"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly". -- Andy Rooney
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
December 2011  Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Happy New Year 
Dear Life Bites Readers, We wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. We have some great traditional recipes and fun family destinations for December. Sense of Style is packed with cultural opportunities and events to enjoy during the holidays, including coverage of the Opera Santa Barbara, gala events and epicurean adventures. The Newly renovated Hyatt Hotel in Santa Barbara reveals a great new face lift for an historic venue on the Santa Barbara coast that was originally built in the 1920s and was a press corp center during the Presidency of Ronald Reagan. A visit to the Rescue Mission for Thanksgiving offers everyone a good reason to be grateful. The latest on special offers at hotels around the world and unique travel opportunities are abundant in this issue as well. See photos of Barbra Streisand presenting Donna Karan with the Dream Foundation Humanitarian Award in Sense of Style and TinselTown Tidbits. Santa Barbara International Film Festival news is ongoing, along with the Golden Globes and Oscar's. The Way directed by Emilio Estevez and starring Martin Sheen is creating some real Oscar buzz. Cody Hilton has some great film releases for consideration in Teen Times section. I hope you will join us in remembering our 98,000 soldiers fighting in foreign lands and pray for their safe return to their families. God bless them, and God bless America in these challenging times. May the flag of freedom fly now and forever. Please pray for peace. Merry Christmas to you, your family and dear friends. Cordially, 
Bonnie Carroll Publisher/Editor Winter Savings: Cox Business Bundle Bundle Voice & Internet for $59/mo. Order from Cox Business today! Cox.com/Business-Bundle |
LBN DECEMBER PARTY IDEAS Plan Ahead. For every event we produce we establish a master agenda and a calendar. Begin your planning early and make sure you have enough time to everything done on time. - Budget. List every possible item you may need and project the costs. Figure out where you can afford to splurge and where you must cut back. At the end of the event, you can compare your actual costs to the projected and see where you saved.
- Plan for the masses. Whatever you thought to order for food and drinks, double it. This is a time for all of your friends to come together so you have to accommodate everyone, have options!
- Music. Music will keep the party going so make sure you have a DJ who knows how to control a room or asks friends for song suggestions and comprise a playlist on your iPod.
- Have fun! Remember, you’re planning a party! If the decorations don’t show or you run out of hors d'oeuvres – you’re surrounded by your friends, colleagues, family – they’re all drinking and dancing and most likely haven’t noticed.
Ideas from Jon Gabel, the CEO of Joonbug.com LBN Staff 2010 Bonnie Carroll, Publisher/Editor writebc@aol.com Rosalie Frances, Contributor, tolifebites.com Mary Hilton, Content Contributor/Marketing Director Maryhilton2000@aol.com Delia Csipkay, Contributing Editor Cody Chandler, Teen Times Columnist tolifebites@aol.com Natasha Melikoff, Montreal Reporter tolifebites@aol.com Mike O’Connell, Photo/Video Director/Contributor tolifebites@aol.com Isabella D'Angelo, Rome Correspondent tolifebites@aol.com Additional contributing writers are included on an individual issue basis. Please contact the editor with questions regarding journalist assignments. Email: writebc@aol.com LBN Offices 2115 De La Vina Street, Ste 31 Santa Barbara, CA 93105 805-845-9976 Email contact preferred please
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