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For a lot of us, the holidays means some manner of travel so that we can spend the time with our families. But sometimes, that travel means your family comes to you. The bonus in that scenario is - obviously - you don't have to deal with a lot of the stress and rigmarole that goes into traveling during the busiest season of the year to travel in. But on the down side? Now you have to clean house, potentially do some cooking, and figure out how you're going to entertain the family unit for however many days they're visiting.



Stumped for things to do so that they're kept busy and you're not tearing your hair out? Luckily, we have some suggestions that might help.

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Finding a good bartender can be a challenge at times. Finding the best one? You're getting into needle-in-a-haystack territory. But one company isn't just looking for the best, they're looking for the finest... and the finest in the world of gin.



EWG Spirits & Wine's G'Vine, Gin de France officially announced the G'Vine 2010 Connoisseur Program in late October, an official worldwide quest for the finest gin bartender.

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We're barely into the holiday season, and already charities are reporting up to a 30% increase in assistance requests. And while a lot of charities go the traditional route of offering food drives, soup kitchens and the like, there are a lot of outlets that are looking at doing more targeted approaches to helping the homeless this year.



For example, the New York City Rescue Mission is holding a coat drive, an annual event that takes place through November and December wherein residents are encouraged to donate their old winter coats to people who need them most.

And it seems their coat drive has caught fire elsewhere in the nation.

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As a born and bred Canadian, I have to say that after living in your fair country for the last ten years, I have come to know and love it well, and adopt it as my second home.

I love Target, I get an endless amount of enjoyment out of Disneyland and World, and I've partaken in a reasonable amount of Krispy Kremes ... but I cannot tell a lie: they pale in comparison to the offerings of Tim Hortons. Thank god Tim's has come to America.

It seems to have been a slow burn in terms of their American infiltration, but according to their press page, there are currently 536 places to get Timbits. So where can you find them?

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If there's a season that defines wine, it's fall. Certainly spring and summer has their place for crisp whites, but winter tends to be more of a hot toddy season, whereas fall is simply wine divine. And not just because of harvest season. The sudden snap to the air makes for the perfect time to crack out your favorite reds, while Thanksgiving lends itself to sweetly delicious rieslings. But though we often look to California as being the mecca for quality wineries, they're not the only quality wine region in the U.S. Just ask Alan Kropf.



With an Ivy-league like education in alcohol, Kropf knows his wine. In addition to being a Certified Sommelier through Court of Master Sommeliers, he also holds an Advanced Certificate through the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, went to National Bartending school, and has experience as a bartender, sommelier and barista. As if that's not enough, he's written articles for Sante, The Tasting Panel, and SommSelections, and is the co-founder of Mutineer Magazine, a print and online publication dedicated to the awesomeness of drinking.

So what makes for a rocking winery? Let Kropf tell you.

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It seems to be happening more often than not these days – entire cities are facing massive budget issues threatening their very vitality. The latest in the pack to get bad financial news? Chicago.



According to the Tribune, Mayor Richard Daley is now in the position of having to scrounge and borrow $270 million to help pay Chicago's bills, while simultaneously working hard to devise new plans and options for raising the city's bottom line. By the sounds of things, he's up for the challenge - and the Trib sounds relatively upbeat about his proposed initiatives (while offering some of their own unique ideas.)

It's not necessarily good news, but at least Chicago isn't the only one facing woes.

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There was a time where chicken wings and sports bars went hand in hand, but it appears that time is drawing to a close... at least, for the foreseeable future.

Restaurants and bars all across the nation are putting an end to their wicked wing deals – like 25 cents per wing, or $4 for all you can eat – because the cost of those little meaty treats is going through the roof.

While they were once the scourge of the chicken world, losing out favor to the popular boneless skinless breast, they're now selling at a premium – and restaurants don't want to pay the steep price.

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Although it's more than reasonable to feel that Halloween is the ultimate in sugary holidays, when you think of the one-two punch of Thanksgiving and Christmas, Halloween doesn't even stand a chance. Needless to say, it's definitely time to start thinking about what kind of sweet treats you're going to have throughout the holiday season... and there's no better person to help you figure out your sugary musts than Aviva, the owner of Teuscher Beverly Hills.



Her Beverly Hills store has been a hit ever since its doors opened in 1982. The outdoor café and take-out window - the very first site in Beverly Hills to offer outdoor seating - began serving gourmet coffee drinks in 1996, offering the perfect compliment to their coveted Swiss chocolates. A selection of the Hollywood heavyweights who have walked through Teuscher's doors? Heidi Klum and Seal, Wentworth Miller, Michelle Trachtenberg, Jason Lewis, Ringo Starr, Denzel Washington, Danny DeVito, Meg Ryan, Harrison Ford, Sharon Stone and Elton John.

But let Aviva share with you her insights on why the holidays are the perfect time for sweets, and how to get the biggest bang for your sugary holiday buck.

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Summertime is definitely a popular time of year to hit the open road with all your camping gear and go find a secluded mountain spot to pitch a tent and become one with nature, but there's just one problem – it's so popular, that finding that ultimate camping site becomes the objective of hundreds and thousands of your friends and neighbors, too.



But that's what makes fall such a great time to camp. If you're willing to brave some slightly chillier temps, you can get in a decent getaway – often times, without a lot of other people around. But where are the best campgrounds to book at? Luckily, there's a lot to choose from ... but let's narrow it down a bit.

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Get your earplugs ready – New Moon is readying its theatrical assault. But the soundtrack has been gaining a lot of attention courtesy of its stellar musical line-up, and it's likely about to get more spotlight activity thanks to a mini-tour that's taking place at various Hot Topic stores across the country. The latest band to sign on to perform? Death Cab For Cutie.

Things kick off this Friday at the Hot Topic at Hollywood & Highland, where Death Cab will perform along with Band of Skulls, Sea Wolf, and Anya Marina. There will also be a Q&A session with cast members Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Jamie Campbell Bower, Alex Meraz, Kiowa Gordon, Ashley Greene, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Chaske Spencer, and Bronson Pelletier.

From there, the tour hits Chicago, Philly, Minneapolis, Boston, Seattle, and wraps up November 14th in Salt Lake City.

The Hollywood date appears to be the most performance and cast-heavy, as the remaining dates continue on with just a couple bands and castmates apiece. Regardless, if you live in any of the above cities, chances are your local mall is about to get really, really squealy – even without Edward, Jacob and Bella in attendance.