Tausi Insider

Photo : TravnikovStudio ( Shutterstock ) Want to do something with the kids for the holidays, but can’t afford breakfast with Santa or the Polar Express train ride? Or perhaps you’re looking for something festive to do with your friends or on a date, but tickets to the Nutcracker aren’t in the budget. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are a few examples of free or cheap events that take place in communities across the country throughout the holiday season. Free or cheap holiday events Check the event listings in your community and surrounding areas for activities like these: City/town tree-lighting ceremonies Though the lighting of the Rockefeller Center tree and National Christmas Tree get all the attention, there are smaller-scale tree-lighting ceremonies in cities, towns, and neighborhoods across the country. Your local government website should have the details on how to attend, but don’t wait to check: Many are happening this week. Holiday open houses Cultural insti...

The main challenge of White Elephant is to gift something with universal appeal, considering the nature of the game is that you don’t know who the gift recipient will be. And personally, when it comes to these kinds of organized gift exchanges, the spirit of giving rarely compels me to go beyond 20 or 30 smackeroonies. At the same time, I don’t want to come to the table with something lazy or unwanted. So, how do you find a popular gift that is somehow not boring, but also not expensive? I’ve rounded up the best white elephant gift ideas that are all under $30 (so long as you’re willing to get a little creative with it). Even if the final recipient isn’t thrilled with their bounty, every idea here is decent enough to be re-gifted. And isn’t the ability to re-gift sort of like a gift in itself? https://www.tausiinsider.com/7-of-the-best-white-elephant-gifts-for-less-than-30/?feed_id=331108&_unique_id=64518836dda69

Photo : Tatyana Soares ( Shutterstock ) Real Christmas trees don’t work for everyone. You might have destructive pets, toddlers, a small apartment, or a small budget. You might have allergies to trees or the mold spores they can bring in with them. You might just like to do things differently. Whatever the reason, there are lots of ways to craft your own tree and make it unique to you. Here are some ways to make a Christmas tree out of almost anything. Make a floating ornament tree To make a suspended tree out of ornaments and fishing line, you’ll need those and some removable hooks . If you have textured ceilings or a space that won’t accommodate temporary, stick-on hooks, you can use ceiling hooks and anchors for this project. ( If you go that route, you’ll also need a drill.) Keep in mind that the stick-on hooks are designed to hold about half a pound and the screw-in type will hold up to 20, so if you plan to use heavier ornaments, the screw-in variety will work better. The...

Photo : Irina Vinnikova ( Shutterstock ) This is one of the lesser-known Christmas myths, but to be honest, it would be pretty cool if true. The story goes that Sami shamans in Scandinavia would dress in red and white to match the colors of the psychedelic Amanita mushrooms they peddled. In the winter, they couldn’t make their door-to-door sales due to snowstorms blocking many doors, so they would climb in through the chimney. The mushrooms would then be hung to dry, for example on branches of a tree brought inside for that purpose. Unfortunately, the details don’t check out. Houses and yurts of the area were not built in ways that would block the occupants in all winter; there’s no documentation of mushrooms being distributed this way or dried on indoor trees when they could just be hung in more convenient ways; and Santa’s red outfit came from a different European tradition entirely. But it is true that there is a Scandinavian tradition (among the Sami people, in particular) ...