wish list

It’s just before Thanksgiving, 1972. I’m lying on the living room rug, propped up on my elbows, sunlight streaming through the window. My brother is next to me; we’re seven and nine, and we are psyched. Open on the floor in front of us is the Sears Christmas catalog, and …

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say cheese

Awkward holiday photos: we all have them. The kids didn’t smile, someone blinked, that tree branch no one noticed looks like it’s sprouting from dad’s head.  We say, go find those awkward photos today, pass them around, and give your families the gift of laughter. Because with the holidays ramping up …

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the gift of tradition

Much of what makes the holiday season special is wrapped up in tradition: the ritualization of an activity, a prayer, a family recipe that continues from year to year.  One of my favorite family traditions is the search for what we call Santa Notes. When my siblings and I were …

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the gift of giving back

When my kids were little, shopping for teachers’ gifts was an important part of our holiday preparation. Not only was a gift to my boys’ teachers a small token of our appreciation for all they did, but involving my kids in the shopping was a terrific way to teach them the importance of thanking the important people in their lives.

My kids are in college now, but I’ve found a way to continue to show our appreciation to public school teachers. Donors Choose is an organization with the mission to “make it easy for anyone to help a classroom in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.”

The premise is simple: Educators from all over the country post wish lists for their classrooms on the Donors Choose website, and people donate money to help fund the projects. There are several ways to give: You can search in your geographic area or pledge support to specific subjects like math and science, or the arts; fund specific requests like books, food, computers or musical equipment; or sponsor specific age groups from pre-K through high school. Every dollar counts and no donation is too small.

To date, close to 32 million public school students have benefitted from more than $1.5 million in donations by almost 3.5 million supporters.

My own family joined the Donors Choose program this year, with each of us choosing our own project to support. If you’d like to do the same, you can spread the love and find a classroom to help here.

the gift of friends

Christmas came early this week to millions of “Friends” fans when Netflix announced it will stream the mega-popular series through 2019. The company had previously planned to drop the series from its lineup on Jan. 1, but the outcry from fans led Netflix to make the surprise deal.

That means there’s now plenty of time to binge-watch all 10 seasons of “Friends,” which is especially important if you have young adults in your family.

In the spirit of the season, mutterhood recently watched all 10 holiday episodes of “Friends,” and rated the best five below. Why do these stand out? Well, first of all they’re funny, but the best ones feature the entire ensemble and in many cases include a sweet twist – which is why streaming a few episodes while you’re, say, wrapping presents isn’t the worst approach to tackling a holiday task.

Here, in descending order, are our picks for the best episodes of holiday “Friends”:

No. 1: “The one one with the routine.” Season 6, episode 10. Monica and Ross fulfill a lifelong dream to dance on Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve, and Joey shares a sweet moment with a new love. The dance sequence is hilarious.

No. 2: “The one with the holiday armadillo.” Season 7, episode 10. To explain Hanukkah to his son Ben, Ross first tries persuasion but ends up wearing an armadillo costume. The second half of the episode is the best, as is the secondary story about Phoebe buying Joey drums.

No. 3: “The one where Rachel quits.” Season 3, episode 10. Phoebe and Joey sell Christmas trees, Rachel quits Central Perk and Ross sells cookies for a young girl scout whose leg he’s responsible for breaking. The episode ends with a very sweet scene about Space Camp. 

No. 4: “The one with the monkey.” Season 1, episode 10. Remember Marcel the monkey? He makes his debut in the very first holiday episode, but that’s not the best part. Everyone is featured in this one: Joey gets demoted to Elf from Santa; Phoebe sings a Christmas song and meets Hank Azaria; and Monica hosts a New Year’s Eve party where the friends end up dateless but together. Again.

No. 5: “The one with the late Thanksgiving.” Season 10, episode 8. Technically not a Christmas episode, but still one of the better holiday ones. Chandler and Monica reluctantly host Thanksgiving but everybody’s late; Phoebe and Rachel enter Emma in a baby pageant; the Bings get a wonderful surprise. Lots of good feels.

Look for “Friends” on cable TV on TBS and on-demand. As for streaming services, Netflix is the only one that offers all 10 seasons. 

smarty pants

Lifelong learners, rejoice! Whether you’re looking to gift some knowledge or you just want to treat yo’self, here’s a guide to three of our favorite online learning communities. Masterclass Combining theory with practical how-tos, this popular site features lots of big names explaining the art of their professions. The unlimited …

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a holiday palette

On a recent trip to New York City, my husband and I spent a few hours at The Color Factory, a pop-up exhibit that explores color, only times a thousand. The Color Factory comprises a series of rooms, each of which features a different way for visitors to interact with …

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the gift of love – part 2

gift of love (part 2) Last year I publicly confessed my secret shame – the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies. From Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day they run on a loop, like my own personal elevator Muzak, spinning their soothing, comforting, generic tales of set-in-the-snow happily ever-afters. Oh, I’ve cheated a …

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trimmings and trappings

Let’s be honest: finding holiday gifts can be a real chore. First there’s the list-making: partners and kids come first, of course. Then there’s immediate family, extended family, and the friends you think of as family; teachers and coaches; babysitters and neighbors; coworkers and bosses and everyone else who play …

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do you hear?

We maintain a strict policy at our house: The holiday season begins on December 1 and not a day before. We resist the peer pressure of our neighbors’ tree lights shining through their front window; drive past tree lots crowded with people taking advantage of a warm day; and keep …

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