Contents:

• "Turkey Talk" Special Tips on Selection, Preparation, and Storage
  
  
• Safely Preparing Holiday Meals and Storing Holiday Leftovers
  
  
• Organizing a Holiday Treat Exchange
  
  
• Fighting Holiday Weight Gain and Obesity
  
  
• Holiday Shopping Online
   
• Budgeting for Holiday Expenses
  
  
• Teacher of the Year
  
  
• About AAFCS
  

About the Electronic Press Kit

During the holiday season, the members of the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) encourage the teaching of the "whole" child.

"The importance of teaching LifeSkills becomes more critical each year as we work to prepare our children for the challenges that face them in our complex society," according to Ann Anderson, AAFCS 2005 National Teacher of the Year.

There is no better time than the holiday season to: learn about safe food preparation and storage for turkeys and holiday meals, find out how to organize a holiday treat exchange, pick up some helpful tips about fighting holiday weight gain and obesity, find out how to shop safely online while saving time and money, and gather some budgeting tips for holiday expenses.

These handy and informative topics are presented by AAFCS, a national nonprofit organization of educators and businesses concerned with LifeSkills and lifelong well-being.

In addition, AAFCS highlights the 2005 Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Ann Anderson, from Duncanville High School, Duncanville, Texas, where she is currently an FCS teacher and chair of the Family and Consumer Sciences Department.

To support the significance of the Teacher of the Year story, AAFCS has produced a Video News Release and B-Roll footage in Betamax.

Please contact Steve Hines at 800-424-8080, ext. 4619, 703-327-3243 or shines@aafcs.org to book appearances and interviews with our national teacher of the year and other teachers featured in this press kit.

A treat exchange is the perfect solution for those with busy lives who want to present a variety of homemade goodies at holiday gatherings with family and friends. Start planning for the exchange the week following Thanksgiving by inviting others to join. Promote the exchange at work and church, and with neighbors and friends. Share the expectations for the exchange including the date by which they must decide to participate and the date for the exchange. Offer several ideas of homemade items they could make to contribute. When determining items to include in an exchange, consider storability, freshness, and ease in transporting. Also, plan to have a balance of cookies and candies in a variety of colors, flavors, and textures.

Recommended holiday treat exchange items would include:

• Dipped pretzel logs
• Rosettes
• Divinity
• Peanut butter balls
• Peanut clusters
• Haystacks
• Toffee
• Peanut Brittle
• Fudge
• Mints
• Caramels
• Date pinwheels
• Snicker doodles
• Peanut butter blossoms
• Sugar cookies
• M&M cookies
• Gingersnaps
• Peanut butter cup cookies
• Glazed cut out cookies
• Spritz cookies
• Fruitcake
• Quick breads

As individuals indicate their desire to participate, record their name along with the item they have selected to ensure there are no duplicates. Once the date for deciding to participate has passed, provide everyone in the exchange a list of other participants and their selected treats. Each participant will make one dozen of his or her treat for each person in the exchange. For example, if you are participating in an exchange with ten people, you will make ten dozen of your item. Treats should be nicely packaged by dozens and secured in inexpensive, non-returnable containers. It may be helpful to remind participants of the exchange date and details again prior to the collection. Prepare for the day of the exchange by labeling a large bag or box with each person's name. As treats begin to arrive, distribute a one dozen package of each item to all other participants in the exchange. The treat exchange allows for each person to take home quite a large amount and variety of homemade holiday goodies to share.

Editors Note: To book an appearance or interview with Kendra Naef, contact Steve Hines at 800-424-8080, ext. 4619, 703-327-3243, or shines@aafcs.org.

Holiday Shopping Online: A Tool for Managing Budgets and Time

Annette Hays
AAFCS 2004 Top Ten Teacher of the Year
FCS Instructor and FCCLA Advisor
Acorn High School, Mena, Arkansas

In a study published recently in Information Week, Forrester Research Inc. said that consumers will spend 25 percent more online this holiday season as people become more comfortable with online shopping. What other factors may lead to this increase? It may also be due in part to what lifestyle trend forecaster Faith Popcorn predicted as the emergence of home-as-fortress, a trend for which she coined the term "cocooning." This trend along with the hectic tempo of the approaching holiday season and convenience of online shopping may encourage more Americans to turn to the Internet to accommodate their shopping needs.

The Internet provides you with shopping at your fingertips. You don't have to get dressed and leave home. You don't have to hassle with crowded stores and malls. You don't have to fight for a parking space. What could be more convenient? But, beware. Are you spending more online than you would by actually going to the store? There are ways to spot a bargain, save money, and avoid "identity terrorism" while shopping online. Listed below are tips compiled from several websites cited at the end of this article.

10 Tips for Holiday Shopping Online

 

1. Shop with online merchants you trust. If you need help finding an Internet merchant for what you need, check out the Shopping Guide by Yahoo! (http://shopping.yahoo.com). You can also find out about a merchant by visiting their website and reading their guarantees, warranties, and return policies. Don't hesitate to contact the Better Business Bureau and other consumer agencies for information about specific merchants.
2. Make sure you know the merchant's policies. Before completing an online purchase, carefully read delivery and return policies and privacy statements on the merchant's home page.
3. Compare prices online. Instead of running around town hunting for bargains, use your computer to compare prices and products before you buy. You may be able to get the best price by purchasing online; but watch out for shipping and handling charges that can ruin your bargain. You may get charged sales tax by some merchants and not by others. Some merchants charge more for shipping and handling than others, so watch out.
4. Take advantage of the benefits of Internet research when making purchases. The power of the Internet allows consumers to search the world for both everyday items and rare treasures. Shopping online gives you access to product reviews and other online information that can enhance your knowledge and help you make a more informed buying decision. Search for items via search engines. Try running a search for the item you're looking for using just the item's name. Next, run another search and this time add the word "wholesale" to your query.
5. Look for signs of security. There are several ways to tell if a merchant site is secure. Symbols like an unbroken lock or key, a URL that begins https:// and the words Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) mean that no one but you and the merchant can view your payment information.
6. Keep a record of your transactions. Just as you would keep your receipts when shopping at your local mall, save a receipt for every purchase so you're covered if there are any questions later. Just as you would keep your receipts when shopping at your local mall, save a receipt for every purchase so you're covered if there are any questions later.
7. Consult your budget, use common sense, take your time, and have fun. Shopping on the Internet offers many advantages, from the convenience of shopping from home to the ability to find hard-to-locate collectibles. Take your time, have fun, and know that while good bargains exist, some offers may be too good to be true. There are many good products available over the Internet from respected merchants, so if you're uncertain about a particular site, there are always other places to shop online. Keep track of purchases you are making online, as they can add up in a hurry, exceed your budget and cause after-holiday stress when it is time to pay the charge card bills.
8. Pay by credit or charge card. If you pay by credit or charge card online, your transaction will be protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act. Under this law, you have the right to dispute charges under certain circumstances and temporarily withhold payment while the creditor is investigating them. In the event of unauthorized use of your credit or charge card, you generally would be held liable only for the first $50 in charges. Some companies offer an online shopping guarantee that ensures you will not be held responsible for any unauthorized charges made online, and some cards may provide additional warranty, return and/or purchase protection benefits.
9. Make sure the website allows you to retain a complete record of the transaction after you have concluded it. Before concluding your transaction, a website should provide a confirmation page so that you can identify the goods or services you wish to purchase, identify and correct any errors, and modify your order if necessary.
10. Take action if something goes wrong. Contact the business with details of your complaint. If they offer no resolution, file a complaint with government consumer protection agencies. Try to resolve your complaint. The Internet is open for business twenty four hours a day, today and everyday. By using this technological resource wisely, it can indeed make your life easier during the holiday season. 
    
    

Check out the websites below for these tips and additional tips on Internet shopping.

http://www.webtechgeek.com/How-to-Shopping-online-tips.htm
http://www.econsumer.gov/english/index.html
http://ilil.essortment.com/internetshoppin_rkrq.htm
http://www.umb.com/personal/checking/card/cctips.html

"Holiday Online Spending Outlook Positive, Study Says"
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=173400553

 

Editors Note: To book an appearance or interview with Annette Hays, contact Steve Hines at 800-424-8080, ext. 4619, 703-327-3243, or shines@aafcs.org.

Holiday Money Handling: Rein in Your "Inner Santa"

Deborah J. Nelson, CFCS
AAFCS Vice President,
Program FCS Teacher Alameda High School,
Lakewood, Colorado

The holidays can be a challenging time for everyone! There are so many expectations, some real and some only perceived. The "Norman Rockwell" holiday really does not exist. People do the best they can with what they have...because when too much is spent, it puts a cramp on the beginning of a "happy new year!"

There are some tips for getting a handle on holiday spending, to keep that “inner Santa” under control and avoid debt.

Tips for Holiday Budgeting

• Decide how much money you truly have available to spend. How much can you squeeze out of your November and December budgets for this purpose? What do you have in savings that could be used for holiday activities?
  
• Write out your gift list and check it twice! Be realistic here, as well as creative.
  
  • What talents do you have? What gifts could you make? What non-monetary gifts could you offer? Remember those coupons we used to make for our parents..."this coupon good for one hug" or "this coupon good for one pan of brownies" - how can you use this idea as an adult?
  • Encourage large families to draw names for the adults, or give gifts to the couple, rather than each individual. Set an age limit for when children join the "adult" gift pool.
  • Remember stocking stuffers -those "small amounts" can add up fast.
  • Have a few "extra" gifts on hand for those unexpected gift needs.
    
• Looking at the money available and the gift list, set a dollar amount for each gift recipient. How much can you afford to spend on each person? It doesn't have to be the same amount for everyone - you get to pick and choose.
  
• Write each person/family's name on an envelope. Go to your financial institution and withdraw the dollar amounts in cash. Put the appropriate cash into each labeled envelope. Store these envelopes in a safe place!
  
• Go shopping!!! When the cash is gone, you are done spending for that person/family. Have fun purchasing your gifts! Happy Holidays!

For a happier holiday season next year, start NOW!

• Calculate how much you can afford to spend for the holidays next year.
  
• Divide this dollar amount by 12 or however many times you get paid in a year.
  
• Set up an automatic deduction into a holiday account at your financial institution. Holiday accounts usually earn slightly higher interest, always a plus! The automatic deduction makes is easier to "remember" to save the money.
  
• Next November, get the cash out, make your envelopes and repeat steps 4 and 5 for another happy holiday season!

For more tips on budgeting, see:

www.practicalmoneyskills.com
http://www.aafcs.org/res/www.moneymanagement.org

Editors Note: To book an appearance or interview with Debbie Nelson, contact Steve Hines at 800-424-8080, ext. 4619, 703-327-3243, or shines@aafcs.org.

Ann Anderson has dedicated 29 years to teaching family and consumer sciences (FCS) at the secondary school level. In 1967, Ann earned a bachelor's degree in home economics education from North Texas State University and in 1991, a master's degree in secondary education from the University of North Texas. From 1967 to 1971, Ann taught FCS classes in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District. Since 1980, she has been working at Duncanville High School and is currently an FCS teacher and chair of the Family and Consumer Sciences Department.

To stay on the cutting-edge of her field and provide the highest quality education to her students, Ann has continued to advance her professional development. Last year, she completed a 40-hour course taught by the Intel Corporation on integrating technology into the classroom. Ann has also completed the workshops necessary so that her students can earn Tech Prep and Articulation credit in Texas. Additionally, she has completed the hours and passed the exam to be a ServSafe Instructor.

In addition to Ann's membership with AAFCS, she is an active member of related organizations. She has been a member of the Hospitality Educators Association of Texas (HEAT) for eight years; member of the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and National Association of Teachers of Family and Consumer Sciences (NATFACS) for 24 years; and member of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and the Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher Association of Texas (FCSTAT) for 29 years.

For FCCLA, Ann is a chapter advisor and coordinates the six FCCLA chapters at her high school. She has chaired and co-chaired FCCLA regional and state STAR (Students Taking Action with Recognition) events. Ann’s students have competed in the Community Service, Culinary Arts, and Job Interview STAR events and some have moved on to compete at the state and national levels.

Giving back to the community is an important aspect of Ann's curriculum and her life. Her students have prepared and served food for the Stewpot, an organization that assists homeless people in Dallas; visited senior citizens in nursing homes; assembled Easter baskets for the Children's Advocacy Center in Dallas; and participated in the Relay for Life at her high school to raise funds for breast cancer research and increase awareness about the disease. Ann personally contributes to the Duncanville Education Foundation, which gives grants to deserving programs in her school district and gives gift certificates to needy students at her high school.