Best of Boomers Prepare for December Holidays

I am not a fan of the long, dark days of December. But there is an upside – the holidays of Chanukah and Christmas brighten our lives. We light candles to illuminate the darkness. Homes glow, inside and outside, with multi-colored lights. I prefer white, gold, and silver lights. I enjoy driving through dark neighborhoods most winter nights, now temporarily aglow with strings of colorful bulbs and decorations – snowflakes, snowmen, stars, menorahs, reindeer, and occasionally Santa. 

However…the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the holidays is not lights or decorations, but the food. Lots of food – delicious dishes and desserts! And best of all -sharing the fare with family and friends.

My fellow boomers have been celebrating and preparing for the holidays.

As this week is Hanukkah, Rebecca Olkowski, with BabyBoomster.com wanted to share her family’s recipe for Double Braided Challah Bread. It’s easy to make and the double braid makes it quite beautiful. Happy Hanukkah!

If you’re looking for that last minute gift that exudes positivity or humor or touches you, check out Carol Cassara’s blog. She offers a short list of books anyone would love to get for the holidays!

The holidays are a time to reflect on past practices and perhaps start new ones…

We spend a lot of time each year repeating beloved holiday traditions. But what happens when the tradition fails or isn’t helping you to appreciate the holiday anymore? Maybe changes in your family, who you are, or where you live make the old traditions obsolete or difficult to fulfill.  Jennifer, of Unfold and Begin shares how to create new holiday traditions.

They still haunt Laurie. She catches glimpses of large Christmas firs in other people’s living rooms, aglow with lights and shiny ornaments. She pictures wreaths and bows and poinsettias and gives a sigh. That’s what her living room used to look like. But time moved on and her family has gone through three distinct Christmas phases…

A holiday tradition most of us engage in is shopping for gifts, whether setting foot in actual stores or ordering online…

If you’re tempted during this holiday season to sign up for a retail credit card to get a big discount, don’t do it, advises Rita R. Robison, consumer and personal finance journalist. These cards typically come with higher-than-average interest rates and one in five cardholders are more likely to carry a balance.