The centerpiece of many homes in December, the Christmas tree is often decorated with sentimental ornaments and a style beloved by each family. If you want to mix it up a bit this year, try these tips from countryliving.com. New colors: Try black and white, especially...

Christmas is here and the Porch Pirates are waiting to steal it. Some new services are available to thwart the efforts of the thieves who steal packages from the doorstep. But awareness can help, too. Porch theft has grown up alongside online shopping. In 2017, UPS...

Being kissed under the mistletoe has been a Christmas tradition for more than a thousand years. But mistletoe is not only associated with a gentle kiss, it has a lore all its own. Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that lives off trees. It has attracted human attention...

Children will enjoy making a place card or picture for a grandmother or a favorite uncle at the family celebration. What you need: White or colored paper folded twice; a marker pen to write their "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hanukkah" messages; and a stamp pad that is...

Planning a birthday party takes a lot of preparation and sometimes things don't go quite as planned. Here are a few more  helpful tips from Mike Perrello on planning a birthday party: What do I do if someone brings siblings or a parent stays unexpectantly? Do your...

For a lot of kids, it's hunting season! They know their presents are hidden somewhere; the challenge is to find them, skillfully snoop in the packages, and wrap them all back up again. It's easier with little ones. They can't reach the top shelf of the closet. But at...

She was a woman of her time and ahead of her time. Sarah Josepha Hale was born in 1788 and, in spite of the era, became a self-taught professional woman, a writer, poet and editor, advocating education and professional work for women. But she was also a creature of...

The Nations of North America Finally Revealed President Thomas Jefferson was deeply curious about the peoples who lived in the West of the unexplored American continent. Rumor was all he had to go on since only a few white fur traders had ever ventured into the...

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month Nov. 11, 1918, is recognized as the end of the world's first global conflict, World War I. In 1938, November 11 was named Armistice Day in recognition of those who served. Then came World War II and the greatest...

What can be trickier than keeping all the side dishes hot on Thanksgiving Day? Keeping heads cool during dinnertime conversation. If your family or dinner guests have wide-ranging views on politics and religion, just tell everyone before they arrive that the topics...