At our old digs we had fireplaces. Our rental home has no such obvious entrance for rotund, gift-bearing souls to enter. Thus I’ve been answering a lot of questions from a certain concerned constituency. Apparently when you’re 8 and 5 this matters A LOT.

So I talked to our local librarian who led me to  a book by Peter Collington. Without words it depicts fairies clueing Santa in about a child living in a chimney-less home. She gets some fairy friends and creates a landing strip for the sleigh with magical lanterns. Then she lifts the matt for jolly St. Nick where the extra key is hidden.

If you don’t have time to run out and pick up the book, you can weave a good tale yourself out of these elements - because no child should go to bed concerned. They will be adults soon enough.

I missed out on all the warm fall weather to put up outdoor holiday lights this year. If you haven’t untangled your string yet either, here are some reasons to consider the switch over to LED Christmas lights.

What research has found is that we tend to fire up the holiday spirit to the tune of 400 watts at dusk - but, also add on an addition 200 daytime watts. This means we tend to leave our lights on more than we care to admit. This averages out to about $15 a day for an “average” home. Of course, if you’re the Grindwald’s (Chevy Chase’s movie family in Christmas Vacation) you’re paying more.

But even if your display is modest, you’re probably forking out some cash to make it the Season of Lights so you might as well be smart about it.

Here are a few reasons to consider buying the newer energy-efficient bulbs: LED lights use a fraction of what a similarly sized incandescent light would use.The Fun Times Guide to Going Green claims it takes  5 watts per bulb in the average incandescent mini-light while an entire string of LED mini-lights uses around 4 watts. Wow.

In addition to drawing less electricity, the LEDs hold up longer. How many times have you had a cheap string of lights fail the same year you’ve bought them? The LED bulbs are more substantial and also cool to the touch - always a nice bonus.

Okay, the not great news about LEDs: The color is not the same as the incandescent lights that you probably grew up with that signals grandma’s cookies, Asti Spumante and Santa rolling by in a Norelco Shaver - in short, all things Christmas.

The closest color to that would be the LEDs marketed as “warm” or “soft” and guess what - they cost more.

And on that note, all LEDs cost more. A strand of 50-60 white LED mini-lights will cost you around $10 which could get you nearly 500 incadescent mini-lights. So you’re unlikely to break even on energy savings the first year, but you do have durability going for ya.

Now if they only they self-strung, then we’d really be talking…

Send me photos of your light display (LED or traditional) and I’ll be sure to post ‘em.

During the Holiday Season, economists watch consumer spending intently because it makes up two-thirds of the U.S. economy.

When spending is stronger-than-expected, it can lead to inflation which pushes mortgage rates higher.

So far this season, mortgage shoppers should be in good spirits. Sales have fallen four weeks in a row and the outlook for a late-December rally are bleak.

But there’s more to the story than the headline, though.

When store report “sales” data, they don’t report gift card sales.

Gift cards are only accounted for when they are redeemed for actual store merchandise.

So, with gift card sales projected to reach $26 billion this year, there is a $26 billion “shortfall” in the sales figures. That $26 billion will likely get booked in January when shoppers spend their “free money”.

For as much as mortgage rates may fall on weak sales data in December, therefore, rates could surge higher when January’s sales data is released.

Higher sales levels can lead to inflation and that is the enemy of mortgage bonds. WIth inflation comes higher mortgage rates.

http://thedailydig.thewrittenblog.com/?p=1250

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It’s rare. You can’t find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnogoholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:

‘Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ‘WOO HOO what a ride!’