There is nothing that brings a little sparkle to your holiday get together with friends and family more than champagne. In fact, Americans will consume more than one billion glasses of champagne this year, over 40 percent during the holiday season, according to Impact Databank. While champagne will add the sparkle, what you do not want to add are injuries to your holiday festivities.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the careless handling of champagne is one of the most common causes for holiday-related eye injuries. These injuries are often caused by improperly opening the bottle, as a champagne cork is just under 90 pounds of pressure – three times the pressure inside a car tire. So, before you break open a high-pressured bottle of bubbly, it is important to know the proper technique. By following these simple tips, you can open the champagne bottle like a pro – without injury or spilling.

While the popping of a cork may sound festive and exciting, it tends to waste champagne and can be dangerous. The recommended way to properly open a bottle is to ease the cork out slowly, with the sound of a gentle sigh. In order to celebrate this holiday season without injury (or wasting champagne) follow these five easy steps:

1. Make sure your champagne is chilled and unshaken. Chill the bottle for at least four hours in the refrigerator (a warm bottle is more likely to pop unexpectedly).
2. Remove the foil cap covering the top of the bottle, exposing a wire hood.
3. Undo the wire hood with six half-turns of the knob.
4. Hold the bottle at a 45 degree angle while holding the cork firmly with one hand and the base of the bottle with the other. Be sure to point the bottle away from your guests.
5. Do not twist the cork.  Rather, turn the bottle slowly while letting the cork glide out gently, emitting a gentle sigh.

Note: Never use a corkscrew.  A champagne cork is highly compressed. If a corkscrew is inserted at an angle, you may have an exploding bottle in your hand.

Other Champagne tips:

• Expect six generous glasses from one standard size (750ml) bottle.
• The most popular champagne is Brut – it is medium-dry, light, and crisp.
• There are more than 50 million bubbles in a standard bottle of champagne.
• It is best to serve champagne in tapered champagne flutes, as they highlight the fine stream of bubbles. While short, wide goblets can be used in a pinch, they tend to cause the bubbles to dissipate quickly.
• When transporting champagne, keep the bottles upright. The shaking bottles receive in the car can cause champagne to quickly lose its sparkle after opening.  Upright bottles keep wine movement to a minimum and the bubbles in the wine.
• Crisp and versatile, Brut, Natural, Chardonnay, and Brut Rose are delicious with hors d’oeuvres and rich enough to enjoy with many main courses. Sweet Rose, Extra Dry, and Sweet Cuvee offer a bit of sweetness that works well as an aperitif or paired with dessert.
• Celebrate responsibly.  Don’t drink and drive; take a taxi or have a designated driver do the honors.  The best celebrations are those from which everyone gets home safely.

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The holiday season means party time for many people.  However, hosts who serve alcohol should take steps to limit their liquor liability and make sure they have the proper insurance.

Social host liability, the legal term for the criminal and civil responsibility of a person who furnishes liquor to a guest, can have a serious impact on party throwers. Social host liability, also known as “Dram Shop Liability” laws vary widely from state to state, but 43 states including New York have them on the books. Most of these laws also offer an injured person, such as the victim of a drunk driver, a method to sue the person who served the alcohol. There are circumstances under these laws where criminal charges may also apply.  Even if the Dram Shop Act does not apply, a host can still be civilly liable under ordinary negligence standards.

“Because you can be held legally responsible for your guests’ actions after they leave your party, hosts need to be particularly careful,” said Ellen Melchionni, president of the NYIA.  ”While a social host is not liable for injuries sustained by the drunken guest (as they are also negligent), the host can be held liable for third parties and may even be liable for passengers of the guest who have been injured in their car.”

Whether you are hanging out with a small group of friends for cocktails or throwing a big family bash, remember that a good host is a responsible host and needs to take steps to ensure guests get home safely if they have been drinking.

How to Protect Yourself and Your Guests

If you plan to serve alcohol at a holiday party, the following tips promote safe alcohol consumption and reduce your social host liability exposure:

• Make sure you understand your state laws. Before sending out party invitations, familiarize yourself with your state’s social host liability laws. These laws vary widely from state to state. Some states do not impose any liability on social hosts. Others limit liability to injuries that occur on the host’s premises. Some extend the host’s liability to injuries that occur anywhere a guest who has consumed alcohol goes. Many states have laws that pertain specifically to furnishing alcohol to minors.
• Consider venues other than your home for the party. Hosting your party at a restaurant or bar with a liquor license, rather than at your home, will help minimize liquor liability risks.
• Hire a professional bartender. Most bartenders are trained to recognize signs of intoxication and are better able to limit consumption by partygoers.
• Encourage guests to pick a designated driver who will refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages, so that he or she can drive other guests home.
• Be a responsible host/hostess. Limit your own alcohol intake, so that you will be better able to judge your guests’ sobriety.
• Offer non-alcoholic beverages, and always serve food. Eating and drinking plenty of water, or other non-alcoholic beverages, can help counter the effects of alcohol.
• Do not pressure guests to drink or rush to refill their glasses when empty. Never serve alcohol to guests who are visibly intoxicated.
• Stop serving liquor toward the end of the evening. Switch to coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
• If guests drink too much or seem too tired to drive home, call a cab, arrange a ride with a sober guest, or have them sleep at your home.
• Encourage all your guests to wear seatbelts as they drive home. Studies show that seatbelts save lives.

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With the holidays approaching, and as short-tempered shoppers and drivers start amassing in numbers, the addition of talk radio, heated political debates, and more bad news of unemployment, the economy and sex scandals can take a toll on even the most light-hearted. For many, a responsible alternative to “alcohol consumption,” and holiday depression, is Christmas music.

Research has shown music to have a great impact on us, with the ability to change and enhance an individual’s mood. Major lawsuits against bands and record companies have “proven” through the legal system that music and lyrics can be responsible for all sorts of behaviors. Other studies have shown that music may even raise an individual’s IQ.

But much of the Christmas music can sound the same. A walk through the mall reveals a typical sampling of pumped-up, pounding pop covers of Christmas Carols, designed to generate more frenzy, more shopping and more sales.

A refreshing alternative can be found in the solo acoustic piano album “Christmas Time At The Piano,” available on iTunes. Pianist/composer Sam Sorensen has created an intimate, live performance, using state-of-the-art equipment. His interpretations of Mannheim Steamroller and Vince Guaraldi Christmas arrangements have been refined to perfection.

In these tender renditions he captures a euphoric vibe similar to artists such as Enya and Loreena McKennitt. His pianistic skills are honed to impart the simple beauty of the arrangements, and lead one to transcend the mundane. A real remedy to the rush of Christmas traffic and easier on the nerves than inflammatory talk radio.

Enjoy the talents of Sam Sorensen, a world-class pianist, while driving in your car, or in the privacy of your home – a little ambience for your holiday festivities. Share the gift of Christmas cheer. Pass along an antidote to “mellow out” holiday stress.

Slow down and smell the mistletoe.

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To get shoppers ready for the Holiday season, Beezid has just announced the Ultimate Shopping Weekend. Beezid kicks off three days of monumental savings on Black Friday, November 25th, with risk-free bidding and a 10% price freeze on all items. Sunday, November 27th will feature a 1% price freeze, and on Cyber Monday, November 28th, Beezid will place an unprecedented 500 items up for bid, all of which will feature free shipping.

Beezid is looking to redefine the overly stressful shopping weekend known as Black Friday/Cyber Monday by eliminating some of the less appealing aspects associated to the holiday weekend such as long lineups and hectic shopping schedules due to restrictive store hours.

Where most stores advertise several deals to get shoppers into the store and provide little else in savings, Beezid’s Ultimate Shopping Weekend offers incredibly low prices on every item, along with the convenience of being able to enjoy guaranteed savings from the comfort of their own home.

“This is going to be a monumental weekend with extraordinary savings on fantastic products,” said Max Bohbot, CEO of Beezid. “This is an important shopping weekend, and our members will experience savings far beyond anything that anyone could find anywhere else. This really is the Ultimate Shopping Weekend, and we are looking forward to holding a series of events that will give everyone the opportunity to walk away with excellent products at astounding prices.”

On Friday, November 25th, beginning at 12AM EST, Beezid will offer guaranteed savings of 90-99%. In addition, every bid placed on every auction will be returned to bidders at the end of each auction. The price freeze and risk-free bidding will run until 11:59PM EST of the same day.

After a one-day break, the excitement begins again at 12AM EST on Sunday, November 27th when Beezid’s Zuper Zunday kicks off 24 hours of 1% price freezes on all items. Savings of 99% are guaranteed on every single auction until 11:59PM EST on that same day.

On Cyber Monday, November 28th, Beezid will offer 500 items up for bid to run throughout the day. Free shipping will be included with each auction win. Throughout the weekend, Beezid will be featuring special locks, ensuring that all who participate will be able to enjoy the event, despite their previous lock limits.

BEEZID.com is a top rated penny auction website which offers a thrilling spin on online auction shopping and one of the most frequently visited and most-trusted sites of its kind world-wide. Since its launch in 2009, Beezid.com has become the leading online auction site for consumers to get top products for up to 99% off the retail price daily in a fun, safe and secure online environment.

Users take advantage of huge discounts on brand new, brand name products by forming bidding strategies and by using bonuses and incentives offered by Beezid.

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Newly released data that looks at the drinking patterns of more than 200,000 criminal offenders monitored 24/7 for alcohol consumption shows that even when Big Brother is watching, drinking increases nearly 27% between Thanksgiving and January 2nd.

Denver-based Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc., (AMS) has monitored more than 200,000 criminal offenders since 2003 using a technology that tests your perspiration every 30 minutes, 24/7, to ensure clients are abstaining from alcohol. According to AMS, the rate of daily violations for offenders monitored with their technology jumps a whopping 27% during the holiday season.

AMS Chairman and CEO Mike Iiams says that the trending highlights how the pressures — and the pleasures — of the holiday season are difficult for everyone. “Whether it’s your in-laws or the economy or just temptations at the office party, the fact that we see such a statistically significant increase in violations for a group of people who are being tested — and know they are being tested — every 30 minutes for drinking underscores just how difficult an issue this is,” says Iiams.

Larry Vanderwoude, LCDC, CEO of Dallas-based Recovery Healthcare, agrees. “Emotions run very high during the holiday season, especially when it comes to meeting family expectations. And the natural coping skill for the alcoholic is to drink,” says Vanderwoude. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that two to three times more people are killed by drunk drivers during the holidays than any other time during the year.

According to AMS, which has monitored offenders in 48 states with its SCRAMx System (for Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor), as the company enters its 8th year providing monitoring during the holiday season, the courts seem to have two approaches for addressing the social and behavioral issues that go hand-in-hand with the holiday season.

“Some programs, usually dealing with lower risk offenders, may opt to give people a break during the holidays, lightening up on some requirements or delaying them until after the first of the year,” says Iiams. “But each year, the courts dealing with the highest risk alcohol offenders clamp down even harder on the drinking during the holidays,” he says.

“They know if these offenders aren’t drinking, then they’re not drinking and driving, and they’re not drinking and abusing a spouse or child,” he adds. According to the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, 75% of cases of domestic violence involve an offender who was drunk at the time of the offense.

To Iiams, their data trending, which is based on more than 18 million alcohol tests, serves as a cautionary tale for both courts and communities. “These are the hardcore drinkers who know they’re going to get caught and that there will be consequences, and they’re still struggling not to drink during the holidays. Imagine what’s happening with the ones who know they can get away with it,” he says.

Vanderwoude, whose company has monitored more than 17,000 offenders in Texas and Oklahoma with the SCRAMx System, says that the intensive monitoring they provide during the holidays can actually provide a sense of security for both the courts and even many of their clients. “It’s a type of safety net, working to deter relapse during the hardest time of the year,” he says.

“The ones that drink get caught, and there can be a sense of relief in knowing that for people who really struggle with addiction. But the ones that stay sober through the season often report that it’s the most rewarding and cherished holiday of their life,” he adds.

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Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season, which by many, starts with a delicious dinner followed by a day of shopping. Unfortunately, an expensive Thanksgiving weekend means less money left over for the weeks ahead. Like most expenses, there are quite a few ways to keep costs down, and as usual, the most important one is to plan ahead.

“When thinking about holiday spending, most people typically fast-forward to December’s big budget busting holidays,” said Kim McGrigg, MMI’s personal finance blogger. “However, it pays to think thrifty all season long—starting with Thanksgiving. While a turkey alone might not tip your financial scale, the cost of entertaining and holiday travel can really add up.”

To help trim the fat from your Thanksgiving weekend budget, Money Management International (MMI), the nation’s largest nonprofit full service credit and debt counseling organization, offers a complete guide dedicated to a thrifty Thanksgiving. This free eBook includes a lot of ideas to help you trim the fat from your Thanksgiving budget. In addition to ideas on how to stretch your dinner and budget, Thrifty Thanksgiving covers:

• Step-by-step instructions for decorating on a dime
• Five ways to keep tradition and cost down
• Tips for staying in the black on Black Friday
• How to make the most of leftovers
• Ways to incorporate “thanks” into your Thanksgiving

Thrifty Thanksgiving also offers a holiday checklist to help you organize your plans. After all, a little planning can help you enjoy a tasteful and thrifty Thanksgiving. The Thrifty Thanksgiving eBook can be downloaded for free by visiting thanksgiving.moneymanagement.org.

About Money Management International

Money Management International (MMI) is a nonprofit, full-service credit-counseling agency, providing confidential financial guidance, financial education, counseling and debt management assistance to consumers since 1958. MMI helps consumers trim their expenses, develop a spending plan and repay debts.

Counseling is available by appointment in branch offices and 24/7 by telephone and Internet. Services are available in English or Spanish.

Yellowj / Shutterstock

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Most people are looking forward to the food, family gatherings and gift giving that comes along with the holiday season. Dr. Robin Gurwitch, a psychologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, reminds parents that this is also the time of year when they should pause to say thanks and also reinforce this idea in their children.

“The holiday season is a perfect time for parents to teach the quality of gratitude to their child,” says Dr. Gurwitch. And she says parents should start teaching that lesson early. “Children model adults in their lives. Gratitude does not come automatically. It takes time to develop and we as adults need to do things to encourage it and show it.”

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and all of the other celebrations, Dr. Gurwitch suggests the following tips on how to help a child understand the concepts of thankfulness during the holidays.

• Model thankfulness to a child by using good manners and language and by asking other adults in the child’s life to do the same.
• Remember to say “thank you” to people no matter how big or small their assistance to you.
• Praise the child when he or she shows thankfulness. When we praise grateful behaviors, children are more likely to repeat them.
• Encourage a child to help others. Explain to the child what you are doing when you contribute to a charity, collect food for the food-bank or perform other acts of giving. Use those situations to explain the needs of others to the child. Encourage young children to collect gently used toys or clothing and encourage older children to volunteer to help those in need. Consider doing this together!
• Remember that being thankful is not only for holiday times. Consider other opportunities for the child to acknowledge people and things he is grateful for in his life.  Examples of doing this include a parent encouraging their small child to list the toys and belongings that the child is thankful for.

Consider thank you notes. Having children write (or draw pictures) to say thank you for a gift or act of kindness is a simple way to help children develop gratitude.

Dmitriy Shironosov / Shutterstock

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The farm family owners of Vermont-based Cabot Creamery Cooperative are gearing up for the holiday season with healthy, easy-to-make Thanksgiving Day recipes the whole family will enjoy.

“There’s no time like the holidays to enjoy family, friends, and good food,” says Karen Wheeler of the Wheeler Farm in Wilmington, Vermont.

The Wheeler Farm has been in continuous operation for over eight decades, and it is one of the 1200 family-owned farms that make up the Cabot Creamery Cooperative. Founded in 1930, the farm has kept on through good times and bad, Henry and Caroline managed the farm, taught the lessons of the land to their seven children, and made the farm a refuge for their many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Henry and Caroline’s sons Rob and John run the farm these days, and they tend some 115 head of cattle. It’s hard work, but they love what they do.  When the leaves turn color and the frost settles in, they know the holidays will soon be upon them. It’s a special time of year for the Wheelers.

“Our favorite things this time of year are to spend time with our family, care for our cows, and take time to reconnect with our friends,” says Karen, who is married to Rob Wheeler. “And food is a big part of our holidays,” she adds. “We send many tasty packages of cookies to friends across the country, and I personally look forward to a slower pace and the chance to spend some time weaving and stitching, making gifts for friends and family.”

Along with her needlework, Karen also enjoys spending time in the kitchen creating some of her favorite holiday dishes, including her breakfast sausage bake, which she says is a great way to start Thanksgiving Day.

“My breakfast sausage bake is easy to make, and it’s a big hit with my family,” Karen says. ”Sometimes we’ll have it for breakfast, and sometimes I’ll make it early in the morning and bring it to brunch to share with family and friends. It’s made with browned sausage, milk, bread, Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar, and seasonings. It’s delicious. I always joke that you can refrigerate the leftovers – but that’s never been a problem in my house,” she laughs.

In addition to her breakfast sausage bake, Karen also loves to serve a variety of other holiday dishes from Cabot’s website including: winter squash gratin, Cabot’s Reduced Fat Stuffing, Apple Cheddar Walnut Toasts and this year, Cabot’s brand new pumpkin pie made with Cabot Greek-Style Yogurt.

“The holidays are a time to slow down for our family, and we always try to spread some holiday cheer through our delicious Cabot products and recipes,” Karen says.

From everyone at Cabot Creamery Cooperative, “Cheers to all for a joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year!”

Thanksgiving Recipe Favourites

Breakfast Sausage Bake
Ingredients:

• 4 slices whole-grain or white bread
• 1 pound bulk sausage, browned and drained
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 ounces Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 cup)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8-by-10-inch or similar-sized baking dish.

2. Tear bread into small pieces and scatter over bottom of dish. Top with sausage.

3. In medium bowl, whisk eggs until combined; whisk in milk, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over bread and sausage. Sprinkle cheese over top.

4. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until set all the way to center (knife inserted in center comes out clean).

Winter Squash Gratin
Ingredients(makes 8 Servings):

• 6 ounces Cabot Sharp Cheddar or Garlic & Herb Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)*
• 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (about 3 slices firm white bread)
• 2 tablespoons Cabot salted butter

• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 pounds dry-fleshed winter squash, such as Buttercup, Hubbard or Kabocha, peeled and seeded
• 3/4-1 cup chicken broth

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine cheese and breadcrumbs in bowl and set aside.

2. In large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and sugar. Stir often until onions are golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in salt, thyme and pepper, then transfer mixture to 1 1/2-quart baking dish.

3. Cut squash into smaller chunks and cut these chunks into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Add to onions and stir together well.

4. Pour 3/4 cup of chicken broth evenly over squash. Cover dish tightly with lid or foil and bake for about 70 minutes, or until squash is tender and broth is nearly all absorbed. If squash appears dry, add remaining 1/4 cup broth.

5. Sprinkle squash with reserved breadcrumb mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 20 minutes longer.

Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients(makes 8 servings):

• 3 large eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) can 100% pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Cabot 2% Plain Greek-Style Yogurt or Cabot Plain Greek-Style Yogurt
• 2 small (5-ounce) cans evaporated milk
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. In medium bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Add pumpkin and flour and whisk together well. (Alternatively, combine all three in blender or processor.)

3. Add yogurt, evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla, spices and salt and whisk again. Pour pumpkin mixture into pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes.

4. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and bake pie for 35 to 40 minutes longer or until pie is no longer wobbly in center. Let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate if not serving immediately.

Brian Steele / Shutterstock

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According to a new holiday retail survey commissioned by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), more than one-third of Americans prefer to give loved ones gifts that offer meaningful, life-enriching experiences.

Perhaps telling of which experiences consumers may likely share with their families this year, the survey also found that 58 percent of those surveyed regretted not learning to play a musical instrument.

“The only way a retailer is going to drag a consumer away from their PC or mobile phone this holiday season is by offering a compelling experience, one they don’t want to miss,” said Robin Lewis, CEO, The Robin Report and co-author of The New Rules of Retail. “Whether it’s Lululemon’s yoga classes, cooking classes at Macy’s or music lessons at their hometown music store, these are life-enriching experiences that consumers cannot get online.”

Of those surveyed who do play a musical instrument, the most common benefits citied were that it’s fun and reduces stress. And contrary to popular belief, learning to play a musical instrument does not have to break the bank. Instruments such as harmonicas, ukuleles and keyboards can provide training for the same skills needed to play their larger counterparts and cost much less, as well as help burgeoning musicians learn to read music and recognize different tones.

Buying used instruments versus renting can actually save more money, and many local music merchants provide warranty protection and trade-in programs should interests change over time. Additionally, many retailers offer free music lessons with the purchase of an instrument during the holiday season.

Visit your local music retailer for advice on which instrument best suits your budget and musical interests. To locate your nearest local music retailer, visit www.wannaplaymusic.com.

About the Poll

Findings are the results of a nationally-representative telephone survey of 1,049 adults ages 18 and over, conducted by Toluna Research, October 27-31, 2011, on behalf of NAMM. The data was weighted by demographic variables to ensure the sample accurately reflects the U.S. adult population.

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