The National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW 100) held a Kwanzaa celebration at the Richard Rodda Community Center on Dec. 18. The holiday ended Saturday.
A look at how Teaneck residents decorated their homes for the holidays. See a particularly impressive holiday display around town? Let us know in the comments. Also, be sure to comment on your favorite photo.
The first hint of winter snows to come didn't quite take me by surprise recently. I had heard that flurries were predicted on the weather channel. Still, spotting snowflakes fluttering here and there in feisty gusts of wind created a feeling of excitement that made me think of holiday parties, cups of piping hot chocolate, shiny-colored paper decorations and all things that glitter. It was the end of Hanukkah and I was feeling more Christmas-y than Hanukkah-ish. I have to blame my Rhode Island-born Jewish mother for the magical pull that Christmas has on me. When I was a child of 6 or 7, …
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is charged with keeping the United States and Canada safe from dangers originating from the sky or space. Tonight, however, the Colorado-based force adds one more important task to its daily list of duties. The agency is again providing its Official Santa Tracker that marks The Big Man's every move as he makes his way throughout both hemispheres. Included on the site is a countdown and activity page and a flight tracking system. Kids and adults alike can enjoy this entertaining site that will have sugar plums dancing through everyone's …
As my kids get older, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to come up with original gift ideas for the holidays. My 5-year-old is still thrilled with new markers and an Ugli doll but pleasing my 7- and 10-year-olds is more of a challenge. It's hard to find presents year after year that earn a "wow" reaction—especially with three boys, as everything for my oldest gets passed down twice. We have held out on a video game console for another year so that also eliminates a whole gift category. I know my boys would love a Wii or Xbox, but it would be a time-suck I would rather avoid and would …
In Teaneck, several churches are celebrating the Christmas holiday. Here is a list of services around town this holiday season. Think we missed one? Post it in the comments below the article. Click on the blue links for information on the church. The New Mercy Christian Church, which holds services at the Wilson Auditorium/Dickinson Hall at 140 University Plaza Drive in Hackensack, will be holding a Christmas party on Friday and a Christmas Day service on Saturday with New Year's Eve services on Dec. 31. The Teaneck United Methodist Church, at 201 Degraw Ave., will host a Christmas Day …
Every year around this time people dust off their plastic mistletoe balls and hang them in doorways in the hopes of soliciting a smooch. I remember many holiday parties in which the mistletoe was the source of much squealing and giggling as couples kissed under the green boughs. It never occurred to me to wonder what mistletoe is and why it is a symbol of Christmas. In fact, I'm not even sure I knew it was a real plant considering the only mistletoe I've ever seen has been constructed of waxy plastic with dusty ribbons and berries with seams. American mistletoe (Phoradendron) is one of 2 …
Holiday time invokes thoughts of family and friends getting together to eat delicious foods and drink yummy cocktails. The problem is that someone has to host the warm evening and in order to have a stress-free, successful party, you have to work your little bum off for days before the event. All the hard work is worth it when you are able to drink a glass of wine, nibble on an appetizer, and watch your guests having a wonderful time. The key, according to me, is to be super organized and have a list of things to do before the event. Last year we hosted 20 people for Christmas and I initially…
Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat. Hmm, I must be the goose because I've been putting on my winter weight since October. I'm not bothered by it, really. I've accepted the fact that in the colder months I'm more inclined to stay indoors, raid my refrigerator and gradually expand. What I have not learned how to accept gracefully is Christmas. I don't mind Christmas for other people. I love looking at the festive shop displays and visiting friends who have beautiful Christmas trees in their living rooms. But, Christmas was never my holiday, and I never missed it. I grew up …
There's no place like home for the holidays… …but if you're thinking of leaving the comfort of your home for some local cuisine this holiday season, we have a few restaurants in Teaneck that you can visit: ∙ BV Tuscany Ristorante (368 Cedar Lane, 201-287-0404, www.bvtuscany.com/index.html) will be open on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve for lunch and dinner, and Christmas Day and New Year's Day for dinner only. Owner Benny Belidemaj is hoping history repeats itself. "Last year was pretty good," he says, "and this year it's actually good thing that [Christmas Eve] is on Friday and […
Staff from CareOne delivered toys for patients at Tomorrows Children's Institute at Hackensack University Medical Center Thursday. Hundreds of toys were delivered to the Hackensack center.
We see them everywhere: decorating offices, churches, post offices and hospitals; they spruce up television sets, and can be bought anywhere from the grocery store to the hardware store. As soon as the Thanksgiving table is cleared, poinsettas seem to appear out of mid-air and we are inundated with the things until after Christmas. I've never been a big fan of the poinsettia, but after a visit to the Rutgers' floriculture greenhouse on Cook Campus, I had a change of heart. Even if you're not a fan, seeing 1500 poinsettas in one place is just overwhelmingly beautiful. For years, Rutgers has…
It's that wonderful time of year when many around town are throwing holiday fiestas of every design. Between ugly Christmas sweater parties and classy cocktail gatherings, there's a chance you're heading somewhere chock full o' calories this weeked, next weekend, or every night between now and Jan. 1. Since the freezing cold is not very conducive to working out, I can't think of anything better than offering some tips on how to stay in shape without working out in the bitter cold, desperately trying to run off eggnog and candy cane. So here comes some healthy cooking advice. Don't be alarmed…
The holiday season has officially begun and while many are busy making preparations to enjoy the coming months with family and friends, it's easy to overlook making the holidays an enjoyable experience for our favorite animals too. As a pet professional I have the distinct advantage of being able to learn from the experiences of some of my furry friends – my daily dog walking and pet-sitting "clients" – about what it takes to keep them safe this holiday season. Take for example, Princeton, a Beagle known for his nose's uncanny ability to sniff out all things edible and his voracious appetite…
Each season provides opportunities for anyone with a camera to take fantastic photos that become family heirlooms, hilarious reminders of wonderful gatherings and touching mementos of milestone moments. But celebrating the winter holidays provides a number of challenges — whether you're shooting inside in candlelight, by the fire, around the Christmas tree, or outside in bitter cold, wind, or snow. To help you make the season bright, follow these tips and tricks to create lasting memories: The Nature of Light as It Applies to Nature (And Your Lifestyle) Each season's natural light has its …
Looking for a fun way to decorate cupcakes this holiday season? Zoe's Cupcake Café Executive Pastry Chef Melissa Miller offers three simple ways to turn a bland cupcake into a fun, holiday treat. Watch her demonstrate the tips in the video at the end of this article. This holiday season, Zoe's will be serving up these five specials, in addition to the holiday decorated cupcakes in the video: Gingerbread cupcake with vanilla cream cheese icing Pumpkin cupcake with a spiced cream cheese icing Red Velvet cupcake stuffed with chocolate and topped with a peppermint cream cheese icing Vanilla …
I don't like making physical lists- not sure why. I like to have it all in my very active brain. Unfortunately it never works out too well and I always forget something. It is holiday time already and I have a huge list of gifts to buy for family and friends – in my mind, of course. I am mostly done and my brain feels a lot lighter than it has in weeks. Besides buying gifts, I also like to make some at home to give to friends and neighbors. I feel making/cooking something yourself is a great expression of warmth and generosity. People appreciate the time someone takes to hand make cookies or…
First came Black Friday... and then Cyber Monday. And now shoppers are faced with Green Monday, which comes today? Indeed, eBay coined the term "Green Monday" in 2007 to describe the Monday occurring around the second week of December, which has tended to be the heaviest (or among the heaviest) online spending days of the year. Why? Because it's around this time that online shoppers start worrying that they'll miss out on free shipping deadlines if they don't buy now. Last year on Green Monday, online retailers raked in $854 million, a bit of a decline from 2008, for a day's total slightly …
I'm just going to go out on a limb and say it: Men hate to shop. And women are picky. Of course there are exceptions. Only those aren't the people I'm referring to. It's now nearly mid-December and notoriously shopping-hating husbands are trying to think of way to avoid the unavoidable. The sands of time are not cooperating with this plan. Decisive action is needed. To address the sheer panic I suddenly feel in the air, I decided to conduct an informal poll. I asked my friends, family and neighbors: What do women want for the holidays? Here's what I found out: SAFETY ZONE vs. DANGER ZONE …
The winter is a great time to curl up with a good book and dream about the growing season to come. It's also a time to think up fresh garden designs, pick up some new tools, and perhaps even find some funky "flair" for the garden. Here are a few great books that have gotten me through many dreary winter days: The Garden Primer by Barbara DamroschReading this book is like having tea with a good friend who just happens to be a gardening guru. Damrosch writes in a friendly, casual manner giving great advice based on her years of experience. She goes into depth about growing annuals, perennials…
