Carl Pettit

Christmas traditions around the world can be quite different from what we’re used to at home.

Santa Claus, who without a doubt really does exist, doesn’t have time to make a personal appearance in every Hollywood movie about Christmas ever made. Instead, he relies on a number of talented actors to portray him on the silver screen.

Globes and angels and stars are fine, but for the folks who like to be a little more imaginative with their Christmas-tree decorations—whether from boredom or budget—we’ve come up with a list of five unusual ways to help get the creative wheels in your noggin spinning:

Christmas means toys, food, holiday cards, laughter, singing, family squabbles and lot of sweets stuffed inside your belly. The festive season also means a ton of money will be spent on those near and dear to us—and with so many sales going on, maybe just a bit on yourself as well.

“Come on! It’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.” Those famous words, from the song ‘Sleigh Bells Ringing,’ signal the arrival of lots of snow in the colder regions of the planet—and tons of winter fun. What better way to enjoy the crisp air, and the cold outdoors, than by taking a “cool” sleigh ride?

The microwave oven is a wonderful time saver. When you want to defrost a chicken, warm up a bowl of soup, pop some popcorn or cook an instant burrito, you can’t beat microwave technology.

One of the best ways to enjoy the great outdoors is to take in all the sights from the vantage point of the water. When you kayak, no matter if it’s a gentle coastal tour, or a death-defying whitewater rapid, you get the chance to pass through a variety of wilderness along Mother Nature’s original roads: the rivers and the seas.

Ray Bradbury, the man who penned numerous fantasy and science fiction classics of American literature, like ‘Fahrenheit 451’ and ‘The Martian Chronicles,’ died June 5th, 2012, in Los Angeles at the age of 91. Bradbury was a master of the written word. His wonderful imagination seemed to hold no bounds. He wrote more than two-dozen novels in his lifetime, and helped cement science fiction as a true

For those of us not born with a silver spoon in our mouths, there’s a good chance that we’ve had a few jobs along the way that we were less than fond of. Well, that’s also true for the rich and famous.

HiStyley/pyrogenic/amanky, Flickr When the weather gets warmer, and you head out into the sun, you’re bound to eat a whole lot of ice cream. Of course, you could choose from the traditional flavors, like vanilla, chocolate, pistachio and rocky road. But ...