I make it focal point of my own decorating, and invite you to consider possiblities!

Here are some festive drink recipes for little elves at your celebration.

Choose festive ware and garnish. Any drink with whipped cream, you can put sprinkles atop, candied fruit, cinnamon candies, Christmas “picks,” drizzle with (non-alcoholic) crème de menthe for color, shaved colored chocolate, a Candy kiss.

Tie a red bow with an evergreen sprig on punch ladle; surround base with greens and sugared cranberries or toy ornaments. If it’s hot, stick in a cinnamon stick or candy cane; dollop with whipped cream and garnish with sprinkles, cinnamon candies, confectioner’s sugar; add a holiday "pick"; stick a sparkler in each mug and light at presentation time.

If it’s cold, use decorated ice cubes – freeze cranberries, tiny ornaments, mint leaves, anything festive and NON-POISONOUS into cubes and add at presentation time. (Remember that holly berries and all parts of mistletoe are poisonous); or freeze same things in an ice mold. You can have great fun with floating ice rings for punch for kids - put in ornaments, cherries, greenery, anything you can make hygienic-enough and that isn't poisonous!

Whatever you serve, serve it with festive flare, and give it a holiday name! There's no more appreciative audience when you go extra mile.

NANA'S NOG

3 cups milk 1 cup half 'n' half 3 T. sugar Put in blender with ice and frappe. Consider food coloring and candy sprinkles. Serves 4.

CHRISTMAS MINT PUNCH 1 1/2 c water 10 oz mint jelly 3 c pineapple juice, chilled 1/2 c lemon juice 64 oz Sprite 1 qt lime sherbet

In small saucepan, combine water and mint jelly; cook and stir until jelly melts. Cool. In large punch bowl, combine jelly mix and juices. Just before serving, add Sprite and lime sherbet.

TRIM-THE-TREE CIDER PUNCH

1 gallon apple cider 12 whole cloves 2 large apples (Granny Smith, Rome Beauty), peeled, left whole 2 cinnamon sticks Ground nutmeg

1.)Make sure your relationship is solid. If your kids don’t like you, they’re a lot less likely to listen to you.

2.)Remember that actions speak louder than words. If your kids know that what you say won’t be backed up with action, they’ll more easily tune you out. Having natural consequences for not listening (toys disappear if kids don’t listen and they’re not picked up) has a way of having kids pay better attention.

3.)Talk about listening to them. Make it a point to discuss importance of listening occasionally when your kids are receptive. Talk about how nice it feels when someone else listens to you completely and what a great quality this is.

4.)Have a sense of timing when you talk to your kids. Don’t expect them to listen well when they’re in middle of something, when they’re extremely tired, or when they’re hungry. Find a time when they’re reasonably relaxed and you have their full attention.