“Holiday Tipping Guide: Don't Forget the Mailman and Babysitter - ABC News” plus 1 more

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Holiday Tipping Guide: Don't Forget the Mailman and Babysitter - ABC News Posted: 24 Dec 2010 03:23 AM PST Dec. 24, 2010 'Tis the season to show your appreciation to everyone that makes life easier. "Tipping is for the services you received through the year and a way to guarantee good service throughout the year," says Laura Rowley, a Yahoo! Finance columnist. Despite an economic climate that has sent the real estate and job markets spiraling downward, holiday tipping is recession-proof. Tipping the babysitter or newspaper carrier is a way of showing your appreciation for services received. It's an act of appreciation that does not depreciate because of economic stressors. "There's no one more important in a parent's life than the person taking care of a child when they're not home. You don't want to be a Scrooge when it comes to holiday tipping," says Wendy Sachs, editor-in-chief of Care.com, a family care organization. And that's even if you don't celebrate Christmas. ABC News talked to Sachs and Rowley for our Comprehensive Guide on Who and What to Tip: The Nanny What's the rule of thumb for a person who takes care of the children? One week's salary. "Aside from the one-week salary, it's really nice to give a gift from the child," says Sachs. A drawing, brownies, a card, or any token of appreciation from the child should be included in the nanny's tip. "Tip right before they take off for Christmas," says Sachs. "If they leave without a tip, they may be very disappointed, and may not come back." The Babysitter A part-time babysitter will cost you less than a nanny in tips this holiday season. Instead of a week's salary, our experts say the bill for one to two days of service is a fair holiday tip option. If the babysitter is a teenager who watches the children on an occasional Saturday consider an iTunes or Target gift card between $25 and $50 in lieu of cash. The Teacher There's no minimum or maximum for the teachers responsible for educating your offspring, but a median gift price is about $20. Skip the pound of apples and consider a more forward-thinking gift like a gift card from a gourmet coffee spot, a scarf or a candle. But don't forget the gift receipt, which our experts recommend for any item with a personal touch. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php Five Filters featured site: So, Why is Wikileaks a Good Thing Again?.

Gingerbread cookies: A video how-to guide - San Francisco Gate Posted: 24 Dec 2010 11:16 AM PST Editor's note: This is an SFGate.com In Oakland Blog. These blog posts are not written or edited by SFGate or the San Francisco Chronicle. The authors are solely responsible for the content. Kate McLean/OaklandNorth.net When I think of winter, I think of dark, spongy gingerbread cookies -- not too sugary and very spicy. My favorite recipe comes from Tartine Bakery, home of the killer... Gingerbread cookies: A video how-to guide When I think of winter, I think of dark, spongy gingerbread cookies -- not too sugary and very spicy. My favorite recipe comes from Tartine Bakery, home of the killer croissants and long lines of famished Missionistas. These cookies are sweetened with dark molasses and spiced with freshly ground black pepper for extra kick. They also make very pretty holiday gifts. Cut into squares and covered with a translucent glaze, they remind me of beautiful ceramic tiles from Italy. But fortunately they are much easier to make and they taste better, too. I make a ton of them every year. The Tartine method calls for a fancy rolling pin to press shapes into the gingerbread, but I like to just use any pretty thing I can find. The fluted edge of a cordial glass works well, or a clean, freshly washed sea shell. Any food-safe, sterilized trinket with an interesting shape will do. The recipe and an instructional video are at Oakland North. Become a friend of Oakland North on Twitter and Facebook. Posted By: Oakland North (Email, Facebook) | December 24 2010 at 11:20 AM Gingerbread cookies: A video how-to guide When I think of winter, I think of dark, spongy gingerbread cookies -- not too sugary and very spicy. My favorite recipe comes from Tartine Bakery, home of the killer croissants and long lines of... This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php Five Filters featured site: So, Why is Wikileaks a Good Thing Again?.

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