What else is new, what can I do but play this valley winter song I wrote for you...

Another Christmas come and gone. I realized I should have done my big end-of-year cleaning and community donating post this week and suggested some holiday songs last week instead. Well, I've only been doing this regularly for the past year, so give me a break. I'm still getting the hang of this whole editorial calendar thing...

But as the year comes to an end I thought I might offer a few more Martha Stewart-type activities for you. I was inspired by the fact that so many people in Southern California and the East Coast are completely trapped/stuck/stranded due to the extreme weather. That--and the fact that the financial district here is a ghost town--makes me think that a lot of people are taking this week off from work. (Of course, just a few blocks away in Union Square all those people are shopping up a storm, taking advantage of post-Christmas sales...)

1. Join the crowds and get some holiday cards for next year. I must say, I found some cute retro cards for half off. The trick is to stay local and support a local business, if you can. I certainly did!

2. Make some treats for a New Years Eve celebration. For the second year in a row, I made those gooey corn flake wreaths (I only just learned about them, thanks to my partner who's from Ohio and grew up with all this marshmallowy goodness.) We also decorated some fresh gingerbread cookies a friend made. I thought this could be such a fun thing to do with kids, especially if you're snowed (or flooded) in. I had just started sipping a glass of wine and couldn't stop laughing and giggling as I wrestled with the gooey mess--and I don't even have any kids!

3. Catch up. This is the best thing to do if you have this week off between Christmas and New Year's. (I don't this year, but I used to and I really miss it.) You could:
     a. clean the house
     b. really take the time to get over that cold/flu that's been nagging you
     c. catch up on movies, books, magazines, or TV shows (great if you're stuck indoors)
     d. spend time with your loved ones. Play a game like Scrabble. Get your minds working!

4. Celebrate the fact that the days are going to get longer from now on.

5. Put together that playlist for a great seasonal New Years Eve party. There are some wintery songs that I now always associate with the holidays. Here are some non-denominational ones that you could use for next year, or this weekend:

- "Valley Winter Song" by Fountains of Wayne. Wonderfully melancholy lyrics.

- "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" by Tavares. Heard it at the Gap during the holidays 11 years ago and now it'll always be associated with December.

- "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" by Annie Lennox and Al Green. Yes, I used it last week, but after hearing it a dozen more times since then, I still think it's great.

- "Hazy Shade of Winter" by The Bangles. What can I say? It's all about the bells.

- "Calling On Mary" by Aimee Mann. Part of her magical holiday album from a few years ago. It's a great original Christmas song.

- "Celebrate Me Home" by Kenny Loggins.

- "New Year" by Sugababes. It's bubblegum pop, but not too many people Stateside have heard this British girl group before.

- "Walk Out To Winter" by Aztec Camera.

- "A Great Big Sled" by The Killers. It's Christmas-y, but so sweeping and epic I could listen to it year-round.

- "Goodnight" by Etienne de Rocher. A sweet, sweet song. Maybe the best way to end your night and ring in the New Year this Friday. I'm so glad I got to interview him years ago for a magazine article...

Any other suggestions? Let me know--I'm always looking to expand my holiday playlist for next year!