7 0 + C O O L G I F T S Y O U R T E E N A C T U A L LY WA N T S

HOW REAL WOMEN WAYS TO RAISE SMART IDEAS FOR

FIGHT BURNOUT SELF-SUFFICIENT KIDS SAVING MONEY
AND DE-STRESS (YES, IT’S POSSIBLE!) THIS SEASON

THE
BUSY
MOM’S
GUIDE
TO
THE HOLIDAYS
GET IT DONE,
GO AHEAD,
EAT ALL THE KEEP IT FUN!

COOKIES!
page 72

DECEMBER 2019
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 5

Contents
ON DUTY 21 BACK OF BOOK
Pet-Proof Your Holidays 30 The Magic of Cool
Health News 49 Grandparents 116
How to Fight Burnout 52 Nutritional Key 119
Snacking: Biscuit Hacks 64 Nightstand 120

On the Cover
Photography by Kate Mathis
Cookies by The Rounds
Prop styling by Erin Swift

26
The Fix: Longer,
Fuller Lashes

35
These mascaras get
sparse or stubby
lashes looking
va-va-voom in just
a few swipes.

Family Dinners
Fast weeknight meals with
six ingredients or less!

60
Talking About:
Adulting
An independence
action plan for your
teen, from doing
the dishes to, yes,
changing a tire. 58
Family Health
Checklist:
Hangovers
How to prevent
and nurse (um,
hydrate!) the nausea
and headache.

44
Lunch:
Good to Go
A big batch of wheat
berries becomes
a week’s worth of
Asian and Italian
lunch salads.

13
LETTERS + COMMENTS Email us at
fcfeedback@familycircle.com or contact us on
social media @familycirclemag.
SUBSCRIPTION HELP Email circustserv@
cdsfulfillment.com or call 800-627-4444.
Family Album
A look at who’s SYNDICATION For syndication requests or
in your circle. international licensing requests or reprint and reuse
permission, email syndication@meredith.com.

December 2019
6
H O L I DAY S P E C I A L

Contents
We’ve got you covered the whole holiday season—from shopping to baking and everything in between.

94
106 86

92 114

108 80 72 84

BUSY MOM’S

78
GUIDE TO THE 77 80
HOLIDAYS

108 86

December 2019
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8

“Treat them respectfully. Worked for

me, but I had great in-laws!”
We asked our social media followers
KATHY MCINTYRE
for the honest truth about mom life.
Here’s what you told us.

“Wine...
lots of wine.”
LIZSOYOU

“Feign illness!”
JAN FOSTER MASON

“Plan A: 365 days’ worth of

pictures and videos of their
grandkids. Plan B: Netflix,
Hulu and Spotify.”
VERONICA_IN_NY My #1 tip “Take the high road and
be kind. You can only

for dealing control your own behavior.

Most important, enjoy
the holidays because

with in-laws they go by too quickly.”

JENNCHUCK ROXIE SMITH

during the
“Stay in the kitchen and
pretend you’re cooking
holidays is
the entire time.”
JENB7777 _______.

“Don’t invite them!” “As they say in football, punt.”

EMILY FOREMAN
MAURA WEINS

“Walk the dog!” JESSHC111 “Remember that time spent is

momentary. Stay present.
Be mindful. You get to go home.”
MYKIDSNUK_OOOBABY

December 2019
Don’t be the person
that brings
a veggie platter.

®/©2019 Tyson Foods, Inc.

10

Cheryl E. Brown Brendan Smyth MEREDITH NATIONAL MEDIA GROUP

EDITOR IN CHIEF PUBLISHER

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December 2019
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 13

FAMILY ALBUM
Son: Anay Mom: Priyanka Dad: Basu Son: Eshaan

Eshaan: For fun,

we all go hiking.
“Having twins was a surprise.
I found out during my 20th-week
Priyanka: We keep scan. They don’t run in my family.
going to National Parks; It was hard work for two or three
we’ve rented RVs. years, but they had company
in each other. I went back to work
when they were 3.” —PRIYANKA
Basu: I like being
outdoors, skiing and
going on hikes. We
went on one this
weekend. It’s not the
kids’ first choice—
they have their social
media and memes and
phones—so I do need
to push everyone.

Anay: Down in the

Smoky Mountains,
there was a 10-mile
hike he dragged us on.
It was tiring, but overall,
it really was great.
WA R D RO B E ST Y L I N G : V I CTO R I A SA N C H E Z- L I N C O L N . H A I R ST Y L I N G :
E LO I S E C H E U N G U S I N G AV E DA . M A K E U P: JAC K I E G O M E Z .

“It’s convenient to
be a twin because
we invite the same
friends over. The
bad part is that
people think of us
as the same person.”
—ESHAAN
“The boys are reticent; you have to prod things out of them. But
that’s not a teenage thing—they’ve always been like that.” —BASU

December 2019 PHOTOGRAPHY BY MELANIE ACEVEDO

14 FA M I LY A L B U M

Anay: I’m the most

like Eshaan. I think we
look pretty similar?
Brother: Anay Brother: Eshaan
Eshaan: For the most
part, we get along,
but we do bicker.
It could be over
“Anay will say
anything from politics
anything. He has
to whose turn it is
no filter—which
with the PlayStation.
is good, because
he’s always
Anay: We are honest.” —ESHAAN
competitive, and it can
get heated. It could
be about anything—
sports, academics,
video games.

“I’m taking their college

applications one day at
a time. I work full-time,
so I don’t have the
flexibility to be on top
of every step. I rely on
their honesty when
they say they’re doing
the work.” —PRIYANKA Priyanka: My kids
are like teenagers in A N AY: P U L LOV E R H O O D I E , TJ M AX X STO R E S. J E A N S, L I V E R P O O L J E A N S.C O M .

that they don’t want

to do stuff with their
parents, and their
doors are shut and
they have earbuds
E S H A A N : SW E ATS H I RT, Z A R A .C O M . J E A N S : L E V I .C O M .

in. They’re very

grounded and very
politically aware.

Basu: They are into

politics. They were for
Bernie in 2016, but this
time they’re Andrew
“I play football. I started playing defensive end Yang supporters.
in fourth grade. I like playing basketball, but
not competitively. I mean, I’m not terrible,
but I wouldn’t play for our school.” —ESHAAN

December 2019
Cheese. Tacos.
No dinner drama.

© 2019 Kraft Foods

16 FA M I LY A L B U M

“Priyanka has a huge

heart. I think about
the mountain of time
she spends thinking Wife:
about us and our
well-being, and her
own family, like her
mother in India.” —BASU
Priyanka Husband: Basu Eshaan: I admire my dad.
He’s super organized, the
opposite of me.
Anay: Our dad can stay
calm even when the rest
of the family is in panic
mode. He’s the person
you want to be with
when you’re running
late to the airport.

“My mom is a
compassionate
person, even if
she yells at me a
lot. It’s debatable
whether I deserve
it. There’s some
controversy
there.” —ANAY

ST R A I G H T F I T A N K L E PA N TS, TA L B OT S.C O M . BAS U: S H I RT, B A N A N A R E P U B L I C.C O M .

P R I YA N K A: B U RG U N DY T E X T U R E W R A P B LO U SA N T, B U R L I N GTO N STO R E S.

Priyanka: Basu and

I met when we were
working in TV news in
Delhi. Then we came
to the U.S. I came
as a student, and he
came with his family.

Basu: I was the

broadcast designer.
She worked on “I’m the bad cop, which I hate. The kids rope Basu into buying
women’s and children’s fast food and Popeyes fried chicken, and I’m the one trying to
health issues and was shove smoothies down their throats. Obviously, I am not a fun
also the weather girl. person when it comes to food.” —PRIYANKA

December 2019
 P R O M OT I O N

The Cırcle Visit FAMILYCIRCLEPROMO.COM for news, updates,

promotions and more from the publisher of Family Circle.

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 21

on duty B E C AU S E M A N AG I N G FA M I LY I S A F U L L-T I M E J O B

Those bull’s-eye
Target boxes are, welp,
kind of a target
for porch pirates, who
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20% of Americans.
Ring Video Doorbell—
with motion-activated
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All the major shippers (UPS,
footage to your phone—
USPS and FedEx) have
is one way to protect
sign-up options for delivery
the goods. From
alerts, diverting packages
$100, shop.ring.com
to a different location,
previewing incoming mail
and rescheduling deliveries.
G E T T Y I M AG E S ; B U N T I N G, DAV I D A . L A N D.
C O M P OS I T E P H OTO: W R E AT H A N D D O O R,

Key by Amazon offers the option

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or even inside your front door
(with a video confirmation) with
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connected app, so that thieves
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.com for compatible devices.

December 2019
22 ON DUTY

To Dry For
Your hair’s new BFF—the Volo
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PUFFER, THE MAGIC JACKET super-absorbent microfiber that
For morning dog walks or your frigid decreases the average dry time by
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2
your shippable items, and conforms to
Definition
fit even weirdly shaped things (like that A way to communicate
pair of shoes from your mother-in-law). awkwardness online, it
From $10, target.com references how someone
might type random
letters on their keyboard
when they don’t
know what else to say.
3

In a Sentence
I couldn’t think of
anything to say but
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December 2019
 advertisement
As we gear up for the peak of the entertaining season, it’s the perfect
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CREATE A PARTY PREP CHECKLIST
A few days before hosting a holiday event, write a master check-
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Set yourself up for success at the beginning of the holiday
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Getting the house cleaned for holiday guests can be a lot of
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26 ON DUTY
THE FIX
Longer, Fuller Lashes
All it takes to make plain-Jane
(aka stubby, sparse, you-name-it)
lashes look va-va-voom
is a good mascara—and knowing
the right way to swipe.
By Gina Way
P H OTO: F E L I X WO N G. H A I R ST Y L I N G : E LO I S E C H E U N G U S I N G F R E D E R I C F E K K A I .
Find your formula
Back in the day, the terminology was as simple as
“regular” and “waterproof.” But now there are formulas
that curl, volumize or lengthen. “The first thing to
do is identify your lash type and what you want to
achieve,” says NYC-based celebrity makeup artist
Tracy Murphy. For example, if your lashes are on the
stubby side, try a lengthening fiber mascara that
M A K E U P: V I K TO R I JA B OW E RS.
helps extend the hairs a tiny bit. If sparseness is your
issue, try a volumizing formula with a dense brush that
adds on more product and thickness. Like finding the
perfect lipstick shade, picking your favorite mascara
may involve trying a few. As for color, get the blackest
black version, since “it makes everyone’s eyes really
pop,” Murphy says. CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
December 2019
 TODAY’S FORECAST:
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Skin so supple and hydrated,
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©J&JCI 2019
28 ON DUTY
Brush up on
brushes
As with formulas, there
are now all kinds of
brush options. Generally,
the ones that are curved
will help lift and curl
your lashes. Tapered
brushes let you get into
the inner and outer
corners. And some thick
brushes—the ones that
look like little loofahs for
eyelashes—“deliver more
product onto each hair
to make lashes look
fuller,” Murphy says.
“I prefer working with
a small, thin brush on
both the upper and
lower lashes because it
allows me to have more
precision and it gives
more definition to each
hair. But a full brush is
great if you really want
to add some serious
drama and volume.”
Be mindful and
take your time
“Putting on mascara is
not a job to do in a rush
as you’re racing out the
door. Give yourself three
to five minutes to apply
it,” Murphy advises. As
you coat the lashes, lift
your chin up slightly
and look downward.
(Positioning a portable
mirror below your chin,
as opposed to looking
straight on into the
bathroom mirror, can be
helpful.) “If you put it on
properly, your mascara
will last all day and
night,” Murphy says, “no
touch-ups required.”
Always do the lower lashes to balance out the eye
This is going to sound like an extra step—and expense!—but Murphy recommends
using a second mascara for your lower lashes. She likes one with a very skinny
brush, like Maybelline Lash Discovery Mascara ($7), and holds it vertically (like a
tiny microphone) to lightly swipe in root-to-tip strokes to tint those tiny hairs.
ORDER MATTERS Apply mascara before the rest of your makeup, so you won’t have to reapply concealer if you make a mess.
HOW TO
SWIPE RIGHT
Lash Whisperers Step 1
(left to right)
Curl First
1. IT Cosmetics Lash Blowout Salon Volume Lift Mascara ($25) “Always curl your lashes
A full brush plus a formula infused with biotin, collagen and to give them lift. This
vitamin E builds volume and adds lift—kinda like a salon blowout.
is a game-changer,”
2. Covergirl Exhibitionist Mascara ($8) says Murphy, who
The hourglass-shaped brush coats and separates recommends the Shu
lashes to add oomph with no clumps.
Uemura Eyelash Curler
3. Benefit BADgal Waterproof Mascara ($19) ($23). Carefully place
Go ahead and walk in the rain or cry for the millionth time watching the upper lashes inside
Steel Magnolias. This mascara ain’t comin’ off or smudging.
the mouth of the curler,
4. L’Oréal Paris Telescopic Lengthening & Lash By hold it as close to your
Lash Separating Mascara ($9.50) lid as possible, and
This high-tech formula magnetically clings to your lashes, and
gently squeeze three to
the precise brush covers every bit of each hair from base to tip.
five times.
Step 2
Clean the Wand
Use a paper towel to
2
lightly swipe excess
mascara from the brush
before you touch it to
your lashes, Murphy
says. “This gives a clean
4 application that’s not
clumpy or spidery.”
Step 3
Coat Every Lash
1
Murphy says to “work in
three sections: the inner
corners, outer corners
and the middle of the
upper lash line.” At the
3
inner corner, direct the
brush toward the bridge
of your nose; in the
middle, go toward the
center of your brow; and
at the outer corner, pull
it in the direction of your
temple. Always position
the brush right at the
base and wiggle it up to
the tips in a small back-
P H OTO: P E T E R A R D I TO. P RO P ST Y L I N G : PA I G E H I C KS.
and-forth motion, she
says. “Think of fanning
out your lashes.”
Hover your phone’s camera
to enter for a chance to win
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30 ON DUTY

? ?

My cat loves the My dog loves

Christmas tree—she everything about food
plays with the ornaments and—from the plate
and drinks the water. of cookies to the bowl
How do I keep her away? of chocolates to the
The easiest—though not huge vat of caramel
the most festive—fix is to corn—it’s all over my
place the tree in a room house. What should I do
that can be closed off, if he winds up getting
and be vigilant about into something?
keeping the cat out, says When you can, be sure
Kate Naito, a behavior to cover, wrap and put
consultant in Brooklyn, away food to remove
NY. If you have an open the in-your-muzzle
layout, be sure to cover temptation (goes for
the base so that your cat humans too!). A major
can’t get at the water. concern would be if he
Also, aim to make the gets into fatty foods
tree less of a draw: Don’t like turkey drippings,
put alluring ornaments which have been shown
at her eye level on low- to cause pancreatitis,
hanging branches and Thomasey says. If your
she won’t be enticed dog ends up eating a
to play with them, says lot of super-fatty foods,
Angie Krause, a holistic call your vet to see if
veterinarian in Boulder, he’ll need anti-nausea
CO. And if you have a or anti-diarrhea
dog, place a dog play medication or if you
should take him in for
pen around the tree to
keep him from lifting his
Not a Creature Is Stirring. an exam. Look out for
leg to mark it (after all, Or Pesky. Or Sick. chocolate too: Chances
are your dog won’t get
that’s just what he does
to trees outdoors). Naito
Holiday advice from the pet pros— sick from nibbling a
advises taking your dog because the last thing you want is single chip off the floor,
but depending on his
outside more frequently
during the holidays, your cat or dog getting sick (eating weight and the kind of
chocolate he consumes,
keeping an eye on him
whenever he’s around the
the hors d’oeuvres) or landing on the any more can be cause
tree, or even crating him naughty list (climbing the tree!). for concern. The darker
the chocolate, the more
if he would otherwise be By Kathleen Mest
toxic it is to dogs (so
left alone with it.
baker’s chocolate is
the most harmful, then
dark, then milk). Call
? ? your vet as soon as you
know your dog has eaten
Our dog gets nervous in a crowd, but we’re hosting Are there any holiday decorations that chocolate, and watch
Hanukkah this year. How can we keep her from are especially harmful to pets? out for diarrhea and
getting too anxious with all those people around? If you like poinsettias and mistletoe, vomiting that progresses
When lots of people are infringing on your dog’s go for fakes—the real deal can be to a racing heart rate
territory, she can get overstimulated, so Naito poisonous if your animal eats them. and tremors or, in severe
P H OTO: @ M A R LO P H OTO B LO G

suggests giving her an area of her own behind a “We also see a lot of dogs and cats that cases, seizures. Raisins
closed door to hang out in. Just make sure she has get into ribbon and tinsel,” which can and grapes are also
her food and water bowl as well as plenty of toys. cause GI tract obstruction, says Daniel toxic to dogs, so keep
(You could put her in her crate, or place her crate in Thomasey, a veterinarian in Oakhurst, the fruitcake on high
a less-visited room.) A food-dispensing toy can be NJ. So if your pet scarfs the decor, call ground—or let that be
super helpful in this instance, since it will keep your your vet ASAP. You’ll most likely have to your excuse for regifting
pup busy and make her less needy. bring your animal in for treatment. it ASAP.

December 2019
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diet of wolves, and created for pet parents who want to feed high-quality, healthy ingredients.
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STRUGGLE WITH HUNGER.
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 ON DUTY 35

“My Greek grandma

lives down the
street from us, so
she’s teaching me
how to cook a lot of
traditional foods. I
like experimenting in
the kitchen.” —VICKI

PORK SCHNITZEL
PAGE 43

By Sarah Wharton
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
SIDNEY BENSIMON

Family Dinners
Because you’ve gotta get food on the table.
Mealtime insights from
Eleni, 15, Vicki, 11, and
their dad, Nick.
FO O D ST Y L I N G : PAU L G R I M E S. P RO P ST Y L I N G : C H R I STO P H E R W H I T E . WA R D RO B E
ST Y L I N G : A RGY KO U TS OT H A N AS I S. H A I R A N D M A K E U P: ST E P H A N I E G O M E Z .
36 ON DUTY RECIPE KEY gluten-free meat pasta picky-eater-proof poultry seafood vegetarian

Quickie Chicken Pot Pie

“We have a big extended family
In a large heavy pot over med-high, melt that lives near us. On weekends,
2 tbsp unsalted butter. Add 1 small onion, we hang out in two distinct
diced; 1 medium carrot, diced; 1 large rib groups: grown-ups with grown-
celery, diced; and 1/4 tsp salt to pot and cook ups and kids with kids.” —ELENI
until beginning to brown, 5 min. Whisk
in 1/4 cup AP flour and cook about 90 sec.
Whisking constantly, add one 14.5 oz can
unsalted chicken broth . Sprinkle 11/2 lbs
boneless, skinless chicken thighs all over
with 1/2 tsp salt, and add to pot with veg-
etable mixture. Stir in 1/2 lb Yukon gold
potatoes , diced, 11/2 tsp finely chopped
thyme and cracked black pepper to taste.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer,
covered, until potatoes are tender and
chicken is cooked through, about 20 min,
stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Stir
1/2 cup thawed frozen peas into vegetable
mixture. Chop chicken into bite-size pieces
and stir back into vegetable mixture. Re-
move from heat and adjust seasoning to
taste. Serve with warm Pastry Toppers
(recipe at right). Serves 6. “My wife often
works late,
so during
the week her
PASTRY TOPPERS
mother drops • Thaw 1 sheet frozen
off homemade puff pastry per
meals for us package directions.
to eat.” —NICK Cut sheet into
6 even rectangles.
• Whisk 1 egg with
1 tbsp water; brush
each piece with some
egg. Sprinkle with a
little thyme if desired.
• If you want to get
a bit fancy, score
each piece of pastry
with a paring knife to
create a design.
• Bake on a
parchment-lined
baking sheet at 400°
until puffed and
nicely browned,
about 20 min.

“I’m the omelet queen. If

there’s nothing else to eat,
I’ll whip up some for us to
have for dinner.” —VICKI

December 2019
38 ON DUTY RECIPE KEY gluten-free meat pasta picky-eater-proof poultry seafood vegetarian

“Since my mother-in-law
handles weeknight meals,
I take over on weekends.
Mainly, I like to cook chicken
and lean meats.” —NICK

ITALIAN
WEDDING SOUP
PAGE 41

MAKE IT
VEGETARIAN
Swap the chicken
broth for vegetable
broth, and replace
the meatballs with
meatless meatballs,
chopped veggie
sausage or white
beans.

December 2019
 COMBINE
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 40 RECIPE KEY gluten-free meat picky-eater-proof
poultry pasta seafood vegetarian

WHAT’S BETTER
THAN A HIGH FIBER
BREAKFAST?

A TASTY, HIGH FIBER

BREAKFAST
WITH RAISINS.

“We like to eat healthy,

so we always have
salad ingredients on FORGOT TO THAW?
“Vicki’s the cook
hand. Vicki will prep Our Cacio e Pepe bake works
around here. I
the veggies, and I’ll just as well with frozen gnocchi
hang out in
cook the mains.” —NICK and broccoli, but you’ll need
my room until
they call me for to bake it 10 to 15 min longer
dinner.” —ELENI before broiling.

December 2019

Italian Wedding Soup
Heat 2 tbsp veg oil in a large heavy pot
over med-high. Add 1 small onion, chopped;
1 large carrot, diced; 1 rib celery, sliced;
and ¼ tsp salt. Cook 5 min. Pour in 8 cups
unsalted chicken broth; bring to a boil, re-
duce heat, cover and simmer 5 min. Return
to a boil; stir in 1 cup orzo, 12 oz fully cooked
meatballs, ¾ tsp salt, ¼ tsp dried oregano
and cracked black pepper to taste. Cook
8 to 10 min, adding 5 oz chopped escarole
or baby spinach for the last 2 min. Serve
topped with shaved Parmesan. Serves 4.
? with ½ cup shredded mozzarella, 1 tbsp Par-
KNOW WHAT YOU’RE EATING.
For nutrition info, turn to page 119.
41
A GOOD SOURCE OF
FIBER AND A GREAT
SOURCE OF CRUNCHY
DELICIOUSNESS.
Cauliflower Gnocchi
Cacio e Pepe Bake
In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt 3 tbsp
unsalted butter at 100% in 20 sec intervals.
Whisk in 1 cup part-skim ricotta, ½ cup
milk , ¼ cup grated Parmesan , 1 tbsp AP
flour, 1 tsp cracked black pepper and ½ tsp
salt. Stir in two 12 oz bags frozen cauliflower
gnocchi, thawed; one 10 oz box frozen broc-
coli , thawed, drained and chopped; and
½ cup frozen peas, thawed. Transfer half
the mixture to a greased 11 x 7-inch baking
dish. Sprinkle with ⅓ cup shredded mozza-
rella and 1 tbsp grated Parmesan. Top with
remaining gnocchi mixture and sprinkle
mesan and cracked black pepper to taste.
Bake, covered, until bubbly, about 35 min.
Uncover and broil until browned, about
3 min. Let stand 10 min. Serves 4.
 42 RECIPE KEY gluten-free meat picky-eater-proof
poultry pasta seafood vegetarian

NUTS ABOUT FIBER?

NEW CRUNCHY VANILLA

ALMOND IS A GOOD
SOURCE OF IT.

“I do online research
before trying a new
dish. There are some
things I won’t eat—like,
you won’t see me
make anything with
mushrooms.” —VICKI

NEW!
 Pork Schnitzel
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil;
add 8 oz egg noodles and cook per pkg
directions, about 10 min. Meanwhile,
in a shallow pie plate, whisk 1/2 cup AP
flour with 1/2 tsp each salt and black pep-
per. In a second dish, beat 2 large eggs.
In a third dish, place 1 cup panko bread
crumbs. Pound 4 boneless pork chops
(about 1 lb) to 1/4 inch thick. Working
in 2 batches, dredge chops in seasoned
flour, dip in egg, then dredge in panko,
turning to coat well. Heat 1/2 cup veg oil
in a large stainless skillet over med-high.
Add 2 chops and cook until brown and
crispy, about 2 min per side. Repeat with
remaining chops, adding oil if needed.
Toss 2 cups arugula with 1 tbsp each lemon
juice and veg oil and 1/4 tsp salt. Toss noo-
dles with 2 tbsp unsalted butter, 11/2 tbsp
thinly sliced chives and 1/2 tsp salt. Top
schnitzel with arugula and serve with
noodles and lemon wedges. Serves 4.

SCHNITZEL WHAT YOU WISH

The pounding and breading
method in our pork recipe works
for other meats as well.
• To make a classic wiener
schnitzel, follow the directions
above, replacing the chops
with veal cutlets.
• Try boneless, skinless chicken
breasts, making sure they’re
cooked through.
• Opt for boneless beef round
steaks for a lemony take on
traditional chicken-fried steak.

Thai Curry Tilapia

In a small bowl, whisk one 13.66 oz can
coconut milk, 3 tbsp red curry paste, 2 tbsp
chopped cilantro, 1 tbsp lime juice and
1/2 tsp salt. Pour into a 13 x 9-inch baking
dish. Pat dry 4 tilapia fillets (about 1 1/2 lbs)
and season all over with 1/2 tsp salt. Place
in curry sauce in dish. Cover fish with
1/2 lb trimmed and halved green beans.
Sprinkle beans with 1/4 tsp salt and then
press lightly into sauce. Bake, covered, at
350° for about 30 min. Serve with 2 cups
warm cooked rice and sprinkle with torn
cilantro leaves. Serves 4.

GO FISH
You can replace the tilapia
in our curry with 11/2 lbs of
any mild fish, like catfish, trout,
snapper or bass.
44 ON DUTY Swap It
Any grain—
farro, quinoa,
brown rice—
works here.
LU N C H

Good to Go
Make a week’s worth of wheat berries on Sunday and
add extras each morning to spin this salad either Italian Asian Salad
or Asian. (May you never buy a $10 sandwich again.) 1 batch Wheat Berries
(see below)
Meat from 1 small
rotisserie chicken
(3 cups)
3¾ cups broccoli slaw
4 sliced scallions
Italian Salad 1 pkg (5 oz) arugula
1 batch Ginger-Soy
1 batch Wheat Berries Dressing (below)
(see below) 2/3 cup toasted
Meat from 1 small sliced almonds
rotisserie chicken
(3 cups)
21/2 cups raw riced or
finely diced cauliflower
¾ cup diced roasted ASSEMBLY
red peppers
Combine scant 2/3 cup
1/3 cup diced drained
wheat berries with 1/2 cup
sun-dried tomatoes
chicken, ¾ cup broccoli
1 pkg (5 oz) arugula
slaw and 1 tbsp scallions.
1 batch Creamy Pesto Top with 2 cups arugula.
Dressing (below) Pack with 21/2 tbsp Ginger-
Soy Dressing and 2 tbsp
almonds. Serves 1.

ASSEMBLY

P H OTO: J E N N I F E R CAU S E Y. FO O D ST Y L I N G : M A RGA R E T D I C K E Y. P RO P ST Y L I N G : C H R I ST I N E K E E LY.

Combine scant 2/3 cup
wheat berries with DRESSING
1/2 cup each chicken and Ginger-Soy
cauliflower, 2 tbsp Whisk 1/4 cup rice vinegar
roasted red peppers and with 3 tbsp light soy
1 tbsp sun-dried sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil,
tomatoes. Top with 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp grated
2 cups arugula. Pack with fresh ginger. Whisk in
21/2 tbsp Creamy 1/4 cup veg oil and hot sauce
Pesto Dressing. Serves 1. to taste. Makes 3/4 cup.
BASE GRAIN

HOW TO COOK WHEAT BERRIES

Combine 11/4 cups red wheat berries, 1 tsp salt and 3⅔ cups water in
DRESSING ?
an Instant Pot. Seal and set to pressure cook on Manual for 30 min.
Creamy Pesto Let pressure release naturally for 5 min, then vent. Unlock cooker and
Whisk 1/3 cup refrigerated drain wheat berries. Makes 31/4 cups. (If you have to go the stovetop KNOW WHAT
pesto with 1/4 cup route: Combine wheat berries, 3¾ cups water and salt in a saucepan YOU’RE EATING. For
fresh lemon juice and over high and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium; nutrition info, turn to
3 tbsp mayo. simmer until tender, 35 to 45 min. Remove pan from heat and let sit, page 119.
Makes scant 3/4 cup. covered, for 15 min. Drain excess liquid.)

December 2019
 EVEN BUTTER
LOVERS LOVE IT
- Cammie, 5 -
BUTTERED NOODLE
CONNOISSEUR

© 2019 Upfield | All rights reserved

Cooks, Bakes and Tastes Like Butter.

Tested and when used with Country Crock Plant Butter® sticks.
Make a Date to
UPDATE

BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT AT WWW.JCP.COM/SALON

 ON DUTY 49

HEALTH NEWS
By Kendall Wenaas

SKIP THE TRIP Social Skills

Thanks to these at-
If it seems like your kids are constantly
ONE
home kits, you can now OUT OF
test yourself for: scrolling, gaming or liking, they proba-
bly are—67% of teens claim to be online SEVEN
STIs “almost constantly,” according to a Pew
The Nurx STI kit tests Research Center study. But the study That’s the number of
for HIV, chlamydia, American kids ages 6 to
wasn’t all bad news and frowny-face
gonorrhea, syphilis and 18 who have a mental
hepatitis C and emojis: Kids still have F2F interactions health condition, and
comes with directions IRL. In fact, internet-obsessed teens are more than half go
that show you how to just as likely as their less plugged-in peers untreated. “Teens can
administer each test. to socialize with their friends in person. suffer from any number
of mental health
Colon Cancer conditions, but depression
Your doc can send you and anxiety are the

14
home with a yearly most likely to start at this
fecal immunochemical age,” says Sarah Jerstad,
test, which may PhD, a psychologist
be as effective as a at Children’s Minnesota
colonoscopy, according hospital in St. Paul.
to a new study. “Your teen is dealing
with plenty of hormone
Vision Problems and life changes, but
Attach EyeQue Insight’s if you notice a change in
visual acuity screener habits and personality,
to your smartphone to pay attention.”
give your whole family Specifically, look for
regular vision tests. changes in sleep, lack of
interest in socializing and
falling grades, she says.
If you notice a change,
don’t jump to
Don’t leave it up to the school’s health conclusions. After
teacher to give your kids “the talk”: Being observing for a bit, have
involved in your children’s sex education before a conversation about
they turn 14 means they’ll be more likely to what you’ve noticed and
practice safe sex—and be open with you about
ask how they’re feeling.
their sexual experiences, JAMA Pediatrics reports. Be genuine, stick to your
In case you were wondering, the study regular communication
also found that getting yourself involved won’t style, and if you’re
prompt your kids to have sex sooner. nervous, tell your kid
that, she says. Offer to
find them a therapist
P H OTO: ( TO P ) G E T T Y I M AG E S

(ask your kid’s pediatrician

The Shape of Relaxation Playing a game on your phone may be or counselor for a rec).
And once your kid starts
more stress-relieving than mindfulness apps, according to a new therapy, resist the
British study. People who played a shape-fitting game (similar urge to ask “So...what did
to Tetris) reported feeling more energized, while those who used you talk about???” after
the apps or fidget spinners reported feeling more tired. each session.

December 2019
 50 ON DUTY

Sign on the Dotted Line LOWER YOUR RISK

OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Cut your chances of Alzheimer’s by 60% by following
When your kids turn 18, they’re legal any four of these lifestyle behaviors:
adults—so your freedom from having to
4
sign permission slips also means you no 1

longer have an automatic right to their Work your brain. Eat a brain-healthy diet.
Do a crossword, play checkers, Fill your plate with vegetables,
records. “You can’t legally access their
visit the library, etc. beans, whole grains, seafood
information without having a few docu- and poultry. Avoid red
ments in place,” says Gretchyn Meinken, 2 meat, butter, cheese, pastries,
a DC-area lawyer. Ask your 18-year-old Don’t smoke. sweets and fried food.
to sign these: HIPAA Authorization Form Avoid smoking e-cigarettes as
well as regular cigarettes. 5
A hospital can’t share any medical info
Exercise regularly.
with you unless it’s signed, Meinken 3 Aim for 150 minutes of
explains. Health Care Proxy If your kid Drink moderately. moderate movement per week.
gets into a car accident and can’t make Limit yourself to one glass
medical decisions, this form allows you of wine per day, max. Source: Rush University

to act on their behalf, Meinken says.

General Durable Power of Attorney If
you plan to renew their car registration
or file their taxes, your child will need to
sign this document. (Don’t be shocked
when, of the three, this is the one they
sign with the least nagging!)
Rock Your Block
The people next door are good for so much more than lending a stick of
butter: A new study shows that good relations and trust between neighbors seem
to protect adolescents from the effects of stress and make them more resilient,
according to research published in Psychological Medicine.

Trademarks owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.


It’s not a diet. “Intuitive
EAT INTUITIVELY eating is when you use
If mom talk in the basketball bleachers has your body’s natural
cues to decide what to
come around to “intuitive eating” eat, instead of relying
and you have no idea what it is, here’s a quick on external forces like
primer on the latest dietary trend. diets, stress and calorie
counts,” says Victoria
Myers, RDN, owner and
dietitian at Nourishing
Minds Nutrition in St.
Petersburg, FL. Weight
loss is not the goal, so
if your aim is to lose
weight, intuitive eating
might not be for you.
You’ll crave more than
junk food. At first, you
might dig into all the
cookies and pizza and
ice cream, but once you
realize these foods are
no longer off-limits,
they’ll lose some of their
P H OTO: STO C KSY
appeal and you’ll start
to crave healthy foods
too, Myers explains.
ON DUTY 51
You eat when you’re
hungry. The more you’re
in tune with your body,
the more you’ll tend
to eat what you want,
when you want (and
not sweat it if you work
through lunch...and
not overcompensate
by gorging at dinner).
Prepping a few items—say,
cooking rice, roasting a
chicken—can streamline
mealtime without forcing
you to map out full meals.
Your weight may
even out. With fewer
restrictions, it’s possible
you’ll gain a few pounds.
But just because you’re
not on a diet doesn’t mean
you’ll automatically keep
gaining weight—you
have a set point that your
body naturally wants
to maintain within 10 to
15 pounds, Myers says.
52 ON DUTY

Burnout is now classified as an actual disease.

(What took them so long?) Here’s how to
spot it—and sidestep it—during this busy time.
By Jancee Dunn

very day is a scramble for Ann
E Boles, a Dallas mother of two
teenagers. But lately, she says,
the pace has been getting to her. When
her son joined the high school band last
year, she started getting up at 5:15 in the
morning to exercise before dropping him
off at practice at 6:40. (Yes, you read that
right.) Then she races to work as a teach-
er, when her long day “officially” begins.
She has noticed that she’s become con-
That wall is called burnout. And,
yes, it’s a real thing. The World Health
Organization has just expanded its defi-
nition of burnout in the recent revision
of the International Classification of
Diseases (ICD-11). While it’s described She wakes up at 5:15 in the
as an “occupational phenomenon” rather morning to exercise before dropping
than a medical condition, we all know her son off at marching band
that burnout isn’t confined to the work- practice at 6:40 a.m. (yes, you read
place. For many of us, the WHO’s three- that right), then races off to her job
part diagnosis—feelings of exhaustion, teaching school.
I L LU ST R AT I O N : J U L I E H O U TS

sumed by anxiety and fatigue, and wakes
up in the middle of the night “stewing
over my to-do list, wondering how I can
get everything done,” she says. “My hus-
band and I have just hit a wall.”
“mental distance” and ineffectiveness—is
going to sound awfully familiar.
But burnout is sneaky. It creeps up
on you. “It isn’t something that happens
overnight,” says Paula Davis-Laack,

December 2019
 HELPS YOUR CHILD
FALL ASLEEP NATURALLY*
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Drug-free | Non-habit forming | Free of artificial flavors
Uniquely formulated for kids

*THIS STATEMENT HAS NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION.
THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.
56 ON DUTY
founder of the Stress & Resilience In-
stitute in Milwaukee. “It manifests over
a period of time, and for some that means
months or years.” It’s a slow drip of chron-
ic stress—“chronic is an important word
here,” Davis-Laack points out—that de-
pletes your energy and well-being day
after day, bit by insidious bit. (Many of
these symptoms overlap with those of
depression, which is more persistent
and severe. According to the National
Institute of Mental Health, if you’re feel-
ing most of these symptoms nearly every
day, for most of the day, for at least two
weeks or you’re having trouble function-
ing, see a mental health professional.)
The symptoms of burnout
include being overwhelmed by
everyday tasks, losing the energy
and motivation to make changes,
and consistently feeling helpless,
hopeless, cynical and resentful,
says New York clinical psychol-
ogist Jodie Eisner, PsyD. Other
signs of burnout are irritability
(little problems provoke an outsize
reaction), anxiety, disengagement
from activities that used to make
you happy, and trouble focus-
ing that goes way beyond “mom
brain” (even though your to-do
list is stretching to the size of the
Magna Carta, you just can’t seem
to muster the clarity to tackle it).
Because your immune system
is under assault from constant stress,
you’re more at risk of catching a cold or
getting the flu. And, in a cruel twist,
despite feeling as fried as you do, you
may still be plagued by insomnia. (The
National Sleep Foundation defines
chronic insomnia as disrupted sleep that
occurs at least three nights a week and
lasts at least three months.) “I feel like
I’m always behind, and my anxiety about
it comes out at night,” says Jill Carlson,
an operations manager from Grayslake,
IL, and mother of a 16-year-old son.
If you happen to be a parent of teen-
agers, they have a special way of turbo-
charging your depletion. “When your
kids are younger, the exhaustion can be
physical,” says Mary Hogan, a former
teacher from Parker, CO, and mom of two
teenagers. “With teens, it’s mental ex-
haustion. It’s not just that they can drive
and they’re so active on social media. It’s
like suddenly being in a chess game with
a more advanced player. They’re so much
smarter, and you have to constantly be
thinking of your next move.”
When Hogan’s kids were little, she
says, “they didn’t ever want us to leave
them, and hated when we got a sitter.
So we’d tell them we were going to the
‘broccoli meeting,’ and they’d say, ‘Oh,
well, we don’t want to go to that.’ ” She
Teenagers have a
special way of turbocharging
your depletion. When your
kids are younger, the
exhaustion is physical. With
teens, it’s mental—like
being in a chess game with a
more advanced player.
laughs. “Now they are waaaay beyond
the ‘broccoli meeting.’ ”
Being a parent of teens can also be
isolating—another thing that hastens
burnout. “When you have young kids,
you talk a lot with other moms—when
you’re dropping off the kids, exchanging
information,” Hogan says. “I didn’t realize
the value of it at the time, because when
the kids are older, you kind of lose that
support system of other moms.”
In the rush of modern life, it’s easy to
ignore the symptoms of burnout—and
hard to actually hit the “pause” button
and think, “OK, it is in fact not normal
that I want to crawl under this pile of
laundry and stay there for a few days.”
But the more you pay attention to the
clear distress signals being issued by
your mind and body and take steps to fix
them, the better. Burnout doesn’t happen
overnight, and it’s not going to go away
overnight, either.
Look for ways throughout the day
to manage stress and refuel your own
tank, Eisner says. “Eat a balanced diet,
get restorative sleep and exercise as fre-
quently as you can,” she says. “It’s also
important to stay connected to friends
and family, and make time for activities
you love.” Try to set aside 15 minutes a
day to go to your happy place, whether
by meditating or watching videos
of animals wearing funny hats.
(That’s 1/100th of the day! You
can do it!) To combat feelings of
helplessness, Eisner suggests set-
ting attainable goals that you can
tackle to feel empowered.
Another biggie: Avoid over-
committing, and make liberal use
of the magical word “no.” Dele-
gate. Be mindful of how much
time you spend on your devices
(a 2017 survey from the American
Psychological Association found
that constant phone checkers have
more ratcheted-up stress levels).
And if symptoms persist to the
point where you can’t function or
your quality of life is significantly
reduced, see a therapist.
You knew this was coming, but it bears
repeating: If you don’t practice self-care,
you’re not going to be able to care for any-
one else. When Carlson feels burnout
creeping in, she gets up and leaves the
house. “I have two dogs, so I’ll take them
for a walk,” she says. “Or sometimes I go
to a movie by myself.”
Boles and her husband, meanwhile,
keep Friday nights sacred for home date
nights, when they break out the wine,
kick back and reconnect: “We try not to
commit to any Friday-night kid activi-
ties.” She laughs. “That’s the one night
that we’re like, ‘Nope, sorry.’ ”
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58 ON DUTY Take Note
Some
FA M I LY H E A LT H C H EC K L I ST people may
experience a
( A D U LT E D I T I O N ) hangover from
just one drink.
HANGOVERS

Symptoms of a Hangover Stock Your

Hangovers might seem simple—after one too many glasses of pinot, Medicine Cabinet
you wake up with a massive headache—but alcohol’s effects can be 2 DAYS Not to be a buzzkill,
On average, employees but there’s no true
complex: It can cause dehydration, inflammation, stomach irritation
take two sick days quick fix. “Despite the
and a dip in your blood sugar. There’s no exact equation, but typically per year to nurse their snake oils you’ve seen,
the more you drink, the more likely you are to experience fatigue, hangovers, according to there’s really no cure
thirst, headaches and soreness, nausea and vomiting, dizziness or rapid a recent survey. for a hangover besides
heartbeat. (Or just some really hellish mixed bag of many of them!) time,” Fertel says. While
you’re waiting, treat the
symptoms. So besides
Water, Salt, Carbs your glass of water, try:
Sadly, you’ll have to get
out of bed, but the best Ibuprofen or Motrin.
first hangover treatment If your head won’t
is a big ol’ glass of H2O. stop pounding, it’s
And eat something fine to take an OTC
salty for breakfast, pain med. But avoid
says Baruch Fertel, MD, acetaminophen—it’s
emergency medicine metabolized in your
doctor at Cleveland liver, which is already
Clinic. “Salt helps you working overtime from
retain fluids.” The carbs the alcohol.
in a slice of toast can Anti-nausea medicine.
help regulate your blood If your stomach’s
sugar too, he says. churning, Pepto-Bismol
or Tums will help settle
it, Fertel says.
Will You Be Hydration tablets.
Hungover? When you just can’t
The more often you take another sip of
drink, the more your plain water and your
body gets used to son has guzzled the
it (flashback to your last of the Gatorade,
20-something self and you’ll be glad you’ve
your Olympic-level got a secret Gatorade
beer pounding) and Thirst Quencher
the less likely you are Powder pouch or Nuun
to be hungover. Other hydration tablets. Either
variables include: will give you a burst
• How fast you drink. of electrolytes and
“Drink slowly as minerals.
opposed to ‘Bam, bam,
slam!’ ” Fertel says.
• What you eat and drink. “Drink what you like, Not-So-Clear Conclusion
Eat carbs and sip on but drink in moderation,” You’ve probably heard that when compared to light
water while you drink.
Fertel says. “Alcohol has liquors (vodka and gin), darker ones (like bourbon,
P H OTO: STO C KSY

• Genetics.
• Your size. (Surely, you’re
been around since Noah and whiskey or brandy) are more apt to cause hangovers.
familiar with the term brings people’s spirits up. Some studies back that up, but anecdotally, it seems
“lightweight”?) Just don’t overdo it.” to vary from person to person.

December 2019
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60 ON DUTY
Talking About
One of the greatest gifts you can give
your kids is independence—and the faith
that they will, someday, grow up. This
just may be why #adulting is trending.
By Catherine Hong
Over the years, my husband and I have
spent a lot of time quibbling about
how to load the dishwasher. He’s of the
thoroughly-rinse-it-all-off school. I’m
staunchly in the camp of scrape-but-
don’t-rinse. (I mean, what’s the point of
a dishwasher?) We’ve also loudly debated
the finer points of cereal bowl alignment.
It’s sad, I know, considering there are
many more stimulating conversations
we should be having after dinner.
But you know what’s even sadder?
Our realization a couple of years ago that
our daughter, then 13, had no idea how to
load a dishwasher—not even the “wrong”
way. One night, we asked her to have
a go and the result was...well, let’s just
say it looked as if she had done the job
blindfolded, after which the Bosch had
been hit by a very localized earthquake.
Turns out a child cannot learn to load
the dishwasher simply via osmosis.
According to experts, my husband
and I are not alone in our failure to teach
this—and many other basic life skills—to
our kids. Cooking simple meals, clean-
ing the bathroom, mowing the lawn and
walking the dog are only a few of the tasks
that, just a generation ago, parents ex-
pected teens and tweens to shoulder—the
very same chores that have eluded many
of our own offspring. Fewer home ec
classes in middle school and high school
may be partly to blame. Wasn’t that where
so many American kids once learned how
to sew buttons and measure flour? But
it’s not just household chores that have
dwindled away; it’s self-reliance. When
my son—who’s in middle school—was at
sleepaway camp, counselors trimmed
the campers’ fingernails!
And we’ve all heard complaints about
millennials who stumble thorough life
like oversized children—the ones who
don’t know how to stay on top of bills,
or write thank-you notes, or solve work
dramas without texting their parents.
(These are the same millennials who now
enroll in “adulting classes” that aim to
teach basic life skills like cooking, time
management and budgeting.) As Julie
Lythcott-Haims, Stanford University’s
former dean of freshmen, explained in
her influential book How to Raise an
Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting
Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success,
this phenomenon of learned helpless-
ness is mostly the result of parental
overinvolvement. Parents have absolved
their kids of these responsibilities for
a variety of reasons, she says. For some
parents, it’s about making their kids’
lives easier or happier. For others, it
might be about safety or ensuring the
job is done properly. For still others, it’s
about getting ahead in the college arms
race: They’d rather have their kids do
SAT prep or cello practice than change
the cat litter or scrub a lasagna pan.
“But probably more than anything
it’s about a parent’s ego and need to be
needed,” Lythcott-Haims says. “Entwin-
I L LU ST R AT I O N S : L AU R A CA L L AG H A N
ing their identities with their children’s
gives them a greater sense of purpose”
that’s ultimately harmful for the child.
“When you are all up in your kids’ busi-
ness, you’re depriving them of the ex-
periences that forge a life,” she says. “If
they don’t develop these life skills, they
December 2019
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62 ON DUTY
will lack agency, which can lead to anxi-
ety and depression.” In other words, we
have to stop doing our kids’ chores—and
it really is for their own good.
Your Action Plan
Of course, getting kids to pull their own
weight is easier said than done. The
first time you explain to your 13-year-old
that they’re going to be taking out the
trash, you’ll surely hear some version of
“Wait, that’s your job!” or “Why now?”
And they have a point: The earlier
you train your kids to start doing sim-
ple chores, the less pushback you’ll get.
That may explain why the upcoming
book by Catherine Newman, How to Be
a Person: 65 Hugely Useful, Super-
Important Skills
to Learn Before
You’re Grown Up,
is aimed at middle
schoolers.
Your best move
for pushing them
toward a new ev-
eryday challenge/
chore is to take a
deep breath and
explain that “kids
need to learn how
to do these things
for themselves.”
You can even ac-
knowledge that you made a mistake
by not having had them pitch in all
along. (“But don’t apologize too much,
as it only undermines your authority!”
Lythcott-Haims warns.) Beth Gagnon,
a New Hampshire–based psychother-
apist who works with kids and families,
says she’s used the following on her
own offspring when they’ve balked:
“My role is supervising, not doing.”
Introducing rewards and privileges is Teaching your kid
also perfectly appropriate in this situa-
to adult? It starts early.
tion, she adds. “After all, if your child is With help from experts
able to legally operate a car, they should and parents we trust, we’ve put
be able to stay on top of their laundry. together these suggested
Tell them, ‘If you have a license to drive, guidelines for life skills by age.
Don’t panic if your family
you should have a license to dry.’ ”
isn’t exactly there yet. Every kid
While teaching a complicated task develops at a different rate.
may seem daunting, a good rule is this
basic three-step process: First, do the
AGES 10–12
job with your kid, showing them how
Stay home alone
it’s done. Then, observe your kid per-
Load a dishwasher
forming the task. Finally, let them do it Cook simple foods (eggs,
completely independently. boxed mac and cheese)
“Tech can be a big help,” Gagnon says. Clean the bathroom
If you’re trying to get your kid to keep a Take out the trash
Use the washer and dryer
calendar, using a phone app may come
Change bedsheets
more naturally to them. And don’t un- Use basic hand tools
derestimate the power of instructional
videos on YouTube.
AGES 13–15
“It’s how kids learn
Clean most areas of the home
these days and a
Plan and prepare meals
great tool,” she says. with several ingredients
For parents hop- Take care of younger siblings
ing they can simply Compare prices
give college-bound Understand basic banking
concepts (the difference
kids a crash course
between checking and
in spin cycles and savings accounts, how
o m e l e t- m a k i n g interest works)
two weeks before Plunge the toilet
school starts, think
again. A lot of these AGES 16–18
so-called “adulting” Fill a car with gas
skills involve habit Change a tire
as well as planning Understand medicine labels
and organization. If your kid isn’t used to and dosages
Make appointments (dentist,
managing laundry, there’s a good chance
haircut, orthodontist)
they’ll realize too late that they’ve run out Perform more sophisticated
of clean underwear. household chores (changing
Kids don’t become adults overnight. the vacuum cleaner bag,
It’s our job to start them on the path to- cleaning the stove)
Fill out a job application
ward independence while they’re still
Tip appropriately
young—however much patience (and
tolerance for imperfectly washed cereal
bowls) that may require.
 I T ’S CL EA N IN G
R EI N VEN TE D
©2019 S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
64 ON DUTY

Hover your phone’s

camera to see the
secret to stuffing
these waffles.

S N AC K I N G, T E E N E D I T I O N

BISCUIT HACKS P H OTO: J E N CAU S E Y. FO O D ST Y L I N G : C H E LS E A Z I M M E R. P RO P ST Y L I N G : AU D R E Y DAV I S.

Bust out the waffle iron and a tube of dough for
simple—and seriously addictive—snacks.

Strawberry Danish Pigs in a Blanket Cheese Stick

freeze-dried strawberries + cream cheese hot dog + mustard string cheese + sauce
Split a round of refrigerated biscuit dough and stretch Cut a hot dog in half Cut a stick of mozzarella string
it into 2 thin disks. Mix whipped cream cheese with lengthwise and crosswise, cheese in half lengthwise as well as
a little confectioners’ sugar. Spread mixture on disks creating 4 pieces. Split crosswise, creating 4 pieces. Flatten
and use them to sandwich crushed freeze-dried a round of dough and each of 2 refrigerated biscuit dough
strawberries. Pinch and crimp edges to seal very stretch into 2 thin disks. rounds into a disk. Place mozzarella
well. Cook biscuits in a waffle iron, seam side down, Place 2 pieces of hot on 1 biscuit disk. Sprinkle with a pinch
until browned and crispy, about 5 min. Dust with dog on each disk; fold each of salt and Italian herb blend
confectioners’ sugar. into half-moons and seal. and top with second biscuit disk. Seal
D O U B L E D U T Y Our strawberry Danish is also an easy Cook about 5 min. Serve well and cook about 5 min. Serve with
fix for your teen to make for breakfast. with mustard for dipping. marinara sauce for dipping.

? KNOW WHAT YOU’RE EATING. For nutrition info, turn to page 119.
REMEMBER THE LITTLE THINGS

PJS
L
A DA Y
L
#TW IN NI N G
Everything
you need
to make the
season bright

F I N D IT A LL
I N S TO R E A N D
AT J C P.CO M

From cookie baking to cozy nights,
little moments create big memories.
JCPenney has all you need to make this
holiday season one to remember.
WHIP UP SOME YUM
There’s nothing better than homemade
Christmas cookies— especially
when you’ve baked them together.
KitchenAid® Artisan Series
5-Quart Tilt-Stand Mixer
IT’S SNUGGLE SEASON
Get comfy by the fire and settle in with
your favorite holiday films and stories.
North Pole Trading Company Throw & Pillows
caroling, sledding, and snowman building.
Mommy and Me Cable Knit Booties
REMEMBER THE LITTLE THINGS
Find it all in store and at jcp.com
(E((O((((
(OTE(((TO(((E(F(
((((((((((((()(
((Can(we(just(use(that(wacky(photo(of(
the(dog(for(our(HO((D(Y(C(RD(or(do(we(
seriously(need(a(family(pic?((PAGE 77)
((OK,(OK,(it's(officially(time(to(start
DECOR(T((((THE(HOU(E . (Please(tell(me(I(
don't(need(to(tangle(with(tinsel.)((PAGE 78)
((Holy(work(event—the(office(party(is(next(
Thursday.(WTH DO(((EVE((WE(R? (PAGE 80)
H((UKK(H ((Am(I(up(for(frying?((If(latkes(
are(my(reward,(the(answer(is(yes.)((PAGE 86)
((Listen(up,(world!(This(time(I’m(actually(
gonna(B(KE(COOK(E(.((PAGE 72)(
((How(am(I(suddenly(so(behind(in—and(in(
the(hole(with—my((HO(((((?((PAGE 92)
((I(coulda(sworn(we(had(leftover(wrapping(
paper(from(last(year—yeah,(no.(Better(add(
((FT(WR(( (to(the(shopping(list.((PAGE 92)
(RE(E(T(,((RE(E(T(((((Honestly,(what(
do(my(teens(even(want(anymore?((PAGE 94)
((While(we're(at(it,(do(my(kids(even(still(care(
about(the((DVE(T(C((E(D(R?((PAGE 84)
((After(everyone(exhausts(themselves(
Christmas(morning(tearing(at(gifts,(what(
should(we(eat(for(BRE(KF((T?((PAGE 108)
((Gotta(keep(the(family(entertained—
maybe(even(talking.(Dare(we(go(old-school(
and((((Y((O(E((((E(?((PAGE 106)
Our mission: take the crazy-
making out of the jolly season.
So we've got tips for dealing
with all your to-do items.
Let's get a ho-ho-ho ho-yeah!
 JCPenney has everything you
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Rose Gold Ombré Party Dress

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY
KATE MATHIS
FOOD STYLING BY
REBECCA JURKEVICH
TURN THE
PAGE FOR
ALL THE
RECIPES...
72 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L

THE TWELVE
WAYS OF
With the easiest tweaks, one basic
dough becomes a dozen holiday-ready
treats. (Hear the angels sing!)

COOKIES
Glazed Sugar Cookies
We were so crazy for the cookies
from @theroundsnyc on Insta that we
Pistachio Triangles
BASIC just had to share. For tips on how Anna
of The Rounds NYC bakery gets When you like holiday goodness to
be crunchy, nutty and sticky.
DOUGH her super-smooth glaze, see page 119.

Refrigerate 2 hr or overnight. Roll Make . Sprinkle liberally with AP flour

and roll out on wax paper to a 15 x 10-inch
2 cups AP flour to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 1-inch,
3/4 tsp baking powder 11/4-inch and 11/2-inch circles using round rectangle. Invert onto a greased
1/4 tsp salt cookie cutters. Bake on parchment- 15 x 10 x 1-inch pan; press to edges. Bake
1 stick unsalted lined baking sheets at 350° for 11 to at 350° for 10 min. Meanwhile, whisk
butter, at 13 min. Cool and spread with glaze: Beat 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tbsp AP flour and 1/8 tsp
room temp salt with 1 cup light corn syrup, 3 eggs
2 cups confectioners’ sugar with 1/8 tsp
3/4 cup sugar cream of tartar and 3 tbsp 2% milk. Tint
and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Stir in 11/2 cups
1 large egg roasted and salted pistachios, chopped.
to desired colors. Makes 41/2 dozen.
3/4 tsp vanilla extract Spread over dough; bake 15 min. Cool
and cut into triangles. Makes 5 dozen.
1 In a large bowl, whisk
flour, baking powder
and salt. With an electric
mixer, beat butter until
smooth. Beat in sugar Pecan Crescents
until blended and fluffy, To the meltaways lovers in the
scraping down sides of house—these babies are for you. Mocha Latte Crackles
bowl. Beat in egg and Imagine the best of the dessert coffee
vanilla. 2 On low speed, Make , adding 3/4 cup ground pecans
drinks...in cute crackly-cookie form.
beat flour mixture into and 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar to
butter mixture until flour mixture and increasing butter to Combine 1/4 cup warm water with 2 tbsp
combined. 3 Gather 11/2 sticks. Refrigerate 2 hr. Break off instant coffee. Make , adding 1/4 cup
dough into a ball, flatten tablespoonfuls of dough and shape into cocoa powder to flour mixture and
into a disk and wrap logs. Taper ends and bend into crescents; beating instant coffee mixture and 1/4 cup
in plastic to chill. Let chill 30 min. Place on parchment-lined chocolate syrup in with egg. Refrigerate

dough sit at room temp baking sheets and bake at 350° for 15 min.
for 30 min if rolling out. Generously dust with confectioners’
sugar while warm. Makes about 4 dozen.
1 hr. Shape into 1-inch balls between
your palms and roll in confectioners’
sugar to coat. Place on parchment-
lined baking sheets and bake at 350° for
12 min. Makes 31/2 dozen.
74 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L
Chocolate Biscotti
Double your chocolate with both cocoa
powder and chocolate chips.
Make , adding 1/2 cup cocoa powder to
flour mixture, increasing baking powder
to 11/2 tsp and adding 1 more egg. Stir 1/2 cup
mini semisweet chocolate chips into
dough; divide in half. With floured hands,
shape each half into an 11 x 2 1/2-inch log
on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake
at 375° for 20 to 25 min. Cool slightly on a
rack; lower oven to 325 °. Cut into 1/2-inch
slices on a slight diagonal. Place, cut sides
down, on baking sheets. Bake 10 min; turn
over and bake 10 more min. Cool. Melt
1 cup mini semisweet chips with 1/2 tsp veg
oil per pkg directions. Drizzle over cookies;
let dry on wax paper. Makes 21/2 dozen.
PB Slices
With peanut butter, powdered PB
and nuts, these are triple-rama.
Make , adding 3 tbsp PB powder to flour
mixture and 1/4 cup peanut butter to butter
mixture. Divide into quarters and roll into
6-inch logs. Finely chop 1 cup honey-
roasted peanuts. Spread nuts on a board
in a 7 x 5-inch rectangle. Brush logs with
egg white, then roll in nuts, pressing into
sides. Wrap logs in plastic and refrigerate
2 hr or overnight. Slice each log into
16 pieces. Bake at 350° for 12 min per batch.
Makes 51/3 dozen.
Orange Squares
You’ve got your zest, your marmalade—
and some pretty candied slices.
Make , adding 1 tsp grated orange
zest to butter mixture. Refrigerate at
least 2 hr or overnight. Roll out dough to
1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch squares.
Transfer to parchment-lined baking
sheets and brush with a layer of sweet
orange marmalade. Finely chop 4 slices
Trader Joe’s Sweetened Dried Orange
Slices and sprinkle on cookies. Bake at
350° for 13 min. Makes 31/2 dozen.
KNOW WHAT YOU’RE EATING.
?
For nutrition info, turn to page 119.
Coconut-Cranberry
Squares
White chocolate chips,
Craisins, coconut flakes.
We’re just gonna say:
Can’t stop, won’t stop.
In a large mixing bowl, beat
3 large egg whites with 1/2 tsp
cream of tartar and 3 tbsp
sugar to stiff peaks. Make .
Fold half the egg white mixture
into dough to lighten, then
fold in remainder. Chop
3/4 cup Craisins. Fold 1 cup
sweetened flake coconut,
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
and 1/2 cup chopped Craisins
into dough. Spread into a
greased 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking
sheet. Top with remaining
Craisins. Cover with greased
foil and bake at 325° for 18 min.
Uncover and scatter 1/2 cup
white chocolate chips on top.
Bake 8 min. Cool and cut into
squares. Makes 32 squares.
Peppermint Snaps
Go for a hot-cocoa-with-
candy-canes vibe.
Make , adding 1/2 cup
cocoa powder to flour
mixture and 1/4 cup milk and
1/2 tsp peppermint extract to
butter mixture with vanilla.
Divide dough in half, wrap in
plastic and refrigerate 2 hr or
overnight. Let sit at room temp
for 15 min. On a floured surface
with a floured rolling pin, roll
to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into
2 1/4 x 1 1/4-inch rectangles. Bake
at 350° for 10 min. Cool. Melt
one 11 oz bag white chocolate
chips with 1 tsp veg oil per pkg
directions. Crush 26 starlight
mints (about 2/3 cup) with a
meat mallet. Dip cookies in
chocolate, then cover with
crushed candy. Let dry on wax
paper. Makes 41/2 dozen.
Edible Stained Glass
When Jolly Rancher goes all holly jolly!
Stir 2 tbsp additional AP flour into .
Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic and
refrigerate at least 2 hr. Crush 24 Jolly
Rancher candies (6 of each color) with a
meat mallet, keeping colors separate. On a
floured surface, roll out half the dough to
1/8-inch thickness. Cut out 2-inch shapes
and transfer to parchment-lined baking
sheets. With smaller shapes, cut out
centers and remove. Re-roll scraps. Fill
each cookie center with 1/2 tsp crushed
candy; repeat with all dough and candy.
Bake at 325 ° for 8 to 9 min. Cool completely
on baking sheets. Makes 4 dozen.
Herbed Shortbread
Thyme and rosemary make it
fancy and sophisticated.
Make , adding 1/3 cup cornstarch and
11/2 tsp each chopped fresh thyme and
rosemary to flour mixture and increasing
butter to 11/2 sticks. On a floured surface,
divide dough into quarters. Press into
6-inch circles on a parchment-lined
baking sheet. Prick all over with a fork
and press tines around edges. Cut each
circle into 12 wedges, but do not pull apart.
Bake at 325° for 25 to 27 min, rotating pans
halfway through. Remove from oven and
re-cut through lines. Makes 4 dozen.
Lemony Thumbprints
P H OTOS : K AT E M AT H I S. FO O D ST Y L I N G : R E B EC CA J U R K E V I C H .
Mildly citrusy dough goes choose-your-
own-adventure with flavored jams.
Make , adding 1/2 tsp lemon zest and
1/2 tsp lemon extract to butter mixture.
Refrigerate at least 2 hr or overnight.
Shape teaspoonfuls of dough into balls
and place on parchment-lined baking
sheets (grouping in threes, if desired).
With handle of a wooden spoon, make an
indent in each ball and fill with 1/8 to 1/4 tsp
of your favorite jam (or try a few kinds).
Bake at 350° for 12 min. Makes 21/2 dozen
trios or 7 dozen singles.
 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L 77

CARDS
BROWSE ONLINE TEMPLATES

Sites like Artifact Uprising, Tiny Prints and Minted

all have loads of options. You might spot a template
that makes a random phone pic suddenly card-worthy
(exhibit A: various antlers-themed cards from Minted).
And don’t worry—you needn’t tediously upload
your photo to every template. Shortcuts on most

MADE EASIER
sites will display your chosen image within multiple
cards at once. Count on paying a dollar or two per
card, with a discount for the more cards you order.

By Petra
Guglielmetti
JUST USE
A PET
Make
PICTURE
the Photo Yes, this is an acceptable
cop-out. FYI: “Many
Happen people stand above
their pet to take photos,
Avoid outfit drama by
but I love getting
keeping it simple with
down on their level
everyone in their choice
or elevating them a
of jeans and white top—
bit—on a chair or
photogenic, easy for
rock—and shooting up
you and Kardashian-
at them,” says Sarah
adjacent enough for
DeRemer, a Los Angeles
your offspring. For a
pet photographer
crisp shot: Wipe your
(@dogtographer.la).
phone-camera lens with
Use a treat or squeaker
a microfiber eyeglass
to command their full
cloth. Shoot where
attention and get the
there’s plenty of indirect
requisite cute head tilt.
natural light—outside on
an overcast day, right
after sunrise or before
sunset, or in your
best-lit room at home. End
“Make sure there’s plenty
of space around your the Envelope
subjects in case you
need to crop an image,” Insanity
says Shelly Niehaus,
a Dallas photographer. Life is too short not
to take advantage of
pre-printed addresses—
many sites offer this
TRY A COLOR BACKDROP feature for free. Plus,
once you upload your
Make like an Instagrammer and have everyone pose (or frolic) in address list, you can use
front of a bold, vibrant wall. “I photograph a lot of teens, and they it for years. Several sites
cannot resist taking a selfie in front of a bright and colorful wall,” also sell postage stamps,
Hover your
Niehaus says. Get your kids to help you locate a mural or graffiti so you can one-stop
phone’s camera
for a discounted wall in your city—or make your own backdrop with removable shop and spare yourself
P H OTO: P E T E R A R D I TO

order of holiday wallpaper or even wrapping paper. “Use two or three rolls to make a long post office wait.
cards from sure the backdrop is wide enough, and choose matte paper to
minted.com: Enter
avoid glare,” says CJ Isaac, of Charlie Juliet Photography in NYC.
code FCHOLIDAY
at checkout for (Then, of course, reuse it for actual gifts!) Opt for a tripod if you
15% off. can—Amazon has minis for 20 bucks—or enlist a friend to snap.
78 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L

When you want to

More Joy, get some sparkle

up in here but have
zero time (and
less inclination)
to mess with
glitter or garlands,
grab a few of
the ornaments
that never made
it onto the tree.
Prop them on
candlesticks (even
non-matching
ones) and—it’s a
holiday miracle!—
mama’s got herself
a tablescape.
 79

Deck out the

branches of your
ceiling light with
another batch
of blingy baubles.
Just swap in
nice ribbon for the
hooks.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY
KATE MATHIS
CONCEPTS AND
PROP STYLING BY
ERIN SWIFT
80 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L

PHOTOGRAPHY
BY PETER ARDITO
PROP STYLING
BY PAIGE HICKS

All is Chic.
All is Bright.
Your go-to LBD and usual makeup just need a little something extra.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Striped acrylic clutch $60, lulus.com. Lucite bangles from $30 each, inkalloy.com.
Tartan bow clutch $109, talbots.com. Mesh handbag $78, ninashoes.com. Satin blue heels Karl Lagerfeld Paris, $139,
nordstrom.com. Red mules $79, ninewest.com. Black mules $40, zara.com. Jeweled shoe clips $28, whbm.com.

By Zoë Roscoe & Gina Way

COMPLETE
COMFORT.
PREMIUM
PROTECTION.
With a sleek modern design and
smooth fabric that’s just like
underwear, Depend® Silhouette®
Briefs deliver discreet, protection
that’s more comfortable than
Always Discreet Boutique*.
82 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L

It’s the holidays, not an

overhaul. Simply amp up
one or two things—bold
lipstick and bright nails, or
shimmery lids with oomphy
lashes— to get all festive.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Lucite bangles from $30 each, inkalloy.com. Glittery gold polish Paintbox Nail Lacquer in Like Spark, $22,
paint-box.com. Luminizer Charlotte Tilbury Magic Star Highlighter, $45, charlottetilbury.com. Iridescent bracelet Anne Klein, $45,
macys.com. Shimmery red lacquer Chanel Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour in Radiant Red, $28, chanel.com. Eye makeup palette Urban
Decay Party Favor, $29, urbandecay.com. Multicolor drop earrings $25, eloquii.com. Pearl hoop earrings $38, baublebar.com.
Gold cuff $197, the9thmuse.com. Sheer red lipcolor Lancôme L’Absolue Mademoiselle Shine in Stands Out, $30, lancome-usa.com.
 #thenewFC
@ FA M I LYC I RC L E M AG —W E’ R E E V E RY W H E R E YO U A R E

4,305 lb
*

THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF LAUNDRY

A FAMILY DOES EACH YEAR

ARM & HAMMER™ Plus OxiClean™ with

Odor Blasters™ attacks stains and eliminates
tough odors like body odor, musty towels, and
sweat in every load because every wash counts.
*Based on average of 4.6 loads/week and 18 lb washer capacity. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.
84 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L

“My kids still fight over

TRADITIONS
who gets to hang our
favorite ornament, which
is an old photo of our first
dog wearing glasses.”
—Erin, mom of 16- and
13-year-olds

TEENS STILL LOVE “We light the menorahs

my kids made when
they were little—it may
embarrass them in front
of guests but it rekindles
the best memories.”
—Marisa, mom of 22-, 20-
and 16-year-olds

THE FLAGSHIP STORE of a famous candle company is “My kids still like those
located only a sleigh’s hop from our home, and when $1 Advent calendars you
my kids were tiny we had to make an annual pilgrim- get at the card store.
age there. They oohed and aahed over the holiday “Another year, another One year I didn’t buy one
family Christmas PJ pic to and they actually asked
displays: the pretend snow glittering down in the torture our children with!” for it.” —Michelle, mom of
darkened rooms and the tiny winter wonderlands set BOSSYJOC3Y
13- and 11-year-olds
up everywhere, miniature skat-
ing skaters and skiing skiers “We watch A Christmas
zooming through pretend Al- Story every year without
fail and quote it the
pine villages, everything cozy
whole way through.”
and aglow and for sale. Those —Susan, mom of 15- and
were the days! 13-year-olds
Actually those are still the
days—because my kids are 20 “The Santa picture is
non-negotiable—same
and 16 now, and we continue to
location, same Santa.”
go. They laugh more now, it’s —Niria, mom of 17- and
true. They hold out candles with 12-year-olds
scents like Wassailing Cheese-
cake Pilgrim—Smell this!—and “We do the Jewish movie-
and-Chinese-food every
everyone screams or gags or
Christmas—except we
confesses to secretly kind of switched to Indian food.”
loving them, even though the —Danielle, mom of 18- and
smell remains on your head, 16-year-olds
like a migraine-scented wig,
“Every year the kids make
for the rest of the holiday sea-
gingerbread houses with
son. They’re arm in arm, my their ‘guncle.’ Uncle Sean
big kids, galumphing ironically wears an ugly sweater as
through the store, pointing out toys and tchotchkes, NOT TOO part of the ritual.” —Sarah,
mom of 16 -and 13-year-olds
and Can we buy some jelly beans? Of course you can! COOL FOR
(Anything, my loves. Anything.) ANTLERS “My son used to say that
But also? Their faces. Their baby faces. Their silky we were ‘half-Jewish
heads are pressed together to peer into the tiny Ba- “We stay in our PJs, play and half-Christmas.’ And
varian ski village, and the miniature streetlamps glow cheesy holiday songs my sister is married to
and wear reindeer a man who is Muslim.
pink in their cheeks, and it doesn’t matter that they
antlers—we put them on On New Year’s we all
shave and have SATs to take and college papers to one year and it stuck.” celebrate a day we just
write and that they probably watch internet porn. The —Kathleen, mom of 16- and call ‘Holidays.’ It’s a great
way the lights flicker in their shining eyes, you might 10-year-olds way to start the year.”
think they still think this place is magic. And so it is. —Kate, mom of 18- and
—Catherine Newman 15-year-olds —Chessy Moore
 85

Your kids have yet

to meet a sugary,
gummy snack they
couldn’t get behind.
So why not let them
put candy front and
center—and top to
bottom—on a tinsel
tree in the confines
of their own room?
Just set them up with
a candy stash and
hooks for threading
and hanging.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY
KATE MATHIS
CONCEPTS AND
PROP STYLING BY
ERIN SWIFT
86

PHOTOGRAPHY BY
GREG DUPREE
FOOD STYLING BY
CHELSEA ZIMMER
PROP STYLING BY
HEATHER HILLEGAS

(PAGE 91)

ALL YOU
NEED FOR
The essentials
for upping your
holiday game:
a great latke
recipe (or three!)
and a ridiculously
good-looking
HANUKKAH
menorah.
By Julie Miltenberger
 One Pan. Six Friends.
Zero Fuss.
®
Since before Friendsgiving was invented, Reynolds Wrap has
been making it easy to cook for a crowd. And just as easy to clean up after.
Traditions change. Our quality hasn’t.
© 2019 Reynolds Consumer Products, LLC. “This is the good stuff” is a trademark of Reynolds Consumer Products LLC.

Recipes at ReynoldsKitchens.com/holidays
88 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L

PHOTOGRAPHY BY
PETER ARDITO
PROP STYLING BY
PAIGE HICKS

New Flame This is the year you’re going to find your dream menorah.
Sleek, chic and cute versions are en fuego.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Modern Hanukkah menorah by StudioArmadillo, $189, etsy.com. Silver glitter
Menorasaurus rex by Lisa Pierce, $100, shop.thejewishmuseum.org. Judaica geo menorah by Nambe, $150,
neimanmarcus.com. Gold Oak Street menorah by Kate Spade New York, $199, bedbathandbeyond.com.

By Zoë Roscoe
 91

Sometimes it can feel like Hanukkah

lasts eight nights because that’s how long it takes
to make latkes. But these delicious streamlined
versions take just half an hour!

Classic Potato Latkes

With a box grater, grate 11/2 lbs unpeeled russet potatoes. Place in a
colander and press out as much liquid as possible, then squeeze dry
in paper towels. Transfer to a large bowl and add 2 beaten eggs, a
heaping 1/2 cup potato starch, 1 tsp each onion powder and salt, and
a few grinds of black pepper. Stir until well combined. Add 1 cup
canola oil to a 3-quart sauté pan and heat over med-high. Using 1/4 cup
potato mixture for each, form 4 mounds on a piece of wax paper. Add
mounds to hot oil and flatten lightly with a spatula. Cook 3 to 4 min,
turning once. Transfer latkes to a baking sheet and place in 200° oven
to keep warm. Repeat with remaining potato mixture. Serve with sour
cream or applesauce. Makes 12.

Surprise! Latkes aren’t just for

Hanukkah. You can serve any of these Sweet Potato Latkes
crispy pancakes instead of basic hash Yes, you do get virtue
browns at your next brunch. Top points for going sweet
them with poached or fried eggs, or potato. There’s also
chili powder for kick.
use the latkes to replace the usual
English muffin halves for an OTT take Fit food processor with
on eggs Benedict. shredding disc. Shred
3 medium peeled sweet
potatoes (about 1 lb)
and place in a colander.
Shred 1 large onion, toss
with sweet potatoes and
let drain 10 min. Transfer
to a large bowl. Whisk
Zucchini Fritters 2 large eggs, 1 tbsp chili
Let zukes be your base, and flavor things powder, 1/2 tsp salt and
up with lime, scallions and cilantro. 1/8 tsp black pepper; stir
In a small bowl, stir one 7 oz container into sweet potato mixture.
2% Greek yogurt, 2 tsp lime juice, 1 tsp Sift 3 heaping tbsp potato
lime zest and 1/4 tsp salt until smooth. starch into mixture and
Shred 11/2 lbs zucchini and squeeze in combine well. In a large
a clean kitchen towel until most of the nonstick skillet, heat 1/2 cup
moisture is absorbed. In a medium veg oil over med-high.
bowl, combine zucchini; 2/3 cup sliced Add six 1/4-cup mounds of
scallions; 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped; 1 egg sweet potato mixture to
yolk; 1/3 cup AP flour; 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp hot oil and flatten lightly
black pepper. In a large sauté pan, heat with a spatula. Sauté until
2 tbsp canola oil over med-high. When browned, 2 to 3 min per
shimmering, add four 1/4-cup mounds side. Transfer latkes to a
of zucchini mixture and flatten with a baking sheet and place in
spatula until 3 inches in diameter. Cook 200° oven to keep warm.
3 minutes, until browned, then flip and Repeat with remaining
cook 3 more minutes. Transfer fritters to sweet potato mixture.
a baking sheet and place in 200° oven Sprinkle with salt to taste.
to keep warm. Repeat with remaining Serve with sour cream, if
zucchini mixture, adding 1 tbsp oil to pan desired. Makes 18.
each time. Serve with lime yogurt and
garnish with cilantro. Makes 12.
For recipes, tips and flavor,
KNOW WHAT YOU’RE EATING. For nutrition info, turn to page 119. ? visit semills.com

©2019 Southeastern Mills, Inc.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY
KATE MATHIS
CONCEPTS AND
PROP STYLING BY
ERIN SWIFT

It’s All
 93

TALKING USE APPS AND BROWSER ADD-ONS

TO EASILY PRICE-CHECK.

SHOP
TRY

Mcnerm ShopSavvy Honey Flipp

InvisibleHand The Camelizer Wikibuy

But such ease does require a trade-off, in that

they have your data. Definitely read the fine print
so you know what permissions you’re granting.

By If you’re brick-and-mortar Check to see if

Sara shopping and looking
Ivr y retailers are holding
for a deal, hit the stores
on a Thursday: That’s
when the weekend
BLACK
MAKE Don’t Shop Impulsively
says Lisa Lee Freeman,
markdowns usually start. F R I DAY
A BUDGET
—which should account
host of the Hot Shopping
Tips podcast. *
And if you’re truly a
sales for doorbusters
online. Visit sites
for gifts as well as “Make your list of brave soul—or immune like DealNews,
DECORATIONS to mayhem— you can
people you want to buy BlackFriday.com and
get great deals the last
TRAVEL for and what you want
Saturday before Christmas. Wirecutter.
to buy for them—and
HOSTESS GIFTS for yourself.”
AND TIPS In early November, she M A R K YO U R C A L E N DA R
says Tobie Stanger, recommends you start
price-checking the items
FOR DECEMBER 14.
a senior editor at
Consumer Reports. It’s
never too early to shop—
on your list—especially
the big tickets, such as T H AT ’ S F R E E
televisions, electronics
especially if you’re in the
market for goods that
and small appliances.
That way, you’ll know a
S H I P P I N G D A Y.
typically go on sale long genuinely good discount If you’re down to the wire, shop online and then
before Christmas. when you see it. opt for store pickup whenever you can.

If you go to
Keep receipts.
WRAP THINGS UP an actual store,
Tussling with tape, folding corners “try to go at off times Without them, you risk
just so, measuring right—wrapping if you’re more
presents is the original nightmare concerned about getting only a partial refund
before Christmas. So keep things
your sanity
simple for yourself—but still merry
than about the
(or none at all).
for giftees—by committing to one
great all-around wrapping paper lowest price,” When giving a present, always include
(we like Malachite Texture 01 says Kelsey Sheehy, the receipt and make it easy to notice—
Wrapping Paper, $12 for 5 sheets, a personal finance as a bookmark or taped to the tag—and
society6.com). Then deck out each expert at NerdWallet. impossible to accidentally throw away.
package with a little somethin’:

Candy Lollipops, for starters, or Pick up holiday

olde-timey stick candies with cool
YO U R K I D S
cards and wrapping
color swirls. Ornaments Get the NEED TO COMMIT after Christmas.
bargain box from the drugstore,
cute felted animals—whatever’s
TO KEEPING They’re rarely on sale
before Christmas, but
your jam. Scar f It’s a bow—and a THE GIFT
bonus gift—all in one. Greener y “after the holidays,
before they rip into they’re giving that stuff
Some pine branches, a spiffy
magnolia leaf—any wintry sprigs. the package—especially for away,” Freeman says.
electronics. Otherwise, it may (Just remember where
not be returnable. you stash them.)
94 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L

The Everything-
Your-Teen-Really-Wants
Gift Guide LifeProof FRĒ
If your kid tends to do cannonballs with
his phone still in his pocket,he
needs this waterproof case. From
We polled parents all across the U.S. to find out what $80 each, lifeproof.com
made it onto their teenager’s holiday lists this year.
CURATED BY CHESSY MOORE

SO THEY CAN
TALK BACK TO
SOMEONE OTHER
THAN YOU. Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD
Echo Dot, $50, amazon.com GoPro Hero7 Silver with 30W Power Delivery Charger
Because every teen It can keep a phone charged for a week,
wants you to see the putting an end to the annoying
world through their eyes. “I couldn’t text you back because my phone
$200, gopro.com died” exchange. $68, amazon.com

LOUD&
CLEAR
One speaker for the
festival-obsessed kid, with
strobe lights and “live
sound” settings (Sony SRS-
XB32, $150, bestbuy.com);
another for the on-the-go
kid, that clips right onto
their clothing (Polk Boom
Bit, $30, polkaudio.com).
TECH Bose QuietComfort
Populele 35 Wireless
Smart Ukulele Headphones II
Thanks to Billie Eilish, kids These are a splurge,
want to play the ukulele. but they work so well
This smart version has you’ll have to remember
frets that light up to teach not to get mad if your
them songs (get ready kid doesn’t respond
for “Riptide” on repeat). when you call her for
$189, store.moma.org dinner. $350, bose.com

Yes, there are cheaper

Every two years my kids ask for a Bluetooth speaker, versions, but the point is
and I say, ‘Didn’t I already get you one?’ And then they admit
that they broke it.” —Alex, mom of Nell, 13; Charlie, 18; and Sam, 20 THEY
WANT
AIRPODS
From $159, apple.com

December 2019
 TEEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Stealth 600
TROY COVEY
Wireless
Gaming Headset
The surround sound on this
headset lets your gamer
hear every player clearly,
so she can strategize
world domination. $100,
turtlebeach.com

*For more gaming

swag, see page 103.

Aviator Nation
Bolt Stitch Stripe Hoodie
& Cross Stripe Sweatpants
The reason Aviator Nation
has so much status with
teens is because their sweats
have a dreamy, broken-
in softness from day one.
Hoodie, $185, and sweatpants,
$156, aviatornation.com

* For more gear, see page 98.

STICK
IT!
Like tagging, without the
spray paint: Redbubble has
tons of themed stickers—
from climate change to
TV shows—that let her mark
her territory. From $2.50
each, redbubble.com

* For more downtime swag,

see page 104.
H A I R ST Y L I N G : C H R I STO P H E R M A R R E RO.

“The kids want bean bag chairs for their rooms—

M A K E U P: A Z R A R E D.

for gaming, for lounging, for whatever. But not just any
bean bag, only the really expensive kind.”
—Roachele, mom of twins Orquídea (above) and Mateo, 14
From $189, yogibo.com
 “IT’S NOT ALL
SCREENS—
T H E Y A C T U A L LY
GET INTO
B O O K S TO O.”
—Naomi, mom of Truman (below), 14,
and Jackson, 16
PRETTY MUCH
ANYTHING CHAMPION
WILL FLY
Champion Life Men’s Heritage
Long-Sleeve Tee Over the Shoulder
Logo, $40, champion.com

* For more gear, see page 98.

For the Sneaker-Obsessed Kid

$50, taschen.com

City Sweat
Jogger
Give up the fight
about “presentable”
pants—let them

G O T TA H AV E T H E J O R DA N S wear sweats. $118,

lululemon.com
Jordan AJ 1 Mid SE, $120, footlocker.com

* For more gear, see page 98.

 P H OTOS : P E T E R A R D I TO

December 2019
For the Skate Rat
$40, chroniclebooks.com
For the Design Geek
$25, phaidon.com For the Fashionista
$60, gestalten.com

For the Artist in Residence

$40, rizzoliusa.com

For the Mix Master

For the Marvel Maven
$20, abramsbooks.com
$40, dk.com

For the Rebel with a Cause

$17, chroniclebooks.com

For the Extreme Baker For the Feminist For the Bunhead
H O L I DAY S P EC I A L

BOOKS
$25, abramsbooks.com $17, dk.com $40, chroniclebooks.com
97
98 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L

Rip N Dip Mcnerm Tee Spiritual Gangster

The skate and streetwear Camo Shakti Bra and
brand every teen loves. Perfect HW Leggings
$30, ripndipclothing.com Camo is the fashion girl’s
go-to pattern, not that
she’s interested in blending
in. Top, $68, and leggings,
$108, shopbop.com
“ ‘Sneakers,
sneakers,
sneakers.’
A FAR-OUT, That’s the exact
FUNKY VERSION answer I got.”
OF THE CLASSIC —Stephanie,
Vintage Dr. Martens mom to Jonah, 15
1460 Pascal Iridescent Boots Jordan Proto-Max 720,
$140, drmartens.com $200, nike.com

PER
EVERY
MOM...
SOCKS!
By row: Vintage Stripe
Calf Sock, $36/pack of 3,
bombas.com. New World
Socks, $5/pair, neffheadwear
.com. Ribbed Cotton Blend
GEAR Adidas Ultraboost 19
These shoes slip on like a sock, no
Sock, $50/pack of 3,
lacoste.com. Wair Cheetah, lace tying required—perfect for a kid who’s
$12/pair, and Saturn Rainbow, always running late. $180, adidas.com
$14/pair, stance.com.

Champion Life Sherpa Prime Waist Pack

The fanny pack goes sporty and unisex. $45, champion.com

“KIDS CAN WEAR

P H OTOS : ( T- S H I RT, SW E ATS H I RT A N D S O C KS ) P E T E R A R D I TO

A GOOD HOODIE
E V E RY DAY F O R
Superga 2790
FanvelvetW Leopard THREE STRAIGHT
Just enough fierce flair to M O N T H S .”
be acceptable to a teenager.
—Bay, dad of Brady, 13; Bo, 14; and Bryce, 19
$89, superga-usa.com

Odd Future Classic Logo Hoodie

$70, oddfuture.com
 We go the extra mile to bring
the holidays to you.
Even if that extra mile means
navigating midtown traffic.

The United States Postal Service® makes more

last mile holiday deliveries to homes than anyone
else in the country.

Send holiday joy at usps.com/extramile TO: D. MCCRACKEN

501 VILLAGE RD
ESTER, AK 99725

© 2019 United States Postal Service. All Rights Reserved. The Eagle Logo is among the many trademarks of the U.S. Postal Service®.
Representative label not available in retail locations.
100 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L

BEAUTY THE POUCH

THAT’S A GIFT &
WRAPPING IN ONE
Packed Party Biggie Cosmetic
Zip, $36, packedparty.com

Stila Glitter & Glow

Liquid Eye Shadow Set
YO U Three deluxe sizes of this
shimmery cult fave.
D O YO U $25, stilacosmetics.com
The unisex fragrance that
smells different on every
teen. Glossier You eau de
parfum, $60, glossier.com

Innisfree Pore Clearing

Clay Stick Mask
A stick mask with “super

“BECAUSE volcanic clusters” that even

guys can be down with.
$14, us.innisfree.com
TEENAGERS
+
MAKEUP Kylie Skin by
= Sephora Sheet Masks
If you’re lucky, your teen
Kylie Jenner Foaming
Face Wash
might even let you
A T H I N G .” do one of these with her. STICKERS
Anything Kylie is MTW
(most teen wanted), so if
—Alison, mom to Emma, 14 $6 each, sephora.com this cleanser is sold out, just
FOR THE COOLEST
grab something that’s not.
DIY MANI EVER
It’s gonna be a winner, we
Olive & June Nail Art
promise. $24, kylieskin.com
Stickers, from $7.50 each,
olivejune.com
P H OTO: ( N A I L ST I C K E RS ) P E T E R A R D I TO

Milk Makeup
Lip + Cheek
Teens are crazy for Milk,
and this sheer stick, in Perk,
Soap & Glory Holiday Heroes Gift Set is a perfect peachy pink
Filled with small sizes of everything from shower that works on every skin
gel to dry shampoo. $15, walgreens.com tone. $24, milkmakeup.com

December 2019
 THE
LENSES
Ray-Ban Aviator
Remix Customizable
Sunglasses, from $163, “If letting her play
ray-ban.com with hair color
postpones conversations
about piercings or
tattoos, embrace it.”
—Chalkley, mom of Talullah (left), 17
Lime Crime Unicorn Hair Tints,
$16, limecrime.com

RIHANNA
& FENTY ARE
EVERY THING
Which makes this ultra-shiny lip gloss
the ultimate stocking stuffer.
Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip
Luminizer, $18, fentybeauty.com

Chaser Sequin
Drape Front Jacket
This has a tough-and-
tender vibe that’s
undeniably cool. Chaser,
$99, evereve.com

Tiger Tour
Washed Tee
The more graphic
the tee, the better.
$39, lulus.com

* For more gear,

see page 98.
 THE BEANIE OF ENVY
Yes, it’s outrageously expensive...
which is why they want it. Supreme Box Logo
Beanie, $150, stadiumgoods.com

*
Rip N Dip Nerm
Camo Hoodie
This camo contains multitudes
(can you see the hidden
cats?), just like your kid. $120,
ripndipclothing.com
* For more gear, see page 98.

“EVEN KIDS
W H O S AY T H E Y
DON’T WANT
CLOTHES
WA N T VA N S —
GIRL S TOO!”
—Naomi, mom of Jackson (left), 16,
and Truman, 14
Checkerboard Slip-on,
$50, vans.com

* REALITY CHECK
Jackson was photographed in a studio—in the real
world, a helmet, please! The certified Pro-Tec Classic
is lightweight and makes for less-sweaty hair.
$50, protecbrand.com
 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L 103

Dell Alienware
Pro Gaming Keyboard
Your gamer may not like to dance,
but that doesn’t mean he’s above disco
lights on his keyboard. $160, dell.com
GAMING
Google Stadia
SUPER
Your impatient teen OBVIOUS, BUT
won’t have to wait for the THEY WANT IT
dreaded download: She’ll Oculus Quest (VR gaming
get instant play of games set), from $399, oculus.com
up to 4K resolution, no
console needed. From
$129, store.google.com

Buy siblings their own colors to avoid

whose-is-whose bickering.
Nintendo Switch Lite, $200 each, nintendo.com

DANGER T R I C K S F O R DAYS
For the kid impatient to learn tricks: The Kink 2020 Launch BMX Bike has heft for
balance but is lightweight enough to get off the ground. $320, kinkbmx.com
“MY SON
HAS BEEN
ASKING
FOR AN
E- SCOOTER
D A I L Y. H E I S
O BS E S S E D.
I TOLD HIM
N O W AY—
EXPRESS
TRIP TO
The Arbor Axis 40 Bamboo T H E E R .”
($180, arborcollective —Catherine, mother of
.com) is great for smooth Leo, 13
cruising, no tricks; Revive
Red Lifeline Deck ($40,
theshredquarters.com)
has plenty of pop, making Razor MX650 Dirt Rocket
it easier to catch air. Don’t succumb, Mom! $730, razor.com

December 2019
104 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L

Whether you’ve got a nerdy kid, a jock,

a girly girl or an artist, every type of teen is
down with calligraphy pens and markers.” Easiest
Gifts for
—Miranda, stepmom of Fabian, 13, and Imogen, 17

ANYBODY
You wanna get a little something
for friends, coworkers, your kid’s
coach—but you’re well aware that
most adults have more than enough
“stuff.” Do them (and yourself) a
favor by sticking to things they can
enjoy, use up and be done with.
Here are some ideas—$25 and
under—to get you started.

Sharpie Ultimate Collection ($75/set of 45), Tombow

Food Finds Upgrade pantry
Dual-Brush Lettering Pens ($27/set of 10) and Copic Ciao
Dual-Tip Markers ($72/set of 12) from michaels.com. Molotow
staples: This could be California
One4All Acrylic Markers ($58/set of 20) from amazon.com. Olive Ranch olive oil—because
nobody ever hates extra EVOO (from
$14, californiaoliveranch.com); flaky
Maldon sea salt—regular, smoky or

DOWN
Unstable Unicorns
Your teen will galvanize
a unicorn army, betray
her friends and navigate
both! (from $5.50, amazon.com); or
Cepa Vieja sherry vinegar ($21,
formaggiokitchen.com).
Lotter y Tickets or scratch-
off game cards. No, the recipient

TIME
through a hilarious probably won’t win—but these are
path of destruction. super fun and, hey, if they hit the
$20, amazon.com jackpot, the best gift ever.
Stepped-Up Soaps Everyone
washes their hands, right? Claus
Porto guest soaps are so arty-
looking they make something as
simple as soap feel cool (mini bar,
Balderdash $10; full bar, from $17, clausporto
Maybe maintaining a poker .com). Or make dish washing less
face isn’t a skill you want dreary with fancy Williams-Sonoma
your kid to master, but
dish soap in scents like Lemongrass
winning at Balderdash
Ginger ($13, williams-sonoma.com).
requires a face of steel
to combine true content Nice Notebooks Kick it old-
P H OTOS : ( M A R K E RS, B OA R D GA M E S, CA K E D E S I G N ) P E T E R A R D I TO

with ridiculous answers— school with pretty paper (and pens,

and pass it all off as
legit. $15, amazon.com
“ R E A L”
PHOTOS IN
REAL TIME
The Polaroid Pop 2.0 syncs
with a smartphone and has a
built-in printer that spits out
those classic white-framed
pics for #TBT vibes. (Your
teen can even add notes or
emojis before she prints.)
$150, amazon.com
if you’re feeling ambitious). Check
out baronfig.com, etsy.com (Bread
& Jam shop), moleskine.com or
riflepaperco.com for both funky and
classic options.
Cake Design
Novel Idea For friends who share
Everything your kid needs
to crush The Great British your taste in books: Buy a dozen
Baking Show: Cake Drip copies of the top book you read this
($13) and Edible Ink Markers year, and gift away.
($9) from amazon.com;
Beauty Wins Buy 10 of an item
Gold Metallic Rods (from
you know your pals will use—like a
$5) and Glam Rock Twinkle
Sprinkle Medley (from $12) great mascara or body lotion.
from sweetpolitashop.com.

December 2019
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106 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L
PLAY
AS YOU GO
Pictionary Air
(Mattel)
The latest version of the
game where you get
charades-like clues and
frantically draw answers
has a techy twist: You
use a light-up pen to
sketch in the air, and the
pics materialize on your
phone or TV screen. $20
Hank’s Twisted
Challenge
(Wicked Cool Toys)
Each player gets a twisty
wire contraption to hold
in their mouth (no
hands!) and has to find
the fastest way to move
an attached ball—usually
by contorting their body
into crazy positions
(you go, Grandma!). $20
Zing Pong
(Zing)
Ping-Pong meets school-
cafeteria dare: Players
race to bounce balls into
a special gizmo, but last
one in draws a card with
orders to mix a gross
concoction (e.g., the
Smelly Feet, with soda
and OJ) and gulp it. $17
Carpool Karaoke
Game
(Big G Creative)
There are official rules
in this James Corden–
inspired trivia/karaoke
game—but the main
thing is, your kids
haven’t lived until they’ve
seen Uncle Johnny
belt out Spice Girls. $20
The holidays are all about
togetherness, riiight? Toy Insider’s
Laurie Schacht hooked us up
with the games that will get your
family bond-a-thon started.
Marvel Wakanda
Forever
(Spin Master)
Yes, you can accrue sparkly
blue vibranium (OK,
Hover your
phone’s camera to
little beads!) in this board
see some of Toy game/Marvel spin-off
Insider’s top game where players channel
picks in action. different tribes, rock the
Black Panther mantle
and fend off villains. $30
The Logo Game
(Play Monster)
If you had a point for
every commercial
jingle that’s ever looped
endlessly in your head...
Well, now you do.
This marketing love-fest
quizzes players on brand
slogans, logos and other
corporate trivia. $23
Exit: The Catacombs of Horror
(Thames & Kosmos) The Slow-Motion
Get escape room–style drama going
Pac-Man The Race Game
on in your den, thanks to a story line Board Game (Hasbro)
involving creepy catacombs and (Buffalo Games) Everyone puts on
puzzles your family can band together Ah, the irony! You can jogger-style headbands
to crack. $25 now rope everyone with speed-monitoring
into a screen-free family antennas attached,
Scattergories 30th night courtesy of Pac- then competes in races
Man, reimagined here while running in slow
Anniversary Edition
P H OTO: P E T E R A R D I TO
as a low-tech board motion only. We gotta
(Winning Moves Games) game. Yup, you move believe a scheming mom
The ’80s word game gets the throwback the Pac-Man and Blinky, was behind this one.
treatment, with a reproduction of the Pinky, Inky and Clyde (“No more kids bolting
original design and game pieces. $40 pieces by hand. $20 through the house!”) $20
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108
Our gift to you:
showstopping
dishes that can

WAKE UP all be started

ahead, so you
can actually relax
in the a.m.

TO THESE By Sarah Whar ton

BREAKFASTS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY
SIDNEY BENSIMON
FOOD STYLING BY
PAUL GRIMES
© 2019 Tyson Foods, Inc.
110 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L

PHOTOGRAPHY BY
GREG DUPREE
FOOD STYLING BY
CHELSEA ZIMMER
PROP STYLING BY
HEATHER HILLEGAS

(PAGE 113)

Sleep in. You can have a holiday-worthy breakfast without setting an alarm.

Overnight Ginger Rolls Let the first proof happen in a cozy place, then shape the rolls and leave ’em in the fridge overnight.
The second rise will happen before you rise. Deep-Dish Mushroom Quiche Sauté the mushrooms and grate the cheese the day before.
Line the springform pan with crust and store it, covered in plastic, in the fridge while sugarplums dance in your head.
Overnight Maple-Bacon French Toast Whisk the quickie custard and pour it over the bread to soak while Santa does his thing.
MAPLE-
BACON
FRENCH
TOAST
(PAGE 113)
 We dare you to save some
cookies for the recipe.

GOYA® Maria Cookies.

Real ingredients for Real-Life Chefs.

Maria Cookie
Tiramisu

For the Filling:

1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp. rum
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 lb. mascarpone cheese, softened

12 GOYA® Maria Cookies

1/2 cup chocolate, grated, as needed

2 tbsp. cocoa powder, or as needed

For the Espresso Syrup:

1 1/2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup Cafe GOYA®, prepared strong

1 tbsp. coffee liqueur

1 tbsp. rum

For step-by-step instructions,

visit goya.com/tiramisu

GOYA® Maria Cookies – light, sweet, crisp and versatile.

Perfect as an everyday snack or as an ingredient in delicious desserts.
This recipe was created by The Culinary Institute of America as
an industry service to Goya Foods, Inc. ©2019 Goya Foods, Inc.
 113

Overnight Ginger Rolls

Serves 12 Prep 35 min Let rise 1 hr, 30 min Refrigerate overnight Bake 35 min

DOUGH FILLING
1 cup whole milk 1 stick unsalted butter,
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp
at room temp 1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 packet (1/4 oz) active dry yeast 2 tbsp chopped candied ginger
1/4 cup warm water (100˚ to 110˚) 2 to 3 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp granulated sugar 1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs GLAZE
41/2 to 5 cups AP flour 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp salt 3 to 4 tbsp milk
1 Make dough: Heat milk and butter in a small pan over medium until it just With 2% milk, at least half of adults
had a lower desire to eat
begins to boil. Remove from heat; cool to room temp. 2 Meanwhile, sprinkle
than before breakfast for 3 1/2 hours.
yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Add 1 tbsp sugar and let stand until
foamy, 5 to 7 min. Stir in eggs and remaining sugar. Stir in cooled milk mixture.
3 Gradually add 41/2 cups flour and the salt, scraping down sides of bowl, until
soft dough forms. Turn dough onto a floured work surface. If too sticky, knead
more flour into dough as needed. Knead about 5 min until smooth (dough will
be soft). 4 Grease a large bowl and place dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap
and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 11/2 hr. 5 Coat a 13 x 9-inch
glass baking dish with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment and coat
with cooking spray. 6 Make filling: Stir together all ingredients until spreadable.
7 Punch down dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface to an 18 x 12-inch
rectangle. Spread filling over dough. Starting on a long side, roll up and pinch
seam to close. 8 Cut crosswise into 12 pieces and arrange in prepared dish. Cover
tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 9 Heat oven to 350°. Uncover
dish and bake buns until browned and bubbly, 30 to 35 min. Transfer to a wire
rack and cool 10 min. 10 Make glaze: Stir confectioners’ sugar with 3 tbsp milk,
adding more if needed for desired consistency. Drizzle or spread over warm buns.

Deep-Dish Mushroom Quiche Overnight Maple-Bacon

Serves 10 Prep 25 min Cook 7 min
Bake 1 hr, 15 min Let stand 10 min French Toast
Serves 6 Prep 25 min
1 box (14.1 oz) refrigerated pie crusts Refrigerate overnight Bake 35 min
11 large eggs
2 tbsp unsalted butter 12 slices cinnamon-swirl or
8 oz mixed wild mushrooms white sandwich bread
1 small shallot, finely chopped 5 large eggs
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (optional) 11/2 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups milk 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper 1/4 tsp salt
2 cups shredded Gruyère 1/2 cup packed light brown
sugar
1 Heat oven to 400°. Place 1 pie crust on
1/4 cup maple syrup
work surface. Beat 1 egg and brush over pie
1/2 cup chopped pecans
crust. Top with second pie crust and roll out
1 lb thick-cut bacon, cooked
to a smooth 14-inch circle. 2 Coat a 9-inch
springform pan with cooking spray. Press 1 Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish
crust into bottom and up sides of pan. Crimp with cooking spray. Lay 6 slices
edges of crust. Line crust with parchment of bread across bottom of pan,
paper and fill with pie weights. Bake 15 min. then top with remaining slices.
Remove pie weights and parchment from 2 In a medium bowl, whisk next
crust. Reduce oven temp to 350°. 3 Melt 5 ingredients. 3 Pour mixture
butter in a large stainless skillet over med- over bread. Cover dish and
high. Add mushrooms and shallot and cook refrigerate overnight. 4 Heat
until browned, about 7 min. Stir in thyme oven to 350°. Stir together sugar
if using. Let cool 5 min. 4 Whisk remaining and syrup. Fold in pecans and
eggs with the milk, salt and black pepper. Stir bacon, allowing bacon to break
in mushroom mixture and Gruyère. 5 Pour up naturally into large pieces.
mixture into crust and bake at 350° until puffed 5 Top bread in pan evenly
and just set (the center will be jiggly), 55 to with bacon mixture. Bake until
60 min. 6 Remove quiche from oven and let browned and bubbly, 30 to 35
stand 10 min before removing side of pan. min. Cool 5 min before serving.

? KNOW WHAT YOU’RE EATING. For nutrition info, turn to page 119.
 H O L I DAY S P EC I A L

After eating a bowl with 2% milk,

STASH IT
ALL AWAY
at least half of adults had a lower desire
to eat than before breakfast for 3 1/2 hours.

KEEP IT TOGETHER!
Everything holiday-related should be stored
as a group—so you don’t have to kick off
next Christmas with an Easter egg hunt for
ORNAMENTS
the Santa-handle cheese spreaders, says
Shauna Yule Brasseur of Lovely Life Home Your glittery
near Boston. That ugly Christmas sweater? baubles will
Use it as cushioning in a box of holly-and- benefit from the
berry china instead of letting it hog precious right storage
bureau space. Even holiday cookbooks should box. Consider
be stashed for next year, not taking up real springing for the
estate in your kitchen. Place everything in kind especially for
clear bins to eliminate a ton of digging. (Look ornaments, with
for ones with red or green lids, for easy ID in a built-in dividers,
crowded basement.) Instead of sticker labels, and save yourself
tuck an index card in the front of each bin
(bonus points if you jot down a quick inventory
for each box!). Leave a stack of cards and a
Sharpie where you store the bins.
 115

the fussy chore

of swaddling that
glass reindeer
in bubble wrap.

LIGHTS
This almost-too-
How to
simple method
actually works: As
you remove the
Make Space
for the
By lights from the tree
Caroline or house, hold on
Mullen to one end and roll

them up like a yarn
ball, Yule Brasseur
says. Then stash
them in one of your
clear plastic bins.
WREATHS &
GARLANDS
If you store holiday
decor in the attic,
hang wreaths and
garlands (wrapped
loosely in plastic
to protect from
dust) on nails in
the rafters. Or put
up some 3-pound
Command hooks
in the garage to
hold everything off
the ground—and
keep it all fluffy for
next year.
New Loot
You could use some holiday magic
to pull off the feat of finding room in
your already bulging and overloaded
closets for all those new gifts. Yule
Brasseur recommends this organizing
challenge: Set a timer for 20 minutes,
grab a bag and fill it with things you
no longer use. If you’re having fun
when the timer dings (and you truly
might be), keep going. Otherwise,
put the bag in the garage until you
can donate it. “If you know that you
or your kids will be getting lots of
clothes for the holidays, focus on
drawers and closets. Letting things
go to someone who can really use
them is in the spirit of the season.”
And, as she sees it, so is rapid regifting:
“It really is OK to donate a new gift
that you or your kids won’t use. You
still love the giver and their kindness,
but there’s no reason to make room
for it,” she says. “Think of how thrilled
someone less fortunate will be to get
a brand-new sweater or slippers.”

How to Handle the...

Fake Tree If your artificial Douglas fir—the one that’s supposed to
be more convenient—is harder to get back in its box than a Casper
mattress, consider dropping about $35 for a flexible storage tote.
It’s easier to jam full if need be and has handles(!) to carry it up the
rickety attic stairs. Holiday Cards You can throw away Christmas
cards that have photos of kids on them—it’s not bad juju, we promise.
If you’re attached to your own family’s cards, keep them all in a
binder organized by year, so you can flip through and relive all the
times your kids moaned for making them smile during the braces
years. Unused Decor Every time you donate a holiday decoration,
P H OTO: P E T E R A R D I TO

an angel gets its wings. Yule Brasseur recommends setting up an

empty bin marked “donate” for parting ways with things you really
don’t need—at both the beginning and end of the holiday season.
Your guiding rule: Anything that doesn’t make it out of the attic this
year gets donated to someplace where resources are stretched thin.
116
The Nana Factor
The key to bringing out your teen’s best
self? It might just be Grandma or Gramps.
By Carolyn Mackler
FOR A RECENT SCHOOL VACATION, I took my two
sons, now 15 and 10, on a road trip with my 78-year-old
mother to Chincoteague, VA. My mom—Nana to my
boys—traveled to our place the day before, and we hit
the turnpike early the next morning, the car loaded with
snacks, phones, chargers, sheets for the rental house
and gear for all sorts of weather.
But let me back up: I’m a total book geek who grew
up loving the 1947 novel Misty of Chincoteague, about
wild ponies who run free. Over the years, whenever
the tiny speck of an island off the Delmarva Peninsula
caught my eye on a map, I registered it on my mental list
of places to visit. So one day, when I called my mom to
propose the idea of a family road trip, I floated the idea
of Chincoteague.
“I’ve been there!” she said. Turns out, when she was a
kid and the novel was still newish, my grandmother—also
a book geek—packed her brood of four into a camper
and headed to Chincoteague to see the wild ponies.
We opened our calendars and figured out dates. I
booked an Airbnb that evening.
So here we were, a few months later, driving south.
My younger son, Leif, was looking out the window,
excited to see some of Misty’s stomping grounds. My
teenager, Miles? Hmmmm.
Being a teenager on a road trip can be painful, down
to the mere fact of folding your long legs into a cramped
back seat. But if you have a mean mom like me—who
doesn’t let you play video games or watch shows on
a drive? Excruciating! Our compromise is that Miles
can listen to music with headphones.
Even so, he wasn’t thrilled about this
particular road trip. His grand total of
one question was: “Is it going to be all
about horses?”
Miles is not a bad kid. In fact, he’s
awesome. He’s silly and kind, has great
friends, enjoys reading as much as I do,
and is generally up for adventures. But
maybe I did push the Misty book a little
hard. He made it through nine pages
and tossed the paperback to his young-
er brother.
But here’s the thing: The trip was
awesome. Better than I ever could have
expected. Why? Because we had...the
Nana Factor. I noticed a few hours in
that, while Miles usually has his head-
phones on nonstop during drives, he
didn’t listen to music for considerable
stretches and instead chatted with Nana.
It was fun for him having her along, a novelty passen-
ger. Plus, she handed out snacks that I don’t generally
bring—a sure way to a teen’s heart. Also, there were
moments when Miles typically would have been snarky
with me, but he delivered good behavior—let his best
self shine through—because Nana was around.
Nanas (and grandmas and grandpas) have this way
of reminding teenagers who their best selves are,
those younger people nestled inside their newly big
bodies. In truth, those kids are still in there, even
though they’re now a head taller than their nana. And
it goes both ways. I could see my mom laughing hard
as Miles explained what a meme was. (Have you ever
heard a meme explained out loud by a teen to a grand-
parent? Have you ever heard a grandparent try to
understand what a meme is? That’s how hard we all
laughed on this multigenerational trip.)
CONTINUED ON PAGE 118
I L LU ST R AT I O N S : K AGA N M C L EO D
An Important Message from Medicare

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PLANS.”

MEDICARE PLANS CHANGE YEAR-TO-YEAR.

Use the new Plan Finder at Medicare.gov to more easily compare:

• Part D prescription plans for cost, coverage, and convenience.
• Medicare Advantage Plans for extra benefits, changes in
network providers, co-pays, and more.
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F A M I LY C I R C L E P R O M O . C O M
that there is sadness and loss
lurking in the wings.
My friend Jenny is a busy
mom in Philadelphia. Her
daughter, Violet, almost 13, is
close to her grandma, Nancy.
When Violet craves time with
her—or when Jenny needs
coverage because of work—
they set up a Grandma Day.
Violet and Nancy bond over
a love of cooking and craft
stores. Recently Violet asked
Nancy to teach her how to
knit. “We’re trying to knit a
hat together,” Violet told me.
For Nancy, this was a thrill. “I’ve loved teaching Violet creative skills
that aren’t as frequently taught anymore,” she said. “Plus, it’s an even
exchange. She teaches me technology and fixes things on my phone.”
Miles has also been known to sleep over at Grandma and Grandpa’s.
Perhaps not so coincidentally, they are also more lenient with screen
time—though I find it hilarious that he and my dad watch movies
together that my son would never watch with me, like Seabiscuit (not
sure why we’re all pushing horses on this guy?!). The point is that
Miles agrees to watch Grandpa’s movies and they both enjoy it.
I know my son likes it because I once cornered him after a sleepover
and said, “You know you can suggest movies too.”
To which he replied, “But I like it. It’s fun. It’s also funny the way
Grandpa narrates the whole movie.”
See what I’m saying? Best self.
Recently, I met up with my dad and Miles on the sidewalk. My dad
has a hard time walking, even with a cane. As I saw them making their
way slowly up the block, I watched Grandpa using Miles’s shoulder
for support, my son carefully helping his grandpa stay upright. This
same Grandpa who used to carry him on his shoulders when he was
a toddler. Their heads were close together, and they were laughing.
Carolyn Mackler is the author of many award-winning novels for children and
teens. She is currently working on a novel about marriage and parenting.
December 2019
 Promotion

119

H E A LT H & W E L L N E SS
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Family Dinners 38 g Pro | 45 g Carb | Coconut-Cranberry 1 g Pro | 10 g Carb |
Feels Better
5 g Sugars | 11 g Fiber Squares 6 g Sugars | 0 g Fiber
Cauliflower Gnocchi | 659 mg Sodium PER COOKIE 147 Cal | | 23 mg Sodium Kids can help Kristal feel
Cacio e Pepe Bake 6 g Fat (4 g Sat) | better by cooling down
PER SERVING 503 Cal | Italian Wheat Peppermint Snaps
Berry Salad
2 g Pro | 21 g Carb | her fever, giving her
25 g Fat (14 g Sat) | PER COOKIE 89 Cal |
PER SERVING 407 Cal |
14 g Sugars | 1 g Fiber
4 g Fat (2 g Sat) |
medicine, giving her
21 g Pro | 41 g Carb |
| 55 mg Sodium a shot, and more.
5 g Sugars | 11 g Fiber 12 g Fat (2 g Sat) | 1 g Pro | 13 g Carb |
| 1,220 mg Sodium 35 g Pro | 43 g Carb | Edible Stained Glass 8 g Sugars | 0 g Fiber Kristal comes with
7 g Sugars | 8 g Fiber PER SERVING 57 Cal | | 27 mg Sodium six accessories and can cry real tears.
Italian Wedding Soup | 629 mg Sodium 2 g Fat (1 g Sat) | 3+, $49.99 | IMC TOYS, imctoys.com
PER SERVING 507 Cal | Pistachio Triangles
1 g Pro | 9 g Carb |
17 g Fat (5 g Sat) | Biscuit Hacks 4 g Sugars | 0 g Fiber
PER COOKIE 85 Cal |
33 g Pro | 59 g Carb | 3 g Fat (1 g Sat) | Hot Wheels 1:10 R/C Monster Truck,
Cheese Stick | 23 mg Sodium Bone Shaker
6 g Sugars | 6 g Fiber 2 g Pro | 13 g Carb |
PER SERVING 457 Cal |
| 1,294 mg Sodium 6 g Sugars | 0 g Fiber Inspired by the real-
19 g Fat (8 g Sat) | Glazed Sugar
14 g Pro | 56 g Carb | Cookies
| 44 mg Sodium life Bone Shaker,
Pork Schnitzel
PER SERVING 662 Cal | 12 g Sugars | 3 g Fiber PER COOKIE 62 Cal | Classic Potato Latkes
this R/C monster
28 g Fat (7 g Sat) | | 1,543 mg Sodium 2 g Fat (1 g Sat) | PER LATKE 116 Cal | truck is equipped
34 g Pro | 67 g Carb | Pigs in a Blanket 1 g Pro | 11 g Carb | 5 g Fat (1 g Sat) | with sounds, a
4 g Sugars | 3 g Fiber PER SERVING 324 Cal |
7 g Sugars | 0 g Fiber 2 g Pro | 16 g Carb | shaking engine,
| 747 mg Sodium 20 g Fat (8 g Sat) | | 21 mg Sodium 0 g Sugars | 1 g Fiber and working
Quickie Chicken 9 g Pro | 26 g Carb | Herbed Shortbread
| 206 mg Sodium headlights. It can also go head to head in
Pot Pie 5 g Sugars | 1 g Fiber PER COOKIE 62 Cal | Sweet Potato Latkes battle with other New Bright R/C monster
PER SERVING 390 Cal |
| 884 mg Sodium 3 g Fat (2 g Sat) | PER LATKE 114 Cal | trucks.
18 g Fat (8 g Sat) | Strawberry Danish 1 g Pro | 8 g Carb | 8 g Fat (2 g Sat) | 8+, $59.99 | NEW BRIGHT, newbright.com
28 g Pro | 35 g Carb | PER SERVING 272 Cal | 3 g Sugars | 0 g Fiber 2 g Pro | 8 g Carb |
3 g Sugars | 3 g Fiber 13 g Fat (7 g Sat) | | 23 mg Sodium 2 g Sugars | 1 g Fiber Micro Titans Vortex
| 683 mg Sodium 4 g Pro | 34 g Carb | | 115 mg Sodium
Lemony Enter the Vortex battle
12 g Sugars | 1 g Fiber
Thai Curry Tilapia Thumbprints Zucchini Fritters arena and spin into
PER SERVING 408 Cal | | 523 mg Sodium
PER COOKIE TRIO 114 Cal | PER FRITTER 83 Cal | combat with the
18 g Fat (14 g Sat) | The Busy 3 g Fat (2 g Sat) | 6 g Fat (1 g Sat) | Micro Titans. Kids
28 g Pro | 30 g Carb |
Mom’s Guide 1 g Pro | 21 g Carb | 3 g Pro | 6 g Carb | activate the Titans’
6 g Sugars | 3 g Fiber
| 1,590 mg Sodium
to the Holidays 11 g Sugars | 0 g Fiber | 2 g Sugars | 1 g Fiber energy cores by
42 mg Sodium | 206 mg Sodium
Chocolate Biscotti pushing down
Lunch PER COOKIE 128 Cal | Mocha Latte Crackles on their heads, then control them with the
Deep-Dish Mushroom
Asian Wheat 6 g Fat (4 g Sat) | PER COOKIE 70 Cal | Quiche included remote controls and compete to be
Berry Salad 2 g Pro | 18 g Carb | 2 g Fat (1 g Sat) | PER SERVING 374 Cal | the last Titan spinning.
PER SERVING 527 Cal | 10 g Sugars | 1 g Fiber 1 g Pro | 11 g Carb | 25 g Fat (12 g Sat) | 8+, $49.99 | HEXBUG, hexbug.com
23 g Fat (2 g Sat) | | 52 mg Sodium 6 g Sugars | 0 g Fiber | 17 g Pro | 23 g Carb |
27 mg Sodium 3 g Sugars | 0 g Fiber Pretty, Pretty Princess
| 690 mg Sodium
Icing Tips for Glazed Cookies Orange Squares
PER COOKIE 70 Cal |
This ‘90s favorite
1. Keep it fresh
Overnight dress-up
2 g Fat (1 g Sat) |
Store icing in a medium lidded bowl and
Ginger Rolls game is back
1 g Pro | 11 g Carb |
PER SERVING 385 Cal | for a new
spoon into smaller bowls as needed. 7 g Sugars | 0 g Fiber
13 g Fat (8 g Sat) | generation.
2. Brush up on decorating | 27 mg Sodium
6 g Pro | 62 g Carb |
Players move
I use very basic inexpensive “kindergarten” PB Slices 32 g Sugars | 1 g Fiber
brushes for painting the cookies—they
around the
PER COOKIE 57 Cal | | 129 mg Sodium
can easily be washed in the dishwasher. board, collecting a matching color necklace,
3 g Fat (1 g Sat) |
Overnight Maple- bracelet, ring, and earrings. The first player
3. Create a color palette 1 g Pro | 6 g Carb |
Bacon French Toast to collect a full jewelry set and the crown is
Dab small drops of food coloring on a 3 g Sugars | 0 g Fiber
PER SERVING 497 Cal |
| 31 mg Sodium the Pretty, Pretty Princess.
piece of parchment. Dip brush into a color, 23 g Fat (7 g Sat) |
then mix into icing. Start with pale shades,
5+, $16.95 | WINNING MOVES USA,
Pecan Crescents 18 g Pro | 70 g Carb |
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winning-moves.com
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December 2019 #weknowplay

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120

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Photo: Peter Ardito, Prop styling: Paige Hicks. Family Circle (ISSN 0014-7206); December 2019, Volume 132, No. 12, is published monthly by Meredith Corporation, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023. Periodicals postage paid at Des Moines, IA, and at
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December 2019
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