57th Annual Holiday Parade this Friday

Downtown Santa Barbara for the Holidays

Unwrap the magic of downtown Santa Barbara during the 57th Annual Holiday Parade this Friday, December 4th, 2009. More than 50,000 spectators will line the streets for Santa Barbara’s exciting night time parade. The parade begins at 6:30 PM on State and Sola Streets and proceeds down State toward Victoria Street where it stops for the lighting of the city's giant Christmas tree before concluding the route at the corner of Cota Street. Be sure to watch for the Holiday Prince, Nick Schaedler and Fairy, Sydney Lynn Hlavaty leading the parade riding in a horse drawn carriage with this year's Grand Marshal Smokey the Bear.

This Friday promises to entertain young and old alike in downtown Santa Barbara. The parade includes giant helium balloon characters floating down the street along with festive performance groups in colorful costumes, fabulously restored antique cars and beautifully decorated floats. There will be high-stepping marching bands performing Yuletide classics. You can't help but wave back to the many local personalities in the parade or the parties that follow. Of course the parade's grand finale is all about the one and only Santa Claus handing out candy canes from his authentic hand-built sleigh being pulled by reindeer. For those that can't wait, Santa can be found prior to the parade at Paseo Nuevo's center court from 4:00-5:30 pm. Don't forget your Santa hat!

For more info: 
Friday night's festivities in Santa Barbara include the annual Mistletoe Ball XVIII at the Four Seasons Biltmore. Plenty of holiday cheer can be found downtown in many nightclubs and restaraunts.

Linda McCartney's Thanksgiving Pie. Enjoy!

The joy of this pie is that it is from the recipe box of the late great Linda McCartney., wife of Paul McCartney of The Beatles. 
"It makes a mouth watering addition to my family's Thanksgiving meal".
"Forever thankful to her memory."

Linda McCartneys's Thanksgiving Pie


Ingredients

1oz/250g sweet corn, fresh or canned
12oz/350g broccoli
12oz/350g courgettes
12oz/350g carrots
4oz/125g french beans
3 small leeks
½pint/300ml bechamel sauce
bunch of fresh summer herbs of your choice, eg tarragon, thyme, dill. chopped
8oz/250g frozen or homemade puff pastry
 

Method
1. Steam all the vegetables separately until they are tender or slightly crisp.
2. Leave to cool, reserving cooking liquids, then chop if necessary into bite-size pieces.
3. Thin out the bechamel with about ¼pint / 150ml of the reserved liquids.
4. Stir in the vegetables and herbs and pour into a large ovenproof dish.
5. Roll out the pastry to a round or other shape that is 1 inch (2.5cm) larger than the diameter of the dish.
With the trimmings make a long thin strip of pastry.
Moisten the rim of the dish and place this strip on it.
Moisten the strip, then place the pastry lid on top and press down with a fork to seal the edge.
6. Bake at 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 for 30-40 minutes or until the pastry is risen and golden.

Bechamel Sauce

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Ingredients

1½oz/40g butter or soya margarine
2tbsp/30ml plain flour
½pint/300ml skimmed or soya milk, warmed
pinch of grated nutmeg
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Method
Melt the butter in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan.

Gradually stir in the flour.

Add the warm milk slowly, stirring all the time until the sauce thickens.

Season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper and simmer over a very low heat for

Santa Barbara After Dark

Santa Barbara is no longer just a vacation destination for Bed and Breakfast tourists.  Whether it is good food, drinks or entertainment you seek, you will find it here.  Conveniently located between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Santa Barbara has earned a reputation for world class red carpet events, upscale entertainment and untamed hot spots.  Santa Barbara nightlife will satisfy everyone from the fast paced Los Angeles native to the UCSB student.

Restaurants, clubs, theaters, art and cultural festivals, and an impressive music scene are all found within Santa Barbara County.  The Granada's Broadway shows, The Arlington's International Film Festival and big name concerts at the Santa Barbara Bowl lure entertainment legends and thousands of their fans to the “American Riviera” all year long.  As with any popular entertainment scene, a bit of planning is needed for these events or you may end up on “the wrong side of the ropes".  Dollar for dollar, each of these venues delivers an evening of entertainment you will not forget.  And when the final curtain closes on showcase events, the city’s bars and nightclubs take over.

Open 365 nights a year, you have numerous bars and clubs to choose from.  Among your choices, Soho, the premier music club of Santa Barbara, has live bands and dancing every evening.  Their Monday evening jazz show is not to be missed.  Looking for more of a local scene and billiards tables?  Try the Cliff Room or Dargan's Irish Pub & Restaurant.  Both establishments are well known for excellent bartenders and a guaranteed good time.  If that is not enough, head over to the Chumash Casino Resort where the party never ends.  In addition to regular headliners, Chumash offers you nightlife 24/7.  Viva La Fiesta!  Enjoy Santa Barbara until the break of day.

Top Ten Things to Avoid At Your Holiday Office Party

Top Ten Things to Avoid At Your Holiday Office Party

By The Queen of Nightlife <http://www.queenofnightlife.com/>, Anneliese Place


Nothing can destroy a personal or professional reputation like a holiday office party.  Yes, these parties have a long history of employees coming up with what seemed like a good idea at the time.  How do you want to be considered come Monday morning?  Here are some sobering tips on how to tip back a cocktail or two while still maintaining your wits about you.  Follow the Queen of Nightlife's advice and you will be invited back to next year's party!

10. Late Arrivals & Departures


Forget about being fashionably late, arrive on time.  This is a work event not a social gala - hold back on your desire to keep people in suspense about whether you will show or not.  DO NOT STAY LATE unless you are part of the clean up crew or you may find yourself singing a really bad Karaoke rendition of "Grandma (or your boss) got run over by a reindeer"!


9. The "Funky Dance" Made Ever So Popular by Elaine On An Episode of Seinfeld.


Have fun and cut loose a little.  Just keep in mind that break dancing & grinding should be left to the professionals.  Unless your office party is in a strip club or hip hop venue you should leave your "fancy dance steps" at home.


8. The Buffet Table

Don't forget to mingle.  Hanging out stuffing your face with "free food" gets you nowhere and spinach in your teeth will definitely ruin your smile.  Eat something before you go so you can concentrate on the people instead of the calories.



7. First Dates

Is your office party for employees only?  Do you really need a date?  If guests are encouraged, choose with extreme caution.  Invite someone you know will represent you in the best light possible.  The holiday office party is no place for first, or last, dates!


6. Nightclub Clothing & Pick Up Lines


Unless it is a theme party, you already know better!  This is not a nightclub people; it is your office.  Flattery will get you nowhere if the boss's wife does not want to know how hot you think she is, and please display chest hair or cleavage only in tiny doses.  Think festive!  Color, sequins and sparkling conversation are what's called for.


5. Dirty Jokes & Four Letter Words


No matter how much you think people may laugh, dirty jokes and off-color comments are always offensive to someone, so avoid telling them.  You never know where people are coming from and those laughs are not worth any of the unintentional consequences, including losing your job.


4. Water Cooler Gossip


Talking behind someone's back will earn you nothing but disrespect.  Always remember that the walls have ears and you may very well be bad mouthing someone's friend or closest ally.


3. The Broom Closet


Office parties are meant to celebrate the holidays.  Trust me, no matter how strong your animal instincts are, no matter how much you believe you found true love or that no one will notice, this party is not the time or the place.  True love can wait and there are no secrets!  Workplace romances and one night stands should be avoided at all costs.


2. Alcohol & The Open Bar


Lampshades are only decorative on the lamp. If you want to be respected on a professional level you will not use this party as a drinking event.  I suggest ordering non-alcoholic beverages, but regardless of which one you choose, keep it under three or you may regret it.  Save the drinking for the Super Bowl Party you throw in January.




AND THE NUMBER ONE "GOOD IDEA" TO AVOID AT YOUR HOLIDAY OFFICE PARTY IS....


1. The Copy Machine


It's all fun and games till someone gets fired.  If you and your coworkers photo copy your body parts it is not going to end well.  Monday morning you want to return to work with your head held high - not doing the walk of shame into the boss's office.  If nothing else - Trust me on the copy machine.

interveiws coming!

The queen of Nightlife Anneliese Curtis Place was quoted in She Knows Parenting.

She Knows Parenting Interviewed me.

She Knows Parenting Interviewed me.
This is what I had to say...
For kids, it's easy to be sucked in by the promise of great prizes for selling a lot. And, that can lead to them wanting to sell more. Good for the school? Sure. But for the kids, it's only good if they are selling the right way -- with manners. That means gracefully taking no for an answer, and not asking again and again. It also means remembering the ever important "please" and "thank you."

"Teaching your kids selling etiquette is important! They need to realize that not everyone can buy something every time and a simple thank you for each persons time is important. Its also good to learn that the product needs to be delivered on time... not sit in their room," says mom Anneliese Curtis Place.

Surviving school fundraisers

Don't look now, but it's fundraiser season: the time when schools across the country call on their students to raise money for this or that. Before you wake the dog with your groans, learn how to survive -- and when it's okay to just say no.

No sooner does school start than the flyers start coming home. Buy oranges to support the eighth graders! Sell wrapping paper to help us keep school costs down! Don't forget the cookies for scouts! It's a never ending cycle of do-do-do to raise money for this club or that activity.
Breathe.
Every mom knows what a stress it is to deal with the fundraisers. But you can survive them.

Teach etiquette

For kids, it's easy to be sucked in by the promise of great prizes for selling a lot. And, that can lead to them wanting to sell more. Good for the school? Sure. But for the kids, it's only good if they are selling the right way -- with manners. That means gracefully taking no for an answer, and not asking again and again. It also means remembering the ever important "please" and "thank you."

"Teaching your kids selling etiquette is important! They need to realize that not everyone can buy something every time and a simple thank you for each persons time is important. Its also good to learn that the product needs to be delivered on time... not sit in their room," says mom Anneliese Curtis Place.

Offer fun incentives

If you want to eliminate some of the painfulness of the fundraising, give it a fun twist with an offbeat incentive. This will, of course, require the buy-in of the powers that be, but it also ultimately will generate a lot of excitement among the students.
Mom Amanda Gavin says that she makes sure to let people know what her child might get to do if they sell enough in the fundraiser. "Last year, if the school raised a certain amount, the Principal would kiss a live chicken in front of the students. He did! This year, if a student sells a certain quantity of items, they get to race a hampster in the hampster rumble. I usually make a silly flyer to attach to the top of the catalog that I leave in my office lunch room. In addition, I participate in the online sales and mention it in my email. This seems to be the best selling point," says Gavin.

When to say no

If there was just one school fundraiser, people might not mind so much. But there is never just one and that makes the whole fundraising thing feel like a never-ending cycle of forms and sales goals. But the truth is that you can decide not to participate.
"We absolutely rely on fundraising to support our teachers and our kids’ education. That said, we know parents get fatigued with all the groups they are asked to support – especially this year with the tight economy," admits PTA mom Karen Bantuveris.
She says that the variety of fundraisers give options to families, so that they can pick the ones that are right for them. "We encourage families to pick and choose. If wrapping paper isn’t your thing, perhaps participate in the holiday greeting card fundraiser. If you don’t want your kids selling stuff, please write a check to Underwriting or buy extra tickets at the Carnival to support a family in need. For parents that can’t give money, we invite them to give time helping make our fundraisers a success," says Bantuveris.

Do what's right for you

In fundraising, there can be a lot of peer pressure (both among kids and parents) to participate. But that doesn't mean you have to do everything. What's important is that you support the school in a way that works for you and your family.
Mom Nikki Maxwell says that she decides at the beginning of the school year what she will participate in and budgets for it. Then, she sticks to her guns. "Regardless of peer pressure, I don't feel that attending a percent based fundraiser at a restaurant or buying pizza is the best way to support the school. I do think that food fundraisers can be good community builders in addition to fundraising, but since my budget is limited, if the goal is fundraising, I put my money in the fundraisers that help the school most directly," says Maxwell.

For more on school and education:

• Why do you volunteer in the classroom?
• Checking up on your child's school
• Helping kids make a good impression on teacher
  

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Sarah Caron is a mother, wife, writer, editor and cook. She also writes at Sarah's Cucina Bella (www.sarahscucinabella.com), The Voice of Mom (www.thevoiceofmom.com) and the Well Fed Network (www.wellfed.net).