Outside the Box Gift Ideas for the Home

(BPT) - In the words of a popular Christmas carol, there's no place like home for the holidays - it's

where family gathers and where long-treasured memories are made. So this year as you begin shopping

for those on your list, why not gift something for them and for their abode? There's something for

everyone - for the music junkie, the whole family, even for the king or queen of the brood. Read on for

some outside-the-box gift ideas that will add instant luxe inside the home.

* For the music junkie: Soak yourself in water and music with one of the holiday's hottest gadgets: the

KOHLER Moxie Showerhead + Wireless Speaker, an easy and affordable way to tech up your bath by

integrating sound into the showering experience. The bonus: the Bluetooth-enabled wireless speaker

pops out for musical enjoyment throughout the bath - and beyond. List Price: $199

* For the concert aficionado: If it's the pulsing energy of a rock concert that brings goose bumps to

your arms, or the delightful cascading flow of an aria that sends shivers down your spine, you can now

recreate these experiences right in your own home. The KOHLER VibrAcoustic Bath transforms your

bath into an in-home concert hall. This new technology encompasses the hearing and feeling sensation

of music through the entire body, giving you the same musical experience as felt in a concert hall. With

six speakers both above and below the water line, you'll love the musical experience while taking a

bath. And with its premium sound quality, the bath doubles as an audio source, even if you're not

soaking. List Price: Starting at $3,245

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For the family: Think giving everyone in your home a custom shower would break the holiday

budget? Think again. The KOHLER HydroRail Shower Column instantly transforms a standard

shower into an at-home spa with the addition of a rain head and a hand shower, allowing each

family member to adjust the height of the hand shower for a truly customized bathing experience.

Now the tallest members of the family won't complain about constantly hitting their arms and heads

on the shower head, and parents can easily bathe small children without having to get wet. List

Price:Starting at $380

* For the color enthusiast: Splashes of color bring out energy and happy emotions when strategically

placed around the house. From throw pillows to a colorful painting in a bedroom, it's fun to install a

touch of color here and there. KOHLER Colors featuring Jonathan Adler highlights four bold hues on

six of Kohler's enameled cast iron sinks that will add a memorable punch of color to the kitchen or

bathroom: Greenwich Green is cultured and cultivated, Piccadilly Yellow is exuberant and fun, Palermo

Blue is cool and refreshing and Annapolis Navy is the unconditional classic nautical hue. List

Price:Starting at $295

* For the king (or queen) of the castle: If money is no object and you want to gift something with a

serious luxe factor, consider a throne. The Numi toilet from Kohler is the most advanced toilet with

bidet functionality, built-in music system, heated seat and foot warmer, dual-flush technology and

of course, a sleek, interactive LCD touch-screen interface. This royal flush is worth the splurge. List

Price: $6,390.

Should Santa sneak one or two of these finds under your tree, don't fret. Your house will certainly

thank you.

Get Crafty with These Holiday Gift Wrap Ideas

(BPT) - Make wrapping gifts more fun this holiday season. Get your supplies ready, invite some friends and turn up the holiday music.

Before you get started, here are some creative gift wrapping tips from popular crafting blogger, Cindy Hopper, founder of SkipToMyLou.org.

"I love wrapping holiday gifts - from little treasures like Dunkin' Donuts(R) seasonal packaged coffee

to bigger presents like kids' toys and electronics - in unexpected and creative ways," says Hopper. "You don't need a lot of money, just some motivation and imagination, to create packaging that will make any gift recipient smile."

* A touch of fun - Make packaging playful by adding a small toy like a jump rope as ribbon or jingle

bells to the top of the gift.

* Tie two together- Have the gift and its wrapping complement one another. Place a bag of new

Dunkin' Donuts Gingerbread Cookie packaged coffee in a cookie jar. Present the Pumpkin Spice

variety in a basket of mini-pumpkins, or serve Mocha Mint with a favorite chocolate bar.

* Keep a cushion - Replace packing peanuts with colorful tissue paper, blown up balloons or even

wrapped candies, to create an eye-catching display when recipients open their package.

* Wrap it up - Instead of purchasing wrapping paper, see what's available at home to use. Newspaper comics, wallpaper scraps or even pages from an old atlas or map make memorable gift wrap.

* Look to nature-Add a fresh flower, pretty shell or sprig of mistletoe for an elegant, outdoor element

to any holiday gift.

* Contain yourself - Instead of the standard cardboard box, house gifts in decorative tins, hat boxes or

fruit crates for a clever presentation.

* Two in one - If gifting seasonal food or beverages, pair the gift with serving items. For example, offer Dunkin' Donuts packaged coffee in a mug, or wrap the package with a ribbon attached to a coffee scoop.

* Tag, you're it- Focus on the gift tag. Use unusual items like recipe cards, luggage tags or coasters to

identify gift recipients.

* Stamp it out - View plain wrapping paper as a canvas by covering it with a unique pattern of colorful rubber stamp prints.

*Monogram madness - Personalize presents by including the recipients' initials on the wrapping.

Write their initials all over the paper or affix cut out letters or cookie cutters in their initials as tags.

Pulling a Holiday Potluck

Quick tips for pulling together a holiday potluck
Divide, conquer and enjoy
When your holiday-dinner guest list keeps growing year after year, it may be time to share the cooking. A potluck is a great way to share the load, and with just a little advance planning you can avoid ending up with 12 green bean casseroles on the dinner table.

"Don't be shy about assigning food categories to your guests," says Ginny Bean, founder and publisher of Ginny's catalog and www.ginnys.com."This eliminates the guesswork for them, too." Bean suggests you start planning four to six weeks out, and following these simple tips.

* Don't overlook the non-cooks. Include categories such as beverages and paper products, or ask non-cooks to bring flowers, candles or other items to decorate the table. Those who want to help but need something easy to do can do some of the shopping for you.

* Double up. Ask at least two of the guests to make different salads, two to make different potato dishes, two people to bring different green vegetables, and two to bring pies. Plan on making the turkey, stuffing and gravy yourself.

* Make sure someone brings kid food. There's nothing worse than having kids reject all the food at the table. Make sure there's ice cream or another dessert that appeals to kids, some sparkling apple juice for a special toast, and kid-friendly items like mac and cheese or yams with marshmallows.

* Pick your battles. If someone really wants to bring a certain dish that you don't particularly want, let them bring it anyway. You never know which dish might turn into a family tradition.

* Assess your appliance needs. Ask guests to let you know ahead of time if they'll need refrigerator, oven or range-top space. The added capacity of countertop ovens and microwaves can be a godsend for big holiday meals. Plan a menu with some dishes that can be served at room temperature so you don't have too many dishes that need to be kept hot. -

* Be prepared with extra serving plates, bowls and spoons. Somebody's bound to forget something. Also remind guests to label their serving dishes and utensils. Most regular potluck participants can tell tales about losing the lid to a favorite plastic bowl or discovering that the only casserole dish left on the table was not the one they brought.

* Don't attempt to serve all the food from one table. Place desserts on a table separate from main dishes and side dishes. Locate beverages in another area. For the most convenient self-service, arrange the buffet so diners can serve themselves from both sides of the table. Lay out the table in logical order: plates at one end of the table for guests to pick up and load with food, and utensils tucked inside napkins at the other end to grab once their plates are full.

* Strike while the iron's hot (and guests are in a festive mood). Before everyone leaves, set up the planning committee and solicit suggestions for next year -(BPT)

How to prepare your home for holiday entertaining

Having a guest-friendly home is easier than you think!Here are some tips on making your home ready for entertaining anytime...


One of the many exciting and sometimes stressful parts of the holiday season is entertaining at home with friends and family. To prepare for their arrival you may be tempted to just clean the kitchen counters, toss a few extra towels in the guest bathroom and ignore the rest of the house. Instead, your visitors will enjoy the party more if they have full access to an open, organized and welcoming home.

Knowing where to start is the most important thing. Lifestyle guru Susie Coelho has provided entertaining tips for the home on HGTV, "Oprah," "Today" and "The View" and knows just what to do.