hungry you feel and lead to downing more calories than you'd eat if you weren't exhausted, says Manfred Hallschmid, PhD, department of medical psychology and behavioural neurobiology, University of Tubingen and lead researcher of a separate study on sleep and calorie consumption. "Sleep deprivation can raise levels of appetite hormones like ghrelin," he says. Surging levels of ghrerlin, the hormone that revs up your appetite, can lead to eating hundreds of extra calories than when you're well-rested, according to Dr. Hallschmid.

    Wake Up To Better-Looking Skin

    4. Don't say, "I can't"
    Whether you're trying to sidestep a fast food drive thru, leftover Halloween candy, or heaping plates of food at Thanksgiving, don't tell yourself what you can't eat. New research says you'll get better results if you frame it a little differently and focus on what you don't eat. "Can't" sounds more like punishment than being healthy, researchers say, and it creates a sense of self-deprivation that can tank your motivation. On the other hand, reminding yourself you "don't" eat certain foods helps steel your willpower towards a healthier lifestyle.

    Case in point: When researchers divided a group of people into "can't eats" and "don't eats", 64 percent of those in the "don't" group passed up a candy bar in favor of a healthier granola bar--but only 30 percent of the "can't" group chose the healthier snack. So cut the "can'ts", and will yourself towards smaller portions of healthier food.

    Harness your hormones to lose unhealthy belly fat for good.

    5. Think thin
    Think you're overweight? Think again. New research says the way you think about food and your waistline can determine your success at sticking to a healthy diet. Turns out telling yourself you're "chubby" or "very fat" decreases the odds of hitting your target goal weight, even if you're physically active.

    10 Tricks to Turn Around a "Fat" Day

    Over a 10-year span, 59 percent of women who started out with an average body mass index of 20 but thought they were overweight, wound up packing on weight and watching their BMI swell to more than 25. That weight gain likely happened because of a self-fulfilling prophecy, says Susan Albers, psychologist at The Cleveland Clinic and the author of Eating Mindfully and 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food. "Your mindset is incredibly important in giving up or getting on track with your weight," she says. "So if you think you are not overweight, regardless of your actual weight, you will act in ways that lead you to what you already believe." And that translates to eating fewer fats and calories.

    6. Stop staring at sugar
    Don't you hate when you're minding your own business, sticking to a healthy diet, and all of a sudden a craving for junk food comes along and ruins your good intentions? To help you keep those cravings in check, a new study says you should look the other way when you see pictures of high-fat, high-calorie, or sugary foods. That's because brain scans have shown that ogling pictures of high-calorie treats stimulates parts of the brain that control hunger and the reward center, says Kathleen Page, MD, assistant professor of medicine at USC and the study's lead author.
    What should you do when TV commercials flash images of high-calorie foods? Head to the kitchen and take a peek at some healthy foods to shut down the reward center of your brain.

    The Secret To Enjoying Your Favorite Things

    7. Wet your whistle
    You're more likely to crave veggies than greasy French fries, chips or other foods high in fat and calories if you pair a meal with water instead of caloric beverages. Researchers at the University of Oregon say that food-drink pairings can influence the type of food choices we make and the amount of calories we eat. In the study, adults who paired a meal with water were more likely to eat their vegetables and make other healthy food choices than if they sipped on soda. Additionally, more participants named water as the best drink to pair with healthy, low-calorie foods, while soda scored high as the best drink to accompany pizza or fries. Pour yourself a tall glass of water, not soda, before your meals, and your appetite may follow suit.

    5 Weird Tricks To Feel Fuller

    8. Look forward to eating
    Are you jonesing for lunch? Got Thanksgiving dinner or other meals on your mind? Go ahead, keep fantasizing! Dr. Hallschmid says anticipating a meal can actually lower your body's levels of ghrelin, the appetite hormone. In a study he conducted, he found that looking forward to and thinking about a meal before you sidle up to the table helps reign in ghrelin levels, so people consumed less calories during the meal. "Looking forward to eating could have a positive effect on food intake control because it leads to feeling full sooner, and sustaining that feeling of full so you don't seek out high-calorie snacks," says Dr. Hallschmid.

    The Sneaky Way To Eat Less

    More from Prevention: 
    3 New Ways to Master Weight Loss
    How to Stop Falling Off the Diet Wagon
    Short on Self-Control?
    Are You an Emotional Eater?

     

  • 10 gifts to make your beer geek hoppy this holiday

    Get the beer lover in your life something he or she will really love!

    By Jim Galligan, TODAY contributor

    If you have a beer geek in your life, chances are you’ve learned to ignore their unbridled enthusiasm for craft brews. You’ve blotted out all the times they’ve excitedly said “try this” and handed you a glass of what tastes like a ground-up pine tree floating in grapefruit juice, or when they’ve prattled on about head retention, or have lamented the fact that they missed this year's batch of KBS (that's Kentucky Breakfast Stout, if you're uninitiated).

    While this is a smart coping mechanism, it might leave you a little unprepared when it comes time to acknowledge the fact that you’ve been listening (even when what you’ve really been thinking about is Real Housewives, dry cleaning, or anything other than the original gravity of your loved one's latest batch of homebrew). 

    The good news is: You don’t have to be a beer geek in order to buy a nice gift for someone who’s a little obsessed with the world’s greatest beverage. You just need a little help. To that end, here are 10 gifts that will brighten the holiday of even the most hardened beer geek in your life.

    Beers Not Bombs bottle opener: These stylish little openers are made from what’s been dubbed “Peace Bronze,” recycled copper cabling that once was the conduit between “the button” and nuclear missiles waiting silently in a silo. Not only is it handy to have a bottle opener on your keychain, this one is a conversation starter that any peace-loving beer geek would adore.

    Pricey Beers: I recently wrote a review of Sam Adams Utopias, an amazing ambrosia of flavors that runs $190 for a 24-oz. bottle. While many people expressed an interest in tasting Utopias, few showed an interest in paying for it. Receiving one as a gift allows these desires to exist in perfect harmony, and for the beer geek in your life to check “score a bottle of Utopias” off their bucket list. Another excellent beer that’s pricey enough ($45 for a 750ml bottle) to warrant special gift status is Scaldis Prestige de Nuits, a remarkable Belgian Strong Ale that’s been aged in Burgundy wine casks.

    Books About Beer: All books about beer are not created equal, but there are a couple that every beer geek should own. One is Randy Mosher’s Tasting Beer, which offers an accessible way to learn about the fundamentals of the brewer’s art, the major beer styles, and how best to store and serve each. If you think your geek already knows it all (or if THEY think they know it all), then the Oxford Companion to Beer, with its 1,100 A-Z entries, will show just how much they have yet to explore. Both are available in print and electronically, but I prefer my beer books analog. (Plus, a download is tough to gift-wrap.)

    Homebrew Equipment: One of the best ways to learn about how beer gets its awesome flavor is to brew it yourself. Northern Brewer sells a nice selection of starter kits, each with all the tools you need to properly brew, ferment and bottle up a batch of beer. Just make sure you order a recipe kit so you have something to brew, and if you don’t already have a pot big enough to brew in, you’ll have to pick up one of those as well. (If your gift-getter is already brewing, then perhaps a wort chiller or a nice grain mill will get their fermenters bubbling.)

    Good Glasses: Once you’ve had a beer in Spiegelau crystal beer glasses, it’s hard to drink out of anything else. Far from being a boxful of fancy nonsense, these amazing vessels present beer to the senses unlike just about anything else out there. It’s like drinking beer in high definition. If your geek is a beer omnivore, then the Connoisseur Gift Set will provide them with a variety of glasses, suitable for any beer style they desire. If they are more partial to stouts and barleywines, then consider a pair of tulip glasses, perfectly shaped to get the maximum pleasure out of these boozy treats.

    Beer of the Month Club: Making your favorite beer geek happy with the Beer of the Month Club comes down to choosing the right package. If the beer geek in your life is generally a fan of anything bubbly, then he or she might enjoy the U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club, an assortment of entry-level beers from breweries across America. If the person you’re shopping for is a hardcore beer geek or prefers heartier fare, then go for the Rare Beer Club, which delivers two excellent 750ml beers to your door every month.  Either way, there’s nothing more fun than coming home from work to find a box of well-chosen beer waiting for you.

    Butterfly Beer Opener: Every red-blooded American boy goes through a stage where he wants to be a ninja, starting at around age 8 and lasting until he’s 70. The BBbarfly opener is wielded just like a butterfly knife, but instead of producing a blade with a flourish of the hand, it produces something more useful – a bottle opener. This might sound like a childish and unnecessary contraption, because it is. But I haven’t met a beer geek yet who didn’t want to take a turn being the Bruce Lee of beer when one of these is in the room.

    Kegerator: Owning a Kegerator is the beer geek equivalent of having a hot tub: They're expensive, frivolous and require some maintenance, but there’s nothing like having the comforts of a public house in the privacy of your own home. A Kegerator can either be a dedicated mini-fridge with a beer tap on top, or a kit used to convert an existing fridge into a beer-dispensing pleasure appliance. Kegerators are especially nice for homebrewers, because it saves them the tedium of having to bottle their beer – instead they keg it, tap it, and serve it up cold. There’s nothing more fun (and potentially more plumping) then having a few gallons of fresh beer on tap in your own home.

    Beer Shampoo: What part of the anatomy loves beer even more than that spare tire around your gut? Your hair!  It turns out that craft beer is packed full of vitamins, minerals and proteins that make hair thick and lustrous.  Bröö Craft Beer Shampoo is brewed made in Ashville, N.C., a burg that’s quickly becoming the craft beer center of the universe. (And beyond being great for hair, this beer-infused shampoo will allow the beer geek in your life to take “you smell like a brewery” as a compliment!)

    Shower Beer Koozie: A steamy stall is a tough environment for keeping one of man’s greatest pleasures cool and soap-free – the shower beer. Well, that is until now. The Shakoolie Shower Beer Holder is insulated to keep your cold one cold, and holds the beer away from the wall so no suds slide onto the sipping surface. It’s the perfect thing for the beer geek who has everything except a good reason to shower more often. Pro tip: The makers of the Shakoolie recommend only using cans with their products, because broken bottles, slippery surfaces and naked people don’t mix.

    Beyond these 10 gifts, there are tons of other options: branded brewery apparel, Discovery Channel’s Brew Masters on DVD, tickets to beer festivals, or even a beer opener shaped like the Millennium Falcon.

    Of course, if you’re short on cash and want to give a beer geek the ultimate gift, then consider granting him or her one more year of feigning interest in their obsessive hobby -- because the next best thing to drinking craft beer with a buddy is talking endlessly about the stuff to someone you think is interested.

    Jim Galligan is co-founder of the Beer and Whiskey Brothers blog, where he and his brother Don cover the ever-evolving world of craft beer and distilled spirits. Follow him on Twitter. 

    More from TODAY food:

     

  • Erica Hill: Celebrate holidays by helping Sandy victims

    Heidi Gutman / NBC

    By Erica Hill, TODAY

    In the interest of full disclosure, I LOVE Thanksgiving. Yes, there’s the food (and leftovers!), the parade, the lazy morning and the tryptophan-induced afternoon haze, but the real reason I love this holiday is in the name. It reminds us to pause, and think about the myriad things we have to be thankful for.

    This year, many people are reflecting far from home. Displaced by Sandy, or perhaps a disaster on a smaller scale that didn’t make the national news. Perhaps they’re trying to focus on the blessings, while mourning the loss of a loved one, or trying not to notice the empty chair for someone who couldn’t make it home.

    In recent weeks I’ve met people dealing with the aftermath of Sandy in Connecticut, Long Island and Coney Island. Every single person, from those who had lost everything and had nowhere to live, to those waiting for the power to come back on, was convinced they were the lucky ones. They were safe, they told me. They had their families and their health…and they were all convinced someone else, somewhere, had suffered more. Even when they needed more than they ever had, they wanted to help.

    Story: Despite Sandy, wedding goes on

    In that spirit, I hope we can all take a moment this weekend to think of those in need. Whether it’s donating food and warm clothing, spending time with a loved one, helping a neighbor or just taking that extra few minutes with your kids in the morning to really listen.

    There are still so many in need, and keep in mind their needs won’t end anytime soon. Beyond food, clothing and blankets, they also need things like cleaning supplies (bleach, heavy duty gloves, push-brooms), personal hygiene products (shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, feminine products), school supplies, and our support. This year I am thankful for my family, and thankful to be a part of community that always rises to the occasion. So many of you inspire me each day with your generosity and your compassion. Thank you.

    More: Soldier's surprise secret mission: Meeting newborn son 
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    White House Christmas tree arrives 
    Change for your dollar: Black Friday gifts that give back  
    Video: Cobbler vs. crisp: Weekend TODAY’s Thanksgiving bake off
     

  • White House Christmas tree arrives

    Nicholas Kamm / AFP - Getty Images

    Michelle Obama looks on as the White House Christmas tree arrives.

    By Scott Stump, TODAY contributor

    Only a day after Thanksgiving, the White House is getting into the Christmas spirit. 

    Brendan Hoffman / Getty Images

    Michelle Obama (R) and Malia Obama (second L) are presented with the tree, a 19-foot Fraser fir from Peak Farms in North Carolina.

    Michelle Obama accepted delivery of this year's White House Christmas tree on Friday, and it will be displayed in the Blue Room throughout the holiday season.

    Yuri Gripas / Reuters

    The tree arrived Friday morning via horse-drawn carriage.

    This year's tree, a 19-foot Fraser fir, was harvested this month and provided by owners Rusty and Beau Estes from Peak Farms near Jefferson, N.C. Peak Farms was named this year's grand champion by the National Christmas Tree Association, which has been selecting the White House tree since 1966.

    Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP

    The first lady (accompanied by Sasha, Malia, and first dog Bo) takes a sniff of the tree.

    More: Change for your dollar: Black Friday gifts that give back 
    Obama pardons Cobbler the turkey, but runner-up Gobbler gets to live, too 
    Video: Rappelling Santa dangles by beard, stays jolly
    Avoiding a family fight about politics at the holidays 
    Thanking out loud: Why you're grateful this year  
    Video: Stunning crystal star to top Rockefeller tree   

  • Do you hear what I hear? Your brain on Christmas music

    Noah Berger / AP file

    All those holiday shoppers...and all that holiday music. Can your brain handle it?

    By Cari Nierenberg

    Shana McGough likes Christmas music, until she hears too much of it.

    "I think at first Christmas music is nice, it's nostalgic, and it gets me into the holiday spirit," says the writer from Escondido, Calif. Then, "it gets old, and it can start to feel like a part of a giant sales machine trying to bleed me dry."

    She also suspects that for anyone of a different faith who doesn't celebrate Christmas,"holiday music must be beyond annoying, right into offensive."

    If it’s not started already, by the time the Thanksgiving meal is devoured and the stores open for Black Friday, Christmas music will be inescapable. After hearing 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' and 'Frosty the Snowman' for the umpteenth time, you might be hoping for a silent night.

    Earlier this month Canada's top pharmacy chain Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. heeded shopper complaints and put the holiday music on pause until later in the season. Even for people who celebrate Christmas, listening to the same seemingly inescapable seasonal songs over and over again may be incredibly irritating.

    Endless loops of “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” or any tinsel-y tune can have a psychological impact known as the 'mere exposure effect,' says Victoria Williamson, Ph.D, who conducts research on the psychology of music at Goldsmiths, University of London. There's a U-shaped relationship between the amount of times we hear music that we like and our subsequent reaction to it, she says.

    As Williamson puts it, at first we like music a bit, then we like it more and more until it hits a peak. And then we crash down -- we have overheard it. That's when boredom and annoyance at the repetition of the same sound hits home. "Anyone who has worked in a Christmas store over the holidays will know what I'm talking about," Williamson says. When asked why holiday music seems to have a polarizing effect, driving some people crazy while others like, or at least, can tolerate it, Williamson suggests that music's effect on us in any situation depends on our own psychological state.

    People who are already stressed out about the holidays -- worrying about money, traveling, or seeing relatives -- may find the musical reminder of the cause of their stress very unwelcome, she says. But those who approach the holidays in a receptive, relaxed state are more likely to get a boost from the happy associations -- childhood memories, family gatherings, or the holiday's religious meaning -- triggered by holiday music.

    Of course, the reason Christmas music is played in every department store, supermarket from Thanksgiving through December. Music can put us in the mood to spend money, research suggests.

    "We've shown that 'holiday appropriate' music combined with congruent 'holiday scents' can influence shoppers by increasing the amount of time they spend in a store, their intention to revisit it, and intention to purchase," says Eric Spangenberg, Ph.D, dean of the College of Business at Washington State University in Pullman, who has studied the  influence of music on holiday shopping.

    He says that some types of music work better than others. "Slower tempo music slows down shoppers, and they spend more time and money in a store," Spangenberg explains. Faster-paced pieces move people through the store quicker than retailers would like.

    For Charlie Muldoon, only certain types of holiday music can put him in a good mood.

    "I find the traditional songs sung by the great artists of the 50s and 60s or the funny songs about 'Grandma Getting Run Over by a Reindeer' put a smile on my face," says the Washington, DC-based professional polo player. 

    "But those remakes by commercial singers and rappers make me want to go postal," Muldoon confesses. And some sounds make him forget the season's peace on earth, goodwill toward men sentiment. "Those 'elevator' versions of holiday music make me want to take a bat to the machine that plays them," he says.

    As long as Christmas songs are played after Thanksgiving, Mary Leach, a public relations professional who lives in Cambridge, Mass., doesn’t mind. To her, "Christmas [music and decorations] much prior to Turkey Day is just plain wrong."

    More from The Body Odd: 

     

     

  • Cowabunga, dude! Retro toys are hot this holiday season

    toysrus.com

    Remember Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? They're back, and retailers are betting they'll be big this holiday season.

    By Martha C. White

    Nostalgia sells. 

    At least that's what toy manufacturers and retailers are hoping this holiday season. Former Generation Y hit toys like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers and Furby are surging in popularity this year, contrary to the assumption that all kids care about today are toys with screens.

    On Monday, the Toy Industry Association released its nominees for its 2013 Toy of the Year Awards. In the running for “e-connected toy of the year” is Hasbro’s Furby, a robotic critter that first debuted nine years before the iPhone was invented. This year’s iteration has an iOS app.

    toysrus.com

    Hasbro's Furby, a robotic critter that first debuted nine years before the iPhone was invented, is on top toy lists this holiday season.

    Furby also landed on both the girls’ and boys’ lists in the National Retail Federation’s 2012 Top Toys survey at number three and number nine, respectively.

    Slideshow: Hot holiday toys for 2012

    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles make multiple appearances on the Toy Industry Association’s list, nominated in the categories of top toy for boys and most successful brand growth for the year.

    Experts say there are a few reasons why these blasts from the past are suddenly hot again.

    Retro toys “tend to be more popular in times of economic difficulty,” said Gerrick Johnson, equity research analyst at BMO Capital Markets. “On both the supply and demand side, they’re safe,” he said. “You know it worked for one generation of kids.”

    Parents with tight holiday shopping budgets might gravitate toward toys they remember enjoying a generation earlier. ”This year’s top toys... have some staying power, meaning children won’t get bored with them within a few weeks,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement.

    Toys typically resurface in 20- to 25-year cycles, Johnson said. Companies calculate that adults who see familiar characters or games on store shelves will be in the right age range to have kids that can discover them for the first time.

    “There’s no doubt that shelf recognition helps,” said Russ Crupnick, senior vice president of industry analysis for the NPD Group. “It’s equally a familiarity factor."

    And although parents remember them, old-school toys are new and exciting for today’s kids, said Toy Industry Association trend specialist Adrienne Appell. “Sometimes the nostalgia and the back-to-basics factor is a 'wow' factor for the kids because they’re so used to the technology,” she said. “It’s what parents are comfortable with.”

    They’re also cheaper to produce. “A lot of these toy companies that bring back retro toys, it’ll be less expensive for them to do so,” Johnson said, because the R&D investment has already been made.

    Although brands are counting on the nostalgia of Gen Y parents to fuel demand, they’re not relying on it entirely. Earlier this year, Nickelodeon released a new "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" television series. The Power Ranger franchise is reintroducing many of its classic characters in a new season on Nickelodeon timed to coincide with its 20th anniversary early next year. In a release last month, owner Saban Brands said the launch would be supported by “a robust global consumer products campaign, character appearances, retail promotions and advertising.”

    Classic toys are filling a vacuum in the market. Thanks to the economy, there just aren’t as many potential new breakout hits this year. "Innovation has been somewhat lacking," Johnson said.

    Toys take a long time to go from an inventor’s sketchbook to store shelves. Development, manufacturing and shipping from China — where most toys are produced — adds up to an 18- to 24-month lead time. To be in people’s shopping carts now, a toy would have had to be green-lighted as early as late 2010. Back then, the NRF predicted a meager 2.3 percent increase in holiday sales over 2009, so companies shied away from big investments that might not pay off.

    What’s more, manufacturers and retailers have to forecast months in advance which toys will be hot for the upcoming holiday season. Even though economic indicators are inching up, they’re unwilling to risk getting it wrong and having to slash prices when the new year rolls around.

    “There’s less risk in terms of returns or not utilizing shelf space well” by sticking with proven franchises, Crupnick said.

    By 2014, Johnson said new toys will probably be popping up on store shelves as toy companies regain confidence in the market and start investing in the search for the next big hit. But there’s probably still one more holiday season of retro toys ahead of us.

    “We’re seeing this trend likely to continue and intensify in the coming year,” Appell said. Parents who hung onto boxes of childhood memorabilia might very well have next year’s most sought-after toy buried at the bottom.

    More money news:

    Follow TODAY Money on Twitter and Facebook

     

  • Change for your dollar: Black Friday gifts that give back

    By Kathleen Daelemans

    Stay-at-home shoppers can save money and help those in need this holiday season. TODAY guest and New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Daelemans shares some doorbuster deals that do good while serving your pocketbook.

    outofprintclothing.com

    Out of Print clothing
    For each Out of Print item sold, one book is donated to a community in need through Books For Africa. The company's mission is to celebrate the world's great stories with well-designed t-shirts, tote bags, stationery and accessories featuring original cover art from over 70 classic books.  

    With the major Hollywood adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic, "The Great Gatsby," set to premier in May, Out of Print’s "Great Gatsby" Black Friday bundle means you have "best dressed" in the can. The two-shirt bundle (one for him, one for her) features the book's first-edition cover art and is $38 with free shipping. Many more styles, including a "Charlotte's Web" bundle, are also available at www.outofprintclothing.com.

    unitedbyblue.com

    United by Blue
    For every product sold, United by Blue removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways through company organized cleanups. The company's business model associates the sale of each product with a concrete environmental action.

    UBB cleanups have removed over 141,000 pounds of trash from oceans and waterways since May 2010, and recently they have focused efforts on cleanups along the areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy. The McKenzie tote and the Putnam messenger bag are now $65 at www.unitedbyblue.com.

    swellbottle.com

    S'well bottles
    Proceeds from every S’well bottle sold go directly to their charity partner, WaterAid, a nonprofit organization that provides sustainable, safe water, hygiene and sanitation to the world's poorest communities. S’wells mission: Saving the planet from plastic waste and providing clean water to those in need. WaterAid has reached nearly 16 million people with safe water since 1981 and over 11 million people with sanitation since 2004.

    S’well bottles are double walled in stainless steel, leaving liquids cold for 24 hours and hot for 12. This Black Friday, save a lot on S’well’s bundle deal: 9-ounce Rowboat Red kid's bottle with a 25-ounce Silver Lining bottle for $45. Think that’s swell? Everything at Swellbottle.com is 20 percent off this Black Friday only (www.swellbottle.com).

    kiehls.com

    Kiehl's Holiday Collection
    One hundred percent of net profits from Kiehl's Holiday Collection in the U.S. (up to $100,000) will support RxArt, a nonprofit organization committed to fostering artistic expression and awareness by engaging young patients through contemporary art in pediatric hospitals.

    Considered the most hydrating body moisturizer in the Kiehl’s line, this super-enriched, nurturing body treatment is formulated with beta-carotene, squalane and nurturing oils. It leaves even the driest skin soft, smooth and elegantly hydrated (www.Kiehls.com).

    themantry.com

    The Mantry
    You’re busy with life, work, family, traveling and booze — you shouldn’t have to worry about food too! Discover what amazing, undiscovered artisan and small-batch makers are doing in America.

    Every month, The Mantry sends a curated selection of items to fit the modern man’s lifestyle, from the rare and exotic to the downright functional. Break out Norwegian Reindeer Jerky over brews with the boys, or mix in an Oaxacan Hot Chocolate that shows her you’re not some hack who only orders in ($75, free shipping, TheMantry.com). 

    mightywallet.com

    Mighty Wallet
    Mighty Wallets by Dynomighty, a small company based in Brooklyn, N.Y., is dedicated to putting personal style in every pocket. Artist Terrence Kelleman turned to product design while working as a photographer in his former day job at the MoMA.

    Made from the same material used to make express mail envelopes, the Mighty Wallet is tear-resistant, water-resistant and stain-resistant. Despite its super thin design, it is surprisingly expandable and 100 percent recyclable. Choose from more than 100 amazing graphics, including the famous Airmail Mighty Wallet, for guys and girls alike. Be Mighty this holiday season with a mighty fine deal (now 13.99, free shipping, www.mightywallet.com). 

    bamboosk8.com

    Bamboo Sk8
    Bamboo Sk8 is helping the planet and at-risk youth one skateboard deck at a time. Their 100-for-One campaign provides one skateboard to an at-risk youth for every 100 skateboard decks purchased online. 

    When skateboarding took over flooring as one of the major contributors to maple deforestation, Bamboo Sk8 started exploring other ways of making skateboards. They now manufacture high quality boards made from sustainable bamboo.

    For the first time ever, Bamboo Skateboards is offering shoppers complete setups with deck, trucks, wheels, bearings, hardware and grip tape (assembly required, $65 with free shipping, a $130 value, at http://www.bamboosk8.com).

    blenderseyewear.com

    Blenders Eyewear
    Each pair of vibrant sunglasses sold goes toward college scholarships for America’s passionate and driven young students. The company is on a mission to help the best and brightest of America’s youth achieve their dreams.

    A vibrant spin on the classic wayfarer, these shades come in both polarized and non-polarized lenses. This Black Friday Deal from Blenders features $21 polarized shades (originally $30), $14 non-polarized shades (originally $21) and free shipping on all colors found at www.blenderseyewear.com.

    flexwatches.com

    Flex Watches
    Ten percent of Flex Watches' profits go toward organizations that deal with disaster relief, Parkinson’s disease, bringing clean water to those in need and more. With these watches, awareness is the name of the game. All large Flex Watches are available this Friday for $30 (originally $40) with free shipping at www.Flexwatches.com.

    Project Repat
    Repat creates fair wage employment opportunities in the U.S. by upcycling excess t-shirts into more functional and fashionable items. All items are custom made from shirts you provide and are sewn together by someone earning a fair, living wage.

    projectrepat.com

    The repurposing magic happens at either of their two partner facilities, Opportunity Threads or NuPath. At Opportunity Threads, in addition to receiving fair wages, workers own a percentage of the company. NuPath provides people with disabilities the support to live, work, learn, grow and participate to their fullest potential in their communities.

    Included in this Black Friday deal for Project Repat shoppers: Custom Circle Scarf for $40.00, originally $45; their Tote Bag for $30, originally $50; and their 30-inch by 40-inch Stroller Blanket for $65, originally $100, plus free shipping on everything at http://www.projectrepat.com.

    Better Buddies 
    Every Better Buddies product helps save an adoptable pet’s life. Their mission? No more homeless pets! Better Buddies is dedicated to promoting the benefits of adopting animals from shelters in order to prevent unnecessary euthanasia. Pamper your pet with these eco-friendly, luxurious pillow beds and bed rolls made from sustainable hemp and organic cotton.

    betterbuddies.com

    Ten percent of profits from each Bone Appetit and Meow Mats purchase is donated directly to the Guardian Angel Program at the Best Friends Animal Society, which helps the most severe-needs pets find a wonderful home. Upcycled Pet Food “placemats” are made from recycled yoga mats. They cut down on landfills, wipe off clean with a sponge and are dishwasher safe!

    Black Friday door-buster deals: Originally $20, Pet Place Mats are $12.99 with free shipping. Medium luxury pillow beds, originally $129.99, are now $71.99. Small bedrolls, originally $41, now $31.99. Medium bedrolls, originally $50.00, are now $39.99. Available at http://www.betterbuddies.com. 

    Stocking stuffers under $35 — with free shipping!

    skylinesocks.com

    Skyline Socks
    Slip on socks for your city and help those in need. Skyline Socks partners with nonprofits in your city, benefiting youth centers, hospitals and schools across the country. For every pair of socks sold, they donate a pair of socks to a person in need from the city where the sock was purchased.

    Deck out your feet in city colors with these recognizable skylines from across America. Skyline’s mission is to show off the cities you love while providing support to those in need. All Skyline Socks were $12 and are now $10.20 at www.skylinesocks.com.

    giftsthatgive.com

    GiftsthatGive.com
    An interpretation of the classic 1950s bakelite telephone, Native Union's POP Phone Handsets combine retro style with a luxurious soft-touch texture and are compatible with iPhones and mobile phones with mini jacks. The handset can be used with all mobile phones with an adapter (sold separately).

    Twenty percent of merchandise purchased goes to a charity of the shopper's choice (not all colors available, $35, http://www.giftsthatgive.com/).

    project-7.com

    Project 7
    Save the world in 7 ways. Each of Project 7's products goes toward a specific area of global need, from helping to solve world hunger to saving the environment. Their coffee is fresh and can help people with illness, their gum can help plant a tree and their clothing can help recycle, reduce and reuse.

    Project 7 products aim to help in seven areas all across the world: Feed the hungry, heal the sick, hope for peace, house the homeless, quench the thirsty, teach them well and save the earth. All of Project 7’s coffee and gum products are now 25 percent off at www.Project-7.com.  

    wakami.com

    Wakami
    Generating sustainable incomes for rural communities in Guatemala, Wakami provides rural women with the training and the opportunity to create their own self-sustaining business enterprises. Wakami is a social brand that designs accessories inspired by ancestral culture and ancient weaving techniques from Central America.

    Their hand-woven bracelets represent a rustic urban lifestyle that connects people with the earth and the joys in life. Black Friday Specials: Double wrap bracelets (black, beige, red), the 4 Strand Earth bracelet (unisex), the 4 Strand Earth bracelet (womens), the 7 Strand Earth bracelet (womens), the Woven and Leather Dream wraps, ALL for 25 percent off at http://www.Wakamiusa.com.    

    c4belts.com

    C4 Belts
    Choose your color, choose your cause. Proceeds from each sale of C4 Belts will be donated to a charitable organization such as The Boys and Girls Club of America, Project Kaisei or Kiva.  

    C4's fun, customizable plastic belts, which come in a whopping 400 different color combos, are made from environmentally friendly, recyclable material. All C4 Belts were $25 and are now $18.75 at www.C4Belts.com.  

    fallingwhistles.com

    Falling Whistles
    Be a whistleblower for peace. All of the money from the sales of Falling Whistles goes to creating educational tools to show the world what is happening in the Congo. Whistles in a variety of colors are now $35 at www.FallingWhistles.com. 

    senchanaturals.com

    Sencha Naturals
    Sencha Naturals has a fresh outlook on social responsibility: Green tea, green packaging and green power. One hundred percent of profits from the company's Communi'Tea Mints go directly to various entrepreneurs in the second and third world. Each Sencha product is now 25 percent off with free shipping at http://www.senchanaturals.com.

    roozt.com/manchastyle

    Mantrastyle
    Mantrastyle gives back 10 percent of the proceeds from their iPhone cases to a woman's shelter for victims of human trafficking. Guided by their own mantra, "Live It. Love It. Give It," this entirely female-owned and operated company is transforming everyday products into pieces of art that reflect your unique life mantra.

    Mantrastyle is offering shoppers a selection of cases for $35 (down from $54.95 at http://www.roozt.com/mantrastyle).

    Panier des Sens
    Twenty percent of all Panier des Sens merchandise purchases go to the charity of your choice at GiftsthatGive.com. These soaps and lotions are formulated with sensitive skin in mind and are not tested on animals ($10 to $35 at http://www.giftsthatgive.com/).

    LSTNHeadphones.com

    LSTN
    Turn up the volume with this deal on LSTN headphones made from reclaimed exotic wood that would have otherwise been thrown out. Most importantly, each purchase helps underprivileged children in deaf schools. They also provide mosquito nets to reduce malaria — one of the main causes of hearing impairment.

    LSTN wood earbuds were $45, but are now just $35 with free shipping, only when purchased at www.LSTNHeadphones.com.

    slateandstylus.com

    Slate and Stylus
    Slate and Stylus’ mission is to give children the tools they need to make a better future for themselves and their community. With its crafty origami iPhone and iPad cases, Slate and Stylus is the perfect fusion of craftsmanship and street culture. The Slate and Stylus iPad case was $39.99 but is now $30, and the iPhone 5 case was $25 and is now just $19 at Slateandstylus.com.

    NY Times Best Selling Author, and Award Winning Chef Kathleen Daelemans co-wrote and hosted Cooking Thin on the Food Network and Cooking Thin, 200 Easy Recipes for Healthy Weight Loss, Houghton Mifflin.

    More from TODAY:
    Office Secret Santa: 13 gifts under $20
    Black Friday diehards will do just about anything for a bargain
    Teens banned from shopping alone on Black Friday at Mall of America

  • TODAY anchors thankful for food, family, first responders

    TODAY anchors revealed what they're thankful for this turkey day, including their families, troops overseas and emergency workers who risked their lives to help those affected by superstorm Sandy.

    What are you grateful for this holiday? Tweet at TODAY with the hashtag #ImThankfulFor. 

    More on TODAY.com:
    Thanking out loud: Why you're grateful this year 
    Chefs confess to turkey-free Thanksgivings

  • Chefs confess to turkey-free Thanksgivings

    AP file, Getty file

    L to r: Chefs Susan Feniger, Bill Telepan and Eric Ripert all say no to the traditional holiday entree.

    By Krista Simmons, TODAY contributor

    Though turkey may have been the center of Norman Rockwell's classic Thanksgiving painting, many chefs prefer not to serve a bird at their holiday table. 

    Some, like Le Bernardin's Eric Ripert, opt out because they think the taste of the giant fowl is, well, foul. Others, like Susan Feniger, prefer a vegetarian feast for both ethical and logistical reasons.

    Feniger, a “Top Chef Masters” competitor and owner of Street in Los Angeles, has prepared a vegetarian feast for friends and family – around 30 of them, in fact – for the past four years. “I don't think one person misses the turkey,” she said. “Thanksgiving really is all about the sides, and I kind of go overboard. We do some traditional dishes, like mashed potatoes with butter and sour cream, and then some fun stuff like yams with ginger lime and honey.”

    According to Google, searches for vegan Thanksgivings are up 35 percent, so it should come as no surprise that chefs like Feniger opt for a meat-free holiday table as well. Instead of serving Tofurkey, Feniger just amps up the quantity of fixin's, making sure there a few globally-inspired dishes with lentils or beans on the table. 

    Chef Bill Telepan, who owns an eponymous restaurant in New York, agrees with Feniger in her statement that fixin's are the best part of the holiday meal. When it comes to the protein, Telepan prefers to go with game meat like venison that's indicative of the autumn season. 

    Telepan isn't the only one dabbling in game meats and off-cuts during the holidays, though. Dale Talde, “Top Chef” alum and owner of three popular New York area restaurants, fondly remembers his family's unconventional yet endearing Thanksgiving meals.

    “I’m a first-generation Filipino-American, and turkey just isn’t a Filipino thing,” Talde said. “There was always oxtail stew, stir-fried noodles, wonton soup. We did catch on to the Thanksgiving ham and my mom did it well — I think it’s because of the deep Filipino love of all things pork.” 

    Talde says he'll be cooking a ham or rib roast for this year's feast. 

    David LeFevre of James Beard Award-nominated MB Post will be hosting an-ever-so-SoCal seafood boil at his home in Manhattan Beach, replete with lobster, king crabs, and killer wine. The spread will be served on a table covered with newspaper overlooking the Pacific. “It should be 72 degrees and clear skies,” he said. “I'm really looking forward to spending more time with the family and watching some football.” 

    Cheers to that.

    Krista Simmons is a Los Angeles-based multimedia journalist. Follow her on Twitter. 

    More:
    Crummy or yummy: When turkeys are friends, not food
    A guide to Thanksgiving beers (and keeping Drunk Uncle at bay)
    Deep-fry a turkey without burning down the house
    Obama pardons Cobbler the turkey, but runner-up Gobbler gets to live, too

  • Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade lifts spirits in wake of Sandy

    Slideshow: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

    Louis Lanzano / AP

    See images of the giant balloons and festivities at the 86th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

    Launch slideshow

    By NBC News wire services

    Updated at 12:55 p.m. ET: NEW YORK — Millions of people lined the streets of New York on Thursday to watch the 86th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the largest event held in the city since Superstorm Sandy caused widespread damage throughout the region.

    Giant helium balloons hovering over the parade lifted spirits in the wake of the deadly storm that flooded homes and businesses in New York and New Jersey last month.

    Crowds along the parade route cheered a host of giant character balloons, including a 60-foot-tall Kermit the Frog balloon and an enormous Charlie Brown. The parade, which typically draws 3.5 million spectators and 50 million television viewers, also featured 28 floats, 11 marchine bands, thousands of cheerleaders and dancers and Santa Claus. Celebrity performers included Whoopi Goldberg, Carly Rae Jepsen and the Muppets.

    On Thanksgiving Day, a parade lifts holiday spirits, charities fill empty stomachs, and soldiers find a little bit of home in a faraway land. NBC's Katy Tur reports.

    The parade was the largest public event held in the city since the storm, which killed 132 people in the United States and Canada.

    "As it has during turbulent times in our history, we hope the Macy's Parade serves as a beacon of hope for all who tune in and gather with friends and family to give thanks this season, as they continue to heal from the devastating aftermath of Superstorm Sandy," Amy Kule, the parade's executive producer, said in a statement.

    Macy's said it would provide seats for some 5,000 people affected by Sandy, which inundated lower Manhattan with seawater, damaged shorelines and destroyed homes in New Jersey and New York.

    Thousands of area residents are coping with the loss of homes, businesses and loved ones on Thanksgiving. Some are marking the occasion in homeless shelters.

    Thousands of Sandy victims still displaced

    Watching the balloons being inflated on Wednesday night was Chris Tamis, his wife and two teenagers, whose home on hard-hit Long Island only recently had its power restored.

    "Coming here is a good distraction," said Tamis, who lives in Smithtown, New York. "A lot of people are coming to get away from it."

    On Wednesday, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the city, in partnership with local community organizations and businesses, was providing 26,500 Thanksgiving meals for people hardest hit by the storm.

    Thanking out loud: Why you're grateful this year

    From poor weather conditions in the Midwest to a worker protest at LAX, travel slowdowns and higher rental car costs have made Thanksgiving travel anything but smooth sailing. NBC's Ron Mott reports.

    Other cities planned to have showy marching bands, cartoon character balloons and musical extravaganzas as well. Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit were among the big cities hosting parades.

    TODAY's Al Roker chats with a few of the musical acts who will perform during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade alongside "dancing baked goods" and the Ninja Turtles.

    Black Friday psychology: Inside the minds of shoppers

    For some, the once-sacrosanct harvest feast now starts the holiday shopping season — and store openings keep getting earlier. Black Friday now starts on Thanksgiving day itself at many national stores and some shoppers eagerly race from their dinner tables to line up for bargains, delaying their second helpings until they've purchased the latest toys or electronic devices.

    Slideshow: Macy’s Thanksgiving Parades of the past

    Yana Paskova / Getty Images

    Launch slideshow

    Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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