2007-02-08T05:00:00Z You ask, we answer. tag:blog.washingtonpost.com,2007:/holiday911/255 Copyright (c) 2006, WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive 2007-02-08T05:00:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2006-12-29:/holiday9112006/12/the_last_day_1.html

In the past six weeks, I have cooked Thanksgiving dinner, written (but not mailed) 22 Christmas cards, shopped for and then wrapped about 40 presents, hosted a Christmas Eve dinner for a few friends, baked Christmas cookies (at least two batches were terrible), held a birthday celebration for my daughter, watched my weight, cleaned and decorated my house and obsessed about holiday fashion. I also heard from a lot of you about how you survived...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Liz Seymour 2007-02-08T05:00:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2006-12-28:/holiday9112006/12/sallys_club_1.html

One of my 2007 New Year's resolutions is to lose weight. Original, I know. This year I feel a bit more confident about my chances. Why? I've been reading the Holiday Challenge series by Sally Squires. If you're unfamiliar with the holiday challenge, it's a guide to help you stay the same weight during the holiday season of parties, restaurants and cookie-baking activities. We don't have to lose any weight; Sally just wants us to...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Liz Seymour 2007-02-08T05:00:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2006-12-27:/holiday9112006/12/new_years_eve_2.html

Whew. We're rounding the bend to the holiday home stretch: New Year's Eve. What's everyone doing? I highly recommend checking out our list of activities on the Holiday Guide. As for me, I'm undecided.....Hnmmmmm: Limos, fancy clothes and party-hopping till dawn, perhaps? Well, given the two toddlers who control our lives right now, perhaps not...Though I admire a deliciously diabolical New Year's trick one of my co-workers staged a few years ago: She and her...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Liz Seymour 2007-02-08T05:00:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2006-12-26:/holiday9112006/12/welcome_back_1.html

I hope everyone had a swell Christmas. This is the last week for Holiday 911 so we're eager to hear your comments and questions about surviving the holiday season. Anyone returning gifts today? I urge you to check out Ylan Mui's story about return policies that was published yesterday. My advice is to skip the stores today. Instead, hunt out your favorite online Web sites to see if they've posted their after-Christmas markdowns yet. In...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Liz Seymour 2007-02-08T05:00:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2006-12-26:/holiday9112006/12/the_day_after_1.html

Welcome back to Holiday 911. We are here through the end of the week to answer questions and offer advice about surviving the holidays. I can't decide whether to brave the after-Christmas sales and wondered what others are doing today. I'm also interested in hearing some gift-giving stories. We've heard from lots of people who did not intend to spend as much on presents as their siblings planned to spend. We've also heard from folks...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Liz Seymour 2007-02-08T05:00:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2006-12-22:/holiday9112006/12/lastminute_advice_part_ii.html

We've been recapping some of the advice we've offered--and you guys have brought to our attention--to help folks get through the madness of the next 72 hours. If you're cooking dinner or having a party in the next few days, take the time now to plan your menus, write out your shopping lists, figure out a cooking timeline and see if you have all the right cooking tools and serving dishes. This will not be...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Liz Seymour 2007-02-08T05:00:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2006-12-22:/holiday9112006/12/post.html

Let's review one of the many joys of the holiday season: bringing that someone special home to meet the family. Are you cringing yet? Consider this question: I recently started dating someone new. He will be joining me and my family for some holiday get-togethers. I have quite a large family and sometimes we can all be a bit overwhelming. What are some things I can do or say to make him feel more comfortable...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Liz Seymour 2007-02-08T05:00:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2006-12-21:/holiday9112006/12/lastminute_advice.html

As we get down to the final days, I want to remind you of some of the advice that we've given you and you've give us over the past few weeks. Still shopping? Take a look at our gift guides for sure. It's too late to shop online so hit a few stores where you can buy for several people. A book store is always good for this method. Also worth checking out is a...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Liz Seymour 2007-02-08T05:00:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2006-12-21:/holiday9112006/12/gifts_for_new_colleagues.html

Good morning. We've received a question, our first one in a while. I'd like to encourage more questions. You all know what I'm struggling with, but it's much more interesting to hear what everyone else has done to ease the stress of the holidays. Send questions and comments about gift-giving, cooking, holiday fashion and entertaining to holiday911@washpost.com. Now, on to our question: One of my friends just started a federal government job a month ago....Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Liz Seymour 2007-02-08T05:00:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2006-12-20:/holiday9112006/12/cookie_party.html

So I've decided to get in the holiday spirit and bake cookies. Do I really need something else to do? My tree still is not decorated. I have not wrapped a single present. My Christmas cards have yet to go in the mail. Nevertheless, my friend Maria is coming over Friday night and we're gonna bake some cookies. My daughter will help a little, but she's only four and is unlikely to stay awake past...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Liz Seymour 2007-02-08T05:00:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2006-12-20:/holiday9112006/12/christmas_lights.html

When I was growing up in Brooklyn in the 1970s, everyone in my Italian neighborhood decorated for Christmas. It was very garish, which is heaven to a young child. My daughter is almost four and she cannot get enough of lights, inflatable Santas and neon reindeer. If my husband gets home before bedtime, he scoops her up in pjs and slippers, straps her into her car seat and wheels her around American University Park, where...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Liz Seymour 2007-02-08T05:00:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2006-12-19:/holiday9112006/12/new_years_eve.html

The first New Year's Eve I was married, I tried to recreate my honeymoon in Martha's Vineyard by cooking clam chowder and boiling lobsters for my new husband. The chowder tasted like a bad attempt at onion soup and was dumped into the kitchen sink drain. The lobsters were so overcooked they bounced out of their shells and were impossible to spear, even with the new, sharp knives from our bridal registry. We laughed about...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Liz Seymour 2007-02-08T05:00:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2006-12-19:/holiday9112006/12/your_table.html

If you're following our daily tips to help you stay organized, today we recommend you organize your table linens and count your silverware if you're hosting any big meals in the next two weeks. Another helpful hint: our how-to-set-a-table graphic. Lots of good info here. I'm hosting two dinners in the next week. I hope to check on table linens, silverware and serving pieces tonight and also start writing my grocery shopping lists. Anything else?...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Liz Seymour 2007-02-08T05:00:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2006-12-18:/holiday9112006/12/this_week.html

I don't mean to be an alarmist, but one week from today is Christmas. How is everyone doing? Here is how I'm doing in all the major categories: Gifts: I need to buy stocking stuffers for my children and a smattering of gifts for other people. I'm getting inspiration from our gift guide. Wrapping: Haven't started. Will begin tomorrow night. Hope to watch our wrapping how-to slideshow and re-read our collection of stories. Entertaining: I...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Liz Seymour 2007-02-08T05:00:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2006-12-18:/holiday9112006/12/wrapping_paper_1.html

At my suggestion, my friend Amy went to The Container Store last week to buy wrapping paper. Why did I send her there? Because it's convenient, right by a Metro stop. But frankly, it's expensive. After Amy handed over nearly $40 for two rolls of paper and some ribbons, I doubt she will ever take my advice again. Her mother buys wrapping paper at the local CVS, an excellent choice for selection and price. My...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Liz Seymour