By Richard Mabey Jr.

In a corner of my bedroom, I have a little table. Upon this table rests a framed picture of my beloved father, standing next to a photograph of Dad’s Uncle Earl, who was killed in France fighting for democracy during the First World War. In front of Dad’s picture, I keep my Holy Bible. To the left-hand side of my Bible, is placed my God and Country Award, from the First Reformed Church of Lincoln Park.

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New Jersey Ballet’s 50th anniversary presentation of the holiday classic Nutcracker comes to Mayo Performing Arts Center for 10 performances beginning Friday, December 17 at 7:30 pm. New Jersey Symphony Orchestra will provide live orchestral accompaniment. Tickets are $35-$75. (all dates listed below)

For the past 100 years, the National Park Service has run a program called, “America Celebrates: Ornaments from Across the USA.” Students from across the country design ornaments to adorn their state or territory tree outside the White House. The designs answer the question: What makes your state special? Between 12 and 24 ornaments from each state are selected to be displayed on the Ellipse in President’s Park in Washington, D.C. (one of America’s national parks!).

This year, Shawna Longo and her students at Durban Avenue School in Hopatcong, NJ were selected by the New Jersey Department of Education to create designs to represent our great state of New Jersey! Longo states, “I am proud and excited to represent New Jersey and give my students the opportunity to create original ornament designs that will be viewed by countless people from all over our country during the holiday season.”

By: Megan Roche

Succasunna’s Sam Scalamoni sits in his directors chair proudly. The musical theater director and actor has done much in his career but nothing excites him more than working on The Elf on The Shelf: A Christmas Musical.

“I love to tell stories and I love to figure out how to capture an audience. What I do, moves people. I am always excited about creating something new and working on something original and building that idea from the ground up,” Scalamoni says excitedly.

By Richard Mabey Jr.

 Upon retiring from a career of working as a writer in various backgrounds of public relations, ad agencies, and newspapers, I moved to one of the gated communities in Central Florida. Here in Florida, I have worked as a Security Officer, Dog Walker, Newsletter Editor, and Home Rental Coordinator. I played golf with my neighbors. Joined several clubs. But without a doubt, my fondest memory is of baking cookies with Mom, when she was still on this side of Heaven’s Gate.

Mom had this cookbook that she had handwritten. It was filled with recipes that had been handed to her by her mother. And, Grandma’s mother had passed the recipes down to her. There was no real telling how many generations that some of Mom’s recipes were passed down from.

(Family Features) With holiday menus in full swing, many Americans aim to add healthier dishes and ingredients to their seasonal tables but are hesitant to compromise on tried-and-true favorites. Whether you’re looking to reduce the fat or added sugar content of a recipe or add more plants to your table, raisins are a healthy, natural option for topping or adding to your favorite dishes.

(BPT) – Many Americans are looking forward to the cooler temperatures that fall brings. However, it won’t be long until harsher winter months arrive and homeowners across the country are faced with keeping their indoor air temperatures comfortable and consistent.

It’s a daunting task – one that can be both frustrating and expensive – but homeowners can rest assured knowing they can help stabilize their home’s temperature. As the temperatures begin to drop, now is the perfect time to assess your winter heating plan to ensure you’re operating at maximum energy efficiency.

(BPT) – The holidays are quickly approaching and so is the stress that holiday hosts know all too well. But with the right preparation and kitchen essentials, you’ll feel ready and excited to celebrate the season. Follow the tips below to throw the most festive gathering this season – without the guesswork!

1. Keep your ingredients “fa-la-la fresh.”

Get inspired with tried-and-true recipes from Bosch and plan your full menu ahead of time, from appetizers to dessert. Start building your grocery list with each ingredient you’ll need (and don’t forget to double or triple the recipe, depending on how many it serves).

(Family Features) You’re sharing a great conversation with friends at a holiday party when it hits you: You need to go, and you need to go now. As you make a clumsy exit, unsure if you’ll be able to make it to the bathroom in time, you may ask yourself for the thousandth time, “is this normal?”

You’re not alone. More than 30 million Americans 40 and older live with the symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB). That’s about 1 in 10 people and as many as 40% of women in the United States. Yet many do not seek help from a physician for their symptoms.

Redwood Elementary School held its first school-wide Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Day on Nov. 23, integrating activities into the daily curriculum and underscoring its importance to students and staff.

The day of SEL was conceived by Redwood teachers Paul Stefanelli and Jennifer Paull and supported by Principal Kimya Jackson. A guide was created for teachers in K-5 to follow, offering different activities that could be adapted to each grade level, including virtual learners.

(BPT) – If you’re seeking ways to boost your well-being for the new year, consider taking a holistic approach. Don’t focus on one specific habit to conquer, but instead look at supporting the different systems within you – like your respiratory, immune, digestive and cardiovascular systems. A holistic approach focuses on those interconnected systems, not just aiming for a specific number on the scale.

(Family Features) When many people think of gout, they often picture swelling and pain in the big toe. However, gout – an extremely painful form of inflammatory arthritis – can occur in any joint when high levels of uric acid in the blood lead to the formation of urate crystals.

If your body creates too much uric acid or cannot clear uric acid properly, you may experience sudden and sometimes severe gout attacks, called flare-ups, that include pain, swelling or redness in your joints. The condition can disrupt many aspects of daily living, including work and leisure or family activities.

(Family Features) After a couple abnormal years, many families are eager and ready to travel together again, and there are indications some pandemic-influenced travel behaviors will persist in 2022.

For example, remote work and virtual school allowed families to travel and combine work and vacation time into “flexcation” getaways, a trend that will continue, according to the 2022 Vrbo Trend Report.

In addition to the 44% of families that said they’re more likely to work remotely from a place that’s not their home, extended stays are also on the rise. The vacation home site and app has seen a 68% increase in demand for 3-4-week stays over the past year.

(BPT) – After a year and a half of not traveling or taking smaller, local trips, everyone is itching for the vacations the pandemic put on hold. This feeling of being hungry for travel is what some are calling “revenge travel”: the idea that people are more eager to travel after being homebound for so long and want to go big – whether splurging or finally heading to a bucket list destination.

To put your revenge travel plans in motion, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® and Bold® Cards can help cardmembers earn now so they can turn their travel dreams into a reality. Whether that next big trip is around the corner or a year away, it’s never too early to kick off travel planning. Here are some top tips to help you organize the ultimate return to travel adventure.

(Family Features) Cooler fall temperatures mean you’re likely to spend more time indoors. Taking time to spruce up inside and out can make you more comfortable and give you peace of mind that your home is tidy, clean and prepared to weather the months ahead.

Tidy Outdoor Spaces

Before stashing your lawn care equipment, give your home and landscape some end-of-season attention. Use a power washer to clean lawn furniture and store it away from the elements or use covers to protect it. Clean out gutters and remove debris from flower beds to encourage proper drainage.

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